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The Difference is the Soil
The Difference is the Soil
(Mar 4:24 BBE) And he said to them, Take care what you give ear to: in the same measure as you give you will get, and more will be given to you. This morning we continue our series on the "Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping." Now that we have discussed this sower that went forth to sow, let's move further along in the story. Jesus went on to explain the different types of soil to the crowd in general and then further explained the parable to His disciples in private. He explained that the farmer sows the word and that there will be different types of people in the earth that receive the Word. Some will be like the soil by the side of the road that receive the seed, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes it away. Others are like the rocky soil. These people hear the word and immediately rejoice. They get happy, but since they have no root, they quickly burn out. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others are like the thorny ground. These people hear the word, but they allow the worries of this life to choke it and to make it unfruitful in their lives. And finally others are like good soil. These people - which I hope you fall into this category - hear the Word in faith, they accept it and it produces a harvest in their lives; some thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. Take careful note that this story started off with "one" sower. This sower went forth to sow seed in the earth. He sowed the same seed in every situation, but the results were different. What caused the difference? Was it the sower? No! Was it the seed? No! Was it how it treated each soil? No! The singular difference in every case was the soil itself. God does not play favorites. He does not want to bless one and ignore another. He desires to save and prosper us all, but many refuse to allow the seed of the Word of God to produce a harvest in their lives. This is not God's fault, but ours. The Word works if you work the Word! Our text teaches us that we need to be careful what we receive. The more receptive we are to the Word of God, the more we will get and the greater the harvest will be in our lives. So what does this mean to you today? A few things: 1. Understand that the Word of God is an incorruptible seed. 2. Understand that this seed can produce a harvest in anyone's life, but they must be willing to receive the seed and allow it to work in them. 3. When we receive the Word of God by faith, and then apply it to our lives, we are allowing the seed to bring forth Godly fruit. 4. If we are not experiencing a harvest, it is not because there is something wrong with the seed. 5. The difference between a person growing in God and experiencing the harvest and a person just barely getting by and not growing at all is the soil, not the seed. If you do not like what you are harvesting, it may be time to check the soil! Confession for this day: Lord God. I receive the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. I am good soil and receive that seed by faith. It brings forth fruit in my life. Sometimes thirty, sometimes sixty, and other times a hundred times what was sown. I allow the Word of God to change me and to shape my character. I am the good soil and I receive a Godly harvest. In Jesus' name. Amen! |
Are you going through a painful time in your life? Have you just
gone through a storm? Do you see relief in sight? Is there a cure for your pain? The Pain Reliever... There is a Pain Reliever that is available to all who seek. You do not need a prescription. You do not have to buy it over the counter. You do not have to put it up your nose. You do not have to drink it. You do not have to cry to get it. All it takes to get your Pain Reliever is to call on the name of Jesus. No other name is able to make hell tremble. When you call on the name of Jesus from the depths of your soul you will receive instant Pain Relief. Jesus is all you have ever needed and all you will ever need in life. Those prescriptions, illegal substances, liquors, and crying spells are unnecessary when you get a hold of Jesus. You see He will cure whatever you need help with. One of the hardest things for many of us to do is to realize that we are truly in pain. If you are abusing a substance it is to hide a pain. Guess what? Once you clean your system the problem still exists, but if you call on Jesus He will bring your healing. You will realize that you can enjoy life sober. You can enjoy life without always having to be high. How much of your life have you truly missed because you were under the influence of everything else except Jesus? Try Jesus today. Life does still go on when you accept Jesus. There is some misconception that you have to stop living once you give Jesus a try. This is not true, you just learn to dance to a different, yet better beat. So today know that Jesus is your Pain Reliever. Whatever storm you face does have a guaranteed relief. If you take one step toward Jesus, He will move you one more step away from your addiction. You must make the first step. Walking with Jesus is a little painful at first because we all have some habits that need to be broken, but what an outcome when you have gotten past those things in life. And therefore remember For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. |
had to share this with everyone this is well, something awesome! It is strong! hope you all will appreciate it. Turn the sound up just a little. It just adds to the impact of it.
click on the link below http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm |
On another note, I would also like to take this time to drop some scriptures that is helping me through my time of waiting. I pray it can be encouraging and helpful to you as well.
(Matt. 21:22): And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (*note*- the key in this scripture is BELIEVING. How can you expect to receive anything from the Lord if you don't first believe? Whatever you're going through, whatever whirlwind you're in, give it over to the Lord. Ask Him for guidance, BELIEVING that He'll see you through and guess what? It SHALL be done.) (Ps. 37:5): Committ thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. (*note* - Do all you do in the name of the Lord. So many times, we can get caught up in ourselves and start looking at everything WE'VE done when in actuality, it was all the Lord. In everything you do, give thanks to the Lord. When you follow Him, everything you desire will come to pass.) (Romans 8:25): But if we hope for that we see not, then do we, with patience, wait for it. (*note* - Another scripture that corelates to this one is Heb. 11:1, which says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." My goodness, when you're praising God for what He's already done, whether it's come to pass or not, just think of how blessed you're going to be. Start claiming things you want in Jesus' name. If it's for you and if it's in His will, it will be done. Start praising Him for it NOW!!) (James 1: 3-4): 3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4) But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (*note* - We know that through life we will be tried by the fire, but understand that in all things we are more than conquerers through Him that loved us. Your faith and patience will be tested. There's no doubt about it. When you're living your life for Christ, it's the devil's job to keep you down. It's his job to keep you from doing the Lord's will. But when you let that faith and patience be tried, and you stand back up even when you're knocked down through it all, the devil has been defeated and you are well on your way to receiving more of what God has for you. You will want for NOTHING once you give all your worries and strains over to the Lord.) I hope this has encouraged you on this day and I pray that all you do is to the glory of the Lord. Have a blessed day!! :) |
success is a byproduct of your struggles
Every great invention came behind the struggles of many failures. If
you never try then you will never know if you can make it. How can you tell your success story if you never find out what you are successful at in life? Success is a byproduct of your struggles. So often in life we never want to associate struggles with the will of God. This is not true. Struggles are sometimes His will. If you never struggle then how would you know what it is to move to your next level? If you never struggle then how would know the Omnipotence of God? If you never struggle then how would know that God will be your strong tower? If you never struggled... To trust God is to know God. To know God is to understand His nature. To know God's nature is to understand that He would never put more on you than you can bear. To understand that He would never put more on you means that you understand that struggles are sometimes His will. If you decided today that nothing would ever turn you from trusting and believing God then you would begin to understand that your struggles are all a part of God's master plan for your life. If He has masterminded the plan, then surely you already have the victory. Who would mastermind their own defeat? Not the awesome God that we serve. Not the God who knew you before you were ever formed in your mother's womb. Not the God who sat on His hands as His only begotten Son said that He would bear all the sins of this world for us. He knew your struggles, but He sat back calmly because He already knew your ending. He is Alpha and Omega. So today know that your success is a byproduct of your struggles. Sometimes in life you have to struggle in order that you may be prepared for your next level in God. Your struggles are only temporary, but your victory is eternal. Therefore be like Job today and declare Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15 |
"Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness." Shakti Gawain
