In 1976, I became convinced of the eminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This conviction was more than just an intellectual exercise and even today, almost four decades later, I am amazed the Lord has not yet returned. But I am more certain than ever that event is not far in the future. He might even come tonight. But one thing I heard said way back then I absolutely believe is true. We should serve as though we have a lifetime to give to His service and live as though He is coming today!
Because I thought the Lord’s return was so near I delayed formal training that would give me greater credentials for service. Though I increased in knowledge through the help of Columbia Bible College and informal studies, I did not dedicate myself to a strict regimen of formal study for degree(s). (I did do South American studies through the University of South Carolina but that had to do with the potential need related to my military work.) Since those days I have met a number of ministers who have been guilty of the same failing and consequently have put limitations on their service to the Lord.
In education as in other areas of our Christian service I find we believers, among whom I number myself, are often guilty of failure in endeavor. Some people become discouraged because they try some enterprise and it does not work out and others simply convince themselves they do not have time to achieve. On the one hand it is true the best laid plans of mice and men do often go astray. On the other we place limits on what God might do in our circumstances.
Prayer is essential to Christian endeavor but prayer too often becomes the resource of inertia. We pray but do not seize opportunity that comes along in response to prayer. In serving God we need to have the attitude if God wills we will do thus and such.
Then we do not need to either hinder that will at work:
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:... For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (James 4:13&15)
Jesus is coming! May He find us both waiting and busy!
Daily Smile:
A young man, who was also an avid golfer, found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured that if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head
home. Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old man to join him.
To his surprise, the old man played fairly quickly. He didn't hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn't waste much time. Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball and directly between his ball and the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said, "You know, when I was your age, I'd hit the ball right over that tree."
With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally laid.
The old man offered one more comment, "Of course, when I was your age, that pine tree was only 3 feet tall."
In Hebrews 3.1 sinners and saints are told to 'consider' Christ. In Hebrews 12.3 they are told to 'consider' Gethsemane and Calvary, the precious shed blood of the Creator of the universe, the Author and Finisher of our faith. God does want you to 'STOP' ... 'LOOK' ... 'LIVE.'
You can afford to forget every other problem, every other phase of this life, until you 'STOP' and 'CONSIDER' Christ and Calvary. Why did the Creator of the heavens and earth die between malefactors on the cross? Why did He wear the crown of thorns? Why did His Father forsake Him? We are told in the closing verses of the fourth chapter of Romans, that Christ was delivered for our offenses and was raised
again for our justification. We are told in Romans 3:24 to 28, that this was necessary that God might be both just and merciful. We are told in Hebrews 9:12 that Christ by His own blood entered 'once' into heaven, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Let us accept at full face value the words of Christ in John 10:17 and 18, "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life. I have power to lay it down: I have power to take it up."
Eternal life is God's free gift to believing sinners. (Romans 6:23). God will have all men to be saved. (I Timothy 2:4 to 7). Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God. So 'STOP' ... 'LOOK' , .. 'LISTEN' ... 'BELIEVE' ... 'LIVE.' You may stop, look and listen, but if you do not personally receive Christ by faith, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24).
Daily Smile:
An 85-year-old widow went on a blind date with a 90-year-old man.
When she returned to her daughter's house later that night, she seemed upset.
"What happened, Mother?" the daughter asked.
"I had to slap his face three times!"
"You mean he got fresh?"
"No," she answered. "I thought he was dead!"
No Juggling Skills Required
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love (John 15:10, ESV).
In any great endeavor, there comes that point—after all the planning, all the build-up, all the cheerleading and dream-casting—when it’s just time to get to work. Time to do it.
And in reading Scripture, we see that Jesus isn’t shy about inserting this expectation into the Christian life. If we’re warm to the whole idea of finding joy in Him, walking closely with Him, living in the full blessing and privilege of relationship with Him, that’s great. But . . . let’s not forget the part about keeping His commandments. Obeying Him.
