...new

     Someone has come up with the following list of words which don't exist, but should:

AQUADEXTROUS (ak wa deks' trus) adj. Possessing the ability to turn the bathtub faucet on and off with your toes.

CARPERPETUATION (kar' pur pet u a shun) n. The act, when vacuuming, of running over a string or a piece of lint at least a dozen times, reaching over and picking it up, examining it, then putting it back down to give the vacuum one more chance.

DISCONFECT (dis kon fekt') v. To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, assuming this will somehow 'remove' all the germs.

LACTOMANGULATION (lak' to man gyu lay' shun) n. Manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk container so badly that one has to resort to the 'illegal' side.

PEPPIER (pehp ee ay') n. The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want ground pepper.

PHONESIA (fo nee' zhuh) n. The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer.

PUPKUS (pup' kus) n. The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.

TELECRASTINATION (tel e kras tin ay' shun) n. The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.

     Some of those words could possibly be useful, but there is another word which doesn't yet exist that I'm even more excited about.  Jesus wrote to the church in Pergamos (one of the seven churches of Asia Minor):

     "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." (Rev. 2:17)

     What will that new name be?  We can only speculate.  All I know is that it is a word reserved for God's children who faithfully persevere the trials that this life has to offer.  Eternal fellowship with God and His family, the tree of life, worship with the redeemed of all ages, AND a new name to go with your new life!  What more could we ask?  What more could we want?  There are wonderful things that lie ahead for God's children.  Keep that in mind the next time you are struggling to get through the difficulties that this life has brought your way.

-alan smith

!!--------go

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......
    LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains .......
    LET IT GO!!!

If someone doesn't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth......
    LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you....
    LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge.....
    LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......
    LET IT GO!!!

If you! u have a bad attitude......
    LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......
    LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him.........
    LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.....
    LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......
    LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ............
    LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it,' then you need to......
    LET IT GO!!!

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:13b-14)

 

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

-t d jakes

! harvesters

John 1:40-46, 4:28-30; Luke 24:4-53; Acts 1:6-8; Matthew 9:36-38; Luke 15

Lost. Flight 370 that took off from Malaysia for China with 239 passengers on board is lost. The scenario that began on March 8 is being called the most puzzling aviation mystery in history.

About 40 minutes after takeoff, as the plane was leaving Malaysian airspace and entering Vietnamese airspace, someone in the cockpit communicated with air-traffic controllers. “All right, good night” were his final words. Controllers are familiar with these words when pilots leave one airspace and enter another. So all seemed well.

But then, just one minute later, the transponder that sends signals to radar systems regarding the plane’s flight number, altitude, airspeed, and course, was apparently switched off. Air-traffic controllers then lost all contact with the plane. It is now known that even before the verbal signoff, the ACARS—Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System—ended communication. Only someone who knew the aircraft well could have handled this procedure. Approximately 45 minutes later, military radar tracked the plane that was now hundreds of miles off course.¹

How can a Boeing 777 get lost? Terrorism, hijacking, and the possibility of pilot suicide are all being considered.

According to Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Najib Razak, 26 countries are now involved in the search for Flight 370. But it’s like searching for “a needle in a haystack.” Data gathered from satellites suggest that the plane, which had enough fuel to fly for eight hours, did in fact fly for over seven hours after takeoff. So the search must cover an enormous area that encompasses 11 countries and two corridors, stretching thousands of miles. Ships, planes, and satellites are meticulously combing the vast area.²

After studying this week’s Sabbath school lesson, we can’t help but think about the “lost” people of this generation. Imagine the impact if we as a church came together with the same intensity as the searchers for Flight 370 to search for the spiritually lost. The lost that have never known Jesus, as well as the lost that have left the church. What if we made it our passion, our mission, to discover where they are, and then make a plan to rescue them?

Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 9:37 and 38: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (NIV). There are a variety of ways to reach out to those who are lost: public evangelistic meetings, community outreach programs, vacation Bible schools, small group home Bible studies, or simply befriending them, are a few ways. It depends on the individual. But whatever method we use, we must be sincere.

“The harvest is plentiful.” That’s not the problem. The problem is that “the workers are few.” Jesus wants us to be “finders.” Not sitters, and not sleepers, but a people who will actively search and rescue.

unashamed

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. 

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking , chintzy giving and dwarfed goals!

 

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. 

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, live by prayer, and labor by power.

 

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, and my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

 

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, slow up or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. 

