Receiving Joy and Strength

There is still another vital aspect to the "why" of Jesus' departure. He said, "If I do not go away, the Helper (Paraclete) will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." Jesus' departure was tied to Pentecost. There is no Pentecost without ascension. As the invested King of kings, Jesus had the authority together with the Father to send His Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way upon the church. Jesus spoke of a certain necessity of His leaving in order for the Spirit to come. Herein was another great advantage. He declared, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you" (Acts 1:8, KJV).

Two remarkable things happened to the disciples after Jesus departed. The first is that they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52). They were not despondent over the departure of Jesus. Obviously they finally understood why He was leaving. They understood what, for the most part, the church since then has failed to understand. We live as if it would not have been better for Jesus to leave.

The second obvious change in the lives of the disciples was in their spiritual strength. After Pentecost, they were different people. No longer did they flee like sheep without a shepherd. Instead, they turned the world upside down. They turned the world upside down because they fully understood two simple things: the "where" and the "why" of Jesus' departure.

Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God

Great joy and spiritual strength are two of the benefits of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Let Him release these benefits in your life today.

For Further Study
Acts 4:31: "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

Acts 4:33: "And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Acts 4:29: "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word."

The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries and Dr. R.C. Sproul is to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness.

THE INFINITE WORTH OF GOD'S AMAZING LOVE

By Pastor Robert Roosendaal

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:7

The love scene takes on a total transformation as we examine God's love as given in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the heart of God flows the riches of His love, expressed by the Greek word "agape"----shining forth with eternal splendor and glory. Think of its surpassing beauty, purity and holiness. Our wonderful Lord who never changes is also constant in exercising this divine quality of love. It is expressed in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ... " This love is the basis for Paul's declaration: "Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). This fabulous love overwhelms God's family as told in Romans 8:35--- Who shall separate us from the love of Chris!...?" There is only one answer---Absolutely nothing! What marvelous details of assurance: In verse one there is "no more condemnation" and verse 29 guarantees "no more separation" and through it all the promise that "all things work together for good". Yes, Romans 8 is a gold mine of riches. What kindness and comfort for God's child. This wonderful story of love goes on and on as told in God's Word. How thankful we should be for God's boundless provisions, praising God for all that has been done for us in the Person of Christ His Son at Calvary where we behold the greatest exhibition of love ever displayed.

John's lovely Gospel closes with the re-commissioning of Peter. As the Lord tenderly probes the nature of Peter's love we detect Peter's honesty, confessing that his love for the Christ was limited--- a "phileo" love, a tender affection. It was Christ's amazing love and compassion that reached out to a troubled and faltering Peter, restoring him into fellowship and service. The Holy Spirit here draws our attention to the wondrous love of God---man's love is a different story. Let us be honest about it as Peter was! When David sinned by numbering the children of Israel, God gave him three choices, and you will recall that he very wisely chose to fall into the hands of God, for His mercy is far greater than men. Christ was better at restoring preachers than we would ever be.

THOUGHT TO PONDER ON THIS DAY

 
Without a doubt there is no greater, or more valuable possession that we can hold in our hands than the word of God - The Holy Bible. And while we hold, and read, and study God's word, we have no greater need than to know how to handle it as God has intended that we handle it. For only then will we handle the Bible properly. and only then will it be able to effectually and fully function for us as "the word of truth' that it is, and thereby be able to accomplish what God has designed it to accomplish in our minds, and hearts, and lives.
_K. Blades

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

By the late Pastor R. Hanna

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2l:11; 2 Corinthians 5:10

Many people - saved people - live in dread of death because they do not understand the kind of judgment that they will face before God. There is indeed a final judgment to come which is awesome and should strike fear in the heart of those who will face it. The Apostle John wrote, describing what was revealed to him in a vision on the Isle of Patmos: "I saw a great white throne, and Him (Christ) that sat on it...and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life ... and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20: 11-15) Those described here are the lost - those who did not accept God's proffered salvation before they died. The lost from all generations are raised from the dead to face this sentence of eternal separation from God.

But you and I, if we have been saved by the grace of God by faith, are not destined to confront the Great White Throne. Our apostle has revealed that "We must all appear before the judgment seat (BEMA) of Christ (not the great white throne); that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) The works for which we will be judged are those accomplished in service to God during our lives after we have been saved. "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss (of reward), but he himself shall be saved ... " (I Corinthians 3:15)

Just A Thought:

"There are many dangerous trends pulling folks away from true Bible Christianity. Many of the newer philosophies of ministry employ methods that are wholly carnal. Some have adopted objectives that have not one line of Scripture to support them, and some employ conduct that differs little from the world. "

----Tozer

Repentance

Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent – Revelation 2:4-5

Do you remember when your eyes were first opened to see the beauty and the grace and the power of Jesus Christ? Perhaps it was at a young age, or after many wrong and painful choices, or as a result of a long and arduous search for truth — but when Christ revealed himself to you, you had eyes only for Him.

