Being a Christian

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you...Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Fall Foliage

The morning sunlight peaking through the trees. Fall and Winter day. Beautiful fall foliage. One of God's great creation. God's Grace.-

Fall Foliage

Fall and Winter all in one day. 10-10-09

Christian Quote of the Day, Religion

I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.

Henry Ward Beecher

Dreams

God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Religion

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. Lewis

Christian Quote of the Day, Christianity, Religion

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C. S. Lewis

Christian Quote of the Day, Religion

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Dalai Lama

Life and Gods Grace

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24

The Spiritual Growth of Children

PARENT’S GUIDE TO THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF CHILDREN

Helping your child develop a personal Faith

Gary Smalley (Author, speaker and founder of Smalley Relationship Center) says, “This book gives parents easy-to-use plans and ideas to help them pass on their Faith; this couldn’t come at a better time for our children and culture.”

Put together by Dr. John Trent, Rick Osborne and Kurt Bruner, this best-selling Guide from Focus On The Family is packed with information that will help you navigate your children spiritually from preplanning for parenthood right through to the early teens.

Faithful Grennies- Christian Work Form Home Moms highly recommended for parents who like to understand the process and develop an individual step-by-step plan that will work best for their family. See More

The Stained Glass Window

This poem is dedicated to Becky and the memory of her dear friend.

The Stained Glass Window

There's a huge hole in my chest and I can't breathe;
I've known for three days now and still can't believe.
Each time I try to swallow this lump in my throat,
It seems to get bigger and I think I will choke.

How many diamond shapes are in the stained glass window?
How many colors are there? I really need to know.
I've counted all the pews and the hymnals at their backs.
Their gold embossing's faded and the bindings are cracked.

Breathe in slowly while counting to ten.
Breathe out slowly while counting again.
Concentrate on the window while breathing in and out.
I still can't believe what this is all about.

What is he saying? I can't make out the words.
There are wails and sobs inside me, waiting to be heard.
Beneath the stained glass window is the casket of my friend.
We're burying her today, but is this really the end?

The Lord has promised a mansion to every one of us.
I know that He will keep His word for He is fair and just.
My best friend is in Heaven now; she had to go too soon.

But Jesus has given her free reign to decorate my room.
She knows my likes and dislikes; we have the same tastes.
We'll be together again in Heaven one day Thanks to Jesus' precious grace.

Terri Wright Copyright 1999

Morning Devtional

C.H. Spurgeon's Morning Devotional
Tuesday July 14, 2009

"If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."-Exodus 20:25

God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord's own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour's work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man's chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in Him alone.

Many professors may take warning from this morning's text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord.

Belive In Yourself,

When you stop believing in yourself, so does everyone else.

The concept of self-empowerment is so self-elusive. Often times the individual loses their direction and focus in everyday life when so many outside dynamics and pressures displace themselves from who they are, placing upon them the emphasis of who they think they should be to meet those outside expectations.

You would not have the thought or the instinct if it were not natural to you. The doubt comes in when you second guess yourself and override your own inclinations. Self-believers are those who set the trend, those who have what you would call the entrepreneurial instinct. Responding to criticism stems from or began earlier on in your development, when you reached out for something to have a 'condition' placed upon what you were trying to obtain. It is your knowing, your dream and your ambition. It is also the 'inner you' that is trying to reach out for expression, the necessary expression for your spiritual survival and sense of security. Being accepted for who you are and how you are, and how you wish to dream and express is vital to your security and self-esteem.

The individual tries to manifest its divine or cosmic nature through objective, conscious decisions. This divine or cosmic nature is that which radiates from God, your sense of origin which is pervasive in all space and all things, having power, vitality, brilliance, truth and constructiveness. The objective perception is that based on externality and imposed consciousness of the physical world and other's expectations and personalized perceptions. As the individual becomes aware of his true inner essence and needs, the soul or inner-self conforms to that standard the individual has brought about through conscious decisions.

