THE CROSS EXAM DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVES

July 1, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Too many Christians still live with crossed fingers, sweating out their good luck as a portent of calamity. To see them, you would never guess that God's good pleasure, and not the goddess of fate, rules human destiny. - Edmund P. Clowney

Sez Who?

"Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." - Acts 10:15

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Have you ever confessed your sins and NOT felt forgiven? Maybe you got on your knees and begged and pleaded with God to forgive you for a particular sin, but 1, 3 or 7 hours later you found yourself asking God again to forgive you for those same sins? I've been there...I've done that...and we don't need to go there.

I believe that when I confess my sins the first time God removes them as far away from me as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12); and when I bring them up the second time He says "What sins?" ....because they're gone. No need for me to drag them like a ball and chain behind me for days, weeks, months and years. When I confess my sins I'm forgiven and that's that!

When we confess our sins to God He declares us clean, pure, holy and righteous. We are not what we were: We are a new creation. When we keep dragging our past around with us wherever we go we are declaring as impure what God has already declared as clean. God doesn't like that! He doesn't like anyone dissin' His children...even if it's me dissin' myself! He doesn't want me carrying on about what kind of failures I am or how sinful I am when in His eyes I am His holy child.

And we ARE holy...not because of what we have done but because of what Christ has done. Don't insult God by calling yourself names or beating yourself on the head; instead, live as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved (see Colossians 3:12ff).

The protestant reformers said: "...to have faith means to want and to accept the promised offer of forgiveness of sins and justification." (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, 1531) When you confess your sins to God, do you believe that He is able to forgive you and does indeed forgive you? Do you rise up from your confession believing in His forgiveness and accepting it for yourself?

Next time you find yourself on your knees confessing your sins, make sure when you rise that you declare to yourself: "I am forgiven. I am clean. I am washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and I am holy" and then live like someone who is forgiven, clean and holy; because YOU ARE!

Sez who? Sez God! That's who!

Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org

July 2, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: No matter how strong the winds or how high the waves, on the surface, far below lay the great mysterious deeps with their strong currents and untouched calm. A man who would live for Christ in a turbulent world must draw his life from the depths of God Himself, not from the froth and foam of surface experience - Oswald Chambers

Knock, Knock, Knock

I remember when my daughter Robyn was 3 or 4 I laid my head on her chest and listened to her heartbeat. I jokingly asked her what that thump, thump, thump sound was that I heard. She replied: "That's Jesus knocking on my heart." And then she followed that up with: "He wants to come in and have tea with me, but I'm only a little girl and I can't make real tea so we'll have to drink water in my teacups. Is that okay?"

Jesus spoke these words in Revelation chapter 3, verse 20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me."

I find great comfort in this verse. Jesus isn't waiting for me to come looking for Him...He's standing outside my door looking for me! I also find comfort in the fact that He wants to sit down to dinner with me. In Bible times sitting down to eat with someone meant you accepted that person. You wouldn't sit down to eat with an enemy and you certainly wouldn't sit down to eat with a sinner; but Jesus sat down to eat with tax collectors and prostitutes and the rabble who didn't quite fit in with the proper synagogue folks. If He sat to eat with them in spite of who they were and what they had done I know He will sit with me too in spite of who I am and in spite of what I've done.

My fellowship with Him isn't based on my righteousness. It never was and it never will be. My fellowship with Christ - your fellowship with Christ - our fellowship with Christ...is based on His desire to fellowship with us. In the poetic words of John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (that's you and me!) He gave His only begotten Son..." - praise God...thank You Jesus! \o/

Do you realize that Revelation 3:14ff was written to believers? It's a great verse for evangelism, but it was originally written to a church (Laodicea to be exact). Jesus doesn't knock on your door and then, once you're saved, leave you to your own devices. Nope. He keeps knocking on the hearts of believers. He wants us to invite Him into our lives every day. He wants to fellowship with you right now. He wants to hear about your day. He wants to hear about your dreams and goals. He wants to spend time with you because He likes you...because He loves you!

In fact, He's knocking on your door now and He doesn't care what you've got in your refrigerator or if you've only got water in tiny, little china tea cups. He doesn't care if you've taken a shower yet or combed your hair. He doesn't care if your house is spotless or if it's a complete mess. He just wants to come into your life and walk with you along that path He foreordained fo you before the beginning of time.

He's knocking on your door right now. Are you gonna' let Him in?

Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org

July 3, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Holiness is not an attainment at all, it is the gift of God, and the pietistic tendency (desire to be pious) is the introspection which makes me worship my own earnestness and not take the Lord seriously at all. It is a pious fraud that suits the natural man immensely. He makes holy; He sanctifies; He does it all. All I have to do is to come as a spiritual pauper, not be ashamed to beg, to let go of my right to myself and act on Romans 12:1,2. It is never,'Do, do and you will be' with the Lord, but 'Be, be, and I will do through you.' It is a case of 'hands up' and ABSOLUTELY letting go (our part - abandonment, aka FAITH!), and then entire reliance on Him. - Oswald Chambers

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

During the last few weeks, the news has been flooded with reports about business scandals with Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, and Worldcom. These corporate giants have all been found to lack integrity in their business practices due to reporting figures that hid the truth. As a result, their individual stocks have taken a nose dive and has caused many people to lose a lot of money.

For instance, in the case of Worldcom, it wasn't too long ago that their stock was selling at a price of $64 per share. On Monday, it closed at a pitiful 6 cents per share. Why? It was valued high under false pretenses and has lost its worth due to the truth coming out. It was recently discovered that they had hidden $4 billion worth of expenses and as a result appeared much stronger than they actually were.

These types of discoveries with a few companies has caused all of corporate America to come into question. This came across loud and clear yesterday as the Nasdaq stock exchange posted its lowest level in five years. It has lost more value from the collapse of Enron and Worldcom than it even did when the World Trade Towers fell down. This sends a strong message -- People are more afraid of dishonesty from within than they are terrorists from without.

In a strange way, this is a positive thing. It says that people will not invest themselves or their money into something they don't believe they can trust. The problems of the companies I mentioned above have nothing to do with the quality of energy produced, the design of model trains, or the ability to make a phone call across the country. This series of scandals tells us that the real product always has been trust.

I heard it said a long time ago that it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a few moments to lose it. Basically, a reputation is established by living what you claim to be. When I live in contradiction to my claim, others will lower my worth and not put much "stock" in me. In fact, they may look at me as a fraud and totally avoid me.

In a day where the truth has become devalued, it is refreshing to see that when people choose where to put their dollars, the first consideration is integrity.

Friends, this is no different when it comes to faith. By its' very definition, "faith" is believing in what you can't see. However, although God is invisible, I am not. If I claim to serve the Lord, yet don't carry on my walk in a way worthy of His name, then those who observe me will discount my profession and the Savior I represent. As we have learned with the stock market, it only takes a few bad apples for people to consider all the others to be suspect.

When it comes to your life, are you living for the Lord in such a way that it causes others to want to buy into Jesus Christ? I'm not asking if you are perfect, but do you practice what you preach?

Listen to the words of Peter in I Peter 2:12, 15; 3:15-16: "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

These words can be summed up in one -- "integrity". Jesus will always be viewed by a lost world through the lens of my life and that in turn will determine how they view the Lord.

This week, let me encourage you to do what Peter said -- "in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord." When Jesus holds his rightful place in your life, then it is more likely that those who observe you will give Him a chance in theirs.

As I go, listen to the lyrics to "You're the Only Jesus" by Gordon Jensen: "If not in you, I wonder where will they ever see the One who really cares? If not from you, how will they find there's one who heals the broken heart and gives sight to the blind? 'Cause you're the only Jesus some will ever see, and you're the only words of life some will ever read. So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need, 'cause you're the only Jesus some will ever see."

Setting apart Christ as Lord,

Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA

July 4, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Sin is man's declaration of independence of God. - Anonymous

Freedom For Something

"To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" - John 8:31-32

Independence Day in the United States celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Among the tyrannies from which the colonists declared themselves free were commercial exploitation, arbitrary government by remote control, taxation without representation, and the like.

Independent nationhood, of course, implies also freedom for something -- freedom for a country to determine its own affairs, freedom for the citizens to make a decent living, to educate their children, to pursue happiness, and to worship God.

Freedom's fight for something continues today: Citizen groups work for civil rights. It is good when people come out of the shells of indifference -- or the "I don't want to be involved" spirit -- and show concern for what is socially, politically, and morally right. It bears repeating, of course, that the "civil rights" coin has another side, and it is clearly stamped as "civil responsibilities."

As Christians we are the beneficiaries of another freedom, the freedom from the curse of the law, the power of sin, the fear of death. This freedom Jesus Christ gained for us at great cost to Himself -- it cost Him His life. He declares, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" John 8:36).

