Who's Your Boss?

Colossians 3:23-25

Bob closed his door, threw himself on his bed, and pounded his fist into his pillow again and again. "It's not fair!" he growled out loud. "I use a few words that Dad says all the time, and I get sent to my room! No one punishes him."
"What do you say we have another break?" asked a loud voice. Startled, Bob glanced out his open window. Three men were working on the road in front of his house.
"Good idea," answered the tallest one, and two of the men walked to a nearby tree and flopped down in the shade. The third, a dark-haired man, kept working. Soon one of the others came back and tried to persuade him to join them.
The dark-haired man shook his head. "No, Pete. I've already had my break this afternoon," he said as he pushed his shovel.
"Haven't we all?" replied the other man. "So what's to keep us from taking another one? Harry's gone for the day, so who's to know or care? Besides, George over there has been with the company a long time-way longer than us, so he's kinda like our boss now that Harry left."
"Well, Mr. Grant wants this job finished today, and we'll have to push to get it done," replied the third man.
The other one laughed. "You're crazy to turn down a chance to loaf on the job-especially when the boss does."
"Maybe you think it's foolish," the dark-haired man said, "but I wouldn't feel right taking what isn't mine-time or anything else. Besides, I work for Mr. Grant. He's the real boss on this job."
Wow! That guy's really honest! Bob thought as he turned from the window. He keeps working even when the other guys set a bad example for him. I . . . I guess I shouldn't follow bad examples, either. I'm a Christian, and-like my Sunday school verse said-I'm supposed to be serving God. I guess it's like He's my boss, so . . . well, even though my own dad uses bad words, I should do what God wants. He sighed. I'll have to apologize to Mom, too. Then a new thought came to his mind. Instead of following Dad's example in this, I should be an example to him if he's ever going to accept Jesus like I have.
How About You?
What kind of example do you set? Perhaps people you love and generally respect set poor examples for you. You may hear them say bad words or see them cheat or do other things that are not right. When that happens, it's probably hard for you to do what you should. But if you're a Christian, you serve Christ. Do and say what He approves of, not what others are doing or saying-even if they're parents, teachers, or other adults. Set a good example for anyone who may be watching you.

The Key To Controlling Chaos In Our Culture

Jack Graham

Unless the LORD builds the house,
            those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city,
           the watchman stays awake in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Years ago, Newsweek magazine printed an article about the many problems in our society. And one of the conclusions of the article was: “There is a high correlation between disrupted homes and just about every social problem imaginable.”

I remember reading that article, putting the magazine down, and thinking, “Wow… what a well-researched, thoughtful, and utterly biblical conclusion!” Newsweek was exactly right. If the home is not in line, then there is going to be chaos.

The home isn't just a dwelling where people go to eat and sleep. It's a place where lessons should be taught, love given and received, and Jesus exalted. That’s the biblical model for the home – and it’s one that has been proven to be a tremendous benefit to society.

Any attack on the home is an attack on the very foundations of our society and our way of life. That’s because the home is an establishment created by God with the divine imperative to live in relationship with Him and train the next generation to do the same. So stand for the family and help fight chaos and broken lives!

STAND FOR THE HOME IN A WORLD OF CHAOS AND YOU’LL HELP KEEP FAMILES AND LIVES TOGETHER.

Just Throw the Net

Greg Laurie

He brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” - (Acts 16:30)

Many of us are afraid, for one simple reason, to ask someone if they would like to give their life to Jesus Christ. We’re afraid the answer will be no. And it just may be. But there are those wonderful times when someone will surprise you and say, “Tell me more” or maybe even, “I want to give my life to Jesus Christ.”

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to be reunited with my father, Oscar Laurie, the man who adopted me. My mother had divorced him when I was a young boy, and that was the last time I had seen him. Years later, when I had an opportunity to preach on the East Coast, he invited our family to stay at his house for the weekend.

After dinner one night, his wife said, “Greg, tell me about how you came to put your faith in Jesus Christ.” As I shared my testimony and what Christ had done for me, my dad sat there listening with his hands folded. I thought, He’s not buying this at all. But later that night, he asked me to go walking with him the next morning.

As we walked out into the cold morning air, he said, “I was listening to what you said last night. I want to know what I need to do to give my life to Jesus Christ.” He made a commitment to Christ that day, and he faithfully served the Lord for the remaining fifteen years of his life.

Sometimes when you share your faith, you don’t think you’re getting through. But you never know. That is why we need to simply throw out the net, so to speak. We need to give people the opportunity.

On Getting Older

By David Jeremiah, 

In his book, Coming Home, James Dobson notes that Immanuel Kant wrote one of his most famous philosophical works at age seventy-four; Verdi was still composing when he was eighty-five. When he completed The Pieta, his greatest work of art, Michelangelo was eighty-seven; and Ronald Reagan was the most powerful man in the world as president of the United States at age seventy-five. Instead of sixty-five being the presumed age for retirement, it ought to be seen as the age when a lifetime of learning is focused on new achievement.

Consider the following biblical figures over the age of eighty who were still going strong: Abraham becoming a father and raising his son Isaac; Moses and Aaron leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the Promised Land. ... The fact is, the older we get, the more accumulated wisdom and perspective we should have to bring to bear on new goals. Regardless of your age, consider replacing "retirement" with "transition" in your vocabulary. See life as a continual process of moving from one accomplishment to the next with God as your guide.

Yes, age is a small part of growing old, but attitude is the largest. 
http://www.turningpointonline.org

Today's Thought:
"All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them..."
- James Hudson Taylor

Froggy Grief

"So then, how are you doing now?" they ask. I muster up my best going-forward face and say "Oh, good, thanks," then change the subject as fast as I can. Some days, what I say is true, but some days, it is not. Grief is like a frog struggling up the side of a well, bent on escape into fresh air and solid ground. Just as the frog climbs up a couple of feet, he loses his grip and slides back down. Then, he has to start all over again.

It's over three years since my husband died, but some days, it feels like yesterday.

Psalm 6:6-7 – I'm tired of all this — so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope. (MSG)

But in all of this, repeatedly, I find God as faithful as ever to my lonely and distressed widow self. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He comforted all who lost loved ones years before me, and the ones since, and yes, the ones in the years to come. What a gracious God!

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). (AMP)

Prayer: Thanks, God. Your promises are true and real and forever, and they are ours. Amen.

Brenda Wood

He Knows Your Need

Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:31–32).

Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25–34, he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety. One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” ( Matthew 6:32).

Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than an earthly father.

I have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s in at least three ways.

First, right now I don’t know where any of them is. I could guess. They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.

Second, I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts.

Third, I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.

This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason for not worrying. There are things that may be happening to them now or may happen tomorrow that I do not even know about. But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. He knows everything about them now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.

Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet their needs (the “much more” of Matthew 6:30).

Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, Matthew 6:26).

So join me in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see DesiringGod.org.

Fishing in the Dead Sea

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1, NIV

The Dead Sea is an interesting place to visit. You arrive in the middle of the desert and before you is an expanse of water that has no life in it - no fish, no plants, just a lot of salt. In fact the only thing living in there are the thousands of tourists that bob up and down on the surface, marvelling at the way they can float.

When I visited the Dead Sea recently our tour guide pulled out an interesting certificate to show me the fishing licence she had bought for about $100 that gave her rights to catch fish in the Dead Sea. This seemed a waste of money, as there’s no way you could catch anything but a tourist in that water, but she had confidently bought this licence. For you and I, someone was investing in something that, to the natural eye, was a waste of money and time. But she was looking ahead at a promise from the Lord in Ezekiel 47:8-10 that says:
‘He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds - like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea”’.

The tour guide was living by a promise in the word of God and had invested in that promise that one day she will catch fish in the Dead Sea. Perhaps people, with the same certificate, had already bought rods, nets and invested in other equipment, in preparation for the day they can go fishing.

The Lord has promised something to each one of us. To the disciples Jesus said, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’ (Mathew 4:19). He gave them the licence to fish before they were ready, saying that in the future they would fish, and they did! If you have a promise from the Lord, and it all seems like the Dead Sea, hang on to the promise and invest in it. The Lord has not forgotten you. Invest in that promise, prepare for that promise, trust the Lord with that promise, because one day it will be fulfilled and you will be fishing in the Dead Sea.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your promises to me and the fishing licence You have given me, even though I struggle to see how it’s going to be used. I want to move on today with that investment You’ve put in me, and look forward to all You have for me to do in the future. What do You want me to do to prepare for that promise? In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today's Writer : Paul Lawrence

Walking In Valleys

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4)

Walking In Valleys

Situated within the Mojave Desert in eastern California is the lowest, driest and hottest location in North America.

On July 10, 1913, the highest reported temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134 degrees Fahrenheit, was reported at Furnace Creek in Death Valley-a reading two degrees short of the world record. With a basin 282 feet below sea level and walled by steep mountain ranges, the dry air and sparse plant cover allows the sun to heat the surface to unbearable temperatures. Annual precipitation averages only 2.36 inches a year.

Life's valleys can be just as hot and dry. I've walked through a few I don't care to repeat. My emotions were scorched and my physical energy drained. David was familiar with valley walking. He led his sheep through valleys frequented by robbers and wild animals, but he didn't fear because his shepherd protected him.

Yea, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4 KJV).

We all periodically walk through valleys. Our world groans under the curse of sin which brings damaging effects on people and the natural order. People do despicable things and nature acts in devastating ways. Others can put us in the valley or we can do it ourselves through disobedience. And valleys are painful, but they don't last forever. At some point-either through confession or the natural progression of events, we walk out and up to the mountaintop.

Valley walking is more easily endured by remembering God walks with us through them. We have no reason to fear. He'll protect and comfort us no matter how dark, hot or long the valley. Put your trust in God when you're in the valleys.

Drink from his Word, trust his Spirit's guidance and lean on good friends.

Prayer: Merciful Shepherd, we trust ourselves to Your care when we're in the valleys.

Martin Wiles Hodges, South Carolina, USA

Finished!

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. —John 19:30 The cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning. His birth was so there would be His death. The incarnation was for our atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. And when He had accomplished the purpose He had come to fulfill, He summed it up with a single word: “finished.” In the original Greek, it was a common word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a project that He and Joseph might have been working on together in the carpentry shop. Jesus might have turned to Joseph and said, “Finished. Now let’s go have lunch.” It is finished. Mission accomplished. It is done. It is made an end of. So what was finished? Finished and completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ. Never again would He experience pain at the hand of wicked men. Never again would He have to bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, even for a moment, be forsaken of God. That was completed. That was taken care of. Also finished was Satan’s stronghold on humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against the devil and his demons at the cross of Calvary. Hebrews 2:14 says, “Only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who hadthe power of death.” This means that you no longer have to be under the power of sin. Because of Jesus’ accomplishment at the cross, finished was the stronghold of Satan on humanity. And lastly, finished was our salvation. It is completed. It is done. All of our sins were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the cross. His righteousness was transferred to our account. So Jesus cried out the words, “It is finished!” It was God’s deliberate and well-thought-out plan. It is finished—so rejoice! Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries

Learning from Failure

 by Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 22:31-34

The disciple Peter was a man of great faith and bold action. But as readers of the New Testament know, his brash style sometimes led him to make humiliating mistakes. More than once, this disciple had to wear the label of "miserable failure" rather than that of "obedient servant."

We can all relate when it comes to falling short of expectations. Obedience to God is a learning process, and failure is a part of our development as humble servants. When we yield to temptation or rebel against God's authority, we realize that sin has few rewards, and even those are fleeting.

Failure is an excellent learning tool, as Peter could certainly attest. Through trial and error, he discovered that humility is required of believers (John 13:5-14); that God's ways are higher than the world's ways (Mark 8:33); and that one should never take his eyes off Jesus (Matt. 14:30). He took each of those lessons to heart and thereby grew stronger in his faith. Isn't that Romans 8:28 in action? God caused Peter's failures to be put to good use as training material because the disciple was eager to mature and serve.

