Living beyond your circumstances through the Resurrection
A little boy named Philip with Down Syndrome attended a third-grade Sunday school class with several eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” — Matthew 28:5-6
On Easter Sunday, the teacher brought egg-shaped pantyhose containers for the students and told the children to go outside, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the egg-like container. Back in the classroom, they would share their new life symbols, opening the containers one by one. After running about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed the containers on the table.
Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. When one was opened, revealing nothing inside, the children exclaimed, “That’s not fair! Somebody didn’t do their assignment.”
Philip spoke up, “That’s mine.”
“Philip, you don’t ever do things right!” a student retorted. “There’s nothing there!”
“I did so do it,” Philip insisted. “It’s empty, just like Jesus’ tomb was empty!”
Silence followed. From then on, Philip became an accepted member of the class. He sadly died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral, this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar, not with flowers, but with their Sunday school teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose egg.
Whatever challenges you face today, the resurrection of Jesus Christ can give your life hope, meaning, and purpose. So this Easter, rest in the goodness of God and the new life you’ve been given through Jesus’ resurrection! Prayer Challenge
Ask God to help you live beyond your circumstances and rest in the new life you’ve been given through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Happy Saturday
Coffee Break
"Jesus Or The Easter
Bunny?" by Lorraine Ezell
"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted:
Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is
not here: behold the place where they laid him." Mark
16:6
Happy Resurrection weekend to each and everyone. I
choose to call it Resurrection Sunday and not Easter. I choose to
acknowledge the death, burial and resurrection of my beloved Savior
Jesus, and not the things that we typically think of when we think
of Easter- such as the Easter bunny, colored eggs, hiding eggs,
baskets of candies.
I wonder, (I know the answer, so I am not asking for
one) why we think that these things have anything to do with what
Jesus did for us? What do the things that I have already named have
to do with the cross or the empty tomb or the suffering that Jesus
went through? They have nothing to do with it.
These things were part of a pagan celebration to their
goddess of fertility. We have adopted them in Christianity and made
it a part of our celebration of Jesus'
resurrection.
Some say that they know the difference, yet they
celebrate both at the same time. Why would you want anything to
distract from the true meaning? Why would you make Jesus share the
celebration with a fictitious rabbit? Why would you minimize His
suffering on the cross with anything? Why would we replace the
miracle of the resurrection of Christ for the belief that a giant
rabbit goes everywhere during the night leaving children baskets
full of candy and colored eggs? We may say we know the difference,
yet once church service is over in the morning, the rest of the day
will be spent "worshipping" the bunny and eggs. I just don't get it.
After what Jesus went through on the cross for us, why would we
allow anything to overshadow it?
At Christmas we have adopted a slogan as a reminder that
the celebration is all about the birth of Jesus and not Santa
Claus-- "Jesus is the reason for the season". I think we need to
take it out of storage during the resurrection season because it
appears that we have forgotten that it is still true for this time
as well-- "Jesus is the reason for the season, not the Easter
bunny."
After all, who laid down their life for you so that you
could have eternal life and forgiveness of your sins-- Jesus or the
Easter bunny!
Have a great day. Who are you "really" celebrating,
Jesus or the Easter bunny?
Take a long, hard and searching look at what you are
doing before you answer.
For further reading:
John 3:16
Romans 5:8
2 Timothy 4:4
Matthew 28:6
Luke 24:6
Daily Smile:
A woman in her eighties made the evening news because she was getting
married for the fourth time. The following day she was being
interviewed by a local TV station, and the commentator asked about what
it felt to be married again at that age and would she share part of her
previous experiences, since it seem quite unique the fact that her new
husband was a ‘funeral director.’ After a short time to think, a smile
came to her face and she proudly explained that she had first married a
banker when she was in her twenties, in her forties she married a
circus ring master, and in her sixties she married a pastor and now in
her eighties, a funeral director. The amazed commentator asked her why
she had married men with such diverse carriers. With a smile on her
face she explained, ‘I married one for the money, two for the show,
three to get ready, and four to go.’
Friday, April 6, 2012
Happy Good Friday
Sorry I was late... Computer crashed yesterday and after I got that fixed, I decided to clean the office... Well, I am still cleaning and rearranging it... Happy Reading...
Sheep
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
On their own, sheep will starve. They do not have enough sense to move on to greener pastures when their own is stripped of foliage. They will wander off into traps, standing helplessly while predators stalk them. Of all God's creatures, few are more helpless that sheep.
It is interesting that God calls us His sheep. WE so often think that we have complete control over our lives, and yet we really are helpless. We need to admit our weaknesses. When we admit weakness, that is our strength, because then we understand our need for God. God will protect us, provide for us, guide us from place to place, and never leave us alone. He truly is the Good Shepherd; the best shepherd we could ever hope to find. We need a shepherd. Thank goodness we have the finest.
Prayer: Lord, I have difficulty admitting that I cannot do everything on my own. Help me to see that leaning on Your strength is not weakness at all, but power beyond measure. By Your wisdom I am saved. Amen.
Later, that night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant.
Suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden under the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.
"Honey," she asked, "have you seen my other shoe?"
Sheep
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
On their own, sheep will starve. They do not have enough sense to move on to greener pastures when their own is stripped of foliage. They will wander off into traps, standing helplessly while predators stalk them. Of all God's creatures, few are more helpless that sheep.
It is interesting that God calls us His sheep. WE so often think that we have complete control over our lives, and yet we really are helpless. We need to admit our weaknesses. When we admit weakness, that is our strength, because then we understand our need for God. God will protect us, provide for us, guide us from place to place, and never leave us alone. He truly is the Good Shepherd; the best shepherd we could ever hope to find. We need a shepherd. Thank goodness we have the finest.
Prayer: Lord, I have difficulty admitting that I cannot do everything on my own. Help me to see that leaning on Your strength is not weakness at all, but power beyond measure. By Your wisdom I am saved. Amen.
Daily Smile:
One day a man drove his secretary home after she fell quite
ill at work. Although this was an innocent gesture, he decided not to mention it
to his wife, who tended to get jealous easily.Later, that night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant.
Suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden under the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.
"Honey," she asked, "have you seen my other shoe?"
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Happy Thursday
Thought for Today
"Peter had built his whole relationship with Jesus Christ on his assumed capacity to be adequate. That's why he took his denial of the Lord so hard. His strength, loyalty, and faithfulness were his self-generated assets of discipleship. The fallacy in Peter's mind was this: he believed his relationship was dependent on his consistency in producing the qualities he thought had earned him the Lord's approval. Many of us face the same problem...we try to live so that he will love us, rather than living because he has already loved us." - Lloyd Ogilvie in his book, "Ask Him Anything"
LETTING GO OF GUILT
As Christians we rejoice that our salvation is secure in Christ, and that our sins are forever washed away by His blood. We marvel at God's infinite mercy to forgive us even though we don't deserve it. But often we won't forgive ourselves!
Yes, we know that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). But from sunrise to sunset we needlessly carry the heavy burden of guilt.
For some reason we feel compelled to carry these heavy burdens, even though God never asked us to carry them. Just the opposite! So as God's servants, we need to learn to let go of our guilt.