Thanks to Christ's work of the redemption, we are freed for something: free to hear and follow His Word, free to serve Him. He tells us, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). And with this freedom goes responsibility, as Saint Paul tells us: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for the freedom we enjoy in our country. Help us to keep from neglecting or abusing it. Amen.

Taken from "Each Day with Jesus" Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House.

July 5, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: I see now that God was taking me by the light of the Holy Spirit and His Word through every ramification of my being. The last 3 months reached a climax and I was getting very desperate. I knew no one who had what I wanted; in fact I did not know what I did want. But I knew that if what I had was all the Christianity there was, the thing was a fraud..But those who know the experience, know very well how God brings one to the point of utter despair, and I got to the place where I did not care whether everyone knew how bad I was. I cared for nothing on earth, saving to get out of my present condition..And like a flash something happened inside me, and I saw that I had been wanting power in my own hand, so to speak, that I might say-Look what I have by putting my all on the altar. Glory be to God. The last aching abyss of the human heart is filled to over-flowing with the love of God. Love is the beginning, love is the middle, and love is the end. After He comes in, all you see is 'Jesus only, Jesus ever.' When you know what God has done for you, the power and the tyranny of sin is gone and the radiant, unspeakable emancipation of the indwelling Christ has come. - Oswald Chambers

"Freedom with Responsibility"

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36

Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the colonies of the new world, later becoming the United States of America, have enjoyed more than two centuries of free nationhood. Those who with pen thrusts signed the document did as much for freedom as did those who bore arms. The Scripture words on the Liberty Bell need to be emphasized today: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10).

Freedom can be lost when the citizens become careless, unthinking, and selfish. We give away what our forefathers won when we think only of freedom from something, And not of freedom for something -- freedom for participating in democracy.

Freedom is endangered when people fail to exercise the responsibility that always goes with it. One who enjoys freedom must never forget that others have freedom too. Dr. John H. Knowles, former president of the Rockefeller Foundation, has well said, "The cost of sloth, gluttony, alcohol overuse, reckless driving, sexual intemperance...is now regarded by many as a national, not an individual responsibility. These abuses are justified on the ground of individual freedom, but what happens then is that one man's freedom in health abuse is another's shackle in taxes and insurance premiums."

Freedom is a sacred trust. It has its roots in man's freedom before God, his Creator and Redeemer. Christ has freed us from sin, setting us free to serve Him. He declares, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).

Taken from "Each Day with Jesus" Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House.

July 6, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: He's brought me low so I could know the way to reach the heights. To forsake my dreams, my self-esteem, and give up all my rights. With each one that I lay down, a jewel's placed in my crown. Because His Love, the things above-are all we'll ever need. He's brought me here where things are clear and trials turn to gold He's brought me low so I could know the way to reach the heights. To forsake my dreams, my self-esteem, and give up all my rights. With each one that I lay down, a jewel's placed in my crown. Because His Love, the things above-are all we'll ever need. He's brought me here where things are clear and trials turn to gold.
- Keith Green from "Trials Turned To Gold"

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"The King Thing"
1 Samuel 8:6

Listen with RealAudio!

I'm not sure who "Simon" was, but I know a lot of kids - including me - have had to play his little game. You know - "Simon says." Just in case you were lucky enough to escape Simon, it goes like this. One person, often a grownup or another student, stands up in front and gives you commands. "Simon says stand up. Simon says sit down. Simon says hop on one foot. Simon says wave at all the girls in the class." The trick is that in the middle of all these commands, the leader slips in one command without a "Simon says" on it. If you obey that command, you're out. You're only supposed to do what Simon says.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The King Thing."

So that's the game - do something just because someone else says it. We're all grown up now, but some of us are still playing that game. Some of us have a tendency to let someone else do our thinking for us, and we just unthinkingly, uncritically go along with what they say. Especially if it's a Christian leader we really like and respect. Anything he or she says must be right. Not always.

We tend to have what I call this "king thing." It goes back at least as far as God's ancient people in our word for today from the Word of God. In 1 Samuel 8, beginning in verse 6, the Jews say, "Give us a king to lead us." Up to that point, they had been governed by God's direct leading through His appointed judge, Samuel. Samuel didn't like this king idea, but "the Lord told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. Warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.'"

So Samuel told them about how a king would take some of their money to build his kingdom, how he would take their children to run his kingdom and fight his battles. But the Bible says, "The people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us ... to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.'" Well, they got their king - along with the burdens of having one.

As God's people, we still have this king thing today. We want a human to follow, to fight our battles, to do our thinking. So we tend to elevate a human leader higher than any human should be elevated. Our "king" may be a powerful Christian speaker, a Christian radio personality, a charismatic Christian leader, a compelling Christian writer - or even a great church. Now the Bible clearly teaches that we should honor and respect those who teach us God's truth, who are in positions of spiritual leadership.

But no one's right about everything. No one's right all the time. Every teacher or leader has their flaws, their imbalances in what they teach. That's why, in the Book of Acts, the Bereans were described as being "of more noble character ... for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." God has given us teachers to teach His truth to us, but that doesn't mean we just put away our Bible and stop thinking for ourselves. That's how cults and theological detours get started.

You see, your primary source of truth must always be the Word of God, which you personally, one-on-one with God, examine every day to see what is true; trusting His Holy Spirit to lead you into truth. The "Simon says" approach of doing it or believing it just because someone up in front says it is for children. Spiritual maturity recognizes that only one King is worthy of our total reverence and trust - and that's the King of Kings.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 7, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY:We are nothing but dust. Our lives are not ours. Our bodies are not ours. Our future is in Your hands. The Lord is making me ready to die-completely-I don't deserve to live-so come Spirit of the Holy God-live instead of me. There is no joy left in life but to realize I am nothing and let God be what He is-ALL. Tears cannot express nor laughter His grace/gifts. I am His. Please Keith! Don't ever go back-look up - Keith Green

Your Best

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15

The greatest accomplishments in life--believe it or not--are made not by the smartest people in the world but by those who didn't know enough to quit. They were the ones who kept plodding, who kept practicing, who kept investigating until they stumbled onto success. That fact was driven home to me when I was studying in the university. There were two men in my classes who were geniuses. Their IQs were way up there. At the end of a class, they slapped their books shut and didn't open them. They were smart.

Frankly, I was among those who dug it out. People thought I was really gifted; no, I knew how to work and study. My parents spent hard earned money and sent me to school to study, not party. I knew why I was there and made the most of my opportunity.

Learning to apply myself was something I happened to grow up with, but everybody doesn't have a dad who cuts off the handles of brooms, making them short enough for a kid to use, or has you work alongside him. But you can learn to work. You can develop discipline yourself. You can set goals and eventually get there.

One of my heroes was a Kiwi from down under, Sir Edmund, who with his sherpa guide, Tensing, crested Mount Everest for the first time. Awesome achievement, and that was before a lot of the high tech gear which climbers use today. When asked how he accomplished this when others had failed, he replied that when he was tempted to turn back, he took just one more step.

William Carey, the father of modern missions, said that his greatest ability was to plod in the face of adversity. When Thomas Edison had tried 10,000 ways to produce an incandescent globe and hadn't succeeded, he was urged to quit. He responded that he had found 10,000 ways that didn't work. He would eventually find what would work. He did! I have sometimes wondered how many determined, stubborn individuals we have today with that tenacity.

The foundation of our modern achievements was laid by thousands of unknown individuals who lived in obscurity and died unknown, who faithfully contributed to what has enabled us to send men to the moon, to circle the globe with communication, and to accomplish great and mighty things. They laid the foundation we have built upon through research, hard work, and trial and error. Their strength and energy, like a gradually falling barometer, were meted out in hard work, years of often-unrecognized service, and blood, sweat and tears. But they did not quit. They did not look for something with less work and with more money attached to it.

I have been told that in a European Cathedral, high in the rafters where no one ever goes, are some intricate carvings of exquisite beauty, done by a master craftsman whose name has long since been lost to posterity. Why did he take time to do some of his finest work, using an abutment of wood that will never be seen by the public? He valued excellence. He took seriously the admonition of the Bible that instructs: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Cultivate excellence. Make it a passion. Refuse to let the world and our culture shove you into the mold of mediocrity. Whether or not you reach the top, you are building a foundation, and upon your shoulders someday, someone will reach the top. Thank God for teachers who inspire excellence, for mothers who have the patience to bring the best out of their children, for dads who have the patience to find the tools their little boy left somewhere and show them how to use them. Indeed.

Resource reading: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10.

