"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16
In the final paragraph of Revelation, John records these words of Jesus Christ: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (22:17). Here is a threefold invitation given by the Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God; by the bride of Christ, His church; and by those who have already responded to Christ. To whom is this invitation given? To all who are thirsty.
Dairy Farmers scatter large blocks of salt in the pasture where the milk cows graze. Apparently, these cows need salt that was not in their grain and hay. Shortly after the cow goes to the salt lick, she will head for the water tank. And that is exactly what Jesus Christ wants for His people. If we are salt in the world, the way we live and the words we say should make the non-Christians around us thirsty for God.
I recall a family who wanted to lead one of their friends to Christ. They did all the usual things, even taking him to hear the gospel preached. One week they invited the guy over for dinner. The family did nothing special, just went about as they normally did. The kids were friendly and talkative at the meal, the father led in a prayer of thanksgiving for the food, the kids helped with the dishes, did their homework, and scurried off to bed.
Later that week, the man called and said he had become a Christian. The way the family lived had convinced him of his need for Christ.
Prayer
"Lord, help me to be salt in the world, creating thirst for the Living Water. Amen."
My home, my lifestyle, and my responses to the difficulties of life affect how non-Christians perceive their need for Christ."
Great is the Lord,
He is holy and just
By His power we trust
In His love
Great is the Lord
He is faithful and true
By His mercy He proves
He is love
Chorus:
Great is the Lord
And worthy of glory
Great is the Lord
And worthy of praise
Great is the Lord
Now lift up your voice
Now lift up your voice
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord,
He is holy and just
By His power we trust
In His love
Great is the Lord
He is faithful, and true
By His mercy He proves
He is love
Chorus
Great are you Lord
And worthy of glory
Great are you Lord
And worthy of praise
Great are you Lord
I lift up my voice
I lift up my voice
Great are you Lord
Great are you Lord
Daily Smile:
A new miracle doctor was in town. He could cure anything and anybody, and everyone was amazed. Everyone except for Mr. Smith, the town’s grouch So Mr. Smith went to this 'miracle doctor' to prove that he wasn't anybody special. So he goes and tells the doctor, "Hey, doc, I have lost my sense of taste. I can't taste nothing', so what are you going to do?"
The doctor scratches his head and mumbles to himself a little, then tells Mr. Smith, "What you need is jar number 43."
Jar number 43? Mr. Smith wonders. So the doctor brings the jar and tells Mr. Smith to taste it. He tastes it and immediately spits it out, "This is gross!" he yells.
"I just restored your sense of taste Mr. Smith," says the doctor.
So Mr. Smith goes home very mad. One month later, Mr. Smith goes back to the doctor along with a new problem, "Doc," he starts, "I can't remember!"
Thinking he got the doctor, the doctor scratches his head and mumbles to himself a little and tells Mr. Smith, "What you need is jar number 43..."
Before the doctor finished his sentence, Mr. Smith fled the office.
In The News:
Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio Becomes Pope Francis I
Cardinals elected Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I on Wednesday to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, CNN reports. He is the first non-European pope in the modern era, the first South American pope, and the third straight non-Italian pope. Pope Francis, 76, is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them, and is a follower of the Catholic Church's most conservative wing. The decision came after the fifth ballot cast by the 115 cardinals since the papal conclave began Tuesday. Pope Francis succeeds Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first pope to resign in hundreds of years when he stepped down February 28, citing advanced age.
Americans Say Homosexuality a Civil Rights Issue
As public policy continues to change on the issue, a new LifeWay Research poll shows 58 percent of American adults believe homosexuality is a human rights issue and 64 percent say it is inevitable same-sex marriage will become legal throughout the United States, Baptist Press reports. Twenty-nine percent say it is not a civil rights issue and 24 percent say gay marriage legalization is not inevitable. The survey also found that 63 percent agree and 27 percent disagree that pastors should be allowed to refuse to officiate same-sex weddings if they are made legal in their state; 58 percent agree and 33 percent disagree that photographers should be allowed to refuse to work same-sex weddings; 40 percent agree and 52 percent disagree that rental halls should be allowed to refuse to rent out their facilities for same-sex weddings; 27 percent agree and 67 percent disagree that landlords should be allowed to refuse to rent housing to same-sex couples; and 14 percent agree and 82 percent disagree that employers should be allowed to refuse employment to someone based on their sexual preference. "While a majority of Americans categorize homosexuality as a civil rights issue like age, race and gender, and almost two-thirds think legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. is inevitable, the research does show lines and divisions on these issues clearly exist in our country," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research.
'The Bible' Sees Big Numbers for History Channel Again
The second week of History Channel's "The Bible" miniseries may not have delivered the ratings of the previous week's record-breaking premiere, but the two-hour telecast still saw big numbers, Entertainment Weekly reports. "The Bible" had 10.8 million total viewers Sunday night, down 18 percent from its premiere, but still No. 1 in all of television from 8 to 10 p.m. More than 50 million cumulative viewers have seen at least a portion of the series since it began on March 3.
Rural Teens Let Their Babies Live
Mainstream news outlet headlines shouted the "shocking" news last month that more rural teens are getting pregnant than their urban counterparts, but a look at an earlier study reveals it's not that rural teens are more likely to have sex and get pregnant, but that they are less likely to have an abortion after they conceive. The news reports pointed to a study conducted by the liberal National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, which noted that while the overall teen birthrate had dropped to historic lows, the birthrate in 2010 for girls ages 15-19 in rural counties (42 per 1,000) was nearly a third higher than for girls in metropolitan counties (33 per 1,000). But a study by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute had already discovered that in 1997. Looking at the 1990 census, it found "the teenage birthrate generally was higher in rural than in metropolitan areas." But Guttmacher added, "The major difference between rural and metropolitan areas is not in the probability of teenagers becoming pregnant, but in the likelihood of their obtaining abortions if they conceive." And looking at a map of abortion facilities in the United States, it is apparent that rural teens have less access to an abortion. Most of the nation's more than 700 abortion centers are concentrated along the East and West coasts and in large cities. The Daily Beast found a lack of facilities in the more rural areas in the center of the country, including northern Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and North Dakota. These states also have stricter abortion laws, including a ban on telemedicine, where doctors prescribe medical abortions using video chat, a practice designed to make abortion more readily available to people living in rural areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment