...faith

On June 30, 1859, one of the greatest tightrope walkers in history, Charles Blondin, became the first man in history to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.  Approximately 25,000 people watched him walk a 1,000 feet line suspended above the raging falls without any safety nets.  When he safely reached the Canadian side, the crowd cheered with thunderous applause. 

 

On another occasion, he attempted to cross The Falls once again - this time, however, with a wheelbarrow.  The crowd gasped as he carefully loaded the front wheel of the wheelbarrow on the tightrope.  He turned to the crowd and asked if they believed he could do it using the wheelbarrow.  Everyone cheered in approval.  They all believed he could.. 

 

He turned to a reporter who was covering the event.  He looked straight at him and asked the question, “Do you believe I can do this?”  The reporter responded with a big smile, “Yes!  I believe you can do it.” 

 

“Good”, the tightrope walker responded. “Get in the wheelbarrow!!!”

 

If we are going to be people who live their faith, we need “wheelbarrow faith”.  We must have faith that doesn’t just “say” we believe, we have to truly believe.  We have live out our faith in our daily lives.  We have to “get in the wheelbarrow”.     

 

“So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:5

-david langerfeld 

...bribe

“The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.” —Proverbs 29:4 

Our societies are infected with corruption. One of the most prevalent types of corruption in government is called a “kickback,” a form of negotiated bribery where a government employee helps secure an inflated payment for goods or services that are not needed or sometimes of inferior quality. In return, they receive payment in the form of services, cash, merchandise, or favors. 

Even doctors haven’t been immune to the temptation. Until the Anti-Kickback Act was passed in 1987, many doctors sent Medicare patients to medical providers for treatments and tests they didn’t need. Why? Because these providers secretly reimbursed the doctors for sending them business. 

In case you think I’m only picking on politicians and doctors, many of us struggle at some point with resisting some form of bribery. It’s part of our “old man” nature, and we get an early start. Children commonly try to bribe their friends, siblings, and parents. The Bible is full of examples of bribery as well. Think of Jacob, who took advantage of his brother’s hunger and bribed him for the birthright. The payoff was a bowl of stew.

Bribery (along with his own poor choices) caused the ruin of Samson. When the Philistine lords came to Delilah, they said, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver” Judges 16:5. That must have been a lot of money! She took the bribe, and poor Samson took the bait. And who could forget Zacchaeus? He was a Publican, or tax collector, a group hated by most because of their habits of cheating and using bribery to increase their wealth. But meeting Jesus turned his life completely around. And that’s the key! 

Our verse this morning suggests that if a ruler accepts bribes, his land is headed for ruin. That’s not hard to believe. Whether on the giving or receiving end, participating in a bribe corrupts a person. Involving selfish desire and deceit, it violates trust and bolsters greed. The Bible speaks powerfully against this dishonest practice: “A bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous” Exodus 23:8, and, “A bribe debases the heart” Ecclesiastes 7:7.

-doug batchelor

 

...poverty

It’s a heartrending fact that more than a billion people in the world live in what is defined as “extreme poverty,” lacking such basic human needs as food, safe drinking water, shelter, and sanitation. Education and medical care is out of the question for most of them. (And we whine when our electricity goes off for a couple of hours!) 

Jesus told us that we would always have the poor with us, and His Word tells us that feeding and caring for them is our responsibility. Sharing with others is part of God’s plan for us. “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” Hebrews 13:16. 

“He who hides his eyes,” as if not looking at the problem will make it go away, is doing wrong. It reminds me of the comment by Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Some people are tempted to think they can turn a blind eye and everything will be okay, or that they can leave the problem to others, but Scripture tells us it’s our obligation to help. 

The apostle John wrote, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” 1 John 3:17. A person with God’s love inside cannot turn away from the desperate need of a fellow human being. Instead, “the righteous considers the cause of the poor” Proverbs 29:7. And then he takes action! 

It might seem that no matter how much we give, there are more people in need. And that’s true. But it doesn’t excuse us from doing what we can to help. We should help and keep helping. God promises a blessing to those who remember to care for the less fortunate. He says, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” Psalm 41:1. Even the poor are blessed by giving to others. Remember the widow who put her two mites into the temple offering, or the widow in Zarephath who gave what would have been the last of her food to the prophet Elijah? 

