November 1, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the
heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired, although not in the hour or in the measure, or the very thing which they ask; yet they will obtain something greater and more glorious than they had dared to ask.
- Martin Luther (1483-1546)
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
Keeping Your Fire In The Fireplace
Hebrews 13:4
Man, I almost forgot how much wood there is in a cord. I remembered real fast the last time we got a cord of wood delivered to our house ... and dumped in our driveway. I got to stack it all by myself! But as I did, I thought about all those great fires we would have in our living room fireplace all winter long, and of how much our sons Doug and Brad would enjoy those fires when they were home for Christmas. They have loved a roaring fire in our fireplace since they were little. And that's OK. But imagine if I had come home one day when they were in high school and I smelled smoke coming from Doug's room upstairs. I am alarmed. I call upstairs, "Doug, do you smell smoke?" "Yeah, Dad. I built a fire." "But, Doug, there's no fireplace in your room!" And he answers, "I know, but I just love fires." I am very alarmed. We have a big problem here. When you have a fire in the fireplace, it will make you warm. But when you have that same fire outside the fireplace ... well, you get burned.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Keeping Your Fire In The Fireplace."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God is about the fire of sexual desire and sexual passion and the fireplace the Inventor of sex made it for. Hebrews 13:4 - "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Now, the Inventor of sex says that sex is designed to be kept totally inside the fireplace of lifetime love ... the lifetime covenant of marriage.
In Proverbs 5:15 and following, God reinforces those boundaries with another analogy and a picture of what married love is supposed to be like. He says, "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets? ... Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth ... May her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love."
Now someone might say, "That's in the Bible? Isn't that a little racy for God?" Absolutely not. He invented the male body. He invented the female body. He invented sexual intercourse. It is God's wonderful gift of a powerful love language between a husband and wife. And inside marriage, God says, "Go for it!" (or "goeth for it!") Let the fire burn hot inside the fireplace. But keep the fire there!
God isn't against sex. He's very for it. And He's for it being all He created it to be. He wants us to have sex and love at its best. And that's reserved for those who keep sex inside the fence of marriage.
It could be that you're playing right now too close to the gate of that fence ... either to have sex before you're married or to become sexually involved with someone other than the person you're married to. Maybe you're just playing with matches right now, but you are playing with passions that are more powerful than you can ultimately resist. You will get burned, and probably anyone near you will, too. Run from this temptation. Do not be in a place or a situation where you could go too far. Remember that the bill for sexual sin will be far greater and last far longer than any thrill it may give you.
And if you've already played with fire outside of the fireplace, don't wait another day to reach out for the forgiveness and restoring that only Jesus can give you. He died for the things you've done. Run to His cross, lay your sin there ... and walk away clean.
The fire of sex has awesome power to warm your life ... if you reserve it for the fireplace of married love. Take it outside the fireplace and you'll get burned. With God's power, keep your fire in the fireplace.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 2, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: As the enjoyment of God is the heaven of the Saints, so
the loss of God is the hell of the ungodly. And, as the enjoying of God is the enjoying of all, so the loss of God is the loss of all.
- Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Giving Him the Key
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. - Revelation 3:20
A friend of mine tells the story of an encounter he had with a very important government official-the head of state for a country. In the course of some meetings with my friend, the official came up to him and said, "I perceive that there is a difference between you and me. Is it because I come from a different denomination?" My friend began to explain why there was a difference.
"If you were to come to my home, I would invite you in as an honored guest. As my guest, you would enjoy everything I had in my home. However, you would still be a guest. You would not have the keys to the home, and your authority in that home would be merely as a guest. However, if I said to you that I am turning over my home to you and you now have the keys to my home, I would be your servant with the responsibility to run the home through your counsel and direction." My friend continued, "This is the difference between you and me. I have given Jesus the keys to my home [heart]. You have merely invited Him in to yours as an honored guest."
"How can I do this too?" the man replied.
"All you have to do is invite Him in as the new owner."
The man did this and is now allowing Jesus to rule and reign in every detail of his life.
So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation. But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. He wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work in us. This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; He must be more than an honored guest.
Where are you today? Has your life with God been more like an honored-guest relationship, or does He have the key to your life?
By Os Hillman
http://spiritual.crosswalk.com
November 3, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly. - Corra May White Harris (1869-1935)
Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve
Today is an exciting day for me, because I anticipate being reunited with some good friends of mine -- Buck, Rayford, Chloe, Tsion, and Chaim. They don't live anywhere near here. In fact, they aren't alive at all in the sense of breathing. These are the main characters in the "Left Behind" series. The newest book, "Desecration", is being released today.
I finished the eighth book, "The Mark", last November and have eagerly awaited the next installment of the apocalyptic drama ever since.
Although it is only a fictitious story, the example of the main characters in their walk with Christ is very real. I have found them to be very encouraging to my own spiritual journey and have desired to emulate their faithfulness in my own life.
The reason I bring this up is because Christians must be very careful in their selection of reading materials. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, we must not overlook the impact that a constant diet of westerns, romance novels, or anything else can have in our lives. Without knowing it, we will ingest the concepts and values of anything we read and this will potentially flow out of our lives as a result.
A few days ago, I was watching a Christian program that was dealing with the phenomenon of the "Harry Potter" books. If you are not familiar with this series, it is about a young man who is a wizard. On this show, they were discussing how these books and a new movie (to be released in November) have desensitized children to the wonders of witchcraft. Although these commentators acknowledged that the books were fiction, they also shared that the author had done her research for the books through investigating actual occult practices.
If I can be blessed and encouraged by the exploits of the Christians in the "Left Behind" series, then I can also become interested in demonic forces through something as seemingly innocent as "Harry Potter". I share this because many Christians don't consider fiction as a threat to themselves or their children. It is viewed as simple make believe and therefore of no concern.
In a day where information is spread at a blinding rate, and filtering the good from the garbage is harder then ever, the people of God must make decisions in advance about what is allowed in their minds and that of their families.
In II Corinthians 10:5, Paul tells us what to do with every bit of information that is presented to us: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." He also says in Ephesians 4:27, "Do not give the devil a foothold." His practice was to stop ideas from taking root in advance so that they wouldn't become a future problem. He knew that availability always precedes action.
Let me encourage you to closely examine your diet of reading, music, television, and movies. Are the things that your mind is consuming profitable to you growing closer to Jesus Christ? If not, you may need to takes Paul's advice and get to work demolishing those things that give the enemy a foothold.
In a day where tiny spores of anthrax are crippling our government's ability to function, we must not underestimate the potential that ideas, philosophies, and concepts can have on the purity of our devotion to the Savior.
Minding His business,
Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA
November 4, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Prayer is a mighty instrument - not for getting man's will done in heaven, but for getting God's Will done on earth." - William Law
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
Tools Without Power
Psalm 20:7
When Karen and I inherited her grandparents' old farmstead in the country, we knew it was going to take some work. But we were just grateful to have a place of our own where we could go for "R and R." Last summer, we had several workmen there, racing a deadline to get some building and remodeling done before we had a lot of company. Now on Thursday, they brought in some of the specialized tools they would need to finish the job on Friday. We went to bed Thursday night looking forward to having everything finished the next day. Now, I don't usually wake up in the middle of the night, but this particular night I did. And as I looked at our glow-in-the-dark digital clock, I noticed its red numbers were flashing the same time at me, over and over again. Power outage! I almost went right back to sleep, figuring the power would come back on sooner or later. And then it hit me - those workmen are going to be here shortly after sunrise ... and they're not getting anything done without those special tools. And those tools won't work without power. Believe me, we did not go back to sleep. We got right on the phone to the power company! Actually, I did my part identifying the problem. I asked my wife to get up and make the call. What a guy!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Tools Without Power."
Now those workmen have some really impressive tools, but they're useless if there's no power. Just like our tools. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 20:7. These words were penned by King David who had some impressive tools in his tool kit - including probably the greatest arsenal of horses and chariots in the Middle East at that time. And in those days, whoever had the most chariots and horses was the superpower. That would be David here. Here's what he says about his impressive battle tools, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
King David says, "I've got some great weapons, some great tools - but that's not what I'm trusting in. It's not where my power comes from. I am depending totally on the Lord my God." Now David didn't sell his horses ... he didn't burn his chariots. He used them, but he didn't depend on them. He knew where the real power is ... and it isn't in our human weapons.