By Dr. Harold J. Sala
www.guidelines.org
� Guidelines International

July 8, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: I love God so much, my heart overflows with quiet, gentle joy-my eyes water with tears for the peace in my soul. My faith is refreshed. My desire to commune with God and intercede for souls is renewed with power! My thirst for God's Word has greatly increased. The prison doors have swung open of themselves. The shackles have fallen off to the ground. My heart is bursting with joy and hope! Oh! I can hope again.

Jesus I'm so grateful that there was no formula-no secret way to regain my peace. No amount of Bible reading, or forced prayer time brought this state on. But You, in answer to the desperate crying out of my heart, came and rescued me from the bondage of works and self---spiritually of glorying in your presence. You want me to share your glory-but only as a gift, not as a result of my efforts, but as a result of your goodness, mercy and love for me-thank you for helping me hang on!" - Keith Green

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"Play-Doh Or Rock?"
Luke 6:47

Listen with RealAudio!

Our kids played with it when they were little. Our grandson plays it with it now. I play with it every once in a while. It's that colorful clay in the round can - it's Play-Doh! You can squeeze that Play-Doh into something flat, something round, something long - you can turn it into any shape you want it to be. Which is OK for a toy. It's not OK for people.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Play-Doh Or Rock?"

Unfortunately, there are way too many people who are just like Play-Doh - they keep changing shape - emotionally, that is. You never know if they're going to be up or down, happy or miserable, negative or positive, loving or selfish. As long as you run your life based on how you're feeling right now, you're going to be Play-Doh, constantly changing the shape you're in.

Then there are those people you can count on, people who are thermostats setting the climate instead of thermometers just reacting to the climate. Those are the rock people. Rocks are always the same shape, no matter how tightly they're squeezed. And you are one or the other - Play-Doh or rock. Depending on what you base your responses on - the facts or your feelings.

In Luke 6, beginning in verse 47, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus described the person who "hears My words and puts them into practice" as being "like a man building a house" who "laid the foundation on rock." Jesus said the storm could not shake that house. Then He described a man who "hears My words and does not put them into practice" as "like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Those who run their life on their emotions are vulnerable to major mistakes. They are even collapsible. But those who know what God says and base their responses on that - no matter how they're feeling - they are strong, stable, and stormproof. It's your choice - going by your feelings or going by the facts.

Maybe you've been going way too much on your feelings lately. Satan loves that. He can twist and distort your feelings; he can't change the Word of God. You can choose to have your feelings overrule what God says or what God says overrule your feelings. Maybe even your spiritual life is run by your feelings without being anchored much in the Word of God. You're not even sure whether you belong to Jesus Christ or not, because you're going on your ever-changing feelings instead of promises of God like I John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life." That's know you have, not feel like you have. If you're married, you know you are because you made a conscious commitment to your spouse. If you don't know you got married, then you didn't.

If you've committed yourself to Jesus Christ as your only hope of having your sins forgiven and going to heaven, then you belong to Him. If there's never been a time you did that, you don't belong to Him - but you could today. Right where you are, tell Him, "Jesus, I resign from running my own life. I'm Yours."

It is so good to know that you belong to Jesus. That you're going to heaven when you die. No, not just because you feel it. You know you belong to Him. You know you're going to heaven ... because God says so!

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 9, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The best prayers have more often groans than words. - John Bunyan

Our Helper in Prayer
Romans 8:26

Have you ever felt as if your prayers were "bouncing off the ceiling"-as if your praises and petitions were not reaching the ears of God? If so, you are not alone. Many believers experience times of discouragement in their prayer lives.

For this reason, God has given each of us a qualified Helper for our prayer lives, the Holy Spirit. We need only to look to today's Scripture passage to find confirmation of this fact: "The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should" (verse 26a).

There are many reasons for feelings of weakness in prayer. We may have difficulty concentrating. We may feel unworthy, guilty, or unsure of our faith. Many times, our difficulties during prayer stem from feelings of discouragement brought on by the Enemy.

Despite these things, we must continue to seek and communicate with the Lord. He is willing to help us, work with us, and support us in our weakness. He has even offered to have the Holy Spirit pray for us. Listen to the second part of verse 26, which says, "the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

The next time you encounter resistance during prayer, stop and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you, assist you, and intercede for you in the way God promised He would.

Written by Charles Stanley
www.intouch.org
Copyright � 2002, In Touch Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

July 10, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Insanity is doing what you've always done -- and expecting different results. - Nick Bayley

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

Tonight, the American League takes on the National League in the annual Major League All-Star Game. This mid-season celebration of baseball allows the fans to see their favorite players from around the majors on the same field. Such a showcase will provide great hitting, powerful pitching, and spectacular fielding. This is a baseball spectator's version of a buffet -- all you could possibly want at the same place.

As usual, the teams for this event are chosen through the votes of the fans. For weeks now, millions have cast their ballots for the likes of Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds. These choices have been made primarily due to the players' performances on the field this year. The result should be that both teams consist of those who are doing the best in their respective positions. This is what makes a true "All-Star Game".

Even in our own community, the local kids' leagues have recently formed their own All-Star teams and have participated in regional tournaments. I'm told that these teams were formed by the area coaches by comparing their score books from throughout the season and ranking the players by their performances. The best players were chosen to comprise the teams.

I have yet to hear of a serious player, professional or amateur, that didn't want to be named to such a prestigious team. Why? When you play the game with commitment, your goal is to be the best. You desire for your peers and observers to hold you up as a model of how the game is to be played. Also, you realize that if you can field a team that is staffed with nine players who have a similar passion for the game, then your chances for being winners is heightened. Serious players hunger to win. As the great football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said -- "Statistics are for losers."

When it comes to the church, we don't vote on All-Stars. There isn't a competition to form a roster of the premier players in the congregation. In God's scorebook, the superstars are servants. It's not about hype, but holiness. When the Lord of the universe is selecting His team, the primary feature that He's looking for is a sincere desire to follow His leadership and carry His cross.

Let's listen to the requirements of God's "All-Star" lineup:

1) Matthew 4:19 -- "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

2) Matthew 6:24 -- "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

3) Matthew 20:26-28 -- "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

4) Matthew 22:37-39 -- "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

5) John 13:35 -- "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

This list could contain many others. However, if we could just get these five down, there would be enough impact on our world that the spectators in the stands would be firmly convinced that we know how to play our "game".

Let me encourage you to do what is necessary to be an "All-Star" for God.

Stepping up to the plate,

Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA

July 11, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: He that begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Will You Examine Yourself?

"Joshua said to the people, 'You cannot serve the Lord.'" - Joshua 24:19

Do you hide behind anything or anyone, rather than look directly at God, personally? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions?

It really is true to say, "I cannot live a holy life," but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. "You cannot serve the Lord" but you can place yourself in the proper position where Gods almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you? "The people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, "But God could never have called me to this. I'm too unworthy. It can't mean me." It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, "I will serve the Lord."

We say, "Oh, if only I really could believe!" The question is, "Will I believe?" No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?

Written by Mike Peters

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's only begotten Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." - John 3:16-21

How often do we quote John 3:16 and miss the rest of that text? (Myself included!) Wow! Powerful stuff! Jesus makes it VERY CLEAR here that it is FAITH that saves...not our attempts at good works.

Good works come through repentance, and repentance is simply a turning away from sin when we turn towards God. Sin and God are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and there's no way you can be gazing at both at the same time. If you turn towards sin you have to turn away from God. If you turn towards God, you are naturally turning your back on sin.

The problem with most of us (again, myself included) is that we can't make up our minds and we keep turning back to the sin that we left when we first turned to God. The good news is that forgiveness isn't contingent on our consistency but on the work Jesus Christ has already done upon the cross! We don't need to prove ourselves to God by walking for a few weeks or months or years without sin before He will forgive us. NO ---He forgives us as soon as we make confession (see 1 John 1:9) and the act of confession itself signifies that we are turning towards Him and thus away from our sin.

That's why Paul wrote that it's "God's kindness that leads us to repentance" (see Romans 2:4). Like the Dad in Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son our Father in heaven is waiting with His arms wide open to receive us when we turn towards Him. He's already waiting for our return. We don't have to prove ourselves. We don't have to berate ourselves. We don't have to go through a probationary period to prove to Him that we're sincere. We just have to turn to Him, confess our sins and receive His steadfast love, tender mercies and gracious forgiveness.

He loves us because He is our Father and He takes us back because the price has already been paid. Children don't earn the right to be children...they're children because their parents procreated them. We are God's children because He created us. Though once estranged by our sins (because when we turned to sin we turned away from God), by the grace of God given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are reconciled simply by turning back to Him.

The Good, the Bad and the Redeemed. According to Romans 3:23 there is no "Good", we're all "Bad" --- but through faith in Jesus Christ we can all be "Redeemed", no matter who we are or what we've done. And the good works that follow will be a clear testimony that what we have done has been done through God.

Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org

July 13, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven. - J.C. Ryle, "A Call to Prayer"

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"Power As You Go"
Acts 1:8

Listen with RealAudio!

Eric Liddell is one of my heroes. His amazing Olympic triumph in the 400-meter event in the 1924 Olympics was dramatized in the Academy Award-winning movie "Chariots of Fire." The movie also portrayed his strong commitment to Jesus Christ and his uncompromising stand against running on Sunday, which he believed to be a violation of keeping that day holy. He was a man of conviction, of incredible inner strength, and of really muscular faith. Well, years later, he would die for his Lord as a missionary to China. I've just finished his biography which, of course, tells much more about his whole life than the movie did.

It tells, for example, how his fame grew from his athletic exploits all across his native Scotland, even before his Olympic victory. There was one particular Scottish village named Armadale where workers had just not been able to break through with the Gospel, especially among the men. A daring Christian leader asked young Eric Liddell to come and present his testimony, using his unique influence to reach the men of that village. One problem: Eric Liddell was known by everyone to be a shy, quiet man who had never spoken publicly. That invitation to speak became a central turning point in Eric Liddell's life. What God said to him might be what God wants to say to you - about something He's asking you to do.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Power As You Go."

Eric Liddell described the invitation to talk to those people in Armadale as "a piece of work for which I was absolutely unqualified." Sound familiar at all? He went on to say, "My whole life had been one of keeping out of public duties, but the leading of Christ seemed now to be in the opposite direction, and I shrank from going forward. At this time I finally decided to put it all on Christ. After all, if He called me to do it, then he would have to supply the necessary power.

"In going forward, the power was given me. Since then, the consciousness of being an active member of the Kingdom of Heaven has been very real. New experiences of the grace of God, sense of sin, wonders of the Bible have come from time to time. All these fresh experiences have given me fresh visions of our Lord." Well, that was all because he had allowed God to lead him out of his comfort zone and into something for which he felt "absolutely unqualified." Eric concluded his reflections by saying, "The Armadale speaking engagement had seemed such a simple invitation, but saying 'yes' had changed my life." Eric's testimony really made a difference in that tough village. And that ministry was the first of many, many meetings - often large meetings - where God touched lives through a man who never wanted to be up front.

As Jesus launched His disciples into a work for Him that they seemed terribly unqualified for, He said in our word for today from the Word of God, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses." That's Acts 1:8. I want you to claim those first four words as the promise that will equip you for that assignment you never thought you could do - "You shall receive power." And how will you receive it? Like Eric Liddell did - "In going forward the power was given me." But not until you do.

In the words of the Apostle Paul, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13) If you stay in your comfort zone, you're going to miss the exciting plans God has for you - and an incredible opportunity to see what His power can do where your power is nowhere near enough.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 14, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Like billowing clouds, Like the incessant gurgle of the brook, The longing of the spirit can never be stilled. - Hildegard von Bingen

Looking Back

"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

It isn't how you start that counts but rather how you finish! Rarely does the individual who sprints out of the starting blocks with a burst of speed break the tape winning the race. This is what Jesus had in mind when he said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

No, you can't drive looking in the rear view mirror. Neither can you accomplish God's purpose in your life vacillating, compromising, wondering whether you should commit yourself to the task before you.

Jesus' comments about looking back after you have put your hand to the plow was the linchpin to a conversation he had with several people as he challenged them to follow Him. One had an excuse that he first had to go bury his father. Then he would come and follow Jesus. Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

I've never plowed a furrow, but my father did-plenty of them-when he was a boy. Dad said that if you plow a straight furrow, you've got to fix your eyes on a distant point of reference--a tree, a fence post, a landmark of some kind--and move straight towards that point. Looking back and trying to move ahead means you vacillate to one side or the other, uncertain, indefinite, and unsuccessful.

As long as you look back, wondering if you married the right person, hesitating to commit yourself to your mate, your marriage will not improve. I've never seen a drug addict who had the strength to walk away from the habit as long as he dabbled in drugs--even a little bit. Burn your bridges behind you. Nobody can find the victory, the joy, and the power to live as God intends us to live until he makes the decision, unconditional and without reservation, to walk with God. You can say "No" to the Lord, but you never say, "No, Lord" because when you say "No" you deny that He is Lord.

There is strength and power in the decision to move forward, to refuse to look back, going for it no matter what happens. In the early '50s it was assumed that running the four-minute mile was impossible. Then two athletes did it--Australian John Landy and a British runner from Oxford, Roger Bannister. Then the two were matched against each other in a historic race to determine which of the two was really faster.

They met on a track in Vancouver, and, say observers, John Landy was leading as they turned towards the finish line, but he made a fatal mistake. He looked back to see how close was his competitor, Robert Bannister. And as he looked back, he momentarily broke his stride, and Bannister seized the moment, surging ahead to win the contest.

Hey, friend, when you turn back, or even look back you stumble over the future and what you might have been, what you might have accomplished, what God might have done through you.

On more than one occasion great generals have burned their ships when their troops hit the beach so that there was no possibility of going back. Forget Egypt. Put your eyes on the Promised Land. Forget the past, and build for the future. Remember what Jesus said: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). Paul got it right when he wrote that we are to forget the things that are past and press forward to receive all that God has for us. It's the only way to the finish line.

Resource reading: Philippians 3

By Harold J. Sala
www.guidelines.org
� Guidelines International

July 15, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A true Christian life is a personally conducted life, conducted at every turn by a Divine Person. - R. A. Torrey

If I'm SOFT and ATTENTIVE and RESPONSIVE to Jesus...

Then you'll be surprised at how LOVING I'll seem to be in many circumstances where this would not seem possible. Sometimes a tough love, but infinitely sacrificial and resilient. A surprising Love. Why? Because Jesus is LOVE. He doesn't "act" loving. HE IS LOVE.

And If I'm RESPONSIVE to Jesus... the fruit of Love will pop out of the end of my tiny little branch.

The Life is in the Vine. The Fruit comes from the LIFE of the Vine.

You don't read a good book about love, or listen to a tape about love... and then go out and try to "be more loving". It doesn't work that way. That's a horizontal way to live. That fruit is plastic...fruit that looks like Jesus on the outside but it doesn't taste like Jesus when you bite into it.

The branch isn't supposed to curl it's leaves into the "shape" of fruit once it learns what fruit is supposed to look like. The branch is supposed to BEAR fruit because Jesus' life is flowing (unblocked & unhindered) inside of it.

So... Then what good is it to "learn" about love if I can't take that "knowledge" and BINGO I've "mastered" love? BECAUSE... as my mind is renewed to UNDERSTAND what God's love really is... How deep it is... How wide... How willing to go the extra mile... How devoted and loyal... How kind and forgiving... How willing to die so that others might live.... How willing to risk being liked in order to be truly helpful... IT WILL HELP ME as I learn to RESPOND TO JESUS.

If I let the Truth of God's thoughts (God's logic) expand my mind & my heart... then, AS I'M LOOKING TO JESUS... and responding to JESUS... then I'm in a much better position to hear His voice, and the tone of His voice, and see the expression on His face, and the wink in His eye... Or perhaps, the tear in His eye... and His Life and Personality can flow through me. BEARING the Fruit of *HIS* Spirit.

Respond to Jesus! For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.... In Him we live and move and have our being... apart from HIM we can do nothing.

Anonymous

July 16, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The "good" man, the man whose god is righteousness, has as his life's ambition the keeping of rules and commandments and the keeping of himself uncontaminated by the world. This sounds admirable; but, as the truth of Christ showed, the whole of such living, the whole drive and ambition, the whole edifice, is self-centered. That entire process of effort must be abandoned if a man is to give himself in love to God and his fellows. He must lose his life if he is ever going to find it. - J. B. Phillips, When God was Man

Every Thought Captive For Christ Jesus

"All his (satan's) works are done under the cover of deceit. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and he always lies (John 8:44). Of all that he has ever done, he has never willingly and openly acknowledged anything as his work. If he were to make a public report of his works, probably nobody would want them; everyone would probably resist them. For this reason, he always disguises his work in a multitude of ways."

"The sphere of Satan's operation is in man's thought life. He will inject a thought , an imagination, which appears to be your own. Under this deception, you accept it and use it as if it were yours, though in actuality it is his."

"Christians need to know what satanic temptation is. Satanic temptation enters mainly, if not exclusively, in the form of thought. When satan tempts people, he does not attach a label saying, 'This is satanic temptation!' If people knew it was of satan they would resist it. No, he sneaks in stealthily without causing a ripple. All his temptations are formulated so as not to easily arouse the Christians. He does not want them to suspect him; he would rather have them sleep on. So he surreptitiously injects a thought into their mind. Once they accept it, it has become a foothold for him."