If one is not totally aware they then become the product of what they have chosen through objective manifestation. When the individual listens to their true self, their inner self and their inner needs which are derived of spirit, then they are on their rightful path. This is why listening to other's subjective reason and expectations will pull you away from yourself and enter yourself into conflict.

As the individual elevates his objective consciousness and becomes more 'in-tuned and sensitive' to their subjective needs, their conduct aligns with and begins to correspond to their natural needs and truer spirit-self. When the individual listens to the objective needs of others and their self, they become involved with the transient and mortal side of mankind. The basic essence of the individual is based in spirit and is not separable from its Creator. Learning to listen to that inner self and accept that true creational aspect of subjective self will bind them with the perfect that they are already naturally aligned with. This will lead them toward more fruitful and successful endeavors, bringing them enlightenment and happiness as they embrace their individuality.

This soul-self, the spirit-self is the perfect nature of each man. Therefore, the individual is designed to evolve more and more toward his real self, his spirit or cosmic self. This evolutionary process consists of the processes of seeking and learning to adapt the objective expectations of others to the subjective-spirit needs of the self. Self-belief is the process of learning to embrace your true inner expression of spirit-self. The inner you that you hear which speaks ever so silently to you each day.


By: David Reid Lowell

How to Keep Going when the Going Gets Tough

Spiritual Motivation: How to Keep Going when the Going Gets Tough
by Carisa Silvesan
Hebrew Chapter twelve, verse one through three says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on
Spiritual Motivation: How to Keep Going when the Going Gets Tough Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

The title in the NIV is "God Disciplines His Sons." Some might find the title alone a little frightening; thinking about the sandwich boards that read "sinners are going to hell" and the such. But, this discipline is not meant to punish us, but to mature us in everyway. It is done out of love to help us learn and grow in Christ.

We need to remember that there is a great witness around us. What is a witness? Someone who attests to something happening. But, when it comes to God there are more than just people who can witness to His existence. The wind, trees and life in general on this planet and in the universe attest to God in all His glory. It is helpful to take some time everyday and just look outside to admire all He has made and done.

Being surrounded by all this God has made, we should be willing to "throw off everything that hinders" us. What can hinder us? Well the obvious answer here is sin. Sin envelopes so many different things that it can easily become a hindrance to us and sometimes very quickly. Taking time to ask Christ to show us what we need to change and fix is key here.

We need forgiveness and help in changing and who better than our Maker. It is not only sin that can hinder us, but people too. Does this mean we should kick everyone out of our lives? Of course not, but if there is a particular person in your life that is hindering you from doing what God wants you to do, perhaps its time to re-evaluate your relationship with that person. Sit down and talk with them about how you feel. Let them understand that for you, a Christian, God comes first above all things.

Daily Prayer for Encouragement

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Father, Thank you for people who have encouraged us. Help us to be encouraging to our families and friends. Amen.

Source: Faithful Grannies - Christian Working From Home Moms

Words To Live By

Originally Aired On: Friday, September 05, 2008
Kim's Story - Faith, God's Provision

Listen Now |

Isaiah 42:16; Jeremiah 33:3
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Kim learned that God can turn what we consider a curse, into an incredible blessing. Blind since the age of three, Kim trusted God with her disability and watched Him open doors of immense opportunity for ministry.

Source:RBC Words to Live By

Why did Jesus condemn the self-righteousness of the Pharisees

Why did Jesus condemn the self-righteousness of the Pharisees more strongly than the transgressions of "public sinners"?

Jesus condemned the Pharisees' self-righteous hypocrisy because it blinded them from seeing their need for repentance and a Savior.

Many Pharisees prided themselves in their strict avoidance of obvious, outward sin. But they refused to look inside themselves and acknowledge the presence of inner sin that didn't fall within the boundaries of their man-made rules. Jesus knew that in spite of their obsession with outward perfection, they willfully resisted consciousness of their inner corruption and need for grace:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:25-28 NKJV).

Jesus didn't associate with "known sinners" like tax collectors because He minimized their sin ( Luke 19:1-10 ). He freely associated with them because He knew that they were more open to repentance.

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:10-13 NKJV).

"Known sinners" weren't full of self-righteous pride, deliberately concealing their hidden sins behind a legalistic façade of "righteousness." Jesus was keenly ironic when He said, "I didn't come to call the righteous to repentance." He knew that the Pharisees weren't righteous, but their pretense of righteousness kept them from accepting the only remedy for their condition -- repentance and faith in Him. The obvious sins of "public sinners" made them more likely to repent and look to Jesus for the answers they needed.

We are all sinners, both inwardly and outwardly. Although we may not be notorious "public sinners," we all share a fallen nature and are often controlled by the "flesh" -- the "sin principle" -- within us (Romans 8). Jesus' stern warnings to the hypocritical Pharisees make it clear that sin we ignore and deny is no less serious in its effects than the sin of the public sinner.

Dan Vander Lugt
RBC

I Choose Grace

Original Air Date: Sunday, June 10, 2007
I Choose Grace

We all encounter hardships in life and ask the question “Why me?” Injured in a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson Tada has asked the same questions we all ask. Join Joni as she shares her journey from heartache and anger to peace and contentment.

The Lion Tree

The Lion Tree - An Exciting Children's Novel with a Message!

When Dr. and Mrs. Stalwart decide to leave Haiti to work in Afghanistan, they send their four children to stay with their grandparents in Canada, where the Stalwart siblings face exciting adventures and big problems.

Then, the unimaginable happens. Dr. Stalwart's airplane disappears over Afghanistan, and it's up to Darian to bring his dad home safely.

Alone, and in a strange country, Darian and Cassidy find hope and an ally in an unexpected place - The Lion Tree.

Recommended for Ages 8 - 12, 117 pages. The Lion Tree is a fantasy fiction novel, based on sound biblical principles. Written by Christian children's author and speaker, Ruth Willms

"My book, The Lion Tree, began as a bedtime story I told
my grandchildren - the real Darian and Cassidy."

As her grandchildren, Darian and Cassidy, began elementary school, Ruth was challenged to create more intriguing, on-going stories. The bedtime stories began to revolve around her imaginary Lion Tree. Eventually, these stories became the basis of her book, The Lion Tree

The Lion Tree, released in 2007, is a Christian children's fantasy story. Ruth lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband Ed.

God, God's Character

Answers to Tough Questions

The Answers To Tough Questions site provides a variety of answers to commonly asked questions covering numerous topics. By no means do we provide all the answers, but we do our best to provide you with biblically based answers to the questions you may be struggling with. We also hope to provide you with information that you can use to help others who are struggling to find answers to tough questions.


God God's Character
Did God create evil?
Why would God allow bad things to happen to "good" people?
Why would an all-powerful God permit evil?
I can understand why God wants us to love Him, but how can it be consistent with His character to demand our worship?

Friends in High Places

Joe Casual
Today's Text: John 15:15

Friends in High Places“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

Most of us would like to be known by someone important—to have friends in high places. So being invited to the White House to meet President George W. Bush was a pretty exciting moment for me. As I waited for my turn to greet him, my mind raced to think of what I would say.

Since no one had clued me in to the protocol and with no one there to introduce me, I thought it would be right to introduce myself and tell him what I did for a living. So, I decided my opening line would be something like, “Mr. President, my name is Joe Stowell and I serve as the President of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.” I must admit, secretly I was hoping that his eyes would light up and he’d say, “Oh yes, Moody Bible Institute. I’ve heard about that place” and that we just might have the small spark of commonality—the feeling of a fledgling friendship.

Suddenly, it was my turn. I walked up, shook his hand, and said my opening line. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Well, there you go, Joe!”

That was it. It was over! I had wanted to say that I was praying for him but there wasn’t even time for my last line. Admittedly, the encounter was a little less than I had expected.

Reflecting on that brief and awkward moment, I have often thought that while you might get brushed off by the President of the United States, God—the Almighty One, the Creator of the glorious universe—actually wants to be your friend! Jesus welcomed us to this privileged level of relationship when He said to His disciples on the night before He died, “I no longer call you servants . . . I have called you friends.”

As His friends, we are welcomed to enjoy open communication with Him and to be privy to insider information. “Everything,” Jesus says, “that I have learned from the Father I have made known to you.” It would be thrilling enough to be servants of God, participating in His work, but Jesus adds an entirely new dimension by saying that as friends He will tell us everything we need to know about God’s will and His ways for our lives.

And, as you probably know, friendship is not just about open communication. It’s about sharing things in common. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus would say in verse 14, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” When we obey Him we move our lives onto common ground with Him. We love what He loves and hate what He hates. We forgive because he forgives, and we show mercy to the undeserving because He is a God of mercy. The more I share in common with Him the better the friendship! Obedience is the way that I bring my life into commonality with Him.

What a stunning thing it is that Jesus says to us: “Let’s be friends”! And like good friends, He wants to talk with you and to share things in common. You might be brushed off by people you wish would be your friends, but that’s okay if you know that God calls you His friend!

OUR JOURNEY…

One of the things Jesus did to let you know that He desires friendship with you is to die for you—to give you the assurance of sins forgiven and the promise of life eternal. Have you accepted that gift of friendship? If not, why deny God the relationship that He so deeply desires with you?
Friends communicate by talking and listening to each other. Do you spend more time talking to earth-side friends than you do listening to God talk to you through His Word and the indwelling Spirit?
If there were a commonality scale that measured how much you shared in common with God, how would you rate? What things in your life tend to distance you from God? How would obedience to Him in those areas spark a new sense of intimacy and friendship?

Source: Strenght For The Journey

The Patience To Wait for the Vision

May 2, 2009
The Patience To Wait for the Vision

READ:
Though it tarries, wait for it . . . —Habakkuk 2:3

Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. ". . . he endured as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27 ). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue— he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it. Things come to you with greatness and add vitality to your life because everything is energized by God. He may give you a time spiritually, with no word from Himself at all, just as His Son experienced during His time of temptation in the wilderness. When God does that, simply endure, and the power to endure will be there because you see God.

"Though it tarries, wait for it . . . ." The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, "What shall I render to the Lord . . . ? I will take up the cup of salvation . . ." (Psalm 116:12-13 ). We are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, "Now I’ve got it! Now I am completely sanctified. Now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. Paul said, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . ." ( Philippians 3:12 ). If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. But if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation.

Christian Quote of the Day

Christian Quote of the Day - May 2, 2009
Topic for Today: Christ: His Coming Kingdom

Christ hath told us He will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes, or put out the candle.

Gurnall, William

When You Don't Know What To Say

Order This Booklet

All of us, at some point in our lives, will be confronted with a situation in which a friend or loved one is suffering. It could be caused by death, disease, divorce, or devastating news of any kind. When people we care about are hurting, our natural inclination is to help—to offer words of comfort and encouragement. But what do we say? In this study of Job 1–6, longtime pastor Roy Clark examines how Job’s three friends responded to his suffering. This booklet will help us to learn what to say—and what not to say—in those moments when an encouraging word is so desperately needed.

This was a great book to review for me. Please read it.It provides you with common manners and tack of when we want to speak and unsure of what and how to say it.
Marcia Chumbley,CMOM and Faithful Grannies-

Christian Parents

Sources:
Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Terry Bidgood

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.

© 2007 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

To order multiple booklets, please order a Discovery Series catalog.

The Work Of Our Hands

The Work Of Our Hands
READ: Psalm 112
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. —Psalm 112:6

One reason we’re left here on earth and not taken to heaven immediately after trusting in Christ for salvation is that God has work for us to do. “Man is immortal,” Augustine said, “until his work is done.”

The time of our death is not determined by anyone or anything here on earth. That decision is made in the councils of heaven. When we have done all that God has in mind for us to do, then and only then will He take us home—and not one second before. As Paul put it, “David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep” (Acts 13:36).