Let's talk about the tools we use to get things done, even in God's work. I call them the "Six Powerless P's": Planning, Promotion, Politics, Personalities, Programs, Persuasion. If we can just make a great plan, get the right personalities, put together a hot program, promote this just right ... hey, we will have a winner. Or if we just have the right connections, the right image, the right presentation, we've got it.
And God says all our impressive tools are as useless without His power as those workmen's tools were without electrical power. God has told us how to access His power with the only "p" that has any real power-prayer ... the tool we often think of last ... the tool we spend the least time on. Our actions, our use of time tell us that, no matter what our theology says, it's really our human weapons we're depending on. That's why we spend a lot more time in planning meetings than prayer meetings.
The frequency and fervency of your prayers is the way to measure your dependency on God. If you're not praying often, if you're not praying passionately, with desperate dependence, then it's earth stuff you're really counting on ... tools that are ultimately powerless.
The real enemies in your situation are ultimately spiritual enemies, in heavenly places, the Bible says. And our weapons are powerless to defeat those enemies. Only the Lord God can do that. That's why, in Paul's words, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (II Corinthians 10:3)
Listen, it's time to give God regular, dedicated time-to enter His holy presence and unleash His awesome power. Without that, all you've got are some impressive weapons, lying powerless on the ground ... because of a power failure ... because of a prayer failure.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 5, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The Lord ate from a common bowl, and asked the disciples to sit on the grass. He washed their feet, with a towel wrapped around His waist -- He, who is the Lord of the universe! He drank water from a jug of earthenware, with the Samaritan woman. Christ made use His aim, not extravagance... We are not to throw away those things which can benefit our neighbor. Goods are called good because they can be used for good: they are instruments for good, in the hands of those who use them properly. - St. Clement of Alexandria (150?-220?)
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi's former Green Bay Packer football players came to understand a few things, as they became back-to-back world champions. With Lombardi, all of these years later, are renowned for the growth and victories, on and off the field, in such fundamental issues as respect, authority, gift, leadership, teamwork, and each player fulfilling their role.
Vince and his players were often questioned about the foundation of their Hall of Fame success. While speaking at a business conference in Dayton, Ohio, Lombardi relayed this story:
In that common quest to understand the root of their greatness, one of Lombardi's players was asked, "So what's it like to work for Vince Lombardi?"
The man answered, "Well, I'll tell you in a nutshell. When Lombardi turns to us in the locker room and tells us to sit down, I don't even look for a chair."
Ohhhh for the days when men and women and children understood such things. How can we EVER know God, and begin to know His Wisdom, when we have learned to depend SO much on our own opinions and feelings, thoughts, and personal experiences. We are very clever, in this generation, at finding ways to justify our personal rights to be "gods" and "kings" and sovereign vessels within ourselves -- without calling it that. The battle is as old as the Garden of Eden, if you will ponder what took place there -- and cost Adam and Eve so very much. We are still making that same mistake, and continue too often to live in the days and ways of Adam and Eve, Cain, Korah, Ananias and Sapphira, Diotrephes and Laodicea.
When God has spoken, through His Voice, in ways or people of His current choosing, do we say, "When God tells us to sit down, I don't even look for a chair!" ??
Oh, of course there are "abuses" "out there." Sure. But what a great hiding place for your flesh that can be, eh?! You know. So, will you so easily, because of someone else's mistakes, allow satan to cause you do disobey God?! Do we rationalize, defend, procrastinate, make excuses, and set ourselves on the Throne - claiming "freedom in Christ?" -- when it is truly unwillingness to "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" and a refusal to bend our knee to Jesus' Call on our lives in the details and decisions and living circumstances? Often, this "freedom" we demand for ourselves is instead the slavery and deception of self-life and pride. Wouldn't it be helpful in our relationship with Father, and our brothers and sisters, if we just admitted this is in our hearts, and softened? Oh, what a precious and peaceful existence this brings in His church. Those who have never seen the reality of Acts 2:42-47 in the Life of the Body of Christ around them, day in and day out, decade in and decade out -- will universally have to admit that this has been a problem for them, and part of the root of what Jesus is therefore unable to Build around them.
As the Master has taught us to pray: "on earth, as it is in Heaven!" ... let's LIVE that way, together! That IS how it is in Heaven, when Father speaks! Can you imagine Gabriel, Michael, Moses, or Elijah... wandering around looking for a convenient time or way to respond to Yahweh's current Command or Desire? :) "On earth, as it is in Heaven!" SO BE IT!
Together let's SHOUT and live, in our every day lives together, "When God tells us to sit down, none of us even look for a chair!"
Mike Peters
[email protected]
November 6, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: A friend remains a friend, even in disaster, even in
guilt. Prayer and the hearing of prayer are the marks of man's friendship
with God and God's friendship with man.
- Jorgen Moltmann, German Lutheran
pastor and theologian
In The Beginning, God.
These are the very first words of the Bible (not including copyright information and table of contents) These are the very first words of the Bible, and the very first words of each and every day of our lives.
For example:
"this is the day which the Lord has made" (Psalm 118:24) = In the beginning, God
"we love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19) = In the beginning, God.
"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) = In the beginning, God.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and every morning before we wake He greets us with His mercies foreordained for us. His forgiveness is there before we even commit the sin; His answers are there before we even say our prayers. He is the first and the last: before all things and there to receive us at the very end.
What a loving Father we have! He did not create us only to abandon us to our own devices; but before we were even born He provided a way for us to walk with Him by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am alive because "in the beginning, God."
I am provided for because "in the beginning, God."
I am forgiven because "in the beginning, God."
I have a future because "in the beginning, God."
I have a message to share because "in the beginning, God."
"For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb. My frame was not hidden when I was being formed in secret...Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days of my life were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16
Before you awoke and before you received this e-mail today, God was there to greet you with His mercy. Do not be afraid that you have gone too far for God to forgive you. He prepared His plans for you long before you were ever born. Christ's death on the cross was sufficient for all the sins of the world, because He knew all your sins before you ever knew your Savior.
This is the day which the Lord has made, and His mercies are just as new today as they have ever been.
Life starts with God, love starts with God, mercy starts with God, salvation starts with God and even our sanctification starts with God.
This is a new day, because "in the beginning, God..."
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.geocities.com/DaddooZ
November 7, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The whole doctrine of justification by faith hinges, for
me, on my painfully reluctant realization that my Father is not going to be more
pleased with me when I am good than when I am bad. He accepts me and
delights in me as I am. It is ridiculous of him, but that is how it is
between us.
- John V. Taylor, English Anglican bishop
Gone Fishin'
"Come follow Me," Jesus said, "And I will make you fishers of men..." - Matthew 4:19
I once knew a guy whose idea of fishing was to go out in a boat with all of his fishing gear and a sixpack of beer and just toss his fishing line in the water and let it sit. He didn't catch many fish and he really didn't intend to...his purpose in "fishing" was to take it easy and relax, and hooking a fish would interrupt his plans!
When Jesus told His disciples that He was going to make them "fishers of men" I don't think they had my friend's version of fishing in mind. As professional fishermen, they knew that the whole point of fishing is to catch fish...and likewise the point of "fishing for men" is to bring usaved people into the Kingdom of God.
"Come, follow Me..." Jesus called to Peter and Andrew; and He still calls to us:
"Come, follow Me," He says to doctors and nurses, "And learn to heal souls"
"Come, follow Me," He says to construction workers, "And help Me build the Kingdom"
"Come, follow Me," He says truck drivers, "And learn to carry one another's burdens"
"Come, follow Me," He says to accountants, "And increase the Kingdom"
"Come, follow Me," He says to activists, "And through Me you can change the world"
"Come, follow Me," He says to consultants, "And learn to fix the world's problems"
What is Jesus calling you to do with your life? He created you with a purpose and a mission. It is written in Ephesians 2:10 that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You and I have a purpose in this life. When God created the world He had each and every one of us in mind with a place for us in His plans. It is written in Psalm 33:11 "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the puposes of His heart through all generations."
I think that's really cool! ...That God loves me, that He forgives me, that He cares about Me and that in His eyes my life is worth something to Him makes me want to do what He has called me to do and be what He has called me to be.
So I'll ask one more time: What is Jesus calling you to do with your life? If you're already doing it---you know the intense satisfaction that comes with knowing what you're living within God's will. May God continue to bless you as you live your life to His purposes.
If you don't know, or if you're just laying back and taking it easy, waiting for the fish to bite an empty hook...take a moment to call on Him and ask Him what He wants you to do with your life. He has promised us "Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3) and He tells us: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8)
People sometimes laugh at this old cliche, but I believe there is so much truth in it: "God loves you and He has a wonderful plan for your life."