"No one may know what you are going through right now. No one may know how many times you continued to get up even when you didn't have the strength. No one may know how many times you said "no" to the enemy of temptation, suicide or addiction. Maybe no one heard you speak up to your bill collector or when you were disrespected by a family member, friend or co-worker. No one may know how many times you have prayed for help just for the hour. So often your bravest faith-walking times will happen without a witness. You will experience private moments of victory without applause, points, a hug or a pat on the back. But God sees you and hears you. You are growing everyday in courage, action and faith. Acknowledge your progress and walk through your valley of fear confident with the whole armor of God, the belt of truth, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. The following beautiful song is a reminder... "When you walk through a storm Keep your chin up high And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown, walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone, you'll never walk alone." ~ Jewel Diamond Taylor "If you are in harmony with yourself, you can meet a lion without fear. He respects anyone with self-confidence." ~ Nelson Mandela "Each of us should do something every day that we do not want to do but we know we should do, to strengthen our backbone and put iron in our soul. " --- Henry Hitt Crane |
Why Men Won't Lead
By Brad Winsted by Faith Online - Men often fail to lead in the home because of their own lack of personal purity. I Thessalonians 4:1-9 underlines the need for moral cleanliness. And we know from the Sermon on the Mount, that those who harbor impure hearts will not "see God" (Matthew 5:8). And it is, with those thoughts in mind, that we consider the "Christian marriage" of an absentee father, John, and an unfulfilled mother, Mary. They are Christians who grew up in Christian homes, yet neither saw transparent living from their spiritually reserved parents. And neither was given clear biblical reasons about how they should avoid impure thoughts, fantasies, and sexually explicit media. Neither was encouraged to build accountable friendships, nor did they ever see the means of Christian grace lived out before them: confession, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. In college, John and Mary fell in love and became engaged. And shortly afterward, they became sexually active. They'd be married soon, they figured, "so what the heck." Mary wanted to please John, and John enjoyed Mary's favors. But after their sexual encounters their spiritual and emotional oneness was overtaken by lust for one another. Still, they looked forward to marriage. But now, a few years down the road, the unexpected has happened. Mary feels exploited, and John feels guilty. They're not becoming "one in spirit" nor do they relate emotionally. Mary doesn't enjoy sex the way she did before marriage, and they've become distant from one another. She puts her energies into the home and the children. He excels in business. Yet, a deep longing for intimacy goes unfulfilled. Mary wishes that John would take a more active role with the family. And John is troubled by his sexual fantasies—they make it awkward to talk about intimate things with Mary. And he feels rejected by her because she doesn't respond to him sexually. Burdened by guilt, he's no longer willing to lead Mary or the children spiritually. For the last 30 years every head of every home has grown up in an anything-goes culture that made pre-marital sex, pornography, and sexual exploitation the norm. As a result, unconfessed sins have wreaked havoc with our spiritual walk and emotional intimacy with our spouses. I Thessalonians 4 tells us that, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that each of you would learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother (or girlfriend and future wife) or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." As we read these words we know, intuitively, that most men continue to live with impure thoughts and unconfessed sins. Consequently, there's been no forgiveness or restoration. And married life is far less than God meant it to be. Of course, God through Jesus offers us a way to be restored if we confess our sins. He brings us to that point where we "ruthlessly" allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind areas where we have failed our wives. But the pain of dredging up past sins is hard, so we remain estranged and unable to lead. What should the church do? Husbands need transparent models in order to see that they're not alone in their sexual temptations. Therefore, pastors must confess their own struggles with sexual impurity. It is embarrassing, so no one talks about it. But that's exactly why, with good judgment, we must talk about it—probably with other elders we trust. A broad public confession would be counterproductive, but we need to do more than confess to ourselves. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer points out in Life Together, that amounts to nothing more than self-absolution. If men live with unconfessed sexual sin they will never be spiritual leaders in their homes. They will not give themselves sacrificially to their wives or children, and they will not be able to cleanse their family with God's Word because they have not been cleansed themselves. Before men can lead at home, they must first be led to repentance. Brad Winsted is the Director of Children's Ministry International. CMI produces Reformed educational material for churches, schools, and homes: www.childministry.com |
Subject: Be Encouraged Today. Your help is in the Lord.
God is so amazing and wonderful. So, close your eyes and let Him take you on the path He has prepared for you. Today, let's walk by faith and not by sight as we trust Him. But Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 Do you believe this? That God can do all things? What about the situations that seem impossible, do you think God can handle it? What about your financial issues, do you think God can provide for you? What about the report the doctor gave you, do you think God can heal you? What about the family members that are not saved, do you think that God can save them? I think we all would say YES verbally but do we really believe it in our hearts? We look through our human eyes and forget that God has a vision that does not compare to ours. He sees everything, past, present and future, because He knows the outcome already. He walks ahead of us and guides us. He knows the answers. He knows the time it will come to pass. He knows how to fix it and what is needed to do so. All we need to do is trust Him and BELIEVE that it is done according to His riches. So, what in your life right now, are you having to rely completely on God for? Are you believing in faith or are you dragging your feet and doubting all the way? Friends let me tell you this, God is very big and very powerful. After all He created the universe. So, I believe it is safe to say that we can close our eyes and hold out our hands to Him as we ask God to guide us and take care of the problems that are plaguing us. You know what, if you do it, HE WILL. I know, what your thinking....... I've prayed and prayed but the answer never seems to come. I want you to STOP this right now. Stop looking through your human eyes, instead look through God's eyes. Hold onto the promise that He has made especially for you and your situation. Find it in the bible. It's there. Then repeat it and claim it as your own. God will honor it, after all He is not a man that He should lie. He honors ALL of His promises. Yes, even yours. Just hold onto it. If you need help in finding a promise for your situation, email me. I will help you find one. When we hold God's hand and trust Him, He will not let us fall. You will not walk blindly into walls. You will not stumble and get lost. Why? Because He promises to never leave or forsake us. When you allow God to guide your every step, you allow amazing things to happen. So let Him. Let God take you to amazing places. Let Him show you how big and awesome He really is. Be encouraged. Author- Jeanette Confused? What Does God Say? Free Bible Lessons! http://www.hopetalk.org |
Thanks CT4 for allowing God to use you to speak to a situation going on with me right now. :)
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How Do You Respond To God's Cutting Truth?
How Do You Respond To God's Cutting Truth?
"Truth strips them of their vices, sacrifices their idols, darts its lightnings against their easily besetting sins and absolutely requires a conformity to a crucified Christ." - Adam Clarke Are you turning away your ears from God's Cutting Truth? Answer these questions to find out - How do you respond to Truth that "strips you of your vices," demands the "sacrificing of your idols," "darts its lightnings against your easily besetting sins, " and "absolutely requires a conformity to a crucified Christ"? Just how passionately are you hanging on to the "vices," "idols," and "pet sins" in your life? Do you find it highly offensive, repulsive, annoying, or even disgusting to be required to "conform" to a "crucified Christ" Who demands a "death blow" to your will and way? How important is it to have "ears to hear"? The Scriptures say much about the ears and hearing. To be able to hear with attention or interest, listen to, give heed to, yield to, and obey the Scriptures is a great blessing. In fact, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 13:16 - "But blessed are...your ears, for they hear." Deuteronomy 29:4 - We see from the Scriptures that "the hearing ear" comes from the Lord - "Yet the Lord hath not given you...ears to hear..." Proverbs 20:12 - "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them." Psalm 78:1 - The "hearing ear" listens to and is obedient to God's law - "Give ear...to My law..." It is bent or stretched out towards His promises and commands - "...incline your ears to the words of My mouth." Proverbs 4:20 - It pays attention to His utterances - "My son, attend to My words..." So basically we can explain an "hearing ear" by three simple commands - "Give ear... to My law"; "Incline your ears to the words of my mouth"; "attend to My words." The "hearing ear" is sensitive to God's Word and obeys it. Two Scriptures that depict it are found in the Book of Proverbs - Proverbs 15:31 - "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise." Proverbs 13:1 - "A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke." The "hearing ear" is one that listens to correction...gives heed to reproof and rebuke...and receives all punishment and chastisement from the Lord. It "heareth the reproof of life." In a wise son, it hears the Father's instruction - which includes all the checks and restraints...rebukes and reproofs...correction and instruction that come from his heart. Are all of God's children "wise" sons and daughters? Do they all hearken to His commands as outlined in His Word? Do they all "hear" His chiding and reproof? No, Proverbs 13:1 tells us that "...A scorner heareth not rebuke." These are those who are arrogant boasters and mockers of "harsh" or corrective words from the Lord. 2 Timothy 4:3 tells us about those who have "itching ears." They are desirous of hearing "pleasant" things from the Lord. They want "smooth" words which conform to their carnal wishes and feelings - the kind of instruction that will allay their restless and uneasy sinful desires. 