Wholesome Works

Anticipation of an Even Greater Day

2008-12-26T23:18:00.001-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
It’s the day after Christmas. The glow on the tree is just a little dimmer because the anticipation of the day is now past. Ever feel that way about your walk with the Lord? Well, let me give you some good news, my friend. The best is yet to be! That’s right. Christmas Day is past, but Resurrection Day is coming soon, and I don’t mean Easter. I mean the Second Coming of Our Lord is imminently on the horizon. He is coming again. And that’s not just a nice thing; that’s a rock-ribbed truth! Jesus is coming again!

The Greatest Gift of Love

2008-12-25T16:32:00.001-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for Christmas.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Christmas is spelled L-O-V-E. What is the Christmas message? John 3:16. God gave us the gift of love on Christmas Day. It is truly said, “What the world needs now is love.” I need it. You need it. Your spouse needs it. Your child needs it. An elderly man or woman sitting alone in a nursing home today needs it. A child abandoned and alone in a children’s home needs it, too. God sent His one and only Son as the Savior. He knew we couldn’t save ourselves. So He sent His Son to be born in a manger, to die on a cross, to rise again into glory, and to come again to redeem His church.

Strengthening Your Wings

2008-12-14T14:00:00.001-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”
2 Corinthians 8:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A man watched a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon. Thinking that he would help, the man took his pen knife and slit the side of the cocoon and the butterfly flopped out. It lay there for a while, feebly beating it’s wings, then collapsed and died. “How tragic,” you say, and you are right because God had a plan for that butterfly. The struggle to break free built the strength he would need to fly. God doesn’t want you to live weakly and to die feebly. He wants you to grow and mature.

The Sweetheart of Your Life

2008-12-02T17:41:00.002-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.”
Matthew 19:5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Today’s message is for the men...If you don’t love your wife now more than you loved her when you got married, you probably love her a lot less. Sir, I want you to learn to flirt — but not with any other woman — just with the girl you married! Keep that flirtation going through all of your life. Never call the waitress “sweetheart.” She’s not your sweetheart. You have only one sweetheart. Never call someone else “dear.” She’s not your dear. There is one who needs to know beyond a shadow of any doubt that she is your sweetheart, she is your darling, and she is number one. Develop that love and keep it growing.

Giving Thanks Always

2008-11-27T11:28:00.001-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for Thanksgiving.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are four types of people. There are those who are constantly complaining and grumbling. Have you met any of these folks? I mean, they can brighten up a room just by leaving it. That’s the lowest level. Then there are others who live lives of ingratitude. They don’t complain, but they never thank God for His obvious blessings. That’s a little better, but not much better. Then there are people who thank God for obvious blessings. When something good happens, they’re grateful. That’s a better level. But the highest level is to be grateful for all things at all times. That is the secret of a happy and productive life.

Photo Contest Results

2008-11-13T18:05:00.003-06:00

To learn the official judge's choice in the photo contest of last week just hop on over here.

Thanks to all of the commenters!

Photo Contest

2008-11-05T21:49:00.004-06:00

I don't know about my readers (if I have any), but I enjoy taking photos. I do know that a few who populate my sidebar take pics and I have seen some great photos on their blogs. Anyway after a friend prompted me to enter a photo contest, I did and, to my surprise, I received some ribbons. One of the three photos above was supposed to show, but didn't make it and of the other two pictures one got an award of merit (the highest award given in the contest) and an honorable mention.

I'm not telling what got what because want to know your preference. So if you would like to vote on your favorite, hop on over to my other blog and leave a comment. Be sure check back next week for the official judge's verdict.

By the way, these photos are for sale if you would like to have one for your wall. Just drop me an email at wholesomeworks[at]cableone[dot]net if your interested.

Ten More Devotions

2008-10-30T16:26:00.002-05:00

To help clean out my inbox, here are ten more devotions from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

Dependent on God -- a Testimony of His Power

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If you’re like most people, you don’t realize your dependency on God until you’re burned out from stress — either self-induced or caused by circumstances beyond your control. Why is that? Paul says it’s because we are fragile, but he doesn’t stop there. He says that God made us this way so that His power may be known through us! Maybe someone told you, “Oh, just tie a knot and hang on!” Sometimes God wants us to let go of the rope because it is keeping us tied down to our destructive habits. We are totally dependent on God so that the love of His Son may be made known to the world.

Omnipotent God -- Held by His Love & Grace

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”
Jude 24

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you fussed and fumed through life’s challenges, wondering if the Sovereign Creator of the Universe was on vacation? I have a message for you: The God who hung the stars, the God who poured the oceans, the God who raised the mountains, the God who knew you before you were knit together in your mother’s womb, this sovereign God is your Savior. He is your King, and He is in control. When you are plucked from the depths of sin, you are placed in the very hand of God! You can’t climb up into the hand of God; you are placed into the hand of God. Hallelujah! Our efforts didn’t get us there. His grace placed us there. And His love will keep us there forever.

Brought Into Right Relationship With Our Creator

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When God brought us into this universe, He did not make us to abandon us. When God finished His first creation, He stepped back and said, “It is good.” But then sin came into the world, and we broke fellowship with our Creator. Because of His great love and mercy toward us, God sent His only Son to bring us back to Himself. Now, when we are saved, we become a new creation, and God says, “It is good.” When sin soiled your garments, God sent the righteous robes of His Son for you to wear. Now, you are washed in His blood, clean in His sight, and forever in His heart.

True Satisfaction is Found in the Lord

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 23:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The Scottish-born naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, John Muir, once had a conversation with railroad magnate and industrialist, E. H. Harriman. “I am richer than you are,” declared Muir to the railroad baron. “And how is that true?” responded Harriman. “Because you don’t have all you want — and I do. Therefore I am richer than you,” answered Muir. Well, perhaps these two men were playing word games with one another. We don’t know if either man was truly satisfied with his life, but there's one thing of which I’m certain. Our search for satisfaction will not be found at the end of the rainbow in a pot of gold. It can only be found in Jesus.

What Would Jesus Do?

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you know that the best argument for Christianity and the best argument against Christianity is in your life? That’s right. Not only are you to be a witness of and for Jesus, you are to be a part of the evidence of His reality. What would happen if every Christian began to walk as Jesus walked, talk as Jesus talked, and love as Jesus loved? The world would take notice.

Understanding Kingdom Authority

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Luke 10:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A police officer weighing 160 pounds may effectively stand before a tanker truck and, with an uplifted hand, say, “Stop, in the name of the law.” The police officer certainly couldn’t stop the truck with his physical force. He is appealing to an authority greater than himself — the law — to back him up. Your authority over Satan is the same way. Your authority does not rest in your strength. You cannot overcome Satan with your power but rather with Kingdom Authority from God. And you have that as a child of the King. You have His authority to overcome every attack of Satan.

God's Plan & Purpose for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”
1 John 3:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If Jesus is Lord of your life, then not only is your entire life ordered, but so is every single step within your life. God has a plan for the plumber as well as the preacher, for the mechanic as well as the missionary. And if God, for instance, calls you to be a mechanic and you become a missionary, you are accepting second best! To find God’s will is the highest achievement in your life. Success is not spelled M-O-N-E-Y. Nor is it spelled F-A-M-E. Success is the continuous realization of the will of God — what God desires for your life. God does not make clones; He makes children! There is an ultimate purpose for your life as His child — to be like Jesus.

The Cleansing, Healing Work of the Holy Spirit

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.”
Jeremiah 17:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are two kinds of wounds to the human psyche. One is sorrow; the other is guilt. Sorrow is a clean wound. Somehow your heart will heal as the Holy Spirit applies His healing balm. He will pour in “the oil of gladness.” Time and the grace of God will heal. But guilt is dirty and will never heal until it is confessed and cleansed by the antiseptic of Calvary. A slave only fears his master’s whip, but a son fears his father’s displeasure.

Working All Things Together & Toward His Return

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God has not promised you smooth sailing, but He has promised you a safe landing. He has a purpose in allowing every circumstance into your life. You can bank on this: He’ll see you to the shore in every storm of life. Andrew Murray said, “God is willing to assume the full responsibility for the life totally yielded to Him.” One of these days your destiny will be fulfilled. And soon and very soon, He is going to step down from the mountain of His glory, and the trumpet will sound. And our little ship will leave the sea of time, and immediately we’ll be on the shores of eternity. When He comes, He’s coming for you! He’s coming for me!

No One Knows Your Needs Better...

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“. . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
Matthew 6:32

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
St. Augustine once said that we were created with a “God-shaped” void. I agree. Only God can meet the deepest longings of our hearts. There is nothing that can satisfy apart from your relationship with Him, but it's not because He is a heavy-handed dictator forcing you to accept life the way He dishes it out! Who knows what will satisfy your deepest needs better than the One who made you? As your Creator, He can see what your needs are going to be tomorrow and ten years from tomorrow. Don’t you think He knows what you need today?

Ten Devotions

2008-10-26T21:39:00.002-05:00

To help clean out my inbox, here are ten devotions from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

Crown Him King of Kings

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”
Psalm 2:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The kingdoms of this world are being moved around like checkers, but soon God is going to move His Son into King’s Row and say, “Crown Him King of kings!” How many times have you prayed, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Do you think God’s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven? Look around at the crime, rape, murder, child abuse, and blasphemy. Do you think that’s God’s will? Of course not. Do you think Jesus Christ would have taught us to pray a prayer that will not be answered? God is going to move Jesus into King’s Row and say, “Crown Him King!”

Uprooting Toxic Bitterness

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Bitterness is an emotional cancer that consumes many a person who once had the bloom of eternal springtime in his heart. Where does it come from? Usually from being hurt. Perhaps you were abused as a child, rejected by someone, fired from a job, or even bypassed at church. Bitterness sets in when the hurt goes unresolved. There is a solution. If you’ve been wronged and bitterness has become so strong that you can almost taste its bile within your mouth, then it’s time to pursue it with a holy vengeance. With the Spirit’s spade, root it out. Draw a circle that takes in those who have wronged you. Forgive them for Christ’s sake!

True Joy & Peace Comes From the Lord Alone

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”
Isaiah 26:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
You may admit that God is necessary, but do you honestly know that God is enough and that He is, in fact, more than enough? To find out if God is enough for you, let me ask you a couple of questions. Where do you obtain your joy? Is it from the Lord or from somewhere else? If your joy is from your health and it goes, then your joy will fly out the window. Many a believer has lost his health, his business, his family, his reputation, but has still maintained his joy because the source of genuine contentment and peace is in God. Indeed one may not know that God is enough until God is all one has.

Just Keep Praying

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Romans 8:26

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There’s an old song with the refrain, “Just keep on praying ‘til light breaks through.” When you don’t feel like praying, that’s when you need to. You need to pray until you do feel like praying. You see, you’re not praying by yourself. The Spirit is praying through you and for you, helping to present your petitions to the Father — petitions that perhaps you yourself are not even capable of expressing. Do not approach God with your hands full of the brass of your emotions. Rather, approach Him with hands and heart full of the sweet incense of His worth. Just keep praying.

It Is Not Ours to Ask, "Why?"

BIBLE MEDITATION:
"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.”
2 Samuel 22:31

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When bewilderment enshrouds you and despair looms at your door, when trials storm the beaches of your life, you may want to ask God, “Why? Why? Why?” Friend, you may never understand why things are happening the way they are in your life, but that’s not your job. You see, it is not necessary for you to know why. That is God’s question. Your response is all that matters. When we can’t feel His hand, we must trust His heart. Our job is to simply trust and obey.

Heartfelt Soul Winning Brings a Bountiful Harvest

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you know what you’re doing in the morning when you have a quiet time? Weeding your garden. You’re weeding the garden of your mind, so that the good seed of the Word of God can multiply. Now, the next step is to plant the seed and cultivate His harvest. And, when you go out to win souls, water the crop with your tears. Read how the Lord’s heart broke over the people He longed to embrace and love unto Himself (see John 17). Learn this same sort of compassion in the garden God has given you to harvest for His kingdom.

Never Alone

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
John 14:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The late, great Christian psychiatrist from Switzerland, Dr. Paul Tournier, wrote that loneliness is the most devastating malady of this age. What is loneliness? Many confuse it with being alone. But you can be alone and not lonely. Your loneliness does not have to overwhelm you. After all is said and done, truly your only solace is found in Jesus. Why? Because He understands. John 1:10-11 tells us that the world neither received Him, nor knew Him. In many respects He lived a life of loneliness. “But," you may say, "I need somebody real.” Jesus is real. He is closer to you than anyone else can be or ever will be. What a friend we have in Jesus! We will never be separated from Him!

Release from the Ghosts of Guilt

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Jude 1:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Guilt dogs the footsteps of mankind. It gnaws. It growls. It eats away at the joy God intends for us. Is there no peace from guilt? Will the ghosts of our guilt always lurk nearby? Not with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and the healing power of our Lord in us! The devil is the prosecuting attorney who is going to point his bony finger of accusation at you. But the Holy Spirit is not the accuser. He is the Convictor. In love, He convicts to lead us to confession. Then we can confidently come to God and ask for cleansing. No psychologist or psychiatrist can take away guilt. Only Christ Jesus can.

The Will of God

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.”
Mark 3:35

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Ian Thomas asked, “Which of these things in the life of Jesus is more spiritual?” When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount? When He raised Lazarus from the dead? When He washed His disciples’ feet? Or when He spat on the ground and made clay to anoint the blind man’s eyes? None was more spiritual than the other. Jesus did not divide His life up into little segments of spirituality. He was simply available to do whatever His Father willed. The will of God is not a road map. It is a relationship! You just simply set yourself apart to do the will of God.

Breaking Free From the Comparison Trap

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever noticed that we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like? We try to keep up with the Jones family, but when we finally catch up with them, they refinance! Let me exhort you to get off that comparison treadmill and onto the pathway of serenity. You are accepted right now in Christ. God does not change you so He can love you. He loves you so He can change you! God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. If you are saved, you are in Christ. And where is He? He is seated in the heavenlies. You are also seated in those heavenly places, even though you still have your address on planet Earth. You are enthroned with Him.

