February 1, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Faith and doubt both are needed, not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve. -Lillian Smith
Get Off the Merry-go-round
Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you." - Genesis 17:3-6
An irate woman met her husband when he got off a merry-go-round and said, "Now, look at you. You spent your money, you got off right where you got on, and you haven't been anywhere!" Unfortunately, that's an accurate picture of life for many people today. But God has so much more to offer.
That was true with Abraham. The first 75 years he sought his fortune, first in Ur and later in Haran (Genesis 12:4). Then God called him to begin a journey that was both physical and spiritual. Abraham spent the next 24 years seeking to follow his God. However, he also spent a good deal of time living by his own wits instead of trusting the Lord. Finally, shortly before reaching the century mark, he learned the secret. He "fell on his face." Abraham totally surrendered to God, and it was then that God gave His most spectacular promises. From Abram (Father of Height), God changed his name to Abraham (Father of a Multitude). From an obscure desert sheik, he became the forerunner of kings and nations.
For those willing to submit to Him, God has an abundant life in store. In fact, the apostle Paul reminds us, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
If life seems a bit like a merry-go-round to you, maybe it's time to discover God's abundant life. Surrender yourself completely to Him and find a life more fulfilling than you can imagine.
The abundant life comes not by accumulating but by letting go.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 2, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.
- Confucius
A Rest for Your Faith
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" - Genesis 17:17
When John Paton was translating the Bible for a South Pacific island tribe, he discovered that they had no word for trust or faith. One day a native who had been running hard came into the missionary's house, flopped down in a large chair and said, "It's good to rest my whole weight on this chair."
"That's it!" exclaimed Paton. "I'll translate faith as resting one's whole weight on God."
Abraham was a man of faith-but sometimes that faith was in the wrong place. When God told him he would have a son, he looked at himself and said, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?" Obviously, from a human perspective that was a ridiculous notion. Instead of resting his faith wholly upon God, Abraham was trying to carry part of the burden himself.
Faith always falters when we trust in our own capabilities. If something was doable by human standards, faith would not be necessary. The essence of faith requires that it is something that can be accomplished only if God undertakes it for us. The ultimate example of this, of course, is our own salvation. When He was asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus responded, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).
The apostle Paul declares in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things," but then he goes on to clarify, "through Christ who strengthens me." It is not we who can do all things, but Christ.
Where is your faith resting? Are you depending upon your own resources, or are you resting your whole weight upon God? Whether it's for your ultimate salvation or some daily responsibility, have faith in God. Only He can do the impossible.
What the world calls ridiculous, God calls faith.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 3, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
It usually takes two people to make one of them angry. -Laurence Peter
10 REASONS TO BELIEVE...in a God Who Allows Suffering
PART 1
Even profound Christian thinker C.S. Lewis wrote about the "problem of pain." Why indeed would a good God allow a world of suffering? Here, Radio Bible Class offers 10 compelling reasons to anchor your faith in spite of the sorrow all around us.
1. Suffering Comes With the Freedom to Choose.
Loving parents long to protect their children from unnecessary pain. But wise parents know the danger of over-protection. They know that the freedom to choose is at the heart of what it means to be human, and that a world without choice would be worse than a world without pain. Worse yet would be a world populated by people who could make wrong choices without feeling any pain. No one is more dangerous than the liar, thief or killer who doesn't feel the harm he is doing to himself and to others (Genesis 2:15-17).
2. Pain Can Warn Us of Danger.
We hate pain, especially in those we love. Yet without discomfort, the sick wouldn't go to a doctor. Worn-out bodies would get no rest. Criminals wouldn't fear the law. Children would laugh at correction. Without pangs of conscience, the daily dissatisfaction of boredom or the empty longing for significance, people who are made to find satisfaction in an eternal Father would settle for far less. The example of Solomon, lured by pleasure and taught by his pain, shows us that even the wisest among us tend to drift from good and from God until arrested by the resulting pain of our own shortsighted choices (Ecclesiastes 1-12; Psalm 78:34-35; Romans 3:10-18).
3. Suffering Reveals What Is in Our Hearts.
Suffering often occurs at the hand of others. But it has a way of revealing what is in our own hearts. Capacities for love, mercy, anger, envy and pride can lie dormant until awakened by circumstances. Strength and weakness of heart are found not when everything is going our way but when flames of suffering and temptation test the mettle of our character. As gold and silver are refined by fire, and as coal needs time and pressure to become a diamond, the human heart is revealed and developed by enduring the pressure and heat of time and circumstance. Strength of character is shown not when all is well with our world but in the presence of human pain and suffering (Job 42:1-17; Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-5; 1 Peter 1:6-8).
4. Suffering Takes Us to the Edge of Eternity.
If death is the end of everything, then a life filled with suffering isn't fair. But if the end of this life brings us to the threshold of eternity, then the most fortunate people in the universe are those who discover, through suffering, that this life is not all we have to live for. Those who find themselves and their eternal God through suffering have not wasted their pain. They have let their poverty, grief and hunger drive them to the Lord of eternity. They are the ones who will discover to their own unending joy why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3, NIV; see also Romans 8:18-19).
5. Pain Loosens Our Grip on This Life.
In time, our work and our opinions are sought less and less. Our bodies become increasingly worse for the wear. Gradually they succumb to inevitable obsolescence. Joints stiffen and ache. Eyes grow dim. Digestion slows. Sleep becomes difficult. Problems loom larger and larger while options narrow. Yet, if death is not the end but the threshold of a new day, then the curse of old age is also a blessing. Each new pain makes this world less inviting and the next life more appealing. In its own way, pain paves the way for a graceful departure (Ecclesiastes 12:1-14).
Tomorrow: Part 2
Reprinted from 10 Reasons to Believe in the Bible
Used with permission of RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
www.rbc.net
February 4, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
In the face of uncertainty, there is nothing wrong with hope. - Dr. Bernie Siegel
10 REASONS TO BELIEVE...in a God Who Allows Suffering
PART 2
Even profound Christian thinker C.S. Lewis wrote about the "problem of pain." Why indeed would a good God allow a world of suffering? Here, Radio Bible Class offers 10 compelling reasons to anchor your faith in spite of the sorrow all around us.
1. Suffering Comes With the Freedom to Choose.
2. Pain Can Warn Us of Danger.
3. Suffering Reveals What Is in Our Hearts.
4. Suffering Takes Us to the Edge of Eternity.
5. Pain Loosens Our Grip on This Life.
6. Suffering Gives Opportunity to Trust God.
The most famous sufferer of all time was a man named Job. According to the Bible, Job lost his family to war, his wealth to wind and fire, and his health to painful boils. Through it all, God never told Job why it was happening. As Job endured the accusations of his friends, heaven remained silent. When God finally did speak, He did not reveal that His archenemy Satan had challenged Job's motives for serving God. Neither did the Lord apologize for allowing Satan to test Job's devotion to God. Instead, God talked about mountain goats giving birth, young lions on the hunt and ravens in the nest. He cited the behavior of the ostrich, the strength of the ox and the stride of the horse. He cited the wonders of the heavens, the marvels of the sea and the cycle of the seasons. Job was left to conclude that if God had the power and wisdom to create this physical universe, there was reason to trust that same God in times of suffering (Job 1-42).
7. God Suffers With Us in Our Suffering.
No one has suffered more than our Father in heaven. No one has paid more dearly for the allowance of sin into the world. No one has so continuously grieved over the pain of a race gone bad. No one has suffered like the One who paid for our sin in the crucified body of His own Son. No one has suffered more than the One who, when He stretched out His arms and died, showed us how much He loved us. It is this God who, in drawing us to Himself, asks us to trust Him when we are suffering and when our own loved ones cry out in our presence (1 Peter 2:21; 3:18; 4:1).