But since then, things have changed. Life has gotten busy, work has been stressful, the hunt for an escape has replaced your search for truth. Maybe you still go through the religious motions of church attendance or Bible studies, but your heart is not in it any more. You have left your first love.

If this describes you, then Jesus says to you "Remember." Remember the peace and the joy and the satisfaction that is only found in a close relationship with Christ. Remember the worthiness and glory and humility of Christ on the cross. Remember what it's all about. It's all about Jesus.

And after you remember, then repent. Repentance necessarily involves admitting that you have been wrong…but it means even more than that. It means changing your ways and doing what is right. Repent of the fact that you have let other things come between you and Christ; admit that you have not nurtured your love for Him as you ought; confess your need of His renewing and reviving work in your life.

Remember. Repent. Return to your first love.

Overcoming the Barrier of Inadequacy

Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

No one likes feelings of inadequacy, but they are something we must learn to handle, as none of us can avoid them permanently. Tragically, though, many people live with a cloud over their head because in their thinking, they never measure up. For some, this may be due to childhood experiences that negatively affected their self-image. For others, the problem stems from a lack of success related to work, relationships, marriage, parenting, or any number of things.

The area Paul deals with in today's passage is our Christian life. He asks a question that points to a common insecurity: "Who is adequate for these things?" (v. 16). Have you ever avoided serving the Lord in ways that challenge your comfort zone? If so, you've probably missed a tremendous opportunity to overcome feelings of inadequacy. He's promised to lead us "in triumph in Christ," (v. 14) but unless we believe Him and step out in faith, we'll never experience the life He has planned for us.

Feeling inadequate is not a sin, but using it as an excuse is. When the Lord challenges you to do something that you feel is beyond your abilities, you have two options. You can focus on Christ and proceed in triumph or focus on yourself and withdraw in defeat.

It's really a matter of faith. God would never ask you to do something without empowering you to accomplish it. This doesn't necessarily mean you will do it perfectly, but each step of obedience is a victory. The alternative is to play it safe, but then you'll miss out on God's best for your life.

Unshakeable

by Skip Heitzig

Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn’t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!

And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8  there are different Greek words used for "saw." When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.

Peter entered the tomb. "Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, "I get it!" He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.

Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They saw an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.

But by the time John wrote his gospel, they knew the theology of Christ’s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence—the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)—wasn’t enough to sustain a person through life. “This is what we saw, but we didn’t know the scripture yet” points to the fact that there’s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that’s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.

Observation and personal experience aren’t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) is a more sure foundation.

So how do you know that you know? You could say, “I know because I saw or I heard.” But here’s something better: “What I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.” So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible—and that’s unshakeable.

That’s what I want you to see here—the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective—the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.

If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.

That’s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!

Copyright © 2013 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

How To Make Your Marriage Last A Lifetime

by Jack Graham

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Can love really last a lifetime? Is it possible to love someone more on the 5,000th day of marriage than you did on the 1st? Wives, can you actually fall more in love as your husband goes from sleek and handsome to bald and bulgy? Husbands, can you love your wife more as her hair goes gray and her face gets wrinkled?

Can love really last a lifetime? The answer is yes… because God created it that way!

As we take a look at the famous love passage in 1 Corinthians 13, we find God’s road map for the kind of love that really can last “till death do you part.” It’s a love that, at its core, isn’t focused on self, but on the goodness and well-being of the other person.

Did you get that? The greatest way to find real joy in a love relationship is to stop trying to please yourself and seek the other person first. It’s so counter-intuitive, but so absolutely crucial in making marriage last.

Maybe today, you know you’re guilty of having a self-focused love and your marriage is suffering because of it. It’s not too late to change. Start today by putting your spouse before yourself and you’ll discover real joy as each day becomes a lifetime of love.

PLACE YOUR SPOUSE’S NEEDS BEFORE YOURS DAY BY DAY AND YOUR LOVE WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

Triumph in Tragedy

by Max Lucado

What do you say we have a chat about graveclothes? Sound like fun? Sound like a cheery topic? Hardly. Make a list of depressing subjects, and burial garments is somewhere between IRS audits and long-term dental care.