And you know what? He really does love YOU and He really does have a wonderful plan for YOUR life!! Don't waste your life waiting for the fish to bite...life is too short and too many opportunities come and go before we realize it's too late.
"And we pray this, in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work...growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.geocities.com/DaddooZ
November 8, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal...lock it up safe in the coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket...it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable...The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. - C.S. Lewis
What Would You Do?
Imagine for a moment that you are led to a darkened room where you will be shown a movie about what will happen to you in the next fifteen minutes.
The movie begins and you see yourself on the screen, sitting in the center of a room of angry people, on trial for things you didn't do. People you've never met come forward and tell lies about you, Others mock you and call you foul names; while others throw things at you and cry out that justice be served.
Imagine you see yourself being grabbed by a group of thugs and beaten until you pass out. When you awake, you find yourself bound to a medieval stretcher where an executioner stands with cruel metal devices ready to tear at your skin and torture you.
Imagine seeing yourself on the movie screen being tortured in graphic detail, blood and guts and gore; and then being left to die all alone.
And now imagine that the movie ends and a man approaches you with two offers:
You can go through the door to your right, and experience the torture you just saw on screen.
Or you can run out the back door as a free man, unharmed.
What would you do? Which door would you go through? There would have to be a very good reason for any of us to willingly submit to that torture, wouldn't there?
Now look at Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Watch as He cries out to God "If it be Thy will, take this cup of suffering from Me."
Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to Him:
.. He knew they would falsely accuse Him and punish Him for things He did not do.
.. He knew that they would ridicule Him and make a mockery of everything He had done.
.. He knew they would beat Him with their fists and tear the hairs out of His head and beard.
.. He knew they would whip Him with an instrument so cruel most men died of the whipping.
.. He knew they would force a crown of thorns onto His scalp.
.. He knew they would put Him on display before the whole city and that His own people would reject Him.
.. He knew that He would be forced to carry the instrument of His death on His own shoulders to the place of His execution.
.. He knew that He would be fastened to the cross by having long, iron nails driven through His hands and feet.
.. He knew He would have to hang there naked and humiliated before His enemies.
.. He knew that He would eventually die hanging on that cross, for crimes He never committed.
Jesus knew everything that was going to happen before it ever did, just as if someone had shown Him a movie about His impending torture.
Jesus knew everything that was going to happen, and He went forward and experienced it anyway.
Does Jesus really love you? Does He really care?
It would have been enough if God had merely humbled Himself and taken on flesh; becoming like us so that He felt all that we feel: the pangs of hunger, the chill of a cold night, the fatigue of sleeplessness and all that we suffer in the flesh.
But He did far more than that: Jesus willingly gave Himself to physical, mental and emotional abuse, culminating in a torturous death for the love of the very people who killed Him.
Does Jesus really love you? I think you know the answer to that question.
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.geocities.com/DaddooZ
November 9, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Dare to believe in miracles. Look beyond the mud on the windshield, beyond the impossible, and know life is more than anguish and stress. Reach out to someone, when your heart is too heavy to feel the sunlight or to taste the rain. Rid yourself of dark thought and melancholy. Open your mind to fresh air, to the unlimited music in your soul. - Joyce Sequichie Hifler
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
How To Avoid Being Grounded
1 Corinthians 11:30
When our son entered high school, he carried with him the study habits that had served him well in junior high school. They didn't serve him well in high school. He learned a whole lot about studying his freshman year. Now, his grades weren't awful - they were just, you know, below his potential. So the last part of the year, we resorted to, uh, martial law. We enforced three hours of study nightly and we allowed no calls, no going out until his homework was done. Now, turn the page to Doug's second year in high school. I'd go into my study at night and I'd find Doug with these books and notebooks all spread out across my desk. Sometimes I'd tell him there was a phone call for him, and he'd answer, "Tell them I'll call them back later, Dad. I'm not getting on the phone this year until my homework is done." Interesting. I didn't have to discipline my son. He was disciplining himself!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "How To Avoid Being Grounded."
Our word for today from the Word of God begins with I Corinthians 11:30. These believers have been living outside of God's instructions and have actually been suffering physical consequences for it. Paul says, "That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." God is disciplining His children. But there is a way to avoid His discipline.
Verse 31, "But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." Now, God offers two choices: "judge ourselves" or "judged by the Lord." This is not a hard choice.
This counsel from God sounds a lot like a lesson learned by a certain high school student we had at our house. If you acknowledge the problem and fix it yourself, there's no need for the pain of your Father's discipline.
Right now you may be missing God's best somewhere in your life. There's a relationship you shouldn't be in or a relationship that you've allowed bitterness and resentment to creep into. Maybe you're living a schedule that is neglecting your time with God, or your family priorities, or the rest that God intends us to have. Maybe you're playing around morally, or you're allowing dishonesty to creep into your business practices or your schoolwork. I don't know where you may be out of bounds, but I do know that God will not let you get away with it. He loves you too much to let you keep going on a road that will bring you greater pain and greater judgment.
So your Heavenly Father has been trying to get your attention. That's what all that's been about. And you sense His conviction, but you're running from it, trying to drown it out, trying to rationalize it away. Well, what you've gotten from God until now is just minor tremors - to warn you of a major quake coming - if you don't take corrective action yourself.
Are you going to wait until God grounds you ... until He has to drop the bomb on you? Why not listen today to the whisper of His Holy Spirit, who Jesus said was sent to convict us of sin, unrighteousness, and judgment. Do not quench the Holy Spirit of God. Don't force God to discipline you. Discipline yourself! If you have to stop doing what you're doing right now, if you have to pull over to the side of the road, do that to get it right with God. Repent of that sin and open yourself up to a whole makeover of that part of your life from God Himself.
It's smart to choose to change before God forces you to change. When it comes to judging personal sin, by far the best approach is do it yourself!
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 10, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I know not anything more pleasant, or more instructive, than to compare experience with expectation, or to register from time to time the difference between idea and reality. It is by this kind of observation that we grow daily less liable to be disappointed. - Samuel Johnson
Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve
From time to time, people in the church will share things with me that have blessed their lives. I have received news clippings, videos, books, and messages on audio tape throughout my ministry that I have found very helpful and uplifting.
Last week, one of our men gave me a tape to listen to that was from the funeral of his nephew. At first, I didn't think much of it. How exciting could a funeral service be? Is this really something I want to listen to to brighten my day? Wouldn't I be just as well off attending a service for a complete stranger?
Since I had to drive to Shreveport yesterday to make some hospital visits, I thought I'd pop it into the tape deck and give it a shot. I'm so glad I did.
The deceased was a 36-year-old man named Roger Miller. He was involved in an accident that tragically took his life. He was living in Mexico as an engineering supervisorfor a large United States company that had a manufacturing plant there.He is survived by a wife named Amy, and three children -- Katie, Sam, andNoah.
During the course of the service, he was honored by a coworker, his former pastor, and his father-in-law who is an area overseer with the Nazarene Church. They reflected on his life with profound admiration and painted a picture of a man of God.
You must understand that I knew nothing of this man before I received this tape. I learned about his life from his funeral and the recollections of those dearest to him.
One of the speakers referred to his integrity and persistence. Another spoke about the Godly heritage he left to his children. His father-in-law even used Roger's Bible to relate notes that he had recorded and scriptures he had highlighted.
At one point in the service, they had someone sing the song, "Thank You". This is a story song that refers to Christians who were fruitful on earth being shown appreciation in heaven by those people whose lives were changed by their influence. I had never heard this sung at a funeral, but realize that it could only be done under the right circumstances for a person who made a difference for Jesus.
During my journey on I-20 I got emotional. Frankly, I laughed at the humor that was shared about this man's idiosyncrasies, and I shed some tears because I could grasp the tremendous void that was left in his home.
This service spoke to me because it could have been me. He was 36, and so am I.He had two boys and a girl, and so do I. I couldn't help but envision his family sitting on the front pew with smiles on their faces, and yet tears on their cheeks. They rejoiced in his legacy, but grieved his loss.
To me, Roger Miller is only a young man that I met on tape. If he were alive today, I would likely have never known him. He influenced me because of the way he lived, and his story reached me because he died. Because of their separation of miles and years, even his uncle was ignorant of the things that were revealed during this funeral. He learned of a nephew he didn't know.
Whether you like it or not, you are in the process of making a tape. This recording will be available after you are buried and your tombstone is engraved. The question I have for you today is "Will your tape be worth passing around?" As people remember you, will they want others who have never known you to meet you after you are gone?