8. God's Comfort Is Greater Than Our Suffering.
The apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away an unidentified source of suffering. But the Lord declined, saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." "Therefore," said Paul, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Paul learned that he would rather be with Christ in suffering than without Christ in good health and pleasant circumstances.
9. In Times of Crisis, We Find One Another.
No one would choose pain and suffering. But when there is no choice, there remains some consolation. Natural disasters and times of crisis have a way of bringing us together. Hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, riots, illnesses and accidents all have a way of bringing us to our senses. Suddenly we remember our own mortality and that people are more important than things. We remember that we do need one another and that, above all, we need God.
Each time we discover God's comfort in our own suffering, our capacity to help others is increased. This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
10. God Can Turn Suffering Around for Our Good.
This truth is best seen in the many examples of the Bible. Through Job's suffering we see a man who not only came to a deeper understanding of God but who also became a source of encouragement for people in every generation to follow. Through the rejection, betrayal, enslavement and wrongful imprisonment of a man named Joseph, we see someone who eventually was able to say to those who had hurt him, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
When everything in us screams at the heavens for allowing suffering, we have reason to look at the eternal outcome and joy of Jesus who in His own suffering on an executioner's cross cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).
You're not alone if the unfairness and suffering of life leaves you unconvinced that a God in heaven cares for you. But consider again the suffering of the One called by the prophet Isaiah "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering" (Isaiah 53:3). Think about His slashed back, His bloodied forehead, His nail-ripped hands and feet, His pierced side, His agony in the Garden and His pathetic cry of abandonment. Consider Christ's claim that He was suffering not for His sins but for ours. To give us the freedom to choose, He lets us suffer. But He Himself bore the ultimate penalty and pain for all our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
When you do see the reason for His suffering, keep in mind that the Bible says Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and that those who believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). The forgiveness and eternal life Christ offers is not a reward for effort but a gift to all who, in light of the evidence, put their trust in Him.
Reprinted from 10 Reasons to Believe in the Bible
Used with permission of RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
www.rbc.net
February 5, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. - Marcel Proust
Instant Obedience
"This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised." - Genesis 17:10
Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. -Genesis 17:22-23
Supermarkets are filled with all kinds of instant products-instant pudding, instant coffee, instant soup, instant potatoes and so much more. We seem to want everything instantly these days. Unfortunately, no supermarket stocks instant obedience.
Throughout his years of walking with the Lord, Abraham learned that the best type of obedience was instant obedience. When God declared circumcision to be the sign of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants, this desert potentate lost no time in seeing that every male in his household was circumcised. Nor did he exclude himself. It was not a matter of "I direct; you perform." At the age of 99, Abraham subjected himself to the same temporary discomfort as everyone else. Doing God's will knows no rank or privileges.
This same instant obedience should be a part of our walk today. To become a Christian is relatively simple; to live like one is another matter. We become a Christian by repentant faith; we live as a Christian only as we obey Christ's commands. The extent of that commitment is measured by the speed with which we obey. The Holy Spirit says through the writer of Hebrews, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness" (Hebrews 3:7-8).
If the Lord has been speaking to you about a matter of obedience, stop delaying. The blessing you receive by doing God's will is directly proportional to the speed with which you begin to do it.
Salvation is through faith; maturity is through obedience.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 6, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation. - Oscar Wilde
Angels Unaware
So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant." - Genesis 18:2-3
"Old Bill" was hired to sweep streets in a small town. During the hot days of July and August, Mrs. Brown on the corner got into the habit of taking him a glass of lemonade and a slice of cake. He thanked her shyly and that was all. But one evening there came a knock at the back door of her home. Bill was there with a sack of apples in one hand and a handful of roasting ears in the other. He said, "I brought you these, Ma'am, for your kindness."
"Oh, you shouldn't have," exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "It was nothing." "Well, no," the street sweeper agreed, "maybe it wasn't much, but it was more than anyone else did."
Abraham was equally aware of the needs of those around him. When three strangers appeared in front of his tent, he was more than eager to extend hospitality to them. He could have thought, Surely someone who is less busy than I am will have compassion on them. But he didn't. Instead, he ran to meet them and begged for an opportunity to show hospitality to these travelers.
The Bible says that hospitality is to characterize the Christian life. In fact, it's so important that it's listed as one of the qualifications for anyone desiring a position of leadership in the church (1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8). The writer of Hebrews said, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).
Do yourself a favor: when you have opportunity to open your home to a troubled teenager or to host a foreign student while the dorms are closed, do it! You never know when you might come across an angel.
Some may have the gift of hospitality, but we all have the responsibility.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 7, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Distance doesn't matter; it's only the first step that is difficult. - Marquise du Delfand
Intimate Fellowship
And the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation,and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." - Genesis 18:17-19
It's a shame, but some people think they can get to know God by taking drugs. One person wrote to a religious columnist that drugs should be legalized because he felt close to God when he smoked pot. But drugs are dangerous to a person's physical and mental health, and they are not a pipeline to God. What a person experiences while under the influence of drugs does not originate with God.
Abraham had an intimate relationship with God and he used no mood-altering stimulants to get it. God made a conscious choice not to hide anything from Abraham. There were no secrets between them. Furthermore, it was a relationship based on mutual trust. God said, "For I have known him." God knew everything about Abraham-past, present and future-and loved him anyway.
We can enjoy this same intimacy. God revealed everything we need to know about Him in the Bible. He took the initiative to clear away the stumbling blocks of sin by offering His Son as our Savior. There is nothing that He desires more than to have an intimate relationship with us.
Now it's time for you to do your part. Be as open with God as He is with you. Set aside time to get to know Him better. Seek Him daily in the Scriptures. Speak with Him often through prayer. Look for His guidance in your life. The result will be an intimacy that no drug can ever produce.
An intimate relationship with God is based on character, not chemicals.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 8, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. - Helen Keller
Joy to the World
And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him -whom Sarah bore to him - Isaac. - Genesis 21:1-3
Someone asked Joseph Haydn, the famous composer, why his music was so cheerful. He replied, "I cannot make it otherwise. When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen!"
This must have been the way that Abraham and Sarah felt. After Abraham waited 100 years and Sarah reached the matronly age of 90, God gave them a son. Joy surely leapt and danced in their hearts. In fact, they named their son Isaac, which means "laughter." Unlike the laughter of unbelief they had engaged in earlier (Genesis 17:17, 18:12), this laughter percolated through a holy wonder at the miracle in their life. It was a laughter of such unalloyed joy that all who heard it laughed with them (Genesis 21:6).
The joy that began with the birth of Isaac, however, reached its crescendo in the birth of Jesus. When the angels announced their heavenly message, they proclaimed, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people" (Luke 2:10). Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).
When was the last time you laughed for the sheer joy of your salvation? People are not attracted to somber doctrines. There is no persuasive power in a gloomy and morbid religion. Let the world see your joy and you won't be able to keep them away.
To be filled with God is to be filled with joy.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 9, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Enthusiasm for one's goal lessens the disagreeableness of working toward it. - Thomas Eakins
Truth or Consequences
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac." And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son. - Genesis 21:9-11
Solomon Garcia of Huntington, New York, was crushed to death by a 600-pound safe he apparently was trying to steal. Suffolk County police lieutenant John Gierasch said that the young man was trying to move the iron safe down some stairs of a real estate and insurance company office when it slipped. A maintenance man found the body under the safe at the base of a first-floor staircase.