2 Timothy 4:4 tells us about those who "turn away their ears from the Truth" and turn them unto fables and falsehoods. Adam Clarke's Commentary so explicitly tells us what God's Holy Word actually does - "Truth strips them of their vices, sacrifices their idols, darts its lightnings against their easily besetting sins and absolutely requires a conformity to a crucified Christ." These kind of people - mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:4 - do not want this kind of Truth. In fact, they have gone so far as to "change the truth of God into a lie"(Romans 1:25). They have turned away their ears from such piercing Truth to believe any kind of "nonsense" that comes under the label of "Christian" or "God." Lastly, Proverbs 28:9 tells us about those who turn away their ears from hearing the Law. They will not read the Bible nor expose themselves to any hard-hitting, sin-exposing, or plain-truth messages from the Scriptures - "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." John 10:27 says - "My sheep hear My voice..." Nonetheless, Hebrews 3:15 warns - "...TO DAY IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS..." Even though we are God's children and hear His voice, there are times when He speaks things to us that we do not like to hear. The temptation presents itself to become stubborn or obstinate to His command. The Scriptures abound with example after example of times when the Father cried unto Israel - His people - and they would not hear. Psalm 81:11 tells us - "But My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me." They were supposedly God's sheep, yet they would not give heed to His Word. They did not like His terms and refused to be ruled by His commands. "Israel would none of Me." What does this mean? They refused or rejected God - did not incline their ear to Him...worship Him...find satisfaction in Him...were no longer attached to Him or cleaving to Him as their All-in-All. Other Scriptures which demonstrate this resistance to God's commands are as follows - Proverbs 1:30 - "They would none of my counsel..." Proverbs 1:25 - They "...would none of My reproof." Psalm 81:11 - "...Israel would none of Me." Ezekiel 20:8 - "...they rebelled against Me, and would not hearken unto Me..." Zechariah 7:11 - "...they refused to hearken...and stopped their ears, that they should not hear." In Jeremiah 13:10, God called them "...evil people, which refuse to hear My words..." We can hear the Father's cry of anguish for all of His children in Psalm 81:13 - "Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways!" He desires for us to have an "hearing ear" - one that pays attention to His Word and obeys it. He desires that we receive His checks and restraints - rebukes and reproofs - upon our lives. After all, Revelation 3:19 tells us - "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten..." He does not cater to our whims and fancies. Today, if we hear His voice speaking to us, we must be careful not to harden our hearts against Him because it is not what we like or want to hear. Job 9:4 - Let's remember the admonitions found in the Book of Job - "...who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?" Revelation 2:7 - and the Book of Revelation - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith..." And let's be sure to always make this our earnest plea - Lord Jesus, grant unto us an "hearing ear" and - at all events - keep us from hardness of heart. Connie www.walkingintruth.org Connie Giordano P. O. Box 383016 Duncanville, TX. 75138-3016 Copyright 2004 by Connie Giordano This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm |
NEEDING REFRESHMENT By Fern Horst
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." (Psalm 42:1-2) I have a cat that loves to be wherever I am. If I go to the kitchen, she follows me there. If I go outside, I have to be careful to close the door or she'll sneak out also. And when I sit at my desk, she finds her special spot behind the computer monitor, which is the only place on my desk I'll allow her to lounge! Every now and then I realize that she's taken advantage of my concentration and it's not until I try to move my computer mouse that I notice that she's lying across my mousepad, making it impossible for me to maneuver my mouse. I have to convince her that my mousepad is not her napping place! But even that's not close enough for her at times. If I'm doing something at my desk that doesn't demand a lot of moving around, she curls up on my lap and stays as still as she can so that I don't make her leave. I admit that I enjoy her company and am flattered by her desire to be with me. Recently it occurred to me that I should have the same desire to be as close to the Lord as I can. I should delight to be still in His presence just as much as my cat delights to sit quietly in mine. Too often I feel like I have to be busy accomplishing things for Him, and certainly Jesus said that when we minister to others in His Name, we are ministering to Him. I should never neglect my service to the Lord, but it's important that I also continually communicate and seek fellowship with Him. The Psalmist spoke of panting for God just as a deer pants for streams of water. A deer that is busy running through the forest finds himself longing for the cool refreshing waters of a stream. Our busy lives leave us thirsty for refreshment also, but so often we don't realize that it's time with the Lord that we need. We seek refreshment elsewhere, perhaps in socializing with friends, or turning on the TV, or even reading an inspirational book. But if we neglect time with the Lord, those things only mask our thirst, rather than fully quenching it. Just as Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father in the midst of His busy schedule of ministering to others, and just as a deer realizes his need for water to keep going, so I know that I need to spend time with the Lord to be able to accomplish all that He Has purposed for me. Copyright (c) 2004 Fern Horst http://singleness.org/devo/dev_233.shtml |
The following is a quote I received at church just this week from the Bishop of our Jurisdiction:
"Don't be preoccupied with so much the devil does to you; when God is doing so much more FOR you!!" |
Subject: When I Was Quiet
================ "They didn't see me when I was quiet." That's what my five-year-old said. I picked him up from school and as usual, asked him how his day went. I often ask him what he did during the day. "I got my name put on the board for talking," he said. The teachers try to be strict about maintaining discipline. It's a good thing. Even though they can't use the paddle anymore as they did in my day, they do the best they can with the techniques they are allowed to use. If your name is on the board, you can't play during recess. You can't get on the swings, the slide, or play any of the sports. If your name is on the board, you're grounded. "I got my name on the board, but they didn't see me when I was quiet so I couldn't get it off." Remember the last speeding ticket that you got? They didn't see you when you were going slower and traveling at a reasonable speed. Down the hill and in a hurry and here comes the blue lights. They didn't see you when you were quiet! The boss catches you just when you doze for a second (well maybe longer than a second) after diligently working all day. They didn't see you when you were quiet. Your wife catches your eyes wandering as you admire the architecture of an elegant building that just happens to have a shapely female in front of it. They didn't see you when you were quiet. Why doesn't the world take into account all of the times that you were quiet? Why do you suffer so long for a moment's indiscretion? How can a few minutes take an eternity to make up for? Because of one of life's simple principles, it's a lot easier and faster to mess up than to clean up. Harsh words uttered in five seconds can damage a relationship for five years. All of us are still in school. We still have teachers. We still pass or fail tests. There are still paddles in one form or another and there is still the board. With many of the things in our lives, we simply need to slow down and be quiet. That way we won't miss playtime. Author Unknown |
BUZZARDS, BATS, BUMBLEBEES AND PEOPLE
BUZZARD If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top. BAT The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it ! takes off like a flash. BUMBLEBEE A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. PEOPLE In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not ever realizing that the answer is right there "Above" them. |
Subject: All you need is a willing heart. Be Encouraged Today
Be Encouraged Today. Your help is in the Lord. God uses unlikely people to fulfill His purposes. That means He can use you and me too. So, be used today for the Glory of God. The men said to her (Rahab). We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your fathers' household. Joshua 2:17-18 What an incredible act of faith from a woman living one of the most immoral lives around. Rahab was a prostitute and she had lots of reasons not to trust anyone but she chose to trust God. She believed that the God of Israel was the true God. So she protected the men sent from Joshua and trusted that they would spare her and her family just as they said they would. Rahab did what was necessary to help the Israelites. And in return, her faith and obedience paid off. Her life and that of her family was spared. She had a NEW beginning. Amazing how God used the life of a prostitute to show us the meaning of servant hood. God showed us that through imperfect people He fulfilled His purpose. Rahab had faith. She trusted in God. And when she did, He took care of her. It's that simple. She blindly trusted that a small cord of scarlet thread would mark where her family resided and that one thing would preserve her life. She obeyed and God blessed her so much, that her name is included in the lineage of Christ. So, how is your faith today? What things are coming your way that are requiring your dependence on God? Be like Rahab. Turn from your old ways and move forward as you trust God. Let God show you the most amazing things because of your faithfulness. And blindly trust that God will take care of you just as He did Rehab. Be Encouraged, Author: Jeanette |
Subject: I Never Thought You'd Ask! Be Encouraged Today!