"Satanic thoughts can be quite easily withstood. There is a saying frequently quoted by many servants of the Lord that goes, 'You cannot forbid a bird to fly over your head, but you certainly can forbid it to make a nest in your hair.' Do remember, then, that though you cannot prohibit many thoughts from passing through your mind, you can prohibit them from nesting in you. As a thought flashes through you, you may thrust it away by simply saying, 'I do not want it. I will not accept it. I reject it.' Then you will see that it is thrown out."

Excerpts from various writings by Watchman Nee

July 17 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Once I knew what it was to rest upon the rock of God's promises, and it was indeed a precious resting place, but now I rest in His grace. He is teaching me that the bosom of His love is a far sweeter resting-place than even the rock of His promises. - Hannah Whitall Smith

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

Tomorrow. Will it be a good day? Who knows? However, my outlook on what is to come will have a lot of impact on what happens. Basically, this is the definition of "hope". This is the ability to look beyond where I am and cast my faith forward. Practically speaking, hope is just faith in the future tense.

Two months ago, I was very hopeful about our mission trip to Bunkie. We made thorough preparations and when the time came we were ready to go. Hope was found in the eager expectation that many of us had that God was going to do something through us. It was a vision to look forward and see the divine hand of the Master touching the hearts of a congregation and making an impact in the Kingdom of God. In the end, our hope was realized.

The same could be said of VBS. There was much involved in the mechanics of making the week happen. Hours upon hours were invested into every aspect of the Bible school. Why? We had a hope that God would take our efforts and produce a harvest in the lives of children and their families. To some degree, we have gotten to see hope's fulfillment, but the weeks ahead should bring the rest of the picture into focus.

Next week, Tammilee and I have the unique opportunity to get away for a few days and revisit the place where we met and I sensed God's calling into ministry. We are excited about this. In fact, it is all we have talked about for the last week. As the days get closer for us to go, hope abounds.

In life, hope is the fuel that keeps us going. It is the ongoing anticipation that there is something ahead worth pursuing and catching. Without hope, today is monotonous and tomorrow is burdensome. Therefore, hope is essential if I am to please God.

Show me a happy person and I will show you a person with hope. However, the opposite is reflected in a sad, critical person. Such an individual lashes out with hostility because they can't see beyond their hurt. Tomorrow just becomes another day to experience the drudgery of yesterday.

So, why should we have hope? Is there something ahead that is better than what we are experiencing today?

Hope begins in one's knowledge of their personal worth to God. You will never have faith in the future unless you sense there is something inherently valuable about yourself. This is why John 3:16 is such a hopeful verse. It states that "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son". In other words, Jesus' death was the price tag that God placed upon my value to Him. If God thinks I'm that special, then the next sunrise will be brighter than the last.

Once my self-esteem is enhanced through the knowledge of Christ's atoning work on the cross, then I realize that my hope is outside of myself. It is only found in a relationship with the Savior. It is not enough to just acknowledge what Jesus did. I must embrace Him. This possession of hope is called salvation. You cannot have real hope without being a Christian.

This is where the journey into a beautiful tomorrow really begins. After an experience of salvation comes a hunger to find out more and more about Jesus. Thus, I read His Word, seek His face, share His truth, reach out as His hands, and worship His presence. Each day I'm looking for something new that I haven't experienced before. I suppose this is why Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10-11, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Finally, eternal hope is realized when we take our last breath and shut our eyes, only to open them again in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord or Lords. This is the tomorrow I have been excitedly anticipating.

If you find yourself today at a point of hopelessness, then please stretch out your hands to Jesus Christ. He is the hope you are looking for. He can erase the scars of yesterday and replace them with the beauty of eternal life.

Looking forward to tomorrow,

Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA

July 18, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so will he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death. - John Owen

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"The Prize And The Prison"
2 Timothy 2:26

Listen with RealAudio!

The TV news report was actually slightly amusing. These individuals came into this store, waving a piece of paper indicating that they had just won a free DVD player - and they were coming to claim it. What they didn't know was that notice had been mailed by the police to their last known address. See, these people were wanted, but they had disappeared. When they checked their mail, they had news of having won that DVD player. The amusing part came when the police arrested them on the spot as some of them were actually laughing at what they thought was a joke or a "Candid Camera" stunt. It was no joke. They were going to jail.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Prize And The Prison."

That's what the police call a "sting operation." And it really worked - offer something good just to capture people. And the police use that strategy to accomplish good things. Satan has been using that strategy for a long time to accomplish his destructive purposes in people's lives. He may be using his sting operation to capture you right now.

The Bible describes his devious tactics in 2 Timothy 2:26, our word for today from the Word of God. Paul talks about people for whom it is his desire "that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." I don't know anybody who wants to end up doing the will of the devil, whose desire to is be Satan's captive. But they fall into his clever trap - which is invariably baited with something good. Something that it looks like will come from just a little compromise.

The lure may be the promise of sexual pleasure, or sexual conquest, or a chance to feel loved. The lure could be a chance to get ahead, to get out of a jam - just by a little lie or a compromise of your integrity. Maybe the devil is tempting you with what looks like the advantages of leaving your marriage vows, the thrill or the relief from checking out a little pornography, the satisfaction of getting even, or the relief you'll get from abandoning a commitment.

The devil's basic strategy is really pretty simple: get you obsessed with the prize you might get so you're blind to the trap you're walking into. He'll convince you that "it's just this once" ... "just a little" ... "it won't hurt." Lies. All lies. Jesus exposed the devil when he said he is "the father of lies" and "there is no truth in him." (John 8:44) He is the "thief" who comes "only to steal, kill and destroy." You will not ultimately get what he seems to be offering - the satisfaction, the love, the excitement, the relief. It is only Satan's bait to take you captive and ruin everything he can in your life. He'll promise you anything to get you to walk into his trap.

Now, while you still can, run from that temptation you've been flirting with. Surrrender yourself to Jesus and "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power ... take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:10, 11)

If you're being lured into a sting operation from hell, you cannot afford to go for the prize that you'll actually never really get. But, of course, you won't know that until the handcuffs are on you and the cell door slams shut behind you. Please - don't go there.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 19, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Men perish with whispering sins -- nay, with silent sins, sins that never tell the conscience that they are sins, as often with crying sins; and in hell there shall meet as many men that never thought what was sin, as that spent all their thoughts in the compassing of sin. - John Donne

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"When You Realize You're Lost"
Luke 15:17

Listen with RealAudio!

Firstborn children are usually known for their independence - which can sometimes get them in trouble. When our daughter was four, we were on a family shopping trip to the local grocery store. Her little brother was riding in the cart, and our daughter was walking ahead of Mom and me and the cart. At a moment when we were looking at the corn flakes or something, she wandered off and into another aisle. To this day she remembers the panic of realizing that she did not know where we were. She told me, "The aisle looked so long, the shelves looked so high, and I didn't recognize anybody." Suddenly, our little girl realized she was lost.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When You Realize You're Lost."

Our daughter never meant to get separated from her parents, but suddenly she was lost. It could be that you never meant to get separated from your Heavenly Father, but you are. And you're realizing that you're lost.

Jesus said we are like sheep. And I don't think a sheep wakes up one day and says, "I'm tired of the shepherd. I think I'll just run away from Him." Sheep don't run away - they wander away. Just a little off the shepherd's path to check out that tuft of grass ... then up that hill ... then over the hill. Until suddenly the sheep says, "Oh no! Where's the shepherd?" Maybe that's your story. You never meant to get this far from God. But one wandering step at a time, you've ended up farther from your Lord than you ever thought you'd get, maybe doing things you never thought you'd do - trying to get other things to meet needs in you that Jesus once met. And those other things aren't working.

So how do you get back? The same way the prodigal son got back to his father. Jesus said, "He set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth ... he had spent everything." You know, he ended up feeding pigs - not exactly his dream when he left his father. Now, covered with shame and pig slop, Jesus says in Luke 15, beginning with verse 17 - our word for today from the Word of God - "he came to his senses. He said ... 'I will set out and go back to my father and I will say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.' ... So he got up and went to his father."

You wandered away from Jesus, but you can't wander back. You have to decide that this is your last day away from home. This is the day you're getting up and going home to your Father. A lot of things may be holding you back: your shame over what you've done, which God is ready to trade for His forgiveness - your fear of failing, which God is ready to replace with His strength - your unwillingness to let go of your idols, wondering if you can do without them now. You've forgotten that the cost of not following Jesus is far greater than the cost of following Him. You've lived that haven't you?

It is never going to be easier to start back home to Jesus than it is today. Every day you wait, the ropes that are holding you get tighter and tighter. Every day you wait, your heart gets harder.

You've been lost long enough. And your Heavenly Father is waiting right now to welcome you home with arms wide open. Don't waste another day. This can be your Homecoming Day!