I am a disciple of Jesus.

I must go until He returns, give till I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me... my colors will be clear. 

 For "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)

-Author:  These words (with multiple variations) have been quoted and adapted many times by various preachers, teachers, authors and websites.  They serve as the motto or mission statement for several ministries. The words have been attributed to many people in many countries, but the original author seems to remain unknown.  It is believed by many sources that these words are the last words of a young pastor in Zimbabwe who was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ and that these words were found in his study.

secret

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20.

When men and women are in the busy activities of life and are pressed with numerous cares, they cannot live upon their knees. But even in the market place there is a watcher constantly present to witness every transaction, and the books of heaven record every penny of unlawful gain as fraud. While men cannot live upon their knees in the market place, yet the silent heart’s earnest desire presented to heaven finds access to the Father through the watchers. The way to the throne of God is open, and all who have the fear of God before them and desire to walk in His counsel will seek His strength to do His will in crowded companies as well as in the chapel....

There is a chance for every man who loves and fears God, with every temptation that shall come in the business transactions of life, to know how to retreat into the secret place of the Most High’s pavilion, so that he can remain there and be safe. Then he will honor God because he feels the strength and fullness of power of Him who is back of the promises. He communes with God where no eye sees and no ear hears but His.

All the Lord requires is a willing mind to walk in the way of the Lord. If there be a pure heart he shall see God and will feel His keeping power even in the busiest, most excitable crowd, if duty requires him to be there.... In such places every true, genuine receiver of Christ... carries the lamp of life....

We must not have a religion that is retained only in favorable circumstances. A religion dependent on circumstances will surely fail when it is most needed, in the most difficult surroundings. The religion of the Bible will require the gospel lamp to be kept burning brightly in unfavorable surroundings—in the market place, in the workshop—just as verily as in the place where prayer is wont to be made. Purest Christian principles May be preserved in every place. Loving and believing in Christ as our personal Saviour, we can claim His grace and His guardian care wherever we May be.

 -e.g.white, in heavenly places

remember

""And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4)

Nehemiah's name means "the Lord's Comfort." He was a prayer-warrior in every sense of the word. Whenever a situation arose, Nehemiah went straight to the Lord. We don't see him faltering or wavering. What we see is constant open communication with God.

Nehemiah spent most of his prayer time praying for others. In the first chapter of Nehemiah, we hear his heartfelt cry for Israel. It isn't until the end of his prayer that he asks for the privilege of being used by God.

Nehemiah trusted in the Lord. He knew God would make a way for the protective wall around Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Was it easy? No! Nehemiah and his people were taunted, attacked and burdened with an economic crisis almost to the point of failure. They endured the verbal and physical scorns from their opposition. "From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other," (Nehemiah 4:17)

But, Nehemiah always reminded them that God would fight their battles. He kept encouraging them.

With the wall completed Nehemiah gathered the people and had Ezra the priest, read the "Book of The Law." Israel realized the error of their ways, confessed their sins and repented. Nehemiah once again had pointed the people to God.

Intercessory prayer is so important in our life. It takes the focus off of our self and places it on God. Are your prayers more focused on your own requests or those of others? Who do you consistently pray for? If your intercessory prayer life needs help, why not start today by making a commitment to pray for others around you? And like Nehemiah you will find favor in God's eyes!

-david langerfield

anger

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” – Proverbs 29:11

The workplace can be a pressure-packed world. The demands that are often put on us can bring out things that we never knew were there. Sometimes we begin to think that the source of that pressure is to blame for our response to the pressure. It could be an event, a spouse, a boss, a client, a child, or even a driver who cuts us off in traffic.

I recall responding to a close friend one time, “If you had not done that, I would never have responded that way.” Later I learned that this response had little truth to it. We all choose to get angry. No one else is to blame for our anger.

“The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am” [Dr. Sam Peeples].

This simple quote has had a profound impact on how I view my anger now. Anger only reveals what is inside of me. I can’t blame anyone but me for my response to a situation. I have learned that anger is only the symptom of something else that is going on inside of me. This quote now resides on my refrigerator door as a daily reminder of the truth about my response to life’s situations.

It has been said that anger is like the warning panel on the dash of your car. It is the light that tells us something is going on under the hood and we need to find out what is the source of the problem. I discovered that the source of anger is often unmet expectations or personal rights. We believe we are entitled to a particular outcome to a situation. When this doesn’t happen, it triggers something in us. At the core of this is fear, often a fear of failure or rejection, fear of what others think, fear of the unknown.