Sometimes our burden of guilt is nothing more than false condemnation. When I was a youth, my mother absolutely believed the bottom of the theater would open up and drop me straight into the fire of hell if I ever went to see a movie, regardless of its message. I felt bad even walking by a theater. Now that was false guilt!
Paul Tournier, a respected Swiss psychologist, has said, "False guilt comes as a result of judgments and suggestions of men." People sometimes seek to control or manipulate us by inventing rules or regulations the Bible never mentions. As servants of God, not slaves to man-made decrees, we need to carefully and prayerfully identify such false guilt and let go of it.
On other occasions we carry heavy burdens of guilt because we don't deal with it properly. There are at least three inappropriate responses to true guilt.
First, we can repress our guilt. We try to cover it up and deny its existence. We focus on our insignificant faults instead of acknowledging our real guilt. As a result, we lose our peace and often suffer physically as well.
Second, we can regret our "mistake." But merely saying "I'm sorry" fails to acknowledge the seriousness of our sin and our responsibility.
Third, we can feel remorse for our sin. "I'll never do it again," we promise. Judas felt remorse after betraying Christ (Matthew 27:3-4). But he fell one step short of what the Bible calls repentance.
Repentance is the biblical, correct response to guilt. The moment we committed our life to Christ, our sins--past, present, and future--were forgiven. God's righteousness was satisfied. But now we must maintain fellowship with, dependence on, and obedience to God. This necessitates confessing our sins to our Lord as we become aware of them.
C.S. Lewis said true guilt is an inner alarm system that reveals sin in our lives and shows our loss of fellowship with God. The Holy Spirit uses guilt to prompt us to turn from our sin and back to the Lord.
Once we let go of false guilt and properly deal with our sins, we are free from the burden of guilt. Isaiah 55:6 7 gives us this assurance: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Let go of your burdens and turn to God today!
To Ponder: Is there any unresolved guilt in your life? Over what? What steps, if any, have you taken so far to try to resolve it?
In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus promises His burdens are not heavy. It doesn't make sense, then, to carry a load of guilt. Why not?
To Pursue: If you're struggling with a vague sense of guilt, turn that over to the Lord.
Ask God to pinpoint any specific, unconfessed sin in your life. As He does, repent of that sin, remembering God gladly forgives and forgets.
1. Text on web pages display as Morse Code
2. Graphics arrive via FedEx
3. You believe a heavier string might improve your connection
4. You post a message to your favorite Facebook group and it displays a week later
5. Your credit card expires while ordering from Amazon
6. ESPN website exhibits "Heisman Trophy Winner"...for 1989
7. You're still in the middle of downloading that popular new game, "PacMan"
8. Everyone you talk to on the Skype sounds like Forrest Gump
9. You receive emails with stamps on them
10. When you click the "Send" button, a little door opens on the side of your monitor and a pigeon flies out.
"Peter had built his whole relationship with Jesus Christ on his assumed capacity to be adequate. That's why he took his denial of the Lord so hard. His strength, loyalty, and faithfulness were his self-generated assets of discipleship. The fallacy in Peter's mind was this: he believed his relationship was dependent on his consistency in producing the qualities he thought had earned him the Lord's approval. Many of us face the same problem...we try to live so that he will love us, rather than living because he has already loved us." - Lloyd Ogilvie in his book, "Ask Him Anything"
LETTING GO OF GUILT
by Luis Palau
As Christians we rejoice that our salvation is secure in Christ, and that our sins are forever washed away by His blood. We marvel at God's infinite mercy to forgive us even though we don't deserve it. But often we won't forgive ourselves!
Yes, we know that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). But from sunrise to sunset we needlessly carry the heavy burden of guilt.
For some reason we feel compelled to carry these heavy burdens, even though God never asked us to carry them. Just the opposite! So as God's servants, we need to learn to let go of our guilt.
Sometimes our burden of guilt is nothing more than false condemnation. When I was a youth, my mother absolutely believed the bottom of the theater would open up and drop me straight into the fire of hell if I ever went to see a movie, regardless of its message. I felt bad even walking by a theater. Now that was false guilt!
Paul Tournier, a respected Swiss psychologist, has said, "False guilt comes as a result of judgments and suggestions of men." People sometimes seek to control or manipulate us by inventing rules or regulations the Bible never mentions. As servants of God, not slaves to man-made decrees, we need to carefully and prayerfully identify such false guilt and let go of it.
On other occasions we carry heavy burdens of guilt because we don't deal with it properly. There are at least three inappropriate responses to true guilt.
First, we can repress our guilt. We try to cover it up and deny its existence. We focus on our insignificant faults instead of acknowledging our real guilt. As a result, we lose our peace and often suffer physically as well.
Second, we can regret our "mistake." But merely saying "I'm sorry" fails to acknowledge the seriousness of our sin and our responsibility.
Third, we can feel remorse for our sin. "I'll never do it again," we promise. Judas felt remorse after betraying Christ (Matthew 27:3-4). But he fell one step short of what the Bible calls repentance.
Repentance is the biblical, correct response to guilt. The moment we committed our life to Christ, our sins--past, present, and future--were forgiven. God's righteousness was satisfied. But now we must maintain fellowship with, dependence on, and obedience to God. This necessitates confessing our sins to our Lord as we become aware of them.
C.S. Lewis said true guilt is an inner alarm system that reveals sin in our lives and shows our loss of fellowship with God. The Holy Spirit uses guilt to prompt us to turn from our sin and back to the Lord.
Once we let go of false guilt and properly deal with our sins, we are free from the burden of guilt. Isaiah 55:6 7 gives us this assurance: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Let go of your burdens and turn to God today!
To Ponder: Is there any unresolved guilt in your life? Over what? What steps, if any, have you taken so far to try to resolve it?
In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus promises His burdens are not heavy. It doesn't make sense, then, to carry a load of guilt. Why not?
To Pursue: If you're struggling with a vague sense of guilt, turn that over to the Lord.
Ask God to pinpoint any specific, unconfessed sin in your life. As He does, repent of that sin, remembering God gladly forgives and forgets.
Daily Smile:
TEN WAYS YOU KNOW YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION IS A LITTLE
SLOW1. Text on web pages display as Morse Code
2. Graphics arrive via FedEx
3. You believe a heavier string might improve your connection
4. You post a message to your favorite Facebook group and it displays a week later
5. Your credit card expires while ordering from Amazon
6. ESPN website exhibits "Heisman Trophy Winner"...for 1989
7. You're still in the middle of downloading that popular new game, "PacMan"
8. Everyone you talk to on the Skype sounds like Forrest Gump
9. You receive emails with stamps on them
10. When you click the "Send" button, a little door opens on the side of your monitor and a pigeon flies out.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Happy Wednesday
WHAT IS THE WORTH OF JESUS CHRIST?
“Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot
- went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver
coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over”
(Matthew 26:14-16 NIV).
Judas Iscariot is known for his
nefarious act of betraying Jesus Christ to Jewish leaders for the sum of
thirty silver coins only. That was the worth of Jesus Christ to him. He
later regretted his action, returned the money to the leaders and went
to hang himself.
