Regeneration

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)
Perhaps the greatest purpose of Christianity is to take that which is only flesh and see it reborn as Spirit—to see spiritual life born where before there was only death. But then, even in the most mature of believers, there remain aspects of the old nature mixed in with—even at war with—the new. In frustration Paul cried, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me” (Romans 7:21). But each Christian should, through the power of God, be winning that war.
Christ came to regenerate the spiritual side of man. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Too many Christians still have their spirits buried deeply within the flesh, having “yielded [their] members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity” (Romans 6:19). But Christ came to change all that. “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).
Through faith, “according to his abundant mercy [He] hath begotten us again” (1 Peter 1:3). To “beget” means to reproduce a like kind. Since He has “begotten us,” we should be becoming like Him in attitudes and aims. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). This is the object of Christianity. JDM

So Loved

Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Expressed emotions can be a problem during a worship service. Each of us have our own opinion of how it should be done. The mature Christian will understand that not everyone is the same. The mature Christian will search out directions and focus on what our Bible say is the correct way to behave in all circumstances. Most folks find a group of “like believers” and worship the LORD together in an orderly fashion.

 

Problems come when people from other churches join and want things done the “correct way”, or, “their way”. Have you ever heard, “Well, that is the way I have always done it”? Anytime we do something because of tradition, without Biblical direction, we will mess up.

 

We have seen its OK to lift our hands in praise of Jesus. This week we learn that its OK to clap our hands and to shout unto God. Worshiping the Lord should be our primary purpose during all church services; not for personal attention, or, disturbance of preaching God's WORD! We are told that all things are to be done in decency and in order. It's the Evil one that causes turmoil and dissension among God's people.

 

  Christians should be considerate, but not to compromise our faith. We should be tolerant of unlearned folks, but not to the accepting of anti-biblical teachings. Finally, we should love the sinner, but hate the sin.

 

I'm glad God “so loved”. Did you know that “so” is limitless?

 

God Bless;

Walter D. Hill D. Min.
e-mail= hill.walter19@yahoo.com

Whose Your Hero?

1st Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first

Every one wants a hero. Some one we can look up to and admire. Some folks dress, talk, and even act like their hero.

I have a hero, he is my LORD and Savior. His name is Jesus. I want to be like my hero. This verse says, “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,”. Question: If Jesus can shout, why should we hold back?

This line of thought is not to confuse, or, condemn any one, nor any group. The purpose is to point out our differences, our varied worship styles, and our common goal of praising our LORD.
This day we are living in, we Christians need to unite and be ready to defend our faith. The enemy is all around us. The battle is about to begin, and, we best make sure of which side we are on. The battle is not ours. Our LORD will fight the battle. We are just “cheer leaders”. BUT as cheer leaders, we should encourage, help, and rally others to our cause.

Yes Christian friends, its not God's will that any should perish but that all come to repentance.

Aren't you glad Jesus has room for one more?

God Bless;

Walter D. Hill D. Min.
e-mail= hill.walter19@yahoo.com

He opened not his mouth (Isa. 53:7).

How much grace it requires to bear a misunderstanding rightly, and to receive an unkind judgment in holy sweetness! Nothing tests the Christian character more than to have some evil thing said about him. This is the file that soon proves whether we are electro-plate or solid gold. If we could only know the blessings that lie hidden in our trials we would say like David, when Shimei cursed him, "Let him curse;... it may be... that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day." Some people get easily turned aside from the grandeur of their life-work by pursuing their own grievances and enemies, until their life gets turned into one little petty whirl of warfare. It is like a nest of hornets. You may disperse the hornets, but you will probably get terribly stung, and get nothing for your pains, for even their honey is not worth a search. God give us more of His Spirit, "who, when he was reviled, reviled not again"; but "committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." "Consider him that endureth such contradiction of sinners against himself." --A. B. Simpson "Before you" He trod all the path of woe, He took the sharp thrusts with His head bent low. He knew deepest sorrow and pain and grief, He knew long endurance without relief, He took all the bitter from death's deep cup, He kept not a blood-drop but gave all up. "Before you" and for you, He won the fight To bring you to glory and realms of light. --L.S.P.