No one likes graveclothes. No one discusses graveclothes. Have you ever spiced up dinner-table chat with the question, "What are you planning to wear in your casket?"
Most folks don't discuss graveclothes.

The apostle John, however, was an exception. Ask him, and he'll tell you how he came to see burial garments as a symbol of triumph. He didn't always see them that way. A tangible reminder of the death of his best friend, Jesus, they used to seem like a symbol of tragedy. But on the first Easter Sunday, God took clothing of death and made it a symbol of life.

Could he do the same for you?

Could he take what today is a token of tragedy and turn it into a symbol of triumph?

We all face tragedy. What's more, we've all received the symbols of tragedy. Yours might be a telegram from the war department, an ID bracelet from the hospital, a scar, or a court subpoena. We don't like these symbols, nor do we want these symbols. Like wrecked cars in a junkyard, they clutter up our hearts with memories of bad days.

But could God use such things for something good? How far can we go with verses like Romans 8:28 that says, "In everything God works for the good of those who love him"? Does "everything" include tumors and tests and tempers and terminations? John would answer yes. John would tell you that God can turn any tragedy into a triumph, if only you will wait and watch.

Could I challenge you with a little exercise? Remove the word everything from Romans 8:28 and replace it with the symbol of your own tragedy. For the apostle John, the verse would read: "In burial clothing God works for the good of those who love him." How would Romans 8:28 read in your life?

In hospital stays God works for the good. In divorce papers God works for the good. In a prison term God works for the good.

If God can change John's life through a tragedy, could it be he will use a tragedy to change yours?

From He Chose the Nails
Copyright 2000, Max Lucado

Consider the lilies, how they grow

Consider the lilies, how they grow (Matt. 6:28).

I need oil," said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee." And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see! it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow--
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the, dew--
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night--
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light--
Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him
'Tis more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him--for you are His care. You, you know.
--Selected

Use your answers

God loves you!
And that's a wonderful thing.
But how does His love take care of your problem with sin?
God loves you and wants a fellowship with you.
But since God is also righteous and holy, our sinfulness makes that relationship impossible--unless God does something about it.
And He did.
John 3:16 tells us "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
Secondly-
His love also made it possible for you to have freedom from sin.
He sent His Son to die for you to pay the penalty for your sin, so you could have eternal life with Him.
Romans 6:22-23 says, "But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
And there's a third thing-
In His love, He offers us complete forgiveness of sin
- not the kind that says "It's okay, don't worry about it"; then reminds you of it every now and then. This is forgiveness that rolls your sins up into a ball and throws them so far away they'll never be found or held against you again.
Psalm 103:12 says,"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."
And Romans 8:1 promises no condemnation--once you believe and are "in Christ Jesus."
Take some time to put these verses into your own words.
Have you experienced "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep" God's love is?
Are you putting down roots in His love?
Are you tapped into His power and strength, the limitless resources of the Spirit?
Use your answers to these questions as your own prayer of praise to God for His immeasurable love.

Bonus to that faith!

Ever notice how much self-help information there is in our society?

There are books, radio programs, seminars and numerous talk shows that urge you to take a look at who you are and then change yourself by your determined will.

Have you tried all those methods and yet you're still discouraged by repeating the same old habits?

There are some things that self-help cannot help; things like disease, overcoming certain sins, and most of all, death.

But I have good news:

God has a plan for us that goes beyond our abilities.
It comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ-
- who supernaturally changes us where we can't change ourselves.

As a bonus to that faith-
He promises us victory over death, and eternal life.

If you really want to help yourself-
- look beyond yourself to the only One who can save you and give you the ultimate victory.

His name is Jesus Christ!

Commune with God

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. And let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26.

What does it mean that man was made in God's image? 

Does it mean that God has two arms, two legs and a long flowing beard as depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? (Of note, Michelangelo also painted a belly button on God, something that really makes no sense on so many levels.) 

No, 

Scripture does not imply a visual duplication of God; 

instead it refers to the nature of God. 

Like God, man can think and reason. 

We appreciate beauty and language. 

And unlike animals-

- we have an inner sense of morality and the ability to grasp deep concepts. 

This gives man the ability to commune with God.

That is the real reason God made us in His image. 

He desires a relationship with you and wants to fellowship with all mankind.

In the same passage-

God addresses our relationship with the earth.

One reason God made us in His image is that we are responsible for caring for all of God's creation. 

We're to be an intermediary between God and all of His creation. 

How can we manage it-

- unless we stay close to God;

- unless we think like God;

- unless we're able to fulfill the will of God?

Part of having a relationship with God is having the right relationship with His creation. 

Being created in His image is an awesome gift, as well as a sacred responsibility.

ASKING QUESTIONS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

Bob had finally made it to the last round of the TV game show $50,000 Question TV. Given his choice of a category, he told the host MC that he wanted a question on American History.

The big night arrived. Bob made his way onstage in front of the studio and TV audience. He had become the talk of the week. He was the best guest this show had ever seen. The MC stepped up to the mike.

"Bob, you have chosen American History as your final question. You know that if you correctly answer this question, you will walk away $50,000 dollars richer. Are you ready?"

Bob nodded with a cocky confidence -- the crowd went nuts. He hadn't missed a question all week.

"Bob, yours is a two-part question. As you know, you may answer either part first. As a rule, the second half of the question is always easier. Which part would you like to take a stab at first?"

Bob was becoming more noticeably nervous. American History was his easiest subject, but he wanted to play it safe. "I'll try the easier part first."

The MC nodded approvingly. "Here we go Bob. I will ask you the second half first, then the first half." The audience grew silent with anticipation...

"Bob, here is your question: And in what year did it happen?"

In our Christian walk, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked. And it seems to me that it is important not only to ask the right questions but to ask them in the right order. The Pharisees, for example, first asked Jesus questions such as, "Why aren't you washing your hands properly?" (Matthew 15:1-3). Even the disciples of John asked Jesus, "Why don't you fast?" (Matthew 9:14). It's not that those were bad questions to ask. The problem was, they were asking those questions first instead of more important questions like, "What can we do in our lives that would demonstrate justice and mercy and faith?" (Matthew 25:23) or "Who is this Jesus?" (Matthew 16:15).

It's so easy to get caught up asking the wrong questions first. Questions about premillennialism or the role of women in the church or which translation of the Bible we should read are not bad questions. For that matter, asking where Cain got his wife isn't a bad question! But those shouldn't be the first questions we ask. Questions related to God's nature and God's desire for a relationship with us and how to demonstrate love and faith in our lives must be asked first. Because if we get the questions out of order, we will find ourselves just as stumped as Bob was in the story above.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

STARTING OVER

During a Sunday-morning worship service, a mother tried everything she could think of — including rewards, scoldings, and threats — to get her fidgety 7-year-old son to be quiet. Nothing worked. Finally, about halfway through the sermon, she leaned over and whispered something in the little boy’s ear.

He immediately stopped fidgeting and sat quietly for the rest of the service. Afterward, a friend sitting in the row behind asked the young mother what she had said to her son.

The mother smiled and replied, “If you don’t be quiet, the preacher is going to lose his place, and then he’ll have to start his sermon all over again.”

As much as little boys (and most of the rest of us) dislike the idea of having the preacher “start over”, it’s not something that any of us like to do in our own lives. But there are times when we need to start over..

When it comes to trying to live godly lives, we all mess up. As good as our intentions are, as much as we promise ourselves that “I’ll never make that mistake again”, we find ourselves at the throne of God time and again, seeking grace and mercy, and having to start over. It’s not easy, and it requires humility on our part, but fortunately, God gives us that opportunity when we truly repent.

Just as difficult are the trials we face that force us to start over. Maybe you've had a serious illness or injury, and it finally looks like you’re going to get well, but there’s a setback in your health which requires you to start all over again. That news can be more devastating than the original diagnosis. Or maybe it’s a financial problem you’re facing. And just when it looked like there was a light at the end of the tunnel, your car or the washing machine breaks down or the kids need braces, and you’re back to square one trying to get your debt cleared up.

Such experiences require a perseverance that says, “No matter how long it takes, no matter how many setbacks I have, no matter how many times I have start over, I will not give up.” As Solomon wrote: “Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again.” (Proverbs 24:16, NET). It's not a question of whether we will fall. We will fall, but the righteous man, the wise man, continues to rise up and is willing to start over time and again.

If you find yourself discouraged today because you've failed God, may you seek His forgiveness and start over living the life that God wants you to live. If you're facing trials today that leave you wondering what's the use in trying any more, may God provide you strength to rise up and start over!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

The Key to Radical Love

by John Piper

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Matthew 5:11–12)

One of the questions I posed recently, while preaching on loving our enemies from Matthew 5:44, was, How do you love the people who kidnap you and then kill you?

How can we do this? Where does power to love like this come from? Just think how astonishing this is when it appears in the real world! Could anything show the truth and power and reality of Christ more than this?

I believe Jesus gives us the key to this radical, self-sacrificing love in the very same chapter.

