THE CROSS EXAM DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVES

May 1, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Cowardice asks, Is it safe? Expediency asks, Is it politic? Vanity asks, Is it popular? But conscience asks, Is it right? - William Morley Punshon

Lessons On Living From David:
Giving Good for Evil

Then [Saul] said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me." - 1 Samuel 24:17-18

A gentleman who had held many important positions in public life went to a friend in great anger over a real injury he had received from a prominent politician. He was considering how to react resentfully in the most effective manner. After relating the particulars to his friend, he asked if it would be manly to resent it. "Yes," replied his friend, "it would doubtless be manly to resent it, but it would be godlike to forget it."

David chose to let God be his example. When Saul entered a cave to attend to his needs, he didn�t know that David and his 400 men were hiding in the recesses of that cavern. David had him at a severe disadvantage and his men urged him to seize the opportunity to take revenge on his enemy. But David refused. Rather than seeking to repay Saul for the evil he had done him, he secretly cut off a piece of Saul�s robe (as proof of what he could have done) and allowed the king to leave without knowing how close he had been to death. Only later did Saul realize the mercy David had shown.

God�s way is to show mercy rather than extract vengeance. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Even while we were God�s enemies, He had compassion for us and provided a way of salvation.

Are you thinking about getting even with someone? Don�t do it. Try God�s way instead. Return good for evil. Someday you�ll be glad you did.

Evil for evil is man�s way; good for evil is God�s way.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 2, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Thou hast conquered, Galilean. - Julian the Apostate

Lessons On Living From David:
God�s Payday

"May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord�s anointed." - 1 Samuel 26:23

After serving for 40 years on the African mission field, Henry C. Morrison returned home by boat. On that same boat, returning from one of his big-game hunts in Africa, was Theodore Roosevelt. Upon docking in New York, President Roosevelt received a great fanfare. Bands were playing, crowds were excitedly trying to get a glimpse of the famous president, and reporters were there to take down his every word. No one, however, was there to meet Henry Morrison and his wife. As he left the docks, he felt quite dejected. After all, Morrison thought, I should get some recognition for forty years in the Lord�s service. It was then that his wife reminded him, "But Henry, you�re not home yet."

David knew that God someday will repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. This realization prevented David from slaying Saul when he had the chance. He could have taken advantage of Saul�s helplessness, but instead he did what was right. David chose the way of righteousness and faithfulness.

You can be sure that God is no man�s debtor. When we walk in righteousness and faithfulness, we can be sure that God will repay. It may happen on earth, but most certainly our greatest rewards will be when we get to heaven. If we seek to do what is right in God�s sight and to serve Him faithfully wherever He calls us, we can safely leave the rewards to Him. God will never disappoint us.

If you are discouraged by a lack of recognition or appreciation, remember that God will repay your righteousness and faithfulness. Even if He waits until you get to heaven, you can be confident that someday will be payday. Remember, you aren�t home yet!

God will have a payday someday.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 3, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade. - Desiderius Erasmus

Lessons On Living From David:
Age Is No Excuse

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. - 2 Samuel 5:3-4

Someone once defined middle age as "a brief period of time between being too young to do something and being too old to want to." And there�s truth to that. It seems we spend the first part of our lives being told, "No, you�re too young to date. You�re too young to drive. You�re too young to get married." Then we spend the latter years of our lives being told, "No, you�re too old to start a new career. You�re too old to go back to school. You�re too old to live alone." In American society, age is often a critical factor.

I suspect when David began to reign at the age of 30 some said, "David, you�re too young to be king. We need someone older." By the time he had ruled for 40 years and reached the respectable age of 70, others were probably saying, "David, you�re too old to be king over Israel. It�s time to turn it over to someone younger." But in God�s sight, age is not really an issue.

Scripture indicates that God uses the very young. The prophet Jeremiah said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth" (Jeremiah 1:6), but God used him anyway. Timothy, too, must have ministered at a very young age, because Paul admonished him, "Let no one despise your youth" (1 Timothy 4:12). On the other hand, there were men like Caleb, who at the age of 85 could still claim, "I wholly followed the Lord" (Joshua 14:6-14). The apostle John continued to minister and, according to tradition, wrote the Book of Revelation in his elder years.

Is someone telling you that you�re too young to serve the Lord? Don�t believe it. Is someone telling you that you�re too old to respond to God�s call? Forget it. With God, age is never an excuse. Don�t follow their advice; follow your heart.

Age is no issue with an ageless God.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 4, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Churches will take longer to achieve integration because they are undertaking a much greater accomplishment. Worshiping together is a more personal thing than riding trains or attending movies together. Tolerance is not enough; it must be real brotherhood or nothing. - Frank T. Wilson

Lessons On Living From David:
Dealing With Disappointments

"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." - 2 Samuel 7:12-13

Two paraplegics were in the news at about the same time. Kenneth Wright, 24, was a high school football star and later an avid wrestler. A broken neck sustained in a wrestling match in 1979 left him paralyzed from the chest down. The former athlete prevailed upon two friends to take him in his wheelchair to a wooded area where they left him alone with a twelve-gauge shotgun. After they left, he committed suicide.

The second paraplegic was Jim McGowan. At the age of 19, Jim was stabbed and also left paralyzed from his chest down. But he made news when he successfully completed a parachute jump. Jim lives alone, cooks his meals, washes his clothes and cleans his house. He has written three books, and he did the photography for America�s first book on the history of wheelchair sports. Two men with major disappointments: one chose to view life positively, the other didn�t.

David also had a major disappointment. He had his heart set on building a house for the Lord. But God said no. David could not, but his son Solomon would. David chose to respond to that disappointment by focusing on the positive. He thanked and praised God for the good things He was going to do in his life and that of his family (2 Samuel 7:18-29).

Disappointments always give us a choice. We can concentrate on what�s wrong, or we can find the silver lining. One way leads to despair, the other to fulfillment.

Are you focusing on the negative? Look instead at the way God is blessing you in spite of that disappointment. See His hand of good in everything that happens to you�even if it�s different from what you planned.

What you focus on is what you get.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 5, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. - John Adams, our 2nd President, quoted in 1798

Encouraging Word For The Week from Brother Steve

I am very excited about the next two Sundays -- Home Run Sunday and Mother's Day. Why? These two days accounted for 2 of our 3 highest attendance days last year. On both occasions, we had over 200 in attendance for Morning Worship.

I've heard different opinions on the importance of numbers when it comes to church. Some say that God isn't interested in numbers and neither should we. Others place complete emphasis on attendance figures to the elimination of any concern for the spiritual. Balance is the key to understanding how God views numbers.

When it comes to the scriptures, numbers were important. God's word tells us that Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 and another crowd of 4,000. At Pentecost there were 3,000 who were saved. After the resurrection, John records that Jesus helped the disciples catch 153 fish. In Acts 4 we are told that "many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand".

Specific numbers matter because each individual is important to God. Each child that is here Sunday in their Rangers, Dodgers, Astros, and Cardinals uniforms are intimately known by God.

How do we know this? When Jesus walked through the crowds, he healed people. When people requested his attention, he gave it. When the demon possessed were presented to him they found freedom. When "sinners" entered his presence, they were offered salvation. Jesus loved the crowds, because they were filled with individual people.

This is further evidenced in Matthew 9:35-37: "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

All of this raises an important question to us -- DO WE LOVE THE CROWDS? DO WE HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM?

You will answer these question according to how you view people -- from the outside or from the inside. Do you see their skin and hair, or their heart and soul? Do you see them through the eyes of time, or the viewpoint of eternity?