In this life, the Lord Jesus allows us to erase and re-record often. Yet, one day is coming where the tape will be finalized because our story will be finished. In the meantime, it is up to us to get our recordings ready for distribution.
The record button is activated. What are you doing with opportunity?
Because of Jesus,
Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA
November 11, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The love of Jesus Christ is not a mild benevolence; it is a consuming fire. - Bede Griffiths
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
No Postponements, No Cancellations
Hebrews 9:27
I'm lucky they don't make me wear a name tag when I go to our dentist. See, he doesn't see me all that often. It's not that I don't need to see him; it's not that I don't pay for it when I put off seeing him. Oh, I'll get around to it - later. Now, don't you think we all have this tendency to avoid appointments that may be unpleasant? Sure we do. And, in most cases, you can put off - even cancel - meetings that you don't want to have. In most cases.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "No Postponements, No Cancellations."
In our word for today from the Word of God, God announces an appointment I have ... and you have. Hebrews 9:27, "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." God makes it very clear: we have an appointment with our Creator - or, as the old-timers used to say, to "meet our Maker."
Now that final reality is something that, well, we'd rather run from than face a lot of times. One alternative idea we hear a lot about these days is reincarnation. Of course, that's not really a new idea. Reincarnation proposes that we can escape this day of reckoning indefinitely through this endless cycle of starting over. Of course, the only One who knows for sure what happens beyond death is God Himself. And He leaves absolutely no room for us going around again when He says it's man's destiny to "die once and after that to face judgment."
When God talks about us facing judgment, He says you and I will have to account to Him for our life ... a life that, according to the Bible, has been lived outside our Creator's plans. In God's own words, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Nobody has lived up to God's standards. Everybody has the death penalty of sin to deal with.
That's why so many people become "religious" and try to do good; we hope we can somehow pay off our sins. But again, our way of getting ready for our appointment with God is useless. The Bible says that at the time of judgment, "Every mouth will be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous (that means right with God, qualified to go to heaven) by observing the law" (or doing all the right things).
There's no way you can pay your sin-bill with your religion, your generosity, or your goodness. The only way this eternal bill could be paid was by God's eternal Son, Jesus Christ. The next verses say we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 9:28) The payment we're trying to make with our goodness was already made by Jesus when He took our death penalty on His cross. The only question God will ask you when you keep your appointment with Him is, "What did you do with My Son?"
Years ago when prairie fires would sweep across Indian lands, Native Americans would literally fight fire with fire. They would actually set a fire in a trench around their village. When the prairie fire hit the already burned area, it stopped. The principle of stopping the fire was simple: the fire cannot go where the fire has already been.
The fire of God's judgment for the sinning we have done has already fallen on His Son at the cross. If you put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior from your sin, your judgment is canceled. The fire cannot go where the fire has already been.
Other appointments can be postponed or canceled ... but not your appointment with your Creator. Denying it, ignoring it, running from it won't change it. The only thing to do is be prepared for it! You can do that by telling Jesus right where you are that you want to begin this life-saving relationship with Him.
Somewhere in this country someone is going to keep their appointment with God today. And just like you, no one thinks it will be him or her. Someone will be wrong. Please be sure you've settled your relationship with the Man who died so you can live. Then whenever your appointment with God is, you will have nothing to fear.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 12, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the clear result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him mentally and spiritually. - Viktor Frankel, 1945 Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp survivor
The Dark Night Of The Soul
Have you ever gone through a period of time where it felt like God wasn't there? Maybe you feel that way right now, as if God has forsaken you and you 're on your own.
Everyone seems to go through this at least once in his or her Christian walk. It's what the medieval Christian mystics referred to as "the dark night of the soul".when your prayers seem to go unanswered, and the Shekinah glory has left the sanctuary. Where is God.where did He go?
There's a familiar saying: "If God seems far away, guess who moved." That's not to say "It's all your fault.you're the one who ran away from God" but to say "He's still there, He hasn't left. He's still waiting for you; He still knows your name,He knows where you've been and He's still got the hairs on your head counted.He still loves you."
There's a great story told by Brennan Manning (it's so good he uses it in two of his books: The Ragamuffin Gospel and Lion & Lamb) about a family whose house is on fire. The family gets out of the house just in time, only to have the littlest boy run back in to get something he left behind. The entire neighborhood stands in horror as the house is engulfed in flames, and then they see the shape of the little boy in the second floor bedroom window.
The little boy cries out: "Daddy, help me!"
His father replies: "Jump and I'll catch you!"
Surrounded by smoke and flames, the little boy says: "But Daddy, I can't see you!"
And his father replies: "That's all right son, I can see you."
It may seem like God isn't there because I can't see Him in my present situation; but He is there, He really is there. He can see me.
"He knows my name, He knows my every thought, He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call."*
We all go through the dark night of the soul.probably more than once in our spiritual journey; but God is there. He has not left us: He is still there.
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Jesus came to them and said, ".And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18a & 20b)
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)
Don't give up. It may feel like He's not there, but:
He knows everything there is to know about you
He has gone to prepare a special place for you
He has great plans for your life right now
He has proven His love by His death on the cross
And lo, He is with you always, even to the end of the age
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org
November 13, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. - Martin Luther
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
Heaven's Heroes
Daniel 12:3
Part of the incredible impact of the attacks on the World Trade Center was that everyday people suddenly became national heroes. Fire trucks would roll through New York City with weary firefighters on board - and New Yorkers would erupt in spontaneous cheers. Ground Zero, the devastated area at and around the site of the collapsed towers, became known as Ground Hero. Professional athletes, who are our nation's heroes in less turbulent times, kept saying, "We're not the heroes - they're the heroes." Americans will not soon forget those firefighters, the police, the medical personnel, and the countless volunteers who gave everything they had to try to rescue those who were caught in those collapsing towers. The word "hero" may never be the same.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Heaven's Heroes."
We know what a hero is - ultimately it is someone who does whatever it takes to rescue someone who will die if they don't. Apparently, that's God's definition of a "hero" as well.
Consider this exciting promise from Daniel 12:3, our word for today from the Word of God. "Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever." God seems to be reserving special reward, special recognition for those who lead people to a right relationship with Him. And heaven's applause will last "forever and ever." In other words, heaven's heroes are those who help other people get to heaven.
Proverbs 24:11 underscores the "life-or-deathness" of our spiritual rescue mission. God says, "Rescue those being led away to death." Ezekiel puts it in the context of a watchman on the city wall - "If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood."
If you belong to Jesus Christ, you have a life-or-death responsibility for the folks in your world who don't belong to Jesus Christ. You have the information about what Jesus did for them on the cross and how they can begin a relationship with Him - and that message is their only hope of heaven. So you are uniquely positioned to be the spiritual rescuer of the people you know, the people you care about. You are where you are to give the people there a chance to go to heaven. Please - don't let them down. This isn't about rescuing someone so they can have 30, maybe 40 more years to live on earth - this is about whether they live or die for all eternity!
Yes, it feels risky to tell them about Jesus - but then, rescue is always risky. The reason you take those risks is because you can't stand the thought of that person dying without a chance. So you go where they are, you pray with a desperate urgency for God's open doors and God's words, and you give whatever you have to give to bring them out.
Saving lives makes a person a hero. When you lead someone to the Man who died for them, you are saving a life forever. And you become one of heaven's heroes.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 14, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The attempt to make God just in the eyes of sinful men
will always lead to error.
- Pastor William L. Brown
Haunting Sin
And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. - 1 Samuel 9:26
Samuel had been a judge for many years and was yielding to advanced age. Who would lead the people after his death? Like the sons of Eli before him, both of Samuel's sons, Joel and Abiah, had disqualified themselves for they had "turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment" (1 Samuel 8:3). If Israel did not choose a king and Samuel died, anarchy would once again prevail as it had in the days of the judges, when everyone did "that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6).
Besides, without a king Israel was missing out on all the pomp and ceremony that the other royal courts of the ancient Near East enjoyed. While the Jews were wandering nomads, unsettled and without a homeland, they cared little about what other nations did or had. But now they had become firmly established in the Promised Land, and all the surrounding nations had a king. Why not Israel?
In the permissive will of God, Saul was to be that king. The son of Kish, a wealthy and influential Benjamite, Saul, as choice for king, may appear to the untrained eye as a matter of pure chance. Sent by his father to round up some stray donkeys and failing to locate them, Saul decided to appeal to Samuel the prophet for assistance in locating the strays. The day before, God had forewarned Samuel that on the morrow a Benjamite, whom he should anoint to be captain over Israel, would approach him. When Saul arrived, there was little question in the priest's mind about his identity. Blessed with natural graces and talents, not to mention that he was head and shoulders taller than any of the other Jews, Saul was the natural selection for king of Israel. But more than this, in the permissive will of God his was also the supernatural selection. Jehovah had decided to give Israel her wish, for better or for worse, and Saul was His selection for the man who would be king.
As the Benjamite approached Samuel, the word of Jehovah came to the priest and he said, "Behold the man." Led to the banquet chamber of the high place, Saul and his servant were seated above the 30 guests who had assembled there. Samuel instructed the cook to bring the best portion of the meat from the sacrifice and place it before Saul. More than this, something that is rarely done, Samuel invited Saul to stay with him that night and sleep upon the top of the house. They arose early, after communing through the night, and made their way through the city, where Samuel took a vial of oil, poured it upon Saul's head, gave him the kiss of homage and anointed him as captain over the Lord's inheritance, the nation Israel (1 Samuel 9:26).
To live in God's permissive will is but to receive temporary blessing. Saul is one of the great tragic figures of Old Testament history. Although selected by God at the cries of the people, he degenerated into a psychopathic condition in which his powers were sapped and his kingdom was rent from his hands. Rejection, defeat and suicide were the inevitable results.
Perhaps it is a mere coincidence, but it is nonetheless striking that when the priest encountered the man who in God's permissive will would become king of the Jews, he said, "Behold the man" (1 Samuel 9:17). Centuries later, when Pilate encountered the man who in God's perfect will would become King of the Jews, he likewise said, "Behold the man!" (John 19:5). Saul's reign was immediately accepted by the people because he was handsome, and they anticipated he would lead Israel successfully into battle against her enemies. Jesus' reign was immediately rejected by the people, for He had "no form nor comeliness" and He never intended to lead His people victoriously against Israel's enemy. Saul was Israel's choice; Jesus is God's choice. How much better off we are to live in His perfect will rather than to settle for His permissive will.
By Woodrow Kroll
Back To The Bible
www.backtothebible.org
Copyright �2001 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.
November 15, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I have had more trouble with myself than with any other
man I have ever met.
- Dwight L. Moody
How High...How Far?
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:8-12
How high are the heavens above the earth? Are we talking the atmosphere, the stratosphere or the very ends of the universe?
If the heavens are only as high as the outermost level of our atmosphere, then God's love is everywhere we go. Whether walking or talking or eating or sleeping or breathing; we are surrounded by the earth's atmosphere. If God's love spans from the earth to the heavens then there is no where you can go on this earth where you are not literally embraced by his love. There is no where you can go on this earth where you are not enveloped by His love. (Don't say you can go underwater, because another Psalm says that God is there as well! (See Psalm 139)
If "the heavens" includes the whole of the universe (which I believe it does), then God's love for us is as immeasurable as the vastness of the universe.a universe which scientists say is expanding every day. That calls to mind the words of St. Paul when he said "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5:20). God's love for us is not only immeasurable but is expanding every moment of every minute of every day! How far is the east from the west? If you think globally, you might say that the east meets the west somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, like at the International Dateline or something. If you think geometrically, than you would say east and west never meet but go in opposite directions forever and ever.
If east and west ever do meet, they are each 180 degrees from where you are standing at any given time. If God has separated your sin this far from you, then you can rest assured you will never see it again. If east and west never meet but travel in an infinite straight line away from each other, then not only will you never see your sin again; but it is constantly moving farther and farther away from you every moment of every minute of every day!
Is it any wonder that the Psalmist begins this Psalm with: Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits-- Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, O my soul! Praise His holy name!
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org
November 16, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: If Christianity has never frightened us, we have not yet learnt what it is. - William Temple
Keeping In Balance
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. - 1 Peter 5:8 (Amplified Version)
It is very important to maintain balance in all things, for if we don't we open a door for Satan.
One way [to have a good self-image] is by realizing that we have not arrived at perfection, that we have some growing to do, but that in the meantime we are OK. It is true that we have to keep pressing on, but thank God we don't have to hate and reject ourselves while we are trying to get to our destination.
What is a normal, healthy Christian attitude toward self? Here are a few thoughts that reflect that kind of wholesome, God-centered self-image:
1. I know God created me, and He loves me.
2. I have faults and weaknesses, and I want to change. I believe God is working in my life. He is changing me bit by bit, day by day. While He is doing so, I can still enjoy myself and my life.
3. Everyone has faults, so I am not a complete failure just because I am not perfect.
4. I am going to work with God to overcome my weaknesses, but I realize that I will always have something to deal with; therefore, I will not become discouraged when God convicts me of areas in my life that need improvement.
5. I want to make people happy and have them like me, but my sense of worth is not dependent on what others think of me. Jesus has already affirmed my value by His willingness to die for me.
6. I will not be controlled by what people think, say or do. Even if they totally reject me, I will survive. God has promised never to reject me or condemn me as long as I keep believing. (John 6:29)
7. No matter how often I fail, I will not give up, because God is with me to strengthen and sustain me. He has promised never to leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)
8. I like myself. I don't like everything I do, and I want to change --- but I refuse to reject myself.
9. I am right with God through Jesus Christ.
10. God has a good plan for my life. I am going to fulfill my destiny and be all I can be for His glory. I have God-given gifts and talents, and I intend to use them to help others.
11. I am nothing, and yet I am everything! In myself I am nothing, and yet in Jesus I am everything I need to be.
12. I can do all things I need to do, everything that God calls me to do, through His Son Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:13)
Change does not come through struggle, human effort without God, frustration, self-hatred, self-rejection, guilt or works of the flesh.
Change in our lives comes as a result of having our minds renewed by the Word of God. As we agree with God and really believe that what He says is true, it gradually begins to manifest itself in us. We begin to think differently, then we begin to talk differently, and finally we begin to act differently. This is a process that develops in stages, and we must always remember that while it is taking place we can still have the attitude, "I'm OK, and I'm on my way!"
Joyce Meyer
From "How to Succeed at Being Yourself"
� 1999 Life in the Word, Inc.
November 17, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Contempt of material things as such is, in fact, no more
orthodox than pantheism -- it is the great dualist heresy which
always lies in wait for an over-spiritualized Christianity.
- Dorothy L.
Sayers (1893-1957)
Encouraging Word For The Week From Brother Steve
As I write today, my mind is in two places -- where I am and where I would like to be. I'm in the church office writing this on the computer, but I would prefer to be in New Orleans at the annual Louisiana Baptist Convention.
As many of you are aware, my wife hurt her back last Wednesday and has been diagnosed with a bulging disk. Because of her having had two back surgeries in the last two years, I deemed it necessary to be home with her "just in case". I have done the right thing, but not the desired thing.
Prior to this year, I have attended the last six conventions in our state. I have gone to these meeting to represent our church and learn more about the ministry of our Lord on a wider scale. During these times I get to see old friends and renew relationships. I get to broaden my horizons beyond the country roads of our community and stretch myself to see things I can ignore in the cozy confines of our church building.
For me, this double-mindedness will pass tonight after the meeting has adjourned. Lord willing, there will other opportunities and I'll be able to go next time.
However, I realize for many of you, this plurality of mind is not occasional, but it is a constant state of living. You reside in one place, but want to be in another. This isn't just limited to geography. Some of you hate your job. Others regret your marriage. Some live in mourning over poor choices. Many of your dwell on "what could have been, if...".
Personally, I find nothing wrong with wanting to be in two places at once in the short term. This kind of thing happens to everyone from time to time. For instance, there will be occasions when your child has a ball game at 5:00 PM but you don't get off of work early enough to be there. For a few hours, you'll live with regret.
It is when such an attitude becomes chronic that God loses his position of Lordship in my life. When I am continually unhappy with my state of life, this illustrates that I am out of fellowship with God.
Paul's letter to the Philippians is a writing that causes us to do an attitude check. Throughout the four chapters, the author is continuously talking about how he feels about God and others even though he is in jail at its composition. For me, it is Paul's way of saying that our theology is most clearly understood when our future isn't. He communicates that he is very certain about the role of Jesus in his life even though he doesn't have any certainty about when his bad situation will end.
In Philippians 4:11-13, he writes "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
In other words, he learned that the issue wasn't about where he was, but where God was. If God was with him where he was, it didn't matter the location of "where". Frankly, this concept extends to all the "who", "what", "when", and "why" issues of life.