Be Encouraged Today. Your help is in the Lord. Have you ever kept a journal? If you have then you know how tedious it can be. Imagine if you planned your entire day and then wrote it out. That would be some chore wouldn't it? Guess what, God has a book with YOUR life recorded in it. That's right each and every detail. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable. I can't even count them, they out number the grains of sand. And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me! Psalm 139:16-18 Today I read this scripture and it gave me great comfort. The thought of EVERY DAY of my life being recorded in God's book is so amazing. Every moment of my life has been laid out by God. Oh, Praise God! We are so precious to Him. We are so loved that He thinks about us all the time. What an amazing God we serve. What a loving Father we have. Hallelujah! He knows every step we will follow. He knows every time we will fall. He knows every sin we will commit. Yet He loves us. He has planned amazing things for us. He has the power to change things in an instant. He is with each and every one of us every moment of our lives. He is with us when we wake up every morning. Sometimes, we forget that He is that powerful. With His voice, the earth and man were created. With His love and kindness, He carefully laid out every moment of our lives. So, why then do we handle so many things in our lives without God's help? I want to remind you today that God has everything planned out for you. He will not lead you the wrong way but will guide you on the path He has planned for you. The choice is yours whether to follow Him or not. Will you follow Him today, totally? Will you trust God for every detail of your life or will you try to handle things on your own? You know the right answer, so what's holding you back. Are you afraid to walk by faith and not by sight? Well, don't be afraid. He cares enough to know every detail of your life, so let Him have full reign over it. He has the power to handle every detail too. So, don't let fear or anxiety rule in your life, instead hand everything over to God. Let the strength and power of a living God rule your life today. For, there is nothing formed against you that shall prosper, as long as you turn it over to Him. His Word tells us this. God has your back, your front and your sides. He has everything covered. So, never give up and don't forget that every moment of your life has been laid out by God. Start trusting that God will soon let you know exactly what He has in store for you. Your job is to wait. Be Encouraged written by Jeanette |
Are You Being Tried By Fire
Intimacy with the Father - Powered by InJesus
Are You Being Tried by Fire? Sandra Thompson Jun 28, 2004 Most of us realize that God is working in new ways and are expecting a great display of His Glory and His Power that will surpass anything that we have seen to this point. But have you considered the 'price' that is attached to being used in this 'new way'? If you believe God is calling you or that your destiny is to be part of this move, then don't be surprised at the 'trials' that you are facing at this point. God wants to purify us so we are being 'tried by fire' just as the silversmith must try his silver by fire. He puts it in the fire until he can see his reflection in it. So God is doing with us that are willing to be put there and to those that will let the fire burn until they are purified and come out reflecting Jesus. God sees the deep recesses of your heart and He wants to clean out whatever is hiding there. Maybe it is a doubt or a fear that you didn't even know was in hiding and now it is being exposed. It could be some rejection, hurt, offense or even some sin that needs to be burned right out of your life. We must be purified or we will not truly reflect Jesus. In this move, God will use greatly the 'purified vessels' and this explains your 'trial by fire' experience. For several months now I have been 'tried by fire' so greatly that it has almost knocked me off of my feet. Now I understand that I am being refined and prepared for what God has ahead for me. Could that be true of you? So lift up your head, strengthen those wobbly knees (Hebrews 12:12) and come out prepared for what the Father has planned for you. He is our Strength, our Fortress, our Strong Tower and our Deliverer! We don't need to understand what we are going through or even 'why' it has come to pass, but we must pass the test! God hasn't forgotten you. He still has you right there in the 'palm of His Hand' and He (Jesus) is interceding for you and pulling for you so that you will come out purified and reflect Himself! The Supernatural is coming in, in greater ways and we must be 'pure vessels' to be trusted with such an awesome responsibility! God chose to use mere humans to accomplish His Plan and His Purpose on this earth. Remember it was always God's plan that we would be filled with 'all' His fullness and 'reflect' Jesus as a 'light' to this dark world. But we have lived such subnormal Christian lives and that is now being changed! Are you willing to go through your 'trial by fire'? If you are in it, don't give up! Don't listen to a single lie of the devil. If what you hear does not match the 'Truth' of the Word of God, choose to turn the 'lie' into the 'Truth' before fear, doubt or unbelief creep in and hinder your progress! The devil is targeting full force those that are facing this 'trial by fire' process. The best way to combat the enemy and get through your trial is to remember to 'Focus on Jesus'! Get your eyes off the 'trial' and choose to 'keep' them on Jesus! He knows what you are going through and He will not let you fail. He is a Faithful, Faithful, Faithful God and will not allow you to be tried beyond what you can handle. Oh, you may be stretched to new endurance levels, but that is only to make you stronger. God loves you, my friend. He knows where He is taking you! Trust Him! ___________ To subscribe to these devotionals go to http://worshipgod.injesus.com |
THE NIGHT HOURS
By Fern Horst "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." (Psalm 63:3-8) Just recently I talked with someone who has gone through various difficulties in the last few years. After losing his wife of almost 45 years to cancer, he had shared at one time that it was a lonely feeling to go to bed alone. But this past weekend he mentioned something that really stood out to me. He said he now often goes to sleep while praying and praising the Lord. He'll also sometimes put on his CD Walkman headset and fall asleep listening to the New Testament on CD. What a wonderful idea! His practice is not so different from the Psalmist's, who said that "my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." The night watches. The hours when things haunt us, when fears loom larger than life and hope that seems bright in the daylight seems to vanish in the darkness. I once made a rule for myself, and wrote it down so I wouldn't forget: "Don't listen to your fears in the middle of the night!" In fact, we can counteract those fears and the loneliness that being single often brings to the night hours by talking to the One who is always with us, who has promised to never leave us and to always take care of us. Reciting Scripture we've memorized, or listening to it on tape or CD, also helps us to replace those fears with God's Truth. And if we fall asleep in the middle of our prayers, praises, or meditation on Scripture, all the better! My father has often said that there's no reason to feel guilty about falling asleep while praying, and that in fact there is no better way to go to sleep than while talking things over with the Lord. It's a testimony to the peace that He gives us when we take everything to Him and then rest in His care. "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." (Psalm 73:23-26) Copyright (c) 2004 Fern Horst |
Unseen Love
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg. It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth that her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark. Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Mark's military back-ground had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face. Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working-it was hectic and costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit. Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself! On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?" The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady." Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For, although She couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe-the gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness. God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless. Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You even when you are not looking." -Author Unknown |
Your Lover's Gaze
Victoria Boyson http://www.boyson.org One morning I had a dream, and in this dream I was engage to a man who spent all of his time with other people and not me. I felt very rejected and continually tried to win his attention, but to no avail. Then another man came to me who adored me and made me feel deeply loved. He took my cheeks in his hands and turned my face towards himself. He said, "Why do you want to be with someone who cannot truly love you? Come be with me." Through this dream I realized that the acceptance we seek from people will leave us feeling empty and rejected. But we have a Lover who adores us! He wants to embrace us and shower us with affection. He wants to spend every moment of every day with us. It is with Him, in His presence, that we will be made complete. He is the love of our life. Jesus is pleading with us to stop seeking man's acceptance, which we will never be able to fully receive, and to focus our attention on Him, for He is the only one who can fulfill us. When we take our eyes off Him and focus on man, we will be left feeling empty and alone, rejected and hated. What do people have that we want anyway? Our Lover has everything we need and more. Come with me and relish in your Lover's arms. Enjoy the comfort of His grace. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" Psalms 34:8. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine" Song of Songs 1:2. Just Experience Me Years ago, during a time of prayer, I was overcome by the Lord's presence. His presence so filled me again and again that I did not know what to do. I cried out to Him, "What do you want me to do Lord?" He said in return, "Just experience me!" When I am with Jesus I feel totally complete, lacking nothing. I am stronger than a stallion and more beautiful than the fairest maiden. "I found the one my heart loves" (Song of Songs 3:4) and in the richness of His presence I am made whole. Nothing man can do for me can compare with this. So why do we care if this world loves us or hates us; we have all that we need in the arms of the One who loves us. "I held him and would not let him go" Song of Songs 3:4. He is irresistible, and when He turns my face to meet His gaze, I stand immobilized by the depth of His love for me. Once in His presence I can never get enough of Him; I do not want to leave Him. I do not want to sleep or wake, I only want to stay in His magnetizing gaze. "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does in the field; Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires" Song of Songs 3:5. "Do not arouse or awaken" me while I sit at His feet. Now that He has me, I will not be awakened or aroused from His immobilizing embrace. And I finally release the longings of my heart and surrender myself completely to His heart. I am truly adored. He wants all of me, and I surrender everything to Him and He gives me perfect peace. "My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely" Song of Songs 2:14. He finds you attractive, and in His presence you are the most beautiful person on earth. When you are in His arms, there is no one else on the earth. Indeed, there is no earth when you are one with Him. Your feet do not touch the ground, because there is no ground. There is only He who loves you like no other. What do you have world, that can compare to His glory? What can you offer me, that compares to His love? If it were formulas and strategies I desired, you could help me. But I want nothing except more of Him. If you cannot give me that, then you have nothing to offer me. Show me where my Lover is, He is what I want! "Have you seen the one my heart loves?" Song of Songs 3:3 Are you hungry? Is your mouth watering? Come with me to the well of grace… The Samaritan Woman A woman met Jesus at a well. She was thirsty, and Her thirst drew her to the local water supply. It was at this well where she met Jesus and now she would never thirst again. "Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?' They came out of the town and made their way toward Him" John 4:29-30. The eyes of the villagers were opened when they saw this forlorn woman who, being rejected by many, was transformed by Jesus' grace. She was no longer afraid of the people; she did not seek their acceptance because she didn't need it anymore. She had been accepted by the Giver of Life, so what could their acceptance gain her after she had received the living water the Lord had provided for her? She did not fear their rejection any longer. Rejection could not touch her, because she had received what they could never give her. She had been transformed by Jesus. "Come see a man," she told them. Jesus told her everything she had ever done, and then He covered her in a blanket of His grace. A life full of deadness was raised to life again. No more forlorn, but now loved. Once rejected by them, now she led the town's people to find what she had found: Life! They saw the change in her. They heard her words and something deep inside of them was awakened by the desperate hope of acceptance. Could they know Him like she knew Him, they wondered? Would He accept them, as they were, an abandoned, rejected society of Samaritans? Could He be the one who their hearts had longed for? Could He fill their emptiness? Turn Your Gaze Can He fill the emptiness in your heart? Yes…He longs to! Let Him turn your gaze away from a world that will only cause you pain. Surrender your heart to Him, He longs to adore you. You've been rejected by so many, and you feel unattractive and unloved. But He wants you to see yourself through the mirror of His grace. "You are truly beautiful," says the Lord. And suddenly you are radiant, filled with His love. Look at the words of this wonderful song, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." The Lover of our souls wants to take you in His arms and gently turn you towards Him. "Look on me" He says, "you are mine and I love you. I am the Giver of grace, do not seek acceptance from any other source." If we seek Him first others will receive us, because He will wrap us in His grace. Do not let anyone arouse you from His arms of grace. Let His gaze bring healing and wholeness to the deepest regions of your heart. He is the one your soul longs for. He is yours and you are His. He is all you need. You were made for Him… "Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me" Song of Songs 2:13. Victoria Boyson, Inc. www.boyson.org Copyright (c) 2003-2004 All rights reserved. |
This post was just what I needed today, I will come back often to view it . God Bless you and keep up the good work!
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Quote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Someone will always be prettier. They will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school. And their husband will fix more things around the house. So let it go, and love you and your circumstances. Think about it. The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children. And the richest woman you know -- she's got the car, the house, the clothes --might be lonely. And the Bible says if I have not Love, I am nothing. So, again, love you. Love who you are right now and let God be your barometer. Mirror Him. Look in the mirror in the morning and see how much of God you see. He's the only standard and even when you come up short; he will not leave you or forsake you. Smile and may God continue to bless you. |
Subject: "I LOVE YOU" Be Encouraged Today
Be Encouraged Today. Your help is in the Lord. God wants our arms around Him. God wants to hear us say, "I love You, Father. I trust You. Whatever you want to give me I accept. I need you. I cling to you. I walk with You. I adore You." Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 Do you remember your first love and the feelings associated with it? The awareness that someone you liked also liked you and found you delightful and desirable? Imagine that someone being God! Imagine how special you feel when someone trusts you enough to tell you their secrets. Imagine that someone being God! Have you ever had someone come alongside you and say, "You're having a hard time with that, aren't you? Here let me do it for you." Imagine that someone being God! Being loved means having someone know us so well and care about us so much that they use all their strength to give us what is good and do what is best for us even before we ask. Imagine that someone being God! Friends, if that is not enough to make you love God with all your heart, then think about this. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Beginning with Adam and Eve, God has been making it His top priority to establish a relationship with the people He created. God loves us with His heart by wanting a relationship with us. God loves us with His Spirit by revealing Himself to us. God loves with His mind by knowing who we are and what we need. God loves us with His strength by giving us what is good. As perfect as God's love is, however, we will be dissatisfied if we simply receive it and don't return it. To be complete, love must flow in TWO directions. It must be received and then reciprocated. Therefore, God's call "of" love is paired with His command "to" love. Friends all the love in the world cannot satisfy us if we receive it but refuse to give it back. Love is not a cup or a pail or a reservoir that we can fill. It's a river that flows from God to us and back to God. Not only are we to Love God, but each other as well. Jesus said, "whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me. Mark 9:37 Our willingness to love others affects our ability to feel loved. In fact, if we refuse to love, eventually we will feel unloved. When we love God with all our heart, our desires match His and we start to want what He wants. We all want to go home and be with the Lord someday. In fact many of us spend our lives trying to find the place and the blessings without realizing that we first need to find the One, our Father who first loved us. He is the One who created home, who knows where home is and who keeps calling us to come and enjoy His wonderful company. Today, honor and obey God by making this your only priority. Love God with ALL that you have inside you. Seek Him and taste His love. Once you do, you'll never be the same. Guaranteed! Be encouraged written by Jeanette |
Subject: IN THE BUSINESS
I found a job today! The atmosphere is so peaceful and serene (I am working for the Lord) You should see my office, very plush; Fresh air, blue skies, green grass, spacious woods; The interior is designed by Mother Nature and Heavenly Bodies, Incorporated. I didn't need a resume, for my Boss already knew my qualifications; He knew my heart. Working overtime won't bother me now; Don't have time to watch the clock (Hoping the time will pass quickly) FOR I AM ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. The benefits are great! I have stocks in the corporation. My stocks & bonds are in Faith & Love. I even have life insurance, and when I say life insurance, that's exactly what it is; And I don't have to pay any premiums. FOR I AM ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. I haven't received a paycheck, but my bills are already paid. There's food on my table and a roof over my head. I don't need any sick leave; Haven't even thought about a vacation: FOR I AM ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. My Boss has been in business since the beginning of time. Even though the competition has been strong (the business has somehow survived, Every time!) And with each new day it prospers more and more. We've got work to do, there's no time to tarry. Let's all join together and put our stock in GOD. I'M ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. ARE YOU? Author Unknown A Final Thought: "And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Luke 2:49 KJV |
Live It! Today's best advice for practical Christian living