When I view them like Jesus did, I get burdened for them to accept salvation. I begin to feel grief over the lostness of people and their destiny without Christ. When I feel this way, I'm disappointed when the church isn't full and people aren't getting saved. Such a perspective hungers for lives to be restored, the altar to be full, and hearts to be touched by God. Is this the kind of heart you have? Is this the kind you want?

If I view the crowds with the wrong mentality, then I'm offended when a guest sits in "my pew". When you feel this way, you hope the service ends at noon, whether people or getting saved or not. Unconsciously, such a person is more concerned with getting lunch than seeing someone else get to heaven. When the church is full, this person gets anxious because they feel crowded, rather then getting excited over the number of people who are hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Is this the kind of heart you have? Is this the kind you want to keep?

I'm asking each of you to pray this week that God would give you the right attitude about facing the crowds. Ask Him for a heart of compassion, eyes of expectancy, and hands that will reach out and make people feel at home. If we'll do this the next two weeks and every week, such will cause us to have crowds year round.

Have a Super Week!

Bro. Steve
[email protected]

May 6, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY:Don't wait for your ship to come in... swim out to it. - Unknown

Survivor: When Your Tribe Has Spoken
By Ron Hutchcraft

For many Americans, "Outback" used to be just a chain of Australian steak restaurants. But for tens of millions of Americans recently, the Australian Outback has been the scene of gripping human drama on the TV special, "Survivor." Those sixteen men and women, trying to be the final million-dollar "survivor," have become household names for many viewers.

Week by week, one contestant after another has been eliminated as the "tribe" has watched each other endure subsistence eating, weight loss, competitive challenges, and exhausting living conditions. And week by week, the "tribe" has voted at the end of the program, deciding which one of them would be sent away.

As the number of "Survivors" has dwindled, those watching have become more and more attached to those who remain. So it�s never fun to watch the finale of each episode as the name of the one being eliminated has been announced. As that person�s torch is extinguished, the host says matter-of-factly, "The tribe has spoken. It�s time for you to go." Ouch.

Maybe one reason we feel a twinge inside when we hear those words is because we know that feeling � the feeling of having a "tribe" we�ve been a part of letting us know that "it�s time for you to go." Somewhere along the way, we have all felt the sting of rejection from a tribe we�ve very much wanted to be a part of. It could be friends who turned on you ... co-workers who stabbed you in the back ... someone you trusted who betrayed your trust ... even your family, maybe even the person closest to you. After all you�d been through together, your tribe spoke and you were suddenly on the outside.

The rejection we�ve experienced exposes the awful truth about most human love � ultimately, it�s conditional. We have their love as long as we�re lovable, as long as we�re benefiting them, as long as we�re not too much of a burden. And then, often when we need their love the most, they�re gone.

The longer we live, the more we realize what our heart really needs � one love that is unconditional ... a love that will never say � no matter what � "it�s your time to go." And, in a sense, all those loves the failed you � or failed to satisfy you - actually set the stage for you to experience the greatest love in the world - the love of the One who makes this ironclad promise: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

That is the promise of no one less than Jesus Christ � who, by the way, deeply understands what it means to be rejected. In the words of the Bible, "Though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him." (John 1:10, 11) Worse than that, they actually "crucified the Lord of glory!" (I Corinthians 2:8) The Son of God created our whole human tribe ... but one day we said to Him, "The tribe has spoken, Jesus. It�s your time to go." But we didn�t just banish Him. We nailed Him to a cross.

But, then, there�s no way the people He created could take the life of One who created them � unless He gave His life. Which is exactly what He did. In a world where we all battle to be a "survivor," Jesus said, "I lay down my life ... no one takes it from Me ... I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John 10:11, 17, 18)

We had no hope of eternal survival without Jesus laying down His life for us. Because we�re all under the death sentence for running our own lives. The Bible clearly explains that "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) That�s much more than your heart not beating anymore. That�s death as in separation forever from God. But when Jesus was dying on the cross, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" God had turned His back on His one and only Son because He was carrying all the guilt and all the hell of all the wrong things you and I have ever done.

In reality, God turned His back on His Son so He would never have to turn His back on you. That�s how much He loves you. From the moment you open up your life to Jesus, that love is yours. Forever. No matter what. Because if Jesus didn�t turn His back on you when He was dying for your sin, you can be sure He will never turn His back on you.

It is, in fact, because of His deep love for you that He has brought you to read these very words. He�s wanted you to know how much He loves you ... He wants you to belong to Him. And you can, this very day, right where you are. Your personal love-relationship with Jesus Christ begins when you tell Him:

"Jesus, I�ve been running own life � and I resign. I was made by You and for You. It�s time I finally belong to You. So right now I�m putting all my trust in You and in Your death on the cross for all the sinning I�ve ever done. Beginning right here, beginning right now, I�m Yours."

This is the love you�ve spent your whole life looking for � the one love in your life that is "unloseable." Because your Savior has spoken, and He said, "I�ll never leave you." He will never let you go.

If you're not sure you belong to Jesus, and you would like to make sure today, Ron would like to send to you a free copy of the booklet, "Yours for Life: How to Have Life's Most Important Relationship." To view the online version, click here: Yours For Life

To request your free copy of "Yours for Life," order it online at:
Yours For Life

Copyright 2001, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com

May 7, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true. - Sir Francis Bacon

Lessons On Living From David:
Show a Little Kindness

Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan�s sake?" - 2 Samuel 9:1

Kindness thinks of others. British statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes, whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships, was a stickler for correct dress�but apparently not at the expense of someone else�s feelings. A young man invited to dine with Mr. Rhodes arrived by train and had to go directly to his host�s home in his travel-stained clothes. Once there, he was embarrassed to find the other guests already assembled, wearing full evening dress. After what seemed a long time, Rhodes appeared in a shabby blue suit. Later the young man learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes but had put on the old suit when he heard of his young guest�s dilemma.

As David settled into his role as king, his thoughts also turned to others. He remembered his treasured friendship with Jonathan, who had died in battle along with his father, Saul, and his brothers. David yearned to do something to show kindness toward his beloved friend. To his delight, he found Mephibosheth, Jonathan�s son, and welcomed him as one of his family (2 Samuel 9:2-13). Instead of focusing on his own comforts, David demonstrated the importance of kindly thinking of others.

Everyone needs a little kindness. Whether it�s the checkout girl at the grocery store, the counter server at the fast-food restaurant or the person sharing the pew with you at church, a kind word or a thoughtful deed can brighten their day. Many people labor under heavy loads. Our kindness can mean so much to them. Don�t withhold a kind deed when it�s in your means to do it.

Have you had a kindness shown to you? If so, pass it on. Don�t let it stop with you when you have the power to lighten another person�s load. Make it a point to show kindness to someone today.

Kindness may not bring fortune, but it never brings regrets.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 8, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night. - Anonymous

Lessons On Living From David:
Beware the Sinkhole

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king�s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" - 2 Samuel 11:2-3

In December 1985 an enormous sinkhole swallowed a house and carport and forced the evacuation of four homes in a retirement community in Florida. The hole was about the size of a pickup truck when it was discovered. Within three hours it had grown to 30 by 40 feet and had swallowed half of a small house. Two hours later it had expanded to more than 70 feet, and the house with its carport was gone. Authorities were grateful that it finally stopped growing without doing even more damage.

David discovered that sin is like an ever-expanding sinkhole. As he was walking on the flat roof of his palace, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. Instead of turning away, he stared longingly at her. At this point the sinkhole was small but expanding. When he inquired about who she was, the hole grew larger. And finally, when he sent for her (v. 4), he soon found himself and those around him swallowed up. What started out as only a look ended in tragedy for all involved.

