Where Is the Church?

Where Is the Church?

It seems to me that more people who claim to be Christ-followers in this world are caught up in doing church over being church. But church isn't a place. It isn't a set of rituals. It isn't the performance abilities of teachers or musicians. Church is the life of Jesus on display through his people – with Jesus functioning as head and all his people as various parts of his body in the world.

Jerry Cook tells a story about Richard Halverson that illustrates the contrast between "doing" and "being" as the people who confess Christ.

Dr. Halverson was chaplain of the United States Senate for several years. He would occasionally visit the seminary where Cook was a student. After one of those visits to speak to students, he joined a group of them for coffee and made himself available for informal conversation.

"Dr. Halverson," began one of the seminarians, "where is your church?" The student was asking about the street location of the Presbyterian Church Halverson served, but he got a deeper and more insightful answer.

"Well, its three o'clock in Washington, D.C. The church I pastor is all over the city right now. It's driving buses, serving meals in restaurants, sitting in board meetings, having discussions in the Pentagon, deliberating in Congress." He proceeded with a long list of roles and responsibilities where his church was functioning that day. "And periodically we get together at a building on Fourth Street," he added, "but we don't spend a lot of our time there."

The pastor-chaplain was not naive with his answer. He was brilliant. And he had the clear intent to challenge a young would-be pastor to raise his sights above the Sunday event of church as an assembly. Or even church as programs and budgets and organization. The church was never intended to be isolated from the world but to penetrate it as salt does food. Jesus wants his people to be "in the world" but not "of the world" - functioning as light to dark places.

Where will you be today? In meetings? On the phone? Calling on clients? Teaching algebra? Cleaning house? Delivering product? Delivering speeches? Delivering babies? Wherever you will be and whatever you are doing there, you will be part of the spread-out, scattered-over-the-world church. Your role is to be a stand-in for Jesus to make the world a better, less-threatening place.

"Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17 NLT).

Rubel Shelly

Closing the Door on Your Past

Closing the Door on Your Past

When I was a kid, "Nautilus" was Captain Nemo's submarine in a Jules Verne novel. I knew that because Walt Disney put it on TV. Then "Nautilus" became the name of an early nuclear submarine launched by the United States. But I just recently saw a nautilus when we were at Ocean City, New Jersey. No, it wasn't a submarine. It was the original nautilus - the little sea creature with the fascinating shell. We actually saw a lot of nautilus shells in little shops. We bought one for our living room. It's real smooth on the outside with stripes on it, and it's bigger than my hand. To me, the nautilus shell is shaped sort of like a big, shiny human ear, or maybe like an unborn child in the womb, if you can picture that. The original inhabitant is gone, but his fascinating shell-house remains. When you cut a nautilus shell in half, it reveals the life story of the one-time inhabitant. At the center is this circular chamber with a wall around it. That was the original home of a little bitty nautilus. There are circular chambers all the way to the outer edge of the shell, and each chamber is a little larger than the previous one. That little sea creature kept outgrowing his shell, so he left it behind and moved on to the next chamber - and chapter - of his life.

We've got a lesson to learn from that little sea creature. He knows how to close the door on the old chapters of his life and move on to a whole new chapter. For someone listening today, some of those old chapters still define a lot of who you are today - the past hurts, the past failures, the past mistakes, the past sins. Don't you wish you could do what that nautilus does and just build a wall that closes the door on the old you and enables you to grow into the new, improved you? The bad news is you can't. The good news is Jesus can. He's been doing it for people for 2,000 years. He's done it for me. He can do it for you.

It's the promise of 2 Corinthians 5:17, our word for today from the Word of God. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Something miraculous happens when you go from being "outside of Christ" to "inside Christ". The guilt of the old is erased, and you no longer have to be defined by the darkness of the past. He makes possible a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning.

That's why God says to us in Isaiah 43: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? ... I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions ... and remembers your sins no more." What an awesome possibility! The blotting out of every sin of your past! No religion can do that for you because no religion can pay the spiritual death penalty for your sin. It took nothing less than the brutal death of Jesus Christ on the cross for you. You did the sinning but Jesus did the dying so He could build a wall between you and the darkness of your past and move you into a life that revolves around Him - a forgiven life. A life lined up with the purpose for which you were created.

But you have to be "in Christ" for that miracle to happen. Not in church, but in Christ. You can be in Christianity and still not be in Christ. What brings you into belonging to Jesus? You enter in by a step of life-changing faith. You admit the sin of your life to Jesus, you let Him know you don't want to live this way anymore, and then you tell Him, "Jesus, I'm pinning all my hopes on your death for me on the cross and your resurrection from the dead. My life is in your hands from this day on." You do that with all your heart, and you will be "in Christ" - and you will be His "new creation."

I wish I could sit down with you and personally explain more fully just how you begin this life-changing relationship with Jesus. I can't do that, but I can send you the little booklet I wrote about it called Yours For Life. If you want it, I'll get it to you right away. Just ask for it at our website – www.yoursforlife.net – or call us toll free at 877-741-1200.

The Bible says "the old is gone; the new has come!" You're on the edge of that miracle right now. Let today be the day of your new beginning!

Ron Hutchcraft

Conversation between GOD and Me

Conversation between GOD and Me

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this internet era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable able, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can’t get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

[Shared by Sis. Shalini Rachel Paul]

I am Forgiven

I am Forgiven

Isaiah 43:25 - I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (KJV)

I've known, truly known, God's gracious forgiveness all my Christian life. I've experienced beautiful times of repentance and the Lord's merciful lifting of burdens of known sins. I've literally lost count of all the forgiveness I've prayed for and received. I've been washed, cleansed, and freed from besetting sins and temptations, immeasurably.