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 20, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: We are called to be witnesses, not lawyers. - Donna Maddux

Always Watching Over You

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." - Psalms 34:15

He may not always know it.

But, either Paula or myself are always watching over Jacob, our 20 month old boy.

Sometimes, he's sitting in his bedroom looking at his books -- and we'll peep in at him. He never even realizes that we're watching.

Other times, he's asleep in his bed. And we stand over him just making certain that he's all right.

Still other times, he is wandering throughout our fenced-in back yard playing to his heart's content. He is never out of our sight. We are always watching over him.

You know, our heavenly Father treats us -- HIS children -- the exact same way.

We are never out of His sight. He's always watching over us.

Even if we don't always know it.

On our return trip home from a vacation in Branson last week, a tragedy ALMOST occurred.

My wife was driving, and I was pecking away on my laptop in the passenger seat. Jacob was playing happily in his seat. When all of a sudden...

...I heard my wife gasp, felt our vehicle begin to swerve to the side of the road, and quickly looked up to see a pack of cars all at a complete stop in front of us.

We lurched to a screeching stop just to the right of the car in front of us, barely missing it and the ditch alongside the road. I quickly glanced in the rearview mirror and watched in horror as a large truck came roaring down at us with an even larger boat on a trailer pulled behind.

Somehow the driver managed to swerve to our left and barely -- and I mean barely -- missed us AND the oncoming traffic in the other lane.

There were 5-7 other vehicles in line behind us that all slammed on their brakes and swerved in various directions.

And then it was over.

All because someone up in front of us was trying to turn left across the oncoming traffic WITHOUT HAVING A SIGNAL LIGHT ON.

Here's the remarkable part: not one single vehicle got so much as a scratch, nor did anyone get hurt.

All I can tell you is this was truly a miracle accomplishable only by God Himself.

If any of the people had delayed even a second, or had swerved even slightly the wrong way, this could have been a major crash with many fatalities.

Instead, it was another reason to give thanks to our Father for, once again, watching over us. And protecting us.

Even without us knowing what was going on.

Christian, your Father is always watching you. Always. Whether you are reading a book, or asleep in your bed, or playing in the great big back yard that we call "life", His eyes are always upon you.

Even if you don't realize it.

Maybe today you just need a reminder that the mighty God in heaven has you in His sights. Perhaps you are facing some difficulty that you have forgotten that He sees and controls. It could be that you need some assurance that God is there.

He is, dear Christian. You are His child. And He is Your Father. And there isn't a thing that will happen in your life today that goes unnoticed by Him.

He is always watching over you.

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"

Jimmy D. Brown
Copyright 2002 Jimmy D. Brown

July 21, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and which multiplied, and enriched, and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined in our deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. - Abraham Lincoln, April 30, 1863

God's Name - More than an Ornament

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 8:9

This week, you undoubtedly will hear profanity -- the vain use of God's name in cursing or swearing -- either in person or on TV. Although you may have heard this often, it is still shocking, because it offends against the God you love.

There are other ways in which God's name is profaned -- lying, for example, or deceiving by God's name for selfish ends. Some people try to adorn false religion by adding God's name to it, thus misleading people into accepting it as God-given. This was known in Shakespeare's time for in his play "The Merchant of Venice" he has one of the actors say, "The world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, but, being season'd with a gracious voice, obscures the show of evil? In religion, what gross error, but some sober brow will bless it, and approve it with a text, hiding the grossness with fair ornament."

We need to probe our lives and lips to see how we have used God's name. We are always tempted to hide behind the name of God, as though to be named after Him, or to speak His name with unctuous accent, or to bat it back and forth like a ping-pong ball in aimless discussion were a guarantee of the genuineness of our faith. It takes more than calling oneself a Christian to really be one.

What does it take? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for unto His name and His redeeming merits we were baptized. It means to call on God's name in every trouble -- even when there is no special trouble -- and to pray, praise, and give thanks. Then God's name, more than an ornament, is a badge of honor that tells people who we are and whose we are.

Taken from "Each Day with Jesus"
Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House.

July 22, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Sanctification is that condition in which the sin principle is dealt with. - M. Lloyd-Jones

Sanctification: God's Grand Plan
Philippians 1:6

In her recent book, Footprints of a Pilgrim, Ruth Bell Graham provides a suggested epitaph for herself: "End of construction. Thank you for your patience."

Though humorous, her expression is based in truth. In (Philippians. 1:6) Paul places his confidence in the fact that God will continue perfecting the good work He began in us until the day of Christ Jesus.

This process of perfection began with sanctification-being set apart-and continues until the end of our lives. It is the period of progression between these two events which requires our full attention.

Once we have been born again, we should begin a life of progressive growth toward Christlikeness. We should seek to be conformed to the likeness of Christ in character, conversation, and conduct. (Rom. 12:1-2) We should also progress by allowing Christ to live out His life through us. (Eph. 4:1)

Of course, as Christians, we will all stumble and fall at times. However, as we understand more truth and apply it to our lives, we will be better equipped to avert the Enemy's fiery darts.

Examine your life in terms of spiritual growth and progress. Have you increased in biblical knowledge since your conversion? Are you experiencing new levels of intimacy with God? If not, begin moving forward today-away from complacency and toward perfection in Christ.

Written by Charles Stanley
www.intouch.org/
Copyright � 2002, In Touch Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

July 23, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: If you will continually behold Him - by commitment... He will change you - by His oath.
- Unknown

The Eternal Drama of Life

"'(I) have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'" - Luke 12:19-20

In many respects life differs for each one of us. For example, the life of a computer operator's daughter obviously differs from that of the daughter of the company's CEO.

Yet there is a sameness in life for all of us in many of the events between birth and death. As Jesus said about life before the flood (and it's still true today), "People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" (Matthew 24:38). Saint James points to the universal brevity of life when he says, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14).

What is your life like? In his play "As You Like It," Shakespeare speaks of life as a drama, with people off stage having much in common with actors on stage. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances." In "The Merchant of Venice" he has an actor say, "I hold the world but as a stage, where every man must play a part, and mine is a sad one."

However, if life is a drama, it is not one in which we are puppets. God gives us freedom -- freedom to choose marriage partners, the whereabouts of our home, work, vacation, the type of government we want, the kind of candidates we want for public office. Yes, God even lets us choose sin and its inevitable consequences. At the same time, God wants all people to be saved and to come to faith in Jesus Christ. He appeals to us with His love, with the promise of reconstructed life, with the assurance that life is the scene of His merciful acts all the days of our sojourn on earth.

Life is more than a stage play on which the final curtain comes down with the words, "The End." In Christ, God gives us eternal life.

Taken from "Each Day with Jesus"
Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House.

July 24, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. - Augustus M. Toplady

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"One Dollar And God"
1 Kings 17:1-6

Listen with RealAudio!

One of the most amazing Christian warriors in my lifetime is a man who has come to be known as Brother Andrew, or "God's Smuggler." He's risked everything to get God's Word into spiritually closed countries where that was virtually impossible. Many consider him a real spiritual hero. No one can doubt that he is, at the very least, a bold risk-taker for Christ.

In his biography, he tells about an incident in his early life as a follower of Christ that showed him the kind of God he was serving. After some pretty wild years without the Lord, he came to Christ and almost immediately felt the call to begin training for the ministry. He went to this small Bible school in Scotland, and before the students were allowed to graduate, they were given a very unusual assignment. They were asked to go out for a month to do evangelistic outreaches in Scottish villages, and they were given some money to live on - one British pound, to be exact. For those of us who are Americans, it would be like being given a dollar to live on for a month. The students were to go with that one bill and eat, and sleep, and rent halls, and buy refreshments, and hold outreaches, and return that one bill at the end of the month. Brother Andrew's team went out and did just that. Except he returned with enough money for the school to send out two missionaries!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "One Dollar And God."

Maybe everyone in God's service should have an assignment like that - to live the adventure of what life is like when all you've got is God. Now you may be at or near that point right now. Or it may be that God wants you to be at that point, and you've been avoiding it. For all of us, the ultimate questions of security and obedience boil down to this: Can God be trusted? Is God really enough? Figuratively speaking, can I make it when it's just "one dollar and God"?

Our word for today from the Word of God is 1 Kings 17:1-6. The prophet Elijah has just delivered a message of God's judgment to the Jewish king that there's going to be a long drought in Israel. Then the prophet is given an assignment that sounds something like Brother Andrew's in Bible school. He is sent into a situation where it's just him and God - just him and whatever God provides, that is. He's being sent away from all the normal sources of supply.

Here's what the Bible says: "Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, 'Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.' So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook."

