The Mark

Rev. 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

 

There is still much debate about the “mark of the beast” as stated in our Bible. I don’t claim to know it all, or, have special Devine revelation concerning scripture. I do try to use logic and common sense to understand stuff. People use their name or a mark to claim ownership of things. Bears claw trees to leave their mark claiming their territory. Different animals urinate upon trees and bushes to mark out their home area. 

 

It stands to reason that the Beast would put a mark upon what he claims as his own?

 

People also leave a mark by the way we live. That mark identifies us long after we are gone. That brings me to the question of “What mark am I (and you) leaving that others may follow??”

 

God Bless;
Walter D. Hill D. Min.

Justice and Mercy

by  Charles Stanley

Romans 3:21-26

 

The sinful condition of mankind presents us with a dilemma: How can a holy, righteous God forgive our sins? If He deals with us only on the basis of His justice, every human being would suffer the eternal punishment of His wrath, which their sins deserve. But if He extends mercy instead of justice, no one would pay the penalty for sin, and God would then cease to be just.

 

There was only one way the Lord could stay true to His nature and at the same time forgive our sins. The solution was to satisfy His justice by pouring out His wrath on a substitute. Then the penalty for sin would be paid, and He would be free to extend mercy to sinners. This is the only plan that accommodates both aspects of His divine nature. So Christ came as our substitute; He took the punishment for our sin, enabling us to experience the Father’s mercy. Now, by placing faith in Jesus, anyone can be justified—that is, declared legally righteous.

 

God’s plan of salvation is simple enough for a child to understand. Yet at the same time, the complexities of the transaction that occurred at Calvary are far beyond human comprehension. Although we may not fully grasp what transpired there, we can know that the cross is the greatest possible display of the Lord’s love for us. 

 

Can you even imagine the cost of your salvation? The magnificent plan of the Father and the willing cooperation of the Son prove your tremendous value in God’s eyes. From His perspective, you are worth all the pain and suffering that was necessary to secure your eternal presence with Him in heaven.

God's Listening For The Sound of a Thankful Heart

(By Roy Lessin, Co-founder, DaySpring Cards)
"When ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will." - Leviticus 22:29 KJV
One day, while paying my electric bill, I decided to thank the company for the service they were providing me. "Thanks for my electricity," I said, "It's really quite a bargain for all the benefits I receive." "What!" said the lady behind the counter, in amazement, "That's the first time anyone has ever thanked us. All I ever hear around here are complaints."
It's a challenge to grow up with a thankful heart. From an early age we are exposed to a culture of complainers, gripers, grumblers, and critics. We complain about the weather, traffic, food, work, neighbors, bills, the government, church, and life in general. Worst of all, we are ungrateful toward God. It would be hard to count the number of complaints and criticisms that are daily spoken before Him and against Him. How can we, who have received so much, be thankful for so little?
One of the great indicators of true spirituality is not measured by how many times we go to church, how big our Bibles are, or how long we pray, but it is measured by the level of gratitude that is in our hearts. When we are ungrateful, the heart of God is saddened, the Holy Spirit is grieved, and the joy of the Lord is quenched within us.
Being thankful sweetens you, grumbling sours you; being thankful brings sunshine to your countenance, being ungrateful casts a shadow; being thankful brings a melody to your words, criticism makes you sound like a clanging cymbal; being thankful keeps your feet on the pathway of celebration, complaint takes you down the road of despair.
When our hearts are filled with gratefulness we may feel like our thanksgiving is inadequate, but we can be certain that our thanksgiving is always appropriate. It will gladden the heart of God to hear your heartfelt thanks being freely offered to Him today.

Thought for Today
 Jesus Christ wants disciples and not admirers. 
An admirer is the cheap edition of a disciple.

The Road of Discipleship

by Charles Stanley

Galatians 1:11-17

After Paul's conversion, he disappeared into the desert for three years, during which time the Holy Spirit instructed him in the ways of God. He emerged, ready to communicate divine truth.

The Lord speaks to believers so that they will comprehend the truth, conform to the truth, and communicate the truth. These same steps form a roadmap to discipleship. What happened during Paul's desert years was only the beginning of a life-long process—God renewed his mind and transformed him into the image of Christ. For the apostle, that change began with connecting his rich biblical knowledge to the revelation that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

Paul knew Scripture thoroughly, but the truth that Jesus was the promised Messiah made him reconsider the foundation he'd been trusting. Everything he knew about God had to be re-evaluated in light of this new information. Paul had a history of wanting to please God, so the Holy Spirit no doubt found him a willing pupil.