In Matthew 5:11–12, he again talks about being persecuted. What is remarkable about these verses is that Jesus says that you are able not only to endure the mistreatment of the enemy, but rejoice in it. This seems even more beyond our reach. If I could do this — if I could rejoice in being persecuted — then it would be possible to love my persecutors. If the miracle of joy in the midst of the horror of injustice and pain and loss could happen, then the miracle of love for the perpetrators could happen too.

Jesus gives the key to joy in these verses. He says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” The key to joy is faith in God’s future grace — “your reward is great in heaven.” I believe this joy is the freeing power to love our enemies when they persecute us. If that is true, then the command to love is a command to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth ( Colossians 3:2).

The command to love our enemy is a command to find our hope and our satisfaction in God and his great reward — his future grace. The key to radical love is faith in future grace. We must be persuaded in the midst of our agony that the love of God is “better than life” ( Psalm 63:3). Loving your enemy doesn’t earn you the reward of heaven. Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.

DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

A young and foolish pilot wanted to sound cool and show who was boss on the aviation frequencies. It was his first time approaching a field during the night time.

Instead of making any official requests to the tower, he said: "Guess who?"

The controller switched the field lights off and replied: "Guess where!"

It important for a pilot to be able to see the place where he is landing! There is a true story about a pilot who was flying a fighter jet in bad weather and was about to make his instrument approach to an airport. The air traffic controller called and asked how much fuel he had. -- “Plenty,” he said.

“Well,” the controller said, "We’ve got a little problem. There’s a young pilot who is not instrument rated. He’s lost in the clouds, and we were wondering if you could intercept him and lead him back to the airport."

“Sure,” the pilot responded. He found the lost plane and pulled up beside it. He called on the radio and told the pilot to look out to his left. When the pilot of this small plane saw the powerful jet, he burst into tears of relief. As far as he was concerned, his life was about over. He would soon run out of fuel and crash.

“Don’t worry,” the test pilot said. “Everything’s going to be OK. I’m going to pull in front of you several hundred yards. Do everything I do. When I turn, I’ll turn gently. All you have to do is do exactly what I do.”

So carefully the leader and the follower turned toward the airport and slowly descended. When they finally broke through the clouds at 500 feet, the frightened pilot saw the most beautiful sight. There in front of him was the runway, and he was perfectly set up to land. What a blessing that the young pilot had someone nearby that he could look to!

There's a story in the Bible where an ancient king of Judah must have felt that same sense of relief. Jehoshaphat's kingdom was being threatened by the armies of Ammon, Moab, "and others" (2 Chronicles 20:1). In fact, those armies were so large and so strong, Judah didn't stand a chance of surviving an assault. There seemed to be nothing Jehoshaphat could do about it, so he turned to God (which, incidentally, is not such a bad place for us to find ourselves!). Eventually, God rescued the people of Judah by causing the armies of the enemy to turn on one another. But it is the prayer of Jehoshaphat that I think is so valuable. In fact, I think this may become my favorite verse in the Bible:

"For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Is there a problem you're facing in your life that just seems overwhelming? Pray along with Jehoshaphat -- "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Do you have a difficult decision to make and you don't know which course to take? "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Are you suffering the attacks of enemies, those who would seek to do you harm? "God, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you!" Pray it today and pray it often.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

CHOOSING YOUR NAME

The following article was in the news a few years ago:

HANOI, Vietnam - After nearly two decades of ridicule, a father has agreed to change his son's name from "Fined Six Thousand and Five Hundred" -- the amount he was forced to pay in local currency for ignoring Vietnam's two-child policy.

Angry he was being fined for having a fifth child, Mai Xuan Can named his son Mai Phat Sau Nghin Ruoi after the amount he was forced to pay -- 6,500 dong (50 cents). In 1999, local government officials tried to persuade Can to change the name because the boy was constantly being teased by classmates at school. But Can, a former People's Committee official, refused to back down, Thuong said. They appealed to him again recently, and this time it worked.

"I told him that as his son is growing up, he should have another name -- not that weird name -- and he finally agreed," Thuong said.

The son, now 19, finally got a new name: Mai Hoang Long, which means golden dragon.

Choosing a name is an important responsibility. Those of us who are parents can remember spending hours and hours reading books filled with baby names, discussing this name and that before deciding on just the right name. Even after much forethought, one of my children was named at birth and re-named a couple of hours later because the first name just didn't seem to fit her.

Not surprisingly, names in the Bible are regarded as important. Names that were chosen may tell us something about the child or his birth (Isaac -- "laughter", Benjamin -- "son of the right hand", Esau -- "hairy"). Some names were changed to signal a drastic change in one's life (Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul).