The best solution for avoiding the danger of a sinkhole is to stay far away from it. The same is true for sin. A lingering look, a carnal curiosity and the sinkhole of sin can rapidly expand. And once it starts to grow, the damage can be extensive. Your marriage, your morals and even your relationship with the Lord can be swallowed by its gaping mouth. Before you even have time to realize what�s happening, everything you value might be gone.

Don�t lose what�s important to you down a sinkhole. Flee sin before it can swallow you and those you love. The farther away you stay from sin, the safer you are.

The sinkhole of sin is never satisfied.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 9, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The devil divides the world between atheism and superstition. - George Herbert

Lessons On Living From David:
Confess Your Sins

So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die." - 2 Samuel 12:13

Early in 1993 British police accused two ten-year-old boys of the brutal murder of two-year-old James Bulger. The two boys pleaded their innocence. During the two-week trial the young defendants responded to questioning with noticeable inconsistencies. The climax of the trial came when the parents of one of the boys assured him that they would always love him. Bolstered by the realization that he would not lose his parents� love, the boy confessed in a soft voice, "I killed James."

David realized that he, too, was caught red-handed in his crimes. What he had been able to hide from his friends and family was revealed to the all-seeing eyes of an all-knowing God. David would face humiliation and sorrow. His family would be afflicted and the whole nation would suffer because of his sins. Yet what sustained him through the whole ordeal was the assurance that he had not lost God�s love. He would face consequences, but upon confession he was forgiven and received back into fellowship with his Heavenly Father again.

The most amazing truth about God�s love is that He knows how wicked we are, yet He loves us (Romans 5:8). We can confess our most evil deeds to Him and still be confident that His love will not diminish. That does not mean that confession should be viewed as an "easy out" for our sins. It�s not a safety net that gives us the liberty to sin with abandon. Confession removes the guilt of sin, but it doesn�t remove sin�s consequences. It�s a comfort to know, however, that when we�ve "blown it," God still loves us.

If you�re buried beneath a load of sin, perhaps you feel that God�s love is beyond you. Satan may even have you convinced that God has turned His back on you. But that simply isn�t so. After adultery and murder, God still forgave David, and He will forgive you as well. Confess your sins and receive God�s love today.

God�s love is deeper than our sin.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 10, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The real heretic is not the atheist or agnostic (who are often decent people) but those who murmur "it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as it makes you feel good." This turns religion into a subjective matter, like taste in furnishings, and robs theology of its claim to ultimate truth. - Sydney J. Harris

Lessons On Living From David:
The Sins of the Father

Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" - 2 Samuel 12:18

The consequences of sin frequently affect more than just the one who is sinning. Unfortunately, children are often the victims. Some years ago a study was done at Harvard University that found six out of every ten juvenile delinquents had fathers who drank to excess, and many had mothers who did the same. Researchers also discovered that three out of four delinquents had parents who showed no interest in appropriate discipline. Four out of five had parents who took no interest in their children�s friends or amusements. Many wayward children came from broken homes, and few had religious training of any kind.

This same scenario played itself out in David�s life as well. It�s true that David suffered humiliation and shame. But he was not the only one to bear the consequences of his behavior. Sexual sin plagued his family. His son Amnon committed incest by force with his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:14). Absalom sexually humbled his father�s concubines in the sight of all Israel (16:22-23). Even Solomon, in his latter years, had his heart turned away from the Lord by his 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). It is apparent that David�s sin found fertile soil in the lives of his children.

Even though our children must bear the responsibility for the sinful choices they make, our behavior as parents can strongly influence them in one direction or the other. When we justify sin in our lives, it is all the easier for those who look to us as examples to do the same.

If you are tempted to sin, remember that the consequences of your transgression can ripple down through the generations that follow. Ask yourself, Is it really worth it?

There is no such thing as private sin.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 11, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Only in atheism does the spring rise higher than the source, the effect exist without the cause, life come from a stone, a silk purse from a sow's ear, and a Bach Fugue from a kitten walking across the keys. - James M. Gillis

Lessons On Living From David:
Beloved Betrayer

And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee; or else we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword." - 2 Samuel 15:13-14

Betrayal is difficult to accept. Benedict Arnold betrayed his friend George Washington and his country during the Revolutionary War. As a result, many lives were lost and his name has been synonymous with betrayal ever since. No matter how many noble deeds he accomplished during his life, he will always be remembered as a traitor to his country.

To be betrayed by a friend is hurtful; to be betrayed by a close family member is tragic. Yet that was the situation with David. Of all David�s sons, Absalom seemed to have the most going for him. He was a handsome man with long, flowing hair. He was a gifted communicator and a natural born leader (2 Samuel 15:1-6). In addition, he was a man of patience who was able to control himself until the opportune moment (13:23; 15:7). But he also allowed bitterness to fester in his heart until he turned against his father. In the end, he not only lost his life but also broke his father�s heart (18:33).

Everyone has trusts. They may involve our job, our church or our friends. We may disappoint people or even anger them when we betray our responsibilities to these institutions or individuals. But the greatest trusts we bear are those within our family. When we break our commitments to those who are our own flesh and blood, we create wounds that are extremely difficult to heal.

Keep your commitments to your family. Treat them as your commitments to God. If someone in your family feels you have betrayed him, go to that person and ask for forgiveness.

If commitments are not kept, they should not be made.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 12, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. - Chinese Proverb

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

This past Saturday, both of my boys had ball games at 11:30 at our Doyline baseball complex. Adam would be on the pitching machine field and Andrew would be on the large baseball field. I thought, "No big deal. I'll just walk between the two fields and watch both games."

Like most parents, my purpose was to be at both fields enough so that each boy knew I was there and supported them. My wife was at her brother's college graduation, so I had the duty of being "super fan" on this day.

Well, the games started and I quickly learned that this is no way to watch baseball. Because of missing 5-10 minute chunks of each game, I had no idea what the score was in each game. I didn't know what inning we were in. I would hear cheering on the other field and wonder, "What am I missing?"

Granted, the boys understood and I did get to see them in action, but I was totally out of the flow of either game. I would have enjoyed it much better if I had watched one game or the other.

After the games were over, I found a spiritual truth in my experience. Many Christians try to make God happy and the world happy at the same time. We'll spend a little time at church and a little time pleasing our friends. We'll read the Bible for a few minutes in the morning, but then at work we'll do sinful things with our coworkers. When it is all said and done, we aren't happy with either. We look back at our conflicting lifestyle with a sense of dissatisfaction and unease.

Jesus understood this when he said, "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. (Matthew 6:24) The Lord knew that at times we would have divided loyalties, but he also knew that one would always be the priority.

As you look at your life, does God have competition? If so, who's winning?

As I serve Jesus, there will always be things that compete for my time and attention. There is no way to avoid this. The only person in the scriptures who didn't have outside activities drawing him away from God was Jonah during his three days in the great fish. He was a captive audience. Unless you are inside the belly of a whale reading this, you have several masters seeking your service at any given time.

The problem with many of us is that we allow things to get our attention, then we give them our commitment. This causes them to go from being a distraction to a devotion. Often, this happens to the detriment of God. In dividing ourselves, we subtract the percentage that God gets.

When it came to Andrew and Adam on Saturday, I did the right thing. No regrets. When it comes to the way you are treating God compared to the way you are treating everything else, are you doing the right thing? Is God getting your best or your leftovers?