The worth of Jesus Christ varied to the other
disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. Joseph of Arimathea valued
even the corpse of Jesus Christ that he “wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth, and placed it in
his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock” (Matthew 27:59-60
NIV). He gave to Jesus was special to him because he valued Him greatly.
Mary Magdalene and the other women that had been serving Him before His
death were still loyal to Him even after His death. They brought spices
and perfume to anoint His body. Paul’s statement about the worth of
Jesus Christ is classic: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is
gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV). Jesus Christ worth the whole life to Paul.
No wonder, he later said, “I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I
have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
(Philippians 3:8 NIV). Simon Peter had earlier said similar thing: “We
have left everything to follow you!” (Mark 10:28 NIV).
Jesus
Christ does not worth a dime to many people. Like Judas, such people do
not care about what happen
to Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel. Such people may even be
so-called Christians. Inasmuch as their interest is not affected, they
can sell Jesus Christ for any amount. On the other hand, Jesus Christ is
all the world to some people. Like Paul and other faithful followers of
Jesus Christ in the Bible, such people are ready to give everything to
Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel.
What is the worth of
Jesus Christ to you? Does He worth anything to you? What can you give
up or give away because of Jesus Christ? Like Will L. Thompson
(1847-1909), I have the courage to say, “Jesus is all the world to me,
and true to Him I’ll be; O how could I this Friend deny, when He’s so
true to me? Following Him I know I’m right, He watches o’er me day and
night; Following Him by day and night, He’s my Friend.”
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
Daily Smile:
Mr. Norton was in the hospital recovering from an operation
when the nurse on duty received a call from a man who asked how Mr. Norton was
doing.
"Oh, quite well. We expect he'll be released in the morning."
"Very good, thank you."
"May I ask who is calling so that I can tell Mr. Norton?" inquired the nurse.
"This Is Mr. Norton. The doctors don't tell me anything!"
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Happy Tuesday
Lent '12
Richard Wurmbrand, founder of The Voice of the Martyrs ministry told of seeing Christians in communist prisons with 50 pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of salt had been forced, being kept afterward without water, starving, whipped, suffering from cold, yet praying fervently for their communist torturers.
Later, as political winds changed, some of the torturers were thrown into prison with their former Christian victims, who, instead of taking vengeance treated them with love and kindness.
Do you wonder what could possibly have motivated those Christian prisoners to love and pray for their enemies?
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45.
Those are the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Do you think He was telling His hearers that the Old Testament says you are to love your neighbour but hate your enemy?
Look at the verses again.
You'll see that Jesus isn't saying the Old Testament instructed people to 'hate their enemies.' His words were, 'It is said.'
Jesus was referring to a false proverb that had been going around.
And He was setting the record straight, bringing back the truth that God has always loved His enemies and expects godly people to do likewise.
What is this 'love' that Jesus spoke of? It is not a 'warm, fuzzy feeling' for your enemy.
The word Jesus used for love means that you have a heartfelt desire for the good of the person being loved.
Yes, even your enemies!
Prayer for your enemies, abusers or persecutors cannot be worked up simply by knowing it is what you are supposed to do.
Maybe you wonder- Are there really any people in the Bible who loved their enemies like this? Jesus, in Luke 23:34. Stephen, in Acts 7:54-60. Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:16;Romans 12:20. Peter, in 1 Peter 3:9.
Is anyone bullying you?
Have you suffered from someone's unkind words or actions?
Are you feeling bitterness against another person?
Is there anyone you feel you cannot forgive?
Do you hate someone?
Do some quiet thinking and praying about what Jesus says in Matthew 5:43-45.
Ask God to give you the right attitude to pray for the one who has hurt you.
Now, pray for that person, believing what the Bible says in Philippians 4:4-7.
Richard Wurmbrand, founder of The Voice of the Martyrs ministry told of seeing Christians in communist prisons with 50 pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of salt had been forced, being kept afterward without water, starving, whipped, suffering from cold, yet praying fervently for their communist torturers.
Later, as political winds changed, some of the torturers were thrown into prison with their former Christian victims, who, instead of taking vengeance treated them with love and kindness.
Do you wonder what could possibly have motivated those Christian prisoners to love and pray for their enemies?
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45.
Those are the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Do you think He was telling His hearers that the Old Testament says you are to love your neighbour but hate your enemy?
Look at the verses again.
You'll see that Jesus isn't saying the Old Testament instructed people to 'hate their enemies.' His words were, 'It is said.'
Jesus was referring to a false proverb that had been going around.
And He was setting the record straight, bringing back the truth that God has always loved His enemies and expects godly people to do likewise.
What is this 'love' that Jesus spoke of? It is not a 'warm, fuzzy feeling' for your enemy.
The word Jesus used for love means that you have a heartfelt desire for the good of the person being loved.
Yes, even your enemies!
Prayer for your enemies, abusers or persecutors cannot be worked up simply by knowing it is what you are supposed to do.
Maybe you wonder- Are there really any people in the Bible who loved their enemies like this? Jesus, in Luke 23:34. Stephen, in Acts 7:54-60. Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:16;Romans 12:20. Peter, in 1 Peter 3:9.
Is anyone bullying you?
Have you suffered from someone's unkind words or actions?
Are you feeling bitterness against another person?
Is there anyone you feel you cannot forgive?
Do you hate someone?
Do some quiet thinking and praying about what Jesus says in Matthew 5:43-45.
Ask God to give you the right attitude to pray for the one who has hurt you.
Now, pray for that person, believing what the Bible says in Philippians 4:4-7.
Daily Smile:
Don't steal, the Government hates competition!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Happy Monday
Watchman
Once I read of a terrible accident in which several youth were killed when their car was struck by a train. At the trial the watchman was questioned: “Were you at the crossing the night of the accident?” “Yes, your Honor.” “Were you waving your lantern to warn of the danger.” “Yes, your Honor,” the man told the judge. But after the trial had ended, the watchman walked away mumbling to himself, “I’m glad they didn’t ask me about the light in the lantern, because the light had gone out.”
God sees it, when our light has gone out. —Selected
This watchman was found not guilty but he is responsible for the death of the youth that were in the car that were killed by the train. Read what God said to Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 3:16-21 (GNB)
16 After the seven days had passed, the LORD spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a watchman for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that an evil person is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn’t stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared. 20 “If a truly good person starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn’t sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
Christian, you are called by Jesus Christ to be a watchman. Too many Christians believe that if they just live a good life then others will see Jesus Christ in their daily living. That is like the watchman waving his lantern without a light in it. Jesus calls each of us to be His witnesses to this dying world. WE are to warn everyone He tells us to warn about what their future might be. This may not be easy. The Greek word for “witness” is “martus” from which we get the English word “martyr”. Martyrs are the Christian men and women who have given their lives as witnesses to others for Jesus Christ.
Jesus expects each of us to go make disciples even if it isn’t easy for us to do it . He promised He will be with us when we step out in His name. The Holy Spirit will empower us and give us the words to say.
The blood of the youth was on the hands of the railroad watchman. Don’t let other peoples’ blood be on your hands. Stand up and be the watchman Jesus calls you to be.
The woman below replied, "You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of you, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far."
