God Rules

Read: Isaiah 46:5-13
I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. - Isaiah 46:11

in 1854 the Russian poet and diplomat Fyodor Tiutchev described the frightening world conditions as he saw them then. in a letter to his wife he wrote, "What is bewildering is the conviction-and it is becoming more and more general-that in all the perils that confront us, the direction of affairs is given over to a way of thinking that has no longer any understanding of itself. It is like being in a carriage, descending an increasingly precipitous slope, and suddenly realizing that there is no coachman in the box."

The world does seem to be travelling in a runaway vehicle, hurtling wildly through the dark night toward terrible destruction. Racial tensions, religious conflicts, new diseases and continued fighting could cause us to feel as if the world is reeling wildly out of control.

But the Christian views this frightening scene differently. We believe that even though Satan is called the ruler of this age, God is in ultimate control. We have confidence in Isaiah's promise tat what God has spoken will come to pass. God "works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph.1:11). His hand "is stretched out over all the nations," wrote Isaiah, and "who will turn it back?" (Isa.14:26-27). In the midst of turmoil we have hope. - Dave Egner

Have faith where'er thy bark is driven
The calm's disport, the tempest's mirth,
Know this! God rules the host of heaven,
The inhabitants of earth. - Schiller

Earth Changes, But Thy Soul And God Stand Sure.

Hold The Fort

Read : 1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:11
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have. - Revelation 3:11

During the American Civil War, General William T. Serman left behind a contingent of men to guard the rations in a fort on Kennesw Mountain. General John Bell Hood of the Confederate Army attacked the fort, and a fierce battle followed. One-third of Shermans' men were killed or wounded and the general in command was severely injured. Just as he was about to surrender, a message came through the signal corps set up on a chain of mountains. General Shaerman was within 15 miles of the fort and sent the message : "Hold fast. We are coming."Those few words which so encouraged the defenders that they held on and kept the fort from falling.

Our heavenly Commander has also sent us the assurance that He is coming. The Lord Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (Jn.14:2-3). The fact that our Savior is coming again gives us hope. It makes us want to stand our ground. It encourages us to continue fighting the good fight of faith. It assures us of victory. Fierce as the battle may rage and difficult  as the conflict maybe as we Serve Him, we dare not give up. Christ is coming again - perhaps today. - Richard Dee Hamn

Hold The fort, for I am noning"
Jesus signals still.
Wave the answer back to heaven
By Thy grace we will. - Bliss






When Faithlessness Is Most Difficult, It Is Most Rewarding.

Immanuel

Read : Matthew 1:18-25
"They shall call his name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." - Matthew 1:23

Since the first Christmas day 2000 years ago, the assurance that God is with his people has taken on new meaning. Before Jesus was born, the Israelites were assured that even in judgement they could have hope because God was with them (Isa. 8:8,10). Yet they didn't know God as fully as we can today. We have a great advantage over the Old Testament saints because through reading the New Testament we can see the glory of God "in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor.4:6). And we can sense His presence in all situations of life because He is made real to us by the Holy Spirit.

When I need to be reassured that God is with me, I picture the face of Jesus as He took little children into His arms and blessed them (Mt.19:13-15). Then I think of Hid crucifixion. I see his face battered and blood-streaked. This reminds me of all e endured to be my Savior. Finally, I reflect on His promise, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Mt.28:20). And I am spiritually refreshed.

God came in human form when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. All who trust Him can find renewed strength for every need. Why? Because the birth of Christ gives new meaning to the name Immanuel. - Herb Vander Lugt

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. - Wesley




The Birth Of Christ Brought God To Man, But It Took The Cross Of Christ To Bring Man To God. 

Step That Lead Nowhere

Read : John 3:5-16
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12

Most religions represent man's effort to reach up to God and become acceptable to Him. In China, for example, devout pilgrims ascend a sacred mountain called Taishan. They climb 7000 steps , first passing through the "middle gate," then through "heaven's southern gate." Finally they reach the Temple of the Azure Could. Here they offer sacrifices, which the worshipers believe will gain God's favor. But such effort brings devotees no closer to God than when they mounted the first step.

By contrast, Christianity begins with the creator reaching down to us. In His holiness, he is so far out of reach of sinners that only He Himself could span the gulf. And that's exactly what he did. By the miracle of the incarnation, He became flesh and offered Himself as a once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sin. Then, after rising from the dead, He went back to Glory. And He did it all for us. Our part is to confess that we are sinners, to renounce all efforts to earn our salvation, and to trust Jesus as our Savior.

Those still climbing endless steps of self-effort may as well give up. They lead nowhere. Instead, take that all important step of faith in the Lord Jesus. It's the only step that leads to heaven. - Dennis De Haan

Man gropes his way through life;s dark maze,
To unknown gods he often prays,
But then one day he meets God's Son-
At last he's found the Living One! - D.De Haan

Salvation Is Not Something We Achieve But Something We Receive.

The Word Made Flesh

For December 23, 2011

Read : Hebrews 1:1-13
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son.. has declared Him. - John 1:18

Frank M. Fairchild told of a beautiful fresco on the ceiling of a Roman palace. Painted by Guido Renin 1614, it was one of the most impressive works of its day. But visitors couldn't fully appreciate the masterpiece because they had to crane their necks to see it. To solve the problem, palace officials placed a large mirror on the floor beneath the painting, enabling viewers to more fully appreciate its beauty.

Fairchild observed : "Jesus Christ does precisely that for us when we try to get some notion of God... He interprets God to our dull hearts. In Him, God becomes visible and intelligible to us. We cannot by any amount of searching find out God. The more we try, the more we are bewildered. Then Christ appears. He is God stooping down to our level, and He enables our feeble thoughts to get some real hold on God Himself."

Christ came to reveal God to us. But He is more than a reflection of the Father. He is God in human flesh - "the express image" of God (Heb.1:3). And Jesus Himself said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9).

As we meditate on the wonder of "the Word made flesh," we will say with the hymn-writer, "O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord." - Richard De Haan

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb - Wesley

Christ's Birth Brings The Infinite God Within The Reach Of Finite Man.

Both Ends Of The Ladder

Read : Luke 2:1-14
You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. - John 1:51

Christmas cards often show an idyllic manger scene with halos of light surrounding the faces of Mary, Joseph and the Christ-child. Jesus' birth, however, tool place in a crude and unusual setting. Yet that lowly scene encompassed the wonder of the incarnation-the infinite God of the universe came from the heights of heaven to the depths of earth.