And don’t forget Jesus’ words that when we give to “the least of these”—food, water, clothing, shelter, caring—we are giving to Him. "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse." Proverbs 28:27
-doug batchelor

...twice

When Chad and Keri McCartney say their infant daughter, Macie Hope, has been born again, they aren’t referring to religion—their miracle baby really was born twice! During Keri’s 23rd week of pregnancy, the couple went to their obstetrician’s office for a simple ultrasound procedure to determine if they would be having a little boy or girl. The couple brought their four children along to hear the good news.

At that time it was discovered that the McCartney’s baby girl had a noncancerous but deadly tumor growing off her tailbone. The fast-growing tumor, as large as the baby, was robbing vital blood from their baby. Without medical intervention their unborn child had no chance. The Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston was one of only three hospitals in the world that could perform such a specialized and risky surgery. After being told that there was less than a 10 percent chance the baby was going to make it, the parents wanted to pick a fitting name before the perilous procedure. They chose Macie Hope. Faced with a dismal future, Keri said, “Hope was all we had.” 

The “first birth” was about six months into Keri’s pregnancy, when fetal surgeons led by Dr. Darrell Cass gently took the tiny 142grams baby from Keri’s womb to remove the tumor. The surgery went flawlessly. Then back into mommy she went to heal and grow for two more months. Then Macie was born the second time on May 3, 2008, when the McCartney’s welcomed their perfectly healthy baby girl into the world. 

Did you know the Bible teaches that if you are only born once you will die twice? But if you are born twice you will die only once? While explaining the plan of salvation to one of Israel’s most gifted teachers, Jesus plainly outlined for Nicodemus what must happen: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’” John 3:3

Nicodemus seems confused and says, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (v. 4). Though baby Macie did just that, Jesus was speaking of the miracle of salvation in the heart. The spiritual birth, marked by baptism in water, symbolizes a new life in Christ. This second birth does not happen under a surgeon’s knife, but through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

 

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

-doug batchelor

...sacks

My grandfather worked in a blacksmith shop when he was a boy, and he used to tell me, when I was a little boy myself, how he had toughened himself up so he could stand the rigors of blacksmithing.

 

One story was how he had developed his arm and shoulder muscles.  He said he would stand outside behind the house and, with a 5-pound potato sack in each hand, extend his arms straight out to his sides and hold them there as long as he could.

 

After a while he tried 10-pound potato sacks, then 50-pound potato sacks and finally he got to where he could lift a 100-pound potato sack in each hand and hold his arms straight out for more than a full minute!

 

Next, he started putting potatoes in the sacks...

 

I suspect we're all like that at times.  We understand (intellectually, at least) the value of trials.  We understand that the testing of our faith produces patience James 1:3.  We understand that the fiery trials serve to purify our faith I Peter 1:7.  And we are quite content to hold the potato sacks -- as long as God doesn't put any potatoes in them!

 

It's much harder to see the benefit of trials when they are so overwhelming as to seem to be crushing.  As Job said, "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me." Job 3:25

 

But empty potato sacks will never build muscles.  And light trials will never develop the kind of qualities that God seeks to develop in our lives.

 

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  James 1:2-4

 

May the trials you are going through today serve the strengthen the muscles of your spiritual life. 

?...problem

 The Browns were shown into the dentist's office, where Mr. Brown made it clear he was in a big hurry.  "No fancy stuff, Doctor," he ordered, "No gas or needles or any of that stuff.  Just pull the tooth and get it over with." "I wish more of my patients were as stoic as you," said the dentist admiringly. "Now, which tooth is it?"

Mr. Brown turned to his wife... "Show him, honey."

It's easy to be brave when someone else is the one experiencing the pain!  I wonder as I write and speak about facing trials with a positive attitude if I could be so upbeat if I actually suffer the loss of everything I own in a hurricane or tornado.  It's easy to be brave when someone else is experiencing the pain!

It's also easy to believe that someone else is the only one needing treatment.  "Don't look at me, doctor.  Take care of her!"  As you sat listening to a sermon on Saturday, did you find yourself saying, "I sure hope John is listening, because this is something he really needs to work on!"

Listen to these words of James:
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:23-25

James does not say that the word of God is a magnifying glass or a telescope to look at others.  Rather, it is a mirror.  And a mirror is only used to look at yourself. I pray that you will take the opportunity today to use the word of God as a mirror, and may your life be changed by it.

-dave langerfeld

...prepare

 "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

How many people actually listen to the safety demonstration on an airplane? Nobody thinks that their plane is actually going to be involved in a crash. Besides, if you fly very often, you've heard the same spiel dozens of times. It almost seems like a waste of time.