I praise the Lord that I'm writing this to you today. Why? The Lord is here. If He is here, then I'm right where I need to be.
Serving Jesus where I am,
Bro. Steve
First Baptist Church, Doyline, LA
November 18, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all -- doing nothing. - Benjamin Franklin
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"Deadly Baggage"
Hebrews 12:1
She was only 21 years old - but she was well on her way to becoming a superstar. Aaliyah was enjoying huge success with her music, and she was beginning to emerge as an actress with a great future, as well. But that all ended in one awful moment in the Bahamas when the plane carrying her and her crew crashed shortly after takeoff. What made the crash even more tragic was the fact that apparently it was avoidable - at least on the preliminary findings of investigators. The plane had been loaded with something like twice its maximum baggage capacity. And investigators believe that it was all that weight that made that plane go down.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Deadly Baggage."
Too much baggage can cause a plane to crash. In fact, it can make a person crash, too.
When you're carrying around a lot of emotional and spiritual baggage, it can really weigh you down - and make it very hard for you to fly or reach your destination. And these days, a lot of us are carrying around a lot of baggage. That could be what's holding you back - and even making you crash sometimes.
That's one reason that God tells us in Hebrews 12:1, our word for today from the Word of God, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." The truth is that you may actually be hanging onto baggage that hinders you from running, that keeps tripping you up.
Baggage like a grudge you're holding - hard feelings you just keep harboring - resentment that you've allowed to grow instead of letting it go. You've let the "sun go down on your anger" too many times, and the weight of your bitterness is darkening everything around you. A chip on your shoulder starts out weighing a little, but it ends up weighing a lot. The release of forgiving, of making a new beginning with that person is really the only way you can keep from crashing.
It could be that you're dwelling on the pain of your past - which means you're choosing to carry yesterday's pain into this new today. The clear command of God from Isaiah 43:18-19 is to "forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Maybe you're blocking God's new thing by dwelling on the old thing - by not facing that pain, getting whatever help you need to deal with it, and releasing it once and for all. That pain has defined you long enough!
Paul calls us to live like this: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal ..." (Philippians 3:13, 14) It's time to take an honest look at how much baggage you've been carrying around - all of which Jesus has said He would carry for you. But that baggage has made you negative, stressed, angry, way too sensitive - it's weighing you down and it's keeping you from flying. You don't need to be overloaded like this. Unload that baggage - before it makes you crash.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 19, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
The Way It's Supposed To Be
"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:10
I have a friend named Bruce who is a history teacher, and we were having a conversation a few years ago about (what else?) history. Bruce was telling me how his studies had led him to deeply respect and admire the Native Americans. One of the things he spoke extensively on was how "they don't have a religion, but their beliefs permeate their lives." What he was saying is that from the time they wake up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night, everything they do (eat, drink, play, work, etc.) is infused with spirituality. I remember telling Bruce that that's the way Christianity is supposed to be.
I have a friend named Gary, and we were talking on the phone the other night about one of Gary's co-workers who is Jewish. This man was telling Gary that "Judaism isn't like any other religion because it's a 'life-style'---whereas all other religions are just religions". Gary explained to his co-worker that that's the way Christianity is supposed to be. "Thy kingdom come..."
I used to understand the above quote from the Lord's Prayer as referring to the end-times, when Jesus comes back and establishes His eternal Kingdom in the New Jerusalem. It just hit me today (for the first time, I think) that this is also referring to the here and now. Jesus said "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, `Here it is,' or `There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20b-21)
"Your kingdom come" not only refers to Jesus coming back to take us home, but also refers to His gospel being spread throughout the earth and the children of Adam and Eve becoming the children of God. God's kingdom.Jesus' kingdom.begins on this earth, in our hearts as we receive Him as Lord of our lives and live each day acknowledging Him.
Not that there will ever be a true theocracy in this world. There is no worldly government that will allow God to sovereignly rule their land; but God sets up "individual theocracies" in each of our hearts, and we are no longer citizens of this world. Jesus said ".they are not of the world any more than I am of the world." (John 17:14) And the writer of Hebrews says we are "aliens and strangers on this earth.looking for a country of [our] own." (See Hebrews 11 esp. vv. 13-14) And Paul says that we are "Christ's ambassadors" (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
Ambassadors are not citizens of the country they are residing in. They represent another country (read "kingdom") to the people they come in contact with. And so "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." is an appeal for God to work through us to spread His kingdom; that He might set up "individual theocracies" in the hearts of people all over the world. When God by the blood of Jesus Christ makes people's hearts new ("Behold, I make all things new") then they are empowered to do God's will "on earth as it is in heaven".
When God by the blood of Jesus Christ makes our hearts new, Christianity stops being a "religion" and becomes a way of life. Every day we awake we can say "This is the day the Lord has made!" and we can rejoice and be glad in it. Every day we awake we can say "The steadfast love of the Lord hasn't ceased, and His mercies haven't come to an end because they are new every morning; and this is a new morning."
When God by the blood of Jesus Christ makes our hearts new, everywhere we go we see God: in the waving branches of the trees and in the fields of grain blowing in the breeze; in the birds flying overhead and the chattering of the squirrels in our backyard; in the clouds on a clear day and in the clash of the thunderstorm; in the sun in the morning to the sun in the evening to the stars and moon in their courses at night.everywhere we go we see God---and it's not religion anymore but it's reality. It's our life and God isn't something that can be neatly extracted from it without the whole of our lives collapsing.
That's the way Christianity is supposed to be.
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org
November 20, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: By putting off things beyond their proper times, one duty treads upon the heels of another, and all duties are felt as irksome obligations. They are a yoke beneath which we fret and lose our peace. In most cases the consequences of this is that we have no time to do the work as it ought to be done. It is therefore done rashly, with eagerness, with a greater desire simply to get it done that to do it well and with very little thought of God throughout. - Frederick William Faber
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"The Skunk's Not Worth The Smell"
2 Corinthians 7:1
Skunks are kind of cute - but you just don't want to get near them. Humans seem to understand that pretty well. Apparently, some dogs just don't get it. Like the one a pastor friend of mine recently told me about. The dog belongs to a man in his congregation - and somehow his canine companion got into a tangle with one of those striped kitties. Needless to say, the dog reeked! His owner did his best to bathe him thoroughly. But the smell was still so strong that, before it was over, literally the poor man got so sick in the night that he literally had to go to the hospital!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Skunk's Not Worth The Smell."
I don't care what reason anyone or anything has for getting close to a skunk - it just is not worth the smell. There's this lasting stench of touching what you never should have gotten near in the first place. But for many of us who would never touch a skunk, we are living with the stinking after-effects of touching something we should never should have touched. And it could be that you're still involved with a person, an activity, an influence, maybe a habit that you just don't want to let go of. But it's fouling the air of your life and probably the lives of people close to you.
The Bible commands us to identify the things in our life that are having a contaminating effect - and it tells us what to do with them. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, our word for today from the Word of God, God says, "Since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
Clean yourself up, in other words, from the contaminators in your life. The reason God gives is "since we have these promises." Now, what are those promises? Well, they immediately precede this verse in 2 Corinthians 6 which tells us that, if we belong to Jesus, we are "the temple of the living God" and we are "sons and daughters" of "the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:16, 18) In other words, "Do you realize who you are? The most holy God lives in you, man! You are a prince or princess in the family of the King of kings. Live like it!" God's conclusion is: "Touch no unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:17) ... purify yourselves from everything that contaminates."
There may be some stuff in your life that a temple, a child of God should not be touching. It may be what you watch - it may be some of the music you listen to - it may be the negative talk or the gossip that just keeps polluting you. The "skunk" could be a person who is contaminating you spiritually - stuff on the Internet - a grudge you won't let go of - a relationship that's gotten way too physical. The Holy Spirit of God, who lives in you, is probably making you feel uneasy inside right now about the things you're touching that make Him feel uncomfortable.
The stench of handling what stinks spiritually reaches a long way - the guilt, the people who are hurt, the feelings of defeat and unworthiness, the damage to a reputation, the damage to a relationship, the distance between you and your Savior, the powerlessness because God can't bless His contaminated child.