Referring to the words of Christ in John 1:51, Andrew Murray captured the dramatic contrast in this amazing event. He wrote: "The nature of our Lord Jesus is infinite in its extent. On one hand it touches the height of Godhead, on the other the depth of manhood. To use his own comparison (Jn.1:51), it resembles the mystic ladder, which in the dream of the wanderer (Jacob), lined the far distant depths of sky-where, more brilliant than sun or moon, the light of the Shekinah shone-with the moorland, strewn with huge boulders of stone, on which he lay. At one end is the title, Son of God; at the other, Son of Man."

Jesus, the Son of God in all His deity, became the Son of Man in full humanity. Yet He did not sin. His death guarantees forgiveness and eternal life if we trust Him as our Savior. Because God descended fro heaven to earth in Christ, we can ascend from earth to heaven through Christ. - Dave Egner

What condescension, bringing us redemption,
That in the dead of night, not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender, laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.- Booth-Clibborn

The Son Of God Became The Son Of Man That He Might Change The Sons Of Men Into Sons Of God. 

When God Stepped Out

Read : Colossians 1:15-19
He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. - Colossians 1:15

A little boy looked into the sky and asked his mother, "Is God up there?" When she assured him that He was, the youngster replied. "Wouldn't it be nice if He put His head out and let us see Him?"

What the boy didn't understand is that God has let us see Him-in the person of His Son. By sending Christ to earth as a man, the heavenly Father fully revealed Himself. Jesus was God "manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim.3:16)

Christ made this point clear when He said to Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn.14:9). This is the good news we celebrate, especially at Christmas. Jesus left heaven's glory and came to earth to reborn of a virgin. The baby that Mary cradled in a Bethlehem manger was the "image of the invisible God." All the attributes of the infinite God resided in Him. In fact, He was the One by whom "all things were created" and in whom "all things consist" (Col.1:16-17)

Looking into the face of our Savior, we can see displayed the holiness, the grace, and the love of our eternal, heavenly Father. This realization should make us rejoice, for we are gazing at God, who stepped out of heaven and came to this earth. Jesus Christ is Immanuel, God with us! - Paul Van Gorder

When God stepped out of heaven above
And came down to this earth,
He clothed Himself in human flesh-
A Child of lowly birth. - D. De Haan




Bethlehem's Manger Was The First Step In God's Love-Journey To Calvary's Cross.

Down From His Glory

Read : John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1

At one time a wise and beloved Shah ruled Persia. One day he disguised himself as a poor man and went to visit the public baths. The water was heated by a furnace in the cellar, and the Shah made his way to that dark place to sit with the man who tended the fire. The Shah befriended him in his loneliness. Day after day the ruler went to visit the man. The worker became attached to this stranger because "he came where he was (Lk.10:33)." The Shah expected the man to ask for a gift when he learned with love and wonder into his leader's face and said, "You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to eat my coarse food. On others you may bestow rich gifts, but to me you have given yourself."

As we think of what our Lord has done for us, we can echo that fire tender's sentiments. Jesus stepped from heaven to earth, from the worship of angels to the mocking of cruel men, from glory to humiliation. To provide our salvation, Jesus tool upon Himself the form of a servant, and "became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil.2:8). Our creator became our Savior. He deserves our heartfelt worship and humble adoration." - Paul Van Gorder

Down from His glory, ever-living story,
My God and Savior came, and Jesus was His name
Born in a manger, to His own a stranger,
A man of sorrows, tears and agony! - Booth-Clibborn

God's Highest Gift Should Awaken Our Deepest Gratitude. 

He Knows The Feeling

Read : Hebrews 2:14-18
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren. - Hebrews 2:17

When Christ became a man, He showed His willingness to be tempted, tested, hated and hurt. During His life on earth, He faced the same struggles we encounter. He had been sympathetic to man's weakness before He came, but by taking a human body He identified with us in a dramatic way. His incarnation revealed the extent to which He would go to pay for our sin and to be touched by the trials and infirmities that make life so difficult for us.

On a smaller scale, people try to empathize with the sufferings of others. A 30-year-old woman masqueraded as an elderly woman once a week for 3 years to find out how it feels to be old in America. What she learned is heartbreaking. She was robbed, insulted and frightened by a world that isn't easy on its elderly.

As touching as these examples are, they are nothing with Christ's coming into our world. No one else left so high a position to feel what mortal man feels. Jesus gave up heaven's glory and was tempted in all points as we are, yet He did not sin. He bore our sins on the cross so that He could be merciful to us.

We have One who cares. When we face temptations and trials, we can go to Jesus. He knows! - Mart De Haan

Wonderful work of the Savior-
His coming to earth as a man,
Knowing our heartaches, then dying-
What comfort there is in this plan! - Branon

Earth Has No Sorrow That Heaven Cannot Feel.

The Word Made Flesh

Read : John1:14-18
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. - John 1:14

Jesus is God in human form. In coming into our world, He revealed the heavenly Father to us. That's what John meant when he said that "the Word became flesh."

Theologian F.W. Boreham applied this truth when he wrote, "The Christian man must accompany the Christian message. The Word must be presented in its proper human setting.. The Word made flesh is thus pronounced with an accent and an eloquence which are simply irresistible.. The words of men become filled with passion and with power only when they are made flesh. And in the same way, the thoughts of God to men are only eloquent when they are so expressed."

Boreham also quoted English writer George Elliot, who said, "Sometimes words are made flesh; they breathe upon us with warm breath, they touch us with soft responsive hands, they look at us with sad, sincere eyes, and they speak to us in appealing tones; they are clothed in a living human soul."

If people are to "hear" the Word of God, they must "see" it demonstrated in our lives. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Mt. 5:16). Christians who live what they believe give flesh to the Word. - Richard De Haan

Christian, remember you bear His dear name
Your life is for others to view;
You're an example-men praise you or blame
And measure your Savior by you. - Anon.

We Teach More With Our Life Than With Our Lips. 

He Came Near

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. - Isaiah 9:6

One wintry day a Christian noticed that someone had thrown a sheaf of grain on the ground. A flock of hungry sparrows had monopolized it for an unscheduled feast. The man paused, and then took a step in their direction. The birds became uneasy. Another step, and their nervousness increased. They suddenly flew away, leaving their banquet unfinished.

