THE MASTERS LIST Dean W. Masters

Welcome to the Illustrator
Today's Bible Verse:

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for 
His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9
By Answers2Prayer

Your Best

Years ago, in the time between the World Wars, there was a very special 
Christian school in England.

Staffed by teachers from around the world, the students were blessed to find 
out how others lived. One year an instructor shared his experiences when he
worked in India as a private tutor. The children were especially moved when 
they heard about the children who were part of India's "untouchable" caste.
In less time than it takes to tell, the children decided to reach out to 
those untouchables at Christmastime.

This they did through an annual giving of Christmas toys to a village, which 
had many untouchable children. The girls of the village always received a
doll, and the boys received an appropriate toy made for boys. The generous 
gesture greatly pleased both groups of children.

Then one year a medical missionary helped distribute those gifts. During the 
course of his visit he told the children about another place where the boys
and girls had never heard about Jesus or the salvation He won for the world. 
The doctor suggested that maybe the untouchable children would like to give
them some of their old toys. That would give him, he explained, the 
opportunity to talk about God's great gift -- Jesus.

The children liked the idea.

A week later the doctor returned to collect the gifts. He was shocked by 
what happened. One by one the children filed by and gave the doctor a doll 
or
toy. Amazingly, the children gave their new toys, not the old ones. When the 
doctor asked, "Why?" A little girl spoke for the rest when she said, 
"Doctor,
think what Jesus did for us. He gave us His best, can we do anything less?"

The girl had it right. Jesus always gave His best.

From the moment He was born, past the day on the cross when He gave up the 
ghost, Jesus always did everything that was necessary to save us -- and He 
did
it right. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness and encouraged the Savior 
to cut corners, Jesus declined and gave His best.

When He was challenged at His trials, Jesus did not defend Himself; He did 
not lash out. He did not demand retribution and vengeance upon those who 
were
persecuting Him. No, Jesus gave His best and was taken to the cross without 
complaint.

Jesus always gave His best and in so doing won forgiveness and salvation for 
us. Now He encourages all those who have been saved to respond with a 
grateful
heart.

And how should we respond? The answer is simple: we do what Jesus did.

We give Him our best.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in thanksgiving for all the Savior has done for me, 
may I give Him my best. Help me avoid Satan's suggestions to cut back and 
respond
to Your love with leftovers. This I ask in the Name of my crucified and 
risen Lord. Amen.

Pastor Ken Klaus

Lutheran Hour Ministries
All rights reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.

Announcement:

If you would like to share your testimony with others, feel free to
send it for consideraion to us.

©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."
For God's Little People

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world 
should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was 
governor
of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph 
also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city 
of
David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of 
David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
(Luke 2:1–5)

Have you ever thought what an amazing thing it is that God ordained 
beforehand that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem (as the prophecy in
Micah 5
shows); and that he so ordained things that when the time came, the Messiah's 
mother and legal father were living in Nazareth; and that in order to 
fulfill
his word and bring two little people to Bethlehem that first Christmas, God 
put it in the heart of Caesar Augustus that all the Roman world should be 
enrolled
each in his own town?

Have you ever felt, like me, little and insignificant in a world of seven 
billion people, where all the news is of big political and economic and 
social
movements and of outstanding people with lots of power and prestige?

If you have, don't let that make you disheartened or unhappy. For it is 
implicit in Scripture that all the mammoth political forces and all the 
giant industrial
complexes, without their even knowing it, are being guided by God, not for 
their own sake but for the sake of God's little people  the little Mary and
the little Joseph who have to be got from Nazareth to Bethlehem. God wields 
an empire to bless his children.

Do not think, because you experience adversity, that the hand of the Lord is 
shortened. It is not our prosperity but our holiness that he seeks with all
his heart. And to that end, he rules the whole world. As
Proverbs 21:1
says, The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he 
turns it wherever he will

He is a big God for little people, and we have great cause to rejoice that, 
unbeknownst to them, all the kings and presidents and premiers and 
chancellors
of the world follow the sovereign decrees of our Father in heaven, that we, 
the children, might be conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see
DesiringGod.org.

The Thrill of Hope
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you 
may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

"A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and 
glorious morn." ~~ O Holy Night

Does Christmas thrill you?

Children get excited at the coming of the season, and often we might feel a 
bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement, but the chores we go
through to provide that for them are often the very things that rob us from 
knowing the wonder for ourselves. Plan the party, trim the tree, max out the
MasterCard, wrap, ship, take a trip. And that's assuming we aren't one of 
the multitudes who find themselves with a case of the Holiday Blues.

So if Christ's coming into this world offers hope, and hope, as the song 
says, provides a thrill, how do we locate that experience amid the 
distraction
and disillusionment of December?

Well that's the cool thing about Hope. Just as total darkness can't hold 
back the light of a tiny flame, so does even the smallest increment of Hope 
provide
joy and purpose.

Here are a few scriptures I've been mulling over on the subject:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not 
seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

Notice the parallel between "things hoped for" and "things not seen." Talk 
about a paradox; try applying "assurance" to something your five senses 
can't
detect. It's a challenge. The plus side is that hope, through Christ, is 
available to you no matter what you see, hear, or feel. It's above your 
circumstances.

"We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about 
perseverance; and perseverance [brings about]proven character; and proven 
character
[brings about] hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God 
has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given 
to
us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Do you ever hear people say, "I don't want to get my hopes up" because 
they're afraid of being disappointed? What would you make of Paul's claim 
that "hope
does not disappoint"? Might the disconnect have something to do with what 
we're hoping for or expecting? Max Lucado thinks so:

"Hope is not what you'd expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a 
wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming ending Hope is not a 
granted
wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, 
unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks 
and
be there in the flesh to see our reaction."

 "Love… hopes all things ¦but now abide faith, hope, and love; but the 
greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:7,13).

Ever wonder why faith, hope, and love are the greatest virtues, and 
apparently in that order?

Maybe hope isn't actually something we do, but something we receive, like 
grace. If it's true that "without faith it is impossible for us to please 
Him" (Hebrews
11:6), perhaps it's conversely true that without Hope it would be impossible 
for Him to please us. The same verse says that God is a rewarder of those
who seek Him. Is hope that reward?

I mean, if faith is what we give to God, and hope is what He gives to us, 
then we have the dynamic of a relationship. With that in place, we can love.
So love is built on hope, which is built on faith.

For hope to exist, unfortunately it looks like there has to be hopelessness 
first. A perfect world wouldn't have any need of hope. Deliverance arrives
undeservedly and perhaps unexpectedly, just as in the unlikely way God came 
to earth to provide a once-and-for-all substitute for the sins of all men on
the first Christmas. That's why things can look bleak, but that's where hope 
lives.

The good news is: you simply can't hope big enough, which goes back to the 
idea of our minds and senses being inadequate to judge God's design and 
methods,
and hope being more a function of God's involvement than our desires. I 
readily acknowledge I could not have conceived of the plan of
salvation
or the virgin birth. I couldn't have imagined the plan for the walls of 
Jericho to crumble, for hungry lions to turn into Daniel's pet kittens, or 
the
Red Sea to part and offer up dry land. So neither do I know how my problems 
will be solved, or what miracles I'll be blessed to see this Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6-7 concerns the hope of the prophecy being fulfilled that brought 
us a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace."
The last sentence of verse seven says it's "the zeal of the Lord" that will 
accomplish this. God is excited! He's zealous (enthusiastic, passionate, 
obsessive
even) to bring us this hope!

Romans 15:13 is my Christmas prayer: "May the God of hope fill you with all 
joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit."

Why is there hope? Because Jesus was born. O holy night. What a thrill. God 
is at work.

From God Came Near, page 89

Intersecting Faith & Life: What does hope out of despair look like? There 
are lots of examples in any Christian's life, but in terms of contemporary 
cinema,
I know of no better example than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Go back and 
watch those movies again over the holidays, keeping an eye out for allusions
to hope and hopelessness.

Further Reading

Isaiah 9:6-7
The Promises of God

A New Thing - Mary

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Luke 1:34-35 (NIV)
34 How will this be,Mary asked the angel, œsince I am a virgin? 35 The 
angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the 
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the 
Son of God.

Luke 1:38 (NIV)
38 I  am the Lord's servant,Mary answered. May it be to me as you have 
said.Then the angel left her.

In the Scripture above from Isaiah, the prophet was telling the people that 
they would be returning from exile to their promised land. I also see this 
as a prophecy of a truly new thing which we celebrate during this time of 
year  the coming of the Messiah. In the account of Mary, we see some new 
things. I believe the Jewish people believed that the Messiah would just 
appear from the sky as a kingly warrior to destroy their enemies. Instead He 
came to earth as a tiny baby. Another new thing that happened was that a 
virgin had this baby.

Who knows what Mary was thinking when the angel Gabriel told her she would 
give birth to the Messiah. She may have been to awestruck to even think too 
much. She may have thought about what might happen to her if she agreed to 
go through with it. She might have thought about what other people might 
think about her and about Joseph whom she was to marry. Whatever her 
thoughts, she told the Lord that she was His servant.

Today people do not like to think about being a servant. That brings 
negative connotations and people today want to be puffed up. They want to 
feel like they are somebody and not someone who has to obey everything 
someone else tells them. Most people today want to be on an ego trip and do 
not want to give into anyone. Of course, slavery is wrong but we Christians 
should die to self and become servants of our Master Jesus Christ. A 
beautiful thing about this Master is that He is also our friend. He tells us 
to take his yoke and work for Him. This may sound hard but He said that his 
yoke is easy and His burden is light.

During this time of year we are thinking of gifts that we are going to give 
our family and friends. What can you give to Jesus? You can give more of 
yourself. Will you take his yoke and become His servant? He may want you to 
continue doing what you are doing for him or He may have a new thing for you 
to do. Will you go where He wants you to go and do what He wants you to do? 
If you will just start on the first step then He will empower you with His 
Holy Spirit to help you be the servant He wants you to be.

by Dean W. Masters

Owner of the Master's List


The Birth of Jesus Through Joseph's Eyes
by R.C. Sproul

When we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmastime, our attention is most 
often given to Luke's account, because it gives us so much information. It
tells us of the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the peasant girl Mary. 
It includes the story of the shepherds as well as the infancy hymns that are
sung by Zacharias and by others during that time. Matthew's version is much 
briefer.

We notice at the outset that Matthew gives his account from the viewpoint of 
Joseph, whereas Luke tells his account from the viewpoint of Mary. Luke 
assures
us that what he wrote in his Gospel was well researched from eyewitnesses, 
and tradition affirms that Luke got much of his information from Mary 
herself.
Of course, when Matthew wrote his Gospel he had no opportunity to interview 
Joseph.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows
(Matthew 1:18).
This opening assertion is rich in content, as brief as it is. The word used 
here for the birth of Jesus is gennesis. Our word genesis comes from the 
Greek
ginomai, which means to be, to become, or happen. Matthew is asserting 
that this is how Jesus came to be, which, as we noted in the last chapter, 
places
the birth of Jesus within the framework of history rather than mythology.

The Betrothal of Mary and Joseph

After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, 
she was found with child of the Holy Spirit
(Matthew 1:18).
This takes place after betrothal and prior to marriage. In our society, a 
betrothal is considered to be an engagement between two people who intend to
become married at a certain time, yet there are countless occasions in which 
engagements are broken and the marriage never comes to pass. Among the Jews
in Jesus' day, however, a betrothal was far more serious. It was an 
unbreakable pledge customarily undertaken one year before the wedding, and 
it carried
almost the weight of marriage itself; it was so close that it required 
virtually a writ of divorce to end it.