In closing, remember these familiar words of Jesus -- "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

Seeking to Follow Him,

Bro. Steve
[email protected]

May 13, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. - Abraham Lincoln

A Mother's Day Message

Now, I have long believed that one of the best analogies for this kind of self-giving Christ-like love can be found in the love of a truly caring mother for a child. For healthy and loving mothers (and fathers, too, for that matter!), get up for their child in the middle of the night - not because they feel like it, but because the genuine needs of the child at any given time are more important than whatever mood the parents happen to be in.

They sacrifice their physical strength and material resources for their child, not because the law requires it but because love inspires it. Emotionally and spiritually healthy parents don�t try to meet their own needs vicariously through the achievements of their children. Instead, they constantly seek that delicate balance between nurturing and supporting their child while also encouraging the child to be independent. Caring parents aren�t afraid to establish clear and reasonable boundaries for their children, but neither are they fearful or judgmental of the child�s different and unique qualities and characteristics.

Those of us with biological mothers who have unselfishly loved and cared for us in ways that reflect the self-giving love of Jesus Christ are truly blessed. Not everyone has had that kind of mother, though - through no fault of the child, we might add. Yet those who have had others - adoptive mothers or step-mothers or foster-parents, grandmothers or aunts, sisters or family friends, teachers or neighbors - who mothered and nurtured us, guided and strengthened us, challenged and taught us like that are blessed, too. That�s why many churches celebrate this day not only as "Mother�s Day" but as the "Festival of the Christian Home." Because this kind of love - this genuine, self-giving mother-love, is not only a matter of genetics but a matter of generosity. It is not just physical, but spiritual.

In a word, then, true motherhood - like Christian discipleship - is defined not by legalities but by love.

Thank you, dear Lord, for our mothers
Who were brave enough to give birth
Who loved through many growing-up years
Who taught about God and love and being good
Who often got no thanks
Whose ears could hear the slightest cry
Whose eyes didn�t miss much either
Whose hands held and bathed and picked up
Whose heart was often broken
Who always forgave and forgot
Who encouraged when things went bad
Who always had time to listen
Who worked so hard to make things go
Who make the world so much better
Who deserve our love on Mother�s Day
And Every day
Even for eternity. Amen.

Copyright 1998; Thomas McLemore
www.spirituality.org/issue10/10page03.html

May 14, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow. - Norman Vincent Peale

Lessons On Living From David:
Death of a Child

Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: "O my son Absalom�my son, my son Absalom�if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!" - 2 Samuel 18:33

The late Joe Bayly wrote about the death of the young from firsthand experience. He lost three children: one at 18 days, after surgery; another at 5 years, with leukemia; the third at 18 years, after a sledding accident complicated by mild hemophilia. Joe said, "Of all deaths, that of a child is most unnatural and hardest to bear." He did not underestimate the grief of parents. "When a child dies," he added, "part of the parents is buried."

David knew that experience. He had watched his young son Absalom grow up, the boy with the long, flowing hair. Perhaps he had been his favorite. Absalom had certainly shown great promise as a future leader, if not king, of Israel. Then came the tragic incident with Absalom�s sister Tamar and his half-brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13:1-14). The young man turned bitter and eventually murdered Amnon (14:23-29). Later he plotted a rebellion against his father, which almost succeeded (2 Samuel 15:1-18:18). Yet despite all that, David mourned his boy�s death as though he had been the perfect son. The death of a child is a catastrophic blow even if he has the heart of a rebel.

God understands the pain every parent feels when he or she loses a child. He Himself had to stand apart and watch His beloved Son die on the cross. He walked the same valley of deep sorrow as every grieving parent. And God understands as well when the one you sorrow for has been a wayward son or daughter. Ezekiel 33:11 says, "'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.'" God grieves even when the wicked die.

If you are grieving for a child today, take comfort in God�s understanding. He will sustain you through each surge of sorrow. His loving arms will uphold you all along the way.

God is also a grieving parent.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 15, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Everything that used to be a sin is now a disease. - Bill Maher

Lessons On Living From David:
Going On

"Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now." Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, "There is the king, sitting in the gate." So all the people came before the king. For everyone of Israel had fled to his tent.
- 2 Samuel 19:7-8

A page from John Wesley�s diary reads as follows: "Sunday a.m., May 19, preached at St. somebody else�s, deacons called special meeting and said I couldn�t return. Sunday p.m., May 19, preached on the street, kicked off the street. Sunday a.m., May 26, preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during the services. Sunday a.m., June 2, preached out at the edge of town, kicked off the highway. Sunday p.m., June 2, afternoon service, preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me."

David had been hit with many heartbreaking experiences as well. His son had rebelled against him. His people had failed to support him. His trusted advisor, Ahithophel, had joined the enemy. His general and nephew, Joab, had disobeyed him and killed Absalom. In fact, life was probably at its lowest ebb for David. But he had a responsibility. He was king and he did not have the luxury to wallow in his sorrow. Life went on and so did David.

When you�re battered by continual disappointments and heartaches, it�s tempting to simply give up. But as Christians we don�t have that luxury. God gives us responsibilities, and until He calls us home we need to fulfill them. There is no promise in God�s Word that life will be easy, only that God will be faithful.

If you are tempted to give up, recognize your responsibilities. Until God gives the signal to pack up and leave, you must go on. In the meantime, rely on God�s strength. He will never fail you.

Life goes on�and so must we.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 16, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Far from mortal cares retreating, Sordid hopes and vain desires; Here, our willing footsteps meeting, Every heart to heaven aspires. - Jane Taylor

Lessons On Living From David:
Get Even

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. And the king said to Barzillai, "Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem." - 2 Samuel 19:31-33

There are times when it's entirely appropriate to get even with someone-not, however, with those you think have wronged you, but with those you know who have helped you. David practiced this kind of "getting even" with Barzillai.

When the king fled from his son Absalom, he had been unable to gather the supplies needed to support himself and his followers in the wilderness. Hearing of this, a Gileadite from Rogelim named Barzillai and his friends brought "beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, 'The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness'" (2 Samuel 17:28-29). When the crisis was over and David was ready to return, his first desire was to "get even" with such kindness. He offered Barzillai the opportunity to feast at the king's table for as long as he was in Jerusalem.

What an impact we Christians would have for good in this world if we tried to get even with those who have been kind to us. Instead of taking for granted the blessings God brings to you through other people, seek a way to return that kindness with kindness. That's the kind of vengeance God approves of.

Have you been blessed today? Then get even. And if you can't get even with the one who blessed you, pass the blessing on to someone else.

Get even with someone today-God's way.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 17, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Be wary of technology; it is often merely an improved means to an unimproved end. - Henry David Thoreau

Lessons On Living From David:
Giving Our Best

So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. And he said, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by three mighty men.
- 2 Samuel 23:16-17

In her book The Gospel in Leviticus, Eleanor Herr Boyd tells of a missionary in India who saw a woman standing at the water of the Ganges River. In her arms was a sickly, whining infant, while at her side stood a beautiful, strong, healthy child. When the missionary returned, he saw her with the sickly child in her arms, but the beautiful boy was gone. He knew she had thrown her child to the crocodiles in the turbid river to appease her god. He asked her, "If you felt you had to do it, why didn't you throw in the sickly little one?" The woman drew herself erect and proudly replied, "We give our gods the best."

David was committed to this same belief. On one occasion he had expressed a desire to taste the water from the well in Bethlehem. Since Bethlehem was occupied by Philistine soldiers at the time, this was no small challenge. Three of David's mighty men, however, broke through the enemy lines and retrieved the requested water. Yet it was so precious, bought at the risk of his men's own lives, that David couldn't use it for himself. It was the most valuable possession he had, so he gave it to the Lord.