A name is important because it's not just a word -- it's who you are. Your name is your character, the essence of who you are and what you stand for.

You may not be able to change your given name (at least, not without a lot of expense and trouble), but you can change what people think about when they hear that name. That's why Solomon wrote:

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." (Prov. 22:1a)

You are choosing your name by how you live. Choose wisely.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

LEVELS OF TOLERATION

At a computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

It's amazing, isn't it, what we tolerate in some things we use (like Microsoft Windows) that we would never tolerate in other things we use (like our automobiles)? Then again, it shouldn't be too surprising because I find that there are many things which I tolerate in some people that I would never tolerate in others.

For example, if someone I don't particularly like passes me on the street and doesn't wave or say "hi", I get easily offended and assume that he is just being snobby. If a good friend does the same thing, though, I assume that he must have something on his mind and he was merely distracted. If someone I love dearly accidentally trips and kicks me in the shin, I think nothing of it. If someone else does it, though, I quickly assume they're clumsy and inconsiderate. I t's true, isn't it? We tolerate things from people we love that we would never tolerate from people we don't love.

Could it be that one of the reasons we have so many conflicts in the church is that love is lacking? When love is missing, we are quick to assume the worst, we tolerate nothing and we are quick to find fault. Patience is non-existent. Forgiveness is difficult. Love, however, truly does "cover a multitude of sins." (I Peter 4:8)

I like the way GOD'S WORD translates this passage from Paul's writings: "As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly." (Colossians 3:12-14)

Are you having trouble "putting up" with folks around you? May your love for others increase so that your level of toleration may increase as well.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Sitting at His Feet

by Os Hillman

"So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah" (Ruth 2:17-18). 

The story of Ruth provides an excellent illustration of the connection between spending time in the presence of God and receiving physical provision. Naomi was married to Elimelech. They had two married sons. Elimelech died and ten years later both of the sons also died. Ruth was married to one of the sons. 

The other daughter-in-law moved back to her family, but Ruth, in spite of Naomi's encouragement, insisted on staying with Naomi. The only way for the family line to continue would have been for Ruth to marry another son or direct relative. Now, through a custom known as the kinsman redeemer, Ruth could be married to a relative in the family line. Times were tough and most people made a living by farming. Naomi had a relative named Boaz who was a prominent land owner and farmer. She sent Ruth to glean in the fields of Boaz all day in hopes of picking up excess grain left behind by the harvesters. 

Ruth stayed in the fields all day and yielded just one ephah of grain. It is a picture of sweat and toil for very little return. However, something happens later in the story. Naomi realized the only way Ruth was going to have any kind of future is if a kinsman redeemer came to her rescue. She instructed Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Boaz would be and to quietly sit at the feet of Boaz all night. This would be a sign of submitting her life to Boaz. He would have to exercise his right to be her kinsmen redeemer.. 

Later, Boaz sends Ruth home and takes the necessary steps to become her redeemer. But before he sends her home, he gives her six ephahs of barley - six times what she got spending all day in the fields. 

Friend, if we are going to succeed in fulfilling God's destiny for our lives, we must have a life of intimate worship and devotion to Jesus. Why not start spending more time at the feet of Jesus.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD SAYS NO?

I heard a story recently about a young girl who wrote a letter to a missionary to let him know that her class had been praying for him. But evidently she'd been told not to request a response to her letter because the missionaries were very busy. So the missionary got a kick out of her letter. It said, "Dear Mr. Missionary, we are praying for you. But we are not expecting an answer."

I can't help but think that that little girl summarized the prayer lives of many Christians. Sometimes we pray without expecting an answer, even though God has assured us that He does indeed hear our prayers. David said, "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications." (Psalm 116:1). But I think many of us struggle with the nagging question, "Is God really listening to me?" Yes, He heard David, He heard Elijah, and He heard the apostles. But does He hear me?

How do we really know that our prayers are answered? Sure, there are times when we see visible results. We may pray for someone who's sick and the next week they get well. But more often, our prayers don't produce flashing "neon" answers. We pray for help in financial problems, and we don't see things get any better. We pray for guidance in making right decisions, but the decisions don't get any easier. We pray for relationships with other people to improve, but they just seem to get worse. How do we as Christians account for that happening? How do we explain the fact that so many of our prayers seem to go "unanswered"?

The truth is, for a child of God there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Maybe you've heard it said before that God answers prayer in three ways. Sometimes the answer is "yes." Sometimes the answer is "no." And sometimes the answer is "wait a while." It's easy to accept an answer of "yes," but what about when God says, "no"?