When we violate God's truth, His Word, consequences always result. Sometimes those consequences are tragic. Abraham discovered this. In his hurry to make God's promise of a son come true, he agreed to take Sarah's servant, Hagar, as a substitute wife. The child born from that union, however, was not God's intended heir. When Isaac, the son of promise, was born, a rivalry developed that eventually caused Sarah to demand Hagar and her son leave the house. Abraham's disobedience brought serious consequences, not only to himself but to everyone he loved. Only God's intervention prevented a tragedy (Genesis 21:16-19).
When we fail to obey God's truth, we can expect consequences. This is not because God is out to get even. Instead, it's because God's truth protects us from situations that will harm us. When we trample down those protective fences God has set up in His Word, we end up experiencing the evil from which those fences were created to save us.
Take God at His word. The Scriptures can keep you from harm. Refuse to violate God's truth either by running ahead or lagging behind His will for your life. God's truth will keep you from the consequences.
Accept the Truth and avoid the consequences.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 10, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking. - Tim McMahon
10 REASONS TO BELIEVE...God Became a Man
PART 1
If you still have doubts that Jesus is the Son of God, you can lay them to rest with this convincing list from the Radio Bible Class.
1. A virgin conceived.
If Mary was telling the truth, her baby had no human father. She claimed an angel appeared to her and told her she would conceive a son by God's Spirit and said that this child, whom she was to name Jesus, would be the Son of God (Luke 2:26-35). If Mary was lying, the night of Jesus' birth was not holy, and the only thing that was silent was the truth. But how can we know? How can we take seriously the kind of story that usually deserves laughs of disbelief? The answer is in what followed. If there were no witnesses and no evidence, we could ignore Mary's claims. If her son's life were the same as any other life, her claim of a virgin birth would be the easiest of all stories to dismiss.
2. An Old Testament prophet predicted a God-man.
What we do know is that in the seventh century B.C., the prophet Isaiah made predictions about a servant of the Lord who would rule the earth in the last days. He described a day in which all of the earth would be at peace and all the nations would go up to Jerusalem to worship God (Isaiah 2). Isaiah announced: "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV). Isaiah also gave a mysterious prophecy that was only partially fulfilled in his lifetime. It began, "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means "God with us."
3. Angels announced the birth.
In the shepherds' fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of witnesses formed a bridge between Isaiah and Mary. According to New Testament records (Luke 2:8-14), terrified Jewish shepherds were visited by an angel who announced the birth of Israel's long-awaited Messiah. The angel said: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12). As the shepherds told it, a multitude of angels appeared, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:14).
4. A sign appeared in the sky.
According to the New Testament, a light in the sky gave additional credibility to Mary. A group of Magi from the East followed a star-like sign to the Jewish town of Bethlehem. What they found was a child they believed to be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. For hundreds of years Old Testament prophets had been speaking of "a Star" and "a Scepter" that would come out of Israel (Numbers 24:17). The Old Testament also predicted a ruler of Israel who would come out of Bethlehem, a ruler "whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2)
5. The time was right.
Many believe that the Magi who worshiped Jesus after His birth came from the region of Babylon. If so, they could have had access to the prophecy of a Jewish prophet named Daniel. While in exile in Babylon 400 years earlier, Daniel had a vision that allows for the calculation of the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. According to Daniel's vision, from the command to rebuild the temple (458 B.C. or 444 B.C.), 69 "sevens" would be followed by the arrival and death of Messiah (Daniel 7:13-14; 9:24-27). Some believe this prophecy predicted the exact number of days until Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
TOMORROW: Reasons 6-10
Reprinted from 10 Reasons to Believe in the Bible
Used with permission of RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
www.rbc.net
February 11, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
You don't always win your battles, but it's good to know you fought. - Marjorie Holmes
10 REASONS TO BELIEVE...God Became a Man
PART 2
If you still have doubts that Jesus is the Son of God, you can lay them to rest with this convincing list from the Radio Bible Class.
1. A virgin conceived.
2. An Old Testament prophet predicted a God-man.
3. Angels announced the birth.
4. A sign appeared in the sky.
5. The time was right.
6. Jesus claimed to be equal with God.
Some have suggested that Jesus never claimed for Himself what His followers claimed for Him. Yet the commotion that surrounded His life can be best explained by His repeated claim to be one with God. John, one of the Gospel writers, quoted Jesus as saying, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). (In Exodus 3:14, the name I AM was used by God to identify Himself to Moses.) John also quoted Jesus as saying, "I and My Father are One" (John 10:30) and "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him" (John 14:7). According to the Gospels, Jesus said that to love or hate Him, or to receive or reject Him, was to love or hate and receive or reject His Father in heaven.
7. His friends worshiped Him.
When Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples, saw the resurrected Christ, he declared, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Years later, Jesus' close friend and follower John wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3,14). Another friend, Peter, in one of his letters to the early church, addressed his readers as "those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).
8. Jesus' enemies accused him of blasphemy.
Jesus' friends may have wanted to believe He was more than a man, but His enemies did not. The religious leaders of Israel were outraged to think that the same man who accused them of being hypocritical, blind leaders of the blind, would also claim to forgive sins, would speak of God as His Father and would even say that He was one with God. On more than one occasion the leaders of Israel picked up stones to kill Jesus, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You being a Man, make Yourself God" (John 10:33).
9. Jesus' miracles supported His claims.
Jesus' miracles recorded in the New Testament were more than wonders. They were signs. He did them to encourage men and women to believe in Him for everlasting life. He healed a crippled man to affirm His right to forgive sins. He fed thousands of people with a little boy's lunch, setting the stage for His claim to be the "bread of life." He walked on water, stilled angry seas, healed the sick, restored paralyzed limbs, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and even raised from the dead an embalmed man by the name of Lazarus. One reason Jesus performed miracles was to support His claim to be God. The apostle John wrote, "Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31).
10. His departure was greater than His arrival.
Many people down through history have claimed to be gods. Yet only one man has been willing to die for the sins of others. Only one has risen from the dead to prove that He is the Son of God. According to the New Testament, after Jesus voluntarily gave His life on an executioner's cross, He appeared to His closest disciples and more than 500 other followers for a period of 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The eyewitnesses were so convinced of His resurrection that they were willing to suffer and die for their claims. His disciples said that He showed them His scarred hands and feet, walked and talked with them, and even ate with them. Then while they met with Him on the Mount of Olives, He gave them His last words and ascended into the clouds. With a departure more spectacular than His arrival, Jesus left us with a better understanding of the announcement of the angel who said, "There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
You're not alone if you have mixed feelings when you think about the evidence surrounding the life of Jesus. You may feel compelled to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but you're not sure of your relationship to Him. If that's the case, be assured of this: If you accept Him, He will accept you. If you will receive His offer of forgiveness, everlasting life and adoption into the family of God, He will become your Savior, teacher and Lord.
If you've never received Jesus in this way, we encourage you to carefully read the New Testament verses of Romans 3:23 (which says that all have sinned), Romans 6:23 (which says that the wages of sin is spiritual death, separation from God) and Romans 10:13 (which assures us that all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved). To accept God's gift, you can pray something like this: "God, I know I'm a sinner. I know I can't save myself. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe He rose from the dead to live His life through all who believe in Him. I now receive Him as my Savior. I accept Your offer of forgiveness and everlasting life. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
Please visit us at www.rbc.net for more information about how to grow in your new life as a child of God. Also, pray for God to lead you to a church that faithfully teaches the Bible in a spirit of love and Christlikeness. You have accepted the greatest gift of all-the gift bought by God Himself-for you.