On the Trusting God Trail By David Jeremiah Climbing Mount Moriah to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, father Abraham carried a knife and his son carried the wood. Then the son noticed ... no lamb for an offering? Abraham explained that God would provide a sacrifice-his son, Isaac. Yet, Abraham also said, "we will come back to you" to 2 servants (Genesis 22:5). Could he kill Isaac and still return with Isaac? Could it mean, "God was able to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead" (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham was willing to obey God in this, the hardest command he had ever been given, because he'd walked "the Trusting Trail" with God for many years. Where the Trusting Trail Began An unknown God called Abraham out of a pagan city of idol worshippers to go to Canaan. But, he didn't receive God's promises until he moved to Canaan. Abraham Stumbles in Egypt Famine came to Canaan, and Abraham followed his carnal instincts to leave the trail of trust and "Follow the food!" So he, his wife Sarah, nephew Lot, and servants left the Promised Land without consulting God. Then Abraham stumbled-to save his life, he lied to Pharaoh saying Sarah was his sister. That pagan king responded honorably, and Abraham was humiliated (Genesis 12:10 ff.). We can excuse Abraham's lack of faith as a rookie believer. But, some veteran believers rush to the world to solve problems instead of turning to God. A Bramble Named Lot Entangled with his nephew back in Canaan, Abraham humbly and generously gave Lot the best portion of land for his flocks, trusting God that his own portion would be sufficient. When Lot became a resident of sinful Sodom and was carried off by marauding kings, Abraham rescued him and refused a reward from Sodom's king, preferring only God's riches. He was learning to trust (Genesis 13-14). Would you rescue an enemy? Are you with Abraham on the Trusting God Trail? A Resting Place on the Trail After defeating 5 eastern kings, God appeared to Abraham, taking all responsibility and insuring that Canaan would be Abraham's forever (Genesis 15). Are you at rest on the trail of trust, knowing Christ has totally provided for your eternal rest in heaven? An Avalanche of Disbelief You'd think Abraham would stick to the Trusting God Trail after God's affirmation. But, when he realized he had no son, no descendants, he failed to trust God's timing and had an illegitimate son with Sarah's maid. We too are sometimes impatient and need to get back on the Trusting God Trail. Making Progress Again After Abraham lost his disbelief, he found God waiting to affirm his faith through a second covenant confirming countless descendants (Genesis 17). Now Abraham waited. After you've failed God, has He come and strengthened you to walk in victory again? God's nature is gracious. Walk with Him on the Trusting God Trail. Never Too Many Twists and Turns Recognizing Lot's disobedient refusal to escape Sodom, Abraham interceded with God again, and God sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family (Genesis 18-19). Could God let your trusting trail run into a wall? Yes, but He unfailingly presents a way around. Abraham at the Peak After 25 years, Isaac was born, and Abraham realized that God is a faithful friend-his first plateau on the Trusting God Trail. Recognize your plateaus on the Trusting God Trail? God graciously leads up the trail, preparing us a step at a time. The Final Ascent As Abraham moved slowly up the side of Mount Moriah with his young son Isaac, he realized why he was willing to sacrifice what he loved most-because Jehovah had never failed him. Abraham understood Isaac is the son of promise and Kill Isaac as an offering to Me. He knew he could trust God-that both he and Isaac would come back as he'd promised the servants. If God's commands seem conflicting, remember that Abraham made it to the top of Mount Moriah and down again, with God's sacrifice, because he first followed the Trusting God Trail to the top This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points. |
Thought for Today:
GIVE IT TO GOD Do you know what it's like to face a problem so big it seems downright irresponsible not to worry about it? There may not be a thing you can do about it, but you feel like you need to at least be concerned. After all, somebody needs to! And no one else seems to be volunteering for the job. I remember one time in particular I felt exactly that way. I was holding a series of meetings in Ruston, Louisiana. I had just discovered our budget was $800 short--and in those days, $800 might as well have been 9 million! The devil was attacking my mind, telling me that no one cared about me or my ministry, telling me that I was facing this problem alone. But instead of giving in to those thoughts, I got my Bible and turned to every scripture in the Word of God that guaranteed me my needs were met. Then I rolled the care of those expenses over on God. I promised God that with the Holy Spirit as my Helper, I would not touch that problem with my thought life again. That wasn't an easy promise to keep. I wanted to worry so badly! I went into the courtyard of the motel where I was staying and walked around the swimming pool. Every time I thought about the problem, I would say out loud, "No, I have rolled the care of that over on the Lord. I will not think about it. The budget is met." After a while, a man drove up in the driveway and began to honk his horn. I tried to ignore him because I don't like to be interrupted when I'm praying, but he stuck his head out of the window and shouted, "Come here!" He said it with such authority that I obeyed. He said to me, "Brother Copeland, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm committed to another obligation and will be late for the meeting tonight. I was afraid I would miss the offering." Then he handed me a check. When I went back to my room and looked at that check, I found it was for $500. Coupled with the offering in the service that night, it totaled the exact amount I needed to meet that budget. Would you like to have people chasing you down to meet your needs? Then next time you're facing a problem, give it to God. Let Him be the one who's concerned about it. He's volunteered for the job and you can trust Him to do it well. After all, He really does care for you. -- by K. Copeland "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 |
Subject: Fwd: I Threw Out
"I Threw Out..." Last week I threw out Worrying, It was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things my way. I threw out those Inhibitions; They were just crowding me out. Made room for my New Growth, Got rid of my old dreams and doubts. I threw out a book on My Past (didn't have time to read it anyway) Replaced it with New Goals, Started reading it today. I threw out childhood toys Remember how I treasured them so? Got me a new Philosophy too, Threw out the one from long ago Brought in some new books too, Called I Can, I Will, and I Must. Threw out I might, I think and I ought. Wow! You should've seen the dust. I picked up this special thing And placed it at the front door. I Found It -- its called Peace Nothing gets me down anymore. Yes, I've got my house looking nice. Looks good around the place For things like Worry and Trouble There just isn't any place. Its good to do a little house cleaning, Get rid of the old things on the shelf. It sure makes things brighter Thank you God for cleaning up my-self. Author Unknown |
Forgiveness
The Bible makes it clear that the only way we can put negative parts of our past behind us is through forgiveness—unlimited forgiveness. Like Peter, we struggle with this. Our problem with forgiving comes mainly from four myths about it.
Myth: Forgiveness is something we do quickly. Sometimes it takes time for us to work through the hurts involved. We can’t easily forgive because sin does real, lasting damage. Yet God has made forgiveness possible through the completed works of Jesus Christ on the cross. If we are willing to take the necessary time to forgive, we can do it. Myth: Forgiveness is the same as condoning what the person did. Many people withhold forgiveness because they believe that to forgive is to condone the offense that occurred. But true forgiveness never condones the wrong. No one hates sine more than God, yet God forgives. Sin is serious—that is made clear by the high price that Jesus Christ paid on the cross. When we forgive, we acknowledge that wrong has been done, but we don’t condone it. Myth: In order to forgive, we must forget. We often support this mistaken idea with verses such as Psalm 103:12, which says that God removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west”—that is, “he forgets.” But when we insist that our forgiving must be just like God’s we lose sight of the fact that God doesn’t need to learn from experience, we do—and to learn, we must remember. If we do not, we will repeatedly place ourselves in hurtful situations. To forgive does not necessarily mean to forget. Myth: Forgiveness and reconciliation are the same. Some believe that in order to forgive we must first be reconciled with the offender. We believe that forgiveness and reconciliation are the same. But what if the person I am seeking to forgive refuses to be reconciled? Then am I unable to forgive? Not at all. Forgiveness and reconciliation are completely separate. When one person refuses reconciliation, the other can still forgive. The truth about forgiveness. Forgiveness is the canceling of a debt that cannot be paid. When God forgave all our sins, he “took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Col. 2:14). Whatever someone has done to us, we need to acknowledge that he or she can never “pay the debt.” When a bank cannot collect payment on a debt, it carefully investigates whether there is any hope of ever collecting the payment, and if there isn’t, it forgives the loan—cancels the debt. We must learn to forgive others regardless of their ability or willingness to “pay the debt” we feel they owe us for whatever wrong was done. Most often, whatever is owed to us can never be paid back anyway. In Jesus’ day, the rabbis said that a person should forgive three times. Why did Jesus stretch Peter’s generous offer to the exorbitant number of 490 times? Because he wants us to realize that forgiveness is at the very heart of God. If we want to be set free from the bondage of the past, we can find that freedom through forgiving. We are like the servant in the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matt. 18:23-35), who was forgiven a debt he could never repay. Gratitude for our canceled debt must make us into forgiving people. We have been forgiven, and now we need to go home and forgive. It’s not easy, but families who do will thrive. |
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Are you strong enough or fed up enough to let go of the people, habits or activities that drain you of your time, money, energy or peace of mind?
Are you ready to let go of any thing that is broken, unused, outdated, out of order or disorganized? Are you ready to focus and face the problems or priorities that need your attention? What you avoid...controls you. My computer consultant advised me to do a defragmentation process on a regular basis to keep my computer from crashing or bogging down. Defragmentation is the process of eliminating and organizing files that are scattered and filling the spaces where files have been deleted. This process makes the computer more efficient. It's like giving your computer a tune up. WOW! What a metaphor for life. If you and I would defragmetize our lives on a regular basis, we could experience more efficiency and peace of mind. Our lives that are too often rushed, scattered, broken and out of order need defragmentation. Be proactive before you have a crash, meltdown or become bogged down. De-stress and reorganize our priorities, environment and schedule on a regular basis. Proactive prevention prevents poor performance. ~ by Jewel Diamond Taylor, Author and Motivational Speaker |
Subject: KEEP YOUR GOALS AWAY FROM THE TROLLS
There is a type of crab that cannot be caught -- it is agile and clever enough to get out of any crab trap. And yet, these crabs are caught by the thousands every day, thanks to a particular human trait they possess. The trap is a wire cage with a hole at the top. Bait is placed in the cage, and the cage is lowered into the water. One crab comes along, enters the cage, and begins munching on the bait. A second crab joins him. A third. Crab Thanksgiving. Yummm. Eventually, however, all the bait is gone. The crabs could easily climb up the side of the cage and through the hole, but they do not. They stay in the cage. Other crabs come along and join them -- long after the bait is gone. And more. Should one of the crabs realize there is no further reason to stay in the trap and attempts to leave, the other crabs will gang up on him and stop him. They will repeatedly pull him off the side of the cage. If he is persistent, the others will tear off his claws to keep him from climbing. If he persists still, they will kill him. The crabs -- by force of the majority -- stay together in the cage. The cage is hauled up, and it's dinnertime on the pier. The chief difference between these crabs and humans is that these crabs live in water and humans on land. Anyone who has a dream -- one that might get them out of what they perceive to be a trap -- had best beware of the fellow-inhabitants of the trap. The human crabs (we call them trolls) do not usually use physical force -- although they are certainly not above it. They generally don't need it, however. They have more effective methods at hand, and in mouth -- innuendo, doubt, ridicule, derision, mockery, sarcasm, scorn, sneering, belittlement, humiliation, jeering, taunting, teasing, lying, and dozen others not listed in our thesaurus. The way to handle such people is the the same method used by Jonathon Joffrey Crab on his clan. (Remember that book about the crab that wasn't content to walk around, he wanted to learn underwater ballet?) Jonathon, knowing the dangers of attempted departure from the cage, said, "Hey! This is fun! What a gathering of crabs! I'm going to go get some more!" And he danced off to freedom. by Peter McWilliams |
July 21, 2004
Encouragement for Today Free at Last Mary Southerland, Director of Networking, Member of Speaker Team and author Key Verse: "So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. (NLT) Devotion: I read of an Indian village that held an annual bazaar where villagers came to sell the crafts and wares they had made during the year. Others brought the animals they had raised. One year a man brought a covey of quail to sell. In order to display the birds, he tied a piece of string to their legs and the other end of the string to a stake in the ground. All day long people passed by, watching the birds walk in a circle around the wooden stake. No one seemed interested in buying them until the end of the day, when a religious man approached the weary merchant. He asked the merchant how much he wanted for the birds. Hoping to make a profit, the man named an exorbitant price and was amazed when the religious man immediately paid it. As soon as the transaction was completed, the man instructed the merchant to set the birds free. Those instructions stopped the merchant in his tracks. "Let me get this straight," he said. "You have just paid a lot of money for these quail. And now you want me to let them go?" The religious man's answer was simple but profound. "They were created to be free," he offered. The merchant did not understand but a sale is a sale. He simply shrugged his shoulders and cut the strings, setting the covey of quail free. The quail flew a short distance, then landed several yards away - but continued marching in a circle around the now invisible stake. The determined owner stepped into the middle of the circle, scattering the birds, which flew a few yards, landed and once again began to march in a circle. Yes, the quail were free - but they did not know it. Like the religious man paid the price to set those birds free, Jesus Christ has paid the price of giving His life so that we can live in freedom. Yes, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ sets us free. Yet, many of us live as if we are still tied to the past. We walk in the same old paths of oppression. We entertain the same destructive habits and allow sin to establish a foothold from which it can dispense defeat. That is not God's plan. Many of us are professional "leaf turners", thinking that in order to be free we must be perfect. Every January the leaves turn over in an attempt to make this year different from the rest. Surely, the other side of that leaf is better than the one we have been living. When a crisis comes, promises are bartered for deliverance. Old habits - old patterns of behavior - old paths leading to destruction are relegated to the ever-growing pile of broken promises. The good news is that more than we want to be free - God wants to give us freedom. Because freedom is a God-given need and longing, he always provides a right way for every need to be met and ever longing to be filled. His plan for us is freedom and God always resources His plans. It is time for us to cut the strings of bondage. It is time for us to choose freedom. My prayer for today: Father, forgive me when I settle for bondage instead of freedom. Please show me what it means to be truly free in you. Right now, I choose to lay down anything that would keep me from knowing your freedom in my life. Right now, I choose you - I choose freedom. Amen! Application steps: Accept the truth that you were created to be free. Believe that God is the source of that freedom. Give God permission to work in these areas of bondage. Choose to leave the familiarity of bondage and walk in new freedom. Reflection points: What areas of my life need to be set free from bondage? What is the source of that bondage? How has it affected my life? What changes do I need to make in order to begin my journey from bondage to freedom? Am I really willing to pay the price for freedom by surrendering all control to God? Power Verses: James 2:12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you freed. (NLT) Titus 2:14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every sin and to cleanse us so that we can be his special people who are enthusiastic about doing good things. (GWT) John 8:32 You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (NIV) Timothy 2:6 He gave himself as a payment to free all people. (NCV) Additional resources: Becoming a Woman Who Listens to God by Sharon Jaynes http://link.salemwebnetwork.com/UM/T...4349.1.1248517 Learning to Live Right from Women Who Lived Wrong by Mary Southerland http://link.salemwebnetwork.com/UM/T...4349.2.1248517 >>> Share the good news <<< Please forward this message to a friend! |
Sandy Brunson
Jul 20, 2004 Are You....and Yet Not? There is a verse in 2 Corinthians which always gets my attention as I read it. Verse 5 definitely pulls on my heart as it plainly urges each of us as Christians to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves Jesus Christ is in you?....UNLESS indeed you are disqualified." I do not want to be "disqualified" when I meet Jesus in Heaven, and I see that though my salvation has been paid for by the precious Blood of Jesus...and I can add NOTHING to that, I clearly have a "part to do" that only I can do before Him. And so part of my self examination is to ask myself the following questions. Join me and examine your own heart and practices before our Righteous Lord who comes to "set things in Divine order in our lives. This is part of our preparation to be in His End-Time Army! Such questions reveal whether our Christianity is of the "head" or of the "heart"! Are you washed in the blood…and yet not a disciple committed to follow Jesus? Are you delivered from sin...and yet not disciplined to grow? Are you justified by what He has done...and yet not sanctified by obedience to the Holy Spirit? Are you boasting in salvation...and yet not submitting to His authority? Are you fond of Jesus...and yet not giving Him loving obedience? Are you attached to Jesus...and yet not abiding in Him? Are you gathering information...and yet not allowing transformation? Are you running here and there...and yet not finding Him in the secret place? Are you seeking for encouraging "words" from other people...and yet not listening to His still small voice? Are you only interested in God's blessings...and yet not obeying His commandments? Are you wanting to find success through Jesus...and yet not willing to surrender all at His feet? Are you only listening to what others say He said...and yet not asking Him to reveal Himself to you? The answers to such questions reveal a major dividing line between those who know "about" Jesus and those who "know" Him. A true disciple of the Lord is a follower...one who makes every effort to live his or her life in the manner of spirit which Jesus lived His. Disciples study to show themselves approved unto God, as workmen who need not to be ashamed. They rightly divide the Word of Truth and humbly and obediently bow to the Authority who is God Almighty on a daily basis. Disciples of Jesus Christ hunger and thirst after righteousness as a way of life. This is THE WAY of Jesus, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. Be holy as He is holy. Uphold Him in the practice and conduct of your life as a living sacrifice. It is our reasonable service! 2 Timothy 2:15 * Matthew 5:6 * John 14:6 * 1 Peter 1:15-16 * Romans 12:1 Looking unto Jesus, Sandy "Jesus Christ is the same...yesterday, today, and forever!" Hebrews 13:2 |
Live It!
Today's best advice for practical Christian living July 23, 2004 A Selfish Symphony? Max Lucado Self-promotion. Self-preservation. Self-centeredness. It's all about me! Everyone told us it was all about us, didn't they? Weren't we urged to look out for number one? Find our place in the sun? Make a name for ourselves? We thought self-celebration would make us happy... But what chaos this philosophy creates. What if a symphony employed such an outlook? Can you imagine an orchestra with an "It's all about me" approach to music? Each artist clamoring for self-_expression. Tubas blasting nonstop. Percussionists pounding to get attention. The cellist shoving the flutist out of the center-stage chair. The trumpeter standing atop the directors' stool tooting his horn. The sheet music is disregarded. The director is ignored. What do you have but an endless tune-up session! Harmony? Hardly. Happiness? Are the musicians happy to be in the group? Not at all. Who enjoys contributing to a cacophony? You don't. We don't. We were not made to live this way. But aren't we guilty of doing just that? No wonder our homes are so noisy, businesses so stress-filled, government so cut-throat and harmony so rare. If you think it's all about you and I think it's all about me, we have no hope for a melody. We've chased so many skinny rabbits that we've missed the fat one: the God-centered life. What would happen if we took our place and played our parts? If we played the music the Maestro gave us to play? If we made His song our highest priority? Would we see a change in families? We'd certainly hear a change. Less, "Here is what I want!" More, "What do you suppose God wants?" What if a businessman took that approach? Goals of money and name-making, he'd shelve. God-reflecting would dominate. And your body? Ptolemistic thinking says, "It's mine, enjoy it." God-centered thinking acknowledges, "It's God's, respect it." Talk about a healthy shift. Life makes more sense when we accept our place. The God-centered life works. And it rescues us from a life that doesn't. |
Subject: LEARN TO PICK YOUR BATTLES
Ask yourself... Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? One day? Then it doesn't deserve your time, your energy or your concern! |
Subject: Fwd: EVER STOP TO THINK ABOUT UP?
Ever stop to think about UP? There is a 2-letter word that perhaps has more meaning than any other 2-letter word, and that is UP. It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list. But when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP? Why are the officers UP for election? Why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends. We use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house. Some guys fix UP the old car. At other times, the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable of the proper uses of UP, look UP the word in the dictionary. In a desk size dictionary, UP takes almost 1/4 page and definitions add UP to about 30. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with 100 or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so . . . I'll shut UP |
Hunger and Thirst after God!
Sandra Thompson Jul 27, 2004 Over the years we have made God far too small. We have limited Him with our human minds and reasoning. We have put Him in a box and have only believed what we could see or think. The Supernatural was not really too much in our minds. In fact, for many like myself, we were not only skeptical, but afraid of anything out of the ordinary. We, for some reason, could believe that the devil could do unusual things, but afraid when God did it. Over the years we believed what we could figure out from the Word of God. We memorized many verses of God's greatness and yet they never really became activated in our hearts. We had much knowledge of God and His Word but with little Power. Over the years we sat in church services out of duty or believing it was the right thing to do and yet seldom were aware of the Presence of God in the service. Seldom did we see His Power or Glory displayed. We may have been told the Presence of God was there and thought that was what we were looking for. We just accepted it as the way God worked today. Because of the way we were taught or the way that we ourselves understood the Bible, we never really matured in our Spiritual lives. Maturing for many of us was doing things for God and many got so involved that family was ignored. We wanted more of God and thought this was how to get it. These things produced lukewarm or weak Christians. Our focus was not on God, but on serving Him and doing and being right for Him. Therefore we couldn't really get what God intended for us done. The Scriptures although beautiful, didn't really change us. We just couldn't seem to stand firm on the Rock and believe the promise was really meant for me! Now and then, a person would appear who could really testify of God's Greatness and Power and Majesty. We accepted that they were that exception allowed by God. Today, there is a great awakening in many lives. Many have found themselves hungering and thirsting after God. God has quickly come to those hearts and lives and we are finally really maturing in God. We are falling in love with God and want to spend time with Him. We have changed! Instead of desiring to do and do, we desire to spend time with God and in fact, we are learning the correct way to do is to first come and focus on Him and learn of Him. Worship God! Much emphasis is now on worshipping God and developing an intimate relationship with our God. With this emphasis, God is being honored and put in His rightful place. He is finding people that He can trust with His Power and they will give Him the Glory for what He does through them. God is being lifted up in these lives! God has been waiting for this very generation. The time that He would be able to accomplish His Plan and Purpose on earth and His Glory would be able to cover the earth. We are on the very verge of such a mighty outpouring of God's Glory and Power. Those of us yielded to God in this way just can't be content anymore in the previous type of churches. We just know there is so much more if we will just allow God to be in charge and forget our plans and agendas. God will be working in unusual places. Churches will appear in unusual places. They will be like churches outside of church buildings. You may be surprised where God shows up and starts His work. Where are you at in your spiritual life? Are you hungering and thirsting for more of God? Don't miss what God is going to do any minute. It is that close! With this great Glory, there also will be a great darkness. You will have to choose whether it will be God or your flesh which will be governed by the darkness. You won't be able to remain lukewarm. Will you choose to hunger and thirst for more of God? Seek Him today with ALL of your heart and yield to His ways. Don't struggle - yield! |
STRANGE WOMEN
By Fern Horst "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." (I Kings 11:1-4) Most people underestimate the power of romantic love. The wisest man in all the world was no exception. In the Bible the above verses follow the long and glowing account of all the vast wisdom and lavish riches God had bestowed upon Solomon in response to his request for wisdom. The picture painted here of his wealth, and the beauty of his house and throne, is amazing. The Lord had warned Solomon, however, that he and his descendents could lose all of this, plus the throne of Israel, if he ever turned away from the Lord: "But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil." (I Kings 9:6-9) One would think that the wisest man who ever lived would know better than to ever allow this to happen. But happen it did. The avenue was subtle. It was through the love of "strange" women -- women who did not worship Solomon's God, but who followed after many other gods. In order to please his wives, Solomon built altars to these gods and even worshipped them himself. They say that the highest form of wisdom is learning through others' mistakes, rather than ignoring the lessons of those in the past and having to learn through our own. If there's ever a lesson to be learned from the wisest man who ever lived, it is this: it is of the utmost importance that we choose very carefully the recipient of our romantic affections. Our world, and even many of our churches, say that having a romantic love in our lives is a must, even if the "pickings" are slim. Wisdom says that we reserve the affections of our heart only for one whose commitment to the Lord and keeping His Word matches ours. Otherwise we risk the loss of what is most important to us, not only for our earthly life, but also for eternity. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21). |
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