Everybody knows how to fasten and unfasten their seatbelt, right? That seems like a pointless part of the demonstration. Maybe not; a study by the British Civil Aviation Authority revealed that an average of 6% of passengers get delayed by seatbelt problems during an evacuation.

Every safety demonstration discusses what to do if the plane has to make a water landing, but in the 2009 U.S. Airways landing on the Hudson River, only about half took a seat cushion for floatation and only 10 of 150 passengers thought to grab a life jacket. They'd heard the briefing, but hadn't really listened.

Experts say that even a half-second delay in an emergency can mean the difference between life and death, yet few of us pay attention to the very information that can save our lives. We don't value the information until we really need it.

I can't help but feel that we treat God the same way. We're vaguely aware that He's there; we know that we really ought to learn more about Him, but we don't take the trouble to do so... until we find ourselves in an emergency.

Then we wish we knew Him better. We wish we knew more about how to pray. We wish we were more confident about knowing what He expects of us and how we should behave towards Him.

Don't wait until that crisis hits. Take the time to learn about God now. Connect with people who know Him and can guide you. Learn the basics about Bible study, and then make reading the Bible a part of your daily routine. Start talking to God on a regular basis. There's no better way to learn about prayer than by doing it.

Connecting with God is easier than inflating a life vest or opening an emergency exit on a plane. And the rescue He offers lasts forever.

-timothy archer 

...under

 On July 9, 1755, during the French and Indian War, a force of 1,500 British soldiers was ambushed in the open by a small force of French and American Indian fighters shooting from the woods. The British soldiers—trained for European war—made easy targets standing shoulder to shoulder in their bright red uniforms. And their officers were even more exposed on horseback, high above the men on the ground, making perfect targets. The slaughter continued for two hours as nearly 70 percent of the British soldiers were cut down.

One by one, the chief’s marksmen shot the British officers from their horses until only one remained. Amazingly, round after round was aimed at this one man. Twice the young lieutenant’s horse was shot out from under him. Twice he grabbed another horse. Ten, fifteen, twenty rounds were fired by the sharpshooters. Still, the officer remained unhurt. The native warriors stared in disbelief. Their rifles seldom missed. The chief realized that a mighty power must be shielding this man and commanded, 

“Stop firing! This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit.” 

Eventually the lieutenant colonel gathered the remaining British troops and led them to safety. That evening, as the last of the wounded were being cared for, the officer noticed an odd tear in his coat. It was a bullet hole! He rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arm directly under the hole. There was no mark on his skin. Amazed, he took off his coat and found three more holes where bullets had passed through his coat but stopped before they reached his body. 

 

Nine days after the battle, the young lieutenant colonel wrote his brother: “By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side!” 

The 23-year-old officer went on to become the commander in chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States. During the years that followed in his long career, this man, George Washington, was never once wounded in battle. Washington also escaped flying bullets on four other occasions and survived contracting diphtheria, malaria, smallpox, and tuberculosis. 

"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."

Psalms 91:7

-doug batchelor

 

...within

 "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. Some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 Timothy 1:19

Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called "Ninety-Three." It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon.

They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the loose cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.

Life's certainly like that. Not always, but more often than not, it isn't the storms without that cause us the most problems, but the storms that rage within us - such as a spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, greed and so on. Other "loose cannons" are unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, lust, and so on. These, if not confronted and resolved, can readily cause shipwrecks of our relations, our faith, or even our life. Some "loose cannon people" in organizations also need to be brought under control before they destroy "the ship."

23

 Have you ever stopped to think through Psalm 23? 

Here is what i found 

The Lord is my Shepherd ... (that's relationship)

I shall not want ... (that's supply) 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ... (that's rest) 

He leadeth me beside the still waters ... (that's refreshment) 

He restoreth my soul ... (that's healing) 

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ... (that's guidance) 

For His name sake ... (that's purpose) 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... (that's testing) 

I will fear no evil ... (that's protection) 

For Thou art with me ... (that's faithfulness) 

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me ... (that's discipline) 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ... (that's hope) 

Thou anointest my head with oil ... (that's consecration) 

My cup runneth over ... (that's abundance) 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ... (that's blessing) 

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ... (that's security) 

Forever ... (that's eternity) 

....praying

 "And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years" Acts 13:21

One of my friends said it yesterday. I had heard it before. I have said it before. "You had better be careful what you ask for (in prayer), you might get it."  Indeed, that is exactly what happened to Israel.