The things that stink in your life may very well be ultimately because of the sin you've been hanging onto. Let this be the day you go to Jesus for His forgiving and for His cleansing. Let this be the day you walk away from those things you just can't afford to touch.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 21, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Neither say nor do anything displeasing to your neighbor, and if you have been lacking in charity, seek his forgiveness, or speak to him with gentleness. Speak always with mildness and in a low tone of voice. - Lorenzo Scupoli
Precious Deaths
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. - Psalms 116:15
The Bible often speaks of death as a requirement of living a life in Christ. This death is not a physical death, but a spiritual death. It is a death of the old so the new can be raised. It is the life of Christ that is raised in us. However, this death can be painful if we do not choose to willingly allow this "circumcision of heart" to have its way. If we are not circumcised of heart, we do not enter into God's promises. Moses was called to deliver a people from slavery. But when he was about to return to Egypt to begin what God called Him to do, God almost killed him. He had failed to take care of the details of obedience. In this case, it was that all the males in his family were to be circumcised. This oversight on Moses' part almost cost him his life. Imagine that-God prepared a man 40 years, and yet, he was almost disqualified because of an oversight. "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it..." (Exodus 4:24).
None of us will ever enter the Promised Land of full blessing with God unless we have this same circumcision of heart. The psalmist above accurately describes the process of circumcising the heart.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have freed me from my chains (Psalm 116:15-16).
We cannot be free to be God's servant until this death takes place in each of us. When this death takes place, we become free-free from the chains of sin that held us back from becoming completely His. Oh, what freedom there is when this death takes place. No longer are we held to the sin of materialism, fear, self-effort, or anxiety; for we are dead to these things.
The Bible speaks of the seed that must die in order for it to spring up and give new life.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:24-25).
Each of us must ask the Lord if our seed has died. Is it in the ground now, yielding the fruit of brokenness before Him? This is the great paradox of a life in Christ-the circumcision of heart and the death process. Ask God to free you to become all that He wants you to be today.
By Os Hillman
Copyright � 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.
http://spiritual.crosswalk.com
November 22, 2001
Thanksgiving Day
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices. - Martin Rinkart
Now Thank We All Our God
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
The words of Now Thank We All Our God were penned during the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648, a war that historians believe to be the most awful time of human suffering ever recorded in history.
When Martin Rinkart saw the ground of his German hometown soaked with the blood of warring Protestants and Catholics, he ministered to his countrymen. When ten million fellow Germans were killed, he wrote these words:
Oh may this bounteous God through all our life be near to us, With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us.
How could a hymn of such great thanksgiving be born in the midst of such extreme devastation? Thankfulness can only be expressed by the heart that has made the choice to be thankful. In other words, gratitude is not situational; it is intentional.
Do you look at God this holiday season and ask Him, "Lord, how can I be thankful now?" God's greatest triumph can and often will be in the moment of our darkest hour. Choose thankfulness, even when it may be the most difficult option. As Rinkart's hymn confirms, we can have gratitude and confidence despite circumstances.
Recommended reading: Psalm 107
By David Jeremiah
Turning Point
www.turningpointonline.org
Copyright 2001; Turning Point For God
November 23, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Where then is our God? You say, "He is everywhere"; then show me anywhere that you have met Him. You declare Him everlasting; then tell me any moment that He has been with you. You believe Him ready to help those who are tempted and to lift those who are bowed down; then in what passionate hour did you subside into His calm grace? In what sorrow did you lose yourself in His "more exceeding" (2 Cor. 4:17) joy? These are the testing questions by which we may learn whether we, too, have raised our altar to an "unknown God" (Acts 17:23) and pay the worship of the blind, or whether we commune with Him in whom "we live, and move, and have our being." - James Martineau
A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
"Just One Password"
Acts 4:12
My friend Stan was having some new computer systems installed in his office. In the course of their work, the installers asked him what his password was. Well, in order to understand his answer, you need to know that Stan has experienced a dramatic life change because of something that happened to him spiritually a few years ago. He told the computer guys, "My password is 'Jesus.'" Needless to say, they weren't ready for that one. One of them said, "So you can't get in without Jesus?" My friend smiled and replied, "Exactly."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Just One Password."
"You can't get in without Jesus." That's not just my friend's computer systems. That's you and me going to heaven.
The ultimate object of every religion is that we might end up with eternal life. The ultimate hope of every religious person is that they will make it to heaven when they die. But heaven is God's place. And we can only get there God's way.
In Acts 4:12, our word for today from the Word of God, He makes that way very clear. Speaking of Jesus, He says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Notice the "life-or-deathness" of the words God chooses - "salvation" and "saved." Well, those are words about a rescuer - getting us out of a deadly situation. He says that's Jesus. Our eternal problem is that there is a spiritual death penalty for us running our own lives, for all the things we've done our way instead of God's way. And just as if we were trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building or drowning, our only hope is a Rescuer. And thank God, He sent one. But only one.
This isn't about the superiority of one religion over another - it's about the availability of only one Savior from the penalty of our sin. No one else even claimed to pay that death penalty for us. And that's our only hope of heaven, because we can't get into heaven with our sin - and only the One who paid for our sin can remove it. If a religion could get us to God, take your pick. But it's a Savior we need - and only Jesus paid the price to be that.
So the sobering reality is this: if you're depending on anything or anyone other than Jesus to get you to heaven, you're not going to make it. Even if your religion is all about Jesus, that's not enough. It's about you totally depending on Jesus to forgive your sin and get you to heaven. The question is: has there ever been a time in your life when you have explicitly told Jesus that you're putting your total trust in Him and what He did on the cross for you? If not, this could be that time.
Please - don't risk another day without knowing you belong to Jesus Christ. If you want to begin your personal relationship with Him, why don't you tell Him that right where you are (and please - let us know, too!)
There is no greater sense of peace. There's no greater sense of security than to know that you are going to heaven when you die. You can know that today - because you've trusted Jesus to take you there.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
www.gospelcom.net/rhm/
Copyright (c) 2001, Ron Hutchcraft.
November 24, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Give free and bold play to those instincts of the heart
which believe that the Creator must care for the creatures He has made, and that the only real effective care for them must be that which takes each of them into His love. Knowing that He loves, He separately surrounds it with His separate sympathy. There is not one life that the Life-giver ever loses out of His sight. There is not one who sins so that He casts it away. There is not one
who is not so near to Him that whatever touches this person touches Him with
sorrow or with joy.
- Phillips Brooks
Inside / Outside
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." - Matthew 23:25-28
"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make you `unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make you `unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make you `unclean.'" - Matthew 15:18-20
These verses make a lot of sense to anyone who has children or has ever done any serious baby-sitting. My kids are great at drinking half a cup of milk and then leaving the cup in some inconspicuous place where it won't be found for days, weeks or even months.and when it is found you wish you had never found it! Kid-created cheese in a cup. Yuckkkk!
Can you imagine pouring your favorite soft drink into that cup and drinking it without washing it first? Eeewwww! Can you imagine taking that cup to the sink and washing off the outside, leaving all that cheesy yuck on the inside, and then drinking out of it? Eeewwww---I think I'm going to hurl!
There are an awful lot of religious folks who are like my kids' "cup o' cheese": we can wash and wash and wash and wear the nicest clothes money can buy, but that doesn't change who we are on the inside.
Have you ever noticed that when a suspect is in court he or she is always dressed in a suit and tie or a nice dress? The person on trial could be a gang member accused of shooting children, or a kid accused of killing his parents, or a child molester even.but they're always dressed like the top executive in a company: nice hair cut, nice clothes, clean, serious. What would happen if they dressed the way they were dressed when they committed their particular crime (assuming they didn't commit it wearing a suit or a dress!)?? Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! ---Right?
None of us can really see what's inside of other people, so I'm not encouraging you to judge anyone but yourself. You know what's inside of you.I know what's inside of me.and God knows what's inside of all of us. God cannot be fooled. I can put on a pretty good front and fool you and you can probably put on a pretty good front and fool me---but God cannot be fooled! He knows the yuck that's in each of our hearts and He says if we want to be "clean" then that yuck has to come out of our hearts.and there's only one way to wash our insides:
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9)
God promises us:
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.you will be My people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:25-28)
So are you clean inside and out, or do you just look clean? Do you want to be clean.really, really clean? Go to God and claim the blood of Jesus Christ. His death was planned way in advance of your sins, and you can be sure Jesus' blood covers everything wrong you've ever done and even the wrongs you haven't dreamed of yet. His blood has paid your debt in full.
Do you judge others by how they look on the outside? Think twice before you pass judgement on someone who doesn't look the way you think a Christian should look: I've known wolves in sheep's clothing; but thank God I've also had the opportunity to meet sheep in wolves clothing!