There has been no doubt in my mind that Jesus died on Calvary, suffering a terrible death, to set believers free, and that He took upon Himself everyone's iniquities, in fact, the sins of the whole world. And so, I knew to bring all of my emotions into the light of God's Word.

Colossians 1:13-14 - For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NASB)

But -- in my case, a very big but -- I found all too often the guilt and the remembrance of past forgiven sins would return when least expected. This returning, oppressive guilt would plague and torment me as if I had never received forgiveness at all -- even though I knew by God's Word, as well as by the faith and belief in my heart, that I was forgiven.

Micah 7:19 - He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. (KJV)

My nagging prayer became, "Why, oh why, Lord, does the guilt and remembering keep returning, when I know that You have not only chosen to forgive, but also chosen not to remember, even to throw my sins into the depths of the sea?" After so long, a few years ago, I opened up enough to receive God's answer, and this truly works for me, now.

God had chosen to forgive and not to remember my sins, but had I? Obviously not! I hadn't chosen this as a deliberate act, as God had. Therefore, I hadn't asked the Lord to help me to choose to forgive myself or to help me choose to forget my sins. We hear it so often, don't we? "It's there for the asking, but you did not ask," and/or "You ask amiss."

Our loving, merciful Lord has taught me that He can heal tormenting memories and oppressive guilt, when we learn to choose what He chooses for us.

I knew it then in my heart, but I know it now by experience: as His beloved, we need to live in the full power of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, thus making pointless no part of the agony of His suffering. If God Almighty chooses to blot out the sins we have repented of, and to cast our sins into the depth of the sea, remembering them no more, we can surely learn to forgive ourselves.

We can live in the full freedom of God's forgiving grace. We can and should declare fearlessly at any time, to anyone doubting -- including ourselves -- that "I am forgiven."

Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your great and wonderful sacrifice on the cross. May we always remember that true repentance and Your forgiveness free us from all guilt, so that we may live more fully the abundant life You sacrificed Yourself to give us. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen and Amen!

Rosemary Renninson

Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God

Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

Today we find very little teaching of holiness and even less in the performance of it. It seems average Christians are satisfied with their spiritual life as is, without any desire to be all God wants them to be or any effort to "grow in grace" as Peter exhorts all to do (2 Peter 3:18).

Holiness is not some pious attitude that causes us to be isolated from the world or clothed with some self-righteous display that is of no affect to anyone. We see too much of this and it is dishonoring to God. Holiness is simply the displacement of self and the enthronement of God in His rightful place. When He is on the throne of our heart, God is all and self is nothing.

How does this take place? Paul said there must be a renewing of our mind. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). The mind of Christ was first and foremost obedient and in humble submission to the will of the Father. Everything else was subservient to this. This should be our starting point. There is no place for pride, self-sufficiency or arrogance if humility before God is to characterize our life. Humility before God is the very essence of holiness and God's blessing in our life.

As Christ embraces our life with the reality of an intimate personal relationship, we will seek to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. We will not take pride in the things we put off that are displeasing to God. We will humbly seek to "put on Christ" and be clothed with His virtues. Jesus said, "Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29). Humility is one of the highest graces and one of the hardest to attain. Jesus said, "He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. I am among you as he that serves" (Luke 22:26-27). Oh, that we might have a servant's heart and seek to magnify the Lord in every phase of our life. This will be the fruit of a humble heart and a contrite spirit that is in submission to His lordship.

We must "cleanse ourselves of filthiness of the flesh and spirit." Standing in awe of God must precede, not follow, the purification of our hearts. It is when we embrace a tenderness of conscience and a watchfulness of mind that our hearts are open in reverential awe of who God is. The searchlight of God shines on the wretchedness of our life in the light of His holy righteous being. We desire to put off the filthiness of the flesh and sins, which arise from the body -- uncleanness, intemperance, lust, laziness, irresponsibility, and the like. Then there are sins of the mind -- pride, envy, malice, revenge, deceit, and others that quench the Spirit. These must be cleansed, subdued, and put to death if we are to "perfect holiness in the fear of God."

"Holiness" is preceded by the fear of God and the image of God implanted in our soul. This is a positive renovation of the whole man by the power of the Holy Spirit. The fear of God is reverential awe of all that God is. "For unto us is given exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we may be partakers of the divine image" (2 Peter 1:4). These promises are of no avail unless we appropriate them, treasure them in our mind, plead them before God in prayer, and trust in the One who has given them to us! God will renew our minds and implant His holiness in our life to the praise of His glory. May this be the desire of our hearts and the joy of our life!

Ed Powell

[Shared by Dinesh Pandian]

The Language they Speak

The Language they Speak

My life was profoundly affected by the example of five American missionaries who died trying to get the Gospel to a Stone Age tribe in Ecuador who had never heard the name of Jesus. They were actually murdered by the tribe that was then known as the Aucas. Amazingly, the wife of one of those missionaries and the sister of another actually went to the tribe that had killed their loved ones to tell them about Jesus. Today, some of the murderers of the missionaries are the pastors of the Auca, or Waorani, church. It's an amazing story.

I had the unforgettable privilege a few years ago of going to the Ecuadorian jungle to tape a radio program about what happened there. And I met Mincaye, one of the killers, one of the pastors. I learned that those missionary women had difficulty translating the Bible into the native language because this tribe had no word for, actually no concept of, "forgive." But the message somehow had gotten through to Mincaye. Here's what he said: "What we did to those missionaries was a terrible thing. But one day soon I will see them in heaven because Jesus has washed our hearts."

A spiritual rescuer had come to people to whom the word "forgive" meant nothing. But God's messenger to them did what effective missionaries have always done. She found a way to say it in words the people could understand. We can do no less for the spiritually dying people around us.