Remember Whose You Are

by Max Lucado What’s the secret to survival in enemy territory? Remember what God has done! Record his accomplishments in your memoirs. Don’t forget a single blessing. Create a trophy room in your heart. Each time you experience a victory, place a memory on the shelf. Before you face a challenge, take a quick tour of God’s accomplishments. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” Live out your inheritance! You are loved, redeemed and filled with the Holy Spirit. You have the power of God in you to fight any battle you face. The secret of survival in enemy territory? Remember what God has done. And remember whose you are! John 1:12—make it a verse to memorize this week. Let’s do it together at GloryDaysToday.com.

A Worldly Heart

2 Peter 2:9-18 God warns us against misguided desires, because sinful passions can lead to emptiness, suffering, disappointment, pain, and even death. Wise believers let the Father direct their yearnings--and then make changes if necessary. Impure desires have been part of the "flesh" nature since the fall of man, and they can be hard to see in ourselves. Instead of obvious things like theft, drugs, or immorality, they often involve more subtle attitudes and behaviors, like hoping for a rival's downfall, despising authority (2 Peter 2:10), obsessing about wealth (1 Tim. 6:9), or even speaking arrogant and vain words. Since worldly passions can cause great damage (2 Peter 2:18), believers are to deny them (Titus 2:11-12). But we can't overcome these desires on our own. Submitting to God's Spirit is the only way to live righteously. The Lord knows what we really desire--and more importantly, what we need--even when cloudy judgment leads us astray. And He understands honest mistakes. When a believer misinterprets the Spirit's guidance or receives bad advice from a friend, God looks at the heart. He may allow the consequences of a poor choice to play out, but He won't shame His children for an honest mistake. He can turn a bad situation into something good (Rom. 8:28). God can save us from worldly desires, but we must be willing to commit ourselves to Him and trust that His response is the best thing for us. When we put our lives entirely in the Father's hands, we can claim the wonderful promises He has for us and then rest in His grace. Dr. Charles Stanley

The Face of God

The psalmist says in Psalms 30:7,

You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

One thing we should never want to experience is for God to hide His face, because the face of God represents His favor, friendship, and fellowship.

Now there is only one thing that causes God to hide His face from us.  It is found in Isaiah 59:1-2,

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Sin is the one thing that causes God's face to be hidden.  The Bible says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, which means the sin of mankind had hidden God's face.

But that is not the end of the story, thank goodness!  In Isaiah 50:6 we are told, "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting."

Because Jesus did not hide His face from shame and spitting, because He took your place and died for your sins, God's face can shine upon you.

He could have hidden His face; He could have avoided the whole crucifixion, but He didn't. He bore a shame that was not His as God the Father laid the sin of the world on Him.

Because Jesus did not hide His face, the face of God need not be hidden from any of us. The light of God's countenance can shine upon every one of us, and we can indeed be the friends of God. 

Thank you, Jesus, for what you did!

First Responder

by shani4jc

At the scene of most any major accident or tragedy, you will find policemen, fire fighters, and emergency medical technicians.  They are often referred to as "first responders" because they are among the first at the scene.  They are there to take control of the situation, access what needs to be done, and to offer whatever assistance is necessary. They provide care for the injured.  They bring comfort and encouragement to those involved. Their very presence brings a feeling of security.  Did you know that you have your very own "first responder" who is at your side before your tragedy even strikes?  Jesus is our on the scene before we even know about the scene.  He is standing by, ready, willing, and able to provide us whatever assistance we need.  He provides comfort, security, encouragement, strength, and guidance for us. He wants to help us through our hurts and heartaches.  When the marriage fails, He is there to pick up the pieces.  When the prodigal leaves home, He comforts the brokenhearted.  When the pink slip arrives, He gives security.  When the diagnosis is not good, He provides hope.  When the loved one breathes their last, He is there to help the grieving take one breath at a time to get through their devastation.  No matter what you are facing, He is there.  He is the first one on the scene...your very own "first responder."  Now that you know He is there, the question is, will He be your first response?  When tragedy strikes, will you call on Him first to help you through?  Will you allow Him to do what He so desperately wants to do?  Will you allow Him to be the One who brings you help, hope, comfort, security, encouragement, etc. or will you try to take care of it all on your own?

"...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

3 Things to Consider Before Leaving Your Church

by Cindi McMenamin

If I asked you why you left your last church what would you say? 

If you relocated your family out of the area, I would understand. We all need a church in our own community. If you had unresolved conflict with someone after doing all you could to resolve it, I would extend grace. Even when we attempt to reconcile, that can still happen. And if you left because you were hoping to find a better program for your kids, I would ask what you are doing to shape the lives of your children.  

But chances are your reason for leaving was: "I wasn't being fed spiritually."  And that would make you like most people I’ve talked to. 

As a pastor's wife for more than 20 years, I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say they are looking for a new church because they weren’t being fed. I didn’t hear it being said about my husband (at least not directly) but from others about why they were checking out our church, why they hadn't yet found a church, or why they have nearly given up on church altogether. 

I fear we are becoming a society of selfish Christians when we base our reasons for staying in or leaving a church on the question “what’s in it for me?”  

 

Here are three things to consider the next time you are thinking about leaving your church:  

 

1. Church is about more than your pastor. 

Is your pastor’s teaching -- or whether or not you like him personally or are feeling connected with him -- your reason for staying or leaving? If so, you have placed an unfair and unreasonable burden on him. Your pastor is certainly not capable of being ALL things --  a great teacher and expositor of the Word,  a top administrator, a superb vision-caster, a gentle and compassionate counselor, a dynamic people person, a detail-oriented leader, and so on. And therefore, he can’t possibly meet all your expectations. It is inevitable that he will eventually disappoint you in one way or another. He is human.  And prayerfully he will be the first to admit it. A true man of God is humble in his calling and wouldn’t want to be the reason you stay at your church, either.  If the Word of God is not being taught, that’s reason to find a church where it is being taught. But if it’s taught in a different style, or you don’t feel you’re getting enough of the Word to grow spiritually, read the second point. 

 

2. Church is about where you serve. 

Some friends of mine just received news that their pastor of 16 years accepted a call at a different church  a few thousand miles away. He came to California to plant a church on the West Coast and now that he has faithfully done what he was called to do, he is moving his family back to the South where he and his wife grew up to pastor the church in which he was raised and to be near their aging parents in this season of life. 

Once I talked with my friends I heard their reservations. “We came here for his preaching. We need to be in a church where we are fed. We'll see how it goes. We'll see if the new guy will feed us.“

If our idea of spiritual food is a 40-minute sermon on Sundays, then we need to learn to feed ourselves, not find another church – or pastor – to do our feeding. It isn’t a pastor's responsibility to keep you spiritually fed and healthy on a weekly sermon. Prayerfully, you are feeding yourself through regular reading and study of the Word of God,  discipleship and accountability from someone other than your your pastor, and service that is shaping you into the image of Christ.  

Also, If you trust that God led your pastor to your church in the first place, can you trust when He leads him out of your church and brings someone else to fill his spot? Instead of asking "Will the next guy feed me?" a better question to ask is "How can I encourage and serve this body while we wait for God's appointed person to arrive?" 

Hebrews 10:24 instructs: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (NASB). If everyone who comes through the doors of your church merely sits and listens, rather than exhorts and serves, you have a lecture series, a comedy club, or a weekly Bible class. Church is more about where you serve, than where you're fed. 

 

 3. Church is about a sense of family. 

The church – a body of believers – is about a sense of family and community. It is about being with those you love and serve because God has called you to a family. When we have problems with a family member, we work it out, instead of leaving the family. When we find other people we like better than our family we don’t just ditch the family. If we are truly functioning as the New Testament commands a church to function,  every part of the body is needed and if one part of the body hurt – or leaves – the rest of the body will feel it (1 Corinthians 12:18-20). Do you see your church as your family? Your community? Christ’s extended body through which we can know and serve Him better? If not, chances are you won’t see your next church as a family either. 

If you are thinking about leaving your church, I would ask you to consider three questions: 

1) Is the Word of God still being taught, obeyed, and honored here? 

2)  Is my service, encouragement, and spiritual giftedness needed here? 

3) How can I most effectively help build up this body where God has placed me? 

Sometimes God will call us elsewhere to serve Him because of what we can uniquely offer another body of believers. But God will not call us away from a church for our own personal gain. When we take the focus off of ourselves by no longer asking "what's in it for me?" and start asking God "where can I serve You?" we might have a clearer indication of where He is calling and how He wants to use us. 

 

Cindi McMenamin has been a pastor’s wife for more than 20 years. She is a national women’s conference speaker and author of several books, including  When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts, When God Sees Your Tears, and When Couples Walk Together, which she co-authored with her husband, Hugh. She and her family live in Southern California. For more on her ministry and books to strengthen your soul, marriage, and parenting, see her website, StrengthForTheSoul.com.

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Recognize False Teachers

by John UpChurch

 

A false teacher isn’t going to tell you he’s teaching heresy. In fact, he’ll usually look and sound so sincere and passionate that you wouldn’t know he’s actually twisting God’s Word. The size of the crowds around him won’t tell you much either, since many people have been and continue to be led astray by teaching that pleases their ears.
The prophet Jeremiah kept telling the people of Judah over and over what God planned for Jerusalem, urging them to turn from their wicked ways. But the people preferred to listen to false prophets who told them what they wanted to hear. We have to make sure we’re not doing the same.
So, how exactly can you tell if someone is “wolf in sheep’s clothing”? You become a “fruit inspector,” just as Jesus said (Matthew 7:15–16). According to Pastor Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship, there are 7 telltale signs that can take the wool from our eyes:

1. Different Source

True teachers will reach for the Bible first, second, and always. They may use other sources of information to help explain what Scripture reveals, but the foundation of their message is always built upon “Thus says the Lord….” If you start hearing more from other sources than God’s Word, you may need to hit the door.

2. Different Message

The entire message of a true teacher will always revolve around the gospel of Jesus Christ. False teachers may mention Jesus here and there, but they will ultimately deny His deity and power (2 Peter 2:1). Of course, they won’t do so openly at first, and you’ll need to listen carefully to see if Jesus is at the core.

3. Different Position

True teachers will point to our sin and our need for salvation—and their lives will back that up. False teachers will promise freedom, but they themselves will be “slaves to depravity” (2 Peter 2:19). If a teacher’s lifestyle points to lust, greed, envy, or other enslaving passions, they are certainly not fit to teach.

4. Different Character

Those who are truly following Jesus will run after the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). They will never be perfect, but they will be working with all the strength God gives to become more and more like Christ. False teachers, on the other hand, live a life that screams “arrogance.” And that leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18).

5. Different Appeal

What does the teacher point to as the reason for their teaching? Are they pointing to Scripture as the reason for their urgency in sharing the gospel? Are they wanting you to believe what God says about how we are to escape the wrath to come (Romans 5:9)? If so, good. False teachers will make their appeal based on earthly passions, leading people back into sin (2 Peter 2:18). They’ll urge you to focus on the things of this world.

6. Different Fruit

Always check the results in the lives of those who are listening to a teacher. Those listening to true teachers will grow in their knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 3:18). Those sitting under a false teacher will be like a “spring without water” (2 Peter 2:17). In other words, they may talk a good talk, but they don’t produce anything of eternal value.