God deserves our finest. When it was His turn to give, God gave the most precious gift He had, His only begotten Son. With such an example, how could a Christian do anything less?

Give your best to the Lord. Whether it's treasures, time or talents, God deserves more than your leftovers.

The God who gave us His best will not accept less from us.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 18, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. - Mahatma Ghandi

Lessons On Living From David:
Look at Me

So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people." And Joab said to the king, "Now may the Lord your God add to the people a hundredfold more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?" - 2 Samuel 24:2-3

A man went to a shoe store to purchase a new pair of shoes. He was fitted with a very suitable pair and went away happy. Some weeks later, though, he brought the shoes back. "Don't they fit?" asked the store owner. "Oh, they fit fine," replied the man. "Weren't they of good quality?" the owner inquired. "Yes, they're fine quality." "Then why are you returning them?" the retailer wanted to know. "Because they don't have any squeak," said the man. "Why would you want a pair of shoes that squeak?" asked the baffled owner. "So when I go to church," said the man, "people will look up and notice."

Unfortunately, that same attitude took hold of David. In and of itself, there was nothing wrong with numbering the people. It was a convenient way to know who was available for war or what taxes to levy. But those were not David's motives. David undertook this task to bring glory to himself. Underneath an innocent-looking decision slithered the snake of pride.

Many times Christians do the right thing but with the wrong motive. They might give a large gift, serve on a committee or sing in the choir, but they do it so they will be noticed. Their desire is to glorify themselves more than to give godly service.

Ask God to reveal your true reasons for the things you do. It takes courage and discipline to do this, but it's worth getting to the bottom of your motives. Don't be guilty of doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

If your motive is wrong, your service can never be right.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 19, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: I want to look at life in the available light. - Unknown

Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve

Over the past few months, I have watched with anticipation the new construction at I-20 and Highway 157 in Haughton. This first caught my attention when I noticed they were clearing trees. Then, the car repair shop that was on the property was torn down. About this time, I got curious and started asking questions. I found out it was going to be a large truck stop.

Since then, they have erected the building, set the gas pumps and even painted and puts signs up on the structures. The other day I learned something really exciting on my way to Shreveport; it's going to have an ARBY's restaurant in it. Think about it. This will be our closest fast food restaurant at only a drive of seven miles.

Because of this new business establishment, there are likely to be others that move in around it. Why? This is the pattern up and down the interstate. When one business builds on an exit, others will follow and build off the first business' success.

At the rate this thing is progressing, it wont surprise me if they open in a few weeks. Although I have only viewed it from a distance, I am looking forward to going there to see what is on the inside. If the inside is as impressive as the outside, then I'm sure I'll stop there often for gas and roast beef.

When it comes to our walk as a disciple of Jesus Christ, all of us are a work in progress.For some, the trees have been cleared, but nothing has yet to be built. For others, the foundation is being poured and all the piping is being roughed in. Some are moving ahead in such a way that I can read your sign and know who you are. Many of you are open for business and people are examining your heart and are anxious to buy what you are selling.

Yet, I also realize that for many, construction has stopped. It is not that God has abandoned you, but instead that you have stopped paying the price for God to build you into His disciple. This is why Jesus said in Luke 14, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'"

The Lord's church is full of Christians who signed the contract to build, yet stand as incomplete projects that have stopped construction. As a result, those on the outside begin to ridicule them personally and in the process lose confidence in God's ability to finish the work.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes about God's intention for our spiritual lives. He says, "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The meaning here is that the Lord's desire is to work on each of us until the day we see Him face-to-face. What is not said, but is implied throughout scripture, is that I determine God's working hours. God will not go where he is not welcomed or wanted.

A year from now, the new truck stop and ARBY's will be old news. We wont be impressed because it is complete.

In your life, are you allowing God to finish His work? Are you asking that He do new things in your life for His glory? Is the world watching with amazement as you become a new creation in Christ?

Today, I encourage you to say to God, "I'm open. Do your work in me, so the world can see you through me."

Open for Business,

Bro. Steve
[email protected]

May 20, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Since trifles make the sum of human things, And half our misery from our foibles springs. - Hannah More

Your Stretch Of The Road
By Ron Hutchcraft

Nehemiah 3:23

It's a huge job to try to keep the roadside by interstates and major highways from looking like garbage dumps. But somebody had this great idea: have clubs, and churches, and schools, and civic organizations volunteer to maintain just one mile of the road near them. You've probably seen the signs: "This mile maintained by the Forest Grove Garden Club" ... or a Boy Scout troop ... or by the Busy Hands Presbybaptist Church ... or even a family. Now, no one of those groups could ever maintain, say, the entire roadside in their county, but they can do a mile. And if each group makes sure their mile is covered, hey, the whole area will end up looking a whole lot better!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Your Stretch Of The Road."

Now, the job of highway cleanup is nothing compared to the assignment left to us by the Lord Jesus: "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation." (Mark 16:15) Now each generation of believers is responsible for their generation of lost people. How in the world are we going to reach the lost people of our generation? The same way you clean up a long highway -- we each take the responsibility for our stretch of the road.

In our word for today from the Word of God, the Old Testament leader, Nehemiah, has called the people of Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem - a massive job - like telling our town about Jesus. And they were surrounded by people who were hostile to them accomplishing that mission - like our world today. But here's how it got done. Nehemiah 3:23 and following, "Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house, and next to them, Azariah ... made repairs beside his house ... the priests made repairs, each in front of his house ... Zadok made repairs opposite his house." You get the idea? The entire city wall got rebuilt by each person taking care of the area around them.

Which brings us to your piece of the eternal rescue work Jesus has given to all of us. There's a reason you live where you live. Jesus assigned you to that block, that neighborhood, that complex ... to be His personal representative among the people who live there. The reason you work where you work ... you go to school where you go to school ... that you belong to what you belong to, it's because Jesus wanted you to be those people's personal link to Him. In Paul's words in 11 Corinthians 5.20, "We are Christ's ambassadors."

So how are you doing with your stretch of the road? Jesus gave His life on the cross for the people on your stretch ... and He's left you responsible for them finding that out. And while you may think He should get someone better, He decided you're the one for those people. And they're a lot more likely to listen to someone who walks their road and lives their issues - a peer like you - than to some skilled evangelist they don't know.

So let me challenge you to begin to claim the people on your block for Jesus Christ ... on your team ... in your building ... in your office or workplace ... in your circle at school. Begin by praying every day for them. On more and more blocks across the country, believers are picking up the challenge of going on a Prayer Walk to pray for the residents of each home to hear about Christ. If you want details on how to do that, just let us know.

Also, band together with any other believers you can find on your "stretch of the road." Pray with them ... plan outreach dinner parties or block parties or video outreaches ... and find ways to love and serve the lost people around you in ways that would really mean something to them. Ask them to let you know if there's ever anything they would like you to pray for. And pray for natural opportunities to tell them about life's most important relationship.

Imagine what would happen if every believer said, "Lord, I'll step up to praying for and sharing Christ with the lost people on my stretch of the road." Well, as for the folks in the space around you? Jesus has left those dear people in your hands.

Copyright 2001, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com

May 21, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A liar needs a good memory. There's nothing so pathetic as a forgetful liar. - Unknown

Lessons On Living From David:
An Oxymoron

Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. - 2 Samuel 24:24

An oxymoron is two words put together that seem to contradict each other. Our language is sprinkled with such paradoxical phrases, although we often are not consciously aware of them. For example, we talk about eating "jumbo shrimp," driving by a "sanitary landfill" or seeing something we describe as "pretty ugly." But there is another oxymoron that often exists in our thoughts if not in our language-it's called a "free sacrifice."