Let me suggest three principles:

First of all, we need to trust God enough to realize that our all-loving, all-powerful Father loves us and has our best interest at heart. So when it seems that God says "no" to our prayers, we must trust Him enough to understand that there must be a good reason for it. It may be beyond our limited ability to understand, but we must simply trust God.

Secondly, we must not forsake God. Disappointment is a dangerous, powerful thing. When we get the feeling that God isn't listening to us, that He has said "no" to some prayer, we have a tendency to feel disappointed in Him. And Satan whispers to us, "God said He loves you, but He's not here." And if we allow that disappointment to harbor in our hearts, it can drive a wedge between us and God. We must continue to be faithful to our responsibility before God.

And thirdly, we need to realize that the answer may not be "no," but only "wait a while." God always answers our prayers immediately, but sometimes there's a delay in the giving of the answer and that can be a difficult thing for us to accept. The ability to wait for an answer is one of the marks of maturity. Be willing to let God answer in his own time, in his own way, and in his own power.

Many people see God as a divine vending machine in which you deposit one prayer and out pops a blessing. But what happens when you put your money in the Coke machine and nothing comes out? You get angry, you kick the Coke machine. So it's not surprising that such a view of God and prayer leads to disappointment when God says no.

I believe that we need to foster an entirely different view of prayer from that one. Our God is the Great God of the Universe, the Creator of all things that exist other than Himself. For us to even venture to speak to Him is presumptuous. For us to ask Him to pay attention to our requests and then hope for Him to meet them requires bold expectation. In fact such would be arrogance if it were not for the simple fact that God tells us to do just that.

Looking from the proper perspective, we will not ask "What happens when God says no?" but rather "What happens when God says yes?" That the God of the heavens would listen to us and our needs is a great testimony to His great love for us. And it is that love that will lead Him to say no from time to time. At those times, we must trust Him knowing that he loves us and desires what is best for us. We must never forsake Him nor our duty toward Him. And we must realize that what we interpret to be an answer of "no" may just be God telling us to wait a while.

"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."   (I John 5:14)

BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU JUDGE

A young minister graduated from seminary just before World War I and he was appointed to a church in a very small town. He had been there only a couple of weeks when he received the call every new minister dreads -- the call to do his first funeral. The person who had died was not a member of his church. She was, in fact, a woman with a very bad reputation. Her husband was a railroad engineer who was away from home much of the time. She had rented rooms in their house to men who worked on the railroad and rumor had it that she rented more than just rooms when her husband was away.

The young preacher, faced with his first funeral, found no one who had a good word to say about this woman, until he entered the small old-fashioned grocery store on the day before the funeral.  He began to talk to the store owner about his sadness that the first person he would bury would be someone about which nothing good could be said.

The store owner didn't reply at first and then, in his silence, he appeared to make a decision. He took out his store ledger and laid it on the counter between him and the preacher. He opened the ledger at random and, covering the names in the left-hand column, he pointed to grocery bills written in red – groceries that people had bought on credit -- and then the column that showed the bill had been paid.

He said, "Every month, that woman would come in and ask me who was behind in their grocery bills. It was usually some family who had sickness or death -- or some poor woman trying to feed her kids when her husband drank up the money. She would pay their bill and she made me swear never to tell. But, I figure now that she is dead, people ought to know -- especially those who benefited from her charity who have been most critical of her."

GLAD VS GRATITUDE

Anderson was having a very difficult time. Because of the recession, he'd been laid off from his firm, and jobs at his present salary were hard to find. Jobs at low salaries were hard to find. He was able to pay only the minimum on his credit card, and the balance owed had grown to monstrous proportions. His son needed braces, and the insurance company was being stubborn about paying for them. The financial problems were putting a strain on Anderson's marriage. He and his wife were either fighting or not speaking to each other. And as if things weren't bad enough, one of Anderson's wisdom teeth became impacted. It had to be cut out. The insurance would pay for that, but it required surgery. His regular dentist couldn't do it in the office. Anderson wondered how much worse life could get.

And then things suddenly turned around. Anderson's old firm hired him back in a better position with a better salary. He got in touch with a service representative who was willing to work with him on his credit card debt. The insurance finally came through on his son's braces. And his wisdom tooth broke through the gum. It would still have to be removed, but now he could sit in the dentist's chair and have it pulled. As the problems eased, Anderson's marriage improved. Life was good again.

Anderson was a religious man--or considered himself one--and he'd been praying steadily while things seemed so hopeless. But when they improved, he didn't even think that God might have had something to do with it. He was very glad, of course, that life was so much better. But he wasn't grateful--not even enough to say "Thank You."