7. Different End

Here’s the part that should make us all stand up and take notice of why this matters. It’s a really big deal. False teachers lead people to a “swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). Jesus will tell them that He never knew them (Matthew 7:21–23). Those who listen to true teachers of the gospel will receive abundant life now and forever (Romans 5:17).
In a popular article on Crosswalk.com, Pastor Tom Hicks makes a similar distinction between true believers and hypocrites. It can be tough to tell the difference, but he provides 10 points to consider:

“2. A true believer’s changed life comes from a heart of love to Christ. Hypocrites can clean up their outward behavior to be seen by men, to ease their troubled consciences, or to keep themselves from the consequences of their sins. But true believers love Christ and keep His commandments for His sake, to serve Him, to know Him, and to bring glory to His name (Ps 119:6).”

Now, it’s your turn. What marks do you look for in a false teacher? What can the church do to better keep false prophets and pastors out of the pulpits?

5 Things We Believe about Hell That Are Not in the Bible

by Carrie Dedrick

When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell? Can you even remember? Honestly, I can’t. What about the last time you heard someone mention hell? Now that, I remember vividly.

I was involved with a huge Christmas musical at my church last year that attracts thousands of people. While in a ballet rehearsal to prepare for the angel dance that comes right before the Nativity, a friend of mine said, “We need to get this together because there are going to be people that see this show and do not know Jesus. They are going to hell and this might be what saves them.”

I was completely taken aback. My friend had spoken offhand, and yet what she said impacts me to this day. It is so easy to live comfortably in our Christian bubbles without thinking about those who are not saved. But the truth is hell is real and those who do not accept Jesus will spend eternity there (John 14:6).

In a blog post titled “7 Truths about Hell,” author and pastor J. D. Greear says that hell is a confusing notion to wrap our heads around. He even admits that when he was a young Christian and learned about hell, he was so disturbed that he nearly lost his faith. But, he says, hell is in the Bible so Christians need to wrestle with the concept to fully understand God.

It is time to start talking about hell. But first, we need to get our facts straight. Here are five misconceptions that you may have about hell.

1. Seeing God face-to-face is a warm and fuzzy experience.

Greear writes that people believe seeing God would be a “warm and fuzzy” experience but they are wrong. The Bible says that God is so holy and perfect that if anyone would see God face to face, he would die (Exodus 33:20). God’s own prophet Isaiah fell to ground in fear when he saw God on his throne because he believed he would die (Isaiah 6:5)

Though we do not like the idea of eternal suffering in hell, Greear argues that it exists for a reason.

“God tells us about hell to demonstrate to us the magnitude of his holiness. Hell is what hell is because the holiness of God is what it is. Hell is not one degree hotter than our sin demands that it be,” he says.

2. Jesus didn’t talk about hell.

There are some who believe hell is not relevant because Jesus is “meek and mild” and only about love and compassion. They say that God only talked about hell in the Old Testament and transformed in the New Testament with the birth of Jesus. But this is simply not true.

Greear points out that Jesus did talk about hell, and he talked about it more than anyone else in the Bible.

“In fact,” he writes, “if you count up the verses, Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven.”

3. Hell is a great blemish of God’s love.

Now that we know Jesus did talk about hell, the question becomes why he talked about it so much. Greear answers, “Because he wanted us to see what he was going to endure on the cross on our behalf.”

Jesus was crucified and endured both physical and mental pain. He was separated from God during his crucifixion, and in doing so, took “the hell of our sin into his body.”

“People often feel that hell is some great blemish on God’s love,” Greear said. “The Bible presents it as the opposite. Hell magnifies for us the love of God by showing us how far God went, and how much he went through, to save us.”

4. God sends people to hell.

Yes, those who do not accept Jesus will go to hell. But Greear says this is not God sending people to hell. They send themselves by rejecting Christ.

God has offered you the light of love, friendship and creation, Greear says. “But when you tell God you don’t want him as the Lord and center of your life, eventually you get your wish, and with God go all of his gifts.”

5. It’s enough for God to take us out of hell.

Some people accept Christ because they are scared of hell. This is not enough. Greear says, “It’s not enough for God to take us out of hell; he must take hell out of us.”

He means our hearts must be changed by loving and trusting God.