The man stood there reflecting on what had happened. Why had those sparrows scattered in flight? At once the thought came to him, "It is me. I am too big." Then another question pressed itself upon his mind. How could he walk among those birds without frightening them by his size? Only if it were possible for him to become a sparrow and fly down among them.

He saw the spiritual analogy immediately. God had approached Abraham through heavenly messengers. He spoke to Moses out of the burning bush. In both cases man was afraid. But centuries later the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and announced, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk.2:11). Those herdsmen hastened to Bethlehem, where though they stood in the presence of deity, they were not afraid. In love, God had become one of us. - Paul Van Gorder

Without reluctance, flesh and blood His substance,
He took the form of man, revealed the hidden plan.
O glorious mystery, sacrifice of Calvary,
And now I know Thou art the great "I Am." - Booth-Clibborn

Christ's Birth Brought The Infinite God Within Reach Of Finite Man. 

The Smoke Of A Thousand Villages

Read: Matthew 9:32-38
But when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them. - Matthew 9:36

We who live in countries where the gospel is freely preached find it difficult to imagine the tremendous spiritual need in areas where people have never heard the gospel.When we think of the millions who do not know Christ, we need to be filled with compassion and moved to action, as our Savior was in Matthew 9.

Robert Moffat (1975-1883) spoke in England about his work in Africa. A young student listened as Moffat described a frequent sight. "There is a vast plain to the north, where I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."

"The smoke of a thousand villages." The words painted a vivid picture that gripped the heart of a young student, sparking within him a desire to reach the unreached. Filled with a new vision, the young man went to Moffat and asked, "Would I do for Africa?" That student was the famous missionary, David Livingstone.

Christ said, "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" (Jn.4:35). He still needs workers today. With Moffat and Livingstone, we can envision "the smoke of a thousand villages." Then we must ask God to show us what we can do to share the gospel with those who have never heard. - Richard De Haan

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen;
Tell them of Jesus, the Mighty to save. - Crosby

We Can Reach Out To A World In Need With The Word It Needs!

Of Jungles And Suburbs

Read: Acts 1:1-8
You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem... and to the end of the earth. - Acts 1:8

Writing in Outreach, a publication of the Oriental Missionary Society, Richard D. Wood raised a thought-provoking question about our motives in supporting missions. He said tourists often came back from Haiti and say, "God broke my heart for missions in Haiti." but he wondered whether they were moved more by physical poverty than by their spiritual poverty. Was the lack of bread uppermost in their minds rather than the need for the Bread of Life - the Word and Son of God?

Mr. Wood recognized that showing us people's extreme physical need may be God's way of waking us up. But he wondered if those same people would ever cry, "God broke my heart in the suburbs." Would the sight of well-manicured lawns, expensive houses, and well-dressed people evoke that kind of response? The gospel is for the suburbanite as well as the slum-dweller. The character of God and the spiritual need of humanity-not our feelings and thoughts-provide the right motive for missions.

Everyone, regardless of poverty or affluence, need the gospel. So each of us must reach out with the message of God's redeeming grace to men and women everywhere-in the jungles, but also in the suburbs. - Richard De Haan

Precious souls are in our keeping,
God requires them at our hand;
ask yourself, dear fellow Christian,
"Am I doing all I can?" - Anon.

Everyone Outside Of Christ Is A Mission Field;
Everyone In Christ Should Be A Missionary.

Get Into The Fields

Read: Luke:14:15-24
Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in. - Luke 14:23

Paul W.Powell wrote, "Many churches today remind me of a laboring crew trying to gather a harvest while they sit in the toolshed. They go to the toolshed every Sunday and they study bigger and better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors and then get up and go home. Then they come back that night, study bigger and better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors, and get up and go home. They do this week in and week out, year in and year out, and nobody ever goes out into the fields to gather in the harvest" (The Complete Disciple).

Christ's final command to His disciples was to tell everyone about His saving power. Just before he ascended to heaven, He said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15). Today, that great commission is still the responsibility of believers. But many church members, even though they have much Bible knowledge and have been Christians for years, never enter the harvest field.

I must confess my own guilt. I promote missions and missionary endeavors regularly. But I haven't been out in the realm of the lost as I should be. It's time for all of us to confess our shortcomings and to get into the fields. - Dave Egner

Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!
Hear us, Lord to Thee we cry;
Send them now the sheaves to gather,
Ere the harvest-time pass by. - Thompson

There Is Only One Thing We Can't Do For Missions -  Get Rid Of Our Responsibility.

A Service Of Love

Read : 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
For the love of Christ compels us. - 2 Corinthians 5:14

When Hudson Taylor directed the China  Inland Mission, he often interviewed candidates for the mission field. "And why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?" he asked one. "I want to go because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," the candidate replied. Another candidate said, "I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ." Others often gave different answers. But Taylor noted, "All of these motives, however good, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing; namely, the love of Christ."

A missionary once commented, "Do I like this work? No.My wife and I do not like dirt. We have resonably refined sensibilities... But is a man to do nothing for Christ he does not like? God pity him, if not. Liking or disliking has nothing to do with it. We have orders to 'Go' and we go. Love constrains us."

We may not be serving the Lord under dangerous or unpleasant conditions, but the work he has called us to do has its own unique difficulties. In times of trials and testing, only the love of Christ can strengthen us to go on. - Richard De Haan

The Lord will give you help and strength
For work He bids you do;
To serve Him from a heart of love
Is all He asks of you. - Fasick

Serving Christ Under Law Is A Duty; Under Love It's A Delight/

From Mind To Mouth

Read 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
These things we also speak, ... which the Holy Spirit teaches. - 1 Corinthians 2:13

Aphasia is a loss of of the ability to speak, a condition that results when the message from the brain cannot get to the tongue because of an injury or illness.

A similar spiritual malady affects many Christians. They know Jesus Christ but never speak of Him. They are familiar with God's plan of salvation but never tell it to others. They don't demonstrate the zeal of the early Christians who said, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20)

This faulty connection between knowledge and testimony must be corrected. Often fear causes the breakdown, or sometimes sin blocks our freedom to speak about Christ. Only as believers rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and forsake their sin can they consistently share Christ with others.

Just before His ascension, the risen Christ assured his disciples of power to transmit His message to the world (Acts 1:8). That power is the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. Every believer has this source. But if we quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, our witness in words will be either ineffective or nonexistent. We must keep the message of the gospel flowing to those around us who need to hear it. We can't let spiritual aphasia silence our witness. - Paul Van Gorder

Have you pointed the lost to Jesus
And urged them on Him to believe?
Have you told of the life everlasting
That all, if they will, may receive? - Crosby

If We Have God's Word In Our Minds, He Can Put The Right Words In Our Mouths.