If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal the source of that anger. Ask Him to heal you of any fears that may be the root of your anger. Ask God to help you take responsibility for your response to difficult situations.

-adapted from june kiwia

? Jump

     In the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," Butch and Sundance, running from the law, run up to a cliff hundreds of feet high overlooking a river.  They are outnumbered by lawmen who have taken up their positions and there is no way out.  They get ready to shoot it out, but they know it's a suicide mission.  Then Butch looks out over the cliff and sees the river below and says, "I know, we'll jump!"  Sundance thinks he's crazy.  Butch tells him it's their only hope. Sundance is still reluctant.  Butch assures Sundance that the lawmen would never follow them, saying, "Would you make a jump like that you didn't have to?"  Sundance says, "I have to, and I'm still not going to."  Finally, Sundance gives the reason for his reluctance.  He says, "I can't swim."  Butch just laughs and says, "Are you kidding?  The fall will probably kill you!"  But Sundance, because of the predicament, knows he's out of options, and though he can't swim, he jumps.

     I think there are times that the Lord leads us into predicaments where the only reasonable thing to do is to jump and trust the Lord.  And we know that he'll never let us down.  Over and over, the Bible stresses that one of the primary attributes of God is his faithfulness.  God is always dependable.  You can count on him.  He makes his word good.  When he tells you he'll do something, you can believe that he will do it.  When he makes a promise, you know he's going to keep it.  Because God is faithful.

     It's interesting to notice how the Bible connects stability in the lives of Christians to the faithfulness of God.  Thus, we find statements like this:  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23).  The reason a Christian is able to stand when life's storms come against him is that his faith is grounded in a God whose promises to him will always be honored.

     In Hebrews 11, Sarah is praised with these words:  "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11).  Here were two people who shared the disappointment over the years of being childless.  They had no tangible reason to think anything had changed.  Yet, God gave his word to them.  And they knew that God was faithful.  He wouldn't let them down.

     It is essential that we understand this very important truth:  God keeps his promises.  

And it doesn't matter whether it was made to Abraham, David, Paul or you, God has never given a promise that he failed to honor.  He is faithful.

     All you need to do is to jump.

prayer

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7.

Why is it that we do not receive more from Him who is the source of light and power? We expect too little....

We do not value as we should the power and efficacy of prayer. “The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). God desires us to come to Him in prayer, that He May enlighten our minds. He alone can give clear conceptions of truth. He alone can soften and subdue the heart. He can quicken the understanding to discern truth from error. He can establish the wavering mind and give it a knowledge and a faith that will endure the test. Pray, then; pray without ceasing. The Lord who heard Daniel’s prayer will hear yours if you will approach Him as Daniel did.

Let us live in close communion with God. The joy of the Christian arises from a sense of God’s love and care for His children and the assurance that He will not leave them alone in their weakness.

We need to know how to pray. It is not tame, spiritless prayers that take hold of the divine attributes. Prayer is heard by God when it comes from a heart broken by a sense of unworthiness. Prayer was instituted for our comfort and salvation, that through faith and hope we May lay hold on the rich promises of God. Prayer is the expression of the desires of a soul hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Prayer is a heaven-ordained means of success. Appeals, petitions, entreaties, between man and man, move men and act a part in controlling the affairs of nations. But prayer moves heaven. That power alone that comes in answer to prayer will make men wise in the wisdom of heaven and enable them to work in the unity of the Spirit, joined together by the bonds of peace. Prayer, faith, confidence in God, bring a divine power that sets human calculations at their real worth—nothingness.... He who places himself where God can enlighten him, advances, as it were, from the partial obscurity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday.

-in heavenly places, e g white

wait

Waiting is the bane of my existence.  If there are two lines at the movie theater, the one I choose will grind to a halt while the other glides by.  Don't get behind me at a toll booth; the driver in front of me will be searching his seat cushions for quarters while the other lines whiz through. Bank tellers go on break when I get near the front of their line; supermarket checkout computers go on strike when I draw near.

Someone said that life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.  Slowly I'm learning that there is redemption in every moment, as God uses each minute for his glory and our good.  It's hard to think of a biblical hero who didn't take a detour on the way to his or her destination...

Noah spent 100 years building his ark before the rains finally came; Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac; Joseph journeyed through Potiphar's prison on the way to Pharaoh's palace.