The apostle's spirit had to be shaped according to the Father's will. And the Lord kept working on him long after Paul left the desert and began his ministry. Every person who reads his letters is a witness to the work of God in a submissive man.

The Lord's discipleship roadmap looks similar for every believer. Like Paul, you are the Holy Spirit's student, and the knowledge you reap from Scripture should be changing your life. Be like the apostle in this way to become a disciple maker by sharing what you learn with others.

Extraordinary

By Skip Heitzig

In Acts 4:1-22, the Jewish leaders had just seen a display of power, as a lame man was healed at the temple gate. Now they were confronted with another: Peter and John, two ordinary fishermen, were quoting and perfectly understanding the Scriptures.

Read verse 8: "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…." That was the key factor of their boldness and power. Peter and John were standing with hostile faces peering at them and antagonists firing questions at them. That's enough to make any one of us flustered. But instead, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were bold.

Note that "uneducated and untrained" (v. 13) does not mean they were ignorant. It means they were laymen with no rabbinical credentials whatsoever. These were ordinary guys, the kind of people that most in corporate circles would pass over because of what they lacked. But Jesus chose them and molded them, and they became His ambassadors. They were ordinary men doing extraordinary things, because an extraordinary God was working in them.

The Bible is chock-full of examples like that, of ordinary people that God got hold of: David was only a shepherd boy, but God made him king. Gideon was a fearful man hiding from his enemies, but God made him a great general. Esther was an insignificant Jewish girl living in Persia, but God made her a deliverer for her people. Ordinary men and women all throughout the book of Acts were filled with the Holy Spirit and dedicated to Jesus Christ, and they became extraordinary vessels.

May God deliver us from professionals appointed by men and not by Him! May God give us men and women filled with the Holy Spirit instead of people who just push their psychology, church-ianity, or social agenda.

What about you? Your life might be one that the world would just pass over and disregard. Oh, but if Jesus gets hold of you and you become His vessel, what He can do through you! "Ordinary-but-filled-with-the-Holy-Spirit" can become extraordinary, a true ambassador for God.

You might say, "I don't have any credentials." But if it can be said of you, just like Peter and John, "they had been with Jesus" (v. 13), those are all the credentials you need. You can have worldly credentials, but unless you've been with Jesus, you'll be a big bag of wind. Educated wind, maybe, but wind. Of course, you can have both, but it's essential that you spend time with Jesus. Then you become emboldened and powerful. People filled with the Holy Spirit are unstoppable.

Your life might be warped and out of tune, and you can't make any sense of it at all. But let the Master take it, and let Him show you what He can do through the life of an ordinary person yielded to Him for His glory. This week, may you watch God do great things in and through you!

You Can Never Be Undone

by Ann Voskamp

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

It can be a real mess out there. And the crazy thing is, there can be whole rising muck of stuff on the inside too.

And yet — we do it anyways: String up a tangle of lights. Set a musty angel atop the tree.

Deck the front porch and the back streets and the whole tilted world in this twinkling robe, this tinselled robe. Watch how the whole world spins round in these lit colors.

But as much as the world decorates and prepares for Christmas, it's like the hem of our robe is dirty and dragging; there's always the ripped underside of things, the dreams and bits of us and unspoken hopes, all torn to pieces.

You can feel this — in a torn-up world, you feel a bit torn apart.

When you are brave, you give yourself the gift of facing and touching your own torn places. The places where we're torn to pieces — can be thin places where we touch the peace of God.

Like Joseph, in the book of Genesis, who reaches out touches his own worn-thin place. He feels along the edges of the torn places, and he sees through, telling his brothers that verse we can hold onto like a gift today: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good."

What was intended to tear you apart, God intends it to set you apart.

Whatever has torn you, God makes a thin place to see glory. Whatever happens, whatever unfolds, whatever unravels, you can never be undone.

You can stand around a Christmas tree with a family tree like Joseph's, with cheaters and beaters and deceivers. Or his dad, Jacob, who ran away and ran around and ran folks down.