Missions Begin At Home

Read : Mark 5:1-20
Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. - Mark 5:19

Many Christians, enthusiastic about foreign missions, answer the call to service. By going to foreign countries, praying faithfully, or giving financial support they help reach the lost in faraway lands. Yet some who have a great burden for people in spiritual darkness across the sea seem oblivious to the same need in their neighbors across the street.

A young woman wanted to share the gospel with others, so she asked her pastor where she might go to serve most effectively. The pastor wrote something on a slip of paper and handed it to her. The young woman quickly left the pastor's study, eager to read where her mission field might be. When she opened the note, she saw that he had written two words : "Your father." She had been so enthusiastic about reaching the lost in distant lands that she had neglected someone close. Convicted of her negligence, she acted on the pastor's advice. She visited her dad regularly, ministered to his physical needs, showered her love upon him, and witnessed to him.

Serving the Lord on some remote mission field is challenging, and the tremendous sacrifices and hardships are praiseworthy. But, like charity, missions must always begin at home. - Richard De Haan

In the joy of seeking souls,
God's time I waste no more;
And my life has found its mission-
Found it at my very door. - Van Tine

There Is No "Home" or "Foreign" In God's Missionary Vocabulary.

Entrusted To Us

Read : Mark 16:14-20
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." - Mark 16:15

John De Vries of Bibles For India told what might have happened when Jesus entered heaven immediately following his ascension.

The angels, rejoicing that Christ's mission on earth had been completed, gathered to welcome Him home. They were eager to know who would have the privilege of proclaiming to the world the good news that Christ had risen from the dead to provide salvation from sin. So they were disappointed and amazed when Jesus looked to earth and pointed to the tiny group of followers He had just left behind. "Those are the ones I want to by My witnesses," Jesus announced. "I have given to them the commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. They have experienced the thrill and reality of redemption from sin; they are to be My messengers!"

The torch of the gospel, handed to those early followers of Christ, had been passed down through the generations until today, it is in our hands. The responsibility of proclaiming that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners is ours to fulfill. Angels might long for the privilege of telling the world about Christ, but they have not experienced the joy of forgiveness and the hope of glory. That's why the task has been entrusted to us. - Richard De Haan

This is the message that I bring,
A message angels fain would sing,
"O be ye reconciled," thus saith my Lord and King,
"O be ye reconciled to God." - Cassel

Our Only Real Excuse For Living In This World Is To Be Witnesses For Jesus Christ. - Sweeting

The Courtesy We Don't Need

Hi all, 


Apologize for not updating the blog yesterday.Therefore, the Daily Bread for yesterday will also be published along with the content for today. 


God bless..
Sunija


Daily Bread For December 9, 2011


Read : Romans 6:11-18
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. - Romans 8:12

Following the terrible Mexico City earthquake of 1985, live satellite coverage carried the news to a watching world. Mountains of broken concrete filled the TV screen. Rescue workers dug frantically. Fires raged. Smoke and dust filled the air. Then suddenly in the corner of the screen appeared the words "Courtesy : SIN".

The letters S-I-N actually stood for Spanish International Network, but for a moment it meant something different to me. It reminded me that all trouble, pain, and suffering can be traced back to the problem of din. That's not to say that God judged Mexico City with an earthquake. but if sin directly or indirectly causes such tragedy, it deserves to be treated with contempt, not courtesy.

Since all human anguish can be traced back to the entrance of sin into this world, how can we take it so lightly? Why do we comply with an evil that causes a loving God to react with a judgement described in Revelation 6? We don't owe sin anything. Jesus paid sin's debt and broke it's power when he died on the cross and rose from the grave. By living in the power of the resurrection, we can avoid the "courtesy" sin offers. The wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23), and that's a courtesy we don't need. - Matt De Haan

Through sin and wrong may flourish now
And God seems far away,
The spread of evil will be checked,
For God will have his day. - D. De Haan

God Will Give Us The Victory If We Will Go To The Fight. 

Satan And The Cross

Read : Matthew 16:21-28
Get behind Me, Satan! - Matthew 16:23

When Peter objected to Jesus' statement about going to Jerusalem to die, I believe that He unwittigly spoke for the devil.

From the time John the Baptist declared Christ to be "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn.1:29), Satan tried to keep our Lord from going to the cross. in the wilderness temptation he suggested that Jesus take the kingdoms of the world without the ordeal of Calvary. He incited the Jewish leaders to hate Christ, hoping they might kill Him by stoning. When these attempts failed, he switched tactics. He induced Peter to speak against God's plan, and he "entered" Judas (Jn. 13:27). He prompted Peter'd denials of Jesus, the cowardice of the apostles, the brutality of the soldiers, and the heartlessness of the mob. Through all of this he hoped to convince Jesus that mankind isn't worth dying for.

Satan lost the battle, but he continues to fight. He does all he can to hinder the spread of the gospel. He even uses religion that promotes salvation by works and ritual. Despite his efforts, thousands are being saved through faith in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. They can joyfully sing, "Hallelujah for the Cross", because the cross and the empty tomb spelled Satan's ultimate defeat. - Herb Vander Lugt

The winds of hell have blown,
The world its hate has shown,
Yet it is not overthrown-
Hallelujah for the cross! - Bonar

Calvary Stands For Satan's Fall

Making Bad People Good

Read : 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
[Jesus] bore our sins.. that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24

Charles Colson tells of a frustrated prison psychiatrist who exclaimed, "I can cure a person's madness, but not his badness." The only way to make bad people good is to expose them to the gospel. Even Charles Darwin, the man who contributed so much to evolutionistic thinking, admitted this. He wrote to a minister: "Your service has done more for our village in a few months than all our efforts for many years. We have never been able to reclaim a single drunkard, but through your services I do not know that there is a drunkard left in the village!"

Later Darwin visited Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America. What he found was horrifying - savagery almost beyond description. But when he returned there after a missionary had worked among the people, he was amazed at the change, and acknowledged that the gospel transforms lives. He was so moved by what he saw that he contributed money to the mission until his death.

First Peter 2 says that Christ's sacrifice on the cross not only paid sin's penalty but also broke its power. The apostle Paul, after listing terrible sins, wrote to Christians in Corinth, "Such were some of you. But you were washed" (v.11). Praise God. Jesus does make bad people good. - Herb Vander Lugt.