In the meantime, until God takes us home, there’s plenty to do. “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day,” Jesus said. “Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). Night is coming when we will once for all close our eyes on this world, or our Lord will return to take us to be with Him. Each day brings that time a little closer.

As long as we have the light of day, we must work—not to conquer, acquire, accumulate, and retire, but to make visible the invisible Christ by touching people with His love. We can then be confident that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). — David H. Roper

If you rely upon God’s strength
And live a life that’s true,
Then what you do in Jesus’ name
Will be His work through you. —D. De Haan

In God’s eyes, true greatness is serving other.

Source:Our Daily Bread.

Our Daily Bread - Slapton Sands

April 28, 2009
Slapton Sands

READ: 1 Peter 5:1-11

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. —1 Peter 5:8On the southern shores of England is Slapton Sands. This beautiful beach area carries a tragic memory from its past.

On April 28, 1944, during World War II, Allied soldiers were engaged in Operation Tiger, a training exercise in amphibious beach landings in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Suddenly, enemy gunboats appeared and killed over 700 American servicemen in a surprise attack. Today, a monument stands on Slapton Sands to commemorate the sacrifice of those young men who died while training for battle but were never able to enter the conflict.

This tragedy is a metaphor that warns the believer in Christ. We too are involved in combat with an enemy who is powerful and deceptive. That is why the apostle Peter warned: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Like the soldiers on Slapton Sands, we face an enemy who desires our undoing. In the service of our King, we must be on the alert. The call to be effective in battle (2 Tim. 2:3-4) challenges us to be ready for the surprise attacks of our spiritual enemy—so that we can endure to serve another day. — Bill Crowder

The devil’s tactic is surprise
To stop you in your tracks,
So keep on guard and trust God’s Word;
Resist his strong attacks. —Branon


Satan’s ploys are no match for the Savior’s power.

First Things First

April 27, 2009
First Things First

READ: Matthew 6:25-34

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. —Matthew 6:33A seminar leader wanted to make an important point, so he took a wide-mouth jar and filled it with rocks. “Is the jar full?” he asked. “Yes,” came a reply. “Oh, really?” he said. Then he poured smaller pebbles into the jar to fill the spaces between the rocks. “Is it full now?” “Yes,” said someone else. “Oh, really?” He then filled the remaining spaces between the rocks and stones with sand. “Is it full now?” he asked. “Probably not,” said another, to the amusement of the audience. Then he took a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar.

“What’s the lesson we learn from this?” he asked. An eager participant spoke up, “No matter how full the jar is, there’s always room for more.” “Not quite,” said the leader. “The lesson is: to get everything in the jar, you must always put the big things in first.”

Jesus proclaimed a similar principle in the Sermon on the Mount. He knew that we waste our time worrying about the little things that seem so urgent but crowd out the big things of eternal value. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things,” Jesus reminded His hearers. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:32-33).

What are you putting first in your life? — Dennis J. De Haan

Make It Practical
• Always pray before planning.
• Always love people more than things.
• Do all things to please God.


Those who lay up treasures in heaven are the richest people on earth.

Ten Reasons To Believe

Ten Reasons To Believe offers strong evidence for areas of great eternal significance. This series gives strong, reasonable, and believable responses to the concerns skeptics and seekers wrestle with—issues that believers often struggle with as well. A helpful tool for evangelism or for personal encouragement, these brochures offer food for thought and for careful consideration. To Read More

Lip Service

April 26, 2009
Lip Service

READ: Mark 7:5-15

This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. —Mark 7:6Smile,” said Jay as we drove to church. “You look so unhappy.” I wasn’t; I was just thinking, and I can’t do two things at once. But to make him happy, I smiled. “Not like that,” he said. “I mean a real smile.”

His comment got me thinking even more intently. Is it reasonable to expect a real smile from someone who’s being issued a command? A real smile comes from inside; it’s an expression of the heart, not of the face.

We settle for phony smiles in photographs. We’re happy when everyone cooperates at the photographer’s studio and we get at least one picture with everyone smiling. After all, we’re creating an icon of happiness, so it doesn’t have to be genuine.

But phoniness before God is unacceptable. Whether we’re happy or sad or mad, honesty is essential. God doesn’t want false expressions of worship any more than He wants false statements about people or circumstances (Mark 7:6).

Changing our facial expression is easier than changing our attitude, but true worship requires that all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength agree that God is worthy of praise. Even when our circumstances are sad, we can be grateful for God’s mercy and compassion, which are worth more than the “lip service” of a phony smile. — Julie Ackerman Link

What a God we have to worship!
What a Son we have to praise!
What a future lies before us—
Everlasting, love-filled days! —Maynard


A song in the heart puts a smile on the face.

Thunderstorm Thoughts

Thunderstorm ThoughtsREAD: Matthew 8:23-27

The God of peace will be with you. —Philippians 4:9I laugh every time I hear the radio commercial that has a woman shouting to her friend in conversation. She’s trying to talk above the sounds of the thunderstorm in her own head. Ever since a storm damaged part of her home, that’s all she hears because her insurance company isn’t taking care of her claims.

I’ve heard thunderstorms in my head, and maybe you have too. It happens when a tragedy occurs—to us, to someone close to us, or to someone we hear about in the news. Our minds become a tempest of “what if” questions. We focus on all the possible bad outcomes. Our fear, worry, and trust in God fluctuate as we wait, we pray, we grieve, and we wonder what the Lord will do.

It’s natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right there in the boat with them, yet they were afraid (Matt. 8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was—a powerful God who also cares for them.

Strenght For The Journey

Tuning into God's Voice Part 1

Where would you be without the voice of God? Joe Stowell returns to John 10:27 as we continue the series on Hearing God’s Voice. This verse offers clear direction on the four steps you can take to experience the privilege of hearing God’s voice. Jesus used the illustration of a shepherd and his sheep to teach us how to be wholly dependent on Him. As you discover and embrace the ways God speaks to us personally, you will experience the freedom that results from obediently following His voice. Strength for the Journey is a series of practical and thought-provoking weekly messages featuring the Bible teaching of Joe Stowell.

Approx. Length: 20 minutes.

Against The Wall

April 25, 2009

Against The Wall

READ: Romans 8:31-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? —Romans 8:35On April 25, 1915, soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli peninsula expecting a quick victory. But fierce resistance by the Turkish defenders resulted in an 8-month stalemate during which thousands on both sides were wounded or killed.

Many of the ANZAC troops who were evacuated to Egypt visited the YMCA camp outside Cairo where chaplain Oswald Chambers offered hospitality and hope to these men so broken and disillusioned by war. With great insight and compassion, Chambers told them, “No man is the same after an agony; he is either better or worse, and the agony of a man’s experience is nearly always the first thing that opens his mind to understand the need of redemption worked out by Jesus Christ. At the back of the wall of the world stands God with His arms outstretched, and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God. The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God.”

Paul asked: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35). His confident answer was that nothing can remove us from God’s love in Christ (vv.38-39).

When we’re up against the wall, God is there with open arms. — David C. McCasland

God knows each winding way I take
And every sorrow, pain, and ache;
His children He will not forsake—
He knows and loves His own. —Bosch


God’s love still stands when all else has fallen.

A Surprisingly Strong Woman

Posted by Mart De Haan

In my last post I said that I find it interesting that Job shows up in the time of Abraham, apparently outside of Israel, with such Jesus-like social conscience.

Find a similar description of an ideal woman that comes from a time when men were expected to rule their homes, and when daughters and wives were often regarded as property. Read More

His Part; Our Part

April 2, 2009
His Part; Our Part

READ: Joshua 1:1-9

Arise, go over this Jordan . . . . I will not leave you nor forsake you. —Joshua 1:2,5Whenever the Lord assigns us a difficult task, He gives us what we need to carry it out. John Wesley wrote, “Among the many difficulties of our early ministry, my brother Charles often said, ‘If the Lord would give me wings, I’d fly.’ I used to answer, ‘If God bids me fly, I will trust Him for the wings.’”

Today’s Scripture tells us that Joshua was thrust into a position of great responsibility. No doubt the enormity of the challenge before him made him tremble with fear. How could he ever follow such a great leader as Moses? In his own strength it would be impossible to lead the people into the Promised Land. But along with the marching orders, the Lord gave him an assuring promise: “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5). Then He said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v.9). Such reassurances were the backing Joshua needed.

If God has given you some special work to do that frightens you, it’s your responsibility to jump at it. It’s up to the Lord to see you through. As you faithfully do your part, He will do His part. — Richard De Haan

I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O’er mountain or plain or sea;
I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I’ll be what You want me to be. —Brown


Where God guides, God provides

Servant Friendship

April 1, 2009
Servant-Friendship

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. —1 Thessalonians 2:7Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker’s message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man’s hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn’t exist.

Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.

What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, “We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8). He said, “We were gentle among you,” like a mother (v.7).

In our service for the Lord, do we share not just our words or money but our time and friendship? — Anne Cetas

I want to do service for Christ while I live,
And comfort and cheer to poor lonely hearts give;
For this is the program approved by the Word,
To visit the needy and speak of the Lord. —Bosch


One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others.

DAILY STRENGTH - Voices

Monday, March 09, 2009
Today's Text: John 10:27

Voices

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Hearing voices has to be the most haunting of all the mental disorders. After all, which voice do you listen to? Talk about massive confusion! But before you think that you are among the blessed ones who don’t hear voices, think again. Today will be full of voices that compete for a piece of your life. Your boss, your spouse, your children, close friends, advertisements, and talk shows all will bombard your psyche with conflicting advice or demands.

It’s not just the voices on the outside. No matter how sane you think you are, we all have inner voices that compete for control; voices that are not always positive. I confess to hearing the compelling whispers of the dark side of my heart on a regular basis. Whispers that advise and plan ways for me to live for my own advantage. Whispers that convincingly argue that a life lived by the lure of my desires is life at its best. Whispers that tell me I am clever enough not to get caught, that nobody is perfect, that God understands my weakness and will forgive me. Tell me that I am not alone and that you can identify!

I have learned that when those kinds of inner voices dominate, I often look back in regret and shame for letting them grab the control levers of my life. They promise me life at its best but consistently leave me empty, disappointed, guilty and embarrassed.

That’s why I am forever grateful that there is a voice within that I can trust. A single voice that puts all the other voices into perspective. A voice that speaks wisdom clearly and confidently. A voice that has my best interest in mind and wants to lead me to life at its best.

Over the years as I have followed the advice and counsel of that voice, I have never been disappointed. It hasn’t always been easy advice, and sometimes it hasn’t made a lot of sense—like telling me that I should forgive someone who has hurt me or that I need to die to myself—but it has reliably been the right advice.

It’s the voice of Jesus. When you get on line in your heart to hear His voice and His alone, you will be liberated from the conflicting voices that in the end you really can’t trust. Thankfully, He has given you all the equipment you need. Talk about high tech! The indwelling Holy Spirit actually lives within you to decode God’s Word as you read it. He speaks to your mind, heart, and conscience as your eyes scan the lines of the bestselling how-to-live book ever written.

So put the “earbuds” in and tune to the one frequency where you are loved and led to life as God meant it be—life at it’s best!

Remember, His is the only voice you can finally and fully trust. He loves you and died to prove it!

Download and live!

YOUR JOURNEY…

What voices in your life compete with Jesus for your attention?
When there is a “voice” that prompts you to react or act in a certain way, do you stop to discern whether the voice is that of your Shepherd?
Remember that His voice is always consistent with His Word, the Bible. In fact, the more you are in His Word, the more regularly He speaks to you.
Create an attitude of listening for His voice by consciously turning your heart’s ear toward Him in critical moments. Learn the joy of pressing the pause button in your “fast-forward” life often enough to be still and know that He is speaking.
In a journal, write down what God says to you so that you can go back and remember, like reading old love letters!
Prayer is a two-way conversation. Stop talking periodically to listen to what He is saying