Nettie was a seventy-year-old widow. She suddenly lost her husband after fifty years. He left some insurance, but he'd also left Nettie a big house, and there wasn't enough money to pay the utilities and maintenance and taxes. Nettie was forced to sell the home she loved and move in with her daughter. But Nettie was grateful for her blessings, and she never stopped thanking God for them.

She counted it a blessing that her husband had gone first, leaving her the one to mourn. After all, he wouldn't even have anyone to move in with. Nettie was grateful that she could help her daughter around the house and with the cooking; grateful that she got to spend time with her grandchildren. Though her health was poor, and her eyesight not good, at least she wasn't in a wheelchair or blind, as a few of her friends were. Another blessing to count.

The fact that Anderson didn't give God thanks didn't mean that God took back His blessings. It did mean that Anderson couldn't know the wonderful joy of praise that had always been so special to Nettie.

Life got better for Nettie. Her lawyer found an annuity her husband had left for her. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to give Nettie her own home again. Her health improved. An ophthalmologist operated on her eyes, and her sight was better than it had been in years. She thanked God, not every day, but every hour of every day.

Anderson will take the good things that come his way gladly, as his due. Nettie will accept them gratefully, as proofs of God's love and mercy.  Anderson will live his span of years, happy sometimes, unhappy sometimes, and die hoping for the best. Nettie will live in constant joy, as she gives praise for everything.  She will pass from her earthly life, thanking God for his final blessing here, as she moves into His glorious eternity.

HE HEARS WHEN WE CALL

In the Living Bible, Psalm 12 begins with these words: “Lord! Help!  Godly men are fast disappearing. Where in all the world can dependable men be found? Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left.”

Does that sound like today? Could we not repeat David's words spoken hundreds of years ago? From politicians to news broadcasters, from deceptive friends and even some family members, flattering words are spoken, lies are told. Who can we believe? Who can we depend on to tell us the truth? Where is our moral compass and guide?

Praise God. Verse six of the same psalm gives us the answer: “The Lord's promise is sure. He speaks no careless word; all He says is purest truth, like silver seven times refined.” When we lack wisdom to know right from wrong, to decipher truth from embellished white lies, all we need do is

ask the Lord. He knows all things and is more than willing to share His vast knowledge with us. The only prerequisite is we must ask and seek answers that will guide us along the right paths.

Not only will God point us to the truth, He will also give us the courage to speak it, to refute the wrong information that will inevitably be a stumbling block to those who hear. Remember, Satan comes as an angel of light to deceive and lead astray even God's elect if we are not tuned into our Father in heaven. Through God's word, prayer and waiting on the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we can avoid the pitfalls of reasonable sounding lies. We have a Guide and Counselor within us Who will never lead us astray: “O Lord, we know that you will forever preserve Your own from the reach of evil men although they prowl on every side and vileness is praised throughout the land.” (Ps. 12:7) We need not fear. God is on our side! Halleluiah!

Can a City Be Transformed?

by Os Hillman
"All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord." (emphasis mine Acts 9:35). 

Can an entire city be transformed for Jesus Christ? The book of Acts reveals that at least one city was. There are four key ingredients required among its Christian leaders to see a city transformed. These include prayer, humility, unity, and knowledge of God's ways. 

Prayer
In every city in which transformation has taken place, believers have come together to pray for their city. Prayer changes the spiritual climate of a city. Some of the main areas of influence that must be the focus of our prayers include churches and businesses; the legal, political, educational and medical fields; and the media/entertainment industry. Workplace leaders must be strategically aligned with intercessors to impact their city. 

Humility
God uses men and women who recognize that they need each other and who do not seek glory for their work. "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way" (Ps. 25:9). The workplace leaders that God is using today care little about being in the limelight. 

Unity
Jesus said, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:23). God calls each of us individually and corporately to represent Christ to the world, but our independence, pride and egos often prevent us from becoming unified in the purposes of Christ. 

Knowledge of God's Ways
Sometimes leaders can move in presumption instead of in a faith that is rooted in knowledge of God's ways. Such was the case of David, who wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem. He was zealous for God and celebrated as he brought the Ark into the city. However, the ark was being carried into the city on a cart instead of by priests on poles, as God required. When a man named Uzzah reached out to catch the Ark when the oxen stumbled, he was immediately struck dead by God. David was devastated.. He lacked a knowledge of God's ways.
Do you want to see your city transformed? Make sure the three ingredients of prayer, unity and knowledge of God's ways exist in your leadership team.