The woman below responded, "You must be in management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault!"
by Dean Masters
Once I read of a terrible accident in which several youth were killed when their car was struck by a train. At the trial the watchman was questioned: “Were you at the crossing the night of the accident?” “Yes, your Honor.” “Were you waving your lantern to warn of the danger.” “Yes, your Honor,” the man told the judge. But after the trial had ended, the watchman walked away mumbling to himself, “I’m glad they didn’t ask me about the light in the lantern, because the light had gone out.”
God sees it, when our light has gone out. —Selected
This watchman was found not guilty but he is responsible for the death of the youth that were in the car that were killed by the train. Read what God said to Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 3:16-21 (GNB)
16 After the seven days had passed, the LORD spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a watchman for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that an evil person is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn’t stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared. 20 “If a truly good person starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn’t sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
Christian, you are called by Jesus Christ to be a watchman. Too many Christians believe that if they just live a good life then others will see Jesus Christ in their daily living. That is like the watchman waving his lantern without a light in it. Jesus calls each of us to be His witnesses to this dying world. WE are to warn everyone He tells us to warn about what their future might be. This may not be easy. The Greek word for “witness” is “martus” from which we get the English word “martyr”. Martyrs are the Christian men and women who have given their lives as witnesses to others for Jesus Christ.
Jesus expects each of us to go make disciples even if it isn’t easy for us to do it . He promised He will be with us when we step out in His name. The Holy Spirit will empower us and give us the words to say.
The blood of the youth was on the hands of the railroad watchman. Don’t let other peoples’ blood be on your hands. Stand up and be the watchman Jesus calls you to be.
Daily Smile:
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted,” Excuse me, can you help? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."The woman below replied, "You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of you, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far."
The woman below responded, "You must be in management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault!"
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Richard
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Happy Sunday
and no April Foolin' -
JESUS Is Alive
JESUS Will Return
ARE YOU READY?????
Your Thought for Today
"It is not because things are good that we are to thank the Lord, but because He is good. We are not wise enough to judge as to things, whether they are really joys or sorrows. But we always know the Lord is good, and everything He provides or permits must be good." - Hannah Whitall Smith
The Response of Praise
by Elisabeth Elliot
We cannot always or even often control events, but we can control how we respond to them. When things happen which dismay or appall, we ought to look to God for His meaning, remembering that He is not taken by surprise, nor can His purposes be thwarted in the end.
What God looks for is those who will worship Him in the midst of every circumstance. Our look of inquiring trust glorifies Him. This is our first responsibility: to glorify God. In the face of life's worst reversals and tragedies, the response of a faithful Christian is praise - not for the wrong itself, certainly, but for who God is and for the ultimate assurance that there is a pattern being worked out for those who love Him.
"Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing for us what we need to survive. We are never alone.
Your Daily Smile:
The guy with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us."
The one with the Doberman said, "Just follow my lead." They walked over to the restaurant and the guy with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant.
The waiter at the door said, "Sorry, Mac, no pets allowed."
The man with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my Seeing-Eye dog."
The waiter said, "A Doberman pinscher?"
The man said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good."
The waiter said, "OK then, come on in."
The buddy with the Chihuahua figured he'd try it too so he put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant. He knew his story would be a bit more unbelievable. Once again the waiter said, "Sorry, pal, no pets allowed."
The man with the Chihuahua said, "You don't understand. This is my Seeing-Eye dog."
The waiter said, "A Chihuahua?"
The man with the Chihuahua said, "A Chihuahua?!? A Chihuahua?!? They gave me a Chihuahua??
Would you like to read more of The StarLight News???
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Richard
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Happy Saturday
There Are Two Plans for Your Life
By Dr. Larry Ollison
There are two plans for your life. God has a plan, which is abundant life, and Satan has a plan, which includes defeat. These two plans are diametrically opposed to each other. Notice the contrast in John 10:10 where Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
We must recognize this: God's plan is prosperity, health, abundance, peace, love, and life. Satan's plan is poverty, sickness, lack, stress, hatred, and death. And as strange as it may seem, the choice is ours. Both plans are set before us and we must choose. Do we want life or do we want death. It seems like a "no brainer" of a choice, but many are choosing death. How can this be?
Well, it's this way. Even though they are choosing death, they think they are choosing life. They are deceived.
Satan is a liar. Jesus said in John 8:44 when He was talking to the Pharisees, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him." Then Jesus goes on to say, "But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me."
Satan is the master of deception. He can take darkness and make it look like light. Second Corinthians 11:14-15 says, "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
Do not allow yourself to be deceived. Satan wants to destroy you. If you are not a Christian, he wants to keep you from accepting Jesus and becoming one. If you are a Christian, He wants to derail you, to distract you, to destroy your life and your witness any way he can. He is relentless and he does not give up.
But today I have good news. We do not have to accept Satan's plan for our lives. We have a choice, but more than that, we have been given authority over the devil. Jesus has paid the price and defeated Satan. He took back the authority that man gave up in the Garden of Eden. Jesus then gave that authority to everyone who would accept Him as Lord and Savior. Every Christian has been given authority over the forces of evil and can live a life of victory.
But there is one catch. You must not only know you have the authority, but you must take authority.
In Luke 10:19, Jesus said, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
A person can be given authority but unless that authority is exercised, it is useless. Again, Satan is a liar and he does his best to convince Christians that they do not have authority over him. He uses fear and intimidation to cause Christians to step back and do nothing. But this should not be. Jesus defeated Satan and made a public display of him. As a Christian you are a part of the body of Christ. You have nothing to fear. Victory is yours if you believe the truth and discard the lie.
Remember, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Daily Smile:
My boss phoned me today.He said, "Is everything okay at the office?"
I said, "Yes, it's all under control. It's been a very busy day, I haven't stopped for a minute."
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked.
I said, "Of course, anything, what is it?"
He said, "Hurry up and take your shot, I'm right behind you on the 7th hole."
Would you like to read more of The StarLight News???
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Richard
Friday, March 30, 2012
Happy Friday
Today's Discussion - Comfort
Ask ye of the Lord…for the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain – Zechariah 10:1-2
There are a thousand different places and people and pleasures that promise comfort and healing and satisfaction…but their comfort is vain, their promises are empty. Cosmetics are not the fountain of youth they claim to be, cars do not satisfy the cavernous need for pleasure that people have, and college will not fill the need for knowledge that every one of us feels. They comfort in vain.
Many religious leaders or philosophical seers or academic icons pretend to understand the needs of mankind and claim to have found the answers to life's big questions. But they have seen a lie. They are just as blind in their own musings and speculations as those whom they persuade to follow them.
The only true promise, the only full comfort that is to be found in all the universe is found at the feet of Jesus. He is the Way, He is the Truth, in Him is the Life. Everything else and everyone else that makes a pretense of substituting the creator God is telling you a lie, is offering empty promises, is plying a false comfort.
Are you looking today for a soul-filling, need-meeting, pleasure-supplying comfort? The greatest pleasure the world will ever know is the satisfaction of submitting to God, confessing our desperate condition apart from Him, and begging Him to fill us with Himself.
Ask ye of the Lord.You will not be disappointed. His comfort is not in vain.