“WHEN JESUS COMMANDS YOUR OBEDIENCE, HE IS ACTUALLY COMMANDING YOU TO ABIDE IN HIM.” The air sort of leaks out of the balloon at that point for some people. But that’s what Jesus says it takes to “abide in [His] love.”
We’ve missed the boat on what it truly means to be obedient to Christ. We’ve turned it into a to-do list. We’ve turned it into a juggling act, and when one ball drops, our whole rhythm is shot. Soon we drop another. Then another. We can’t do this.
And yet that’s actually a good place to be—“can’t do this”—frustrated at what you can’t do, discouraged at how far short you fall in trying to live like Christ—because living like Him is not only difficult, it’s impossible. Jesus didn’t rise from the dead so He could watch you try to be more like Him. He rose from the dead so He could live His life through you. The grace that saves you is the same grace that sanctifies you.
So this may be the best news you’ll receive all day: the secret to abiding is obeying, but abiding is what leads to obeying. Obedience doesn’t come from willing yourself to practice more Christlike behavior—promising how strong you’re going to be next time, declaring what you’re never going to let happen again. When Jesus commands your obedience, He is actually commanding you to “abide” in Him—to remain at rest, give Him all your burdens, and draw new strength from Him.
That’s where all your energy to obey is found.
“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8)—a statement that’s as true for the redeemed as it is for the unconverted. But “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).
Then you’ll be abiding—and obeying.
No juggling skills required.
Journal
How would you personalize the juggling act of obedience? What’s that like for you? In what ways do you now see where the struggle to obey is fueled by a failure to abide?
Pray
Lord, thank You for wanting me close to You and for providing a way through grace so I can experience true nearness to You. Help me keep coming back to You, desiring to be even closer, always recognizing the cost of disobedience will interfere with the intimacy in our relationship. I ask for the strength that I need for obeying You, serving You, and loving others because of how You’ve first loved me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Our Journey devotionals are brought to you by Change Partners of Walk in the Word.
(Author Unknown)
As I was driving today, I couldn't help notice a sign outside a restaurant that read "Under New Management" in bold, colored letters. The owners were trying to convey the message that, even though the restaurant looked the same, perhaps even had a similar menu, something was definitely different.
It wasn't easy to spot the change from a distance. My first impulse was to go inside and question why things had to change. Why couldn't the new owners just pick up where the former left off, keeping it "business as usual"? The answers were simple: the former owners went bankrupt; they lost touch with what was important; their accounts were out of order.
In order to bring it back to its former glory, the old had to be replaced with the new. Some things, like the design, had to change gradually so others could become accustomed to it. Others needed immediate attention. But it had to come "Under New Management" for it to be effective.
That's the same way it is with us, beloved, when we finally come into a relationship with God: we have to come under new management . . . God's management! It can't be business as usual! God places a sign outside our hearts and begins to phase out the old things, those things which caused spiritual bankruptcy; those "accounts" in our lives that were in disarray. They are the past.
These "accounts" are not important any longer, nor do they have any bearing on God's ability to bring about change in our lives. And maybe we won't suddenly wake up and see someone else in the mirror . . . maybe from a distance others can't notice the change, but make no mistake about it: we're under God's new management!
It might not always seem like it. Our life's menu might sometimes seem like it's unchanged, but we can't be fooled! In some areas, we'll experience immediate change. In others, change will be gradual. Before long, however, the new Owner will bring in more changes, a more palatable menu for our lives and spiritual abundance. That's Jesus' heart and desire for us.
"What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" 2 Cor. 5:17 (NLT)
"For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another!" -Anatole France
Daily Smile:
An attorney, anxious to impress the judge with the detail, asked the following line of questions of a doctor who had recently performed an autopsy.
Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory (inner self) rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety and hope. Psalm 16:7-9
Dearest Friends,
As you wake up and face a new day, how much hope do you feel?
If any of you spend a lot of time watching the news, my guess is that your hope meter runs lower because of it. And if any of you are focusing on and worry about your finances, or your personal problems and feeling consumed by them, my guess is your hope is draining away.