“If you accept Jesus just to ‘get out of hell,’ then you’d hate being in heaven, because only those who love and trust God will enjoy heaven,” Greear says. “If you don’t love the Father, then living in the Father’s house feels like slavery. It would be like forcing you to marry someone you didn’t want to marry. The only way you’ll enjoy heaven is when you learn to love and trust God.”

How are we to live our lives as Christians knowing the reality of hell? Russell Moore, President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has the answer.

“...hell is horrifying,” he writes. “God deems it so. Our response to such horror should not be denial, but the fervent evangelism of the nations.”

“Hell ought to drive us not to find misplaced hopes for the lost, but to the only hope for us, and for the whole world, the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

What Does God Look Like?

• by Dr. Ray Pritchard

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known" (John 1:18).
What does God look like? The Bible doesn't leave us to wonder about the answer to that question. Nearly 2000 years ago a little baby was born in Bethlehem who forever answered that question. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.  Hebrews 1:3 calls him the "shining forth of the glory of God."
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Does God have a name? Yes. His name is Jesus. In him the abstract becomes concrete. When I look at Jesus all those theoretical ideas about God suddenly become reality.
    -God now has hands.
    -And feet.
    -And eyes to see.
    -Ears to hear.
    -Lips to speak.

    -God has a voice!
    -He speaks a language I understand.
I see him touch a leper, and I know no one is too dirty for him.
I see him pause to speak to a beggar, and I know he's never too busy for me.
I see him feed the multitudes with loaves and fishes, and I know he can supply my needs.
I see him with the towel and the basin, and I know no job is too menial for him.
Finally I see him hanging on the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, beaten, bruised, bloodied, mocked, scourged, spat upon, jeered, booed, hated, attacked, scorned, despised, rejected, crucified. When I hear him cry out, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," I suddenly understand that Jesus has no enemies. In Jesus I discover a God who takes people seriously. He never treats people casually. He never brushes them off. He never says, "You're a loser." He's a God who cares enough to get involved in this ugly, twisted, unredeemed world.
What does God look like? Take a look at Jesus and you have your answer.
Lord Jesus, if you had not come, we would not know the Father. Open our eyes that we might see how much God loves us. Amen.

Elbows & Ears

by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm. Exodus 6:6
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

Once, when my son was just shy of three, he informed his mother he was drawing a picture of God.

"Oh… What does God look like?" she asked.

"Well, I put some elbows and some ears," he replied, and he went back to his work.

I was told that story when I came home from work. Cute, I thought. Not exactly as awe-inspiring as Ezekiel's vision, but sounds like a weird picture. I mean, where is the face?

"The face of the Lord is not one you could look upon" (Exodus 33:12-23), came the voice inside my head.

Where are the hands and feet?

That's you.

Oh yeah, that's true…
So… elbows and ears, huh?

Well, I guess God does reach us, and move us, and nudge us, and hold up the light to our paths. As Wayne Watson sang, "No one in this world can slip beyond the reaches of the long arm of the Lord."

And I know he hears us. He created us for fellowship. He desires praise and prayer. He's absolutely listening. He can even hear things we don't even know we're saying. As Steven Curtis Chapman sang, "The cross should have been mine, But His love broke through time, And heard my heart's cry."

So in one statement about one drawing by one child, I had digested a complete meditation on the nature of God, who He is and what He does, even what He leaves for us to do. As Casting Crowns sang, "If we are the body... Why aren't His hands healing... Why aren't His feet going?"

Intersecting Faith & Life: Consider today what part of the body you are playing, and what other parts (eyes, mouth, shoulders, etc.) describe what you know about the character of your God.

The key to fulfilling your every desire

Dr. Jack Graham

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Philippians 4:11–12

As a pastor, I have people come up to me all the time and ask me about how to overcome this or that temptation. And one conclusion I’ve come to after speaking with so many people is that every temptation is a solicitation to fulfill a God-given desire in a God-forbidden way. Let me explain…

Take food, for example. There’s nothing wrong with eating food. In fact, hunger is a God-given desire for life and sustenance. But the temptation can be to fulfill that desire through gluttony, which is obviously a sin.