When David sinned by taking a census of the people, a plague ravished the land for three days. As the angel of the Lord stretched out his hand to strike Jerusalem, however, God stopped him and spared the city (2 Samuel 24:16). This took place at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. In response to this act of mercy, David was instructed to erect an altar to the Lord on that site (v. 18). When David went to build the altar and make the sacrifice, he was presented with what seemed like a great deal. Araunah offered to freely give him both the land for the altar and the oxen for the sacrifice. But David rejected his offer. How could he make a sacrifice that cost him nothing? The two were incompatible.

Too often when it comes to sacrifice, Christians are looking for a bargain. We want the most sacrifice for the least expense. We wants lots of gain but little pain. Yet such a combination simply isn't possible. A sacrifice is only worth what you pay for it.

Don't go looking for sacrifices at a discount. God will have no cheap sacrifices. Be willing to pay the full price if you want the full benefit.

If it isn't a sacrifice to you, it isn't a sacrifice for you.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 22, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Death is a punishment to some, to some a gift, and to many a favor. - Seneca

Lessons On Living From David:
Father Failure

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, "Why have you done so?" He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) - 1 Kings 1:5-6

The sheriff�s office in a Texas city once distributed a list of rules entitled "How to Raise a Juvenile Delinquent in Your Own Family." If that is your goal, it suggests, "Begin from infancy to give the child everything he wants. This will insure his believing that the world owes him a living. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. This will teach him he can always pass his responsibility on to others. Take his part against neighbors, teachers, policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child. He is a �free spirit� and never wrong. Finally, prepare yourself for a life of grief. You�re going to have it."

David apparently raised his son Adonijah by similar rules. Brought up in the pomp and ceremony of a royal court, surrounded by servants to do his bidding, funded by a nearly unlimited supply of wealth, Adonijah was a prime candidate to become a spoiled child. But what put the final seal on Adonijah�s fate was his father. It is said of David that he "had not rebuked him at any time."

Fathers play a vital role in the disciplining of children, especially sons. Even though the dad often does not spend as much time in direct contact with a child as the mom does, his influence should never be underestimated. David�s son Solomon wrote, "My son, keep your father�s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother" (Proverbs 6:20). The word command literally means "to teach with discipline." Apparently Solomon learned something from his father�s failures.

If you are a father, don�t shirk your responsibility to teach with discipline. Let your children know you love them by the guidelines you set for them. Don�t be a father failure.

If you think it�s hard to live with your father, try living without one.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 23, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Society is composed of two great classes-- those who have more dinners than appetite, and those who have more appetite than dinners. - Sebastien Chamfort

Lessons On Living From David:
Mind The Light

Then the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn." - 1 Kings 2:1-3

Years ago John Walker was the keeper of the lighthouse at Robin's Reef on Staten Island. He and his wife, Catherine, lived there four years faithfully taking care of his duty. One morning, however, he was stricken with severe pains and Catherine sent to the shore for medical help. When the physician arrived, he ordered John removed to a hospital at once. As he was being carried to the boat, he called to his wife, "Mind the light." The poor fellow never returned to the lighthouse, but Catherine stayed on to "mind the light." In fact, she carried out the duties so well that she was appointed keeper. For more than 30 years she stayed in that lonely spot, caring for the warning beacon to keep mariners from damage on the rocks.

As David was preparing to be gathered to his fathers, his final admonition to Solomon was "mind the light." That is, be faithful to the light of God's Word: to His statutes, commandments, judgments and testimonies. If you do that, David promised, you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go. And he was right. Solomon became famous for his wisdom and wealth.

That truth has not changed today. Even though David has been dead for 3,000 years, God's Word is just as relevant to our lives as it was to his. The promise holds as well. When we are faithful to walk in the light of Scripture, we will find a prosperity of spirit that follows us wherever we go.

Be careful to "mind the light." Read God's Word and apply it to your life, and it will keep you from stumbling in the dark.

Those who keep God's Word faithfully will be faithfully kept.

By Woodrow Kroll
Copyright �1996-2001
The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.backtothebible.org

May 24, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: If you have been tempted into evil, fly from it. It is not falling into the water, but lying in it, that drowns - Unknown

This Is My Happiness

I am happy.

How often are we able to say that and really mean it? There is almost a fear in saying it. The fear is that somehow because life stinks and I am happy now, I had better brace myself for the next tragedy. This happiness can't last for long. Life is about to throw me another bad pass.

What a warped view of life that is, and yet a lot of Christians live with such thinking. Why can't Christians be happy and feel guilt-free about it? Yes, we're happy when we are first saved but then we realize there are trials and tribulations in life again. So we decide to hang in there because we are Christians and we will overcome no matter what. Yet joy doesn't seem to factor in with that thinking.

Of course there is the other side. There always seems to be extremes in Christianity. There are those who would never claim to be unhappy because that would be a lack of faith. No matter how much life stinks, they claim they are happy--but through that they will never experience true happiness.

(Did you know it's okay to be unhappy occasionally? It keeps our feet on the ground. It's a reality check. It reminds us to be humble.)

True happiness can only be experienced by those of us who have experienced sadness. Not a faux sadness either. How can you be happy if you don't know sadness? David knew sadness, "At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate." Psalm 30:5 CEV.

I am happy and more than that I can say "this is my happiness." I can say this because I've wrestled with God and have come out the other side. I'm not just claiming this by faith. I didn't just take the stuff that life throws at me. I wrestled with it. I wrestled with it until I found God in it and found out I was wrestling Him. That is why I can say "this is my happiness."

This is not at all unlike a Super Bowl win. In the stands you've got the fan celebrating and yelling "We won! We won!" Then you've got the player in the locker room. The player who is covered with sweat and dirt and who's body aches. He is also saying "We won! We won!" But the player can truly own the victory because his bruised body paid the price.

I am a player and this happiness is mine. It is not a faux happiness as a result of my faith and not a happiness I am to feel guilty about. I played hard and for the time have come out a winner. I'll have to play hard again someday but for now I will cherish my time in the winner's circle. I will cherish this happiness. I will remember this happiness so when life does that bad thing again, I'll battle it out again.

Jackee Joyner-Kearsee won the bronze in the Olympics in Atlanta. She said this bronze medal meant more to her than all the gold medals because of the battle she had to go through to win it. I understand that. I don't believe you can have such happiness without going through the battle.

Brenda Seefeldt
www.wildfrontier.org

May 25, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping! - Irish blessing

Refreshing Truth

Col Jessup: "Do you want answers?"
Lt. Tom Caffee: "I think I'm entitled to them."
Col. Jessup: "You want answers?"
Lt. Tom Caffee: "with a dramatic fist slammed to the table) "I want the truth!"
Col. Jessup: "You can't handle the truth!"

This little scene comes from the movie "A Few Good Men." It is a riveting scene that you see played out again and again in many circumstances. Truth was, Lt. Tom Caffee could handle the truth. He was holding up the light of the truth to Col. Jessup. Because he was holding up this light, he could handle the truth. It was Col. Jessup who had to face the truth. He was guilty. The wicked web of lies he had spun was unraveling and the truth was being revealed. The truth was refreshing.

I believe the scene was riveting because sometimes we desire to know the truth. We want to slam our fists down on a table and know the truth. We want politicians to tell us the truth so we know our future is secure. We want the news media to tell us the truth so we have a real idea about what is happening in our world. We want our kids to tell us the truth so they realize they can trust us.