Moses spent decades running from Pharaoh before the Lord sent him back to free his people.  God told David he would be king long before Saul gave up the throne.  John had to go to Patmos to meet his glorified Friend and Lord.

Are you waiting on God this morning?

Perhaps you're praying without seeing answers, or waiting on a job that hasn't come or health the Lord has not restored.  You need direction or provision from God, but he doesn't seem to be working on your timeline.  One of the most frustrating reminders in Scripture is this statement from God: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God redeems all he allows.  If you're waiting on him this morning, there's a reason.  He wants to use this delay to draw you closer to him, or prepare you for what comes next, or help you trust him in hard times.  Remember that your Father never makes a mistake.  His will is "good, pleasing and perfect"  (Romans 12:2).  His timing is always right.

-Dr. James C. Denison

drink

     "My husband and I were cleaning the church building one evening and our three-year-old son was 'helping' us.  We walked up to the baptistry to make sure nothing was in the water that shouldn't be and our son said, 'You can't drink that water.'  I asked him, 'Why can't we drink the water?' and he replied, 'Because it has sins in it.'" 

     It does seem to make sense, doesn't it?  If all our sins are washed away at the point of baptism (Acts 22:16), it's easy to see how a child could mistakenly think they just collect there in the water.  If that were really true, it would be important to drain the baptistry frequently!

     I'm thankful, though, that those sins don't collect in the bottom of a pool of water.  They don't get piled up in a closet somewhere ready to be pulled out at a later time like a load of dirty laundry.  They don't get stored on a hard drive in case a "search" needs to be made to find them.  No!  Thank God, they are removed, blotted out, wiped clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and we are able to rise from the water a new creature!

     "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)
-(taken from "A Sunday Afternoon With the Preachers' Wives")

pearl

Pearls are a product of pain. 

When a grain of sand pierces the shell of an oyster, all the otherwise dormant resources within the tiny oyster respond to the foreign irritant by caring for that sensitive spot. Over time, the sand particle is covered by healing fluids, and the wound becomes a pearl.

That's true for you, too. When hardships invade your life, allow God's Spirit to shape your response. Don't be bitter. Don't rush ahead of His plan. Rest in Him. Allow Him time to turn that irritation into an opportunity for your growth - and watch a beautiful pearl emerge from your set of circumstances.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  (James 1:2-5)

communion

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also May have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3.

It is our privilege to taste the sweetness of communion with a crucified and risen Saviour. But in order for this to be, self must be surrendered to God. Self-indulgence means that Christ is not followed in self-denial and cross bearing. When self strives for the highest place, the spiritual perceptions become dimmed. The eyes are turned from Christ to the poor picture of self. We cannot afford to become separated from Christ. We must keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith....

It is as we commune with Christ that precious, holy light shines into our souls, until every chamber is lighted up and we become bright lights in the world, reflecting to others the glory of Christ. We are to keep Christ before us as the example of perfection.

Communion with God is the life of the soul. It is not a something which we can interpret, a something which we can clothe with beautiful words, but which does not give us the genuine experience that makes our words of real value. Communion with God gives us a daily experience that does indeed make our joy full.

Those who have this union with Christ will declare it in spirit and word and work. Profession is nothing unless, in word and work, good fruit is manifest. Unity, fellowship with one another and with Christ—this is the fruit borne on every branch of the living vine. The cleansed soul, born again, has a clear, distinct testimony to bear....

To know God is, in the scriptural sense of the term, to be one with Him in heart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of Him, holding reverential communion with Him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere obedience can this communion be obtained....

Following Christ’s example of unselfish service, trusting like little children in His merits, and obeying His commands, we shall receive the approval of God. Christ will abide in our hearts, and our influence will be fragrant with His righteousness.

 -e g white in heavenly places

you

"He brought me forth into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me." Psalm 18:19

I was blessed to grow up with parents who were positive, supportive, and encouraging. The words "I am proud of you" are one of their greatest legacies to me. I knew they loved me and showed it in a variety of very important ways. I knew they were very glad that I was their son.

 

If you did not grow up with that kind of advantage then the concepts of grace and unconditional love will be harder for you to accept. One of the reasons we send Biblical messages of encouragement is to help you hear God’s words and to help you trust in His boundless, joyful love and draw closer to Him. Psalm 18:19 is one such verse.

David wrote this psalm after escaping repeated attacks from Saul and his armies. A man who could have been a mentor and encourager for David became an implacable enemy. Other Psalms reflect David’s anguish during this very rough period in his life. David responded by seeking God even more and looking to Him for the support. God delivered Him.

The key phrase I want you to focus on concerns the reason God delivered David: "because He delighted in me." This phrase is joyful and exuberant! God delighted in David!

And God delights in you. Let that sink in. "He delights in you!" Even though you may not have been programmed from your childhood to hear and accept such truth, or perhaps because you have suffered rejection in adulthood at the hands of people who were once very close to you, you must trust and believe that God delights in you. He knows you deeply and individually as if you were the only person to know. He is capable of that kind of sustained regard and focus on you. His verdict: "I take delight in you." And for that reason He will deliver you.

So whatever you face, or whatever handicap you have in life, accept God’s rich love for you. 

Trust in it. 

Rely on it.

-dave langerfield

restoration

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - My great army that I sent among you." - Joel 2:25 

There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. Solomon tells us that He has made everything beautiful in its time and that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,11.)

God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God did this with the nation of Israel after a season of famine and devastation.

Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed" (Joel 2:23-27). 

God wants each of us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving Father who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places. If God has taken you through a time of leanness, know that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. He will do it.

 -os hillman

remove

Jesus has finally arrived, but it was too late; Lazarus was dead! If only He had arrived earlier. Jesus made His way to the tomb with the grieving crowd following. He stood in front of Lazarus’ tomb weeping, revealing His heart to the crowd (John 11).

Then suddenly He instructed the people to remove the stone from grave’s entrance. They couldn’t believe their ears. Martha blurted out in her surprise, "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been dead four days."

The people obeyed. Jesus calls out to Lazarus and behold the creator of life (John 1:1-3) gave new life to Lazarus. Lazarus waddled out of the tomb still wrapped in His grave clothes alive! Jesus directed the people to remove the grave clothes.

This miracle catches us by surprise in several ways. We dare not miss the sign - the miracle of raising a person from the dead is primary. Yet we are surprised by other elements as well. Why did Jesus have the people remove the stone? Was He challenging their faith? Why did He have the people remove the grave clothes? This request seems more obvious.

Lazarus couldn't do it for himself. Whatever the reasons one thing is abundantly clear – Jesus chose to involve the people in His work. Amazingly, astoundingly He involved His people in His work.

There are many obstacles that hinder people from coming out of their sin – their graves. There is the sin itself biding them. We cannot remove the sin. Only Jesus can do that. But we can work to remove stones. They cannot even hear the voice of God calling because these "stones" are so thick that they muffle His voice.

Though it is impossible for the church, for you and me, to remove all these stones, Jesus is instructing us, His people, to "remove the stone." Stones of ignorance; stones of apathy; stones of physical need; stones of misunderstanding; these are just a few of the stones we can address and help remove.

And the grave clothes; when people find new life in Christ Jesus they bring with them old habits, experiences, hurts – grave clothes. They need to be discipled – to have their grave-clothes removed. It is our responsibility in partnership with the Holy Spirit to help them remove the excess baggage that they carried with them from their life in sin. This takes time, effort, patience, persistence, diligence and an extra amount of God's love, which He provides. But  Jesus is looking at us and telling us – "remove the grave clothes."

trust

A new school Principal was checking over his school on the first day. Passing the stockroom, he was startled to see the door wide open and teachers bustling in and out, carrying off books and supplies in preparation for the arrival of students the next day. The school where he had been a Principal the previous year had used a check-out system only slightly less elaborate than that at Fort Knox.

Cautiously, he asked the school's long time Custodian, "Do you think it's wise to keep the stockroom unlocked and to let the teachers take things without requisitions?"

The Custodian looked at him gravely and said, "We trust them with the children, don't we?"

Trust. A simple and short word, but one that implies so much. If I trust someone in one area, but not in another, have I really trusted them? Can trust be area specific? I know confidence can be, but trust implies the whole package.

How do you trust God? Do you, as many people do, trust Him for your salvation, but you don't trust Him to take care of your daily needs? Do you trust Him to forgive you of your sins, but not to help you in personal areas that you lift to Him in prayer? In other words, do you trust the Lord for the big things, but doubt Him (distrust) for the relatively little things?

We need to make a decision right now! Do you trust God for EVERYTHING or do you pick and choose where you trust Him? How does God want you to trust Him? I'm so glad that God forgave me of ALL my sins, not just the ones He thought about, rationalized, and made a decision based on my life experience or my worthiness.