But out of a family line that looks like a mess, God brings the Messiah. What was intended to harm, God intended all of it for good, and no matter what intends to harm you, God's arms have you. You can never be undone.

No matter what intends to harm you ... God is never absent, never impotent, never distant.

You can never be undone.

In the middle of all our collective mess stands the most monstrous evil. The wood of the crèche that held baby Jesus lies torn apart behind the wood of the Cross. The cries of the innocent Babe under the stars of Bethlehem twist into the agonized cries of the innocent victim atop the injustice of Calvary.

The holy dark over the manger gives way to the heinous dark over the Messiah and the slamming hammer and the tearing vein and the piercing thorn — the created murdering the Creator.

The Cross stands as the epitome of evil.

And yet God takes the greatest evil ever known to humanity and turns it into the greatest Gift you have ever known.

"If the worst things work for good to a believer, what shall the best things?" writes puritan Thomas Watson. "Nothing hurts the godly ... all things ... shall cooperate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings."

If God can transfigure the greatest evil into the greatest Gift, then He intends to turn whatever you're experiencing now into a gift. You cannot be undone.

Somewhere, Advent can storm and howl and look messy.

And still, the world all robed for Christmas can spin bravely and beautifully on — holding on to a God who won't let you be undone.

Lord, we come to You not because You are our last hope, but because You are our first love. We're coming to You before we do anything at all because waiting on You is wisest of all. We trust You to work all this out in Your good time. You are only good. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

If the Daily Grind has Made You Blind

Alicia Bruxvoort

 

"O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing!" Psalm 103:1-2 (MSG)

 

We'd argued on our drive to the hospital.  Soon I'd be lying belly up on an exam table as my stretched-out skin was covered with clear cold goo. Soon we'd get our first glimpse of the baby tucked beneath my heart.

 

However, my husband and I couldn't agree on one thing: Should we find out the gender of our baby or not?

 

His vote was yes; mine was no.

 

Two years prior, we opted for the moment-of-arrival surprise when we were expecting our firstborn. I loved the thrill of hearing the doctor say, "You have a boy!" after my son had entered the world on that momentous August day.

 

Since I was the one laboring, I figured I deserved a weighted vote. So, when the grainy glimpse of our wee one appeared on the ultrasound screen, and the tech asked if we'd like to know the gender, I stated my preference.

 

Rob didn't dispute my final call, but he did leave the hospital with measurably less excitement than his victorious wife. In fact, for the rest of the pregnancy, he tended to the daily grind — went to graduate school, paid the bills, played with our toddler — but he seemed blind to the gift growing right under his nose.  As the due date neared, I looked desperately for a way to awaken my husband to the blessing burgeoning beneath my heart. That's when my doctor suggested an ultrasound to check on the baby's questionable size.

 

With Rob stuck at work, I drove to the hospital alone. The ultrasound tech greeted me with a smile and a mint green hospital gown. She dimmed the lights and the screen alit with a wiggling silhouette of our second child. My heart ached with the weight of wonder.

 

Then, suddenly, I had an idea.

 

I pulled a post-it note from my purse and asked the technician to write the baby's gender on the slip of paper. She nodded knowingly and wrote something in slow, choppy scrawl. Next, she rummaged through a drawer and grabbed an envelope. She slid the post-it-note inside and sealed it.

That evening over dinner, I handed Rob the envelope and explained what it contained. At first he just looked at me with quiet confusion, but as he began to understand what I was offering, a smile spread across his face. He grabbed the envelope, excused himself from the table, and returned with a fresh sparkle dancing in those deep green orbs.  For the remainder of my pregnancy, my husband was a new man. He couldn't keep his hands off my bulging stomach or wipe the grin off his beaming face. When our bundle of wrinkles and wails arrived three weeks later, we named her Elizabeth Grace, for we both agreed she was an undeserved gift.

 

Once the frenzy of delivery day had grown quiet, I listened to the squeak of the rocking chair and watched my husband cuddle our baby girl. Then, I asked the question I'd been harboring for weeks. "What finally got you excited about this baby?"

 

Rob kissed our daughter's soft pink cheek and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it was that little slip of paper."

 

He glanced at the miracle in his arms and cast me a sheepish grin, "Once I knew we were having a girl, I began to call her by name. That's what made her real to me."

 

Sometimes naming a gift helps us to see it more clearly. Maybe that's why God urges us to remember our blessings: "O my soul ... don't forget a single blessing!" (Psalm 103:2, MSG)

 

The One who is timeless invites us to carve out time to give thanks. Not because He needs our gratitude, but because we do.

 

The daily grind can make us blind.  It's easy to go through the motions of life and fail to see the gifts planted right beneath our noses. But God has given our eyes a prescription: 

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).

 

Naming a gift doesn't change the gift; it just makes it real.

So make a list, tell a friend, utter a prayer or compose a song. Tell a story, keep a journal or post a praise.

 

Practice the habit of gratitude frequently and faithfully, and odds are, you'll begin to see some gifts that have been there all along, blessings burgeoning beneath your heart, just waiting for a name.

 

Dear Jesus, I don't want the daily grind to make me blind. Open my eyes to see the blessings in my life. Grow in me a heart of gratitude. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

At the Foot of the Cross

(Written by Marcia Krugh Leaser)
Fearing the battle was over
And I'd already lost the war,
I was tired of trying and failing.
I just couldn't fight anymore.
So, dragging my battle-scarred body,
I crawled to the foot of the cross.
And I sobbed. 'Oh please, Father forgive me.
But I tried...I tried.. and still lost.'
Then the air grew silent around me.
I heard his voice just as clear as the dawn:
'Oh, My child, though you are tired and weary,
You can't stop, you have to go on.'
At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
I felt love, as I knelt in His presence.
I felt hope, as I looked in His eyes.
Then He gathered me lovingly to Him,
As around us God's light clearly shone.
And together we walked though my lifetime
To heal every wound I had known.
I found bits of my dreams, long forgotten,
And pieces of my life on the floor.
But I watched as He tenderly blessed them,
And my life was worth living once more.
I knew then why I had been losing.
I knew why I had not grown.
At the foot of the Cross came the answer:
I'd been fighting the battle alone.
At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
Then I knew I could face any challenge
Together--just my Lord and I.

Afraid Of What The Bible Will Say

(Author Unknown)

A school teacher lost her life savings in a business scheme that had been elaborately explained by a swindler. When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau.
"Why on earth didn't you come to us first?" the official asked. "Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?"
"Oh, yes," said the lady sadly. "I've always known about you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it."
The folly of human nature is that even though we know where the answers lie--God's Word--we don't turn there for fear of what it will say.
Foolish indeed. 

Thought for Today

"When we read the last chapters of the Revelation, we find ourselves mysteriously touching the first chapters of Genesis. As you survey the whole circle of the Bible, you find you have been following the perimeter of a golden ring." - W. A. Criswell 

PARABLE OF THE CANDLES

by Max Lucado

 

There was a blackout one night. When the lights went out, I fumbled to the closet where we keep the candles for nights like this...I lit four of them.

 

I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, "Now, hold it right there."

 

"Who said that?"

 

"I did." The voice was near my hand.

 

"Who are you? What are you?"

 

"I'm a candle."

 

I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. There was a tiny face in the wax.

 

"Don't take me out of here!"

 

"What?"

 

"I said, Don't take me out of this room."

 

"What do you mean? I have to take you out. You're a candle. Your job is to give light. It's dark out there."

 

"But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need more preparation."

 

I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation?"

 

"Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won't go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be...."

 

"All right then," I said. "You're not the only candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take the others!"

 

But right then I heard other voices, "We aren't going either!" I turned to the other candles, "You are candles and your job is to light dark places!"

 

"Well, that may be what you think," said the first one, "You may think we have to go, but I'm busy...I'm meditating on the importance of light. It's really enlightening."...

 

"And you other two," I asked, "are you going to stay too?"

 

A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks spoke up. "I'm waiting to get my life together, I'm not stable enough."

 

The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. "I'd like to help, "she explain,"but lighting the darkness is not my gift...I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly."

 

She began a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" The other three joined in, filling the closet with singing....I took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet.

 

Here is a question for you, when was the last time you shared the gospel to someone? This world is full of darkness, with many people stumbling around trying to find their way. You can be a light for them, and believe me, there's a light waiting for you. It can all happen with something as sharing the faith, to just a smile across the room, to a quick hello to a forgotten friend.