Paul says "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision [nor anything else for that matter - GZ] means anything; what counts is a new creation." (Galatians 6:14-15)
God can clean our hearts, and God wants to make everything new. You don't need to put on a front for Him: Just come to Him as you are and by faith receive His love, His mercy and forgiveness; and you will be clean!
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org
November 25, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Ah, if you knew what peace there is in an accepted sorrow! - Madame Jeanne Guyon
Is God's Will My Will?
"This is the will of God, your sanctification . . ." - 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me -- is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and to let His life be exhibited in my human flesh? (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Beware of saying, "Oh, I am longing to be sanctified." No, you are not. Recognize your need, but stop longing and make it a matter of action. Receive Jesus Christ to become sanctification for you by absolute, unquestioning faith, and the great miracle of the atonement of Jesus will become real in you.
All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). It is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8). He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification. No wonder Paul said that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).
Sanctification makes me one with Jesus Christ, and in Him one with God, and it is accomplished only through the magnificent atonement of Christ. Never confuse the effect with the cause. The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ.
Oswald Chambers from 'My Utmost for His Highest'.
You can read My Utmost for His Highest online at
www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost
November 26, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: By getting caught up in the day-to-day details, we sometimes lose sight of where we want to be going. - G. Lynne Snead
Paneled Houses
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" - Haggai 1:4
There is a crisis of grand proportions in the spiritual house of God today. The moral fiber of our world has eroded. Greed, idolatry, and pleasure are the gods of our day. And it is no different in the Body of Christ.
The prophet Haggai wrote about a people who had lost concern for the need to build God's house because they were so focused on their own worldly needs. It is a dangerous place to get with God. When our world begins to focus around increasing our pleasure, building bigger and better homes, and failing to make what is important to God important in our own lives, this should be a warning to us.
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," He said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers' " (Matthew. 21:12-13).
Jesus came into Jerusalem and found the businesspeople buying and selling in the temple. As far as they knew, this was an acceptable practice in their day. Their fathers did it, and now they were doing it. It was business as usual. Jesus got angry, turned over the tables, and said that His house was a house of prayer. He found the businesspeople of the day seeing His house as a place for profit, not prayer. They had stepped into a place of complacency that was not acceptable to the Lord. When we begin to blend in with the moral condition of an ungodly world, we begin losing God's perspective on life.
It is easy to begin blending in with our culture and to accept what is being modeled by the ungodly. God called us to be salt in a world that needs much salt. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matthew 5:13). Each of us must ask ourselves if we have lost our salt. Are we having an impact on our world? Or is our world having an impact on us? Ask God to give you a vision for how you can be salt to your world today.
By Os Hillman
http://spiritual.crosswalk.com
November 27, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: We should never be afraid of might and force; what we should really fear is success and good days. These are quite likely to do us more harm than anxiety and persecution. We should also not be afraid of the wisdom and cleverness of the world. This can do us no harm. The more the wisdom of the world opposes the truth of the Gospel, the purer and clearer the truth becomes. - Martin Luther
Are You Empty or Full?
Think about this for a minute:
The Creator of the Universe used to reside in a tent (Exodus 26:1-37), and then Solomon built the first temple (1 Kings 6:1-38)...but it was still a temporary dwelling for an Eternal Being. (The temple was destroyed, and then re-built 2 times; and destroyed again.) Now the Holy Spirit dwells in jars of clay (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 & 6:19, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, 6:16b) that being me and you ... not the band. (Although I believe He dwells in each of them as well.)
What a trip. It's like the bottle of pure nard that was broken and poured onto Jesus' feet (John 12:1-8)....the bottle itself had little value, but what was inside was of great value. So it is with us. What we are on the outside matters very little compared to what's on the inside. And no matter how pretty the package, if the inside is empty than the outside is worthless.
What do you look like on the outside? Does it really matter? What's going on inside? That's what really matters!
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God." 1 Peter 1:23 This body shall waste away, but what's on the inside will last forever...
Gary Zanow
The Grace Cyber Cafe
www.new-mercies.org
November 28, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: It's not life that counts but the fortitude you bring into it. - John Galsworthy
Treasures More Precious than Gold You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. - 1 Peter 1:18-19
In Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," a wealthy father has prepared three chests--one of gold, one of silver, and one of lead. Into one of them he has placed a picture of his daughter. The suitor who on the basis of clues chooses the right chest gets to marry the daughter, Portia. The prince of Morocco chose the golden one, and the prince of Aragon the silver one. Both lost. But Bassanio, unaware of how the others have guessed, chooses the lead casket (as hinted at by Portia) and wins her hand. He loved a person, not a precious metal.
Shakespeare then observes, "All that glitters is not gold." The same is true of other precious metals and gems -- and of life itself. A lame man at the temple gate in Jerusalem asked for alms. Peter told him, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk" (Acts 3:6). The love of God which sent Jesus Christ into the world to heal all people from the sickness of sin -- and in this instance to affect also a physical cure -- is of far greater worth than all the silver and gold in the world.
You can make your own list of human values that exceed the value of treasure chests of gems and jewels. Money cannot comfort you, but a friend can. All the gold in Fort Knox is no substitute for the love of a husband, wife, father, mother, or child. All the millions and billions of dollars of a rich man cannot bring him peace with God, cannot open heaven. But faith in Christ can. Therefore, Peter tells people that through suffering and trials they have come to appreciate "your faith -- of greater worth than gold" (1 Peter 1:7). These riches can be yours!
PRAYER: Lord God, grant me the treasures of faith and love to share with people around me. Amen.
Taken from "Each Day with Jesus"
Copyright 1994, Concordia Publishing House
November 29, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: We take nothing to the grave with us, but a good or evil conscience... It is true, terrors of conscience cast us down; and yet without terrors of conscience we cannot be raised up again. - Samuel Rutherford (1632)
Never Give Up!
Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. - Galatians 6:9
As Hitler was mounting his attack against England during World War II, Winston Churchill was asked to speak to a group of discouraged Londoners. He uttered an eight-word encouragement: "Never give up! Never, never, never give up!"
There will be times when you'll be discouraged in your Christian walk, but you must never, never, never give up. If nothing else, your struggle against sin will cause you to turn to God again and again and cling to Him in your desperation.
In his book The Fight, John White writes, "It is the man or woman who gets up and fights again that is the true warrior . . . . Strengthen yourself with a powerful draught of the wine of Romans 8:1-4. Then get back into the fight before your muscles get stiff!"
What's required is dogged endurance, keeping at the task of obedience through the ebbs and flows, ups and downs, victories and losses in life. It is trying again, while knowing that God is working in you to accomplish His purposes (Philippians 1:6; 2:13). It is persistently pursuing God's will for your life till you stand before Him and your work is done.
God is wonderfully persistent too. He will never, never, never give up on you!
O Lord, You are faithful and always will be,
You never give up on working with me;
So as I am striving to serve You each day,
Help me to follow Your will and Your way. - Fitzhugh
Perseverance can tip the scales from failure to success.
Read: Galatians 6:6-10
Our Daily Bread
www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/
�2001 RBC Ministries-Grand Rapids, MI 49555
November 30, 2001
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Do not run to this and that for comfort when you are in trouble, but bear it. Be uncomfortably quiet. Be uneasily silent. Be patiently unhappy. - James Pierrepoint Greaves
Fruitful Suffering
..."It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." - Genesis 41:52
Joseph named his second son Ephraim. Ephraim was given to him after he had been delivered from his suffering of 13 years. Joseph said that he named him this because God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. Ephraim means "twice fruitful."
Joseph was fruitful in two instances. He was fruitful during his time of adversity and in his prosperity. When God brings us into a time of suffering, it can be a fruitful time. It's rare for us to see the fruit during the suffering period. But know that the roots are going deep into the spiritual soil of our soul because of our pressing in to God during our time of suffering. This is producing a work in our character that cannot be seen until it finishes the process. Such was the case for Joseph.
It was not until several years after such a time of suffering that I began to see the fruit of the trials that the Lord allowed me to experience. How grateful I am to understand some of the "why" that has led to a new life in Him that I would never have had without this period.
Samson had great anointing but lacked character. We see many today who have great anointing yet lack character. But God is raising up Josephs who not only have great anointing for these days but also great character. Suffering produces character.
If you find yourself in a time of suffering, now is the time to press into God. Let your roots grow deeper. Whenever there is a famine, tree roots are forced to drive deeper into the soil to find water. These times are designed to create such a deep-rooted faith that our natures will be changed forever.
By Os Hillman
http://spiritual.crosswalk.com