Daily Smile:
A young woman brought her fiance to visit her parents. After a nice dinner, the father invited the fiance to the library for a talk.
"So what are your plans?" he asked the young man.
"I am a seminary students," he replied.
"A seminary student. Hmmm," said the father. "Admirable, but how will you provide a home for my daughter?"
"I will study," the young man said, "and God will provide for us."
"And how will you buy her an engagement ring, such as she deserves?"
"I will focus on my studies and God will provide for us."
"And how will you support your children?"
"Don't worry, sir. God will provide."
The conversation continued like this; each time the father questioned, the young man insisted that God would provide.
Later, when the mother asked about the male conversation, the father sighed, "Well, he has no job and no plan, but the good news is: he thinks I'm God!"
Would you like to read more of The StarLight News???
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Richard
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Happy Thursday
Living Water and Crack-free Cisterns!
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah 2:13, NIV
There were many different things that God’s people did when they turned their back on the living God – the list of sins that would be needed to describe all their ungodly activities would have been very long! But when, through the prophet Jeremiah, God began to speak words of rebuke, he reduced all their sinful behaviour into just two categories.
Firstly, they had deserted the only source of living water and secondly, they had tried to generate their own ‘water supply’ as a substitute for the living water that flows from the heart of God.
In Israel, underground cisterns were vital for the storage of water for use during the dry season. Without a good cistern people would die through lack of water. A cracked cistern was useless, water would flow into it alright. But the water would all leak away through the cracks so that when the water was most needed, there would be no water there.
God uses this picture to speak to His people about what they had been doing. He uses the need for physical water as a parable of the need for the living spiritual water, which sustains God’s people through all the ups and downs of life. The first sin of God’s people was to decide that they wanted an alternative source of supply, so instead of constantly coming back to the only source of living water, they did what mankind has tried to do throughout history – they built their own cistern, which embraced everything from idolatry to sexual immorality. They finished up believing that good was bad and bad was good and going in the opposite direction to the ways of God.
God had provided for them everything that was needful for living in covenant relationship with the God who had created the world and everything in it. But pride in the heart of man will always want to build an alternative way, and say it’s better than what God provided in the first place. Ultimately this is the foundation for every alternative belief system, false religion or moral order that has ever risen up in the heart of man and practised on the face of the earth.
It’s easy to look at the people of Jeremiah’s day and ask, “How could they?” But all we need to do is look at our own generation and see that 21st century man is no different. Part of the reason why I believe God put the vision for Ellel 365 into my heart was to ensure that within Ellel Ministries there’s a constant flow of living water from God’s Word and that people are able to know how to build a cistern in their own lives that is sound and without cracks.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to only ever want the living water which flows from your heart to the heart of man. And give me the determination to rebuild sound and crack-free cisterns in my own life, so that the Water of Life will always be available to me throughout my days – even in seasons of drought. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Writer : Peter Horrobin
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah 2:13, NIV
There were many different things that God’s people did when they turned their back on the living God – the list of sins that would be needed to describe all their ungodly activities would have been very long! But when, through the prophet Jeremiah, God began to speak words of rebuke, he reduced all their sinful behaviour into just two categories.
Firstly, they had deserted the only source of living water and secondly, they had tried to generate their own ‘water supply’ as a substitute for the living water that flows from the heart of God.
In Israel, underground cisterns were vital for the storage of water for use during the dry season. Without a good cistern people would die through lack of water. A cracked cistern was useless, water would flow into it alright. But the water would all leak away through the cracks so that when the water was most needed, there would be no water there.
God uses this picture to speak to His people about what they had been doing. He uses the need for physical water as a parable of the need for the living spiritual water, which sustains God’s people through all the ups and downs of life. The first sin of God’s people was to decide that they wanted an alternative source of supply, so instead of constantly coming back to the only source of living water, they did what mankind has tried to do throughout history – they built their own cistern, which embraced everything from idolatry to sexual immorality. They finished up believing that good was bad and bad was good and going in the opposite direction to the ways of God.
God had provided for them everything that was needful for living in covenant relationship with the God who had created the world and everything in it. But pride in the heart of man will always want to build an alternative way, and say it’s better than what God provided in the first place. Ultimately this is the foundation for every alternative belief system, false religion or moral order that has ever risen up in the heart of man and practised on the face of the earth.
It’s easy to look at the people of Jeremiah’s day and ask, “How could they?” But all we need to do is look at our own generation and see that 21st century man is no different. Part of the reason why I believe God put the vision for Ellel 365 into my heart was to ensure that within Ellel Ministries there’s a constant flow of living water from God’s Word and that people are able to know how to build a cistern in their own lives that is sound and without cracks.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to only ever want the living water which flows from your heart to the heart of man. And give me the determination to rebuild sound and crack-free cisterns in my own life, so that the Water of Life will always be available to me throughout my days – even in seasons of drought. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Writer : Peter Horrobin
Daily Smile:
A lady who was speeding had an officer pulled her to the side of the road.
She didn't have her seat belt on so as soon as she stopped, she quickly slipped it on before the officer got to her window.
After talking to her about speeding, the officer said, "I see you are wearing your seat belt. Do you believe in wearing it at all times?"
"Yes, I do, officer," she replied.
"Well," asked the officer, "do you always do it up with it looped through your steering wheel?"
Would you like to read more of The StarLight News???
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Richard
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Happy Wednesday
Living a Life of Conviction
"For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a
Everyone lives a life of conviction. Whatever we give our greatest time, our greatest energies, and our greatest resources to is a good indication of where our convictions lie. Some live a life of conviction about sports. Some live a life of conviction around pleasure. Still others live a life of conviction about very little that matters at all.
Whenever God chooses to do a deep work in a life, a strong conviction is born of the Holy Spirit. Conversions in the early Church resulted in changed lives that held to a deep, life-transforming conviction regarding what they believed and how they lived out that belief. Paul explains that the gospel they received came not just in words, but also in power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.
Daily Smile:
A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. "What are those machetes doing in your car?" asks the cop.
"I juggle them in my act."
"Oh, yeah? Says the doubtful cop. "Let's see you do it.” The juggler gets out and starts tossing and catching the knives. Another man driving by slows down to watch.
"Wow" says the passer-by. "I'm glad I quit drinking. Look at the test they're giving now!
Would you like to read more of The StarLight News???
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Richard
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Happy Tuesday
Sorry I missed Monday... I was delivering April's paper from early morning until late afternoon... This morning I will finish the delivery and hopefully get a little rest before going to get the grandchildren from school...
Happy Reading...
Richard
The Challenges of God’s Call
"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."
Judges 6:12, NIV
At a time when Israel was living in disobedience to the Lord, and behaved in the evil ways of the nations surrounding them, they were oppressed by marauding bands of Midianites.
Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. In response to their cry, He sent a prophet who reminded them that the reason for this oppression was because they have been disobedient and not listened to the Lord.
Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon as he was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites. The angel said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’ (Judges 6:12).
At this, Gideon asks, ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? Now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hands of Midian.’
Then the Lord says, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’
I wonder if there are times when we become a bit like Gideon, when we find the going tough, making feeble attempts to survive and our faith falters to the point of doubt. In such circumstances what is God trying to say to us?