 

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN." Matthew 5:14-16

 

Thought for Today

"...Work is a very, very holy thing...Most of us think that spiritual exercises are something you do once you get home from work, but I think what you do at your work is just as spiritual as the twenty minutes you have set aside to read Oswald Chambers...If you're a plumber and you become a Christian, you don't [necessarily] quit being a plumber to become a preacher. You become a great plumber because your work is infused by your faith." - Rich Mullins, musician best known for "Awesome God"  

Seven Ways To Whet Your Appetite For God’s Word

By Connilyn Cossette & Anonymous [Edited]

Has the Word lost its sweetness to you? Here are some ways you can stir up your appetite:

1) Instead of reading the Word for the sake of knowledge, or to prove a theological point — read it as a love letter from the God of the Universe to you.

2) Ask the Father to give you a new appetite for his Word, to make it come alive to you in a fresh new way, and show you how Jesus is written in every chapter from Genesis to Revelation.

3) Slow down, take it in a chapter or even a verse at a time; savor the Word like you would a delicious dessert.

4) Go back to the beginning, start with Genesis, look for evidence of God’s grace in each chapter.

5) Read it like a child, with the eyes of simple belief. Read the Word for what it actually says and not what you have been told.

6) Ask the Holy Spirit to show you new things that you’ve never seen before. You’ll be surprised what jumps out at you when you go searching.

7) Don't get caught up in commentaries or what some other people say the Word is saying but rather let the Lord speak to you through the Word itself.

Taste and see that God’s Word is “…more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10) 

Thought for Today

"[Even if all I did was study the Scriptures and] nothing else, from boyhood to decrepit old age, with the utmost leisure, the most unwearied zeal, and with talents greater than I possess, I would still be making progress in discovering their treasures." - St. Augustine
 

The Gospel Message

By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses – Acts 13:39

By him (Jesus Christ) all that believe are justified. To be justified means to be declared completely righteous, innocent before the law of God. It is as if you had never sinned at all.

The justification is by him. There is no other way to be found guiltless before a holy God. There is no way to live a good enough life to please a perfectly good God. Even a hundred good works cannot erase a single sin. But on the cross Christ took the sins of His people on himself, and gave them his righteousness. Therefore, his record is now their record, his perfection is their perfection.

As we are emphatically reminded, we could never be justified by the law of Moses; that perfect law only shows how imperfect we really are. But by Jesus Christ every person that believes is justified from all things.

You may have lived a corrupt and despicable life; or you may have lived a life which, to the rest of society, seemed good and acceptable. But neither is important in relation to your justification. Either way, only by him can you be justified; and either way, by him you can be justified. There is hope for anyone, but the only hope anyone has is in Christ.

There is no sin that cannot be cleaned by the blood of Christ; there is no life that cannot be justified by the cross of Christ. All that believe are justified from all things. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for your justification?

Salvation

This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day – John 6:40

Jesus came to accomplish the will of his Father (verse 38). This "will" then, which Jesus describes for us, is not merely God's revealed, or instructive, will; this is God's predestinating decree, which is sure to come to pass.

Jesus Christ himself, the second person of the triune God, has enlisted himself to perfectly perform the purpose for which the Father sent him into this world. There is no possibility that Jesus endured the incarnation and the cross, and yet failed to fulfill all that he came to do.

As a result, Jesus says, every one who sees the Son, and believes on him, will have everlasting life. There are no exceptions.

Perhaps you have seen yourself as too dirty, or unworthy, or flawed to hope for forgiveness and healing and salvation. But Jesus unmistakably and intentionally promises eternal life to every single individual who believes on Him — no matter what family you come from, what mistakes you have made, or how low you may feel.

And I will raise him up at the last day.Not only will Jesus raise sinners from the mud pit of their past, he will raise them finally and forcefully even from the grave one day.

This salvation, which God planned and Jesus accomplished, is a complete salvation. The everlasting life that is promised includes the resurrection of your body in the last day.

Is this salvation yours? Have you seen and believed on the Son?

Future Things

The LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? – Joel 2:11

Both in the Old and New Testaments, "the day of the Lord" refers to some obvious and initial events which fulfill specific prophecies.

However, both here in Joel and many other places in Scripture, the ultimate and final day of the Lord is speaking of the return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth and the conclusion of history. This is the day of the Lord, the final day of life on this earth.

And Joel appropriately describes Christ's second coming as both great and terrible. For those who look by faith to Christ and long for His return, the day will not only be great in its import and power, but in the joy that it brings. The redemption, the deliverance for which they have so long hoped, will finally be a reality. Glorified body and sanctified soul will unite to praise the Savior forever.

However, for those who persist in rebellion against their Creator, who assure themselves that they are not accountable for their actions, this day is terrible. When the voice that called the universe into existence is heard at the forefront of His heavenly army, no one will stand against Him. He is strong to execute, to fulfill, His word.

As He has promised, everyone will give an account of their deeds and be judged before the throne of Christ. Those not found in Him will be punished by Him.

How do you see that day? Will it be great to you, or will it be terrible?

Women of Faith

When [Rhoda] knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so – Acts 12:14-15

It is no accident that Rhoda is mentioned by name in this exciting account of Peter's miraculous escape from prison.

One of Luke's obvious objectives in narrating this event is to show, not only the power of God in delivering one of His apostles from certain death, but also the fact that this power was unleashed because of the faithful prayers of the saints on his behalf.

And, among all of those in the church who met together in constant prayer for Peter, there is one girl who stands out in Luke's story. Her name is Rhoda and she was probably a servant, one of the last people you would have noticed or been impressed with had you been present at the prayer meeting.

But Luke is impressed enough to mention her, because she is the only person participating in the prayer vigil who actually believed that God could answer their prayers! When she recognizes Peter's voice—and the answer to their prayers—she runs immediately to share the good news with the others.

Her joyful announcement, however, is met with an unexpected response: total disbelief. But Rhoda does not give in; she constantly affirms that God has graciously answered their prayers.

You, like Rhoda, may find yourself faced with the challenge of unbelieving believers. People who try to shrink your faith because of their own diminutive, sickly system of belief. But go forward in the constant, affirming faith that trusts in a God that does the impossible, that answers unbelievable prayers.

Men of Faith

[Jesus] saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him – Luke 5:27-28

As we read the Bible, it seems that one of God's attributes, along with being immutable and impeccable, is that He is unpredictable… and never more so than in His choice of the man to write the first book of the New Testament.

Of the twelve apostles, none was a more notorious sinner than Matthew (Levi). Publicans (tax collectors) are classified with harlots (21:31) and heathen (18:17) by Matthew himself. Yet, Jesus saw Levi sitting at the receipt of custom, performing his notorious job, and called him then and there to His service!

And see with what simple, deep faith Matthew responds: he left all. That says it all, doesn't it?  Here was a man who forsook a lucrative position for a lowly person named Jesus. He not only left behind his livelihood, but his former lifestyle as well, for Jesus.

He left everything connected with his sinful past and followed him. Jesus says, in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." What a clear exhibition of this truth we see in the life of faithful Matthew!

This man went from sitting at the seat of custom to sitting at a feast (at his own expense) in honor of Jesus (Luke 5:29); from grasping at everything to leaving it all; from self-promoter to self-effacing; from publican of Herod to publisher of the gospel.

In Matthew we see the life-transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ. True faith leaves all in order to follow the Savior. Have you heard Jesus' call? Will you follow?

Youth and Old Age

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing – Psalm 34:10

Why do you think the psalmist specifies "young" lions? It is for the same reason that Isaiah writes, "even the youths shall faint and be weary" (40:30).

There is a vitality and strength that usually comes with youth. Your mind is flexible and fresh, you body is energetic and resilient, and your spirit is confident and daring. These are wonderful resources that God gives to you while you are still learning, growing, and maturing.

But even all these advantages will not save you from disappointment or pain in life. Even the young lions, the psalmist writes, with all their physical prowess and boundless energy, suffer hunger. The strongest, most talented person on earth will not find lasting satisfaction, or avoid painful injury, by virtue of their strength or talent alone.

But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Even the strongest youth will lack fulfillment and suffer disappointment, but anyone—young or old—will find success when they seek the Lord. God is able to provide what youth alone cannot achieve; God is able to give what strength alone cannot obtain.

What about you? Are you still relying on your own decisions, your own strength, your own assets to deliver you from defeat and dissatisfaction? Those who seek the Lord— and them alone—will find ever good thing that life has to offer.