Now, God sends Elijah into this situation where God is all he has. God may be doing the same thing with you. And notice, God will always find a way to provide what His servant needs. He's, in fact, the God of unlikely sources! His people have nowhere to get water in the wilderness, so it comes from a rock! Five thousand people have nowhere to get lunch, so Jesus takes the one lunch there and makes 5,000 lunches from it.

Elijah is in the wilderness where there is nowhere to get food. Oh yeah? Twice a day, here come the ravens, delivering God's supply. But you have to be in a seemingly hopeless situation like this to experience God's amazingness like this. I want to tell you that after 35 years of faith ministry, I can "amen" David's testimony in Psalm 37:25. "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread."

If God has you at a point where it's "one dollar and God" - financially, emotionally, physically - don't stop trusting Him now. Your security is not the resources you have in your hand, but the Heavenly Father you belong to. And if you've been holding back from God's calling because you can't see where the resources will come from, remember the God of the manna, and the ravens, and the endless lunch. If you don't step out of the boat, you'll never know what it is to walk on water!

A great spiritual warrior was once a Bible school student with the equivalent of a dollar to live and a month to live on it. And he found out what you can discover in a time when there seems to be "no way," one dollar and God is more than enough for everything you need!

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 25, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: When we are troubled with temptation and evil thoughts, then we see clearly the great need we have of God, since without him we can do nothing good. No one is so good that he is immune to temptation; we will never [in this life] be entirely free of it. - Thomas a Kempis

Making Myself Right by Making Myself Busy

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:41-42

When I hear the term "self-righteous" I usually picture someone judging everyone else for being less than perfect; but I believe there's a far deeper and less obvious form of self-righteousness which we all struggle with in each of our lives.

To be "self-righteous" simply means that my personal sense of righteousness comes from what I do. My good thoughts make me righteous. My good deeds make me righteous. My successes make me righteous. My failures make me unrighteous, so I either want to cover them up and hide them or do my best to fix things.

And so I strive to work hard and keep myself busy because every success, every project I accomplish increases my sense of personal goodness and consequently my sense of self-worth. It's important to feel good about myself. Who wants to be depressed all the time?

So I go from one chore to another, sometimes without taking a break and other times, when I'm exhausted, taking too long of a break which leads to guilt and extra busyness to make up for it. And the pattern continues.

I need to spend time in prayer and the Word, but not until I get this chore done. I really should make time with my family, but first I'll finish this project. And on, and on, and on.

And in the end this becomes a "self-righteousness" to me, my busyness. It's just as if I said "I cannot approach God until I can prove myself to Him." I know that's not true. I know that He accepts me just as I am; but my need to prove myself to myself by keeping busy results in a breakdown in my relationships with my God, my family and my friends.

That's not to say that I should waste each day being idle. There are plenty of scriptures warning against laziness. I DO need to get things done. I DO need to be responsible and do those things I have committed myself to do.but not at the expense of my relationships and especially not at the expense of my communion with God.

Mary chose the better thing. I bet she wasn't even hungry for the food Martha was so busily preparing because she was eating up every word that came out of Jesus' mouth. Don't try to make yourself right by the things you do and don't wait until everything is perfect before you sit at Jesus' feet. Seek the Lord while He may be found.

"Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God.
Come. "

We are righteous because of what He has done and not by anything we could do. If you've got work to do, do it.but make time to sit at Jesus' feet first. Perfect balance is a nice goal, but if I'm going to lean one way or the other I want to lean towards Jesus---He is the BEST choice.

(Come, Now is the Time to Worship, lyrics by Brian Doerksen � 1998 Vineyard)

Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org

July 26, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian. - G. K. Chesterton

The Positive Power of Joy
Psalm 37:4

What makes you joyful? Many people believe that the things they own have the power to bring true joy into their lives. However, Scripture clearly teaches that this is not what joy is.

Happiness refers to our overall sense of satisfaction with life at any given moment. It is completely dependent upon our circumstances and can change minute-to-minute depending on what is happening in our lives.

Joy, on the other hand, is the capacity to operate from a position of strength, despite our circumstances. True joy is internal and lasting. Therefore, we can rejoice even during trials because the source of our joy is eternal and unchanging. Let's examine two sources from which we derive godly joy in our lives.

First, our joy is the result of a personal relationship with Jesus. The peace and joy Jesus brought into the world are constant. He reveals, "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27). The world can only give temporal happiness. Our joy is found in the everlasting.

Second, joy is the result of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit is alive and active in the life of every believer. This produces a wellspring of joy in our lives as we become more and more like Christ.

Anything that the world gives, the world can also take away. Therefore, do not look to worldly things to bring joy in your life. God alone can touch you with an unending source of heavenly joy.

Written by Charles Stanley
www.intouch.org/
Copyright � 2002, In Touch Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

July 27, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: God is our true friend who always gives us the counsel and comfort we need.
- Francois Fenelon

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"Walking the Dark Hills"
Isaiah 43:2

Listen with RealAudio!

Bessie, one of the cows on the small farm where my wife grew up, was ready to give birth to a calf. But somehow she managed to get out of the wire fence and wander off into the woods to have her calf where she wanted to. Which meant Karen's dad - and his two girls - had to go out into the dark woods that night to try to find them. Well, dad decided they could cover more ground by dividing up. They were to fire three shots if they found Bessie. Unfortunately, they only had one lantern - and Karen didn't have it. What she remembers is how scary it was to be walking alone in those dark hills, not knowing if there was a panther, a bobcat, or a poisonous snake within striking distance in the dark. Finally, Dad fired those three victorious shots in the air - he had found Bessie and baby. But only after a walk in the dark that one young girl would never forget.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Walking the Dark Hills."

My wife said, "That night I realized I wasn't really walking those dark hills alone - I knew Jesus was by my side every step of the way." That wasn't her last walk through life's dark hills - there have been the deaths of many people she loved, dark financial valleys, the loss of a baby, worries over children, overwhelming mountains of responsibility, serious medical emergencies. But she will tell you - she has never walked any dark stretch alone. Because of that one person who is there when no one else can be.

Maybe you're walking some of life's dark hills right now - you can't see what's out there in the dark ... it's scary ... you feel awfully alone sometimes. Then our word for today from the Word of God may be just what you need. In Isaiah 43, beginning with verse 2, God says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned ... for I am the Lord your God ... your Savior."

That's the kind of anchor relationship with God that will sustain you no matter what you lose - no matter what hits you. He will walk with you through even the darkest stretch of all - the final mile called death. And whatever is bigger than you are, God is bigger than it is. But it may be that your dark seasons have shown you that instead of being close to God, there's something between you and Him. That something is your sin - all the wrong things you've done because you're running your life instead of God running it.

The issue is not whether you believe in Him - it's do you belong to Him? There's only one way to do that - to put your total trust in Jesus Christ as your only hope of belonging to God. Jesus came here and walked the darkest, loneliest stretch anyone has ever walked. He carried all of your sin and mine when He died on the cross - and He literally took our punishment, our hell, so the wall between God and us could come down.

He knows all about the dark hills that surround you right now. And in your heart, He is, as the Bible says, "summoning you by name" to give everything to Him. You don't ever have to walk alone again. You may be religious, you may have lots of Christianity, but maybe you've never really given yourself to Jesus. Tell Him right now, "Jesus, I'm Yours."

It may be that in these dark hills you're walking right now, you will find the unloseable love of Jesus Christ.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 28, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: You have NOTHING except today. God is not impressed with your past, He is not DEPRESSED with your past, He doesn't CARE about your past. Wooden boy or girl or not, superstar or crumb...IT MAKES ZERO DIFFERENCE. TODAY is who you are. PERIOD. Who will you be TODAY? Will you worship or NOT? You CHOOSE the answer. Nothing whatsoever "affects" today except what you CHOOSE. At the end of the day, you either decided to WORSHIP, or you made excuses, or you "forgot" because your priorities were self-worshipping. At the end of the day, did you lay down your life for REAL people in MEASURABLE ways, or did you make lame excuses about the past or something else or just never got around to it because you were SELF-centered? YOU CHOOSE TODAY. Yesterday won't help you, yesterday won't hurt you, yesterday doesn't exist. ONLY WHO YOU CHOOSE TO BE NOW MATTERS. PERIOD. - Kevin Murphy

A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"The Unbaptized Hand"
Acts 5:1-5

Listen with RealAudio!

Somewhere back in the deep storage of your brain files, you probably remember him from World History class: the emperor Charlemagne. I always thought it was "Charley Magney" until my teacher corrected me. Actually, Charlemagne was the most powerful European ruler of the Middle Ages, leading a people called the Franks to rule most of Europe. Under his rule, many people got baptized into the Church. It was pretty much expected of his soldiers, for example. In fact, they would go down to the river en masse and take the plunge. But one source reports that there was one thing that was a bit unusual about the baptisms of those soldiers. When they would go under the water, they would hold one hand out of the water with their sword in that hand. They didn't want that hand baptized. That was the one they wanted to be free to use to kill whoever they needed to kill.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Unbaptized Hand."