God doesn't reward rebellion or wrongdoing. However, by His grace, He blesses those who choose repentance and embrace chastisement as a tool for growth.

We would probably all prefer to grow in our faith without ever making a mistake before God's eyes, but we cannot deny that missteps are instructive. Failure teaches believers that it is much wiser and more profitable to be obedient to the Lord. That's a lesson we all should take to heart.


IT IS FINISHED!!!

The May '15 Edition of The StarLight News has been printed, picked up and delivery will start in limited locations Saturday... The remainder will be delivered next week...

If you would like to read it on line the click on the link... http://the-starlight-news.blogspot.com/
Happy Reading,
Richard

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day - Part 5

Inside BST Just go ahead and admit it. You’re lying to yourself today. Life gets complex, relationships get sticky, loneliness creeps in—and sometimes we just feel the need to bend the truth to make it through the week. We need our lies to keep the pain tucked away where it can’t get to us. That deceitful heart of ours has a way making it easy for us to be okay with these lies (Jeremiah 17:9)—that is, until they’re drawn out by God’s scalpel (Psalm 139:23).
These lies don’t just cover up the pain of life, though. They actually make it harder for us to grow in our faith and in our connection with others. We’ve gotten so numb to them that we don’t necessarily even see the damage they do.
But here’s one time when it’s definitely okay to “name it and claim it.” If we’re to get beyond these lies that we drag around with us, we have to identify them and call them what they are.
Have you seen any of these 5 lies in yourself today?

5. I Can Do That Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the time for Bible study, for that new morning prayer routine, for that meeting with our pastor or Christian friend. Tomorrow is when we’ll tell our spouse the truth. Tomorrow is when we’ll get honest with God.
But—and this is the truth—many times that “tomorrow” never comes. Even in the midst of how miserable some of our bad life choices make us, we just don’t like to make changes today. We look for a more opportune time—when it won’t be so hard.
That’s why the Psalmist and the writer of Hebrews make sure that we get focused on today:

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Psalm 95; Hebrews 3)

Telling yourself that you’ll make a change tomorrow certainly makes you feel better about today’s failures, but it rarely ever changes us. We must remember that a lack of commitment to change today comes with a steep price:

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)

We don’t even know if we’ll have a tomorrow, but we do know we have a right now. And God is faithful in that right now.

“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 5:8–9)

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day - part 4

Inside BST Just go ahead and admit it. You’re lying to yourself today. Life gets complex, relationships get sticky, loneliness creeps in—and sometimes we just feel the need to bend the truth to make it through the week. We need our lies to keep the pain tucked away where it can’t get to us. That deceitful heart of ours has a way making it easy for us to be okay with these lies (Jeremiah 17:9)—that is, until they’re drawn out by God’s scalpel (Psalm 139:23).
These lies don’t just cover up the pain of life, though. They actually make it harder for us to grow in our faith and in our connection with others. We’ve gotten so numb to them that we don’t necessarily even see the damage they do.
But here’s one time when it’s definitely okay to “name it and claim it.” If we’re to get beyond these lies that we drag around with us, we have to identify them and call them what they are.
Have you seen any of these 5 lies in yourself today?

4. That’s Just the Way I Am.

Often, the easiest way out of dealing with a destructive pattern in our lives is simply to make it an acceptable or unchangeable part of who we are. Whether we see it as a part of our nature or simply as something we “can’t fix,” this lie helps us avoid feeling responsible. We can’t stop it because it’s just too deeply embedded.
But what we don’t like to admit is that God is the one who made us. We were intended to look like, act like, and be like Him (Genesis 1:27; 1 John 3:2). Sure, we all trip up somewhere on the way to that goal, but saying something is “just the way I am” means saying that God messed up or was taken by surprise by our struggles. We’re really just saying that He can’t change us.
Thankfully, we’re wrong. He specializes in making broken things new.
Your struggles are real. Just confess that first. They stink; they hurt; they mess us up. Once you get that out of the way, you can begin the often very long, very painful process of being made like Christ. Just keep this promise in mind:

“… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Got that? He’s not going to give up halfway through because you mess up or because you’re just a special case. He will complete the work.
We just have to admit that it is a problem before we’ll ask and seek transformation.