Could it be that God wants us to look back to those experiences of the past, where He brought us out of a severe bondage and oppression, and how He helped and delivered us? This could be the point where He says, ‘Go in the strength you have - My strength. I will be with you, and you will overcome this problem.’
When we know we have drifted from the Lord, and we’re aware of our own weakness and inability, and yet we recognise the power of The Lord’s presence, we’re on the road to victory, whatever the enemy might throw against us. God being with one individual results in a powerful majority.
Like Gideon, there may be things we need to put right before we go into battle. We may need to put aside some things we consider essential for success. But when the Lord has promised ‘I will be with you, and you will be successful’, we can rest assured that this will be the outcome. Again, it is all a matter of dealing with any sin, and responding to God’s call with an obedient heart.
Prayer: O Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I’m disobedient to You and help me to recognise that You’re still with me and ready to help. Forgive me for those times I doubt and question where You are in a situation. Please enable me to recognise that however helpless and hopeless I might feel, You’re always with me to help me be an overcomer, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today's Writer : David Silvester
The old farmer said, "OK, but don't go in that field." The Highways employee said, "I have the authority of the State Government to go where I want. See this card? I am allowed to go wherever I wish on farm land."
So the old farmer went about his farm chores.
Later, he heard loud screams and saw the State Highways employee running for the fence and close behind was the farmer's prize bull. The bull was madder than a nest full of hornets and the bull was gaining on the employee at every step!!
The old farmer called out, "Show him your card!!"
Happy Reading...
Richard
The Challenges of God’s Call
"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."
Judges 6:12, NIV
At a time when Israel was living in disobedience to the Lord, and behaved in the evil ways of the nations surrounding them, they were oppressed by marauding bands of Midianites.
Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. In response to their cry, He sent a prophet who reminded them that the reason for this oppression was because they have been disobedient and not listened to the Lord.
Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon as he was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites. The angel said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’ (Judges 6:12).
At this, Gideon asks, ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? Now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hands of Midian.’
Then the Lord says, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’
I wonder if there are times when we become a bit like Gideon, when we find the going tough, making feeble attempts to survive and our faith falters to the point of doubt. In such circumstances what is God trying to say to us?
Could it be that God wants us to look back to those experiences of the past, where He brought us out of a severe bondage and oppression, and how He helped and delivered us? This could be the point where He says, ‘Go in the strength you have - My strength. I will be with you, and you will overcome this problem.’
When we know we have drifted from the Lord, and we’re aware of our own weakness and inability, and yet we recognise the power of The Lord’s presence, we’re on the road to victory, whatever the enemy might throw against us. God being with one individual results in a powerful majority.
Like Gideon, there may be things we need to put right before we go into battle. We may need to put aside some things we consider essential for success. But when the Lord has promised ‘I will be with you, and you will be successful’, we can rest assured that this will be the outcome. Again, it is all a matter of dealing with any sin, and responding to God’s call with an obedient heart.
Prayer: O Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I’m disobedient to You and help me to recognise that You’re still with me and ready to help. Forgive me for those times I doubt and question where You are in a situation. Please enable me to recognise that however helpless and hopeless I might feel, You’re always with me to help me be an overcomer, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today's Writer : David Silvester
Daily Smile:
A cocky State Highways employee stopped at a farm and talked with an old farmer. He told the farmer, "I need to inspect your farm for a possible new road."The old farmer said, "OK, but don't go in that field." The Highways employee said, "I have the authority of the State Government to go where I want. See this card? I am allowed to go wherever I wish on farm land."
So the old farmer went about his farm chores.
Later, he heard loud screams and saw the State Highways employee running for the fence and close behind was the farmer's prize bull. The bull was madder than a nest full of hornets and the bull was gaining on the employee at every step!!
The old farmer called out, "Show him your card!!"
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Happy Sunday
Sudden Storms
"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:2, NIV
Here in Scotland we’re famous for many things. One is the amazingly dramatic weather changes we can experience in a short space of time. There have been many times when I’ve set off from home in t-shirt and sunglasses for a quick shopping trip, only to have the heavens open and rain thunder down on me, soaking me right through. But if I take my water-proof jacket with me, when the weather turns, I’m ready and prepared. Walking in the rain still isn’t necessarily pleasant, but it isn’t so terrible either.
And that’s how life is. Life can throw things at us so suddenly that it shakes us up. It may be a traumatic event, a harsh word, a shocking discovery, an accident or any number of things that you just can’t see coming. It shakes your security. It changes the direction of your life in a day, (or even a single moment).
Just as I need to have my protective coat with me at all times (even when I think I don’t need to), we need to be in the protection of God at all times. We need to know that whatever turmoil may come our way, He is there to give us protection, security and peace. As the rain washes over my protective jacket, so can the turmoil that rages around us, when we’re steady on our Rock.
This doesn’t make us immune to bad things happening to us; just as wearing a coat doesn’t make the rain stop falling. It may not be an enjoyable experience, but we can work through the turmoil knowing that God will keep us safe to the end.
So let’s set our foot on the Rock of our Salvation and enjoy the security and protection of knowing, whatever happens, He will always protect us - as long as we allow Him to.
Prayer: Father God, You’re the rock of my salvation and my protection in times of trial and trouble. I ask You to help me live my life under Your protection, (even when I think I am safe). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Writer : Lindsey Hanekom
Home Land Security believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. The man was being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction. "Al-gebra is a very fearsome movement, indeed", the Home Land Security reported. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangents in a search of absolute value.
"They consist of shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. "As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle."
The Office of Homeland Security commented, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes."
"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:2, NIV
Here in Scotland we’re famous for many things. One is the amazingly dramatic weather changes we can experience in a short space of time. There have been many times when I’ve set off from home in t-shirt and sunglasses for a quick shopping trip, only to have the heavens open and rain thunder down on me, soaking me right through. But if I take my water-proof jacket with me, when the weather turns, I’m ready and prepared. Walking in the rain still isn’t necessarily pleasant, but it isn’t so terrible either.
And that’s how life is. Life can throw things at us so suddenly that it shakes us up. It may be a traumatic event, a harsh word, a shocking discovery, an accident or any number of things that you just can’t see coming. It shakes your security. It changes the direction of your life in a day, (or even a single moment).
Just as I need to have my protective coat with me at all times (even when I think I don’t need to), we need to be in the protection of God at all times. We need to know that whatever turmoil may come our way, He is there to give us protection, security and peace. As the rain washes over my protective jacket, so can the turmoil that rages around us, when we’re steady on our Rock.
This doesn’t make us immune to bad things happening to us; just as wearing a coat doesn’t make the rain stop falling. It may not be an enjoyable experience, but we can work through the turmoil knowing that God will keep us safe to the end.
So let’s set our foot on the Rock of our Salvation and enjoy the security and protection of knowing, whatever happens, He will always protect us - as long as we allow Him to.
Prayer: Father God, You’re the rock of my salvation and my protection in times of trial and trouble. I ask You to help me live my life under Your protection, (even when I think I am safe). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Writer : Lindsey Hanekom
Daily Smile:
At New York's Kennedy airport today an individual was arrested, and later determined to be a public school teacher, trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a slide rule, and a calculator.Home Land Security believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. The man was being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction. "Al-gebra is a very fearsome movement, indeed", the Home Land Security reported. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangents in a search of absolute value.