Reprinted from 10 Reasons to Believe in the Bible
Used with permission of RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
www.rbc.net
February 12, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
There is a passion for perfection which you rarely see fully developed but . . . in successful lives it is never wholly lacking. - Bliss Carmen
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." - Genesis 22:1-2
C. S. Lewis said, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken."
Abraham must have felt that way. He had waited 25 years to receive the blessing that God had promised him on the day he packed up his family and possessions and left Haran. He had waited 100 years to receive a very special son. How his heart must have ached when God commanded him to take his only son, his precious Isaac, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. Even though he responded in faith, we can't imagine the hurt. It was the ultimate sacrifice.
But Abraham is not the only one who was ever asked to make an ultimate sacrifice. God, too, gave His only begotten Son. The apostle Paul reminds us that God "did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). And Peter draws our attention to the fact that "you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19). God knows the pain of an ultimate sacrifice.
Has God asked you to make a sacrifice? Perhaps it's been the loss of a child, a cancer diagnosis, a bankruptcy. Do you feel that your life is in ashes, hopeless and irrecoverable? Lift your eyes to the Lord. Ask Him to meet you at the point of your need. God understands. He will comfort you.
The greater the pain, the greater the compassion.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 13, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. - Robert Quillen
Divine Provision
But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." And the two of them went together. - Genesis 22:7-8
A young girl was taking a long journey, and in the course of her travels her train had to cross a number of rivers. Each time the train approached water, her doubts were awakened. She didn't understand how such raging torrents could safely be crossed. As they drew near the river, however, a bridge invariably appeared and provided the way over. Finally the little girl leaned back with a sigh of relief and said with confidence, "Somebody has put bridges for us all the way!"
Abraham showed the same confidence as he faced the possibility of sacrificing his only son. Never had his faith been more severely tested. Yet he could confidently reply to Isaac, "God will supply the lamb." Abraham didn't know how God was going to do it, but he believed without reservation that God would.
That same confidence can be yours and mine. We often don't know how God will provide. He may supply in a way that we would not have chosen. That is not for us to say. Our assurance is that God will meet our needs, however He chooses. The apostle Paul reminds us, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
God may meet your need for healing by miraculously restoring your body. Or, He may choose to give you the strength to endure an illness with courage. God may relieve your financial situation through a generous gift. Then again, He may provide just enough to get you through each month. How He meets your need is evidence of His sovereignty. That He meets your need is evidence of His grace. It's not necessary that we know how, as long as we know Him.
Our need is simply an opportunity for God's provision.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 14, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. - Theophrastus
Making Sense
Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. - Genesis 22:9-10
Pablo Picasso was the most famous painter of the 20th century. His paintings often broke with the traditional notion of beauty and harmony. When questioned about his unusual artistic style, the distinguished painter replied, "The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" Many people would probably agree with his observation. Often the world doesn't seem to make sense.
Surely this thought must have passed through Abraham's mind when God commanded him to sacrifice his son. After all, Abraham had waited 100 years for the birth of this child. But there was more involved here than paternal love. God had made significant promises with worldwide implications based on Abraham's descendants. It simply didn't make sense for Abraham now to take this essential link to the future welfare of the world and offer him as a sacrifice.
Fortunately, if this thought did pass through Abraham's mind, it didn't stay. He bound his son on the altar and lifted the sacrificial knife. He had learned from his past mistakes never to question God and never to delay obeying Him. With a faith that took captive his feelings, he prepared to do exactly as God commanded.
The lesson of Abraham is clear. It is not necessary to understand; it is only necessary to obey. The prophet Samuel reminds us, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
If God is calling you to take a step of faith that defies earthly wisdom, put obedience first and let logic catch up.
If you can't understand the why, trust the Who.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 15, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Time has a wonderful way of weeding out the trivial. - Richard Ben Sapir
Make My Life a Blessing
In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. - Genesis 22:18
The creed for a lot of parents these days is, "Get even. Live long enough to be a problem to your kids." That's humorous, and in some circumstances, understandable, but it's not very good advice. Abraham's life illustrates a different approach: he lived long enough to be a blessing.
Think what we might have missed had Abraham died at an earlier age. During his first 75 years, he lived as a dutiful son to his father, Terah, and a faithful husband to his wife, Sarah. He was a blessing to these two, but there were many others ahead. Through years of tests and trials God purified his life and taught him obedience. Then finally, at age 99, he stood ready to be a blessing to the whole world. Through his son, born when Abraham was 100, came the Messiah, who would bring hope and salvation to "all the nations of the earth."
Christians should view each year God gives us as an opportunity to be an even greater blessing to those around us. The older we grow, the more blessed our presence should be. We must be careful that the years don't simply increase our litany of complaints or add to our list of ailments. Let's seal our lips against giving unwanted advice; let's be available but not meddlesome. Instead of seeking how we can be blessed, let's seek to be a blessing instead.
Whose life might you bless today? Is there someone you can encourage with a note or phone call? Is there an act of kindness you might do for a neighbor? Accumulate more for yourself than just the years you live; collect the opportunities to be a blessing to others.
Live life to be a blessing, not a bystander.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 16, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied. - Millicent G. Fawcett
Guarding the Golden Years
Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there." - Genesis 23:12-13
Before and after the Civil War, the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher was the most famous preacher in America. He drew crowds of thousands to his church in Brooklyn each week. He reportedly earned the princely sum of $40,000 per year. Delighting in his treasures, Beecher enjoyed carrying with him uncut gems and openly endorsed commercial products ranging from soap to watches. Then in 1874, Beecher's friend and prot�g�, Theodore Tilton, accused the preacher of seducing his wife. His trial was such an attraction that admission tickets were sold to the public. The jury failed to reach a verdict, but Beecher's influence and popularity continued undiminished for another 13 years until his death.
What a contrast this is with the closing days of Abraham's life. While he had faltered in his earlier years, failing to fully trust the Lord, he spent his latter days as a shining example of a man who had total faith in God. Even in the midst of his grief, as he prepared to bury his beloved Sarah, he maintained his integrity. Confronted with the exorbitant request for 400 shekels of silver for a plot of ground, he courteously conceded. Refusing to lower himself to the level of a Bedouin huckster, he demonstrated the graciousness of a man who had learned to put his life in God's hands.
Great Christians are not great because of what they say; they're great because of what they do. And what they do during their darkest days is the best indicator of their integrity.
The latter years of every Christian should be our best. A good start is a wonderful thing, but a good finish is even better.
Make sure your golden years are more than gold-plated.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved.
February 17, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Learning is discovering that something is possible. - Fritz
Pass It On
Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi. - Genesis 25:8, 11
A man's character often lives on long after he is gone. Take Jonathan Edwards, for example. He loved the Lord and taught his children to do the same. According to one estimate, he has had 929 descendants. Of these, 430 were ministers; 86 were university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; and 7 were elected to the United States Congress. One was vice president of his nation. Edwards left a spiritual heritage that became a blessing not only for his descendants, but for all of society.
Abraham did the same. At the age of 175 he was "gathered to his people." But that wasn't the end. Abraham passed on to his son a spiritual heritage that brought God's blessing upon Isaac and, down through the centuries, to all of us through Jesus Christ, a distant descendant of this godly patriarch. Abraham didn't merely "pass on"; he made it possible for God to pass on His blessings through his descendants.