Yet the truth is hidden. It's as if "they" think we can't handle the truth. Yet truth is what we crave. I believe this attribute is what drew people to Jesus. In the gospels it is recorded that Jesus said, "I tell you the truth..." eighty-one times. No wonder people followed Him.

I believe this is also what drew people to John the Baptist before Jesus. John the Baptist was a wild man in the desert yet people came the distance to hear what he had to say. And the crowds' response: "What should we do?" Luke 3:10 CEV.

Of course, you didn't want to be living in sin and have John confront you. He would tell the truth as Herod found out. He couldn't handle the truth and had John the Baptist beheaded.

What would make people ask a wild man what they should do? The truth. Tax collectors and soldiers were tired of being dishonest even though they were financially gaining. They had slammed down fist down on a table and exclaimed "I want the truth!"

Jesus is the way, the TRUTH and the life. He tells us "I tell you the truth" through His word. And when you have heard the truth, you know it. Your gut moves, your heart zings. Life suddenly has more possibilities. Your mind is whirring. You will find yourself asking "What should I do?" And when you do it, your world is not the same again.

Brenda Seefeldt
www.wildfrontier.org

May 26, 2001

Encouraging Word For The Week
By Steven L. Kelly

On Wednesday, May 23rd, I will be married 14 years. Over one-third of my life has now been spent as a Husband. All things considered, it has been a pretty good deal.

A week after Tammilee and I married, we moved to New Orleans, where I was soon to finish up my bachelor's degree. Upon returning the rental truck, my wife mentioned to the desk clerk that we had just gotten married, to which he replied, "I give you 5 years". Tammilee replied, "But, we are Christians." The clerk fired back, "In that case, I'll give you 6 years."

Ever since then, it has given me satisfaction to prove that turkey wrong.

Today, I want to look at the blessing and the responsibility of the Christian Marriage. Frankly, as goes the Christian homes, so goes the nation.

We as Christians should be living advertisements of the blessing that comes from God being the center of the family. Sadly, national statistics do not reflect this. According to the Barna Research Group, "Baptists have the highest divorce rate of any Christian denomination, and are more likely to get a divorce than atheists and agnostics." As a result, it's no wonder the U-Haul clerk wasn't optimistic.

We cannot win the world to Christ unless we are first firmly grounded in our marriages and families. The unsaved masses will not judge our faith by our doctrine, but by its relevance to our everyday living. Marriage and family are the laboratory in which the world tests the validity of the gospel message. If it doesn't work in those who are pushing it, then why should non-Christians personally give it a try?

About 15 years ago I helped teach a Bible study on "moral purity" to two youth camps in California. In this material, there were some encouraging statistics that are worth quoting over and over again. In it, I believe we find the answer to fixing fractured "Christian" homes. At the time it was written, it claimed that 60% of all marriages in America ended in divorce. But, this figure drops to 2% when the couple attends church regularly. Lastly, in the event the couple both have a personal, daily devotional life, the rate shrinks further to 1/10 of 1%. The suggestion is that the closer we are to God, the harder it will be to pull our marriages apart.

In Psalm 127:1, we get a good picture of this when Solomon writes, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." He is saying that unless God is the center of your life and marriage, you'll fail. Everything you try to do without God is useless and a waste of time. You can build houses, wealth, and an exterior veneer of a family, but without God, when the waves, wind, and storms come, your house will fall.

After 14 years of marriage, I've learned one thing that is unchanging -- It is unfulfilling without God. God is the glue when we are coming apart. God teaches us forgiveness when we are angry with each other. God reminds us of His grace when we are aggravated about silly things. When we don't have what it takes to make it work, He does. State Farm provides homeowners insurance, but God is the only agent who can underwrite your family.

As you read this, your family may be in trouble. If so, it is time to take responsibility and turn over your family to God. Covenant together that you will do what it takes to allow God to give you a new start. In fact, HE IS your new start. As a satisfied customer of a Christian Marriage, let me challenge you to surrender your family to Jesus Christ. You'll be glad you did.

Bro. Steve
Pastor, First Baptist Church
Doyline, LA
[email protected]

May 27, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Vision is the art of seeing things invisible. - Jonathan Swift

Handing Back Love
By Ron Hutchcraft

Matthew 23:37

Listen With RealAudio!

Ah, Laurie. She may have been my first romantic crush. It was 7th grade. I was insecure - that's a synonym for "7th grade" - and I didn't know how she felt about me. So one day I went to the store, I spent all the money I had (which wasn't much) on a little rhinestone necklace. And then I wrote this mushy little note to Laurie, and I put it in an envelope with that necklace. The next day, as I was sitting in study hall, (the only class we had together), I smelled that perfume. I knew Laurie was approaching! I handed her that love-filled envelope, which she took with her to her desk. The next day: study hall, approach of the killer perfume ... my heart was beating out of my chest! Then, as Laurie went by, something very familiar appeared on my desk. It was that envelope - with the necklace and the note inside. Ouch. Of course, it didn't really bother me that much ... then why am I talking about it so many years later?

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Handing Back Love."

It really did hurt - spending everything I had on someone I cared about, and having it just handed back to me. Jesus knows that feeling ... maybe from you.

God's Son went out one day and spent everything He had on you - not with money at a store, but with His blood on a cross. The Bible puts it this way, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (I John 4:10) In other words, even though you and I did the sinning, Jesus did the dying. He paid the death penalty, not for any sins of His own - He didn't have any - but for every time you have lived your way instead of God's way.

No one has ever loved you like Jesus. He paid this awful price because it was the only way for you to ever have your sins forgiven, for you to ever be able to get into God's Heaven. So, He bought you a relationship with God ... He bought you an eternity in heaven. But what He paid for with His life is a gift, according to the Bible. Which means it's only yours if you take it.

Like that girl Laurie in 7th grade, and she chose to reject that gift and hand it back to me. Today there's someone reading right now who has done that to the Son of God, perhaps over and over again. You've heard what Jesus did on the cross for you ... you've heard that He asks you to commit yourself to Him as your only hope with God ... but you have, in effect, just said, "That's nice. No thanks." Or maybe you've just said, "Keep it for now, Jesus. I'll take it later." But no matter how polite you have been, you have rejected His love.

In our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 23:37, Jesus says of people He cared very much about, "How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Listen. Is Jesus talking about you? "How often I have longed for us to be together ... but you were not willing."

There's only one reason Jesus has kept coming back - He loves you and He doesn't want to lose you. But some time will be the last time, because your heart gets too hard to respond ... or because your heart stops and you've had your last chance ... or because Jesus is calling one last time. Haven't you handed back His love too many times already? Today, one more time, He holds out His nail-pierced hand to you to give you His love and eternal life. It is time to take His love.

Just tell Him, right where you are, "Jesus, I'm Yours, beginning right here, right now." If you want to begin your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I want to send you a booklet I wrote about that relationship called "Yours For Life."

God's Son has loved you enough to spend His life for you. Now don't hand back His love.