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day - Part 3

Inside BST

Just go ahead and admit it. You’re lying to yourself today. Life gets complex, relationships get sticky, loneliness creeps in—and sometimes we just feel the need to bend the truth to make it through the week. We need our lies to keep the pain tucked away where it can’t get to us. That deceitful heart of ours has a way making it easy for us to be okay with these lies (Jeremiah 17:9)—that is, until they’re drawn out by God’s scalpel (Psalm 139:23).
These lies don’t just cover up the pain of life, though. They actually make it harder for us to grow in our faith and in our connection with others. We’ve gotten so numb to them that we don’t necessarily even see the damage they do.
But here’s one time when it’s definitely okay to “name it and claim it.” If we’re to get beyond these lies that we drag around with us, we have to identify them and call them what they are.

Have you seen any of these 5 lies in yourself today?

3. No One Will Get Hurt.

This lie really could be 2b, since these two excuses are like twins. If it’s not enough that no one will know, we also like to tell ourselves that no one will get hurt. If it’s behind closed doors, if it only involves two responsible adults, if it only impacts me, then it’s got to be okay.
However, what we usually mean is that no one will get hurt that we can see right now. We often don’t like to follow the chain of problems beyond the moment or the immediate circumstances. But what we don’t always consider are the spiritual ramifications that could pop up or the problems that might not be so obvious.
We also don’t take into account that God Himself is grieved and pained by our bad choices. God felt major pain because of raging sin before the Flood (Genesis 6:6), the rebellious grieved His Holy Spirit in Israel (Isaiah 63:10), and Jesus longed to gather His people to Him when they refused to accept Him (Matthew 23:37).
In other words, our sins always inflict grief and pain. And they do so to the very one we should want to please.

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day - Part 2

Inside BST Just go ahead and admit it. You’re lying to yourself today. Life gets complex, relationships get sticky, loneliness creeps in—and sometimes we just feel the need to bend the truth to make it through the week. We need our lies to keep the pain tucked away where it can’t get to us. That deceitful heart of ours has a way making it easy for us to be okay with these lies (Jeremiah 17:9)—that is, until they’re drawn out by God’s scalpel (Psalm 139:23).
These lies don’t just cover up the pain of life, though. They actually make it harder for us to grow in our faith and in our connection with others. We’ve gotten so numb to them that we don’t necessarily even see the damage they do.
But here’s one time when it’s definitely okay to “name it and claim it.” If we’re to get beyond these lies that we drag around with us, we have to identify them and call them what they are.
Have you seen any of these 5 lies in yourself today?

2. No One Will Ever Find Out.

If we’re ever looking for justification to do something dumb, we usually start here: No one will ever know. True, there might be a thousand variations on that theme, but it almost always comes back to anonymity. That’s why private browsing on the Internet and personal devices such as smartphones and tablets can be some of the most dangerous tools known to humanity. (They’re not necessarily bad, but “personal” devices do have drawbacks.)
No one will know if I watch this. No one will know if I go here while I’m on that work trip. No one will know if I post this anonymous and hurtful comment. No one will ever know.
First of all, there’s no such thing as true anonymity in our world. What we do in “private” very often has a way of being found out and exposed. (Just pay attention to all those hacking breaches you see in the news.)
More importantly, though, God has a way of making our “no one knows” sins come out—and He doesn’t miss any:

“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” (Psalm 90:8)

Day by day, we let this lie bring us low and keep us from living the life God has planned. You see, God knows—He always knows the dumb things we do.
But He still loves us:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

You can’t hide... and you don’t need to.