We all need to live with future generations in mind. It's not enough to live a godly life to gain God's blessings for yourself; consider what influence your life will have on your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren and the rest of your family tree. The character you choose to develop will leave its mark on the lives of generations you'll never live to see.
Don't be content to leave an inheritance of material possessions. Instead, strive to be a channel for God's blessings to reach generations still unborn. The greatest inheritance your posterity can receive from you is the heritage of God's blessing.
Live so your descendants will rise up and call you blessed.
Lessons on Living From Abraham
by Woodrow Kroll.
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright(c) 1997-2000, all rights reserved
February 18, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Out doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt. - William Shakespeare
Remembering Who Gave It
Psalm 103:1-2
Frankly, I just don't understand it. I do not understand why Karen and I have been blessed with the brightest grandchild in the country. Am I beginning to sound like every grandfather you've ever met? Actually, our two-year-old Jordan just never ceases to amaze us. Take the gifts he received last Christmas. With doting parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, he probably got too many gifts. And, of course, he opened most of them in this concentrated frame of time we call "Christmas." Many gifts-many givers. But, amazingly, when you ask him who gave him a particular present, he knows. Like the teepee Karen and I gave him to play in. When his Mom or Dad asks, "Who gave you the teepee, Jordan?", he answers without hesitation, "Dada (that's me) and Amma" (that's Karen). And he can do that with all the gifts he was given!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Remembering Who Gave It."
Jordan's parents are helping their son realize that there's something more important than the gift you receive - it's who gave it to you, because they love you. So our grandson remembers not just the gift, but the giver. We've all got something to learn from the little guy. Because you and I tend to forget who gave us the gifts we have.
That's why we have the much-needed reminder of our word for today from the Word of God. Psalm 103:1-2 says, "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." God tells us to "forget not" because our tendency is exactly the opposite - He gives us a gift, we grab it, enjoy it, and promptly forget who gave it to us.
And a lot of spiritual disasters begin that way. Psalm 78 recounts the sorry history of God's ancient people, reviewing all the miracles He did for them - getting them out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea, guiding them with a pillar of cloud and fire, providing for them with supernatural food and water from a rock. But Psalm 78:11 says, "They forgot what He had done" and so "they continued to sin against Him" (Psalm 78:17). Had they continually thought about all God had done for them, their gratitude and their amazement would have made it much harder to betray Him.
The heart that is constantly praising God for His gifts is a heart that sees temptation and says, "I can't do that to the One who has done so much for me." The heart that forgets that the gifts of their life are from the God who loves them passionately is a heart that is prone to wander away . . . to turn hard and cold and rebellious.
Maybe you've made the mistake of acting as if what you have is your achievement instead of God's gift. In Deuteronomy 8:17, God says, "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth." When you forget who gave you the gifts, you become proud and you begin to steal glory that belongs only to God. Also, you tend to make an idol out of the gifts He's given, actually letting them come between you and God.
A toddler showed me how beautiful it is when we don't just grab God's gifts and run, but we remember who loved us enough to give us the gift. Remember, "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father" (James 1:17). Everything you have you owe to Him.
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 19, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
The first duty of love is to listen. - Paul Tillich
A Long Journey And A Happy Ending
Ephesians 1:11-12
Every wedding has its special challenges. Our friend Candace's was no exception. Like getting the people in the wedding to the wedding, for example. The groom's family, including the best man, had to come from Sweden. And it just so happened that the week of the wedding was part of the longest stretch of winter cold and a deadly covering of ice in one hundred years. Literally, our whole region was glazed over with three layers of freeze, and it made even taking a step treacherous, let alone driving a vehicle. And there was not a trace of thawing. Well, it was a battle. Storms closed the major airports around us - but after many hours of travel and waiting, the groom's family finally got a flight to an airport about four hours away. Then came a long and treacherous drive for the groom, to and from the airport. Oh, and the fun was only beginning when they arrived in town - because then just walking to or from a car was risking life and limb. But Friday night, right on schedule, with the entire starting cast, according to plan, the wedding happened.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "A Long Journey And A Happy Ending."
For the bride and groom, for two families, the journey was much harder than they thought it would be . . . the process took a lot longer than they thought it would . . . but the goal came together right on schedule! Which may be exactly what's going on in your life right now related to God's great plans for you - and something you've been trusting Him for over a long time.
There is so much security and reassurance in our word for today from the Word of God as He describes His activity in our lives. Ephesians 1:11-12 step back with God's telephoto lens to give us the awesome big picture - "In Christ, we were also chosen, having been predestined, according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." In other words, God's plan for you is going to work out, right on schedule, with all the right cast, according to plans He made for you before there was a you!
Now it may not feel like that right now. Look, given what's going on right now - or what's not going on right now - it may be hard to imagine a happy ending. If you look at the human possibilities, there's not much hope of things coming together. But since when is a child of Almighty God supposed to just look at the human possibilities. The harder it is, the longer it takes, the more everyone is going to know it had to be God.
That's how it was when those two families watched their carefully laid plans unravel - and then God pull together what only He could pull together. It provided a powerful witness to family members who weren't believers . . . and even supporting each other on the ice bonded two families that had never even met before. God often takes a while to accomplish His purposes -because He's doing so much more than we could ever plan for or anticipate.
So your Plan A may have gone up in smoke . . . maybe your Plan B, C, and D are on the scrap heap, too. But God's Plan A is right on schedule, it's right on track. And that's the one you were made for, the one that was made for you. And He's not just working out a plan that will be good for a little while - He's carrying out plans that will be good forever! He's working out "everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" for you. So it may be harder than you thought it was going to be . . . it may take longer than you thought it would . . . but it's going to happen! And everyone is going to be amazed!
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 20, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right. - Marykay Ash
Only One Choice
Psalm 4:5
The other night, as I was "remoting" my way across our TV channels, I came to a quick stop when I saw that one particular movie was on - "Chariots of Fire." Years ago, it won the Oscar for "Best Picture," but that's not why I stopped to watch it - it was because of how that movie impacted me the first time I saw it. It's the story of Eric Liddell, a famous Scottish Olympic runner. He had reached his dream of representing the United Kingdom as a 100-meter runner in the 1924 Olympics. Then, en route to the Games, he learned that his event would be on Sunday - the day Eric Liddell believed was reserved for God. A day on which his deep convictions would not allow him to participate.
The movie portrays the pressure placed on Eric Liddell to run that Sunday - pressure that came even from the future King of England. Liddell puts God first and stands his ground. He accepts the suggestion that he run later in an event that was not his event - the 400-meter race. There is a memorable moment in the movie when another runner slips Eric Liddell a note just before his race. It reads, "The old Book says, 'He that honors Me, I will honor.'" That day Eric Liddell won the gold. And, as the movie points out at the end, went on to become a missionary to China who died for the Lord in a prison camp - and, as the movie says, "All Scotland mourned."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Only One Choice."
Eric Liddell realized that when there's a choice between compromising and your convictions, there's really only one choice - taking your stand, no matter what it may cost. And God did honor this man who honored him. And 60 years after this man's integrity made Olympic headlines, a Hollywood producer told that story to the world in the year's best movie.
Which leads us to our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 4:5. It's only eight words - you can memorize them . . . and you should. They will give you a compass to guide you through thousands of decisions in your life... both big and small. Here's Psalm 4:5 - "Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord."