Obviously, the need to translate Christ's message is hard to miss in a foreign setting where there is a clearly different linguistic language. But the need to translate the Jesus-story is easy to miss when our neighbors and friends speak the same linguistic language we do, but a different cultural language. The words of our Christian "tribe" simply have no meaning, or the wrong meaning, to the lost "tribe" right next to us. Many lost people assigned to us by God have no better understanding of "born again," or "saved," or "accepting Christ" than Mincaye had of "forgive."

In our word for today from the Word of God, we discover one big reason thousands of people from all over the world came to Jesus in the first outreach ever held by the Christian Church. It was Jerusalem, it was Pentecost, and according to Acts 2:6, "Each one heard them (that is the apostles) speaking in his own language."

Now that was a special miracle from God, but it underscores that people must hear Christ's message in a language they can understand, which our church language - which I call Christianese - is not. Maybe you've been transmitting the Good News about Jesus and getting little or no response. Could it be that they're stumbling over your vocabulary? You can't just transmit the Good News; you have to translate it into everyday, non-religious words.

In Jesus' parable of the four soils, three of which produced little or no good harvest, we see the major difference between those three soils and the soil that produced great fruit. In each case, Jesus explains that "this is the man who hears the word." But where there was a great harvest, Jesus said, "This is the man who hears the word and understands it" (Matthew 13:23).

This is life-or-death information we have to deliver. We cannot afford to have our lost family and friends miss it because we said it in words they don't understand. It's time to move beyond the comfort of our Christianeze to communicate the message people cannot afford to miss. The words we use can be decisive for each of us in our personal rescue mission for Jesus.

You're God's missionary where you are. If you make the effort to translate the Good News into the language of the person who needs it, you can be part of a life-giving miracle!

Ron Hutchcraft

Aaron's Rod

Aaron's Rod

Numbers 17:8 - And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. (KJV)

Several years ago, I started a newsletter as an encouragement for individuals with disabilities and their families. My title, "Aaron's Rod", was inspired by the story in Numbers 17. I included in my newsletter this mission statement: "Inspiring children of God with disabilities to blossom using the gifts God has given them." When I think of Aaron's rod, the first idea that comes to mind is fruitfulness: using the talents that God has given us for His purpose and glory.

The story of Aaron's rod began with a dispute among the leaders of Israel regarding the ministry of Moses and Aaron. In response to their complaints, God instructed Moses to collect their staffs, each bearing the name of one of the twelve tribes. The staffs were kept overnight in the tabernacle. The next day, Moses found that Aaron's rod had not only budded and blossomed but had produced almonds! It was the rod that miraculously produced fruit that confirmed God's choice of Moses and Aaron. God is able to use anyone who is willing to serve Him with a humble heart.

I read an interesting story in a Bible study guide about a mother who began reading and personalizing Scripture for her two mentally-challenged children. Before she knew it, these Scriptures were already having a tremendous effect in the lives of others. Having a similar experience, I see God's Word making a remarkable difference in the life of my autistic son.

God appointed each of us with a variety of ministries, according to His will. As the body of Christ, we must be careful, however, to serve Him with humility and to work together, respecting the unique individual gifts of our fellow believers. The apostle Paul makes this principle clear: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord." (1 Corinthians 12:4-5 KJV)

Let us each examine our lives. Are we producing fruit that will bring honour and glory to Christ? Despite our various backgrounds or disadvantages, the budded rod is a symbol of God's power to enable us to bear fruit for Him that will last forever.

Prayer: Father, help us to serve You with humility, allowing Your Spirit to work through us, that we may blossom and be productive using the special abilities and gifts You have given uniquely to each of us. Amen.

Lori Ciccanti

The Unmentioned Essentials

The Unmentioned Essentials

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about... the world was not worthy of them... These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:32-40 TNIV).

As last week ended, two very quiet and unassuming people in our church family -- one a woman, the other a man -- passed quietly from this life and into the arms of Jesus. Neither would garner headlines in the paper. Neither would be listed as key leaders in our church. Both lived quiet lives of unassuming service outside the limelight. Both did more good things than can be counted. Both of these served folks others didn't see or simply neglected. Neither wanted to be well known for what they did; both just wanted others to be served. One provided scholarships for students who couldn't afford a Christian education and the other made dresses for little girls in children's homes -- and yes, they did hundreds of other things in addition to these, so I share these as just a sample.

Both of these fine, sweet, people are part of what I call the "unmentioned essentials" of God's Kingdom. They fulfilled the apostle Paul's charge to the Thessalonians:

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

They will be missed because of who they are and because of what they have quietly done.

All too often, we give our attention to celebrity. Even in our churches, we honor the person who is up front or who can speak loudest or can display some entertaining skill in a public forum. Yet if we scratch beneath the surface, we know the folks that win great victories or accomplish great things or win great battles for God are often these "unmentioned essentials" -- the quiet, faithful, resolute, steadfast "git 'er done" folks behind the scenes.

So I am thankful today.

I am thankful that the Holy Spirit mentioned the "unmentioned essentials" in the Faith Hall of Fame -- yes indeed, "the world was not worthy of them" (Hebrews 11:32-40, see Scripture above).

I am thankful for getting to know more about two precious, but private, people who served God's Kingdom in ways that only the Lord knows.

I pray that more of us will be like them.

I am thankful for the people over the ages who toiled in obscurity, suffered without notoriety, served without fanfare, sacrificed without notice, and advanced the cause of Christ without needing a headline, a billboard, or a platform.

I pray that more of us will be like them. I hope more of us will thank such folks when we find them. And I know that God will reward them in glory in ways we did not while they lived quietly among us.

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."

"Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them" (Revelation 14:13).

Who are some of these quiet servants of God that have crossed your path? I'd love to hear a story or two about the people who have impacted your life for Jesus!

