That Helpless Feeling

That Helpless Feeling

What do you do when you cannot help someone you love when they are hurting?

You listen as long as you need to listen. You bite your tongue to keep from saying anything, even things that might be appropriate to say... at another time. You answer questions when you have an answer; you refrain from answering questions with simplistic and overused phrases. So, you listen, but you feel very helpless.

You pray. You listen to their heart and offer to pray, then you pray. You lift them up to the Lord and ask Him to provide the direction and the comfort. You remind them that you will continue to pray. And you do. You keep your promise. You pray consistently for weeks. Nothing changes. The person you love is still hurting. You still feel helpless.

You talk to them. You've waited for just the right time and you are convinced that the time is right, so you call. You set up a time to get together. You get together and you talk. You share your thoughts as just that, your thoughts. You admit your limitations, and affirm your love. They thank you for your concern and for your words. You still feel helpless.

You enlist others to pray. You ask your prayer group to pray, you ask your Sunday School class to pray, you post a comment on your online prayer partners page, and you ask your friend at work to pray. You are confident they are praying. Nothing changes. You feel helpless.

You spend time with them. That's what Job's friends did, so you give it try. You go. You sit with them. You are quiet. You just sit there. They weep. You weep. They agonize. You agonize with them. You feel helpless.

Jesus had a definite advantage. When He learned that His friend Lazarus had died and his friends Mary and Martha were hurting He went to be with them, He listened to their crying, He wept with them. Then, He brought Lazarus back to life.

When brought their dying children to Him, He healed them. When He saw a crippled man, He healed them. When He saw a blind man, he gave Him sight. When He was approached by the demon possessed, He commanded them to leave. When He saw His friends on the boat in a storm, He spoke and the storm calmed.

Jesus could do that. But, what can you do when you know that someone you love is hurting? You listen. You pray. You talk. You enlist others to pray. You spend time with them. You feel helpless. Then, you realize you have done and are doing everything within your power. Then, you leave them with the Lord. You ask Him to do what only He can do. You trust Him. You believe that even though you are helpless, He is not. He can do "Immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine." You let Him.

See, you are not helpless. With God your words have power. With God your listening makes a difference. With God your presence means something. With God you are not helpless.

Tom Norvell

Who will go for Him?

Who will go for Him?

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6: 8

We must be willing to go for the Lord and know that when we are available, God will make us "able messengers" for Him. It makes no difference where we may be, God has given us a message of truth and life to share with others. When we have the attributes of Christ, we will care for others, with the love of Christ. His marvelous grace still pardons and cleanses the souls of men. He has given us a message of His grace to help set the captives free and bind up the broken hearted in this world.

The story is told about two young men, in the First World War, who had been friends for their entire lifetimes. Being neighbors, they had played together, gone to school together, engaged in the same athletic programs, and finally had enlisted in the army together. They eventually would be in the same area of battle together. After a particularly bitter battle one day, it was found that one of the boys was missing somewhere out in what was known as "No Man's Land."

The other boy, safe and unhurt, went to the commanding officer and begged permission to go out and look for his friend. He was told it was of no use for no one was alive out there after the withering fire of so many hours. After great insistence, he was finally given permission to go. Some time later he came with the limp body of his friend over his shoulder. The commander said, "Didn't I tell you it was no use to go?" to which the boy replied with radiance in his eyes, "But it was not; I got there just in time to hear him whisper... 'I knew you'd come!' "

This story shared reminds us of lost souls that may be waiting on someone to come to them in their darkest hour, and share a love worth finding. We have been called to share the love of Jesus with others. Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost, and has given us power to be witnesses of His amazing grace. No one has ever cared for us like Jesus.

Will we be as the commander who thought it was no use to go? Or will we see the need to go as the friend, and arrive just in time to hear one whisper, "I knew you'd come?" It really is something to think about!

Jo Ann Kelly

You, too, can Impact your World

You, too, can Impact your World

"They first gave themselves to the Lord." 2 Corinthians 8:5 (NKJV)

For many years one of my constant prayers that I like to pray every day is, "Lord, I'm available, please help me to be as Christ today in some way to every life I touch."

On one occasion when I was in a church outside of Melbourne, Australia, and was setting up in readiness for a seminar, a lady approached me and said right out of the blue, "I just saw Jesus in you!" I have no idea what she saw but her words blew me away. I've never forgotten what she said and how much her brief sentence reinforced my determination to pray the above prayer every day for the rest of my life. I hope that I so live that many people will "see" Jesus in me and, in so doing, be drawn to him.

Imagine the difference you and I could make and the impact we would have on the world in which we live if every Christian would genuinely pray this prayer every day (and made a commitment to be as Christ in all our doings).

I want to challenge you to pray this prayer every day for the rest of your life and ask you to encourage other Christians to do likewise. With God's help we can all do this and make a difference with our life and help change our world -- one person at a time.

For today's suggested prayer, let us pray the beautiful prayer of St. Francis:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sadness, joy.

"O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

"And Lord, I'm available. Please help me to be as Christ in some way to every life I touch today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

ACTS International

The Marks of a Christian

The Marks of a Christian

Galatians 2:1-10

Four marks of a Christian are set forth in the Book of Galatians.

First, a Christian is one who has the living Christ living in him. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Second, a Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit within him, for in Galatians 4:6 we see, "And because ye are sons [if we are born again into His family], God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts." He is the One who really begets us, or creates us anew, and makes us believers. He also creates in us the new character from which Christian conduct comes. Christian conduct does not make a Christian, but a true Christian, one who is born of the Holy Spirit, will have Christian conduct as well.

In the third place, a Christian is one who has shared the cross experience with Christ as the basic solution of his personal problems. We all have come under this experience of the cross although we may not all have understood it. The key text on this subject is "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (2:20). When Christ died, I died with Him, and when He arose, I arose with Him.

In the fourth place, the Christian is one who is possessed of a life that is so divine, so ideal, that it cannot be pushed into a mold of external regulations. We have a new life, a life from God, which is Christ Himself. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Cor. 13:5).

The Good News Broadcasting Association

The Variables and a Constant

The Variables and a Constant

Both in tangible and intangible matters, one is bound to find differences' amongst Christians. Now let's consider the matters of health and wealth. Well, all Christians may not be healthy or wealthy. There may be differences' in their IQ level too. Now these are some tangibles, health, wealth and IQ. Similarly when it comes to the intangible spiritual realm, there too one is bound to find differences' amongst Christians. All would be at different levels of spiritual growth (read maturity). They may even belong to different denominations due to several reasons.

In the matter of different denominations, I would like to recite an insightful account. It has to do with a dream that GREAT Christian reformer Charles Wesley had. In his dream, the story goes, he found himself at the gates of hell. On the other side he heard mourning and weeping. Over the din of all this wailing, he is said to have shouted out a few questions. "Are there any Lutherans IN THERE", was the first one. The answer was a resounding YES! He is said to have continued, are there any Presbyterians, Baptists. The answers continued to be YES and even for the final question, are there any Wesleyans', the answer was an emphatic YES? A bit disappointed on hearing the reply especially to the final poser from the hell residents, this Saint found soon himself at the gates of Heaven. On the other side predictably, the air reverberated with joyous exultation. Here too he is said to have repeated the same questions. Are there any Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists and Wesleyans' IN THERE. And for all the questions the answer was a firm NO! A bit exasperated, he is said to have asked "Then, who are you IN THERE?" The answer was spontaneous "WE ARE ALL CHRISTIANS"!

If anything this story underscores the fact that a nominal Church membership doesn't take one to Heaven, only a living relationship with the Redeemer, borne out of a born-again experience DOES!

The fact of the matter is while there may be variables amongst Christians, THE VITAL CONSTANT IS ALL OF THEM ARE SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOUR! Remarked a wise soul "Our strengths create competition, only our weaknesses' create a community". Well, two thousand years back realization of a weakness, "WE ARE UNHOLY BY OURSELVES" gave birth to the UNIVERSAL CHURCH!

/"We Christians glory in what Christ Jesus has done for us and realize that we are HELPLESS to save ourselves."/ - Philippians 3:3 (TLB)

Prayer: Father, we thank You for accepting us as Your children, the moment we placed our faith on the Saviour, Whom You in Your sovereign wisdom had appointed for this world. We praise You once again, in Jesus' Name. Amen!

Suresh Manoharan

The Joy of My Salvation

The Joy of My Salvation

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:2-3

Someone once asked Haydn, the famous church musician, why his music was so cheerful. He replied, "I cannot make it otherwise. When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen!"