All the other nations had kings. Israel had an old prophet. All the other countries had national leaders. Israel had a high priest. Israel asked the aging prophet for a king. They wanted to be like other nations. They wanted a figure they could look to for protection. They wanted a king. (If you remember, Moses said this time would come. He prophesied that they would want a king. He also said that king would lead them in wrong paths.)

So God gave them a king. Saul. He reigned for forty years. He was an imposing figure, head and shoulders taller than his countrymen. He was strong. He was humble. He was promoted to king of all Israel -- and he was a failure.  As time passed, Israel began to see that their king was just a man with all of man's weaknesses. He may have been strong as an ox, but he was as weak as a hollow tree in spirit. He lacked the mental strength to be a powerful leader. He became overwhelmed with his own authority -- his own ambition. And he fell. And he almost took Israel with him.

We have all been in Israel's position. We want what we want and we want it now! Not only do we want it, but we demand that God provide it. We don't want to wait for it. We don't want to pay the price for it. We don't want to save for it. We want it -- NOW! And God had better come through because if He doesn't we will do it ourselves. And we pay the price. And that price is much higher than the cost of the thing we want. It is a spiritual price that goes far beyond a few dollars. It saps the soul of strength. It drains the spirit of energy. It taps the resources we have reserved for God's mission, and we suffer for it. We are in pain. We are weakened. Because of our weakness, others begin to suffer with us.

We no longer have the spiritual fortitude to help our brother or our sister. Instead we are pulling from them the strength they need for their own battles. A downward spiral has begun. The trail of smoke can be seen for miles around. Doom and defeat seem eminent. But wait. Inside that hulk of a dying body is a pilot -- no, The Pilot. He has not bailed out yet. He has not given up the ship. He is pulling. He is fighting the battle for us. And He has the strength to pull us out of that fatal nosedive we have forced upon ourselves.

At the last moment, the flaming hulk of our life is saved and set on a path to recovery. Not because of our strength, but because of the authority of the One who knows how to save the dying.

Israel had his David. 

We have our Jesus. 

Both are redeemers. 

David saved a dying nation. 

Jesus saves a dying soul. 

Behold, your redemption draws near. 

Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.  

-david langerfeld

...am

I AM...
  1. A Child of God (Romans 8:16)
  2. Forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14)
  3. Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8)
  4. Justified (Romans 5:1)
  5. Sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11)
  6. A New Creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  7. A Partaker of His Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4)
  8. Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)
  9. Redeemed from the Hand of the Enemy (Psalms 107:2)
10. Delivered from the Powers of Darkness (Colossians 1:13)
11. Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)
12. A Child of God (Romans 8:14)
13. Getting All My Needs Met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
14. Casting All My Cares Upon Jesus (1 Peter 5:7)
15. Strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10)
16. Doing All Thing through Christ (Philippians 4:13)
17. Doing the Lord's Commandments (Deuteronomy 28:12)
18. An Heir of Eternal Life (1 John 5:11-12)
19. Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
20. Healed by His Stripes (1 Peter 2:24)
21  More than a Conqueror (Romans 8:37)
22. Establishing God's Word Here on Earth (Matthew 16:19)
23. An Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11)
24. Daily Overcoming the Devil (1 John 4:4)
25. Walking by Faith and Not by Sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
26. Bringing Every Thought into Captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5)
27. Being Constantly Transformed (Romans 12:1-2)
28. A Laborer Together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9)
29. An Imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1)
30. Continually Praising the Lord (Psalms 34:1) 

 

...fruitful

Always put God first in your life.

Be a true Christian friend.

Count and thank God for your many blessings daily.

Discipline yourself. Decide to make your life count for Christ.

Edify and encourage others consistently.

Follow great leaders and then become one.

Give liberally and joyfully of your time, your talents and your means.

Have an attitude of gratitude.

Invert any negatives thrown your way. Turn them into positives.

Journey through life one step and one day at a time.

Keep written goals set ahead. Make specific plans to accomplish them.

Love and forgive everybody.

Maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Never, never, never give up!

Open the door wide when opportunity knocks.

Practice patience. Promote peace.

Quit bad habits by replacing them with good habits.

Read God's Word every chance you get.

Share the Gospel whenever and wherever possible.

Take time to appreciate everything and everyone God has given to you.

Use your God-given common sense.