Why do you think we tend to ignore and neglect these kinds of servants and get so caught up in the hype and bluster of celebrities -- especially since Jesus taught us who the real heroes are?

Phil Ware

Heartless Lips

Heartless Lips

Matt. 15:8
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Have you ever found yourself sitting in church, listening to the sermon, and suddenly your mind begins to drift? Or perhaps you are in the midst of singing praises to the Lord and you discover that your mind isn't focused on the words that your mouth is uttering? Or maybe it's during the service that your mind is suddenly bombarded by the myriads of things on your to-do list or the things you accomplished during the week. Meanwhile, you aren't hearing a word your pastor is saying!

This is a continual problem for me, and I often have to remind myself that I go to church to worship God and experience Him corporately, not to pursue in my mind the things I have laid to rest in order to be able to enjoy God on a personal level!

This text hits home: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Matt 15:8 NIV) Aren't we often times filled with heartless lips? Our lips are singing to the glory of God, but our heart is far from what we are actually saying? Are we really giving God the glory or are we cherishing another illicit lover who prevents us from enjoying God's company?

Imagine a boyfriend (or a girlfriend) who tells you: "Whenever I am with you, I can't stop myself from thinking about this other cute guy (or attractive girl). For some reason I cannot concentrate on what you are telling me." Would you continue dating that person?

This kind of double-mindedness can get worse! Imagine it invading the core of our relationship with God. What would happen then? James is quite clear about this: "When he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8 NIV)

Ouch! That sure hurts! Is it possible that our double-mindedness keeps us from experiencing God fully in our lives? Is it possible that our prayers are not answered because we are too busy thinking about something other than God's promises? Has doubt crept up in our souls because we let our hectic circumstances dictate our life? Has stress overrun our faith?

Interestingly enough, many do cherish their daily to-do lists, and many favour their myriads of activities. Sadly, many also don't experience God the way they could, many in fact are estranged with the lover of their soul.

"'Will you go out with me? Are you willing to listen attentively to how much I love you and how I constantly think about you? Will you return the favour and start experiencing me fully?” asks the Lord.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out." (Song 1:2-3 NIV)

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20 NIV)

Will we accept His invitation?

Rob Chaffart

God's Gerbils

God's Gerbils

Gerbils are pretty funny and they're extremely predictable. At least, the one our kids had as a pet sure was. When I checked in on him in his little cage upstairs, he was almost always doing the same thing - the wheel. There he was, just chugging away, running on his gerbil wheel. If you went back a few hours later - the wheel. If I had spoken "Gerbilese," I would have pointed out that even though he was expending a lot of energy, he wasn't going anywhere. But I think I know what his response would be. He would just run faster on the wheel that was going nowhere!

These next few moments are dedicated to a special group of people – really busy Christians. Many of whom are, unknowingly, spiritual gerbils running faster and faster on a wheel, but often really not going anywhere because they're doing a lot of the right things for a lot of the wrong reasons.

The right reason to be serving is plainly spelled out in our word for today from the Word of God, where Jesus asks what is probably the most important question He ever asked. After Peter's triple denial of his Lord and Jesus' resurrection from the dead, Jesus calls him aside for a man-to-man talk in John 21, beginning in verse 15. And there's the question.

"Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon... do you truly love Me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love You.' Jesus said, 'Feed My lambs.'" Jesus goes on to ask His question a second time, and then again. "Jesus said, 'Simon...do you love Me?' Peter said, 'Lord... You know that I love You.' Jesus said, 'Feed My sheep.'"

Jesus didn't ask, "Why did you fail Me?" or "Will you work for Me?" All He wanted to know was "Do you love Me?" That's all He wants to know from you - do you love Him? Notice that the assignment, "Feed My sheep," comes only after Jesus is sure, and Peter is sure, that he's doing it for love.

Which leads to the inevitable question about your spiritual service. What are you doing it for? Basically, there are three reasons people do Christian things: duty, recognition, or love. And the first two don't count. Maybe you've been busy for God mostly out of a sense of duty. That's why you're easily frustrated, often depleted, and way too stressed. It's a spiritual gerbil wheel, isn't it? You're Martha, fulfilling all your responsibilities, but you're neglecting your relationship with Jesus. And the relationship matters way more to Jesus than the responsibilities.

Maybe you're doing it for recognition - Gerbil wheel. Not to mention glory-stealing; using what only God should be getting glory for to get glory for yourself. Doing the work of the Lord for duty or for recognition is inevitably going to feel hollow, unsatisfying, exhausting, and frustrating, because you're supposed to be doing it as an overflow of your love for Jesus.

And chances are good it used to be, it was because you loved Him. But now what's supposed to be a joy has become a gerbil wheel because your reasons for doing it got mixed up. Maybe it's time to say, "Jesus, I repent of doing the right things for the wrong reasons. I just want to spend the time with You that I need to spend to fall in love with You again." When you do, then all your spiritual service becomes simply loving Jesus in front of people. It's all for Him! And then the results don't matter... the recognition doesn't matter, just as long as you know Jesus is smiling.

The longer you do it for yourself, the more miserable it grows. But the longer you do it for Jesus, the sweeter He grows.

Ron Hutchcraft

Wants vs Wishes

Wants vs Wishes

"Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" John 5:5-6 (NKJV)

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "After many years of counseling and prayer for help, my brother who has been a Christian for many years can't seem to let go of his emotional problems and failures. Is there anything I can say to help him forgive himself? What might be holding him back from finding healing and freedom?"

There may be any of a number of reasons why this man seems to be "stuck" in his situation. One may be that deep down he doesn't want to get well.

According to reports I have read from both a Christian and a secular source, of all the people who go to a counselor or physician saying they want help approximately 25 percent actually don't want to get well. Some of these people like to feel sorry for themselves and get some kind of satisfaction from seeking sympathy. A further 50 percent expect the counselor or physician to heal them. Only 25 percent actually take responsibility for doing what they need to do in order to get well. One physician said that some patients would rather he operate on their body than they operate on or change their lifestyle!

Many of us say that we want to lose weight, too, but do little or nothing about it. What we do is confuse a wish for a want. It's one thing to wish for something, it's another thing to want it.

As Jesus said to the sick person, "Do you want to be made well / whole?"

To be made well/whole, I need to be committed to being made well/whole and accept responsibility for doing whatever I need to do in order to get well. I can pray forever about losing weight but if I don't watch my diet and get sufficient exercise, it's not going to happen. And if I cling to my grudges and refuse to forgive all who have hurt me, I won't get well either.

True, some ills and miserable circumstances are beyond our control but there are many that we can do something about ourselves. Yes, pray for wisdom to know what to do, for truth to see what we need to do, for courage to do it, and for God to lead us to the help we need to overcome. When we do our part, we can be sure that God will do his.

The bottom line is do we truly want to be made well/whole--or do we just wish for it?

Prayer: "Dear God, please help me to accept responsibility in every adverse situation that comes my way. Besides trusting in you, help me to see what I can and need to do to make healing and wholeness possible. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

ACTS International
www.actscom.com

THE POISON AROUND YOU…

THE POISON AROUND YOU…

I'm sure everybody reading this
Knows somebody that they really shouldn't be around
For one reason or another

And yes some of you reading this
Might actually be that person, Lol!

Maybe every time you are with this person
You get into trouble...

Not saying that you are "better" than them
(Cause were all equal in GOD'S EYES)

But maybe this person is into things
That you are not down with
And don't agree with
(drinking, smoking, selling, etc.)

Well as a CHRISTian
We gotta be particularly careful
Who we bring into our circle

Cause its hard to get away
"from the world"
When we’re still in it!!!

1 Corinthians 15:33
"DO NOT BE MISLEAD, "BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER."

And when you really think about it: What does a believer and a non-believer has in common?

2 CORINTHIANS 6:14
"DO NOT BE YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS. FOR WHAT DO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND wickedness HAVE IN COMMON? OR WHAT FELLOWSHIP CAN LIGHT HAVE WITH DARKNESS?

You see everybody who's not for us
Is against us...

I'm not saying that we should stand back
And watch their life "ship wreck"

But when it comes to dating
And stuff like that
We should definitely be careful
Who we bring around
‘Cause they might never get on your level

And the next thing you know
You are back in the world…

PROVERBS 12:26
"A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS CAUTIOUS IN FRIENDSHIP, BUT THE WAY OF THE wicked LEADS THEM ASTRAY.

PROVERBS 13:20
"HE WHO WALKS WITH THE WISE GROWS WISE, BUT A COMPANION OF FOOLS SUFFERS HARM.

Proverbs 24:1
"DO NOT ENVY wicked MEN, DO NOT DESIRE THEIR COMPANY.

And I think it’s even worse when you deal
With relationships ‘cause they can lead
To marriage and kids...

You have no idea of how many Single CHRISTian mothers
There are out there
Just because they got with the wrong person.

With that said, we should try
To bring THE WORD OF GOD
To the people in the world
The streets, internet, you name it

But that doesn't mean
We’re supposed to marry them… Lol!
Or be on the corner with them,
And have kids with them, lol!

I mean a lot of CHRISTians fell in love
With somebody thinking
They would turn them to THE GOSPEL
But what happens if that person
Never turns to CHRIST
And you are already married to them
With kids?

You just made your life a lot harder
Than it needs to be
And you could've spared yourself
The heart ache...

So ladies, fella's think twice
Cause you reap what you sow...

[Shared by Dinesh Pandian]

HE loves you!

HE loves you!

Matthew was a tax collector
Hated by most,
Yet he was chose as a disciple
By the Lord of Host.

Zacchaeus cheated
Many in his day,
But Jesus dined with him
When He passed his way.

Women were on a level
Far below man,
Yet inside a woman
His life on earth began.

And Samaritans
Were despised by the Jews,
But to a woman Samaritan
Jesus gave the Good News.

Cheaters, adulteresses
Sinful and unclean,
These were the people
With whom Jesus was seen.

Saul persecuted Christians
Until that day,
Jesus blocked his path
Along the way.

He touched his heart
And Paul came to be,
A wonderful example
For you and for me.

David was a murderer
Yet look how he was blessed,
God loved him far more
Than most of the rest.

Moses also
Murderer too,
Check out Mary Magdalene
Me and you.

Look at the examples
Shown above,
No earthly sin
Can hinder His love.

For He takes earthly sin
And throws it aside,
He looks deep in the heart
To see what's inside.

He looks in that place
Where no man can go,
Where the depth of His love
Begins to flow.

So when we see someone
Who is a sinner by far,
Remember this list
And where they now are.

Remember the sins
Listed above,
Remember He alone
Measures their love.

And before we hate
And judge the rest,
Look at those God chose
As some of the best.

Cathy Henrie

[Shared by Sis. Bensi]

There Remains Yet the Youngest

There Remains Yet the Youngest

"So he asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse answered, 'but he is tending the sheep.' Samuel said, 'Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.' Then the LORD said, 'Rise, and anoint him; he is the one.'" 1 Samuel 16:11-12

God had dethroned Saul as king of Israel because of his disobedience and rejection of God. God tells Samuel to go to the house of Jesse, and from his sons He will find the "man after God's own heart" who is to be anointed the new king of Israel.

Seven of Jesse's sons appear before Samuel, but none is God's choice. Then Samuel asks, "Are these all the sons you have?" To which Jesse answers, "There remains yet the youngest." "And where do we find him?" "Out in the field tending the sheep."