This can also be applied to less tangible desires, like the desire to be loved and accepted. A God-honoring way to fulfill that desire would be to find love and acceptance in Him. But sadly, many people try to find love and acceptance solely in the things of the world and become enamored with searching and searching for something they’ll never find.

Desires are normal. Search God’s Word and discover what glorifies Him. Understand He’s created you with desires. And ask God for His leading in showing you how you can find your ultimate need and satisfaction in Him alone!

FIND SATISFACTION FOR YOUR DESIRES BY SEARCHING GOD’S WORD AND SEEKING TO HONOR HIM FIRST AND FOREMOST.

Distractions and Doubt

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, (Heb 12:1)

 

There are weights which are not sins in themselves, but which become distractions and stumbling blocks in our Christian progress. One of the worst of these is despondency. The heavy heart is indeed a weight that will surely drag us down in our holiness and usefulness.

 

The failure of Israel to enter the land of promise began in murmuring, or, as the text in Numbers literally puts it, “as it were murmured.” Just a faint desire to complain and be discontented. This led on until it blossomed and ripened into rebellion and ruin. Let us give ourselves no liberty ever to doubt God or His love and faithfulness to us in everything and forever.

 

We can set our will against doubt just as we do against any other sin; and as we stand firm and refuse to doubt, the Holy Spirit will come to our aid and give us the faith of God and crown us with victory.

 

It is very easy to fall into the habit of doubting, fretting, and wondering if God has forsaken us and if after all our hopes are to end in failure. Let us refuse to be discouraged. Let us refuse to be unhappy. Let us “count it all joy” when we cannot feel one emotion of happiness. Let us rejoice by faith, by resolution, by reckoning, and we shall surely find that God will make the reckoning real. —Selected

 

The devil has two master tricks. One is to get us discouraged; then for a time at least we can be of no service to others, and so are defeated. The other is to make us doubt, thus breaking the faith link by which we are bound to our Father. Lookout! Do not be tricked either way. —G.E.M.

 

Gladness! I like to cultivate the spirit of gladness! It puts the soul so in tune again, and keeps it in tune, so that Satan is shy of touching it—the chords of the soul become too warm, or too full of heavenly electricity, for his infernal fingers, and he goes off somewhere else! Satan is always very shy of meddling with me when my heart is full of gladness and joy in the Holy Ghost.

 

My plan is to shun the spirit of sadness as I would Satan; but, alas! I am not always successful. Like the devil himself it meets me on the highway of usefulness, looks me so fully in my face, till my poor soul changes color!

 

Sadness discolors everything; it leaves all objects charmless; it involves future prospects in darkness; it deprives the soul of all its aspirations, enchains all its powers, and produces a mental paralysis!

 

An old believer remarked, that cheerfulness in religion makes all its services come off with delight; and that we are never carried forward so swiftly in the ways of duty as when borne on the wings of delight; adding, that Melancholy clips such wings; or, to alter the figure, takes off our chariot wheels in duty, and makes them, like those of the Egyptians, drag heavily.

God's Call to Repentance

Luke 15:11-24   In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother asked to receive his inheritance early so he might live as he chose. Once the father gave him his share, he made many unwise choices that led to hunger and destitution. What happened next illustrates the principles of godly repentance.   After squandering all his money, the young man found work feeding pigs, a bottom-of-the-barrel kind of job. One day he came to his senses and recognized his terrible plight. His repentance began with an awareness of his wrong choices and the fact that his bad situation was due to them.   Knowing that his difficulties came from his sinful behavior, the prodigal grieved over his mistakes and acknowledged that he had sinned against the Lord (v. 18). He declared he was no longer worthy to be his father's son. Godly sorrow and confession led the young man to leave that place and go home. His repentance was made complete when he turned away from his old ways and returned to his father. The Lord likewise calls us to repent and return to Him.   What a welcome the prodigal son received. Upon seeing him, the father was filled with compassion and ran to embrace him. Forgiveness and acceptance were extended to the son. Both are blessings that God freely offers to whoever asks Him.   The prodigal son did not clean himself up before returning home. He simply left his old life, turned toward home, and trusted in his father's mercy. The heavenly Father calls us to repent and offers us forgiveness when we turn away from our self-centered ways and move toward godliness (1 John 1:9). Dr. Charles Stanley

Holy? Or Just “Holier Than Thou”?

