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]
April 14, 2009
April 13, 2009
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]
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]
April 12, 2009
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
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
April 11, 2009
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
“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
April 10, 2009
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
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
April 9, 2009
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
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
April 8, 2009
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]
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]
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