It was David, a young man with a shepherd's heart. He has been trained in all the tender and sensitive ways of caring for the sheep. God says to Samuel, "Rise, and anoint him: he is the one." How blessed to have the mind of the Lord and be led by Him.

What was wrong with the other sons? One in particular illustrates God's heart. Eliab came before Samuel, a strong, strapping, handsome man who certainly would have been the choice of most. But Samuel said he was not the one. Then God tells Samuel His clarifying thought: "Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

God ignores what man glories in. David was looked upon as insignificant, unworthy, too young, and unqualified, but he was God's chosen one. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 55:8).

Look who God had chosen before: Abraham, from an idolatrous family and nation. Isaac, not Ishmael, Abraham's first-born son. Jacob, not Esau, the first-born of Isaac. Moses, a shepherd on the backside of the desert. Israel, not Egypt, the Babylonians, or the Greeks (each representing commendable strength, wisdom, and culture).

WHY? So that all men might know that power belongs to the Lord, that his ways are past finding out, and that he does all things according to the counsel of his own will.

The story is told of a young cerebral palsy victim at a junior high school camp, who was the brunt of others' jokes and the object of their laughter. Billy moved with an uncoordinated body. He spoke in slow, stammering words from a contorted mouth. The others would mimic Billy's stammering speech. "It's... over... there... Billy." The fury reached its highest point when Billy was told that he was to give the cabin devotions. Billy dragged himself to the front amid giggles that were everywhere. It took him almost five minutes to say seven words: "JESUS... LOVES... ME... AND... I... LOVE... JESUS!" There was dead silence, and then tears streamed down the faces of the kids. A revival broke out all over the camp.

God had used a "cerebral palsy kid" to do what the testimonies of sports figures could not do. He chose an afflicted, outcast, distorted, and stammering boy to break the hearts of the haughty. "God said unto Samuel, Rise, anoint him: for this is the one." DARE TO BELIEVE!

Ed Powell

THE 'U'

THE 'U'

Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God even stuck U in the name of His Son.
And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.

You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name.
For U, He was born; that's why He came.
And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand,
He rose from the dead with U in His plan.
The stones split away, the gold trumpet blew,
And even the word resUrrection is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth during His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention,
"Go into the world and tell them it's true,
That I love them all -- Just like I love U."

There are so many people just like U.
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?
It all depends now on what U will do;
He'd like them to know, but it all starts with U!

[Shared by Jack M. Gangadhar]

Professor and a Student: A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION

Professor and a Student: A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION

An atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his class on the problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his new Christian students to stand and…

Professor:
You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student:
Yes, Sir.
Professor:
So, you believe in GOD?
Student:
Absolutely, Sir.
Professor:
Is GOD good?
Student:
Sure.
Professor:
Is GOD all-powerful?
Student:
Yes.
Professor:
My Brother died of Cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor:
You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is GOD good?
Student:
Yes.
Professor:
Is Satan good?
Student:
No.
Professor:
Where does Satan come from?
Student:
From… GOD.
Professor:
That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student:
Yes.
Professor:
Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student:
Yes.
Professor:
So who created evil?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor:
Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student:
Yes, Sir…
Professor:
So, who created them?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor:
Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son… Have you ever seen GOD?
Student:
No, Sir.
Professor:
Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?
Student:
No, Sir.
Professor:
Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?
Student:
No, Sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor:
Yet you still believe in HIM?
Student:
Yes.
Professor:
According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student:
Nothing. I only have my faith.
Professor:
Yes, faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student:
Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Professor:
Yes.
Student:
And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor:
Yes.
Student:
No, Sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student:
Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called “cold”. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student:
What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor:
Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student:
You're wrong again, Sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light… But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called “darkness”, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Professor:
So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student:
Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Professor:
Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student:
Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a Monkey?
Professor:
If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student:
Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, Sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student:
Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, Sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student:
Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class broke out into laughter.)

Student:
Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?

No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, Sir. With all due respect, Sir, how do we then trust your lectures, Sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor:
I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student:
That is it Sir… exactly! The link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

That student was Albert Einstein.

NB:

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation… and if so… you'll probably want your friends / colleagues to enjoy the same… Won't you? Forward them to increase their FAITH.


[Shared by Sis. Mercy Rebecca]

Wounded, but Healed

Wounded, but Healed

Psalm 147:3 - He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. (NIV)

Last year, I had surgery on my neck, due to a disc pressing on my spinal cord. For numerous reasons, I was not looking forward to it. I was scared of surgery -- not because I thought something would happen, but just the fact of the unknown. How would I feel afterward? How long would it take to recover? I had things to do. This would be a crimp in my plans.

I do not consider myself vain, and did not really think about the wound or subsequent scar. I was told it would be on one of the lines of my neck and would not be that noticeable. Considering the work that needed to be done, it is a small scar that is healing and becoming less noticeable.

When I first took off my bandages, though, I was disappointed at how red the wound looked. It was more raised up than I had thought it would be. For a long time, I wore a small bandage over it. I was uncomfortable with the fact that people would notice and then I'd have to explain what had happened -- as if the bandage itself wasn't noticeable!

The Bible doesn't mention a lot about scars. It mentions wounds quite a bit. I think of the wounds that Jesus suffered at the hands of His accusers: the whipping and beating that He took on our behalf; the long, painful walk that He took bearing our cross; and His hanging on the cross where He was wounded even more deeply. The scarlet blood that flowed from His wounds is blood that washed away our sins.

Jesus, when wounded on the cross, had a deep feeling of being forsaken. Yet, His chief concern was not His earthly body. He died knowing that His wounding would bring healing and the opportunity for all who trust Him to have a restored relationship with God.

Isaiah 53:4-5 - Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (NLT)

Prayer: God, You know us better than we know ourselves. You know the wounds we have and have tried to hide. You know the wounds we may have inflicted on others. Thank You for Your devotion to us through Jesus. Thank You for the freedom we can have through You. Thank You for the scars that can help us lead others to You. Amen.

Karen Lynema

True Humility Leads To Giving Thanks in All Things

True Humility Leads To Giving Thanks in All Things

“I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain. But I will leave among you a humble, lowly people and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.” (Zephaniah 3:11, 12)

The Lord has promised to remove the proud from the midst of the church and leave only the humble ones therein. This is why He works in us to humble us, so that He may not have to remove us altogether.

Many were humble when they first came into the church. At that time they realized that they deserved nothing but hell fire and were grateful that their sins were forgiven and that they could have a place in the church. But as time has gone on, they have lost that humble spirit and have desired honour and recognition from the brothers and sisters. Why has this happened? There can be only one reason. Such believers have not been sensitive to hear the Spirit’s voice. When we become deaf to the Spirit speaking to us to humble ourselves, then God has to humble us in various ways Himself. If after many attempts, God is unable to succeed in humbling a person’s pride, then He removes that person from the church altogether.

Philippians 2: describes some of the characteristics of a genuinely humble man. He is one who is working out his own salvation constantly and has finished with all grumbling and disputing (Phil 2:14) Grumbling and disputing are caused by discontentment with one’s appointed lot in life. Pride and discontentment always go together.

In 1 Cor. 10:6-11 we find that the Israelites grumbled. God is displeased with those who grumble and complain. In Numbers 11:1-9 we read that they grumbled because the food was not upto their taste. They got the same manna every day for forty years. The manna was nourishing for the body but it always tasted the same. Do you think God could have changed the taste of the manna every day, if He so desired? Certainly. He could have given them over 14, 600 different varieties of manna during their 14,600 day sojourn in the wilderness. But He did not do so. Why? Moses told them the reason later on: God humbled you and fed you with manna so that He might know what was in your heart. (Duet. 8:2, 3)

It is the same today. God has to deliver us from an inordinate love for food that makes us complain about it. The Bible calls those who worship their appetites as enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:18, 19). One reason why Jesus suggested fasting (Matt. 6:16) could be to deliver us from being enslaved to our taste buds and our bellies. When children complain about their mother’s about their food, remember it is serious. It must never be taken lightly. They are getting into fellowship with “the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). When we are discontent with our salary, or our house, or our husband / wife (wishing we had married someone else) what does such an attitude indicate? It shows that we are proud in our hearts and have come into fellowship with Satan.

A healthy corrective to such an evil attitude is to give thanks for everything. The Bible clearly states “this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes. 5:18). We must learn to give thanks for everyone in the body of Christ (Col. 3:15). Develop the habit of giving thanks for your fellow believers in your local church. It is easy to be thankful for brethren who live in faraway lands whom we see only once in a while. But God tests our hearts by our attitude towards the ones whom we see every week in our local church. Our very best and closest fellowship should be with those in our local church and not with those from other lands and places.

If you are proud and conceited you will find that you cannot appreciate your local fellow believers as much as those believers from other places. Thus you can evaluate your own heart’s condition. God is the one who has chosen the brothers and sisters in your local church. If you cannot love them and value them and live in glorious fellowship with them, you will be deceiving yourself if you think that you love God and are in fellowship with Him (1 John 4:20).

God has appointed all things and all people for “our sakes” so that our “inner man may be renewed daily” increasingly into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 4:15, 16). All things have been planned to “work together for our good” (Romans 8:28). So there is absolutely no room for complaints or murmuring or grumbling in the life of a true disciple of Jesus.

Zac Poonen
www.cfcindia.com

Carry Us to Completion

Carry Us to Completion

A great tragedy within the Christian faith is that many who believe they are on their way to Heaven will one day find they are sadly mistaken. They have been misled into believing that Church membership, being "good", or working extra hard will ensure Salvation; but on the day of judgment they will be cast aside. This tragedy must be fought by speaking the truth about Salvation. We must teach of the need to trust in the saving grace offered through the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. We must teach that faith in Jesus Christ - the Lord and Savior clearly presented in God's Word - is the ONLY way!

A second tragedy is that many who have truly trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and desire to love Him and serve Him with all their heart, will live their days full of doubt and fear. They are on their way to Heaven but doubt when they don't feel "good enough" to deserve such a gift, and they fear a Holy God who couldn't possibly save one so unworthy. As they draw closer to the Light, their failures are revealed and they become discouraged or try to "work" harder to please God and gain His acceptance. We must also fight this tragedy by speaking the truth about Salvation.

The glorious truth is that none of us are good enough! "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Without God's grace, no one can ever hope to hit the mark of His perfect glory.

We don't enter Heaven based on what we've done; rather, we are accepted based on whom we've placed our faith; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). At the moment of Salvation, we become an eternal Child of God; "You are not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We were purchased with His blood and have become a "new creation: the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). But a new creation does not continue down the same path.

We are "born again" when the Spirit of God transforms our heart; and as a new creation, we will learn to crawl, then walk, and one day run! We may stumble, but God promises we will continue to grow; for it's His plan that ALL His children become "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29)... and being conformed is a lifetime process!

Philippians 1:6
"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

God has given us His Holy Spirit and "sealed {us} for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). Let's be confident in God's promise. We must continue to draw closer and give Him more of our heart, but we must also remember that we are His and He WILL finish the work He began. Our Heavenly Father has saved us AND promised to carry us to completion.

Steve Troxel

The Strongest Nails in the World

The Strongest Nails in the World

My friend Alan was working with a carpenter friend of his on a building project. Out of the blue, Alan sprang this rather unusual question on the carpenter, "Do you know what the most powerful nails in the world are?" The craftsman paused on his ladder for a moment and then he replied, "I don't know. U.S. Steel?" Alan said, "No. The strongest nails in the world are the three nails that held Jesus Christ on His cross." And then Alan just walked into the other room. A few minutes later, the carpenter called for Alan. He said, "Man, you've got to help me. Every time I drive a nail now, it's like I'm nailing Jesus to the cross." My friend responded, "Well, in a way, we did."