Your mission remains unchanged - at work, at school, at home, in your relationships - always do the right thing. Always tell the truth; always do the honest thing; always take the high road; always say no to temptation; always forgive; always put the other person first; always give God the glory; and when there's a question, always stand on the side of integrity. Your job is just to do the right thing - even when it costs. That's what the word "sacrifices" tells us - "offer right sacrifices."
But often all your righteous efforts will not be nearly enough to make it happen. That's where the second part of the verse comes in. After you've done the right thing, "trust in the Lord" to do what you could never do. You do your best - God does the rest. But He does it in response to you doing what's right. Your commitment to the right thing isn't what will bring about the result you need - it's the trigger that causes God to show up and do amazing things.
Life is so much less confusing when you've already decided your bottom line - "I will always do what's right . . . I will always do what God can honor." "Offer right sacrifices" . . . then, "trust in the Lord". Before you run each day's race, let God hand you His note that says, "He that honors Me I will honor." (I Samuel 2:30)
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 21, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supply. - V. Raymond Edman
Ultimate Security
Ephesians 1:4
A local businessman was in to share with our Ministry Team the other day, and he made a fascinating observation about his family. He's got three children - two are all grown up and in their late 20s. His youngest is a nine year old girl. He assured us that she wasn't a "mistake" - in fact, she was their choice. And he pointed out something the authorities made very clear at the time the adoption went through. There could come a time when he had a major falling out with one of his natural-born children - a time when he could conceivably, as a father, disown that child or put him out of the will. But not so with this girl he was adopting. He was legally committed to never disown her, to never put her out of his will, and to always take care of her. They said, in essence, "when you adopt a child, she is your child forever."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Ultimate Security."
For my businessman friend, that experience with adoption opened up a whole new world in terms of his personal relationship with God. It could do the same for you. Because adoption plays a central part in whether or not you actually belong to God, whether or not you go to heaven when you die.
In our word for today from the Word of God, the Lord pulls back the curtain of eternity to let us see a panoramic view of how God has planned for and provided for you joining His family. Ephesians 1:4 says this: "In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons (or His children) through Jesus Christ . . . In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." God has had His eye on you before there was a world! And He made a plan to adopt you into His family so you could be with Him forever.
There are few more comforting, more peace-giving words in the English language than this one - "secure." But security may be something you've never had much of in your life. You've experienced a lot of conditional love or performance love, but not much love that would be there no matter how unlovable you are. Maybe there have been people or positions or things that were your security blanket - but they're gone, and with them, that sense of being safe. If you've been disappointed in relationships, if you've been hurt a lot , if you're tired of losing what you were hanging onto - then you're ready to be adopted by God.
Remember what the authorities told my friend - "When you adopt a child, she is yours forever." That's the kind of unshakable, unlosable security God is offering you. Adoptions can be expensive - for God to adopt you, the price was unthinkable - the sacrifice of His one and only Son on the cross. Because there's no way you could be a daughter or son in God's family with all the wrong things you've done. After all, God the Father is perfect. But, as the verse says, God offers forgiveness of sins through the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Your sin was paid for so your sin could be forgiven. And God stands ready to make you His child.
But only if you want Him to. Only if you will pin all your hopes on Jesus and what He did on the cross for you. At the moment you give yourself to Jesus, you are adopted into God's family. You finally belong. You're finally secure.
If you're ready to join God's family, tell Jesus that. And I'd love to send you the booklet I wrote about belonging to Jesus Christ - it's called "Yours For Life." Just let me know that you want it.
You're lifelong search for a love you could never lose can end this very day. God has paid the price to adopt you. His arms are open wide. It's time for you to run into your Father's waiting arms. Once you do, He will never let you go.
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 22, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Always be a little kinder than necessary. - James M. Barrie
How To Handle Winning
Psalm 75:6-7
The election of 2000 will not soon be forgotten in the United States - it lasted 36 days past Election Day. The loser actually got the most popular votes, and George W. Bush finally prevailed with the most votes in our Electoral College. Now it wasn't the first time there was an interesting presidential election. Take the one in 1888. Like Al Gore, Grover Cleveland carried the popular vote but he failed to carry his own state. And like George Bush, Benjamin Harrison became President with a majority in the Electoral College. In those days, of course, it took a while to get the news. When the head of the Republican Party arrived at Benjamin Harrison's home in Indianapolis, he proudly announced that they had emerged victorious. As the Party leader crowed over the victory, he found the President-elect in what was described as a prayerful mood. Benjamin Harrison's response? He simply said, "Providence has given us the victory."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "How To Handle Winning."
That historical anecdote really impressed me in the days when no one knew who had won our Presidential election. I had felt led to pray this during that uncertain time - "Lord, whoever wins, may they win in such a way that they will know that You gave them the victory, that they owe their Presidency to You and You alone."
Actually, that's how we ought to handle every victory in our lives. In Psalm 75:6-7, our word for today from the Word of God, the Lord makes very clear the source of our success. It says, "No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges; He brings down one, He exalts another." So, victory is not a human achievement; it is a gift from God! Which means He gets all the glory - all the glory.
In many ways, it's spiritually easier to handle losing than it is winning; to handle hard times than good times. In the times of struggle or defeat, we are driven to our knees, we're desperately dependent on God just to make it through the day. But in times of success and smooth sailing, we tend to get off our knees and on our high horse, to forget being dependent and start being independent. Even though it is God who did all the exalting.
Time after time in scripture and life, success has led to pride and pride has led to a fall. Maybe that's a danger you need to be looking out for right now. When you receive praise for what you're doing, when the resources are flowing freely, when you know you've performed well , when you're being recognized, applauded, promoted - how do you handle it? Do you find yourself saying inside, "Aren't I something!" Or do you find yourself saying, "Isn't He something!" The first response is a recipe for God's correction. The second response is a recipe for God's blessing.
Frankly, few people are able to handle it when God trusts them with success, with prosperity, with influence, or recognition. "God opposes the proud" the Bible says (1 Peter 5:5) . . . "He humbles those who exalt themselves." ( Matthew 23:12). But He exalts those who humble themselves - because they can be trusted with it.
If success has you more full of you - more self-reliant, more self-willed, more self-centered, then you've forgotten Who gave you everything you have. Don't make God take it away so you'll remember. When you're winning, go to your knees in gratitude - remember, it is always true that "Providence has given us the victory." Be sure you know that. In fact, be sure everyone knows that!
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 23, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies. - Arthur Calwell
The 'As Soon As' Syndrome
1 Timothy 6:6-8
It was summer vacation on Cape Cod and I had a wife and three kids "psyched" for one of Daddy's great adventures. We were going to climb a giant sand dune and find the ocean. The sign said the ocean was beyond the dune - or, as it turned out, the dunes. The first mountain of sand was fun; the second, less fun; the third, no fun at all. Every time we reach the top of a dune, all we found was another dune! Three short pairs of legs wanted out. But like Balboa, pressing to discover the Pacific, I would not be deterred. As we started up each new hill, I assured my troops that the ocean was just over the top. I have never been wrong so many times in one afternoon. I made one simple mistake: I kept thinking that what I was looking for was just over the next hill!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The 'As Soon As' Syndrome."
A lot of us keep making that same mistake over and over again - that what we're looking for is just over the next hill. It's what I call the "as soon as" syndrome. I'll be happy "as soon as I:"
Get out of high school
Get a car
Get more friends
Get a job
Get a different job
Get a raise
Get married
Get a house
Get a bigger house
Get finished with this project
Get this weight off
Get well
Get a vacation
Get my pension
Get something to do now that I'm retired
We're never content! No matter what our situation, we think we'll finally be content "as soon as" something changes. But we never are. Which leads us to our word for today from the Word of God in I Timothy 6:6-8. "Godliness with contentment is great gain."