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Leviticus 11:44

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Some people think that to be holy means to be odd. No, we’re to be different. We have too many Christians doing unbiblical things who claim to be holy when in reality they are just odd.

Holiness is not achieved by what we wear, where we sleep and eat, or how many spiritual things we do. It is not primarily a matter of dress or style of hair. And we don’t become holy if we live in a commune, monastery, or convent. There is no holiness in a hole.

ACTION POINT:
God makes us holy by the blood of His Son. And in return for this great love, we endeavor to live holy lives because we love Him. “Holy” is a state of being, not doing. It is a God-induced, God-developed character trait that grows in us as we grow in our love relationship with God.

Work hard for the harvest

by Sumner Wemp

"I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing' John 15:5. I have done no farming but I have been in all 50 states and on many farms. One thing is very common, they all work hard. The same is very true in the spiritual world. Pastors and people who produce much, work much. They do not sit around hoping and praying they will have a good harvest. They plow, plant, prune and pick to have a good harvest. I have a powerful, primary passion and purpose in this life. I do not want anyone to miss heaven and land in hell. Hell will not be a joke for one minute.

God loves you and proved it beyond doubt. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to suffer and die for your sins and mine on the cross, paid our debt in full, rose again and was a seen alive by multitudes of people. Will you also believe God that Jesus loved you also and paid your debt for your sins in full and you believe God that is what gets you to heaven.

Can we all be soul winners?

by Sumner Wemp

"I sent YOU to reap" John 4:38. Think about this. God does not send us out to play tiddelee winks with manhole covers. I get depressed when I hear people say we can't all be soul winners. Excuse me but that is pure unbelief. God said "the harvest is plenteous" the problem is "the laborers are few" Matt. 9:37. Dear Dad, your family, your church, the WORLD especially, needs YOU. Please don't live in the stands but we need your help in the game of life. Someone was in the game and helped you to get saved and go to heaven instead of hell. I am 90 years old, still in the game. I need you and your help to change this world back to God. If not already doing it, come go with me and bring your family.

Rehearse what the Lord has done

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy; (you and me) I (the Lord Jesus) am come that they (you and me) might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10. Please don't get robbed. Multitudes are being robbed daily and do not know it. On Mar, 24, 1941 at the Franklin St. Baptist Church in Jacksonville Fla. I heard Pastor Pat Wimberly preach that God loved me and the Lord Jesus suffered and died to pay for my sins in full and rose so that I could trust that He paid for my sins in full so I could go to heaven. by believing God that Jesus paid my way to heaven fully. I believed God, trusted Jesus and God saved me and I have not gotten over it yet.

My folks were very poor. My dear mother was a pessimist and talked like we were going to the "Poor House” any day. God blessed me. I graduated from college and graduate school. Met this beautiful girl, Celeste, we married, were going to the mission field, the jungles of Brazil but God closed that door. I became a pastor. I believed God and prayed fervently that He would give me life abundantly and let me serve Him fervently.

He did and I have preached in every State but Rhode Island. Celeste and I have been in over 70 countries ministering in almost all of them. We have taught in five Christian colleges and seminaries. Written many Christian articles published in very good Christian publications. "Israel rehearsed all that GOD HAD DONE WITH THEM” Acts14:27, 15,4,5,12. (great lessons - read those verses)  This is what I have written, “what God has done.”

YOU, God wants YOU to have life more abundantly. He said so in John 10:10. You can have it abundantly if you will trust and obey PLEASE, PLEASE DO.
Your servant, C. Sumner Wemp 1 John 3:2