How can hope be restored? Absolutely!
There are many ways. But the most important? Is to recognize God is in control. We focus on everything but that. We focus on our leaders expecting them to "fix" everything. We focus on our friends and family to help "fix" us when we are down. And we allow money to bring us a false sense of security. Sometimes spending it when we don't have it to feel better because life is so hard.
It is no wonder with this false sense of what we can be secure in, we often feel let down and disappointed and lose hope! We are looking at things and people who cannot live up to the demand of restoring our hope. It isn't their job!
My dear friends, what we put into our spirit is what helps it thrive or become ill.
We must find hope in God's word every day. It restores our soul. I find the Psalms to be a great source of hope and restoration to me. David was man acquainted with mistakes, flaws and failures, heartache and grief. He disobeyed God many times, yet God says David was a man after his own heart. Why? Because David always repented and sought God. He sought Him when he knew he was doing wrong, He sought God morning and night, and he sought God when he knew he was right before God. David had a heart seeking God!
David sought hope and restoration through God everyday!
David wrote this:The Lord is my shepherd(to feed, guide and shield me);I shall not lack.
He makes me lie down in (fresh, tender) green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life -- my self; He leads me in the paths of righteousness (uprightness and right standing with Him -- not for my earning it, but) for His names sake.Psalm 23:1-3
Daily Smile:
Only If You Truly Know My JESUS,
Can You Truly Smile Today...
Foodie Friday:
Better Than Takeout: Homemade Honey-Sesame Chicken is in the next post...
Better Than Takeout: Homemade Honey-Sesame Chicken
by JACLYN BELL
I've never really been completely in love with Chinese food, 19
times out of 20 I'd pick Italian, Mexican or all American pizza over Chinese food but my taste buds are really starting to crave it more lately. To be honest I don't know how much a dish like this honey sesame chicken could really be considered a Chinese dish, it's probably more of an American Chinese type entree. Either way, it is completely delicious. It definitely satisfies that craving for Chinese take out.
If you don't have the sesame oil, yes it would probably be fine to leave it out of the recipe, BUT you would be amazed at how much 2 teaspoons of sesame oil can do. It is powerful stuff. It's almost like an extract, it's so potently flavorful. It has a very savory and deep tone to it with hints of smokiness. Once you taste it you may go, ahh that is what the underlying flavor of that tasty entree I had at that Chinese restaurant was that I just couldn't quite put my finger on. If you wanted to make this a bit healthier you could replace the whole eggs with 2 egg whites, reduce the cornstarch mixture to 1/4 cup as well as 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, then combine the cornstarch/baking powder mixture with the egg whites and toss the chicken into mixture, saute the chicken in a wok or large non-stick skillet with a few Tbsp of oil rather than deep frying in several cups of oil. Also, if going the lighter route you can cut the sauce recipe in half. Which ever way you make it I hope you enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoon cold water
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan combine chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, ginger and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring mixture to a boil, meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoon cold water until well blended.
Once mixture has reached a boil, whisk cornstarch and water mixture into honey mixture, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook stirring constantly until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and cover with lid to keep warm.
Pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven, filling pot about 1 1/2-inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a shallow dish until well blended.
Pour remaining 1 cup cornstarch into a separate shallow dish, add in baking powder and whisk well to blend.
Dip chicken pieces into egg followed by cornstarch and toss pieces to evenly coat in cornstarch, then carefully place 1/3 of the chicken pieces into preheated oil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden, turning once during cooking.
Using skimmer, remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil.
Repeat process with remaining chicken working in two more batches.
Pour drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with sauce and sesame seeds.
Serve warm over white or brown rice garnished with green onions if desired.
INFORMATION
Category Rice, Main Dishes
Cuisine Chinese
So Sorry, I was unable to add this to tonight's Devotional, so I posted it separately...
Enjoy,
Richard