Some of us are making progress on the "godliness" part - it's the "with contentment' part that is costing us the "great gain" of experiencing daily joy and daily peace inside.
Paul's testimony - from the miserable environment of a prison cell was this - "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances . . . I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13). Our mistake is that we base our contentment on our circumstances our health, our finances, our job situation, how people are treating us, whether we're married or not, what kind of results we're getting. But that's wrong. The Bible doesn't say, "This is the day my situation has made" or "my problems have made" - "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:23). I'm content because I know that I am living the day my loving Lord has planned or approved for me.
Contentment is not supposed to be situational - it's supernatural! It happens when I look for my Lord all over my day . . . when I focus on what I have instead of what I don't have . . . when I draw on God's strength and God's grace, which He promised would always match what each day requires - "Your strength will equal your days." (Deuteronomy 33:25). So, contentment is not something I find "as soon as" I get what's over the next hill - but "as soon as" I start finding the Lord's goodness and the Lord's presence right here and right now - no matter what the circumstances!
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 24, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it. - William Authur Ward
Scandalous Pardons
Hebrews 9:15
In the last hours of his Presidency, Bill Clinton created quite a bit of uproar. He did what all outgoing Presidents of the United States do - he issued pardons to scores of Americans convicted of felonies. He was actually exercising a unique power granted to the President by the Constitution - to release a person from the legal penalties for a crime that they have committed. In the case of the Clinton pardons, there were a few that evoked reactions that ranged from surprise to shock to even anger - people who seemingly did not deserve a pardon. Whatever the merits or mistakes of those particular actions, all of us were reminded of a power we sometimes forget the President has - he can confer mercy far beyond what a person may deserve - in the form of that beautiful six-letter word - pardon.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I'd like to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Scandalous Pardons."
I'm not interested in attacking or defending executive pardons that may have been wrongly motivated or carelessly given. But it is a fact that some Presidential pardons are probably not deserved. None of God's are. And without one, you and I have no hope. Because when it comes to our spiritual condition, we're not talking twenty years here, or even a life sentence - we're talking Death Row.
The Bible explicitly says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is not one of us - even the most religious - who are not guilty of running our own lives instead of letting God run it. And turn the page in your Bible from that statement and it says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). When the Bible says "death" it's talking about eternal separation a sinful us from a sinless God. Death penalty. And we deserve it. We've effectively tried to be our own God.
World Book Encyclopedia says that a pardon releases a person "from the legal penalties for a crime." And only the Chief Executive of the Universe can pardon you or me for our sin. But a holy God cannot possibly just say, "Your sin doesn't matter." He's loving - but He's just. My running of your own life cannot go unpunished. And it didn't.
Listen to these amazing words from Hebrews 9:15, our word for today from the Word of God - "Christ has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed . . ." Jesus paid the price to release you from Death Row - by becoming your Substitute and taking the death penalty for your sin when He died on the cross. World Book says, "A person who receives a pardon is entirely free. That person is not regarded as a criminal, because the pardon has the effect of wiping out the conviction." That is what Jesus wants to do for you this very day.
Years ago a felon facing the death penalty was pardoned by the then President of the United States. Incredibly, he refused the pardon and he died for his crimes anyway. Please - don't make that mistake with your eternal pardon from God. You can passively refuse His pardon - you can be aware of what Jesus did for you . . . in favor of what Jesus did . . . maybe you've had it offered to you many times - but you've never reached out and taken the pardon that He paid for with His life.
You can do that today - right where you are. Tell Jesus you are putting all your trust in Him to be your Savior from your sin. And if you're beginning with Jesus today, I hope you'll let me send you the booklet I wrote about this called "Yours For Life." Just let me know you want it.
We deserve hell - but we can have heaven - if we take the pardon that cost Jesus so much. He's holding it out to you this very moment - and remember, "a person who receives a pardon is entirely free."
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 25, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
There are many religions, but there is only one morality.- John Ruskin
Responding To Hostile Fire
Romans 12:17
The games that kids play today are so high-tech that the child actually has to teach the parent how to play them. Our Christian Guidance Director was describing a game his teenage son taught him that simulates combat in an F-16 Fighter Jet. He said there is one aspect of the game that is real nerve-wracking. It's when this beeping sound starts going off in your "cockpit" - it's the signal that an enemy pilot has locked onto you. You're about to come under some heavy fire. In fact, I understand something like that happens in real life aerial combat situations. Of course, the question is, what do you do when someone has locked onto you and you are under fire?
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I'd like to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Responding To Hostile Fire."
You know, that's an important question in every day life. What do you do when someone's locked on to you and you're under fire? If you're in combat - or even in simulated combat - you instinctively fire back at the one who's firing at you. Unfortunately, we do that even when we're not in mortal combat.
We all know the feeling - someone has locked onto you - maybe your spouse, your child, or your parent. It could be a co-worker or someone at church or one of your critics. Someone's shootin' at you! And everything in you says, "Retaliate! Fire back! Give them back what they're giving you!"
Then along comes the most radical blueprint for human relationships in history - the loving lifestyle of Jesus Christ, who said on behalf of those who had just nailed Him to a cross, "Father, forgive them." Peter says of Him, "When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats" (1 Peter 2:25). That's in the same verses where Peter says, "Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."
Which leads us to our word for today from the Word of God in Romans 12:17, where Christ calls us, not to a natural response to hostility, but a supernatural response! Here are our orders: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil . . . Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
God says, "When someone has locked onto you, when someone is shooting at you, don't shoot back!" This is so counterintuitive! It is so against our instincts! When your spouse is harsh with you, everything in you wants to blast them back. When someone is criticizing or attacking you, you just want to give them some of their own medicine. When you feel shot at by your child or your parent, you so want to shoot them down.
But since you gave yourself to Jesus, you've had another possibility - when someone is shooting at you, turn the controls over to Jesus! If you remain in the pilot's seat, you're eventually going to blast them. But if you say, "Jesus, it's Yours - enable me to respond as You would," then you can avert a battle that is only going to escalate and do a lot more damage. It's amazing what can happen when hostility is greeted with gentleness, when harshness is greeted with tenderness, when anger is greeted with love and understanding.
When someone is shooting at you, you have an incredible opportunity - not to shoot them down - but to show them Jesus.
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 26, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Atheistic morality is not impossible, but it will never answer our purpose. - Roswell Dwight Hitchcock
The Garbage And The Gospel
Romans 12:15
After the Gulf War in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Kurdish people fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq. They made it to a mountainside just inside the Turkish border where they set up a refugee camp with little or no food, medical help, or sanitation. Christian agencies, of course, felt the urgency of people who were dying there every day, so they rose to the occasion, and they came in with a flood of emergency help and supplies. Now, many Christian representatives were there - but missionaries from one agency reportedly experienced a unique receptivity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While many Christian representatives worked from truck and distribution points, handing out food and blankets, the Operation Mobilization missionaries succeeded in getting unusually close to the people...because of the garbage. Mountains of trash just rapidly overtook that camp - dirty, smelly garbage that no one wanted to touch. But these missionaries plunged into picking up that repulsive trash. And the ones who were willing to pick up the garbage were the ones who found many people willing to hear about their Jesus.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Garbage And The Gospel."