Visualize your dreams and stretch to reach for them

Watch, listen and pray without ceasing.

eXamine your motives on a regular basis.

Yield to the Holy Spirit as He prompts you.

Zoom in on God's real purpose for your life. 

...secure

"I lift up my eyes to the hils  – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you – the LORD is your shade at your right hand; The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121

Uncertain times can cause a sense of insecurity in us. Our world is constantly changing, and the future may seem unpredictable. However, we can be certain of one thing… God is watching over us and we can trust Him. Whatever the future brings, we can rest knowing that the Lord is in control.

I encourage you to read and mediate on Psalm 121. When a stressful situation arises or we encounter challenges, may these words be constantly in our hearts and bring us peace.

-dick innes

joy

Joy is more than a feeling; it is a deep peace, blended together with a solid hope that God has not left us. Joy is a delight in knowing there will be a better day. Can we have joy as our companion even when the road gets bumpy? Absolutely.

Joy is a choice.

It’s a matter of attitude that stems from one’s confidence in God: 

that He is at work, 

that He is in full control, 

that He is in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening and will happen. 

Either we fix our minds on that and determine to laugh again, or we wail and whine our way through life. We determine which way we will go

-chuck swindoll

....blank

"If I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:8-10

One day while printing a report for work, I noticed a blank page.  I thought the printer was malfunctioning until I looked near the bottom of the page to see, “this page intentionally left blank.”  After a sigh of relief, a different section of the report began to spout from the printer.  Another “page intentionally left blank” preceded another section of the report.  The “page intentionally left blank” served as a separator page to let the reader know that a different section was behind it.

There are points in our lives in which we say to our selves, “God, I don’t have a clue as to what you are doing.”  Sometimes we say (or think), “This is happening, that is happening, and I am not getting any guidance from You, God.  What’s going on?”  This is a point in life in which God intentionally leaves the page blank.  God sometimes remains silent in order for us to trust Him beyond our emotions. 

God wants us to trust Him when we do not "feel" His presence.  He wants us to continue to trust Him even when we "feel" He is not near.  Some are wondering, “Where are you God, do you hear me, have you left me?”  Some are at a “blank page” point.  Be encouraged that God is still near and simply wants us to trust Him because the current page in our life may be intentionally left blank.  Trust Him in the “blank  pages” of life.

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:8-10

-steve blair

...fragrance

 "the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is spread through the believer" 2 Cor.2:14

I looked out the window and noticed a thorny plant in bloom. The flowers look like clover... Round little purple heads on a tall and gangly stalk. The amazing thing, though, is the amount of bees this plant has drawn. About thirty bees are literally swarming around this bush. There is no fragrance to this flower that I can detect, but, there is something most definitely appealing about this perennial to these busy insects!

In the Bible, God talks about fragrance a few times in both the Old and New Testament. In 2 Cor. 2:14 He says, "the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is spread through the believer". In the next verse, it says that we (Christians) are "the sweet fragrance of Christ to God". 2 Cor. 2:15

So, therefore, we are the fragrance of Christ, to God, and we spread this fragrance of Christ to others. Just like the bees were drawn to the flowers which emitted no sweet smell to me - likewise, non-believers can be drawn to a Christian - by some undetectable pull.

In the New Testament, the story of a nice aroma is told in the book of John. In this story, Mary took expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet. This wonderful smell permeated the entire house. John 12:3 Likewise, sometimes our love for Christ is overflowing in such a manner that the fragrance of joy is obvious to others, and draws them near to see what is going on.

In either of these manners, obvious or subtle, Christians must draw the secular population to the saving grace and knowledge of Jesus. This is the fragrance which is pleasing to our God.

-marion Smith

...today

Today, 

For what I am that I ought not to be, 

Forgive me. 

For what I am not that I ought to be, 

Forgive me. 

Be with my mouth in what it speaks 

Be with my hands in what they do 

Be with my mind in what it thinks 

Be with my heart in what it feels 

Work in me 

...through me 

...for me 

...in spite of me 

In the precious name of Jesus, 

Amen 

...remember

When you wake up in the morning where does your mind go? Is it the list of things that need to get done? Regrets of what happen the day before? Or perhaps before you get out of bed you reach for your phone to see what you missed out on while you were asleep? Nothing like a list of emails and notifications to greet you in the morning. 

What if instead of reaching for the phone or running through the to-do list we took a moment to pause to reflect on another list? How would the day unfold differently if it started from this point...