Following betrothal the bride remained under the roof of her parents. She 
would not move into the home of her husband until after the actual marriage.
Therefore, it was serious when a betrothed woman was discovered to be with 
child; the implications of such a pregnancy were enormous in Jewish society
and could, indeed, result in execution of the woman who violated her 
betrothal by becoming pregnant. Yet we are told here in Matthew that before 
Mary came
together with Joseph, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.The 
father of this child in Mary's womb was not some illicit lover, nor was it 
Joseph;
the paternity was accomplished through the supernatural activity of the Holy 
Spirit. In the Apostles Creed we recite, Jesus Christ . . . was conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary . . Those two miraculous 
aspects His conception and His birth ”were integral to the faith of the 
Christian
church of the early centuries. Jesus' conception was extraordinary, not 
natural but supernatural, accomplished by the divine work of the Spirit, and 
as
a result a baby born to a virgin.

Perhaps no assertion of biblical Christianity fell under greater attack by 
nineteenth-century liberalism than the account of the virgin birth. For some
reason more attention was given to that than to the resurrection. Because 
the story is so blatantly supernatural, it became a stumbling block to those
who tried to reduce the essence of the Christian faith to all that can be 
accomplished through natural humanity.

When Mary's pregnancy was discovered, Joseph, being a just man”one who was 
also kind and gave detailed attention to the observance of the law of God, 
not
wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly
(Matthew 1:19).
He was not willing to call down the wrath of the courts upon his betrothed, 
and he decided to deal with it from a spirit of compassion. After he thought
it over deeply and carefully, he decided to divorce her or put her away in a 
private manner, so as to save his betrothed from total public humiliation.

While he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared 
to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David
(Matthew 1:20).
The New Testament makes so much out of the fact that Jesus is the Son of 
David that it's almost amazing to find Joseph being given that same title, 
but
this is also important for the lineage of Jesus. For Jesus to be a Son of 
David in Jewish categories, legally His father also had to be a son of 
David.
That is why the angel gives this honorific title to Joseph when he addresses 
him, saying, Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit
(Matthew 1:20).
This is the second time in this brief narrative that the conception of 
Christ in the womb of Mary is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit.

In Luke's version, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she has conceived 
the child and will bring forth a baby, she was stunned and said, How can 
this
be since I know not a man?(Luke 1:34).
The angel replied, With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:35).

Then Gabriel explained to Mary how the birth would take place. The Holy 
Spirit would overshadow her so that the child would be born as a result of 
this
supernatural work. Luke uses the same language that is used at the dawn of 
creation: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the 
earth
was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the earth (Genesis 1:1),
and then we are told that the Holy Spirit came and hovered over the waters, 
and God said, Let there be light (Genesis 1:3).
In the act of creation, the Spirit is moving on the face of the deep, and 
out of the nothingness of that darkness God, through the power of His 
Spirit,
brings forth the whole of creation.

From the biblical perspective, the genesis of life in the first place was 
through the power of the Spirit of life, of the Spirit of God. Gabriel was 
declaring
to Mary that same power by which the universe was made; that same power that 
brought life out of the darkness originally is the power that will 
overshadow
her womb and produce a son. God doesn't need a human father to bring this to 
pass.

The Authority to Name

So do not be afraid, Joseph, to take Mary as your wife. She will bring forth 
a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from
their sins (Matthew 1:21).
It was the privilege of Jewish parents to name their children. The very 
first enterprise given to humanity in the garden was the scientific task of 
taxonomy,
that is, the task of naming the animals, and in that task of naming, the 
superior names the subordinate. God gave to Adam and Eve the responsibility 
and
authority to name everything in the animal kingdom. Yet throughout the Old 
Testament, when a child was born into specific historical and redemptive 
purposes,
God took away the privilege from the parent and named the child himself, 
indicating that the child belonged to Him.

That is what happened with Zacharias in the birth of John the Baptist. God 
told Zacharias what to name his son (Luke 1:13).
The same thing happens here in Matthew. The Lord is saying to Joseph, “You 
are not going to choose a name for this boy. You will name Him what I tell 
you
to name Him, because ultimately He is my Son, and you shall call his name 
Jesus. The etymology behind that name is Jehovah saves.Name Him Jesus 
for
He will save His people from their sins.

The idea of salvation in the Bible in general means some kind of rescue from 
a threat of destruction or calamity, and the highest, ultimate sense of 
salvation
is rescue from the worst of all possible calamities. The worst calamity that 
could ever befall human beings is to fall under the judgment of God for 
their
sin. That is the calamity that awaits every person who does not rush to 
Christ for salvation. However, the baby is called Jesus because He is a 
savior,
and He will save His people from the consequences of their sins.

The Virgin Birth

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord 
through the prophet saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and 
bear
a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God 
with us
(Matthew 1:22-23).
This verse, in which Matthew is quoting Isaiah, was sharply attacked by the 
critics of the nineteenth century. In the Jewish language there are two 
words
that can be used to describe a virgin. The most precise and technical word 
is not the one that Isaiah chose. Rather, Isaiah chose the other word, which
can be translated young woman or, more appropriately, maiden, which 
presumes virginity but doesn't necessitate it. The critics point to that and 
say
that Isaiah wasn't speaking of a virgin but saying only that a young woman, 
a maiden, would conceive. Therefore, the critics say, the Bible does not 
teach
a virgin birth. That's what we call the exegesis of despair, because if you 
just give a cursory look at the context of this text, there is no doubt that
Matthew is teaching that Jesus was born from the womb of a woman who had 
never been with a man”a virgin.

Isaiah said, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall 
call his name Immanuel(Isaiah 7:14),
but here in Matthew the angel says they will call His name Jesus. Those 
names are not the same, and they do not mean the same thing. Isaiah does not
tell us why they will call Him Immanuel.The term Immanuel describes what 
Christ does. It describes the event of incarnation. He will be called 
Immanuel
because He will be the incarnate presence of God with us, but His proper 
Jewish name will be Jesus, because He will save his people from their 
sins.

So Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded 
him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she brought forth 
her
firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus
(Matthew 1:24-25).
This reflects not only the obedience and submission of Joseph to what the 
angel had directed him to do but also that Joseph fully embraces Jesus as 
his
son and fulfills the legal requirements of the genealogy that we examined in 
the last chapter. Joseph did this even though the child's name was not 
selected
by him but by the angel. In the ultimate sense, Jesus was named by God, who 
is His ultimate Father. In the proximate sense, Jesus was named by Joseph,
who was given the unspeakable privilege of being the Lord Jesus Christ's 
earthly father.

Matthew Commentary
Taken from
Matthew
by R.C. Sproul. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of 
Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Il 60187,
www.crossway.org.

How are you preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ?
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will 
be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own Matthew 
6:33-34(NIV).
advent_candles3

Widow with five children seeks Christmas tree and ornaments.
This Facebook post grabbed my attention among all the others constantly 
appearing on my feed. She wasn't a friend but some of my friends had 
responded
to her plea to provide some joy for her children. She didn't ask for 
anything else not presents or money, clothing or food ”but the simple request 
drew
out the best in those who saw her post. I lost track of the responses from 
those who offered more to the young widow. In addition to a tree and 
decorations,
there were offers of clothing, food and gifts for the woman as well as her 
children. I also noticed this mother of five is a praying woman, but it must
have taken courage to ask for help so publicly.
November 30 heralded the beginning of Advent. During this time leading up to 
the celebration of our Savior's birth, we prepare for, and anticipate, the
coming of Christ. While we recall the Jews longing for a Messiah, we 
remember our own yearning for, and need of, forgiveness, salvation and a new 
beginning.
For some, the need to be first in line for holiday sales is more important 
than preparing the heart for this sacred celebration. This desire to grab a
bargain while fighting the crowds reminds me of the birds in my backyard 
squabbling over the seed in several feeders as well as the two suet baskets 
I've
put out for them. Even the birds seem to be worried there won't be enough.
In Matthew 6:26-27, Jesus tells us, Look at the birds of the air; they do 
not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds 
them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add 
a single hour to your life?
Many seem to be more worried about finding the perfect Christmas gift at a 
bargain than following Christ's example to see to the needs of the less 
fortunate.
For those who are blessed, much is expected. Jesus says in Luke 12:48, “From 
everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one
who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI said, Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the 
expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy
simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the 
joy we give will certainly come back to us. Let us pray that this presence 
of
the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.
True joy comes in giving, not getting. Let's remember this as we prepare to 
celebrate Christ's birth and seek ways to help the less fortunate this 
season.
P.S. I always love hearing from my readers. If you ever feel led to share 
something that God has laid on your heart, please feel free to email me.
dwmasters15@gmail.com 
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." <*\\\\><

Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

When Only a Friend Who Gets It Will Do
LIZ CURTIS HIGGS

"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of 
Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth." Luke 
1:39-40
(NIV)

When I was pregnant with our firstborn, I carried around a well-marked copy 
of the book, What to Expect When You're Expecting, counting on its practical
wisdom to get me through those scary (yet exciting) months.

With our next child, I turned to a close friend who was also expecting her 
second. We exchanged advice, discussed at length the many joys and 
discomforts
of pregnancy, and cheered each other on as our delivery dates drew near. If 
you need a listening ear, a friend who is walking the same path is a great
place to turn.

Surely that was the case 2,000 years ago for Mary and Elizabeth, who didn't 
even expect to be expecting. Mary was a virgin, betrothed to Joseph. 
Elizabeth
was an older, barren woman, married to Zechariah the priest. When we first 
meet them in the Bible, neither woman could imagine being pregnant. But God
was already on the move.

When Gabriel brought Mary the good news of the Son she would bear, the angel 
offered this word of encouragement: "Even Elizabeth your relative is going
to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to 
conceive is in her sixth month" (Luke 1:36, NIV).

No wonder Mary took off for Zechariah's house! Elizabeth might actually 
believe her miraculous story. Today's key verse assures us young Mary "got 
ready
and hurried," eager to connect with the one person who would understand her 
situation: a pregnant kinswoman who shared Mary's faith in a wonder-working
God.

If you're bursting with news about something the Lord has done in your 
life — an answer to prayer, a long-awaited blessing, a surprising 
provision — you
don't want to spill the beans to just anyone. Like Mary, you long to tell 
somebody who will get it. A friend who will say, "Praise God!" instead of, 
"Lucky
you."

Besides, who else could Mary tell? Her young friends? Her neighbors in 
Nazareth? "Hey, I just had a visit from an angel, and I'll be giving birth 
to God's
Son."

Right. Not happening. Mary needed Elizabeth, just as we need a friend who 
will listen without judgment and offer wise counsel because she's been there
— or is there right now.

The moment Mary arrived, another miracle occurred. "When Elizabeth heard 
Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb" (Luke 1:41a, NIV). If a 
mom-to-be
eats something sweet or drinks something cold, an unborn child often 
responds with a swift kick. But this was different: "and Elizabeth was 
filled with
the Holy Spirit," (Luke 1:41b, NIV).

Can you fathom the emotions and sensations that must have washed over 
Elizabeth? An urge to laugh and cry at once, a sense of being flooded with 
sunlight
and fresh air, an overwhelming desire to shout with joy. And shout she did. 
"In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women ...'" (Luke 
1:42a,
NIV).

Think of it! Two ordinary women bound together by an extraordinary God, 
empowered by His Holy Spirit.

Mary and Elizabeth had a friendship that shines through the ages. Shared 
faith, shared joy, shared experience. If you need someone to listen, advise 
and
empathize, consider a woman you know who could use that same kind of support 
from you. When encouragement flows both directions and honors the Lord, 
that's
a friendship that will go the distance.

Lord, You will always be our closest friend, our best source of counsel, the 
first place we turn. Thank You for also providing earthly friends who help
us keep our focus on You, every season of the year. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 27:9b, "The pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt 
advice." (NIV)

Psalm 94:19, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me 
joy." (NIV)

Proverbs 17:17a, "A friend loves at all times." (NIV)
© 2014 by Liz Curtis Higgs. Adapted from The Women of Christmas. All rights 
reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

The Humility of Being Human
by Katherine Britton

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in 
very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in 
human likeness." -
Philippians 2:5-7