God can be trusted in ALL things; we need to show Him that we trust Him in ALL areas by giving Him our WHOLE life, not just certain areas.

holding

Many times, God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to "swallow us up." This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.

God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interferences, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A few of God's holding patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but you're not yet healed, you are in a holding pattern.

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for a loved one to return to God, and they have not come back yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can even knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. Like Jonah, we cannot run from God, because there are no mountains that are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden from Him.

We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting, and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, "I love you."

Suggested Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know you love me and I will come to see the benefit of everything in my life, even this holding pattern, and the manifestation of my Good is assured through You. You have planned nothing for me but victories and I am ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path.

-unknown author

prayer

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95:6. 

Christ has given His disciples assurance that special seasons for devotion are necessary. Prayer went before and sanctified every act of His ministry.... The night seasons of prayer which the Saviour spent in the mountain or in the desert were essential to prepare Him for the trials He must meet in the days to follow. He felt the need of the refreshing and invigorating of soul and body, that He might meet the temptations of Satan; and those who are striving to live His life will feel this same need....

Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience accruing from His obedience. In heaven His merits, His self-denial and self-sacrifice, are treasured up as incense to be offered up with the prayers of His people. As the sinner’s sincere, humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, Christ mingles with them the merits of His life of perfect obedience. Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense....

Let all remember that the mysteries of God’s kingdom cannot be learned by reasoning. True faith, true prayer—how strong they are! The prayer of the Pharisee had no value, but the prayer of the publican was heard in the courts above, because it showed dependence reaching forth to lay hold of Omnipotence. Self was to the publican nothing but shame. Thus it must be with all who seek God. Faith and prayer are the two arms which the needy suppliant lays upon the neck of infinite Love....

We speak with Jesus Christ as we walk by the way, and He says, “I am at thy right hand.” We may walk in daily companionship with Christ. When we breathe out our desire, it may be inaudible to any human ear, but that word cannot die away into silence nor can it be lost, though the activities of business are going on. Nothing can drown the soul’s desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery, to the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking, and the prayer is heard. Ask then; “Ask, and it shall be given you.”

-ellen g white heavenly places pg69 

solutions

"There are no problems, only solutions."

Without a doubt, this has been the most difficult few years of my life.  A small crisis within our home has pierced our otherwise comfortable existence, and yet, even in the turmoil, light has overcome darkness.

During the onset of our struggle I was angry, frustrated and felt overwhelmed.  "Why us, God?  Why us?"  I would ask, and although my answer did not come as immediately as I would have preferred, the Lord did reply later by showing me truth.  This truth was the knowledge that there is no such thing as earthly perfection, and each and every human being will face adversity at some time in their life. However, God is greater than any problem.

Whether it is sickness, disease, relationship struggles or some other hardship, our life journey will never be perfect because perfection is only found in the Divine.  Along with the beauty of laughs and smiles will be the sting of painful tears, disappointments and shattered dreams.  Relationships may fail and jobs may fall through, yet will we allow these bumps along the path to alter our ability to possess peace, even joy?

The answer, my dear friends, is no!

How we perceive crisis when it occurs can either make or break our peace of mind, as well as affect the outcome of the situation.  As the above quote conveys, nothing is really a problem because there will always be solutions.

The greatest lesson I learned this year is the phrase "Let go, and let God."  The most successful solution to any problem we may face, no matter how large or small, is to trust in God.

As we act to resolve problems, we should never go it alone, but to lay the issue in the hands of the Lord; knowing that where our earthly abilities may be limited, He alone is able to do all things!  While man may tell us a situation is hopeless, with God there is always hope!

And so, after doing everything possible to resolve my family's personal crisis on our own, I remembered my faith in God, and began to cleave to the Lord in a way that I have never before had to surrender in trust.  Daily, I pray about the matter, then I hand the matter over to God, knowing that I have done my part, and now it is time for Him to take over.  As hard a period as this has emotionally been, it has ironically also been the richest in wisdom. No longer do I feel overwhelmed by the problem, because I now know that all the worry in the world will not help resolve the matter, and in fact, will only add to my own emotional distress.

 I encourage you to hand any problems you may be facing over to the capable arms of the Lord. Feel the peace and freedom which follows the leap of faith, and know that God is the Master of miraculous solutions.

-melanie schurr