"They consist of shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. "As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle."
The Office of Homeland Security commented, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes."
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Happy Saturday
The Ultimate Sacrifice
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, HCSB
On a trip to South Asia I visited an area where the gospel was spreading rapidly. People would come to the missionary and say, “We heard you are telling about a religion that provides the forgiveness of sins.” When the missionary told them of God’s love and His Son’s sacrifice for their sins, they readily responded.
I asked, “Before you heard of Jesus Christ dying for you, what would you do about your sins?” They explained they knew their wrong actions had something to do with what happened to them when they died. They recalled how they would make sacrifices to the spirits, but went on to say, “We never had assurance our sins were forgiven until we heard of a God who loved us and sacrificed His Son for our sins.”
People all over the world make sacrifices to gods they don’t know. They diligently carry out religious devotion in hopes of getting to heaven. But the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God is the only means by which we can be saved.
The wonderful thing is His payment for sin is for everyone everywhere who Father, thank You that “whosoever” includes me.
"Of course I do," he indignantly answered, going out the door on his way the office.
At 10 AM, the doorbell rang, and when the woman opens the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1 PM, a foil-wrapped, two pound box of her favorite chocolates arrive. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman shouldn’t wait for her husband to come home. "First the flowers, then the candy, and then the dress!" she exclaimed. "I've never spent a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my whole life!'
Unfortunately, life does not follow movies, either you are saved or not... Please be sure...
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, HCSB
On a trip to South Asia I visited an area where the gospel was spreading rapidly. People would come to the missionary and say, “We heard you are telling about a religion that provides the forgiveness of sins.” When the missionary told them of God’s love and His Son’s sacrifice for their sins, they readily responded.
I asked, “Before you heard of Jesus Christ dying for you, what would you do about your sins?” They explained they knew their wrong actions had something to do with what happened to them when they died. They recalled how they would make sacrifices to the spirits, but went on to say, “We never had assurance our sins were forgiven until we heard of a God who loved us and sacrificed His Son for our sins.”
People all over the world make sacrifices to gods they don’t know. They diligently carry out religious devotion in hopes of getting to heaven. But the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God is the only means by which we can be saved.
The wonderful thing is His payment for sin is for everyone everywhere who Father, thank You that “whosoever” includes me.
Daily Smile:
Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, "I bet you don't know what day this is.""Of course I do," he indignantly answered, going out the door on his way the office.
At 10 AM, the doorbell rang, and when the woman opens the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1 PM, a foil-wrapped, two pound box of her favorite chocolates arrive. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman shouldn’t wait for her husband to come home. "First the flowers, then the candy, and then the dress!" she exclaimed. "I've never spent a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my whole life!'
Editor's Note:
Which, by the way, is one of my favorite movies to watch... Imagine getting to live a day over and over again until you got it right... Unfortunately, life does not follow movies, either you are saved or not... Please be sure...
Friday, March 23, 2012
HAPPY FRIDAY - YEA!!!!!
Alone, No One Cares
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. --1 Thessalonians 2:6-8
From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time, he was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, and chained to a wall, kept in absolute silence.
Reed was beaten, made ill, and tormented, but he felt the most hopeless because it seemed that no one cared. He said in an interview with Time magazine, "Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]....I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone."
Christians are never truly alone because we are fortunate to have God's gracious watch care over our lives, as well as that of the Church. This type of caring can provide the strength needed for a believer to endure anything.
Do you know someone who feels as though no one cares for them? Can you think of a few people right now who are living in loneliness? We have been called as believers to minister to those who are lonely. And in turn, we never have to be lonely because there are other believers who will care for us.
Remember the promise of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to open the doors of opportunity for you to pour out love, care, and concern for someone who needs it, just as Jesus did.
His father sends a small boy to bed. Five minutes later....
"Da-ad...."
"What?" "I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?" "No. You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
Happy Reading...
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. --1 Thessalonians 2:6-8
From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time, he was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, and chained to a wall, kept in absolute silence.
Reed was beaten, made ill, and tormented, but he felt the most hopeless because it seemed that no one cared. He said in an interview with Time magazine, "Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]....I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone."
Christians are never truly alone because we are fortunate to have God's gracious watch care over our lives, as well as that of the Church. This type of caring can provide the strength needed for a believer to endure anything.
Do you know someone who feels as though no one cares for them? Can you think of a few people right now who are living in loneliness? We have been called as believers to minister to those who are lonely. And in turn, we never have to be lonely because there are other believers who will care for us.
Remember the promise of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to open the doors of opportunity for you to pour out love, care, and concern for someone who needs it, just as Jesus did.
Daily Smile:
His father sends a small boy to bed. Five minutes later....
"Da-ad...."
"What?" "I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?" "No. You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
Editor's Note:
Today is a happier day than usual for me... Leaving in a little while to get the April '12 StarLight News and start delivering them... For those outside the regular delivery area, you can still read it online at http://the-starlight-news.blogspot.com/... Happy Reading...
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Happy Thursday
The Training Ground of God
"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." - Psalm 144:1
David was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul's army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?
The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle. It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles. Practice doesn't make you battle ready. War games won't prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The stark reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.
Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is mere folly. Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ in the workplace. Consider it to be suicidal faith - faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God's purposes for my life. It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God. These are the real training grounds of God. Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today. It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.
If you can trust Him in these times, you'll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." Daily Smile:
That’s Politics
During a terrible storm, all the highway signs were covered with snow. The following spring, the state decided to raise all the signs twelve inches at a cost of six million dollars. “That’s an outrageous price!” said a local farmer, “but I guess we’re lucky the state handled it instead of the federal government.” “Why’s that?”
“Because knowing the federal government, they’d decided to lower the highways.”
To Read More of The StarLight News, Just Click The Link Below
Happy Reading
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Happy Wednesday
The Challenges of God’s Call
"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." Judges 6:12, NIV
At a time when Israel was living in disobedience to the Lord, and behaved in the evil ways of the nations surrounding them, they were oppressed by marauding bands of Midianites.
Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. In response to their cry, He sent a prophet who reminded them that the reason for this oppression was because they have been disobedient and not listened to the Lord.
Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon as he was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites. The angel said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’ (Judges 6:12).
At this, Gideon asks, ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? Now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hands of Midian.’
Then the Lord says, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’
I wonder if there are times when we become a bit like Gideon, when we find the going tough, making feeble attempts to survive and our faith falters to the point of doubt. In such circumstances what is God trying to say to us?
Could it be that God wants us to look back to those experiences of the past, where He brought us out of a severe bondage and oppression, and how He helped and delivered us? This could be the point where He says, ‘Go in the strength you have - My strength. I will be with you, and you will overcome this problem.’
When we know we have drifted from the Lord, and we’re aware of our own weakness and inability, and yet we recognize the power of The Lord’s presence, we’re on the road to victory, whatever the enemy might throw against us. God being with one individual results in a powerful majority.