God, today I will remember...

1. You are eternal

You have always been and always will be. You see the beginning and end simultaneously; therefore, Your people can trust Your leading 1 Tim. 1:17

2. You are unchanging

You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Your eternal permanence we find stability and peace. Heb. 13:8

3. You are love

You know us best and still love us, in spite of our frailty and sin. Your love is incomprehensibly vast, measureless in its length, depth, width, and height. Eph. 3:17-19

4. You are wise

You are the source of all truth and wisdom. You give wisdom generously to all without finding fault. James 1:5

5. You are infinite

Your judgments are unsearchable, and Your ways are past finding out. Rom. 11:33

6. You are omnipresent

You are completely everywhere at all times. I am never alone. Psa. 147:5

7. You are faithful

You are my covenant-keeping God. You are always true to Your Word. Great is your faithfulness. 2 Tim. 2:13

8. You are gracious

In Christ Jesus, You deposited grace to my account when I was bankrupt and declared my debt paid in full by Your Beloved Son. Psa. 116:5

9. You are sovereign

You alone have all authority. You said "I am the first and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God." Isa. 44:6

10. You are majestic

Your holiness is beautiful beyond comprehension. Your glory is to marvelous for words. From all of eternity, You have been working wonders in creation, redemption, and providential care. Psa. 29:2

I choose to face whatever comes my way today with You, my glorious and awesome God. 

-elizabeth gunter

...here

Don't you think that Moses, after a discouraging day, may have pulled open his tent flap to see the pillar of fire high in the sky and said,

       "Everything's fine. LOOK WHO'S HERE."

And what about Daniel, charter member of the Lion's Club. He laid his head on the mane of a lion and said,

       "I'm not afraid. LOOK WHO'S HERE."

King Nebuchadnezzar had those three fellas thrown in the fire but when he looked down he saw four.  Mishael and Company were just fine.

       "LOOK WHO'S HERE."

And what about Elijah? Water was scarce and yet he still ordered twelve barrels to be poured upon the altar.  "God or Baal? Choose you this day whom ye will serve!"  Ol' Elijah just chuckled to himself and said,

       "LOOK WHO'S HERE."

David, the shepherd boy who would become King, looked at Goliath, loaded his slingshot, and said

       "Your time is up. LOOK WHO'S HERE."

Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus said "roll the stone away." But Lazarus walked out of that tomb because Almighty God turned death on its heels and said

       "LOOK WHO'S HERE."

One of these days... "it may be at morn when the day is awakened, it may be at midday, it may be at twilight, it may be per chance in the blackness of midnight" – in one mighty shout around the world we will look up and cry

       "Hallelujah! He's back! LOOK WHO'S HERE!"

-vance havner, the legendary preacher

...tags

During World War I, triage referred to the protocol by which medical assistance was given. It was up to the doctors to "color-tag" the wounded, placing them in one of three categories according to their condition.

    1. One color meant hopeless - nothing we can do will save them.

    2. Another color tag meant they'd make it whether they get help or not.

    3. The third color-tag indicated a doubtful prognosis - a chance to live only if medical assistance is given.

Since there were severely limited medical supplies, assistance was being given only to this last group.

Lou was badly blown apart, including one leg severely wounded. The doctor who examined him made the decision that Lou was a hopeless case and tagged him as such, leaving him to die. But a nurse noticed Lou was conscious and began to talk with him. They discovered they were both from Ohio. Getting to know Lou as a person, the nurse just couldn't let him die. She broke all the rules and changed his color-tag.

Recovery included a two-day trip in the back of a truck and months in a hospital, but Lou made it. He met a girl in the hospital whom he later married. Even minus one leg, he has led a full and happy life, all because a nurse broke the rules of triage and "changed a tag".

Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry "changing color-tags" - healing the broken-hearted, forgiving sinners and bringing hope to the hopeless. He's still bringing hope to the hopeless - every minute of every day! Today, someone you know is feeling hopeless. They desperately need hope. Share the hope of Jesus with them. Look for every opportunity to go around "changing their color-tags".

-david langerfeld

...chosen

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart; as for the Lord and not for human masters.. " Colossians 3:23

Whenever I'm disappointed with my lot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. 

Jamie was trying out for a part in his school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that remain a lesson to me: 'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'"

Whatever God has called you to do today - even if it's just to "clap and cheer" - do it with all your heart, to the glory of God.

-marie curling