The Voice of the Lord

2008-10-20T18:19:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth.”
Psalm 29:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Some people think it’s a waste of time to simply sit at God’s feet and listen. It is not a waste of time to wait on God any more than a woodchopper is wasting time when he sharpens his ax. Charles Hummel wrote a booklet, “Tyranny of the Urgent.” He said “When we fail to wait prayerfully for God’s guidance and strength we are saying, with our actions if not our lips, that we do not need Him….Prayerful waiting on God is indispensable to effective service. Like the time-out in a football game, it enables us to catch our breath and fix new strategy…The need is not the call. The call must come from the Lord who knows our limitations.”

Bridging the Stress Gap

2008-09-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Stress is nothing new. Noah had it when he was building the ark with no rain in sight. Martha had it when she was preparing a meal for our Lord. Stress is the gap between the demands placed on us and the strength we have in meeting those demands. It is not a sin to be stressed, nor a sin to be weary. It is a sin, though, not to seek a lessening of that stress which tears down the temple of the Holy Spirit, your body. Where is your answer? In waiting upon the Lord — waiting in the midst of demands. When you learn to wait on Him, God steps in to bridge the stress gap with His mighty strength.

What Is True Humility?

2008-09-16T12:46:00.002-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He shall lift you up.”
James 4:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever wondered what humility was all about? True humility is not thinking negatively about yourself. It is agreeing with what God says about you. The grace of God will exalt a person without inflating him and humble a person without debasing him. I am what I am because of Christ. In this life, you are not going to be sinless, but as you deal with sin in your life, you can come closer to being free from sin. Sinless? No. Blameless? Yes. As you confess and stay prayed up, you can be blameless.

Being a Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ

2008-09-15T16:18:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
John Calvin was one of the greatest theologians who ever lived. He said, “I gave up all for Christ and what have I found? I have found everything in Christ.” Do you wish you could say that, too? You can. Just don’t get confused about what it means to “give up all” to find Christ. So many think that being a disciple means they must get into a movement or go to the mission field or attend seminary. Friend, being a disciple is fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ — knowing Jesus intimately and following Him wherever He leads. Fellowship with Christ comes before service for Christ. We must minister to Jesus before we can minister to anyone else.

Held by His Omnipotent Hand

2008-09-14T16:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.”
Psalm 139:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I’ve heard people say, “Pray for us that we’ll hold out faithful to the end.” I think I know what they mean, but I always smile. I picture Noah’s ark, and I can see Noah and his wife and family. Rather than being on the inside, they’re holding on to some slimy pegs on the outside of the ark. And Noah says to Mrs. Noah, “Honey, pray for me that I’ll hold out faithful to the end.” But God said to Noah, “Come into the ark,” and the same God that shut the water out, shut Noah in. Now Noah may have fallen down inside that ark, but he never fell out of it. It’s not that we hold onto Him, but that He holds onto us.

Watching to Find You Faithful

2008-09-12T16:35:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
Luke 16:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There was a man who was going to be made a chief executive. The Board of Directors talked about it, and it was a “done deal.” In the company cafeteria one day, the existing CEO was behind this man in line. Unbeknownst to the man, the CEO saw him take a pat of butter that cost about 3 cents, then put a slice of bread over the butter so that no one would see it. The CEO went back to the Board and told them they had the wrong man. He told them that he didn’t have integrity, and for 3 cents the man lost a monumental promotion.

Surely Goodness & Mercy Shall Follow Me...

2008-09-08T16:28:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
Psalm 23:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Goodness and mercy will pursue you all the days of your life. That’s what the word “follow” literally means in Psalm 23:6 — to pursue. Jesus pursued you with His call of salvation, and He will continue to pursue you. His goodness and mercy are like two sheep dogs that follow the flock to assure that there is safe journey to the Shepherd’s final destination. How many times have you questioned God’s provision in your life and wondered if He really cared for you? Well, there's no question here. It says surely, not hopefully. Yes, you and I will stumble, but He will pick us up.

...to Live is Christ ...to Die is Gain

2008-09-02T18:31:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:43

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I read about a man who was on an airplane in a bad storm. Even the flight attendant was nervous, but there was another little lady humming “Blessed Assurance.” She seemed to be at ease. This man said to her, “Lady, aren’t you afraid?” She replied, “Not at all. I’ve given my heart to Jesus Christ. Not so long ago, I had a daughter who died. She was a radiantly beautiful Christian and is now in heaven. I have another daughter who’s in Denver, where this airplane is going. But, I tell you the truth. It really doesn’t make much difference to me which daughter I visit.” Jesus told a man on a bloody cross, “Today you’ll be with Me in paradise.”

A Merciful Delay

2008-08-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever wondered why Jesus has not yet returned? I’ll tell you why — because our Lord is waiting on people to be saved. He’s waiting on your family member, your neighbor, your co-worker, or maybe you. But one of these days soon, and very soon perhaps, Jesus will come. You see, it is the mercy of God that holds back the Second Coming of Jesus, but the justice of God and the judgment of God require that one day He will come. Even now, the raging waters of God’s wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, the dam of God’s mercy will give way to God’s judgment, and the day of the Lord will come. Our Lord is coming!

No One Knows the Day or the Hour

2008-08-25T18:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
Matthew 24:36

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Anybody who sets a date for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ may be crossing the line of blasphemy. The Bible teaches very clearly and very plainly and our Lord taught that no one knows the time — no one. Just before our Lord was taken up into glory the disciples asked Him, “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power” (Acts 1:6-7). No one knows the day when Jesus Christ is coming again, but what a glorious day that will be!

The Just Shall Live by Faith

2008-08-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Is God righteous? Yes, and how is the righteousness of God revealed? It is revealed from faith to faith. God gives you truth. You believe that truth; God gives you more truth. The more you obey the light, the more light you get. The reason that some of us don’t understand the Bible any more than we do is that we have not been living up to the light that God has already given us. It’s time we began taking God at His Word and obeying it. If we begin obeying the small things we understand, God will enlighten our path to help us understand the things we don’t understand.

Clean Before the Lord

2008-08-13T10:28:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a missionary whose wife was very fastidious. They moved into a small hut, and soon she noticed that the floor was filthy. The first thing the wife wanted to do was to scrub that floor, so she scrubbed and scrubbed but to no avail. She began to wonder if she would ever get the floor clean. Finally, somebody told her the problem. It was a dirt floor! The more she scrubbed the more dirt she scrubbed up. In the same way, we can never scrub off our sinful nature. All we do is reveal more of what is there. I hate to tell you this, but we’re rotten to the core. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Made White as Snow

2008-08-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .” Isaiah 1:18a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a man giving his testimony at a Salvation Army meeting. There was a heckler in the crowd shouting, “Would you shut up? You’re just dreaming!” The heckler felt a tug at his coattail and a little girl said, “That’s my daddy up there. He used to be a drunkard and beat up my mommy. We didn’t have enough food to eat. But then he got saved, and my daddy’s life is changed. See that woman over there? See how happy she is? That’s my mommy. Mister, if my daddy’s dreaming, don’t wake him up!” What a Savior who can take a poor lost sinner and wash him, save him, and make him new. Hallelujah!

The Sun of Righteousness

2008-08-06T09:17:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings. . .”
Malachi 4:2a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If Jesus is the S-O-N of God, He is also the S-U-N of righteousness. Let me tell you something about the sunrise. The sunrise never comes ahead of time, and it is never late. Isn’t that right? The sunrise operates according to the power of God and the authority of God. You can’t hurry it up, and you can’t stop it! That’s the way the Second Coming of Jesus is. He is coming at a time known only to God. You can’t hurry it up, and you can’t stop it. One day the Lord Jesus Christ shall come with trumpet sound. He will pull back the shade of the night and pin it with a star. Then He’ll open the door of the glorious morning of His millennial reign and flood the world with light.

The Prosperity Gospel

2008-07-25T20:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a devotion from ACTS International for today.

"I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [tribulation]. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

A Daily Encounter reader from a much poorer country than North America asks, "Can you please write a message on prosperity teachings. [Some American preachers]…say it is a sin to be poor and when you are prosperous (have money) you are blessed."
Amazing isn't it?

If God has gifted me to be a good businessman and to make money, and I can do that honestly, then I'd say it would be my responsibility to make money … not for personal indulgences but so I would be able to give generously in supporting the Lord's work on earth.

I for one, however, don't have that gift or that calling. Neither am I a gifted fundraiser, so financing God's work for me has always been a challenge and probably will be until the day I retire or die … whichever comes first!

However, to some degree I have been gifted with an ability to communicate. Thus it is my responsibility to be trained in this area and communicate God's truth and the gospel to the best of my ability. Not to do so would be a sin for me as the Bible says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

To claim that everybody is gifted to make money or to communicate effectively is not true—and, if claiming this to be true, could lead many to doubt God's blessing on their life. The same goes for those who are led to believe that it is God's will for every Christian to be financially prosperous.

Think of Jesus, for example. Was he prosperous? Not at all. Were the twelve disciples prosperous? Matthew, the tax collector, may have been at one time but through questionable methods. Peter and the other fishermen and disciples probably made just enough to make ends meet. True, Moses came from a well-to-do background, having grown up in Pharaoh's household, but he gave it all up to serve God and lead the people of Israel.

If, however, prosperity is God's will for everyone, then let's take this message to the poverty-stricken parts of the world where untold thousands of people are dying of malnutrition.

For the rest of us less prosperous ordinary folks, let's do the best we can with the gifts God has given to us to help make our world a better place in which to live.

To Be "In Christ Jesus"

2008-07-20T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?” First, think about what it was for Noah to be in the ark. The ark was waterproof. How do we know it was? Well, God told Noah, “put pitch on the inside and on the outside” (Genesis 6:14). The word “pitch” in the Hebrew is “kapar,” and it is exactly the same word translated as "atonement." You see, we are in Jesus as Noah was in that ark. Just as the storms of God’s wrath beat upon that ark, the storms of God’s wrath beat upon the Lord Jesus. But we are on the inside, and not one drop of judgment can come through.

The Law & the Gospel of God's Grace

2008-07-15T18:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.”
Romans 4:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are almost six billion people on the face of this earth. If you extracted from each one the very best character traits and put those things into one man, that one man would still have to bow before God and cry out for mercy to be saved. We’ve got to quit trying to be saved by doing good things or being a moral person or by even keeping the Ten Commandments. The law says “if,” the gospel says “therefore.” The law says you must earn salvation, while the gospel says salvation is a gift. The law demands holiness. The gospel provides holiness. The law says run, but it doesn’t give us legs. The gospel says fly, and it gives us wings of grace.

Driven to the Heart of Our Lord

2008-07-10T07:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
Psalm 32:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The worst thing that could happen to sinful people would be to live in a perfect environment. If God had left Adam in the Garden of Eden, Adam would not have known that he had the fatal infection of sin, and he would not have sought the remedy for sin, which he found in the shedding of blood. Problems are designed, not to crush us, but to crowd us to Christ who provided the remedy for sin by shedding His blood on the cross. The problem of sin is real and terrible, but it brings with it the possibility that we can be forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Remembering Our Spiritual and Political Heritage

2008-07-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for Independence Day.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”
Psalm 78:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
On June 8, 1845, Andrew Jackson said, “The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rests.” Just a few years prior in 1820, another of our forefathers, Daniel Webster, said, “Let us not forget the religious character of our origin.” In the days of our founding fathers, people didn’t quibble about the Bible’s importance. Our forefathers brought hither their high veneration for the Christian religion, being journeyed in its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate, listen to, and infuse its influence through all their institutions: civil, political, and literary.

Valleys & Mountains in the Life of a Christian

2008-06-17T17:44:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you know that it is an impossibility of geography to have a valley without a mountain? They are beautiful complements in God’s grand creation. The valley is the place of vision. It is the place of repose and reflection. The mountain is the place of discovery and a place to become strong. If you find yourself in a valley, it is because you have come down from a mountain. If you’re on a mountain, you came to that place by way of the valley.

A Challenge for Fathers

2008-06-15T12:38:00.006-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

And below is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries
for Father's Day.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sitteth among the elders.”
Proverbs 31:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Once a year, we celebrate fathers. Maybe you are one.
Let me give you a challenge. One father said,

“If I had it to do all over again.
I’d love my wife more in front of my children.
I’d laugh with my children more.
I’d listen more, even to the youngest child.
I’d be more honest about my own weaknesses
and stop pretending perfection.
I would pray differently for my children.
I would be more encouraging and bestow more praise.
And finally, if I had it to do all over again,
I would use every ordinary thing that happened
in every ordinary day to point them to God.”

Praise God for the impact of godly fathers in our lives!

Saints in God's Sight Through Christ

2008-06-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Galatians 4:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Are you saved? If you are, then you are a saint. Now you’re probably saying, “But, I can’t say that. Christ wants me to be humble,” but let me tell you what real humility is. It is accepting what God says about you, and God says you’re a saint. Now, that doesn’t make you sinless; it makes you blameless. In God’s sight (and that’s the only sight that counts) you are a saint. God sees you as perfect because He sees you draped in the righteousness of His Son. Glory to God for His indescribable love to us!

Remembering Those Who Have Sacrificed for Us

2008-05-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place.”
Exodus 13:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Each year, Americans remember those brave-hearted souls who fought and gave their lives so that you and I would have the rights and privileges of living in a free country. Remembering is important. In fact, God instructs His people on many occasions in the Old Testament to remember from whence they came and to remember His providence. It is by the mighty hand of God that we are saved, we are protected, and we are free to live in the Land of the Brave. Never take that freedom for granted, my friend. It is a precious commodity for which the world hungers, and it is a powerful charge for you and I to protect.

Seizing Opportunities to Serve

2008-05-17T10:02:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan in
Luke 10:30-37? He was on a journey, but stopped and helped a bruised and broken man. He didn’t make excuses saying, “It’s none of my business.” It was a golden moment, and he took it. All around you are people who need the compassion of Christ. They need you to see their pain as a golden opportunity to serve them in the name of Jesus. The chief enemy to kindness is busyness. We have our priorities, our jobs, our duties, our responsibilities, and we’re too busy. But if we’re too busy to be kind, we’re too busy.

The Earth is the Lord's

2008-05-11T12:50:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
Psalm 50:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you remember when it was rare to hear of someone whose job was either threatened, or actually lost, due to changes or cutbacks? Well, that’s hardly news anymore. These days it seems that almost everyone is struggling with financial problems related to job security. You may be struggling and asking, “What good can possibly come from my financial problems?” They are wonderful opportunities to trust your Heavenly Father for your daily bread. I’ve always said that it’s better to have a Father who owns a bakery than to have a warehouse full of bread!

2008-04-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Let me tell you how to experience God. Get your heart pure, and you will see God with the eyes of faith. You see, Jesus is not talking about your physical body. You get your spiritual heart right, and your spiritual eye will see. Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” You get your heart right, and you’ll see the invisible God...in circumstances...in nature...in the face of your spouse, your child, your grandchild. You’ll see Him in the scriptures. God will become a bright, living reality to you.

When Things Go Wrong

2008-04-08T20:31:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today from an anonymous poet.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
So don't give up, though the pace seems slow –
For you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it
seems to a fain and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure, turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Pointless post, Funny Video

2008-04-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I saw this video on friend's blog a while back and thought is was hilarious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What Is the Victorious Life?

2008-03-22T13:52:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
So many people want to know what the victorious life is, but let me first tell you what it is not. It is not a life without ever committing a sin. It is not a life without ever having any failure. It is not a life without ever having any doubt. It is not a life without ever having discouragement. Instead, the victorious life is the life of bringing our failures to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to give us a brand new start. Day after day I tell the Lord that I need a new start, that I need to be anointed with fresh oil today, and that I need forgiveness. I thank God that He is a God of grace, a God of glory, and a God of a second chance. You’re probably more prepared to serve God after failure and restoration, than perhaps at any other time in your life.

Christianity, More Than a Creed or Code

2008-02-09T10:40:00.000-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“...and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Are Christians fools for believing in Jesus? Are we serving a false God? If you go to the tomb of Confucius, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Buddha, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Jesus, you’ll find it empty. He is a risen Savior. Now that’s very important, because, you can take Confucius out of Confucianism and still have Confucianism, and you can take Buddha out of Buddhism and still have Buddhism. But you cannot take Jesus Christ out of Christianity and still have Christianity because Christianity is not a code. It’s not a creed. It’s not a cause. It is Christ Himself.

Nothing Less than God's Optimum for Your Life

2008-01-26T13:45:00.000-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you love Christ? Do you long to please Him with all your heart? Then, remember this: God’s delays are not God’s denials. Many a Christian feels he is out in the wilderness — that all he is doing is being "led about” in circles. Maybe God is grooming you. He is not ready to thrust you into heavy responsibilities yet. He has you in a holding pattern for His holy purpose. Life is a journey that does not end. God is preparing something wonderful for you. He doesn’t want you to settle for less than His optimum for your life and your work

Merry Christmas from Oklahoma

2007-12-22T09:47:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

To keep loading times low, I decided to just narrate each picture with the story of my day and include a link to them.
Hope you enjoy them.

I started at home with a quick picture of our tiny pond and tree.

After breakfast, I decided to visit a friend of mine who lives a few miles away. Here's a picture of the bridge I have to cross to get to my friend's house.

And this is the shoreline as seen from the bridge.

One of the many ponds on the way to my friend's.

Another pond near my friend's driveway.

My friend's driveway.

One more view of the driveway.

After brief chat, I ventured out of my friend's house to take pictures of their beautiful land.

More of that picturesque landscape.

I love the look of these trees.

A nice picture of the big one.

On my way down the big hill.

I thought this tree was very interesting.

My first glimpse of pond #2 which resides on my friend's land.

The rocky hill as seen from the bottom.

My first look at pond #1.

During my trek, I came along this little evergreen growing out from between the rocks. What a tough little tree.

I don't why, but I couldn't pass by this rock without a picture.

East side of pond #2.

A good look at the submerged fence in pond #2.

Pond #2

West side of pond #2.

It may be 15 foot tall, but it is still a great looking Christmas tree.

Another look at that interesting tree.

I "shot" some ducks while I was at pond #1. If you don't see them, keep looking they're hard to see, but there.

Pond #1

Going up the hill.

It amazed me how much the weather had changed by the time I went home.

A different angle on bridge.

Almost home...

I made it home, and what a fun day it had been too.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Let the Adventure Begin!

2007-12-12T15:28:00.000-06:00

The prologue to my first "blovel"(i.e. a blogged novel), The Great Legend of Salem, is now posted on my other blog site.

Posting won't be to rapid on that site or this one, on account of Christmas and the fact that the novel takes up so much time.

The Next Great Adventure

2007-11-24T20:59:00.000-06:00

There may not be much posting in the next few weeks, due to Christmas.

When I do begin posting again, I hope to post the first part of a story that I’m writing on my other blog, with the title of The Great Legend of Salem. Posts will be little more than a refined draft, of a single act, of each chapter, and the story will be quite long if it pans out as I hope it will.

The story itself is about four children that stumble upon a world in which they must suffer great hardship to, at first, leave the world, but eventually save it from the evil that is attempting to overthrow all that is good and honorable.

I’m writing furiously even as this post goes up. Well, ok not “furiously,” but I am excited about it, and hope that I can start posting soon.

Construct Hope

2007-10-27T10:27:00.002-05:00

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
ROMANS 14:19

In the verse above, along with many other passages in the Bible, we Christians have been told to encourage each other. Encouragement means, according to the Word Web Dictionary program: the act of giving hope or support to someone. Fulfilling that definition would be very difficult, to give hope is hard in this world that is hopeless, and to support someone in the way meant is against human nature.

Encouragement is positive, but positivity is not encouragement. A positive person has a good attitude, but no way to pass it on. Encouragement is the hand by which we gift others with hope (positivity), and that hope can only be Jesus.

In this translation, the KJV, Romans 14:19 says to edify each other. I like this translation of that word. To edify means, literally, to build up and enlighten. That is exciting to me; we don't just encourage one another, but build each other up too! Block by block we can encourage everyone around us.

Not only constructing, but enlightening is also a part of our jobs. We can enlighten those in darkness, by offering them comfort, help, or even just presence. All of those things can encourage someone and brighten their day.

Go construct hope, even if you can only give a pebble.

P.S. I now have a new blog up. It is Warning: Man on Fire for Christ, and is for my more personal thoughts on things or whatever else I just feel like writing about.

Maturity. What do you Expect?

2007-10-13T16:39:00.000-05:00

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
PSALM 111:10

I, like everyone, face choices in maturity every day. From the time I get up in the morning, to the time I go to bed, I have to choose how I am going to live my life. Some choices are clearer, I don't get up soon enough on a weekday and I lose my job. Some aren't, I speed on the highway so I can get to work faster, and nobody knows it. And some don't seem to matter, should I have the turkey or the chicken on my sub sandwich?

So what can help in these decisions? Maturity. That sounds good, but what is it? Well, I thought about using the word responsibility, although that doesn't quite cover it for me. Maturity is responsible, and more. Maturity is also thoughtful; it is bold in the most quiet of ways. I have known several people that were responsible, but not really mature. They did what they had to, what was expected of them. Truly mature persons, however, do what isn't expected of them.

Maturity is hard to do, no, impossible to do for the right reasons without a strong, stable relationship with God. Maturity is for glorifying God. Maturity doesn't change decisions much when it comes to clearer and petty choices, but in the areas that aren't so clear, one's maturity is put to the test.

I see people, even good Christian people, that will sit at a red stoplight and rev their car’s engine, and as soon as the light turns green, the pedal is on the floor. Is this wrong? It depends on the circumstances, but generally, no. Why do they do it? They usually say, “Because it’s fun. Can’t I have a little fun now and then?” Sure. But is that the real reason? Maybe, but I know for me, it is usually because I want to impress someone, or because other people are doing it.

In the situation above, maturity comes in very handy. The immature person happily participates in such an activity regularly, if only to feed their fleshly desires. A mature person would practice God glorifying restraint, and thereby respect other drivers, their car, and the Government’s regulations concerning proper behavior in traffic.

So, from this, I reckon maturity is evidence of salvation, necessary for, yet stemming from, a healthy relationship with God. God is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom is praise and glory to Him.

Things Change

2007-10-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago I started blogging. Around December of that year, I also all but quit blogging. Now, on a new computer, I hope to restart consistent blogging, and hopefully regular commenting.

Other changes are also being made. I, as I am sure you have noticed, have changed my blog design a little, and plan on writing more personal posts. Soon, my profile will feature an actual pic of me, or that’s my plan anyway... It could change :)

More will be written later!

Help, Lord!

2007-08-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

I need Your help, Lord.
I need Your help to be strong.
I need Your help to be pure.
I need Your help to be honest.
I need Your help, Lord.

I want Your help, Lord.
I want Your help to be courageous.
I want Your help to be courteous.
I want Your help to be honorable.
I want Your help, Lord.

I fear Your help, Lord.
I fear Your help will hurt.
I fear Your help will change what I like.
I fear Your help isn't for my best.
I fear Your help, Lord.

I know Your help, Lord.
I know Your help is always with me.
I know Your help is better than I could imagine.
I know Your help is enough for me.
I know Your help, Lord.

I trust Your help, Lord.
I trust Your help cleansing me.
I trust Your help is stronger than me.
I trust Your help is changing me to be like You.
I trust Your help, Lord.

I often feel like quitting, Lord,
and Your help is the only help I need, want, fear, know, and trust.

Sarcasm

2007-05-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

Can sarcasm hurt? How much is too much? Is sarcasm really Christ-like?

I have been wondering about these type of things lately. I actually use sarcasm quite often, usually several times each day. And as my friend and I exchanged a round of this good-natured ribbing, I began to consider what we were saying to each other. We said things we would never say if it weren't in jest. Over and over again I really listened to what I said to others, and what was said to me, just for some good laughs.

So began my wondering.

By the end of this post you might think I'm against humor. Far from it! I believe God has a sense of humor and intends for his followers to also. After all, the Bible does say that the Lord laughs (Psalm 2:4; 37:13).

Anyway, back to my post. I decided to look up the word sarcasm in the dictionaries. What I found was very eye-opening.

The modern dictionary* defined sarcasm as:

cutting language: remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and are intended to mock or deride.

That doesn't sound very good, and with synonyms like sardonic, satirical, and caustic, sarcasm is quickly falling out of favor as my preferred form of humor. Let us, however, move to the 1828 dictionary. Maybe it will be more encouraging.

Sarcasm: A keen reproachful expression; a satirical remark or expression, uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe. Of this we have an example in the remark of the Jews respecting Christ, on the cross, "He saved others, himself he cannot save."

Oh. Guess not.

So, we see from these definitions that not only can sarcasm hurt someone, but was originally intended to be hurtful. Sarcasm wasn't a joke, but a mocking taunt, a humiliating remark, a dash of insult to injury. Sarcasm isn't all bad though, and certainly not a sin when applied in a godly way, at a godly time.

Elijah used sarcasm in 1 Kings 18:27, saying, "Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked." to show how ridiculous the worshippers of Baal were in their devotion to a fake god. In this way humiliation was used as a tool to bring others to the true God.

Sarcasm, I believe, is an attribute of the fall. We would not, nor would need to, mock anyone or anything if we were still perfect, but in in God’s ever amazing wisdom and power, He is able to turn all evil, into good. Even sarcasm.

*Encarta World English Dictionary

A Fitting Present

2006-12-25T19:53:00.000-06:00

A Christmas devotion for this special day.

A Fitting Present

Read: Matthew 2:11-15

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.
ROMANS 12:1

A little boy was somewhat perplexed by all the exchanging of presents on Christmas morning, for he had been taught in Sunday school that it was the birthday of the Savior. Finally, after a long period of silence, he asked, “Mommy, when are we going to give Jesus His present? I thought it was His birthday!”

Strange, isn’t it, that most of us give gifts to everyone but the One whose birthday we celebrate. A good question we might ask ourselves is this: What am I going to give to the Lord Jesus this Christmas? If you have never trusted in Him as your Savior, the thing He desires most from you is a believing heart. Why not put your faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross so you can be saved from your sins?

If by faith you already know Christ as your Savior, then the most wonderful thing you can do this Christmas is to present to God the one gift He most desires to receive from you—your body (Rom. 12:1).

Our bodies are to be used for God’s purposes. Because we have accepted the gift of salvation from Him, it’s only reasonable that we should present ourselves to the Father. When we give ourselves, we give the one Christmas present that truly fits the occasion! —Richard De Haan

What shall I give for Christmas
To Him who gave Himself for me?
To Him I give my life, my love,
For time and for eternity. —Anon.

Give your all to Christ; He gave His all for you.

Do Living Things Show Evidence of Design?

2006-11-22T21:37:00.000-06:00

The late Isaac Asimov (an ardent anti-creationist) declared, "In man is a three-pound brain which, as far as we know, is the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe." It is much more complex than the most sophisticated computer ever built. Wouldn't it be logical to assume that if man's highly intelligent brain designed the computer, then the human brain was also the product of design?

Scientists who reject the concept of a Creator God agree that all living things exhibit evidence of design. In essence, they accept the design argument of Paley, but not Paley's Designer.

For example, Dr. Michael Denton, a non-Christian medical doctor and scientist with a doctorate in molecular biology, concludes:

It is the sheer universality of perfection, the fact that everywhere we look, to whatever depth we look, we find an elegance and ingenuity of an absolutely transcending quality, which so mitigates against the idea of chance...

Alongside the level of ingenuity and complexity exhibited by the molecular machinery of life, even our most advanced artifacts appear clumsy. We feel humbled, as Neolithic man would in the presence of twentieth-century technology...

It would be an illusion to think that what we are aware of at present is any more than a fraction of the full extent of biological design. In practically every field of fundamental biological research ever-increasing levels of design and complexity are being revealed at an ever-accelerating rate.

Dr. Richard Dawkins, holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, has become one of the world's leading evolutionist spokespersons. His fame has come as the result of the publication of books, including The Blind Watchmaker, which defends modern evolutionary theory and claims to refute once and for all the notion of a Creator God. He states the following:

We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully "designed" to have come into existence by chance.

There is no doubt that even the most ardent atheist concedes that design is evident in the animals and plants that inhabit our planet. If Dawkins rejects "chance" in design, what does he put in place of "chance" if he does not accept a Creator God?

The Christian Colors

2006-11-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

After a refreshing break from the blogging world, I have decided to let you all know what I have been doing. In the past three weeks I have changed jobs. I now work at a local Sherwin-Williams paint store. It has amazed me how God has moved through this whole situation.

The Humane Society was a very good first job for me. It required me to have a quick, expedient work ethic, and to have a pleasant attitude towards the public at all times, no matter how irate whoever you are speaking with is. All these traits are so necessary to a job well done at Sherwin-Williams, it now seems that, looking back on everything, I was being prepared for this job while working at the Humane Society.

My job at Sherwin-Williams came to me quite by surprise. I was happy with my job at the Humane Society, and wasn't looking for a job elsewhere. A friend of mine told me about an opening at Sherwin-Williams, and said I should apply if I was interested. At the time, I wasn't. I prayed about it, however, and felt Gods leading to pursue the job further. I applied, and in the end, as you know, was eventually hired.

As I was being trained, I noticed how much color matching we have to do. People bring in an item that has a color they want to use as a paint, and we patiently work and tweak the paint base with pigments to achieve a perfect match.

That process of color matching reminded me of the Christian life. We, as Christians, are to attempt to become a perfect match, or imitation, of Christ. We must patiently work and tweak our habits and personalities to imitate Jesus' until the world cannot tell the difference between Him and us. We don't change our habits all on our own though, we use love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22 - 23).

Also like the color matching process, we don't start from scratch, just guessing at what to do, in our Christian lives. At the store, we use color cards and a color matching computer. In life, Christians use, first and foremost, the Bible, and the writings and experience of other more mature Christians.

And finally, in the same way the color doesn't matter until the paint is well shaken and put upon wall, our Christ-like habits don't do us any good until they are tested and put into practice every day.

Written by: Zachary J.

Hurry Sickness

2006-10-30T19:48:00.000-06:00

A devotion for today.

Hurry Sickness

Read: Philippians 3:7-16

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on.
PHILIPPIANS 3:12

"Hurry up!" "We're late!" "You're too slow!" How often do impatient words crop up in our speech, revealing our fast-paced life? If we're not careful, we become people living in the fast lane, demanding quick arrivals and instant results. Stress experts call this "hurry sickness."

In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul's testimony of lifelong growth reminds us that Christian maturity can be encouraged but not hurried. In his book Overcomers Through the Cross, Paul Billheimer says that just as God takes time to make an oak tree, He takes time to make a saint. Christian growth is a life-long process.

Billheimer writes, "An unripe apple is not fit to eat, but we should not therefore condemn it. It is not yet ready for eating because God is not done making it. It is a phase of its career and good in its place."

Are you feeling impatient over your spiritual growth? Remember, God is not finished with you—nor does He expect to be until He calls you home. Make sure that your goal is to know Christ and to become more like Him. Then slowly but surely, under blue skies and stormy, He will bring you to maturity. It's His sure cure for "hurry sickness." ~Joanie Yoder

O God, make me one of those rarest souls
Who willingly wait for Thy time;
My impatient will must be lost in Thine own,
And Thy will forever be mine.
~Bowser

There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity.

How Do We Recognize the Evidence of Intelligence?

2006-10-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

Why do scientists become so excited when they discover stone tools together with bones in a cave? The stone tools speak of intelligence! The scientists recognize that these tools could not have designed themselves - they are a product of intelligent input. Thus, the researchers rightly conclude that an intelligent creature was responsible for making these tools.

In a similar way, one would never look at the Great Wall of China, the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., or the Sydney Opera House in Australia and conclude that such structures were formed after explosions in a brick factory!

Neither would anyone believe that the presidents' heads on Mt. Rushmore were the products of millions of years of erosion! We can recognize design! We see man-made objects all around us - cars, airplanes, computers, stereos, houses, appliances and so on. And yet, at no time would anyone ever suggest that such objects were just the products of time and chance. Design is everywhere. It would never enter our minds that metal, left to itself, would eventually form into engines, transmissions, wheels and all the other intricate parts needed to produce an automobile!

This "design argument" is often associated with the name of William Paley, an Anglican clergyman who wrote on this topic in the late eighteenth century. He is particularly remembered for his example of the watch and watchmaker. In discussing a comparison between a stone and a watch, he concluded:

...that the watch must have had a maker; that there must have existed, at some time and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers, who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction, and designed its use.

Paley thus believed that just as the watch implied a watchmaker, so too does design in living things imply a Designer. Although he believed in a God who created all things, his God was a Master Designer who is now remote from His Creation, not the personal God of the Bible.

Today, however, a large proportion of the population, including many leading scientists, believe that all plants and creatures, including the intelligent engineers who make watches, cars, etc., were the product of an evolutionary process - not a Creator God. But is this really a defensible position?

Sign of Design: Real science depends on measuring or watching something happen, and checking it by doing it again.

Is There Really a God?

2006-10-24T06:10:00.000-05:00

God - an Eternal Being?

In our everyday experience, just about everything seems to have a beginning. In fact, the laws of science show that even things which look the same through our lifetime, such as the sun and other stars, are running down. The sun is using up its fuel at millions of tons each second - since it cannot last forever, it had to have a beginning. The same can be shown to be true for the entire universe.

So when Christians claim that the God of the Bible created all the basic entities of life and the universe, some will ask what seems a logical question: "Who created God?"

The very first verse in the Bible declares: "In the beginning God..." There is no attempt in these words to prove the existence of God or imply in any way that God had a beginning. In fact, the Bible makes it clear in many places that God is outside of time. He is eternal, with no beginning or end - God is infinite! He also knows all things, being infinitely intelligent.

Is it logical, though, to accept the existence of such an eternal being? Can modern science, which has produced our technology of computers, space shuttles and medical advances, even allow for such a notion?

What Would We Look For?

What evidence would we expect to find if there really is an infinite God who created all things as the Bible claims? How would we even recognize the hand of such an all-powerful ("omnipotent") Creator?

The Bible claims that God knows all things - He is "omniscient"! Therefore, He is infinitely intelligent. To recognize His handiwork, one would have to know how to begin to recognize the evidence of the works of His intelligence.

Sign of Design: Historically, most scientific disciplines were founded by great scientists (Newton, Pasteur, Faraday, to name but a few) who were all creationists.

Don't Miss the Message from Heaven!

2006-10-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

God has sent mankind a clear message of hope and terror. There is coming a time when sorrow will cease, a time of eternal peace, a future Edenic state, but only for those who have obeyed Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

For those who continue to worship the created world instead of the Creator, God warns that they "shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).

This is God's message from Heaven. Each of us has a choice. We need to heed His warning and flee to His Refuge, Jesus Christ!

Sign of Design: In the United States alone, it is conservatively estimated that there are upwards of 10,000 professional scientists (the vast majority not officially linked to creation organizations) who believe in biblical creation.

Empire Building

2006-10-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Empire Building

Read: Daniel 4:28-37

Those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
DANIEL 4:37

After being warned by Daniel about his pride, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was struck with insanity. The Lord restored his mind, but only after he spent 7 years in a field thinking he was a wild animal.

Nebuchadnezzar went from boasting, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for . . . the honor of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30) to a humble prayer: "I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven" (v.37). He had repented of prideful empire building.

Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee expressed concern about empire building in the church today. He advised Christian leaders, "Don't try to build a little empire of your church. I started out with that viewpoint, and I had never been more unhappy." He encouraged them to "build into the lives of people" and leave the results to God.

When a church devotes undue energy to statistics, buildings, and programs, pride can enter in and the needs of God's people can be forgotten.

Jesus never forgot the importance of individuals. He invested His time in 12 men (Mark 3:14). Paul discipled Timothy who in turn discipled others (2 Tim. 2:2). God's kingdom grows when we invest in people. ~Dennis Fisher

Churches grow when people pray
And pastors preach the Word,
When love for Christ seeks out the lost
To win them to the Lord. —D. De Haan

Poor is the church that values programs above people.

Voyager 1 and 2 Send a Mistaken Message to the Heavens

2006-10-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

The Bible tells us that man will accept a lie rather than admit to the truth that God Created all things, that man is a sinner and must bow down and accept his Creator as Lord of his life. To avoid the truth, man has "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things" (Romans 1:23).

What better way to show how man has done this than to look at the two Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977 and sent barreling towards the outer reaches of the solar system. On each ship is a gold-coated phonograph record, offering a message to extraterrestrial civilizations.

This message includes pictures of the "evolution of man" from molecules, via fish, reptiles, ape-like creatures, to humans. It also presents the "evolution of man" in sound - a series of sounds in an evolutionary progression: music of the spheres, volcanoes, earthquakes, mud pots, wind, rain, crickets, frogs, birds, hyenas, elephants, chimpanzees, wild dogs, footsteps, heartbeats and laughter. There is also the sound of fire and speech, of stone tools, a tame dog, Morse code, ships, a train, the F-111 aircraft and so on.

The Voyager craft also offer greetings from representatives of nations around the world. These messages bring greetings from Earth, calls for help, offers of friendship, pleas for peace and promises that man is thinking about them (the extraterrestrial intelligent beings), calling these supposed beings out there "great ones."

And just to make sure they were communicating, scientists included a greeting from some whales! In the book Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record, by Carl Sagan and others, we read about the "whale greeting":

We listened to it [the whale greeting] many times and always with a feeling of irony that our imagined extraterrestrials of a billion years hence might grasp a message from fellow earthlings that had been incomprehensible to us.

United Nations delegate Wallace R.T. Macaulay of Nigeria made an impassioned plea in his massage carried by Voyager. "To extraterrestrial intelligent beings: We are supposed to inhabit this planet alone but we know this is not quite so. In Africa, we want to believe that we have you and you are all-knowing, and perhaps possess high intelligence and therefore can help us solve the many problems of our world here."

Why don't they listen to the message from God? Psalm 121:2 tells us where to look for solutions: "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Sign of Design: Consider the incredible improbabilities involved in getting the whole evolutionary scenario started in the first place. People talk as if it were somehow an observed fact - but the fact is that no one really has any sort of scientific explanation for how the complicated, information-bearing molecules required for even the simplest conceivable "first life" could have arisen without outside intelligence. And there are good scientific reasons for believing this to be impossible.

Man Has Rejected the Heavenly Message

2006-10-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Man is crying our for purpose and meaning in life. But he is not listening to God. In fact, he doesn't want to listen. As we read in Ephesians 4:18: "Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." In 2 Peter 3:5, the Apostle tells us that man is "willingly ignorant" - he deliberately rejects the truth about creation.

This great, infinite Intelligence - the Lord God of the Bible - sent His prophets, and man stoned them. God sent His Son, and man nailed Him to a cross. God gave us His Word, and man has burned it and its preachers at the stake. Man cries out on one hand for there to be something more, but then shakes his fist at God. Why? Because man really wants to make his own god - he doesn't want to acknowledge that he is in rebellion against his Creator, or that he will have to answer his Creator for the things he has done.

Sign of Design: There are unsolved problems and unanswered questions in the creation model, but the same is true for evolution. Billions of tax dollars are spent each year trying to solve evolution-related questions; a pittance, by comparison, is spent on real creationist research.

Pursuing God's Kingdom

2006-09-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Pursuing God's Kingdom

"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
MATTHEW 6:33

Thoughts:

Seek - pursue relentlessly - God's Lordship over your life and the righteousness that he demands in your daily life. The other stuff you pursue is all temporary. Only God and his Kingdom remain. In the process of pursuing God's kingdom and his righteousness, you will find that the God who gives you his Kingdom and righteousness, also will bless you with the things in this life that you need.

Prayer:

Holy Lord, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul's desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive pursuits, have left me empty and enslaved. I find hope and help only in you. Please be near to love, correct, discipline, lead, and mold me to your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Written by: Phil Ware

My Job and My God

2006-09-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

Around a month ago, I got a new part-time job. I now work for my local Humane Society. I can see God's hand at work almost everyday, though my non-Christian co-workers are completely oblivious to it. Dogs and cats are saved from roaming the streets, owner's are reunited with lost pets, and many other such occurrences happen every week in this small, humble, temporary home for pets awaiting owners.

I believe God is the reason that I even have this job. For awhile now, I have been praying for a more steady job that wouldn't force me to stop the work I do for some older people around my town. Unknown to me, a young volunteer/employee of the Humane Society of 4 years had decided to quit and move on (hopefully) to be a veterinarians assistant. That opened up a position that was advertised in the newspaper to be around 20 hours a week. My Mom suggested I apply for the job, and I did. That is when I said I wouldn't be around the blogs much.

I went in for the interview, and afterward, left unsure of whether I still wanted the job. The hours described in the interview sounded like many more than what was advertised in the newspaper. At the time my prayers changed, I now prayed that if I got the job, my schedule would even out. The Humane Society told me that I would be called in a few days if I got the job. Those few days came and went.

A week later, I received a call from the Humane Society telling me that they had filled the position I had applied for, but were wondering if I was interested in a position with much fewer hours. I accepted the job and worked those hours for the rest of that week. I enjoyed the hours, and was thankful that they didn't interfere with my other jobs, but the hours were few enough and the gas prices high enough that costs were just a little less than the benefit.

When I returned the next week, I was called into my boss' office and told that the person who had taken the position I originally applied for quit, and if I was willing, I could take their place. I prayed about it and talked to my parents and my boss over the next few days. I felt led to take the hours change and accepted the position. Now, my hours are almost perfect for this season of my life.

Three times through this experience I was tempted to doubt God. I couldn't see how I would have a more steady job without settling for second best. I couldn't understand how I could have a job without interfering with the other jobs I know God wants me do. I couldn't comprehend how once I had the job, I would rationally justify the cost I felt it was going to take up. And I could never have believed it all would have slid into place as well as it has. It is only because of God I have this job, and it is only Him I have to thank.

Written by: Zachary J.

The Bad

2006-09-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

The Bad

READ: Nahum 1:1-8

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble."
NAHUM 1:7

Nineveh was in trouble with God. Big trouble! Despite the good work of the reluctant prophet Jonah, Nineveh had returned to its evil ways. The Ninevites had oppressed other countries, worshiped idols, and performed acts of cruelty.

God saw this evil, and through the words of Nahum He spoke of Nineveh’s coming destruction, using words such as wrath and vengeance. Nineveh was about to face judgment.

Why would God’s prophet tell the people of Judah about this? How could Nahum’s frightening words help those who lived in the Promised Land?

There is help for answering those questions in Nahum 1:7-8. His prophecy of the destruction of those who reject God stands in sharp contrast to God’s promise to those “who trust in Him.” The godly, rather than facing judgment, would be cared for. They would have a refuge in Him.

God is not one-sided. He provides refuge, help, and comfort for those who trust Him, and He also sends judgment against those who disobey His standards.

The message for us is the same as it was for Judah. Through trust and obedience, we can enjoy the comfort of God’s refuge—even in times of trouble. ~Dave Branon

How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul. ~Cushing

Everyone must face God as Savior or as Judge.

The Crocodile Hunter

2006-09-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

~ By Ray Comfort

It's not often that someone from down-under is the lead story on primetime TV. The fact that presidents from other countries die is a big deal, but they don't get to head the news. Some don't even get the tail. But when Stephen Robert Irwin was suddenly killed on September 4th, 2006, he was number one.

Steve Irwin was an Australian naturalist, wildlife expert, a well-known and colorful personality, and was best known for the television program "The Crocodile Hunter."

But his death didn't come as a shock to most who knew of him. How he died, did. Like many others who had watched him get up close and personal with dangerous animals, I thought it was just a matter of time until he would be mortally attacked by a crocodile or bitten by a poisonous snake. But that didn't happen. Instead, he was tragically stabbed through the heart by a stingray that was apparently only trying to defend itself. His distraught manager and close friend said that he "lived beyond the edge but seemed invincible." But none of us are invincible. Time will prove that to be true.

I become frustrated when I hear of the sudden unexpected death of any famous person. I want to grab this blind and unthinking world by the ear and shout "Hey, wake up. Death is a reality. It will come to you. You are not invincible. Please open your heart to the gospel." I want to seize the moment before the shock of another celebrity death wears off.

The Crocodile Hunter was passionate about the preservation of any endangered species--even if they were snakes and crocodiles. Perhaps you are a compassionate person and also have a deep concern about preserving animals. Then may I encourage you to do your part to preserve a forgotten endangered species--the dying human race. Doing this will not only make your life count for something in eternity, but it will also cater to you, if you are one who likes to live on the edge.

There is a forgotten and effective way to do this. It is something that Jesus did. It's also something the Apostle Paul, Peter, Stephen and John did. It's something that was done by Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield and John Wesley. It's arguably scarier than jumping headlong out of a plane or messing with snakes and crocodiles. It's called "open air preaching."

Open air preaching is where you stand up in front of a God-hating world and preach His message of everlasting life. There's no applause. There's no pat on the back from an appreciative world. You probably won't make the lead on primetime news. Not even if you die doing it.

Steve Irwin left a huge and lasting legacy, and now that he's gone his words have become even more meaningful. Death tends to do that. He said, "I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message." This is true. Of all the things a Christian should be passionate about, saving sinners from Hell has to be high on the priority list. So educate yourself on how to reach them, and then educate the world on how and why they need to be saved.

When Steve died he was described by the CEO of Queensland's Royal Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals as a "modern-day Noah." We tend to forget that Noah was more than passionate about preserving endangered species. He did something about which the world rarely hears. Scripture calls him a "preacher of righteousness." He was an open air preacher. He faithfully pleaded with a sinful and violent world to get right with a just and holy God, and warned them that God was going to judge them in righteousness. They laughed at Noah and his ark then, and they laugh at Noah and his ark now. Despite the mountain of evidence, most deny that there was even a world-wide flood.

We are living in the days that Jesus called "the days of Noah," and as in the days of Noah there is violence throughout the earth and the imagination of men's hearts is continually evil. These are dark times, but like Noah, we must be faithful preachers of righteousness, and if demons hiss and sinners snarl--if the endangered species fights against us, we have a strong consolation. Jesus said, "Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

So while you are still in the land of the living, live on the edge of eternity. Don't listen to your fears. Listen to your faith. Be passionate about reaching the lost. Learn how to show this world that they are in mortal danger. Convince them that they are not in a place to argue with God--that a drowning man should keep his mouth closed. And follow the footsteps of those who through faith "stopped the mouths of lions," and never forget that "the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

100

2006-09-08T20:15:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Peaceful Anxiety

READ: Philippians 4:4-13

The peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:7

I was scheduled to teach at a Bible conference outside the US and was waiting for my visa to be approved. It had been rejected once, and time was slipping away. Without the visa, I would lose an opportunity for ministry, and my colleagues in that country would have to find another speaker at the last minute.

During those stressful days, a co-worker asked how I felt about it all. I told him I was experiencing “peaceful anxiety.” When he looked at me rather quizzically, I explained: “I have had anxiety because I need the visa and there is nothing I can do about it. But I have great peace because I know that, after all, there is nothing I can do about it!”

It’s comforting to know that such things are in our Father’s hands. My inability to do anything about the problem was more than matched by my confidence in God, for whom all things are possible. As I prayed about the situation, my anxiety was replaced by His peace (Phil. 4:6-7).

The problems of life can be taxing on us—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, as we learn to trust in the Father’s care, we can have the peace that not only surpasses all understanding but also overcomes our anxiety. We can be at rest, for we are in God’s hands. ~Bill Crowder

Oh, the peace I find in Jesus,
Peace no power on earth can shake,
Peace that makes the Lord so precious,
Peace that none from me can take. ~Beck

When we keep our minds on God, God will keep our minds at peace.

P.S. This is my one-hundredth post! And I hope to return to normal posting sometime next week.

I Know It But I Can't Explain It

2006-09-02T19:51:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

I Know It But I Can't Explain It

"But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'"
LUKE 10:29

Oldies but goodies: "The pedestrian had no idea which way to go, so I ran over him." That, says the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, is among a list of explanations the company has received for automobile accidents.

Others include:

"The other car collided with mine without warning me of its intention."

"I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident."

"As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision."

"I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment."

"The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end."

"The guy was all over the road. He had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."

"The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth."

But Metropolitan says the strangest reason of all is, "An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished."

I guess, like the lawyer who questioned Jesus, it's a human trait that too many of us want to justify ourselves whenever we do wrong or fail to do what we know we should.

However, it's only when we admit our mistakes that we can learn from them, grow, and find forgiveness—from God and others. As Solomon put it, "A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance." ~ Dick Innes

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be mature and honest enough to admit when I make a mistake, quit playing the blame-game, and accept full responsibility for all of my actions. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Life's Little Frustrations

2006-08-30T19:10:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Life's Little Frustrations

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."
PHILIPPIANS 4:6,7

Paul Dickson discovered that the size of the cut he inflicted on himself while shaving was directly proportionate to the importance of the event he was shaving for. That led him to an interest in other "universal laws" evident in daily life. The following are a few of the many he has collected:

1. "No books you lend are lost except those you particularly want to keep.

2. "There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone, or tell your kids not to do it.

3. "You can throw a burnt match out of the window
of your car and start a forest fire easier than
you can start one under dry logs in your fireplace
with a box of matches and the complete edition
of the Sunday newspaper."

Let's face it, more often than not it's life's little annoyances that get to trigger our "worry / frustration button" and cause us to overreact in one way or another.

As one of my favorite ditties goes:

"It's the little things that bother us / and put us on the rack / you can sit upon a mountain / but you can't sit on a tack."

Most of us have at least one worry / frustration button — and as long as this button is active, it's a good reminder that I still have some growing to do — and will until I get to the place where I quit worrying and overreacting and learn to trust God for everything!

Hmm. I see I still have a ways to go! ~ Dick Innes

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to keep growing in 'faith and love and every grace' so I can get to the point where I can accept life's frustrations without getting my buttons pushed, and trust you in every situation. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

A Double Standard Part 2

2006-08-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Continued from: A Double Standard

Well, they don't need to waste millions of tax dollars searching for an intelligence somewhere out there. Without the aid of even a telescope, look up at the night sky and what do we see? "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard" (Psalm 19:1-2).

Take a microscope and look at our DNA. And what do we see? "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood be the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1-20).

Man knows there is a higher intelligence - he realizes there is something more. The knowledge that there is an infinite God is written on man's heart and is obvious from everything around us. Scientists need neither telescopes nor electron microscopes to see what God has already revealed about Himself and the world.

Sign of Design: Gouldian finches exhibit a fascinating design feature. In the young nestlings, there are two pairs of pearly-iridescent, blue-purplish nodules at the margin of the beak. In conditions of dim light, such as would occur on most occasions inside the nest, these nodules readily pick up and reflect the faint light from their surrondings. Although they produce no light of their own, they appear to "glow" in all but total darkness. Their obvious purpose is to act as guides for the parents of the youngsters, so they can unerringly find the right spot into which to place the food they bring to their offspring. The nodules are not apparent in the adult, in which they are no longer needed.

A Double Standard

2006-08-24T21:17:00.000-05:00

Do you see what is so illogical about the search for nonhuman intelligence? If these same scientists would exchange their telescopes for microscopes, and look down into the DNA making up the chromosomes, they would see the most complex code, the most complex language in the entire universe. They would look at this and say, "Chance!" Yet if they receive the simplest ordered sequences possible from outer space, they are prepared to say, "Intelligence!"

Nobody has ever seen a complex language like DNA evolve by chance. Scientists know it takes information to get information, but they refuse to consider that an intelligence is responsible for life here on Earth. They refuse to accept the possibility that God, as spoken of in the Holy Scriptures, is that intelligence, the infinitely intelligent God of creation. Why? It would mean that this Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, is Lord over them. They would have to kneel and worship Him and accept responsibility for their sinfulness and their need for salvation.

As these scientists look into outer space, it is as if they are shaking their fists at Jesus Christ, defiantly saying: "We refuse to accept you as Lord over us!"

Sign of Design: God designed the rib, along with the periosteum. He would certainly have known how to remove the rib in such a way that it would later grow back, just as ribs still do today - without requiring any sort of special miracle. Adam would not have had any permanent area of weakness in his rib cage, but would have had, for all of the hundreds of years of his life, the same number of ribs that you and I have today.

The Forest of Life

2006-08-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
PSALM 16:11

Where I live, not far from a lazy meandering river, most of what I can see when I step out my back door are trees. The trees are tall, regal, and towering (I know there are much bigger trees in the west, but 40 - 50ft is towering for my area of Oklahoma). From the almost perfectly straight, pole-like Black Walnut, to the haunting Blackjack Oak that keeps its rough and jagged dead branches, all the varied trees have a beauty of their own.

Though when I go to work for an older lady that goes to my church, who lives on a high hill that overlooks the meandering river that cuts through the sea of green (or mostly green) trees and fields, I see all the things that are hidden behind the trees. Down in the trees, I can admire their individual beauty, but will become easily lost without guidance. Up on the high hill I can see clearly where I should go.

In the same way, as God leads us through life, we can become lost if we don't ask Him for guidance, and once in awhile, God will lift us up to the heights to let us have just a glimpse of how He sees the forest of life. As I travel through life, I "admire" many of the experiences I am able to have, but will find myself lost and confused, unable to see through the mist that constantly flows around me, and unable to understand which way I should go. That is when I must stand strong on God and trust Him to guide me through.

I relish the few chances I have to be on the "high hill," as close to God as I can get. But I know that trusting God and accomplishing what He wants me to do, requires boldly trekking into the forest of this world, proclaiming the good news of Jesus, with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, guiding my every step.

Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
PSALM 17:3-5

Written by: Zachary J.

P.S. Many exciting things will be happening in my life, so for the next few weeks, although I will continue to post on a regular schedule, I am going to be very busy and won't be able to do much commenting, if any at all.

Behind The Scenes

2006-08-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

He must increase, but I must decrease.
JOHN 3:30

People around the world instantly recognize Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from the children’s TV show Sesame Street. But Caroll Spinney is not a well-known celebrity, even though he has brought both characters to life on the popular program since 1969. A skilled puppeteer, Spinney has been content to work behind the scenes.

I believe God calls every follower of Jesus to take a similar approach in making Him known to the world. John the Baptist told his listeners: “I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ . . . He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28,30). John acknowledged that he was not the bridegroom, but only His friend (v.29).

Oswald Chambers reminds us: “Goodness and purity ought never to attract attention to themselves, they ought simply to be magnets to draw to Jesus Christ. A beautiful saint may be a hindrance if he does not present Jesus Christ but only what Christ has done for him; he will leave the impression—‘What a fine character that man is!’—that is not being a true friend of the Bridegroom; I am increasing all the time, He is not.”

Jesus the Savior is onstage. We must be behind the scenes. ~David C. McCasland

When you share the Lord with others,
See that He is on display;
For the world to see Him clearly,
We must not get in the way. —Sper

He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.
2 CORINTHIANS 10:17

A New Beginning!

2006-08-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

There's something so...

There’s something so special about a sunrise, something that transcends the beauty of the deep, bright, alternate colors.... Something that goes beyond the breathtaking simplicity of each beam of sunlight as it breaks its way through the early-morning fog and shines onto our gazing eyes. There’s something incredible that fills our hearts as we stand and watch each drop of mist burn away and a new day begin. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so amazing about a new-born child, something that can never be put into words. Something in those pure, trusting eyes, something about those perfectly formed little hands, as they reach out and grasp a hold of your finger. There’s something about the helplessness, the utter-dependence upon a greater strength, something so peaceful. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so mind-boggling as we watch as tiny seed sprout and grow, slowly, surely, breaking its way through the hard soil and showing its first little leaf, soaking in newfound sunlight, newfound energy. There’s something about the first cracking of a rosebud, just as the earliest bit of color shows… there’s something that burns its way deep down into our heart as we watch it slowly open and for the first time display its full beauty. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so far-fetched about a freshly hatched butterfly, with the almost ugly beauty of its short wrinkled wings. There’s something so awesome as we watch the wings unfold, expand, and flutter in the breeze, something so icy-fresh that our whole being tingles with the anticipation of a new, beautiful creature. It’s a new beginning.

And, you know, without new beginnings, we’d all die. There would be no new day, no new chance to try again, no new opportunity to trust, no new heart from above, no new life to live. Nothing. We would die a ghastly death, because we would realize so quickly how much every new breath of air means to us.

Yet, in this world all around us so many people have never tasted life. They have never felt the fresh air of mercy and grace upon the hot, dry desert of sin. They have never felt the icy-fresh waters of divine love upon their parched, cracked, and bleeding hearts. They have never felt the wonder of forgiveness, the comfort and beauty and sorrow of repentance, and the inexpressible joy of a heart cleansed, cleansed white, whiter than snow by the crimson blood of Jesus Christ. What shall we do!? Let us grasp them by the shoulders, let us pick up their hand, let us point their eyes towards their Savior and cry,
"Look! The New Beginning!"

These words are simple and true. We were nigh unto being destroyed, and God came in His mercy and rescued our wreched souls. With that in mind, do we ever look at the things around us? Do we look at our world like someone who just received life? I admit that don't very often, but when I do, David expressed how I feel perfectly. Thank Jesus we have can have a new beginning!

There's something so... ~David Boskovic
onewaypurpose.com
Used With Permission. (c) 2006 All Rights Reserved

How do we keep our youth in church?

2006-08-15T20:10:00.000-05:00

The article below was written by Matt Friedeman, and I agree with him. We, as Christians, do not effectively reach the youth of our day, not because we aren't like those we're trying to reach, but in my opinion, we are acting too much like them. We give non-Christians no reason to want to change and become a Christian.

"In 2002, the SBC's Council on Family Life reported that roughly 88 percent of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school."

But why?

I wonder if it is not for these three reasons:

First, we give students what they want, instead of what they need. Some say this is making the gospel relevant to youth. But how relevant is the gospel if, once you are away from your parents, your head has a tough time leaving the pillow for ecclesiastical environs on Sunday mornings? One has to wonder if we have gone too far with age-segregation (which is hardly relevant in the "real" world), catering to perceived needs of teenagers (again, not relevant in later life), and isolating kids in an evangelical subculture (that is laughed at, actually, in "real" life).

Second, when Jesus made disciples of young men (and John was called "a youth and almost a boy" by one early church father), He challenged them to "Follow Me." Teenage discipleship in Jesus' day meant spending time with an adult. Initially, that was with a parent who worked your tail-end off on the farm while talking about Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9). If you were blessed enough later in life to receive teaching from a rabbi, it meant attaching yourself to the teacher and learning adult lessons with adult methodology. There were no cool websites, lock-ins, hip-hop bands or youth organizations pulling out the stops to come up with neat, new (actually, frequently gross) games to capture attention before a quick three-point Bible study and then pizza.

Third, I wonder if we don't significantly cheat our kids when we suggest that vital discipleship can exist without a life of evangelism and compassionate service. Again, discipleship Jesus-style meant gathering a small group and putting them to communicate the gospel and work among the needy of the community. Together they challenged the lost, touched the sick, healed the lepers, reached out to the hungry and ministered to the poor. In one of his last lessons on earth, Jesus warned His disciples that anyone who wasn't involved in this kind of activity risked "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:31-46). How is it our youth, and by extension our churches, miss that message? And then, are shocked that our lack of mission fails to capture the imagination of a burgeoning adult making his own time and commitment choices?

Could it be that youth see right through it all? Could it be they know our faith is a farce? Could it be that staying home on Sunday mornings is just as relevant to the Kingdom as attending a church that makes a joke of ministry, specifically youth ministry?

Article was copied from - Here

What do you think? Do we need more games and entertainment? Or should the youth of our churches work closely with the godly adults of the church who have experience living in this evil world?

Why the Ongoing Search for Little Green Men?

2006-08-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Pulse... pulse... pulse... pulse... What could it be? It was so regular, flashing every one-and-a-third seconds, keeping exact time. Nothing like this had been seen before.

Jocelyn Bell-Burnell and her supervisor, Prof. Antony Hewish, were at Cambridge University when they discovered this peculiar phenomenon. Jocelyn, during an interview, said, "One of the ideas we facetiously entertained was that it might be little green men - a civilization outside in space somewhere trying to communicate with us... It did seem to be a little bit going off the deep end to say we had detected signals from another civilization. But the name stuck. We referred to this radio source as LGM-1"

And what had they found? It was a rapidly rotating neutron star, now called a pulsar, broadcasting without artificial aid. That briefly summarizes how the first pulsar ever discovered was named LGM-1.

Little green men, indeed! Would scientists really even contemplate such a possibility? Not only did they contemplate it, but millions of tax dollars are being spent by NASA to search for intelligent life in outer space. And why are they searching? Is it because there is evidence that there are beings on other planets? Not at all. It is solely because NASA is so committed to accepting evolution as fact.

Just as Jocelyn Bell-Burnell contemplated "little green men" when she discovered the regular pulses from what we now know is a pulsar, so many scientists today get very excited with each new scrap of "evidence" for life on other planets. In their opinion, this evidence bolsters their understanding of how the universe, and life on Earth, evolved.

Sign of Design: The periosteum is a membrane that covers every bone, and it contains cells that can manufacture new bone. Thoracic (chest) surgeons routinely remove ribs, and these often grow back, in whole or in part.

I just saw that I had been tagged...

2006-08-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

... so here goes nothing. (This wasn't done in one sitting, I started writing this earlier today, but had to stop and finish it later.)

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4 and write what it says.
~ TO DO: Trust in His promise to fulfill His purpose in you through the

2.Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
~ Well, if I stretch my arm out in front of me, I can touch my computer screen; beside me, our piano; behind me, nothing.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
~ The Weather Channel

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
~ 3:30 PM

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
~ 3:14 PM

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
~ An electric fan and a ceiling fan working together attempting to keep our house cool.

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
~ about 15 min. ago, when I returned home from where I work.

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
~ The world going by without me. :)

9. What are you wearing?
~ An old paur of blue jeans and light blue shirt that has few holes in it, both are just for work.

10. Did you dream last night?
~ Yep.

11. When did you last laugh?
~ Just a few seconds ago. When I realized that I had mispelled "pair" a couple of questions back. I decided to see if paur was a word, and my dictionary says that the most similar word to my mispelled word is: Pauropod - eyeless invertebrate with 18 legs.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
~ Some nice paintings and a hanging wall clock.

13. Seen anything weird lately?
~ Yes, I saw two large planes, one right behind the other, flying very close to each other (I think one may have been refueling the other). I did get a picture of it (see right).

14. What do you think of this quiz?
~ Enjoyable so far...

15. What is the last film you saw?
~ I really don't remember.

16.If you became a multi - millionare overnight, what would you buy?
~ I don't know. A small country, maybe.

17. Tell me something about you that I don't know.
~ I generally only spend two hours (if that) on my laptop, closing the lid by 9:00, unless there is a project I really need to get done.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
~ This is a difficult question, I would probably have every Christian perfectly obey the will of God, as every Christian should seek to do.

19. Do you like to dance?
~ Haven't done it much, so I guess that's a no.

20. Comment to George Bush:
~ Seek the One who can solve all problems.

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
~ I think that decision depends partly on another person, and only God knows who that person will be...

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
~ I think that decision depends partly on another person, and only God knows who that person will be...

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
~ Yes, I will follow God wherever He leads.

24. What so you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?
~ Well done, my good and faithful servant.

25. 3 people who must also do this quiz on their blog.

1. Brittleigh

2. Elizabeth

3. Matt

... and anyone else who wants to
answer these questions!

Wake Up And Live

2006-08-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Wake Up And Live

READ: Revelation 3:1-6

"I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."
REVELATION 3:1

It happened more than 30 years ago but it still hurts. During a period of spiritual rebellion, I ran into a young man I had introduced to Christ. He was stunned to discover that I had walked away from the Lord and was no longer the person he had known. It is one of my most regretted experiences, and I still pray for an opportunity to make it right with him.

During those wandering years, I would have fit in comfortably as a member of the First Church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6). My dilemma, like theirs, was that people thought I was the person I used to be.

The risen Lord confronted the church in Sardis: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:1-2).

Their reputation for being alive didn’t match reality. They were spiritually dead. But there was still hope. The Lord told them to wake up and fan the spark of spiritual life still in them. “Hold fast and repent,” He warned (v.3).

Pretending to be what we aren’t is a heavy burden to bear. Our Lord calls us to lay it down, repent, come back to Him, and live. ~David C. McCasland

O Lord, return to me Your power
That once by grace I knew;
Forgive the sin that grieved Your heart,
And help me to be true. ~Anon.

No matter how far you’ve run from God, He’s only a prayer away.

Secret Bases? Government Cover-ups?

2006-08-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

Many UFO enthusiasts spread the "urban myth" of secret US government experiments on aliens, an idea reinforced by the movie Independence Day. Does a cover-up, however, make sense when, under the inspiration of atheists like the late Carl Sagan, the US government has spent millions of taxpayers' dollars listening "out there" for signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life?

Many other evolutionary humanists, like Sagan, passionately believe that intelligent life has evolved "out there" in addition to the life on Earth, and would pounce on any hard evidence for this idea. Consider the media frenzy about the "life in Mars rock" fiasco. To imagine that a much more exciting discovery would be kept secret for decades defies credibility.

Sign of Design: The thousands of vertebrate species on the ark emerged into a world with large numbers of empty ecological niches. They must have split many times into new species in the first few centuries thereafter, as the bear population, for example, gave rise to polar bears, grizzlies, giant pandas, and more.

Becoming Useful

2006-08-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Becoming Useful

READ: John 5:19-23

Jesus was fully God, yet He was fully man. As a man, His power, wisdom, and grace flowed not from His divine nature but from His utter dependence on God. “The Son can do nothing of Himself,” He said (John 5:19). How much did Jesus do apart from God? Nothing!

Jesus always depended on His Father. Luke reports that as news of Jesus’ ministry spread, “Great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16). He knew He needed those quiet times to restore His soul.

What’s done in secret is what matters. It’s during those quiet times that we, like Jesus, are shaped and molded and made into people that God can put to His intended use.

“But,” you say, “I’m in a place where I can’t be useful.” Perhaps you feel that circumstances limit you drastically. Illness, financial problems, a difficult boss or co-worker, or an uncooperative family member seem to conspire against you. Whatever your situation, use it to grow closer to the Savior.

Learn to have utter dependence on the Father, just as Jesus did. Leave it up to God to make you useful in whatever way He sees fit. ~David H. Roper

O that my life may useful be
As I serve Jesus faithfully;
And may the world see Christ in me—
This is my earnest prayer. ~Hess

The measure of your usefulness is the measure of your faithfulness.

Cupcake Self-Discipline

2006-08-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today.

Cupcake Self-Discipline

Read: Titus 1:1-9

"Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls."
PROVERBS 25:28

An old adage says: “Next time you want a cupcake, eat a carrot.” The saying is good advice for dieters, but those who framed it may have had all of us in mind. By disciplining our desires when no moral principle is at stake, we prepare ourselves for those moments when we face a temptation to sin.

This kind of discipline is what Paul referred to when he used the term self-controlled in his list of qualifications for church leadership (Titus 1:8). We need this reminder today. Many people think they can live immorally now and suddenly stop when they want to. Because they do not consider the addictive power of sin, they find that living up to their good intentions is far more difficult than they had anticipated.

Proverbs 25:28 tells us that if we lack self-control we are as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls. Consistent self-discipline will build up our spiritual defense system against the forces of evil.

When we discipline ourselves to keep our ordinary desires under control, we make a habit of virtuous living and practice the reality of Paul’s words in Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” ~Herbert Vander Lugt

To gain self-control, give Christ control.

Staying on Track

2006-07-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, amid the crashing of thunder, the howling wind, and rain that frantically tapped on our windows, there was suddenly blaring silence. A familiar sound was abruptly cut off. That sound was the subtle hum of electricity and electrically powered devices. The lights went out, the tape player became mute, and computer screens turned black. An emergency radio told us that it wasn’t the storm, but a problem at the power station, which left over 20,000 people without lights for 3 1/2 hours.

After a few minutes of sitting with flashlights for illumination, oil lamps were lit and began casting their warm glow across the living room. Although the appliances were eerily quiet, my family and I weren’t. We talked and talked and talked, and even though the conversation under those two burning wicks wasn’t much different than normal everyday conversing, it seemed better than any under white hot tungsten.

Why? Well I think it is because that was our only focus. You see, I feel that all too often we don’t wholly focus on what we’re doing. For example, I consider myself fairly “unplugged”. When I get busy, blogging is one of the first things that I cut back on. But, I do find that I check e-mail from time to time while doing schoolwork, or even chores. I “multitask”. During normal conversation I can let my mind wander, mentally “multitasking”, instead of listening as I should.

For a person, I think most multi-tasking causes lower productivity; we just weren’t designed to think about multiple things at once. As Adrian Rogers has said, to this effect, “God made us with a one track mind, if you’re thinking about the right thing, you can’t be thinking about the wrong thing.” I want to think about the right things, I want to properly focus on what I am doing. When I’m doing schoolwork that is what I’ll do, when I’m doing chores, that is what I’ll do. I am purposing not to be distracted from what is really important, such as obeying God. Without Him as my desire, I am like the dust of the ground, trampled and beaten down, with Him, I can soar like an eagle.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
PHILIPIANS 4:8

Written by: Zachary J. of Wholesome Works

P.S. For some really good posts on the dangers of multitasking, read some of these posts on The Rebelution; Multitasking Intro, Part one, and Part two.

Is the Bible Reliable?

2006-07-25T20:38:00.000-05:00

The Bible is God’s word. It is what He has told us about life. Therefore, just as it is important that we know that the Bible is scientifically accurate, it is very important that we know the Bible is completely reliable, and why.

The Traveler, after returning from World View Academy, has written some very good post on the reliability of the Bible.

Here is a small part of the first post:

“During my week at Worldview Academy (WVA), my favorite lecture was “Reliability of Scripture,” given by Jay Winslow. Although I’ve been brought up my entire life to trust the Bible, sometimes I’ve wondered why I should believe the Bible.

How do I know that it’s true?

Several months ago, during the first day of my sociology class, our professor told us to come with an open mind, leaving our religion and biases at the door. I believe she did this because it some sense, she did not believe that faith and reason are compatible. WVA lecturer Jay Winslow, pointed out a common assumption of unbelievers, ‘If you believe in the Bible, you’re a little bit wacky.’”

Read the rest - Here

Also read the Second and Third parts.

I think there will be more to come, so make sure you continue to check her blog!

So What About UFOs?

2006-07-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

How, then, should one understand the UFO phenomena and all the associated hype? In the German magazine Focus, it was stated, “90% of UFO reports turn out to be humbug, but there is a residual 10% which are not easy to dismiss.”

The article quoted sociologist Gerald Eberlein as saying:

"Research has shown that people who are not affiliated with any church, but who claim that they are religious, are particularly susceptible to the possible existence of extraterrestrials. For them, ufology is a substitute religion."

The Bible, in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 - 11, goes somewhat deeper in this matter, identifying a supplementary cause and effect:

"Whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonder, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."

The Bible gives a description of reality concerning all living things. The living God reveals Himself as the Triune One, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Heaven, there are the angels, powerful created beings who also serve mankind on Earth.

There is another kingdom, it is of the devil and the demons. Ephesians 2:2 talks about the "prince of the power of the air," whose reign is on Earth.

The devil has his own repertoire of deception in the form of various occult practices and a multitude of religious rites. It could be that behind those unexplainable UFO reports is the work of the archdeceiver.

UFO reports, by definition, remain nebulous and not identifiable. People who do not know Christ are easily fascinated by all sorts of phenomena that are difficult to explain. For Christians, there is Jesus’ warning, in Matthew 24:4, to "take heed that no man deceive you." What is the best antidote to deception? Paul exhorts us in 2 Timothy 2:15, to "study" the Scripture, so we might "accurately handle the word of truth."

Sign of Design: It cannot be stressed enough that what natural selection actually does is get rid of information. It is not capable of creating any thing new, by definition.

Vast Distances (part 2 of 2)

2006-07-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

Continuation of 4. Vast Distances (part 1 of 2)

At the incredible speed of one- tenth of the speed of light, the trip to Proxima Centuri (Alpha Centuri C), one way, would still take 47 years. One would need, however, enormous amounts of energy for such acceleration, roughly equivalent to the total energy that the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, with all 18 of its turbines running, generates in 4 days.

Furthermore, in every cubic kilometer (approx. 1/4 of a cubic mile) of space, there are an estimated 100,000 dust particles (made up of silicate and ice) weighing only a tenth of a gram. But at such a velocity, colliding with even one of these tiny objects could destroy a spaceship.

Sign of Design: Even though the Bible's purpose is not to teach history as such, the history it teaches is true.

4. Vast Distances (part 1 of 2)

2006-07-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

Even if we assumed life existed somewhere else in the universe, a visit by extraterrestrials, to Earth, such as is claimed in UFO reports, seems completely impracticable, if not impossible. The distances (and therefore the likely travel times) are unimaginably vast.

The closest star to Earth, Proxima Centuri (Alpha Centuri C), is 40.7 trillion kilometers (approximately 25 trillion (25,000,000,000,000,000) miles) away. The Apollo flights took three days to get to the moon. At the same speed, one would need 870,000 years to get to this nearest star. Of course, one could accelerate (particularly unmanned) probes to a greater speed.

To be continued...

Sign of Design: One reason put forward for saying that Genesis is "non-scientific" is that the account is brief. But since when does brevity equal inaccuracy?

3. Life Cannot Form Spontaneously Anyway.

2006-07-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

Without intelligent, creative input, lifeless chemicals cannot form themselves into living things. The idea that they can is the theory of spontaneous generation, disproved by the great creationist founder of microbiology, Louis Pasteur.

Without unfounded evolutionary speculation, ufology would not have its present grip on the public's imagination.

Sign of Design: Rape is the latest and one of the most serious sins to be assigned an evolutionary explaination. Despite the protests of many, the view that rape is "natural" - to be avoided, certainly, but fully attributable to evolved instincts - is currently getting a strong worldwide hearing.

Are Our Days on Earth Numbered?

2006-07-14T21:05:00.000-05:00

Devotion for today.

Are Our Days on Earth Numbered?

King David prayed to God: "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life."¹

A Daily Encounter reader asks, "As the Bible seems to indicate that our days are numbered should we (and can we) attempt to extend our lives through better diet, surgery, and medications? And if our days are numbered, why should we pray for the healing of loved ones, our military, and others?"

Hi, Mike ... When David asked God to show him the number of his days, I don't believe he was implying that he (or we) had x number of days to live and that's it. As David indicated, it really means that life is fleeting and our days on earth are limited, so we need to do the best we can with the one life we have been given.

Furthermore, God said to Solomon in a dream, "If you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."² This indicates that if we live in harmony with God's Word, will, and ways (which includes healthy living habits), under normal circumstances we can lengthen our life. Also the fifth of the Ten Commandments says, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."³

On the other hand, there is no doubt that we can shorten our life by not living in harmony with God's ways, through an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, nursing grudges, an unforgiving spirit, unresolved super-charged repressed negative emotions, impaired relational conflicts, too much stress and anxiety, addictive behaviors and/or substances, and any of a score or more of other unhealthy habits and ways of living.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to so live in harmony with your will and the principles for healthy living as found in your Word, that my life on earth will be healthy, long, and fruitful for the glory of your Name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

Scripture References:
1. Psalm 39:4 (NIV).
2. 1 Kings 3:14 (NIV).
3. Exodus 20:12 (NIV).

Spiritual Checkup

2006-07-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

This was my devotion for today.

Spiritual Checkup

READ: Proverbs 4:20-27

Examine me, O Lord.
PSALM 26:2

Given a choice, I’d probably not voluntarily visit my doctor for a physical exam. I’m inclined to assume that everything is okay and not bother my doctor about it. But since my wife is a nurse, I don’t have a choice. I go in for regular exams.

And given a choice, many of us are a little afraid of spiritual checkups as well. After all, if we check our spirit too closely, we might have to change a habit or two. We might need something like an “attitude-ectomy.”

I suggest that we get over our reluctance. With God’s guidance, let’s undergo a spiritual checkup, using Proverbs 4:20-27 as a checklist.

Ears (v.20): Are we hearing God’s Word clearly and with understanding? Are we doing what those words tell us?

Eyes (vv.21,25): Are we keeping our eyes on the teachings that will guide us toward righteousness?

Heart (v.23): Are we protecting our heart from evil?

Tongue (v.24): Is our mouth clean and pure?

Feet (v.26): Are we walking straight toward God’s truth without wavering?

How did you do on your examination? Are there areas where you need to take action? Regular checkups will help to restore your spiritual vitality.

~Dave Branon

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Show me the way that Jesus has trod;
Then I will tell of Your saving grace,
Until the day when I see Your face. ~Hess

A spiritual checkup is the key to spiritual health.

2. Conditions Must be "Just Right."

2006-07-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Life on any planet can only survive provided a great number of very stringent requirements are met. For example, a planet has to be at just the right distance from it's sun, so as to be neither too hot nor too cold. In particular, it must be in a very narrow temperature range so that liquid water exsists.

Even if recent "findings" of planets around other stars are confirmed, it is extremely improbable that any of them would fulfill all the requirements needed for life. Just having liquid water is completely insufficient, despite the excitement created when such was possibly detected on the surface of jupiter's moon, Europa.

Sign of Design: Could God have used evolution? It depends. For the true God, the answer is no - for He cannot lie, and He told us plainly what He did.

What does Science Say?

2006-07-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

1. Never a single contact with an "ET"

In 1900, the French Academy of Science offered a prize of 100,000 francs for the first person to make contact with an alien civilization... as long as the alien was not from Mars, because the academy was convinced that Martian civilization was an established fact!

Since then, not a trace of "little green men," or any kind of life for that matter, has been found on any of the planets that our probes have explored, including Mars.

Despite this fact, a great number of astronomers think that since life supposedly evolved here on Earth, it must have evolved near one of the many stars out there. Around the world, SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) researchers have scanned the sky, looking in vain for signals from intelligent beings. Despite all the listening, on thousands of frequencies over many years, nothing indicating intelligent life has ever been heard.

Sign of Design:When somone asks if God could have used evolution, the answer really depends upon what they mean by "God." Most notions of "god" are mental constructs designed to fit what one would like to believe.

Has Noah's Ark been found?

2006-07-05T07:45:00.000-05:00

Recently, I read an article about the possibility that Noah's Ark may have been found on a mountain in Iran. Could this be true? Has Noah's Ark been found?

The article says:

How many times have you yawned at the claim “Noah’s Ark Has Been Discovered”? Right, you say, and Elvis has been sighted again, too. People who hoped to find the famous vessel and the legendary voice have been pretty much in the same boat (so to speak)—No proof. Until today...

Led by explorer, adventurer, and featured Worldview Weekend speaker Dr. Bob Cornuke, a fourteen man crew returned this week from Iran bearing stunning evidence that theirs is the long-anticipated even coveted discovery of the remains of Noah’s Ark...

The unusual object is perched on a slope 13,120 feet above sea level. After studying the discovery site, Bonnema observed, “These beams not only look like petrified wood, they are so impressive that they look like real wood—this is an amazing discovery that may be the oldest shipwreck in recorded history.”

Reg Lyle, oil and gas geologist said “the object appears to be a basalt dike, however, it is absolutely uncanny that the object looks like hand hewn timbers, even the grain and color look just like petrified wood….I really need to keep an open mind about this.”

The rest of the article can be read Here

I don't doubt that what they have found is pretrified wood, and I am not trying say this isn't Noah's Ark, it looks like it might be and I'm very excited to see what else they discover about this object. I would be cautious, however, in saying that this is Noah's Ark, even Mr. Cornuke has said, "We have no way of confirming for sure that this object is Noah’s Ark..."

The wood could be from another man-made object from before the Flood. The Bible doesn't say whether other people living before the Flood had boats, or how big the boats were if they did have them. It could be that this object is some pieces of lumber from large buildings. The Flood was a violent event that covered the whole earth, the remains of sea life can even found on Mount Everest! This object could have come from anywhere, so more research will have to be done.

There is also good evidence that the object is Noah's Ark. The mountain it was found on lines up with Scripture, the object is the right size for the Ark, and as the article points out, "...every ecosystem helpful to humans and the animals is reachable within a 25-mile radius of the ark’s location."

Is it the Ark? Or just another false alarm. Only time will tell.

God And Freedom

2006-07-03T10:11:00.000-05:00

"Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people."
PSALM 100:3

When members of the US Second Continental Congress approved the remarkable document known as the Declaration of Independence, they plainly declared their belief in God. The drafters of this noble proclamation knew that the sweeping freedoms they were proposing could work well only in a society where the Creator is acknowledged. They affirmed that God has “endowed” all people with the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” because He values each of us.

Thomas Jefferson, who would become the third president of the new nation, was distressed by the sin he saw. He wrote, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” If he trembled then, he would have a violent seizure now!

The founding fathers of the US loved the concept of individual freedom, but they did not have in mind a permissive lifestyle that allows us to do anything we please. True freedom can never be enjoyed by people who refuse to fear God.

The psalmist said, “Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3). We are responsible to God, because He has created us in love.

Today, recommit yourself to living as one of God’s people. That’s the way to enjoy true freedom. ~Herbert Vander Lugt

Every blessing in our nation
Is a gift from God above,
But we cannot know true freedom
Till we trust His grace and love. ~Hess

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
PSALM 33:12

Quotes

"In its main features the Declaration of Independence is a spiritual document. It is a declaration not of material but spiritual conceptions. Equality, liberty, popular sovereignty, the rights of man—these are not elements which we can see and touch. They are ideals. They have their source and their roots in religious convictions. They belong to the unseen world. Unless the faith of the American people in these religious convictions is to endure, the principles of our Declaration will perish. We cannot continue to enjoy the result if we neglect and abandon the cause. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth and their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction cannot lay claim to progress." ~Calvin Coolidge

"It [Independence Day] ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." ~John Adams

2. The Purpose of the Stars

2006-06-30T19:20:00.000-05:00

continued from: What Does the Bible Say? part 1 & part 2.

The reason stars were made are given to us in several places in the Bible, not only in the well-known Psalm 19, but especially in the creation account. In Genesis 1:14 we read: "And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day and the night. And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years."

Thus, God made the stars for mankind on Earth, not for another alien race "out there." Add to this the sequence of creation (on the first day, Earth, and on the forth day, the stars), and it is easy to see the thrust of the Biblical testimony, that the purpose of the creation is uniquely centered on this Earth.