Isaiah felt the same way. As he thought about the Lord, he reveled in the realization that God was totally trustworthy. He need never be afraid. No one could harm him when he was under the care of an omnipotent God. Furthermore, it was from this same God that he could draw his strength – not just physical strength, but the strength to face the trials and tribulations of life. Yet the crowning touch came as he considered that God was also the "well" of his salvation. Just as someone could draw life-saving water from a well in the ground, so Isaiah rejoiced that he could draw from the Lord the spiritual water he needed for his eternal life.

Such thoughts are the secret to a constant attitude of joy. But don't take your joy for granted. After David's sin with Bathsheba, God used the prophet Nathan to bring him to repentance. In the midst of his sorrow over his sin, David cried out, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation" (Ps. 51:12). When David lost his fellowship with God, he did not lose his salvation, but he did lose his joy. And without the joy, our salvation is lacking an important ingredient.

Is your salvation a source of joy in your life? Do you delight in your relationship with God? If not, confess any sin that might be blocking that joy and then let your heart be filled with the joy that only God can give.

If there is no joy in your salvation, check what's in the well of your religion.

Woodrow Kroll

The Enemy's Tactics

The Enemy's Tactics

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. . . . Genesis 3:1

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent was clever. When he wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he was crafty.

I point this out because we need to know what his strategies are. He has not changed them one bit. Just look at his attacks and temptations in the Bible, and you will see that he still uses the same tactics today.

But if we learn what these strategies are, we can recognize what he is up to. Let's see how Satan tempted Eve in the Garden.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5)

In the verses above we see three things that Satan did to bring about Eve's fall:

1. He questioned the word of God.
2. He denied the word of God.
3. He substituted his own lie.

Eve was in the wrong place at the wrong time, listening to the wrong voice, which led to her doing the wrong thing. But don't blame Eve or Adam. If we had been in the Garden, we would have done the same thing.

Let's be mindful of the tactics of the devil. Don't be in the wrong place, listening to the wrong voice, and doing the wrong thing.

Greg Laurie

Why God Permits Pain

Why God Permits Pain

Pain is an unwelcome but important element of reality in this world. It is not only often helpful but is absolutely necessary to human health and well-being. How do you know to keep your hands away from an open flame? To flush a grain of sand from your eye? Any physician will tell you that a person whose nerves can't send pain signals will have serious problems in living a normal life.

Yet there is a serious error in some churches, Bible study materials, and personal belief systems when the naive claim is made that true faith delivers one from suffering. Really? Then I wonder why it didn't keep innocent Naboth from being stoned to death when wicked King Ahab decided to seize his land? How could Stephen have been murdered for bearing witness to Jesus? How could an assassin's bullet take the life of Martin Luther King? Why are babies born with defects or innocent children become victims of predators?

God allows suffering, but he is not the one who causes it and sends it into our lives. We experience pain because we live in physical bodies in a contingent world. We suffer emotional pain because we are sensitive to misfortune, loss, and injustice. And the most horrible wounds that come to our spirits are traceable to our own wrong choices – rebelling against God and doing horrible things to one another.

Faith is not a vaccine against these things. If it were, everyone would be a Christian for the worst possible reason! It would indulge our selfishness. It would exempt us from the tough things "those other people" have to face in this life. More correctly, faith is a relationship with God that provides the daily presence, strength, and encouragement of the Living Christ for whatever comes your way. It doesn't exempt you, but it does sustain you.

Are miracles real? Does God still deliver people from their suffering by clear and direct intervention? Certainly. But miracles are by definition rare and out of the ordinary. So I'm suspicious of the person who offers to make the uncommon and infrequent into on-demand events.

The answer Paul was given is surely the more typical reply to suffering people: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Instant peace and easy answers are not God's promise to you. His pledge is that you will never be unloved and alone.

Pray for pain to be a bridge rather than a barrier for you. Never feel obliged to deny its reality or menace. But trust God to provide sufficient grace for each day. Give him the chance to turn Satan's attempt to destroy your faith into a solid spiritual victory.

Rubel Shelly

Taken by Surprise

Taken by Surprise

Life has a habit of taking us by surprise. Events catch us off guard and send us reeling. Accident, injury, family stress, divorce, job transfer, layoff - these are some of the high-stress events that can shake our poise.

The danger is that these things can send people into panic mode. She makes some totally irresponsible statement. He acts without thinking. Harm is done to relationships that can never be undone.

The same events can shake our theological footing. Long-resolved doubts resurface. She withdraws from Christian friends and stops attending church. He begins to blame God for what is happening in his life.

Am I just imagining that people react to life's sneak attacks in these ways? Haven't you seen it too? Is some form of it going on with you?

Imagine that your scared-for-his-life husband offered you as a sexual playmate to the man he feared, that your were a teenager forced to spend years in jail because of someone's lie about you, that all your children have been killed in the same horrible storm, or that your racial identity caused some people to deny you your civil rights. These "hypothetical" episodes are the biblical stories of Sarah, Joseph, Job, and Paul.

The people whose stories we know from the Bible are not figures in stained-glass windows. They were real flesh-and-blood people like you and me. They emerged from their crisis situations in victory mode. Yet they lost precious things and certainly bore scars from what had happened to them.

If we could look into heaven at those bitter junctures of life, though, our hearts would be reassured. Looking into God's face, we would discover there is no sweat on his upper lip. Even if we are shocked and disoriented, he is not. Oh, his lip would be quivering with compassion for our pain, but he is sovereign over his universe. Nothing catches him by surprise, and he knows precisely how to get his wounded children through their most harrowing life crises.

The sounds of a howling mob, a whip ripping into bare flesh, and a hammer driving nails into hands and feet were overwhelming sounds – until the tomb was found empty. The same power that raised him then sustains us now.

So, when you feel you are about to lose it, visualize God's upper lip. Trust his promises. Know you are not alone. Wait for victory.

Rubel Shelly

The Jedidiah Identity

The Jedidiah Identity

Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means "beloved of the Lord") as the Lord had commanded. (2 Samuel 12:24-25)

What defines you? Is it what you do? Some find their meaning in life by "making a difference." But what happens when you don't? Fear of failure can become your god when you find your identity through making a difference.

What defines you? Is it who you are? Some think they have found enlightenment in the saying, "It's not what you do but who you are that matters." Unfortunately, that thinking sets us up for a self-centered life---"I"dolatry. Fortunately, there is another way.

The Bible tells the famous story of David and Bathsheba. King David, a man who loved God with all his heart, made horrible choices in arranging the death of Bathsheba's husband (Uriah, his loyal friend and soldier) so he could take Bathsheba as his own. God confronted him through the prophet Nathan, and David repented. (Sometime read David's prayer of repentance in Psalm 51. If you ever blow it, pray that prayer with all your heart and watch what happens.)

Though God forgave him, David experienced the painful consequences of his choices.

After the death of the child conceived in his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, David took her in as one of his wives. They named their next child Solomon, which means "peaceable." They were declaring, "We've been through a lot, but maybe we can have some peace now." They were like many people in our day, hoping for mere survival and maybe a little peace. It's the best the world hopes for, and the best the world can offer.

But Jesus offers so much more.

Notice that "they named him Solomon," but the Lord named him Jedidiah -- "beloved of the Lord."

As long as Solomon found his identity in being loved by the Lord, he became the wise king. But when he found his identity in being the wise king, he was given over to idolatry. Each one who is saved in Christ is His "Jedidiah." This identity is the Lord's desire for every person. When you find your identity in what you do, your security depends upon your performance; but when you find your identity in being loved by the Lord, your security depends upon His performance.

We often make statements like, "I am a pastor. I am a teacher. I am a mother. I am a consultant. I am a student. I am an athlete"—often statements of identity. The truth is not that I am a pastor, but that I am a beloved child of the Lord who is doing the work of pastor.

If my happiness depends on what happens, the evil one can steal my happiness away. But if I rest in being the Lord's beloved, then real life begins to well up inside me to overflowing.

Jesus says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10, NKJV).

When my daughter Emily was editor of her college newspaper, she wrote an opinion column entitled, "Avoid identity theft, just be a schmuck!" Nice satire! Who wants to steal your identity if it's not worth anything? However, the Bible says you were made in God's image; you are of ultimate value to Him.

"This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:10). Out of his real love for you, God sent His Son to rescue you by dying on the cross for you. The Lord invites you to come to Him and find real rest, real love, and the real identity He has won for you -- the Jedidiah identity.

What's in a name? As a Jedidiah, you would let more and more of Jesus' loving presence rest upon you, and as you let Him be enough for you, He will transform your life.

Make no mistake, there is an enemy who wants not only to steal your identity but to kill and utterly destroy you. However, the One who made you loves you. This wonderful rescuer, Jesus, died on a cross for all of us schmucks! He wants to rescue and fill you with life overflowing. Let Him. He wants to reveal to you the secret of true contentment: let it be enough to just be loved by Him.

LET'S PRAY!

Lord, You know how driven I can be. I'm so tired of proving my own worth. It's lonely being so dependent on myself. I need more than just a little peace. I'm tired of finding my identity in what I do. I want to enjoy life as Your beloved child. I sometimes act as if You are not there and don't care about me. Please forgive me. Help me feel secure in Your love. I choose to let You love me. Please show me how much You love me. Teach me to let Your love be enough. Shine Your light on the dark stuff in me. I give my hurts, fears, and angers to You. Clean me out! Fill me up with Your love. I am putting my life truly in Your hands. My security now depends upon Your performance, not mine. I am Your Jedidiah. In Jesus' name, amen.

Richard Speight

Heavy Lifting Without Injuries

Heavy Lifting Without Injuries

I spoke at a conference where the director decided to take me backstage by means of a route worthy of the Secret Service. The meeting was in a hotel conference room, and the director guided me through a back hallway, into the kitchen area, and then through a series of twists and turns that are usually navigated only by their waiters I think. I don't usually expect to find great wisdom at times like this, but this time I did. It was a sign on the wall, obviously designed to minimize employee injuries. Five little words that struck me as great advice for my everyday life "Bend knees for heavy lifting."

As some people have learned the hard way, when you don't bend your knees for heavy lifting situations, you get unnecessary pain, and strain, and even injury. It's the same with all of life's heavy loads.

That's why God tells us what to do with the things that are weighing us down in Psalm 55:22. It's our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." That is a great promise if you claim it. I guess the implication is that if you don't cast your burden on the Lord or bend your knees to pray to Him about it, God isn't obligated to sustain you. You're on your own with a heavy load by your own choice. I think that's what the hymn writer was talking about when he said, "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear; All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

Sometimes the heavier the burden, the more we neglect or forget to unload it on the shoulders of our all-powerful Lord. We're so busy trying to fix it, to carry it, to solve it, that we neglect taking it to God. Sometimes when we're hurting or discouraged, we just don't feel like praying. Great! That's exactly when we need to pray the most.

Someone might say, "Well, I pray about my burdens, but I still feel under it." I might take my car to Dave the mechanic and tell him all the things that aren't working right. Then I drive away muttering to myself, "I told him what was wrong, and nothing happened!" Of course not! It's not enough to tell the mechanic what's not working; I've got to leave it with him for him to fix it. It's not enough for you to stroll into God's Throne Room and just tell Him what's wrong. He already knows that. You have to leave it with Him. "Cast your cares on the Lord." That's the only way He can fix it. When you've really brought something to God, you walk into His Throne Room all bent over from the weight on your back, but you walk out of His Throne Room walking tall because you left it there!

So don't make prayer your last resort when all else fails. Make prayer your first resort! What's wrong with us when we say, "Well, I guess all we can do is pray"? Yeah, all we can do is enter the Throne Room from which a hundred billion galaxies are governed and leave this with the One who rules it all! Life will be much more powerful and much lighter if you'll determine that prayer is going to be your primary method of getting things done, not just something you do to help all your other plans and methods succeed.

You've carried your burdens by yourself long enough, haven't you? And the load may be causing pain and strain and even injury. It does not have to hurt like this. It doesn't have to crush you like this. Bend your knees for heavy lifting!

Ron Hutchcraft

Go When the Gate Is Open

Go When the Gate Is Open

I was speaking at this beautiful conference center, and I'd actually been expecting to stay at the inn where the conferees would be, because that's where I've stayed on previous occasions. But this time they gave my wife and me the key to what they called one of their "remote cabins." Well, I asked the man in charge if everyone they sent to those cabins came back. He smiled and said, "Yeah, if the bears don't get you." Actually, it was a fabulous cabin, nestled in the woods with this spectacular mountain view. But there's limited access to these cabins. They are located on a long mountain lane, the entrance to which is unmarked and it's guarded by a gate. They gave us a pass that opens that gate. Apparently, they don't want anyone else following you in. I'll tell you, that gate opens for a brief time and then it closes. So get movin', Roscoe! My guess is that the bears - they don't need a pass.

That's what I learned real fast when I saw that the gate guarding the road didn't stay open forever. Tragically, it's something that many people never realize about God's road to heaven; the gate isn't always going to be open. You have to go in when the gate is open. That's why God warns us in Isaiah 55:7, our word for today from the Word of God, to "seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near."

The implication: the Lord may not always be able to be found. He won't always be near. That's why you have to come to Him while He is. The gate to get to God could not be clearer. It's not a religion - no religion including Christian religion. It's a person. Jesus said, "I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved." That's "saved" as in rescued from the spiritual death penalty that hangs over every one of us because every one of us has broken God's laws; every one of us has put ourselves first instead of our Creator. Like a person who is trapped in the rubble of an earthquake, our only hope is the rescuer who risks his own life to save us. When it comes to the hellish penalty for our sin, only the One who died for that sin can rescue us.

And when He comes to you, offering His rescue, that's the time to grab His hand. He may come more than once, but don't count on Him coming forever. God has said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever" (Genesis 6:3). We make the deadly mistake of thinking that we'll come to Jesus when we're ready. That's wrong. You can only come when He's ready. In our sin-deadness, we can't come to Him unless He's working in our heart. Jesus told us, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44).

If this day you're feeling a tug in your heart to get things right with Jesus, I believe that's God drawing you. It's His invitation, not mine. God's Word says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart" (Hebrews 4:7). I don't know how many more times the gate will be open. This is the only opportunity you can be sure of. To miss Him is to miss the meaning of this life and any hope of eternal life.

If you sense that He's drawing you to Him today, would you give yourself to this One who died for you? Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm sorry for the sins of my life. I am turning from them; I'm not running things anymore - You are. Your death for my sins - your resurrection from the dead is my only hope. Thank you for coming to me one more time. From this day on, I'm Yours."

I would encourage you, if that's where your heart is right now, to go to our website sometime today as soon as you can. Because it's been a help for a lot of people when they've been at the point of saying, "I want to get started with Jesus and know how to do that." Now that website is YoursForLife.net. Or I've got a little booklet that has some of that same information in it, and you can call for it toll free. It's called Yours For Life, and the phone number is 877-741-1200.

The gate is open today, and there's no other way to heaven. The gate won't stay open forever, though. Go in while you can.

Ron Hutchcraft

Strengthened by Hardship

Strengthened by Hardship

On Paul's first missionary journey, he traveled with Barnabas to Cyprus and then up through several cities in Galatia. After preaching the gospel in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, they returned back through the same cities so they could strengthen those who had recently placed their faith in Jesus.

Acts 14:21-22
"They returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said."

The early church was facing great persecution for simply turning to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul himself faced many hardships and was recently stoned for preaching the gospel. Paul encouraged the churches by letting them know they were not alone in their suffering. But he also seemed to encourage by saying that hardship was a necessary part of the Christian walk.

Those who have placed their complete faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin have begun a journey which leads to the kingdom of God. Once we truly begin this journey, we are His child, and our place with God has been reserved; "He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

However, while on this journey, God has a great plan and purpose for our life; "For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Every step is for the purpose of drawing us closer and conforming us to the image of Christ. And hardship is the tool which seems to best accomplish this goal. We all might prefer that God would shape us through praise and blessings, but we seem to respond best to hardship.

It's hardship which reminds us of our dependence on God when we've begun to trust in our own abilities and understanding. It's hardship which brings us back to our knees in prayer after long seasons of silence. It's hardship which develops the character of a mature believer: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

As difficult as this truth may be to accept and understand, part of God's plan is for us to experience some hardship. Not all hardship can be said to come from God, but in our lost and fallen world where we come to God filled with pride and arrogance, hardship is often the only way to humble our spirit and soften our heart. Our Heavenly Father loves us enough do whatever it takes to draw us closer to His side - even when this means being strengthened by hardship.

Steve Troxel