When you are there for the garbage, it's amazing how people will open up to your Jesus. One of the great ways to build a Jesus-bridge into the heart of someone you know is to be there for them in the "garbage" times of their life - the time of loss, the time of illness, the time of hurt or need or stress. Or, as it says in Romans 12:15, our word for today from the Word of God, "Mourn with those who mourn."
You may not consider yourself any kind of "super-Christian" or someone who is good at communicating your Christ to a lost person - but being there for an unreached friend during the bad times is a step of active love that anyone can do. When it's hurting time for someone within your reach, you drop everything, realizing this is a precious opportunity to display the Jesus-love that you want that person to experience.
People never forget who was at the hospital, who was at the funeral, who was there for the emergency - and who wasn't. Folks remember who calls or visits when they're sick - who even notices that they're missing. When you are there for the bad times of someone you hope to introduce to Jesus, you often find moments of unique spiritual softness - the kind of moments when you can tell the difference Jesus has made for you . . . how He offers a relationship with Him that withstands every storm a person will face.
I watched that happen in a major way when the "flood of the century" hit our area in northern New Jersey. The people of our church responded with their hands, their feet, and their hearts, helping the flood victims clean up a filthy mess. They gave clothes and furnishings and they helped in locating alternative housing. There are people in those towns who know Jesus because believers who came to their spiritual rescue opened the door for them to hear about Christ.
When you're thinking about rescuing the spiritually dying, you understand that their moment of crisis is your opportunity to show them Jesus - which means you have to drop what you're doing to serve as a "be there" person for their storm. Nothing opens doors or hearts like our sacrificial acts of love. When you show up, like Jesus - to serve, you will be in the best possible position to show and tell what Jesus is about. There's something about being there to help people pick up their garbage that opens their heart to the Gospel. If you'll make a point to be there for their bad times, they may ultimately be there with you in Heaven.
Copyright 2000, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 27, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
The great advantage of telling the truth is that one is so much more likely to sound convincing. - Susan Howatch
Rolling Blackouts
Hebrews 4:16
For a lot of people in California, the year 2001 began in the dark! The headlines kept telling us that millions of Californians were having to endure what was called "rolling blackouts." Apparently, when the energy industry was deregulated, it was supposed to lead to utilities buying power at lower prices - instead, prices skyrocketed. And deregulation also forbade them to raise prices to the consumer. Whatever the cause, the result was clear. For certain designated hours, the power company had to turn off the power to different areas at different times. So when the blackout rolled into your area, you suddenly had no electricity - and if you had something to do during that time that required that power - tough!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Rolling Blackouts."
I've never lived in California, but I've experienced rolling blackouts - in finding the power I needed to handle the challenges I was facing at the time. It's the kind of power failure we all know about -- where the demands of our work, our family, or our problems are so great that we just don't have the resources to handle them.
It usually happens when the demand is greatest. Suddenly, you just don't have the answers . . . you just don't have the wisdom to know what to do . . . you don't have the patience . . . or the love . . . or the endurance you need. Rolling blackouts. You may be experiencing them right now. You don't have to.
If you belong to Jesus, then God is your Father - and His power is infinite. Yours isn't, and it runs out over and over again. If you're experiencing rolling blackouts, you must be depending on the wrong power source - because God has no blackouts.
Hebrews 4:16, our word for today from the Word of God, is His invitation to tap into His never-failing resources anytime and anywhere. Here's the invitation - "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." God invites us to boldly enter the Throne Room from which the galaxies are governed, go to the One who runs it all with our wounds and our needs, and walk out of there with His endless grace resources to meet our demands.
So if blackouts keep rolling through your life, you must not be doing what God said. There are several mistakes we make that limit us to what our resources can handle instead of what God's resources can handle. Sometimes, we just forget to pray. We're so immersed and overwhelmed that we just don't think to go for the grace that will change everything. Or, we remember to pray, but we don't release it to God. Philippians 4:6-7 tell us that we get God's peace when God gets our anxieties - and a lot of times we tell God about what we're facing, but we don't leave it there.
Other times we fail to exchange our weakness for His strength. That's the trade God wants to make - but we have to admit our powerlessness and then consciously trade it in for His power. One other mistake that leads to personal power failures -we run ahead of His grace. The Bible clearly tells us that "your strength will equal your days" (Deuteronomy 33:35). God delivers the grace and power you need for that day, and only that day. If your worry and anxiety has you already living what may happen tomorrow or next week or next year, you're handling it before you've got the grace for it.
So always go for the grace the moment requires. Your personal power plant is located in the Throne Room of the Most High God. And when you draw your power from Him all day long . . . goodbye, rolling blackouts! You will never lack the power to meet the demands.
Copyright 2001, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602
February 28, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself. - Leo Tolstoy
Missing Him
John 6:66
When Lee Stroebel writes a book, he brings to it all the skills and the disciplines he learned as a journalist. Lee was a respected reporter - and, by the way, an atheist. Today, he is a powerful representative of Jesus Christ and a leader in evangelism. While preparing for a recent book, Lee interviewed a wide variety of noted people to get their perspective on Christ. One was a man who was a gifted evangelist in the 1940s, a man whose ministry actually paralleled Billy Graham's - a man who was known by millions and expected to have a ministry like Billy Graham has had. But after attending a liberal seminary to get more education, he shocked the Christian world by abandoning his faith. His media career in Canada has given him a lot of notoriety - and he has often used that platform to express his unbelief.
Lee went to interview this now elderly man. When he was asked about things such as his belief in the Old Testament, he clearly expressed why he didn't believe. Finally, Lee asked him, "What do you think about Jesus?" He could have never expected the response he got. Suddenly, the old man 'teared up.' And struggling to answer through those tears, he simply replied, "I . . . miss Him."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Missing Him."
For just a moment, set aside all the creeds . . . the institutions . . . the theological systems . . . the rituals . . . the meetings - most of which are important spiritual resources. But for a moment, set aside all the Christianity. And when you strip away all that, you're down to the central meaning of it all - it's all about Jesus. It's all about either being close to Him - or missing Him.
The twelve men Jesus picked as His inner circle missed a lot that Jesus was trying to teach them - but they didn't miss the central issue. That's obvious in our word for today from the Word of God. In John 6, we're at a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Vast multitudes are following Jesus, no matter where He goes. Then He confronts them with the fact that this is going to be about more than miracles and meetings - it's going to involve the shedding of blood, the laying down of His life, and a price tag for those who follow Him.
John 6:66 - "From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. 'You do not want to leave, too, do you?' Jesus asked the twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'" See, they knew it was all about Jesus. And that He was the only One with anything that would last, that was worth living and dying for.
That's what Jesus was saying when He repeatedly said to people, "Follow Me." He didn't say "Follow My religion" or "Follow My followers" or "Follow My rules" - He said, "Follow Me." It's all about Jesus. And if you know someone who's away from Him right now, here's how to pray for them - "Lord Jesus, help them realize how much they miss You." And as God gives you opportunity, remind them of how it was when they were close to Him.
Maybe you're away from Him. Satan would love to keep your focus on the Christians who hurt you or the hypocrites who turned you off or the sin that's taken you away. But it's not Christians you've left or church or some religious rules - it's Jesus you've left! Remember how it felt when you were close to Him? Don't you miss Him?
You don't have to miss Him one more day. Like the father of the Prodigal Son, He's waiting for you to come home to Him. There's nothing you've done that He didn't take care of on the cross. And His love is unconditional. If you could literally hear His voice where you are right now, here's what you'd hear Him saying, "I miss you. Come home. . . come home."
Copyright 2001, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.comcontains practical answers to real life issues.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602