You know, a lot of people still enter their Christian life with, shall we say, one hand held out of the water. "Lord, here I am - except for my ___________." You fill in the blank with what matters most to you.

This "withholding approach" to Christian commitment has a long history. It goes back at least as far as the incident in our word for today from the Word of God, beginning in Acts 5:1. "A man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property." Now, this was at a time when many of the believers were selling their property and giving the proceeds to the work of the Lord. Ananias didn't want to be left out of the spiritual momentum.

It says, "With his wife's full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostle's feet." This kind of faith has been replicated many times over the years - talking and acting like you're totally committed, but actually withholding what you want for yourself. Not a good idea.

God's Word continues, "Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received from the land? ... You have not lied to men, but to God.' When he heard this, he fell down and died. Great fear seized all who heard what had happened." Later, Ananias' wife, Sapphira, met the same fate. And every believer was sobered by how seriously God takes it when you act committed but withhold for yourself. Every believer should still be sobered by it.

Figuratively, when Ananias and Sapphira waded into the Jesus-stream, they held one hand above the water. In that hand was a portion of their property money, which they were holding onto for themselves, and God did not put up with it.

Thank God that we don't see the "Ananias Instant Judgment" take place very often today - but we do see the Ananias sin of withholding and pretending. And while we may not drop dead on the spot, God will judge that hand above the water and what we're clutching in it. Maybe your unbaptized hand is holding your checkbook - you're not going to give as God wants you to give. Or there's an important relationship in that hand, or your career, your job, your house, your children, your business practices. Or maybe you've kept your eyes unbaptized so you can watch and look at what you want to. Or maybe it's your ears, so you can listen to what you want to listen to. Or even your mouth, so you can talk as you want to talk.

God sees that hand above the water and what - or who - it is clutching so tightly. And He calls it an idol, something you love more than Jesus - another God. This incomplete surrender, this withholding of what you love, is costing you the indescribable joy and freedom and power of one who has surrendered it all, even the last holdout, to Jesus. Such awesome power from God flows into your life when you finally bring that unbaptized part of you under the waters of total surrender.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2002, Ron Hutchcraft

July 29, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Even a pagan philosopher from the 1800's knew that "We covet what we see every day." What, or WHO will you choose to look at today? Your future is being created by your choice! - Mike Peters

We Are Butterflies

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13

We present Jesus as the Messiah who came to die for our sins. We tell people that if they accept Christ they will go to heaven when they die. What's wrong with that? First, it's only half the gospel. Second, it gives the impression that eternal life is something we get when we die. Jesus had to die for sins in order to cure the disease that caused us to die. Then He gave us life, making us new creations in Christ.

Suppose that you are a prostitute. One day you hear that the king has decreed that all prostitutes are forgiven. Since you're a prostitute, that's great news! But would it necessarily change your behavior or your self-perception? Probably not. You may dance in the streets for awhile, but chances are you would continue in your same vocation. You would see yourself as nothing more than a forgiven prostitute.

Now suppose the king not only forgave you, but he made you his bride as well. You're a queen. Would that change your behavior? Of course. Why would you want to live as a prostitute if you were a queen?

The church is the bride of Christ! You are far more likely to promote the kingdom if you are the queen rather than a forgiven prostitute. We are not redeemed caterpillars; we are butterflies. Why would you want to crawl in some false humility when you are called to mount up with wings as eagles?

"I would be filled with pride if I believed that," says the skeptic. You are defeated if you don't believe it! Humility is not putting yourself down when God is trying to build you up. Self-abasement has the appearance of wisdom, but it has no value against fleshly indulgence according to Colossians 2:23. Humility is confidence properly placed. We need to be like Paul and "put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Let's put our confidence in God: "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Lord, thank You for not only forgiving me but also for taking me as Your bride. May this realization shape my walk with You today.

Neil Anderson
Freedom in Christ Ministries
www.crosswalk.com

July 30, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Our union with God -- his presence with us, in which our aloneness is banished and the meaning and full purpose of human existence is realized -- consists chiefly in a conversational relationship with God while we are each consistently and deeply engaged as his friend and colaborer in the affairs of the kingdom of the heavens. - Dallas Willard

"What Time is It?"

"Love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time." - Romans 13:10-11

For the people of Tuscumbia, Missouri, it is always eight o'clock -- at least so says the Miller County courthouse. When it was built there years ago, no clock was put into the cupola. Instead, someone painted a dial on the outside with the hands pointing to eight o'clock.

Of course, time really doesn't stand still, regardless of what make-believe clocks say. Instead, time marches on relentlessly. "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all your piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all your tears wash out a word of it," says "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam."

When we ask, "What time is it?" we should be inviting deep, very significant answers -- answers that say that time has wings, that your life is fleeting, that it is later than you think. As Saint Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation has come nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12). This is an appropriate reminder, regardless of whether this devotion is read morning, noon, or evening.

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was aware of the time while He was here on earth. That is why He worked so hard while it was day; He knew the night was coming when no one could work. What did He do? He labored -- all the way to Calvary's cross to save us. Now, regardless of whether it is morning or night, regardless what the clock in the courthouse dome says or doesn't say, we have rest and peace through faith in Him. Young or old, we can say with the psalmist, "My times are in Your hands" (Psalm 31:15). With the Emmaus disciples we can say: "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over" (Luke 24:29). Jesus will accept that invitation.

Taken from "Each Day with Jesus"
Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House.

July 31, 2002

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Happily for us, the fundamental Christian message concerns not what we ought to do, but what God has done and what God is willing to do. In fellowship with Him and with others who are likewise trying to be like Him, we can be lifted up above our native possibilities. - Hugh Martin

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

As many of you know, Tammilee and I spent about three days in San Francisco, California and the surrounding area at the beginning of last week. We had a wonderful time.

While there, we noticed some very interesting contrasts between the west coast and the deep south.

First of all, in the area we stayed in (Marin County, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge) there were very few pickup trucks. In fact, at one point we started counting how many we could see on the freeways and in parking lots. I suppose pickups accounted for about five-percent of all vehicles we saw. However, if you drive I-20 to Shreveport you'll likely run into at least four times that many.

Another thing that stood out was prices. Everything was so expensive in California. The cheapest unleaded gasoline was running more than $1.60 per gallon. At one place I had to pay $1.80. When we went into a large supermarket to buy some soft drinks we found regular Cokes, in twelve-pack cases, running $4.99. Also, while there I read a newspaper article that said the median price for a house in Marin County was around $560,000. Ouch!

One of my greatest areas of culture shock occurred when we walked through a ritzy shopping mall. While strolling through the stores it struck me that I had yet to see a Wal-Mart in the area. So, I asked one of the clerks in store we were in if they had one in the area. Her response was a dead giveaway. She said, "Let me check in the phone book." IF YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE TELEPHONE DIRECTORY FOR WAL-MART THEN YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ONE. Sure enough, there were none to be found in the entire county. By the way, we left California without seeing one.

When I went to west coast for the first time, sixteen years ago, I wasn't perceptive enough to notice such things. At the age of twenty-one I suppose such trivia didn't matter to me or I didn't know better. This time around, I noticed something else that was very alarming that has eternal consequences -- California is very affluent in the things of this world but is sadly destitute when it comes to churches. For the population base, the number of churches is scarce.

Being in the ministry, whenever I stay at a hotel in an unfamiliar city I will look up "churches" in the yellow pages of the phone book. When I did it last week, I was very surprised by the thickness of the entire book and the brevity of the church listings.

The tragedy of it all is that this beautiful corner of our nation has been blessed in so many ways, yet seemingly has no widespread interest in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Closer to home, we do have churches on nearly every corner and Bibles on every coffee table. Our thinner yellow pages has a lengthy section for churches. The visibility of the institutions of God is difficult to miss. However, with all of this opportunity, most church members take for granted the privilege of worship that is offered every Sunday.

In Luke 12:48, Jesus makes the following statement: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

When we stand before the Lord one day for the judgment, I wonder who will be judged harder. Will God look at the worldly man in the half-million dollar house overlooking the San Francisco Bay with greater scrutiny than he does the unconcerned Christian who lives down the street from a church in the Bible-belt? If the greatest need of man in life is a relationship with the Lord and man ignores the vast opportunities available to him to have a relationship with God, then it makes perfect sense that God will judge him based upon missed opportunities. Why? Those who are given more opportunities will be judged more strictly.

Let me encourage you to embrace the opportunity to serve the Lord through your local church. You'll be blessed if you do and called into account if you don't.

Praising God for the Bible-belt,

Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA

BACK TO THE ARCHIVES

BACK HOME

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws