Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Happy Tuesday

Good Morning Readers,
     Sorry I Missed You Monday... Computers still giving me fits... Video card went out in one, hard drive in another... Finally combined three into one and it is working, but so slow... 
     I am posting this and Wednesday's should post automatically... Just in case this computer stops all together... 

Happy Tuesday,
Richard 
      
 

Accomplishment By Bill Moeny

"All that we have accomplished you have done for us." 
Isaiah 26:12

Do you believe this to be true?  Or do you think that you have done it, maybe with a little bit of help from God?  What would it look like in the way you run your business if this verse were true, and you acted like it?

Consider John 15:6: "without me you can do nothing." Does this sound like the same statement, just reworded?

Did Jesus really mean it when He said, "without me you can do nothing"?

If this is true, and I believe the entire Bible is true, then this should dramatically change our relationship with God.  If in fact we can do nothing that matters without Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit, doing it through us, then that truth demands that we spend time with Christ every day to get on His agenda.

If in fact we can do nothing without Him, then the only agenda that matters is His agenda.  We need to always be seeking His agenda to be effective for the kingdom.  That is what He said.

I do not know about you, but I do not want to complete this life and stand before God, only to discover that I did not accomplished anything worthwhile in this life, simply because I kept insisting on doing it my way under my power instead of seeking Christ to do it through me.

These two verses drive us to spend quality time with Christ every day, seeking His agenda, making sure our efforts are placed where He wants them placed, and not according to our agenda.

The act of praising Him daily for what He has done is one of the most powerful ways of ensuring that we understand and believe that without Him we can do nothing, and live like it.  Praising Him for all He has done places the glory for the accomplishment right where it belongs -  on Jesus Christ and on the Father.

So, what does your agenda look like for tomorrow?  Is it your agenda?  Or, are you going to spend time with your Owner, Purchaser and Savior to find out what He wants to do with His business He has hired you to run?

It is an important question - with eternal consequences.


Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
 let me hide myself in thee; 
 let the water and the blood, 
 from thy wounded side which flowed, 
 be of sin the double cure; 
 save from wrath and make me pure. 

2. Not the labors of my hands 
 can fulfill thy law's commands; 
 could my zeal no respite know, 
 could my tears forever flow, 
 all for sin could not atone; 
 thou must save, and thou alone. 

3. Nothing in my hand I bring, 
 simply to the cross I cling; 
 naked, come to thee for dress; 
 helpless, look to thee for grace; 
 foul, I to the fountain fly; 
 wash me, Savior, or I die. 

4. While I draw this fleeting breath, 
 when mine eyes shall close in death, 
 when I soar to worlds unknown, 
 see thee on thy judgment throne, 
 Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
 let me hide myself in thee. 
 

Daily Smile:
A Sunday school teacher asked the children in her class, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?"

"No!" the children all answered.


"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into Heaven?"


Again the answer was "No!"


"Well", she continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"


A five-year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!"


In The News:

Hobby Lobby Gets Boost in Battle Against Abortion Mandate
Hobby Lobby's legal battle against the abortion/contraceptive mandate received a boost March 29 when the full 10th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to hear the company's case, Baptist Press reports. The 10th Circuit said it would expedite oral arguments and set a date soon. Such "en banc" hearings are relatively rare. Under the federal government's mandate, businesses must cover contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs as part of their employee health insurance plans. The Christian owners of Hobby Lobby are arguing that the mandate violates their beliefs and constitutionally protected freedoms, and the company could face millions in fines if a court does not intervene. In November, a federal judge ruled that Hobby Lobby must cover the drugs in its health insurance plans, and in December a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit refused to step in and prevent Hobby Lobby from being impacted by the mandate. "Full court review is reserved only for the most serious legal questions," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing Hobby Lobby. "This case asks whether the First Amendment protects everyone's right to religious freedom, or whether it leaves out religious business owners."

Indian Missionary Freed After Fighting False Charge in Prison for Eight Years
An Indian missionary sponsored by Gospel for Asia was recently released from prison after fighting a false charge behind bars for the past eight years, the Christian News Network reports. The missionary, only identified as Pastor Samuel, was first arrested in 2004 in Jhharkhand, India, for allegedly participating in a riot that left 19 dead. Although he told officials he had no part in the riot, he was incarcerated nonetheless after being misidentified as a member of a rebel group. Hearings for Pastor Samuel were delayed, and he was forced to be separated from his wife and daughter during the eight-year period. In August 2010, a court ruled that the charge against him should be dropped because of insufficient evidence to convict him. However, one final hearing had to take place, which was again delayed. Almost three years later, Pastor Samuel is finally free. "I was totally depressed in this situation, but the Lord helped me to realize he has a special plan for me to be in the prison," he said. "The Lord is helping me to share the love of Jesus with the prisoners. Through my ministry, I see the transformation that is happening in their lives." While in prison, Pastor Samuel shared the Gospel with his cellmates and was eventually given permission to conduct prayer services. He states that approximately 20 people came to faith in Christ behind bars.

Sexual Activity Rare Among Young Adolescents
The notion that the youngest adolescents – ages 10 to 12 – are more sexually active today than in the past is greatly exaggerated, says a new report in the April issue of Pediatrics. It finds that among both boys and girls, only 0.6 percent of 10-year-olds, 1.1 percent of 11-year-olds and 2.4 percent of 12-year-olds have had sex, and the incidence of pregnancy among girls age 12 or younger "is minuscule." The study also finds that sex among very young adolescents is frequently involuntary; 62 percent of girls who had sex by age 10 say their first encounter was coerced. Coercion was also cited by 50 percent of those who had sex by age 11 and 23 percent who had sex by age 12. By middle adolescence, sexual activity is more common among teens but only for a minority (5.4 percent of 13-year-olds; 11 percent of 14-year-olds; 20 percent of 15-year-olds; 33 percent of 16-year-olds). Although more than half of older teens (ages 17 to 19) have had sex, 25 percent of both males and females have not had sex by age 20.

'The Bible' Series Finale Draws 11.7 Million Viewers
The series finale of the History Channel's "The Bible" got a big boost from viewers for its series finale on Easter Sunday, which included the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, CBN News reports. According to Deadline.com, 11.7 million viewers tuned in, up 14 percent from the previous episode. The success of the series made the History Channel the top cable network for the month of March.
 

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