For some people, Jesus' death on a cross is just history. For others, it's a religious event. But to some of us, the brutal death of Jesus on that Roman cross is a deeply personal event. I hope it is for you, or soon will be. In Galatians 2:20, our word for today from the Word of God, there are two words that are literally life-changing. In fact, they're even eternity-changing. They're the difference between someone who has Christianity and someone who has Christ. Between someone who has a Christian religion and someone who has a personal relationship with Jesus. Ultimately, these two words are actually the difference between heaven and hell.

Galatians 2:20: "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." There are the two words, "for me." One of my associates was on a plane recently with a man in his 30s who talked pretty openly about his years of spiritual searching. He said that as a young man he moved beyond his boyhood church and began experimenting with a buffet of spiritual beliefs and experiences. But nothing satisfied the restlessness in his heart. Then one day he came back to visit the church he grew up in. Here's what he said: "As soon as I walked in the door, I saw something I'd seen hundreds of times as a boy - the cross at the front of the church. But suddenly I was overwhelmed with something I had never realized before. I said out loud, "For me. What Jesus did on that cross was for me." He said his search ended that day, and the hole in his heart was finally filled.

My guess is that you know about Jesus dying on the cross. You know He died there to pay for our sins. But you somehow may have missed that life-changing moment when, in your heart, you walk up to that cross and say those words, "For me, Jesus. What You did there is for me." When my friend said that in a way we all did help nail Jesus to the cross, he was right. Because it's our rebellion against God and His ways, all our "my way" choices that left us cut off from God and under His death penalty until Jesus came and did the dying for all of our sinning. And in reality, it wasn't the nails that kept Him on the cross. After all, He's the Son of God! No, it was His deep love for you that kept Him there 'till your bill was fully paid with His life.

If you have never had your "for me" moment with Jesus, that could happen this very day right now and right where you are. Would you tell Him, "Jesus, I'm taking for myself what you died to give me. You paid for my sin so I don't have to. You died for my sin so I don't have to. Now I embrace you as my Savior; as the driver of my life. I'm taking you for me."

Ron Hutchcraft

The story about my Friend

The story about my Friend

I would like to tell you a story of a friend so dear to me. You see; He saved my life. I want you to understand that He would do it for you too. This is how it happened.

I was wandering around down this wide path, and it was so dark I could hardly see and I was always stumbling. I remember I was so poor and lonely, I was not the only one on this path, and there were many there, all around me. I do not know where I was or where I was going. I was sick and close to death, there just did not seem like there was any point in living anyway. I just had nothing to live for. I had no friends. It was so dark there; you see, I was also blind. I was constantly told, "You do not want to see what is ahead anyway."

I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders and I felt so dirty inside and out.

But at a certain point, I do not know exactly when or where; there was a man standing in my path, facing me, I perceived. I asked Him, "Who are you?"

And He answered in a voice that seemed to so kind in this dark place, where nobody is nice to anyone. He said, "A friend."

I said, "But sir, I do not know you, how is it that you say you are my friend?"

He said to me, "You answer rightly, you do not know Me, but if you follow Me, you will know Me."

I said, "I do not know if I can make it, as my feet feel so heavy and I am so weary."

Again, that voice that seemed so full of feeling and a genuineness I never thought I would hear. His voice was gentle, but, there was quality in it that seemed ageless.

He said to me, "My dear friend, let Me take your burdens of pain and guilt. Give it all to Me and I will take it on My back, and I will hang it on a tree for you." It seems so strange that this Man should be in this place. But I decided to trust Him anyway. So I said, "Alright, take it."

It was then, for the very first time, I felt free. Then He spoke again and said, "Open your eyes, and see." Immediately my eyes opened and I could see... light! Could this be the One I have heard people call the Light of the World?

He said, "Do you want to live and be in good health?"

I said, "Sir, by what authority do You say these things, and who sent You?" He just smiled a smile that pours love into you, and said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me by My Father who sent Me to you."

I said, "Truly, You are a friend indeed."

He said to me, "In My Father's kingdom, there you will have many friends. There is no sickness or hatred, no death or pain, just rejoicing forever."

I said, "How do I get to Your Father's kingdom?"

He said, "For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Then, suddenly, understanding flooded my entire being, and I fell to my knees and worshipped Him saying, "I believe You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the anointed One, You are Jesus the Christ, my Saviour!"

He said, with words of purest love, "I am He. Come, enter into the kingdom of My Father and your Father, My God and your God."

I then said, "What would You have me to do for You Lord?" Jesus answered me and said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, and he who believes and is baptised will be saved, and he who does not believe will be condemned."

Now you know I mean it when I say to you that Jesus is the way when you are lost, the One who cannot lie because He is the Truth. He will give you life, and give it more abundantly, because He is the Life. Now, having said that, do you want to live in the light of God, who will meet your every need, and live in prosperity by His riches in glory in Christ Jesus, or do you want to die in darkness forever?

Do you want to reap the harvest of good health, or do you want to continue in your sins and reap the rewards thereof (sickness and disease and death)? For it is written, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows that he will also reap.

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7) Now do not get all offended if you think I called the unsaved sinners. Remember this: it is written, "For all have sinned and fall short the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) You can only be righteous through faith in Christ. (Romans 3:22)

This is a wise saying:

"A dog is not a dog because he barks, a dog barks because he is a dog; and a man is not a sinner because he sins, a man sins because he is a sinner."

Darren Hollingsworth

[Shared by Sis. Bensi]