Like Gideon, there may be things we need to put right before we go into battle. We may need to put aside some things we consider essential for success. But when the Lord has promised ‘I will be with you, and you will be successful’, we can rest assured that this will be the outcome. Again, it is all a matter of dealing with any sin, and responding to God’s call with an obedient heart.
Prayer: O Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I’m disobedient to You and help me to recognize that You’re still with me and ready to help. Forgive me for those times I doubt and question where You are in a situation. Please enable me to recognize that however helpless and hopeless I might feel, You’re always with me to help me be an over comer, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today's Writer : David Silvester
"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." Judges 6:12, NIV
At a time when Israel was living in disobedience to the Lord, and behaved in the evil ways of the nations surrounding them, they were oppressed by marauding bands of Midianites.
Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. In response to their cry, He sent a prophet who reminded them that the reason for this oppression was because they have been disobedient and not listened to the Lord.
Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon as he was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites. The angel said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’ (Judges 6:12).
At this, Gideon asks, ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? Now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hands of Midian.’
Then the Lord says, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’
I wonder if there are times when we become a bit like Gideon, when we find the going tough, making feeble attempts to survive and our faith falters to the point of doubt. In such circumstances what is God trying to say to us?
Could it be that God wants us to look back to those experiences of the past, where He brought us out of a severe bondage and oppression, and how He helped and delivered us? This could be the point where He says, ‘Go in the strength you have - My strength. I will be with you, and you will overcome this problem.’
When we know we have drifted from the Lord, and we’re aware of our own weakness and inability, and yet we recognize the power of The Lord’s presence, we’re on the road to victory, whatever the enemy might throw against us. God being with one individual results in a powerful majority.
Like Gideon, there may be things we need to put right before we go into battle. We may need to put aside some things we consider essential for success. But when the Lord has promised ‘I will be with you, and you will be successful’, we can rest assured that this will be the outcome. Again, it is all a matter of dealing with any sin, and responding to God’s call with an obedient heart.
Prayer: O Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I’m disobedient to You and help me to recognize that You’re still with me and ready to help. Forgive me for those times I doubt and question where You are in a situation. Please enable me to recognize that however helpless and hopeless I might feel, You’re always with me to help me be an over comer, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today's Writer : David Silvester
Daily Smile:
A lady who was speeding had an officer pulled her to the side of the road.
She didn't have her seat belt on so as soon as she stopped, she quickly slipped it on before the officer got to her window.
After talking to her about speeding, the officer said, "I see you are wearing your seat belt. Do you believe in wearing it at all times?"
"Yes, I do, officer," she replied.
"Well," asked the officer, "do you always do it up with it looped through your steering wheel?"
To Read More of The StarLight News, Just Click The Link Below
Happy Reading
More Happy Reading:
April '12 Paper to be posted by Friday, March 23...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Happy Tuesday
DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE
"`Come,' [Jesus] said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus" (Matthew 14:29 NIV).
Miracles are extraordinary events manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. They are what we consider impossible. Most of the miracles are God's clever responses to impossible situations. It is a fact that God will not come down from heaven to do any miracle. He uses people. At times, the people that He uses are the very ones that the miracles will happen in their lives. This was what happened in the narrative that was found in Matthew 14:25-33. Two people (Jesus and Peter) did something that is impossible: walking on water. One may not be surprised that Jesus walked on water. After all, He is the Lord over everything. However, for Peter, an ordinary man, to do the impossible by walking on water he had to do some things that are worthy of note.
The first thing that Peter did was that he recognized the Lordship of Jesus (verses 25-28a). Earlier, when the other disciples with Peter saw Jesus Christ walking on turbulent water at night, they thought that Jesus was a "ghost." Jesus had to reassure them that it was He. Peter later addressed Jesus as "Lord." Many people also do not recognize Jesus as the Lord because of the circumstances around them.
The second thing that Peter did was that he took initiative (verse 28b). He saw Jesus doing the impossible, and he took the initiative of asking Jesus to ask him also to do the same thing. Our heavenly Father knows what we need, but He wants us to take the initiative of asking Him for them (see Matthew 6:8). No wonder, Jesus asked Peter to come to Him after Peter had taken the initiative.
The third thing that Peter did was that he was ready to leave his comfort zone (that is, the comfort of the boat) (verse 29a). In spite of the fact that the boat was been buffeted by the waves, it was safer to be in the boat than to be out of the boat on the water.
Psychologically, leaving the other disciples behind in the boat would have been a problem for Peter, but he did not consider that. Anyone that will do the impossible will be ready to leave his/her comfort zone regardless of anything that might cost him/her. Such a person will not be satisfied with the average situation he/she finds him/herself.
Are you ready to do the impossible of walking on the trouble water of your life? Then be ready to do these three highlighted things.
More of what Peter did to do the impossible will be highlighted next week.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor)
Steven said, “That’s when you should watch very, very carefully before you swing at the next pitch.”
"`Come,' [Jesus] said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus" (Matthew 14:29 NIV).
Miracles are extraordinary events manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. They are what we consider impossible. Most of the miracles are God's clever responses to impossible situations. It is a fact that God will not come down from heaven to do any miracle. He uses people. At times, the people that He uses are the very ones that the miracles will happen in their lives. This was what happened in the narrative that was found in Matthew 14:25-33. Two people (Jesus and Peter) did something that is impossible: walking on water. One may not be surprised that Jesus walked on water. After all, He is the Lord over everything. However, for Peter, an ordinary man, to do the impossible by walking on water he had to do some things that are worthy of note.
The first thing that Peter did was that he recognized the Lordship of Jesus (verses 25-28a). Earlier, when the other disciples with Peter saw Jesus Christ walking on turbulent water at night, they thought that Jesus was a "ghost." Jesus had to reassure them that it was He. Peter later addressed Jesus as "Lord." Many people also do not recognize Jesus as the Lord because of the circumstances around them.
The second thing that Peter did was that he took initiative (verse 28b). He saw Jesus doing the impossible, and he took the initiative of asking Jesus to ask him also to do the same thing. Our heavenly Father knows what we need, but He wants us to take the initiative of asking Him for them (see Matthew 6:8). No wonder, Jesus asked Peter to come to Him after Peter had taken the initiative.
The third thing that Peter did was that he was ready to leave his comfort zone (that is, the comfort of the boat) (verse 29a). In spite of the fact that the boat was been buffeted by the waves, it was safer to be in the boat than to be out of the boat on the water.
Psychologically, leaving the other disciples behind in the boat would have been a problem for Peter, but he did not consider that. Anyone that will do the impossible will be ready to leave his/her comfort zone regardless of anything that might cost him/her. Such a person will not be satisfied with the average situation he/she finds him/herself.
Are you ready to do the impossible of walking on the trouble water of your life? Then be ready to do these three highlighted things.
More of what Peter did to do the impossible will be highlighted next week.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor)
Daily Smile:
It was the first day of school, and the first grade teacher decided to see how much her students knew about math. “Steven, can you tell me what is 3 and 2?” Steven said, “That’s when you should watch very, very carefully before you swing at the next pitch.”
To Read More of The StarLight News, Just Click The Link Below
Happy Reading
More Happy Reading:
April '12 Paper to be posted by Friday, March 23...
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