Copyright 2001, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Used by permission.
Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
www.hutchcraft.com contains practical answers to real life issues.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602

May 28, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Let us live as people who are prepared to die, and die as people who are prepared to live. - James S. Stewart

A Memorial Day Prayer

Eternal God,
Creator of years, of centuries,
Lord of whatever is beyond time,
Maker of all species and master of all history --
How shall we speak to you
from our smallness and inconsequence?
Except that you have called us to worship you
in spirit and in truth;
You have dignified us with loves and loyalties;
You have lifted us up with your lovingkindnesses.
Therefore we are bold to come before you without groveling
[though we sometimes feel that low]
and without fear
[thought we are often anxious].
We sing with spirit and pray with courage
because you have dignified us;
You have redeemed us from the aimlessness
of things' going meaninglessly well.
God, lift the hearts of those
for whom this holiday is not just diversion,
but painful memory and continued deprivation.
Bless those whose dear ones have died
needlessly, wastefully [as it seems]
in accident or misadventure.
We remember with compassion those who have died
serving their countries
in the futility of combat.
There is none of us but must come to bereavement and separation,
when all the answers we are offered
fail the question death asks of each of us.
We believe that you will provide for us
as others have been provided with the fulfillment of
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Rev. Dick Kozelka (ret)
First Congregational Church of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN.
www.usmemorialday.org

May 29, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously. - G. K. Chesterton

The Case For Brevity

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. - Proverbs 25:11

On November 2, 1863, several months after the battle of Gettysburg, David Wills, a local judge and prominent Pennsylvania citizen, invited Abraham Lincoln to make a "few appropriate remarks" at the consecration of a cemetery for the Union war dead. Edward Everett, then the young nation's foremost northern orator, had been invited to speak on September 23, but Everett needed more time for preparation so fate put both of the men on the same program on November 19, 1863.

Edward Everett spoke first. He droned on and on for more than two hours. Then the tall and lanky, backwoods American president spoke. He began, "Four score and seven year ago, our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." He spoke only 266 words, about three minutes in length, yet the world has long since forgotten Edward, but Lincoln's words will live as long as does civilization. Why? They went to the heart of what people felt--a deep, personal loss. They were brief and concise. They spoke to the need of the hour.

Everett's remarks made front-page news while Lincoln's were on the inside pages of newspapers that didn't have a clue to what was really important. But Edward Everett knew! He sent Lincoln a note the day after the dedication, writing, "I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes."

A statue of Everett stands on the Boston Common, and as pigeons roost there, children ask, "Who was he?" and parents are uncertain. But all over the world Abraham Lincoln is revered as an unlikely candidate for success who changed history--a great hero who dared to take the narrow road.

Dallas Williams, speaking to a National Religious Broadcaster's conference, asked the question, "One picture worth a thousand words?" and answered it saying, "You give me 1,000 words and I can have the Lord's Prayer, the twenty-third Psalm, the Hippocratic oath, a sonnet by Shakespeare, the Preamble to the Constitution, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, and I'd have enough left over for just about all the Boy Scout oath - and I wouldn't trade you for any picture on earth."

If you are average, you will have some thirty conversations every day. Learning to express yourself clearly will help move you up the ladder of success, make you a more loving, caring husband or wife, and more effective in sharing your faith, so what lessons are there for us when it comes to concise and clear communication?

First--think before you speak. Put your brain in operation before you put your mouth in gear. Once you have said it, you can clarify it, you can retract it, but you can't erase the initial impression of the one who may respond, "Yes, but that's what you said."

Then--strive to express clearly the message that you intend to deliver. Blunt words create blunt responses. Tender words, tender responses. You can be absolutely honest and factual without being unkind or abusive. Instead of exaggerating or stretching the truth, Paul said that we should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Finally--once you have said something, mentally ask, "Is this what I really intended to say?" If not, clarify what you intended to say but didn't get across. But remember that Mark Twain once commented that the longer the sermon, the fewer become converted - and he may well have a point. Often the more we say, the deeper we dig the hole that we find ourselves in. Well does Proverbs say, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). It is as true as it was 3,000 years ago when Solomon and his men complied the Proverbs.

Resource reading: Matthew 6.

Written by Dr. Harold J. Sala.
� Guidelines International
Box G, Laguna Hills, CA 92654
www.guidelines.org

May 30, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A stumble may prevent a fall. - English Proverb

The Life Preferred

Which would you prefer: a wild turbulent life filled with joy, sorrow, passion and adventure - intoxicating successes and stunning setbacks; or a happy, secure, predictable life surrounded by friends and family without such wide swings of fortune and mood?

This was a question I was left to assign to an English class I was substitute teaching. The assignment was to write their response. I was also left the question, "Would you be willing to eat a bowl of live crickets for $40,000?" That is another complete discussion.

Verbal discussion abounded. Their discussion was much better than their written assignments. Everyone wanted to have something to say about this. They didn't even want to write their answers first and then share them with the class. I hope the teacher liked what she got but I definitely got the better answers.

To my honest surprise, everyone chose the wild, turbulent life. Even though there would be sorrow and setbacks. The students answered this way because to them the successes would be worth the setbacks. A predictable life would be boring they said. It would be better to have the adventure even if it meant sadness.

The answers to that lesson are so true to the life God has planned for us. Joy and sorrow is all in the plan. "(There is a time) for killing and healing, destroying and building, for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing." Ecclesiastes 3:3,4 CEV. That class of seniors taught me that the average person wants that plan.

So why then when life's bummers hit, do so many people blame God, get mad at God and walk away from God? The answer is that it's all part of the plan. It's all part of the plan that is preferred. The joy and adventure will return--in even greater measures. We know it. Everyone who loves the poem "Footprints" knows it. But in the midst of the pain, it's hard to "know" much less admit that this is preferred. But that is when you are being carried.

Brenda Seefeldt
www.wildfrontier.org

May 31, 2001

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. - Unknown

The Life Preferred, Part 2

Joseph's life was full of disappointments and bad things happening as well as all those intoxicating successes. Prison was just another one of those setbacks.

But prison! What had he done to deserve this? Yet Joseph seemed to understand this whole plan of God's. And Joseph continued to live his life worthy. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27a CEV. Whatever happens was truly an open statement for Joseph!

Yet Joseph was still in prison. Still in this bad time. Finally the day came and Joseph was granted an audience with Pharaoh. This could have been his opportunity to let Pharaoh know exactly what his life had been like. He could have gone on and on about his brothers selling him into slavery or about Potiphar's wife. He could have grabbed the ungrateful cupbearer by the throat and let him have it for forgetting Joseph in prison those two years while he returned to his position--thanks to Joseph.

Joseph could have done any or all of that. He had reason to. But he knew that somehow, someway, God had a purpose for all of this. It's the life preferred. Not that he liked any of the setbacks or sorrows that had happened to him. Yet despite what the circumstances were, Joseph still knew that God was God and his life had some purpose.

This summons from Pharaoh came because the cupbearer remembered--finally. Pharaoh had been disturbed by some dreams he was having and no one in the land could interpret them. The cupbearer remembered how accurately Joseph, while in prison with him, had interpreted his dream as well as the baker's dream. The prisoner, Joseph (not the free man Joseph--very important), could help Pharaoh. Joseph changed his clothes, shaved and went before Pharaoh.

Here was Joseph's chance. And with his chance he gave God the glory. He replied to Pharaoh, "I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams." Genesis 41:16. There was no blame on his past or on someone else--not even the cupbearer. There was no blame on God. There was no sin done during this bad time that needed to be confessed or served the consequences for. Joseph understood this setback to be a part of life. Joseph simply gave God the glory. He conducted himself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

As we know, Joseph went on to be the second most powerful person in all the land. If Joseph was a free man, this would have never happened. If Joseph had chosen a happy, secure, predictable life, this would have never happened. The plan of Joseph's life had to line up in such a way for a foreigner to gain such a high ranking in his captive land. It is all part of God's plan that is preferred. Only God could have put it all together.

Brenda Seefeldt
www.wildfrontier.org

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