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day - Part 1

Inside BST

Just go ahead and admit it. You’re lying to yourself today. Life gets complex, relationships get sticky, loneliness creeps in—and sometimes we just feel the need to bend the truth to make it through the week. We need our lies to keep the pain tucked away where it can’t get to us. That deceitful heart of ours has a way making it easy for us to be okay with these lies (Jeremiah 17:9)—that is, until they’re drawn out by God’s scalpel (Psalm 139:23).
These lies don’t just cover up the pain of life, though. They actually make it harder for us to grow in our faith and in our connection with others. We’ve gotten so numb to them that we don’t necessarily even see the damage they do.
But here’s one time when it’s definitely okay to “name it and claim it.” If we’re to get beyond these lies that we drag around with us, we have to identify them and call them what they are.
Have you seen any of these 5 lies in yourself today?

1. I’m Okay.

We don’t like to dig around inside and examine what’s going on. Why? Because when we start looking, we often find areas that need some major renovations. That gets messy, and most of us are far too busy to go and look for things to fix.
So, we just tie on the “I’m okay” superhero cape and trudge onward. It’s usually only when some sort of tragedy strikes that we finally realize we aren’t as okay as we thought.
But that’s not the biblical model. In the Bible, the Psalmist continually cries out for God to search him and test him and examine him so that He can keep doing the necessary renovation work (for example, Psalms 11, 17, and 26). The attitude of Scripture is more like this:

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:40)

Honestly, admitting daily that we’re not okay and that we need God’s help can be scary. It means owning our weaknesses and doing the hard work of self-examination on a regular basis. But thankfully for us, God specializes in weakness, especially when we aren’t sure where to start:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)

We’re weak. He’s strong. And that’s the best truth there is.



I found this this morning and felt an urgent need to post it...

"No one will miss me", "I’m better off dead"

Read this post from a suicide help site:
      When I worked at a non-profit that handled suicide prevention, I had access to the donation records. Each month, a specific man donated $15 to our organization. It was like clockwork.. same day, same man, he had been doing this for over 4 years. It always seemed odd to me but I never questioned it… until I saw a note attached one month. “For Noah- Dad” his donation was once his child’s allowance.

     I can promise you, they would miss you for the rest of their lives.

"And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."—Exodus 17:12.

SO mighty was the prayer of Moses, that all depended upon it. The petitions of Moses discomfited the enemy more than the fighting of Joshua. Yet both were needed. No, in the soul's conflict, force and fervour, decision and devotion, valour and vehemence, must join their forces, and all will be well. You must wrestle with your sin, but the major part of the wrestling must be done alone in private with God. Prayer, like Moses', holds up the token of the covenant before the Lord. The rod was the emblem of God's working with Moses, the symbol of God's government in Israel. Learn, O pleading saint, to hold up the promise and the oath of God before Him. The Lord cannot deny His own declarations. Hold up the rod of promise, and have what you will.

Moses grew weary, and then his friends assisted him. When at any time your prayer flags, let faith support one hand, and let holy hope uplift the other, and prayer seating itself upon the stone of Israel, the rock of our salvation, will persevere and prevail. Beware of faintness in devotion; if Moses felt it, who can escape? It is far easier to fight with sin in public, than to pray against it in private. It is remarked that Joshua never grew weary in the fighting, but Moses did grow weary in the praying; the more spiritual an exercise, the more difficult it is for flesh and blood to maintain it. Let us cry, then, for special strength, and may the Spirit of God, who helpeth our infirmities, as He allowed help to Moses, enable us like him to continue with our hands steady "until the going down of the sun;" till the evening of life is over; till we shall come to the rising of a better sun in the land where prayer is swallowed up in praise.
by C. H. Spurgeon

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"The precious blood of Christ."—1 Peter 1:19.

STANDING at the foot of the cross, we see hands, and feet, and side, all distilling crimson streams of precious blood. It is "precious" because of its redeeming and atoning efficacy. By it the sins of Christ's people are atoned for; they are redeemed from under the law; they are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Christ's blood is also "precious" in its cleansing power; it "cleanseth from all sin." "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Through Jesus' blood there is not a spot left upon any believer, no wrinkle nor any such thing remains. O precious blood, which makes us clean, removing the stains of abundant iniquity, and permitting us to stand accepted in the Beloved, notwithstanding the many ways in which we have rebelled against our God. The blood of Christ is likewise "precious" in its preserving power. We are safe from the destroying angel under the sprinkled blood. Remember it is God's seeing the blood which is the true reason for our being spared. Here is comfort for us when the eye of faith is dim, for God's eye is still the same. The blood of Christ is "precious" also in its sanctifying influence. The same blood which justifies by taking away sin, does in its after-action, quicken the new nature and lead it onward to subdue sin and to follow out the commands of God. There is no motive for holiness so great as that which streams from the veins of Jesus. And "precious," unspeakably precious, is this blood, because it has an overcoming power. It is written, "They overcame through the blood of the Lamb." How could they do otherwise? He who fights with the precious blood of Jesus, fights with a weapon which cannot know defeat. The blood of Jesus! sin dies at its presence, death ceases to be death: heaven's gates are opened. The blood of Jesus! we shall march on, conquering and to conquer, so long as we can trust its power!
by C. H. Spurgeon

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"Show me wherefore thou contendest with me" (Job 10:2).

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never have been discovered if it were not for the trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too oft like a glowworm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black folds in which God doth set the jewels of His children's graces, to make them shine the better.

 

It was but a little while ago that, on thy knees, thou wast saying, "Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith."

 

Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?--for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it. God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery; real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials.

 

God trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers and climb mountains, and walk many a weary mile with heavy knapsacks on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you? --C. H. Spurgeon

 

To be left unmolested by Satan is no evidence of blessing. 

5 Destructive Lies You Tell Yourself Every Day starting Monday through Friday

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Let God Have You

How long has it been since you let God have you? I mean really have you? How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice?

Apparently, Jesus did. He made a deliberate effort to spend time with God. Spend much time reading about the listening life of Jesus and a distinct pattern emerges. He spent regular time with God, praying and listening. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Luke tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?

Little Things

By Dr. Walter Martin
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." - John 5:39-40 

A friend who was one of the most gifted philosophy students at New York University, scored in the upper one percentile of all philosophy students in the United States -- an inconceivably brilliant mind. He used to needle me ruthlessly every chance he got because I was a theist: I believed in God. We'd go at it time and time again. 

One night, as we sat in the cafeteria drinking coffee, we had a very interesting discussion. I'll never forget it; it's as if it took place yesterday morning. His name was Kaye. We chatted back and forth for a couple of minutes, and he started needling me again. Finally, I said to him, "Kaye, tell me what you think of Jesus of Nazareth, honestly." 

He answered, "Jesus of Nazareth was an extraordinary human being. He had fantastic insights into the mind of men and into their motives. I've read the New Testament, and I'm very impressed with the person of Jesus." 

"Good!" I continued, "Do you think Jesus was essentially a truthful person?" 

"Oh, I don't think there's any doubt about that at all," he replied. 

"Would you say that Jesus was, perhaps, the greatest moralistic teacher you've ever read?" 

"Oh, I don't think I'd doubt that for a minute, either. I've read all of them." 

"I'm so glad to hear that," I stated. "Now, if you were me, knowing you as I do: hopping from bed to bed, boozing, swearing, telling dirty jokes, living exactly the way you want to live; if you were me, would you listen to Jesus on the existence of God, or you?" 

He looked at me for a minute, put his coffee cup down, and answered, "If you put it that way, I think I'd listen to Jesus." 

"There never was a moment of doubt. Never," I said. 

A few weeks later in class, we were arguing vigorously again with the professor refereeing, when all of a sudden Kaye spouts off, "Now just a minute!" (I thought, Oh boy, now I'm going to get it!) But this time he said, "Martin and I are poles apart. We know our differences of opinion here, but you know, he does have a valid argument. His valid argument is on the person of Jesus. I don't hear anyone here saying they're equal with Jesus. Anybody here think they are? No? Well, that's Martin's position -- until you are, shut-up!" 

Kaye and I became friends. We drank coffee regularly, and I "gave it to him" every chance I got. So you see, the Lord uses little things ... even a cup of coffee.