Sign of Design: I recall watching a nest with four baby birds. Each of the occupants, in polite sequence, pivoted its tail out of the nest and sent its dropping down to the ground below. God gave these tiny birds programmed instincts to avoid fouling their own nest.

Gratitude

2006-06-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

This devotion was so good, I couldn't pass it up. I just had to share it.

Gratitude

READ: Colossians 3:12 - 17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
COLOSSIANS 3:17

Among the first words many of us were taught to say are please and thank you. No one gets quite as excited as a parent or grandparent when a toddler first utters those words and makes the connection between asking politely and receiving gratefully.

But I suspect that as we grow older we become more adept at saying please than thank you, especially with our heavenly Father. We focus more on pressing needs than on previous provisions; we petition more than we praise. And while God invites us to come to Him with all our needs, He also urges us to make gratitude a habit.

In Colossians 3:15, Paul instructed every follower of Jesus Christ to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Then three times he reminded us to remain grateful to God: “be thankful” (v.15); sing with gratitude to the Lord (v.16); “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (v.17).

Dr. Michael Avery, president of God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio, has said: “Very few things honor and glorify God more than the sweet fragrance of a thankful soul. It expels gloom and ushers in sweet peace and blessed hope. Gratitude encourages graciousness.”

It’s good to give thanks to God.

We thank You, Lord, for blessings
You give us on our way;
May we for these be grateful,
And praise You every day.
~ Roworth

Gratitude should be a continuous attitude, not just an occasional incident.

~ written by : David McCasland

Virus

2006-06-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

Here was my daily devotion for today.

Virus

READ: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

"[Bring] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
2 CORINTHIANS 10:5

Some days my computer helps me fly like an eagle. Other times, it bogs me down like a hippopotamus. On “eagle days” I’m grateful for my computer. But there are those “hippo days” when I rue the day I bought one.

Recently I’ve had to contend with a virus that invaded my computer. What bothers me most is that viruses are created maliciously. Bright people who live with a darkness in their lives want to make other people miserable. What’s worse, I permitted the virus to enter my machine by opening what I thought was an innocent e-mail.

Sin resembles a computer virus. Satan wants to destroy Christians by infecting their minds. But the apostle Paul urged the believers at Corinth to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Just as we let a virus into our computers, we also let darkness into our lives when we open ourselves unthinkingly to the godless messages that permeate our culture. We let down our guard and hardly notice the sin that infects our minds.

But by confessing our sin, reading God’s Word, and praying, we build a firewall, or barrier, to safeguard our minds. With the help of the Spirit, we’ll keep our minds from becoming unwitting hosts for unwanted guests.

~ Haddon W. Robinson

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I’m often careless with what I allow to enter my mind. By Your Spirit, please help me to guard my mind today. By Your grace, keep me from situations that wage war on my thought life. Amen.

Guard your thoughts as you would your wallet.

Thank You!

2006-06-26T20:35:00.000-05:00

This is from a little booklet I got from my church.

Thank You!

Two simple words
that express
so much

We use them:
- when someone gives us good service.
- when someone buys something from us.
- when someone lends a helping hand.

Sometimes, when a "Thank You", seems inadequate, we may express our thanks through various actions, such as:
- by leaving a tip.
- by giving our hostess a gift.
- by shaking someone's hand.

I would like to express my thanks to you by sharing with you some information which has lasting value. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, left the glory of heaven, and lived a sinless life on this earth, so that He could die in the place of sinners like you and me.

He has promised in the Bible that all who will repent of their sins and receive Him as their Lord and Savior will have an abundant life now and will spend eternity in heaven with God.

He has forgiven me of my sins and has given me great peace and joy. I have committed my life completely to Him and through Him I have found abundant life now, assurance of eternal life, and a home in heaven.

He says to all who will believe in Him, "Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

He saves us; He keeps us; He fills our deepest need.

Introducing you to Him is the best way I have of
expressing my thanks.

Will you recieve Him today as your Lord and Savior
and be saved forever?

Read the following Bible verses and consider what they
teach about being saved:

- All of us are sinners. (Rom. 3:23 - 24)

- Even so, God loves us. (Rom. 5:8)

- God not only has provided for salvation, but also a way for us to live with Him forever. (John 3:16; Rom. 6:23)

- God commands us to turn away from our sin. (Luke 13:3;
Acts 17:30)

- We can call upon God for salvation. (Rom. 10:13 - 14)

- We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:31)

- We can know that we are saved. (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9;
1 John 5:13)

- The world can know that we are saved by the lives that we live. (Matt. 7:16, 20)

Thankfulness

2006-06-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

Thankfulness is humbling. It is acknowledging another over yourself. The opposite of thankfulness is pride, pride that says, “I could have done that,” or, “I deserved whatever you did for me.”

In this post, I want to deal with three facets of thankfulness; why, when, and how.

It doesn’t do any good to try to be thankful if we don’t know why we should be.
It doesn’t do any good to know why, if we don’t know when.
And, it doesn’t do any good to know why and when, if we don’t how.

I'll begin with why:

Why we should be Thankful

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
PSALM 136:1

We should be thankful because something has been done (or someone tried to do something) for us, for our benefit.

We are thankful to God for saving our wretched souls and we should be thankful for all of the blessings that He showers upon us. How many times have we longed for something we didn’t need, or whined about a small ache? Instead, we could have been thankful to God for what we have, thankful that we don’t have any real needs, like good food, clothing, shelter, or clean water. We could have been thankful our pain wasn’t chronic or life threatening. It seems to me, that those who trust in Jesus and have life threatening or chronic aches and pains, live more thankfully aware than we do.

When we should be Thankful

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
PHILIPPIANS 4:6

We should express our appreciation for someone any time they put forth effort to help us. Especially if we asked them for help.

A sincere “thank you” sends a powerful message, it says, “You're important to me and I want to take time out of my day to tell you.” Not saying “thank you” at the right time, communicates to another that you don’t care about them. Neglecting to say it imparts that only I’m important. Saying it too much steals the meaning of the words, making them empty, and, well... meaningless.

For example, we should (but probably don’t) thank God for our life every day. He didn’t have to let us live another day, we certainly don’t deserve to live another day. Conversely, if we draw the winning card in a game of Solitaire, we shouldn’t necessarily thank God verbally for it. It is just a game and has no bearing on our walk with God. If we’re playing Solitaire instead of doing the chores we are supposed to do, then I certainly wouldn’t thank God. We are taking the meaning from our thank you by presenting it unrighteously.

How we should be Thankful

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.”
PSALM 116:17

We should thank someone, first of all, by giving a sign of appreciation (e.g. saying, “I thank you.”), and second, by telling them what we appreciate.

Giving a sign of appreciation isn’t doing something to make you “equal” with who you‘re thanking. If we try to make all things equal, we will spend our whole life trying to do things for other people to make up for what they‘ve done for us. Besides, we can never repay Christ for what He has done. So don’t try to “get even”, just accept their help and say, “thank you.”

Tell who you are thanking why! If you don’t, it is fair for them to think you don’t know, or care about, what they’ve done for you, and that your thank you is meaningless courtesies.

Finally, receive thanks gratefully. Don’t refuse it or accuse the giver (it is a gift by the way) of being insincere, that is between them and God. They are trying to thank you for something, accept it graciously!

“Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
REVELATION 11:17

~ written by: Zachary of Wholesome Works

Busy - ness

2006-06-21T19:10:00.000-05:00

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?"
MARK 8:36

Thoughts: We chase after so many different things. Only one thing is needful. Having a fist full of dollars, a great estate, and lots of prestige doesn't mean a whole lot if you've gone to your ultimate address without the Lord. Even worse is to find that in the middle of your busy-ness, you awake to find yourself in the barren land where Christ does not dwell and life is not found. Let's not lose our life, our soul, our meaning, chasing after what is not lasting.

Prayer: Father, help me to keep my priorities right, my life holy, and my heart open to your will rather than being blinded with my own self-seeking. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

~ Phil Ware

If the Devil can't make you bad...
...he'll make you busy.
~ Adrian Rogers

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
PSALM 46:10

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 KINGS 19:11,12

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
PSALM 107:29

And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
LUKE 8:24

What Does the Bible Say? (part 2 of 2)

2006-06-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

Continuation of What Does the Bible Say? (part 1 of 2)

There are other reasonable suggestions as to the identity of the "sons of God and the nephilim. Interestingly, the word nephilim is used only here and in Numbers 13:33, where it clearly refers to the descendants of Anak, who were big people, but still people.

Furthermore, "sons of God" is not used exclusively of angels, the children of Israel are called "the sons of the living God" in Hosea 1:10 (see also Psalm 73:15 ; 80:17).

Some Bible scholars, such as H.C. Leupold, believe that the "sons of God" were descendants of Seth, the godly line who are detailed in the preceding chapter (Genesis 4:25 - 5:32). Leupold wrote, "But who were these 'sons of god'? Without a doubt, the Sethites."

From this point of view, the descendants of Seth became wayward and married the "daughters of men" indiscriminately, basing their choice only on appearance, without concern for godliness, and the nephilim were their offspring.

Rulers in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia often proclaimed themselves as "sons of God" to enhance their power and prestige. So, another view with much support is that the "sons of God" were power-hungry rulers and despots, who, in their hunger for power and influence, took many wives in polygamy. They, and their offspring, through tyranny, became "mighty men." (Nimrod was described as such a "mighty one" in Genesis 10:8.)

So, there is no need to resort to fanciful suggestions involving aliens to understand this passage of Scripture.

Sign of Design: The discovery of a portion of modern parrot jaw in a rock which is assumed by evolutionist to be 70 million years old has caused some controversy. Evolutionists have long believed that such "modern" types of birds had not evolved back in the alleged time when dinosaurs roamed the earth (specifically, the Cretaceous period). Not only is the fossil in question shaped like a parrot's jaw, x - rays reveal a K - shaped impression (blood vessel and nerve tracks) identical to , and characteristic of, modern parrots.

2006-06-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Fathers Day, Dad!

I couldn't have asked God for a better one.

Give Voice To Your Love

2006-06-17T18:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion for Father's Day.

Give Voice To Your Love

READ: 1 John 4:12-19

"There is no fear in love."
1 JOHN 4:18

In 1990 a TV documentary on the US Civil War attracted huge audiences. One program featured a letter by a soldier killed at the battle of Bull Run. Sullivan Ballou realized the peril he faced in the looming clash, so he wrote a poignant letter to his wife. In part he said, “If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I loved you, nor that when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.”

Men, more than women, often find it difficult to express deep emotions. They may squelch the impulse to put their tenderest feelings into words.

This Father’s Day, many men will receive expressions of love, but they may have trouble voicing their love in return. Yet nothing is more masculine than to express love to our loved ones. That’s true not only for fathers but for all of us. We can bestow no gift more precious to those who are wrapped up with us in the bundle of life.

“There is no fear in love,” wrote the apostle John, “but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). So let us boldly declare our love, not only for our loved ones but for the One who gave His life for us.

This Father’s Day, emulate that courageous fallen Civil War hero and give voice to your love.

For Fathers: Jot a note to someone you love, and express your love in your message. Set aside a day for your children this week.

You can never express your love too often. ~ Vernon C. Grounds

What Does the Bible Say? (part 1 of 2)

2006-06-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

1. Scripture does not mention "ET" visits.

The Bible, The revealed written Word of God, teaches that life is only possible through a process of creation. Even if there were other galaxies with planets very similar to Earth, life could only be there if the Creator had fashioned it. If God had done that, and if these beings were going to visit us one day, then He would surely have enlightened us about this.

God has given us rather specific details of he future - for example, the return of Jesus Christ, and some details about the end of the world. The universe will, at some future point, be rolled up like a scroll (Isaiah 34:4 ; Revelation 6:14). If God had created living beings elsewhere, this would automatically destroy their dwelling place as well. Adam's sin caused all of creation to be affected by the curse, so why would a race of beings, not of Adam's (sinful) seed, have their part of creation affected by the curse, and then be part of the restoration brought about by Christ, the last Adam? All of this would seem exceedingly strange.

Some have claimed that the nephilim, or the "sons of God," both mentioned in Genesis 6:2 - 4, were aliens. This is a wild extension of a common view that the "sons of God" who married the "daughters of men" were fallen angels, and that the nephilim were products of those "marriages."

"Sons of God" is clearly used of angels in Job 38:7. Here, the Septuagint translates "sons of God" as "angels of God." This need not mean that evil angels, or demons, actually cohabited with women, Jesus made it clear that angels do not engage in sexual activities, at least not angels in Heaven (Matthew 22:30). Nevertheless, evil angels on Earth could have used the bodies of ungodly men, by demonic possession, to achieve their evil purpose of producing an evil generation of people (Genesis 6:12).

To be continued...

Sign of Design: It is meaningless to claim that scriptural authority applies only to "religious things," since the Christian gospel is all about real things, the origin, history, and destiny of man and the universe. Remove its claim to authority in the realm of science, and you are actually removing it from any relevance to the real world.

The UFO Wave

2006-06-13T18:28:00.000-05:00

Click Here - to read my first post on this subject.

Harvard University psychiatry professor Dr. John E. Mack recently attracted worldwide attention with his collection of cases of people claiming they were "abducted by aliens."

There was also the release of a film of an alleged autopsy on an alien from a crash in New Mexico close to the United States Air Force Base at Roswell. The blurry footage, which most people have dismissed as an obvious and crude forgery, was nevertheless the main attraction at the 1995 UFO World Congress in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Then, of course, there was the "alien invasion" film Independence Day, which grossed more in its opening week than any previous film.

What should Christians think about UFO accounts? What does the Bible say? Hopefully, I'll answer these questions in my next few posts.

Sign of Design: The alleged "problem" about Cain's wife having to be a close relative, far from being a challenge to the truth of Genesis, actually strengthens it! Since mutation-caused defects, occurring after a fault-free beginning, take time to accumulate over generations, Adam's offspring need not have feared deformities in the children of close marriages for many centuries.