In The News:

New York Student Gets Approval to Form Christian Club after Being Told It Violated the Constitution by Amanda Casanova

A New York student who wanted to start a Christian club at her high school will be allowed to start the club even though initially the school district rejected the idea.   Liz Loverde had wanted to start a Christian club called Dare to Believe. When she tried to get the club started in September, Wantagh High School Principal Carolyn Breivogel said the club violated the U.S. Constitution. Later, the school district said the club formation hadn’t followed formal procedures to be recognized.   Still, the Wantagh Union Free School District and Loverde’s family then teamed up with the Liberty Institute to write a letter to the principal, arguing that the school district was violating the Equal Access Act of 1984 by rejecting the club.   Following that letter, the school district’s board of education agreed to approve seven student clubs last weeks, including Dare to Believe.   Jeremy Dys, senior counsel with Liberty Institute, said he was “glad” at the decision.   “It took a lot of courage for a 15-year-old to come forward to reveal that her principal said Christian clubs are illegal,” Dys said. “It is always a scary position for students to take a stand against government school authorities who hold significant power over their everyday lives. We look forward to Wantagh High School respecting Liz’s religious liberty at school.”   Publication date: November 26, 2014

The Preacher

I heard that one of our preachers was going to a city to preach a message. He was traveling at night on near deserted highway and praying to God to help him with the
message for the next day. He was driving to the city that night to spend the night and would be speaking the next day. He was driving along the highway when the voice of God shook him as God spoke to him: "Stop this car and preach." He slowed down and said, "God there is no one anywhere near here. I've only met 2 cars in the hour I've been on this highway."

God shouted at him, "Stop the car NOW, and get out and preach your message here, now." The preacher pulled over and stopped the car. He got his Bible and his flashlight and went to the front of his car. He laid his Bible on the hood of the car and began reading his text all the while wondering what God thought He was doing. He preached about the "Depth and height of the Love of God." He talked about how
far God would reach just to save one soul. He gave the illustration of the one lost sheep, and how the Shepherd left the 99 to go to rescue the one lost sheep. A couple of minutes into his message and the anointing came. He preached as if he was preaching to a thousand people. he was preaching along, and a car came by slowly, slowed down ahead almost came to a stop, then went slowly on. A second car came by before he finished his message, slowed down, rolled the car window down as if to ask if he needed help, then drove on again. The minister finished his message, crawled back into his car and drove on. "Lord, I do not know what you were trying to prove, but if it was practice I needed, I thank you."

Approximately three months later this minister was preaching in a small church in that same area. He had almost forgotten the ordeal. But God quickened him to again preach this same message this night. He preached with anointing and with power, and at the end asked if anyone wanted to come home to the sheepfold, as he gave the altar call. A young man sitting on the second row immediately got up from his
seat and came forward. But instead of kneeling down he came on up on the platform and threw his arms around the minister, crying loudly. The minister prayed for him.
                       
After a few moments the young man said, "So you are the minister who stopped on the side of the road and preached that message about three months ago!" The minister nodded his head, and asked, "Were you in one of the cars that came by and almost stopped?" The young man shook his head and said, "No, I was in the culvert underneath your
car. I was hooked on Cocaine, my parents had washed their hands of me, I was in trouble with the law for stealing to support my habit. I had tried to commit suicide that day, but I was still alive. I had no home, no clothes, no money and was hungry. I prayed as I found the culvert and made myself a bed for the night, "If there is a God, see if you can find me here!"       

"I got out of the culvert and sat on the grass out of your sight. I listened to you tell the story about the lost sheep and the love of a shepherd who would not sleep until He found him.  Something got a hold of me that night. The next morning, I started walking to try to find a church to see if I could find this God who had answered my carelessly flung
prayer that night. I had not walked far, when a man picked me up and took me to his church. His minister is up there sitting in that chair (pointed at the pastor of the church). He talked to me, took me to his home, fed me, cleaned me up and bought me some new clothes. Then he told me about Jesus. I repented, was baptized in His name that night. The next night I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Man, am I glad you practiced your sermon on the side of the highway that night! See all those people on that second row? I've brought all of them to this church and my family too."

What is the length and the depth of the love of God? It is never ending, for He will go out of His way to find a lost soul who has flung a helpless and careless prayer His way. ~Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.