Heavy is the load of guilt
That sinners have to bear;
Light and easy is the yolk
That Jesus wants to share. - D. De Haan

God Formed Us;Sin Deformed Us; Christ Transforms Us. 

In And Out Of Order

Read : Psalm 138
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. - Psalm 138:8

Most of us will admit that we have flaws and weaknesses. We see undesirable tendencies in ourselves such as selfishness, irritability, impatience, hot-hotheadedness. They are with us because of our sinful condition. Yet many Christians testify that their defects and weaknesses have become a blessing, causing them to rely more heavily on Jesus. By acknowledging their weakness, these believers have experienced God's grace and strength.

We see this link between imperfection and improvement all around us in nature. For instance, scientists tell us that few things develop more orderly and predictably than crystals. Each kind of mineral and gem has its own special shape or appearance. In addition, every one is made up of a great number of atoms stacked in perfect alignment. Occasionally one of these basic particles gets out of line, but that is an essential step in the development of the crystal. Most gems owe their brilliant colours to these flaws.

We need not worry about faults in our lives, and we should not let them get us down. Instead, we should admit their presence, commit them to the Lord in prayer, and trust Him to give us victory. The psalmist said, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." - Mart De Haan

Looking back, it seems to me
All the grief, which had to be,
Left me when the pain was o're
Richer than I'd been before - Anon

God's Resources Are Greater Than Our Need.

The Ultimate Real Estate

Read : Revelation 21: 1-8
He who overcomes shall inherit all things - Revelation 21:7

Fiske Planetarium needed money, so its director dreamed up a gimmick. He printed brochures offering lots on Mars for only $20. Located in the Olympus Mons region, the land is a huge, extinct volcano more than twice as high as Mount Everest. The flyers read: "This land features pink skies, unlimited rock gardens, and not one but two moons. So peaceful, quiet and romantic - even the natives are friendly. At one-sixth the gravity of Earth, your golf game will improve immensely - drives will be 6 times longer." The gag was surprisingly successful. People from across the country sent in $20 for a deed, space flight insurance and simulated sample of red Martian soil.

Better than any offer for property on Mars is God's promise of heavenly real estate. God is preparing it for Christians to express His love for all who trust Jesus as their Savior. The Lord Himself will live with his people in the new heaven and new earth. The features are beyond description. There will be no tears, pain or death and the occupants will rejoice forever in God's goodness.

God's free offer of a home in the heavens is not just some promotional gimmick! It may sound too good to be true, but it isn't. It's too good to pass up. - Mart De Haan

Contemplating the realms on high,
Afar beyond the vaulted sky,
'Tis joy to know that through His grace
We shall rejoice to see His face. - Goldwire

Heaven Is A Prepared Place For A Prepared People.

God's Heirs

Read : Ephesians : 1:1-14
[The Holy Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. - Ephesians 1:14

According to syndicated columnist L.M. Boyd, an out-of-work and penniless man was strolling along a San Francisco beach one day in 1949. The man, Jack Wurm, found a bottle with a note inside that read, "To avoid confusion, I leave my entire estate to the lucky person who finds this bottle and to my attorney, Barry Cohen, Share and share alike."

The courts accepted the document as the last will of Daisy Singer Alexander, heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune. She had thrown it into the Thames River in London 12 years earlier. Somehow drifting across the oceans, it washed ashore in California, where Jack Wurm went from poverty to wealth.

The Bible speaks of an imperishable inheritance reserved in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4). And all those who acknowledge their spiritual poverty become heirs to that wealth by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Daisy Singer Alexander put her wealth in a bottle because she couldn't take it with her. Jack Wurm, who inherited it, couldn't wake it with him either. But thank God, we are heirs to a wonderful salvation that begins in this life and will be fully realized throughout all eternity! And our guarantee? The Holy Spirit who already lives in us. - Dennis De Haan

Rejoice because your debt is paid,
For all your sins on Christ were laid;
You are an heir, you're justified -
And all because the Savior died. - D. De Haan

When You Receive Christ, You Become A Stockholder In The Riches Of Heaven

"We Won! We Won!"

Read : 2 Corinthians 2
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. - 2 Corinthians 2:14

As British writer Guy King stood on a railroad station platform, a train pulled into the station. Members of a soccer team returning from a game got off. News had not yet reached home as to the outcome of the game. A small boy wiggled his way through the crowd and asked one of the players the score. As soon as he heard it, he ran excitedly up and down the platform shouting, "We won! We won!" That youngster was brimming with joy because he identified himself with the players, Their victory was his victory.

We too can participate in a great celebration because Jesus won the victory over sin nearly 2000 years ago. He paid sin's penalty by dying on the cross, and He broke its power by rising from the dead. We share in his victory through faith because "as He is, so are we in this world" (1 Jn:4:17). We can thank God "who always leads us in triumph in Christ " (2 Cor.2:14).

Victory, not defeat, should be the norm in the Christian life. God sees every believer in Christ, whom He raised from the dead and seated "at His right hand...far above all principality and power" (Eph. 1:20-21). Because He is the victor and we are "in Him", we too can be victorious over sin. - Paul Van Gorder

Each conflict into which you come
Was won on Calvary
'Tis ours to claim what Christ has done
And hold the victory. - Jessop






We Can Be More Than "Conquerors" When We Yield Ourself To The All-Conquering Christ. 

Christ Died To Save Sinners

Read : 1 Timothy 1: 12-17
This is a faithful saying..., that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. - 1 Timothy 1:15

Thomas Bileny, who died a martyr's death in 1531, described his salvation experience : "My soul was sick and I longed for peace, but nowhere could I find it... But at last I heard of Jesus Christ. It was then, when first the New Testament was set forth by Erasmus, that the light came. I bought the book, being drawn by the Latin rather than by the word of God, for at that time I knew not what 'the Word of God' meant. On my first reading I chanced upon these words, 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' This one sentence through God's inward working did so light up my poor bruised spirit that the very bones within me leaped for joy and gladness. It was as if, after a long dark night, day had suddenly broke."

When people recognize the awful reality of their sin before a holy God, they may be overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness and despair. They know they cannot save themselves. But the hope Thomas Bileny found is available to all. Jesus died for sinners, and He can replace hopelessness and despair with confidence and unbounded joy.

Admitting our sin is the first step to salvation. Then we must place our trust in Christ and accept His gift. - Dave Egner

Tears unavailing, no mercy had I,
Mercy had saved me or else I must die;
Sin had alarmed me, fearing God's face -
But now I'm a sinner saved by grace! - Gray

We Are Dead In Sin, But Jesus Can Make Us Dead To Sin. 

Claim What Is Yours

Read : Matthew 5 : 1-12
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7

In his book Claim What Is Yours, David Grubb wrote, "For more than 40 years, Ace Pawn Shop had been a fixture on West Main Street in the hometown of my childhood. Now it was closing. Fred and Lydia Fischer had the shop as a 'mom and pop' operation, and when Fred died, Lydia found that she couldn't go on alone."

"Rather than sell the business, Lydia decided to close up the shop and move south to retire. As one final gesture of appreciation to the customers who had made life so good for her and her husband, she sent a card to everyone who had an item in pawn and offered it back free of charge. The sign in the window told the story: 'Pawn Shop Closing : Claim What Is Yours.''"

God has invited all believers in Christ to claim what is ours, and the Sermon on the Mount lists a number of these wonderful gifts: the kingdom of heaven (salvation), comfort in mourning, the prospect of inheriting the earth, spiritual fulfillment, mercy, fellowship with God, adoption into God's family, and an eternal home in heaven.

When we begin to feel spiritually poor, it's time to ask, seek, and knock (Mt. 7:7). Before another day passes, we can, by faith, "claim what is ours." - Dave Egner

O the unsearchable riches of Christ!
Wealth that can never be told!
Riches exhaustless of mercy and grace,
Precious, more precious than gold. - Crosby

He Possesses All Who Knows The Creator Of All.

The Shadow Of The Cross

Read : John 12 : 27-36
But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. - John 12 : 27-28

The Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world to die for our sin. The specter of the cross loomed before Him. He lived in its shadow, knowing that being about His Father's business (Lk. 2:49) would lead Him eventually to drink the bitter cup of divine wrath (22:42).

Holman Hunt depicted the certainty of Christ's death in a painting titled The Shadow of Death. It shows Jesus standing beside His workbench in a carpenter's shop in Nazareth. He has laid down His saw and is lifting His eyes to heaven. He stretches, raising His arms to release the tension in His muscles. The evening sun, coming in through the open door, casts His shadow on the wall behind Him in the form of a cross. The tool rack runs parallel to the shadow of His outstretched arms. He looks as if He has been crucified. Mary kneels on the floor, her hands positioned on a chest containing the precious gifts of the wise men. She seems shocked by the shadow of her Son.

This painting expresses the central truth that Jesus Christ came to earth of take away "the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). He could do that only through bearing our sin "in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). We can rejoice because Jesus chose to live under the shadow of the cross. - Dave Egner

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God
All the vain things that charm me most -
I sacrifice them to His blood. - Watts

The Nail- Pierced Hands Of Jesus Reveal The Love-Filled Heart Of God. 

Guilty!

Read : Romans 3 : 9-24
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

A preacher asked a group of young people what they must do before obtaining forgiveness. One young man replied, "Sin". That makes us all candidates for forgiveness.

Dr. Karl Menninger told about a man standing on a corner in Chicago. Said Menninger, "He would point to one and then another and intone loudly the single word, 'Guilty'! Then without a change of expression, he would assume a stiff stance for a few minutes and do the same thing again. One to whom he pointed turned turned to a companion and said, 'But how did he know?' That man could have pointed to any one of us" (Fingertip Facts File).

The Bible states clearly that "all have sinned." Everyone is guilty - by birth and by choice. All are therefore under condemnation of death, both physical (separation of the soul from the body) and spiritual (separation of the soul from God). The charge of guilty can be removed, however, by faith in the Lord Jesus. He died on the cross to pay the penalty our sin demanded; and because He was the perfect Son of God, God grants forgiveness on the basis of His atoning death.

Anyone who has not accepted Jesus can do so today. His offer of free salvation still stands. He will change your verdict from "guilty" to "justified" (Rom. 5:1) - Richard De Haan

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come! - Elliott

No One Is So Good That He Can Save Himself And No One Is So Bad That God Cannot Save Him. 

The Great Reverse

Read : Psalm : 37: 27-40
Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land. - Psalm 37 : 34

As a rule, it is wrong to take from one person and give to another. Yet when the proper authority takes from a criminal to give to an orphan, it's a different story. Such was the case when the wife of Peruvian President Alan Garcia ordered that a mansion confiscated from a cocaine dealer be converted into an orphanage. The house known as "Villa Coca" became a haven for homeless children.

God did something like this when He guided the children of Israel to Canaan, the Promised Land. The Lord used the Israelites to judge the idol-worshiping residents of Canaan by driving them out of their land. God gave His people cities and homes they hadn't built, wells they hadn't dug, and vineyards they hadn't planted. He took from His enemies to give to His people, just as He had promised (Dt. 6: 10-11).
As the real owner of heaven and earth, the Lord assures us that He has the authority and the power to take from the proud and to give to the humble. It's true, the Lord may seem blind to the actions of those who have gained great wealth by vice and violence. But according to Psalm 37, eternity will show the wisdom of those who wait on the Lord, They will see the great reverse. - Mart De Haan

That great reverse on judgement day
Will finally make life's values clear;
We'll know if we are rich or poor
By what on earth we held most dear. - D. De Haan

And the end of life, we'll find that the only things we've lost were those we tried to keep.

Anticipation Overcomes Fear

Read : Joshua 3
You have not passed this way before. - Joshua 3:4


When I was a boy, the flame of adventure burned brightly in my soul, filling my life with anticipation. I loved to read stories about pioneers who ventured into the unknown, and I still remember these words of Rudyard Kipling :

There is no sense in going further - it's the edge of civilization,
So they said, and I believed it -
Till a voice, as bad as conscience, rang interminable changes
On one everlasting whisper day and night repeated -
Something hidden. Go and find it.
Go and look behind the Ranges,
Lost and waiting for you. Go!

Although I still like to try new things, I've lost some of my adventurous spirit as I've grown older, and I find myself feeling a bit uneasy as I draw closer to retirement, old age, and death. It's natural to feel a mixture of fear and anticipation as we face the unknown. But as I trust God and keep walking with Him, I find that fear diminishes and my longing for heaven grows stronger.

The Israelites undoubtedly felt both uneasiness and eagerness as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Knowing this, Joshua told them to follow the ark, the symbol of God's presence. The people leading the column were to stay far enough behind the ark so that those in the rear could see it. By trusting God and obeying Him, their fear dissolved and their sense of anticipation grew stronger. And it still works that way today. - Herb Vander Lugt




Faith Keeps The Sails Of Life Filled With The Breath Of Heaven.

Your Hand In His

Read : Psalm 139:1-12
Your right hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. - Psalm 139:10

In a Christmas Address to the people of the British Empire in 1939, King George VI spoke of his faith in God's leading. World War II had begun, and Great Britain faced the onslaughts of Hitler's barrage. The King concluded his remarks with lines written by Minnie Louise Haskins some 30 years earlier : "And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year : 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'. And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better thatn light and safer than a known way.' "

Like Great Britain in 1939, each of us faces a future whose trademark is change, perhaps with foreboding circumstances. But we have Someone to guide us even in the darkest night. That's why the psalmist could say, "Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me."

Life holds no surprises for God. No path is unknown to Him - no circumstances unsettling. Because the future is perfectly clear to our Father, Christians have the full assurance that we can follow where God leads, whether the way is marked by calm or storm.

We can confidently put our hand in God's. He forgives the past, controls the present, holds the future. - Paul Van Gorder

I may not always understand
The way that You will lead,
But, Lord, in faith I'll clasp Your hand
And trust You for each need. - Dean

Those who see God's hand in everything can best leave everything in God's hand. 

Don't Discard - Restore

Read : Galatians 6 : 1-5
If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one. - Galatians 6:1

A few years ago, a disturbed man rushed madly through the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam until he reached Rembrandt's famous painting Nightwatch. Then he took out a knife and slashed it repeatedly. A short time later, a distraught, hostile man slipped into St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and smashed Michelangelo's beautiful sculpture. The Pieta. Did the museum officials throw the damaged works out and forget about them? Absolutely not. Using the best experts and all the available technology, they made every effort to restore the treasures.

Christians ought to have the same attitude toward believers, whose testimony has been damaged by sin.When one of God's children falls into sin, our first thought should be to restore, not to condemn. Tenderly and compassionately we must pray and work to bring that one back to spiritual wholeness and fellowship within the body of Christ. The word restore in Galatians 6:1 is the same word translated mend in Matthew 4:21, where we read that James and John were mending their nets. It means "to make thoroughly fit. "

Condemning is easier than restoring. In disgust we may want to turn our backs on a sinning Christian. But the scriptural pattern is not to discard but to restore. - Dave Egner

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that are broken will vibrate once more. - Crosby

We can't expect others to see eye to eye with us if we look down on them.

Whom Do You Worship?

Read : Revelation 1: 1-8
[Jesus] washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings. - Revelation 1:5-6

A gifted athlete sent to prison for using and selling illegal drugs made me sad. His friends said, "What a shame! just think of what he could be enjoying if he had kept clean!"

This man's failure to fulfill his potential pictures of the whole human race. God made us in His image to obey Him, enjoy fellowship with Him, and rule over the earth for His glory, but we don't obey Him as we should, enjoy Him as we ought, or rule over planet earth as we could. Immorality, crime, famine, conflict, and potential nuclear holocaust continually remind us of our failure to live up to the potential the Lord built into us.

But that's not the whole story. God has provided a way to life each of us fro our moral failure and elevate us to spiritual fulfillment. He became a member of the human family in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross as our substitute, and rose from the grave. Now he forgives, accepts, and restores all who believe on Him. Believers are now "kings", destined to rule with Christ (Rev 1: 5-6).

When we suffer a shattering defeat, we don't have to stay down. The gospel is good news. Through faith in Jesus, God gives us new life and begins to lift us from out failure to the fulfillment of His purpose for us. - Herb Vander Lugt

O precious bride, espoused to One
Who loved you so He'd even die,
If you would worship Him alone,
All other "christs" you must deny. - D. De Haan



Salvation makes useful saints out of useless sinners.

"Enterprise Zones"

Read : Romans 6:1-18
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! - Romans 6: 1-2

Some Christians seem to give up trying to grow in difficult areas of their lives. They have suffered so many defeats that they think they will never make any progress. They react much like a city that stands idle while its blighted areas deteriorate.

But some cities are showing remarkable success in bringing new life and radical improvement to decayed sections. They label these areas "enterprise zones", a name that carries with it the idea of potential for vast upgrading through much time and effort. By looking at the problem through new eyes, they see it as an opportunity for constructive restoration rather than ongoing deterioration. This new attitude is bringing results.

Christians need a similar outlook. We too should begin to see our own areas of perennial failure as "enterprise zones", where focused prayer and concentrated effort can produce improvement. We need not live in spiritual defeat. No sin has the power to conquer us. Christ's death on the cross broke the stranglehold of sin, and it no longer has dominion over us (Rom 6:14).

When some sin has us in its destructive grasp, we should claim God's help, change our attitude about it, and turn our area of defeat into an "enterprise zone". - Dave Egner

The Savior can break sin's dominion
The victory He won long ago;
In Him there is freedom from bondage,
He's able to conquer the foe. - Smith

Don't let yesterday's failures hamper tomorrow's efforts. 

The Next Shot Is The Big One

Read : Philippians 3:12-16
Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward..., I press toward the goal. - Philippians 3:13-14

I don't play enough to perfect my swing or to master all the shots. In every round, I make mistakes. A drive goes astray. An iron shot splashes into the creek. A putt breaks left when I was sure it would break right.

So I like these words from The Tumult and the Shouting by Grantland Rice: "Because golf expresses the flaws of the human swing - a basically simple maneuver - it causes more self-torture than any game short of Russian roulette. The quicker the average golfer can forget the shot he has dubbed or knocked off line - and concentrate on the next shot - the sooner he begins to improve and enjoy golf. Little good comes from brooding about the mistakes we've made." Rice then wrote, "The next shot, in golf or in life, is the big one."

In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul gave essentially the same advice. He said that the key to forward movement in the Christian life is to set our eyes on the goal and keep looking ahead. When we look back to our past sins or shortcomings, we open the door to discouragement.

When past sin gets us down, or when we get discouraged because of some failure, we can confess it to God, claim His forgiveness, and put it behind us for good. In the Christian life, as in golf, the next shot is the big one. - Dave Egner

When I have failed, I need You, Lord,
To teach this lesson clear :
If I but learn and try again,
Success is always near.  - Branon

We must never let defeat rob us of success.

Timely Tears

Read: Acts 20:16-31
I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. - Acts 20:31

Some people think crying is a sign of weakness. But our Savior wept. And the apostle Paul was not afraid to mention his own tears when he wrote about his burden for people. Good servants of Jesus Christ will be like that - they will have tender, compassionate hearts. They will be so filled with love that those feelings will often splash over as tears.

One day D.L. Moody preached a moving sermon about the compassion of Christ. When a friend asked him how he had prepared such a message, he answered, "I got to thinking the other day about the compassion of Christ; so I took the Bible and began to read it over to find out what it said on the subject. I prayed over the texts as I went along until the thought of His infinite compassion overpowered me, and I could only lie on the floor of my study with my face in the open Bible and cry like a child."

As we stand in the shadow of the cross and let God's love in Christ flood our souls, our heard hearts will melt, and coldness will give way to warmth. If we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, He will produce in us a Christlike concern. Then his compassion for the unsaved will become ours. The love of Christ will cause us to reach out to others. And that caring attitude will be accompanied by timely tears. - Paul Van Gorder

Tears in my heart for those who pass by -
Not heeding the gospel - not ready to die;
May tears melt my heart, indifferent and cold,
Till many of these are brought into the fold.  - MacPetrie

Tears flow freely from the fountain of a love-filled heart. 

The Cure For Regret

Read: John 21:15-19
In those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples. - Acts 1:15

Remorse deprives many Christians of the joy that should be theirs. A man in his middle years has withdrawn from the people in his church because he feels so bad about his past - a sin that broke up his home. an elderly woman needs counseling because she can't forget an affair she had more than 50 years ago. A young woman sees a psychiatrist because she can't forgive herself for having had an abortion.

If anyone ever had good reason for allowing the memory of a grievous sin to put him on the shelf, it was Peter. He had been such a coward, fleeing Gethsemane at Christ's arrest, and then denying three times that he knew the Lord. Later, he felt so bad that he wept bitterly. Yet he did not allow his remorse over past failures to make him ineffective in his service for Christ. He accepted the Lord's forgiveness, and he received new hope from Jesus' commission, "Feed my sheep". In Acts 1:15 we find him back in his role as the leader of the disciples. By taking Jesus' words of forgiveness to heart and by forgiving himself, he put the past under the blood of Christ.

When we confess our sin, we can leave it with Christ and forget it. Then we can move on and serve Him. We need never let remorse remove out joy. - Herb Vander Lugt

The vain regrets of yesterday
Have vanished through God's pardoning grace;
The guity fear has passed away,
And joy has come to take its place.  - Ackley

Christians should seek to erase from their memory the sins God has erased from their record. 

The Bounce Test

Read: Luke 22: 31-34
I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail - Luke 22:32

With cranberries, it's the bounce that counts. While the quility of some fruits is judged by their firmness and color, the best cranberries are distinguished by their ability to "bounce like a golf ball."

Science Digest reports that freshly picked berries are processed by pouring them down a series of steplike boards. At each level, only those berries that bounce over an 8 to 10 inch barrier pass the quality test.

Christian face a "bounce test" too. The strength of their faith can be measured by their ability to bounce back after a fall. Although failure is painful, it offers an occassion to re-affirn our heart's devotion to Christ.

Jesus knew that the apostle Peter was about to trip over his self-confidence and zeal by denying Him. Yet the Lord saw beyond this devastating failure to the diciple's repentance  and restoration. When he assured Peter that He had prayed that his faith would not fail, He was saying, in effect, "Peter, you will bounce back after your fall."

If you've had a spiritual reversal, don't give up. Christ can restore you. You can be useful to Him again, even after a hard fall. It's the "bounce" of your faith and God's forgiveness that will enable you to go on. - Mart De Hann

Though oftentimes we stray from You
And disregard Your Word,
In tenderness You bring us back
Our gracious, loving Lord! - D, De Haan

Defeat isn't bitter unless we swallow it.

Compassionate Touch

Read : Mark 1:40-45
Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand, and touched him. - Mark 1:41

People who enjoy good health sometimes neglect the less fortunate, and sometimes they even treat them cruelly. When I was young, I saw a group of older boys teasing a retarded man. I have also observed people deliberately avoid someone who looks "different" or who has a physical handicap.

Jesus never responded that way. He was kind to afflicted people, and they thronged about Him. He took a blind man by the hand and led him away from the crowd before healing him. He touched the sick - even lepers. He stopped to expel demons from the possessed. I recently observed my sister-in-law's kindness to people most others ignore. Every week she spends a large part of a day
helping two aged shut-ins. She has also befriended a mentally impaired man who lives on her street. Almost everyday he stops at her home for a brief visit. From the smile on his face, we sensed the joy she brings in his life.

How we treat the less fortunate is one measure of our likeness to Jesus. Because they cannot give in return, we have a special opportunity to be truly unselfish. We should welcome every occassion to show Christlike compassion to those who receive so little but need so much. - Herb Vander Lugt

Oh lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
Oh feed me, Lord, that I may feed
The hungering ones with manna sweet. - Havergal 

A test of our Christian love is whether or not we help those who cannot help us in return.

What Brings The Most Glory?

Read : Mark 14: 32-38
Take this cup away from Me;nevertheless; not what I will, but what You will. - Mark 14:36

Many sincere believers in the Lord Jesus claim that sickness is never God's will for the Christian. Therefore we should pray for the restoration with a tenacity that refuses to take no for an answer. According to them, physical infirmity continues because we have become content with it. What we need, they say, is more faith and a rejection of the qualifier, "If it be Your will".

But consider Jesus' plea in the Garden of Gethsemane. Although His prayer focused on the awful ordeal He faced, not sickness, God's response to it clearly shows that His glory is not always best served through instant, miraculous deliverance. In His humanity, the Lord Jesus drew back from the awful prospect of pain and suffering, just as we would from cancer. And like Him, we have a right to ask that "this cup" be taken from us. Yet we must ask, what will glorify God the most? The Norwegian theologian Ole Hallesby said we should pray something like this : "Lord, if it will be Your glory, heal suddenly. If it will glorify You more, heal gradually; if it will glory You even more, may your servant remain sick awhile; and if it will glorify Your name still more, take him to Yourself in heaven" - Dennis De Haan

My prayer is a simple one, Father :
Whatever is best for me, do;
In sickness, in health I desire
What brings the most glory to You.   - Fasick