I'm a Christmas carol snob, I guess, as I scorn most songs written in the 
past 30 years. I do have notable exceptions, however, when the lyrics go 
beyond
the kitsch of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and other such piffle. We 
have more than enough American Christmas songs, but there's always room for 
a
thoughtful reflection in the canon of carols. So yes, I make an exception 
for the CCM favorite "Welcome to Our World." Here are some of the lyrics:

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

So many Christmas songs focus on the joy of the season, and rightfully so. 
It's a joyous time, both culturally and spiritually. But occasionally I need
to view the holiday from a different perspective - that is, from the 
viewpoint of heaven. From God the Son's perspective, becoming human was - to 
put it
mildly - a huge demotion. Christmas began with an act of submission and 
humility on the part of the Son. The Creator consented to become one of the 
creation,
with all of our blood, sweat, and tears. From the heavenly perspective, the 
Incarnation arrived with sorrow, as part of the Godhead separated himself 
physically
from the Father. Christmas signals an arrival into our world, but a 
departure, however brief, from a greater world.

Jesus's demonstrated humility is just one of the reasons the Incarnation 
should inspire such awe in us. Yes, the Incarnation dignified a downtrodden 
humanity.
But the Incarnation also required sacrifice we can't begin to describe. All 
this before the ultimate shame of the cross.

The Puritan Thomas Watson meditated on Christ's humility with these words:

"He came not in the majesty of a king, attended with [a bodyguard], but he 
came poor; not like the heir of heaven, but like one of an inferior descent.
The place he was born in was poor; not the royal city Jerusalem, but 
Bethlehem, a poor obscure place. He was born in an inn, and a manger was his 
cradle,
the cobwebs his curtains, the beasts his companions; he descended of poor 
parents.... He was poor, that he might make us rich.... He lay in the manger
that we might lie in paradise. He came down from heaven, that he might bring 
us to heaven."

Intersecting
Faith
& Life: As you consider the joy of this holiday season - whether you're 
anticipating the unwrapped smiles, lighting the Advent wreath, singing 
carols,
making cookies, or whatever - take time to consider the counterpoint. Our 
joy is Christ's first sacrifice.

Further Reading:

The Grace and Greatness of True Humility
Hebrews 2:6-11

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You
A Word With You
Daily Devotional
The Christmas Fix-Up Incentive - #7276

Christmastime is kind of like time to get things in shape; especially around 
the house. Most of us become very motivated when December arrives in terms
of getting things cleaned up. We dust corners and clean areas that haven't 
been touched for like eleven months. Trouble spots in the carpet that had 
gone
unnoticed, suddenly we notice them and we work on them. That wall in the 
kitchen that needed some touch-up paint, it becomes a priority. We begin 
decorating
things! Houses are suddenly in better shape than they've been in all year, 
especially since last Christmas. Christmas is shape-up time for houses...and
people.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The 
Christmas Fix-Up Incentive."

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Isaiah 55:6. And it 
happens to be about fixing things up. Here's what it says: "Seek the Lord 
while
He may be found. Call on Him while He is near." The 7th verse says, "Let the 
wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts, and let him turn to
the Lord and He will have mercy on him and to our God, for He will freely 
pardon."

Now, you notice here it says, "Seek the Lord while He is near." You say, 
"Wait a minute. This isn't about Christmas. What does this have to do with 
Christmas?"
Well, honestly, I don't think there's any time of the year when people feel 
closer to the Lord or have Jesus more on their radar than the Christmas 
season.
"...while He is near." I think Christ seems close at this time of the year; 
almost inescapable. You probably sense that.

There's a softness--a kind of warm and cuddly feeling on the inside this 
time of year. We're softer than any other time. We find ourselves drifting 
into
thoughts about Christ more often than usual. I mean, even watching the 
Charlie Brown Christmas Special or you're hearing a carol at the mall; in 
places
we wouldn't normally think about Christ. We're open to Him. That's when it's 
time to fix things up with Jesus. Not just around the house; I mean inside
the heart house of your life. "Seek the Lord while He may be found." Man, 
that's really the Christmas season. "Call on Him while He is near." Well, in
a very real way, that is now.

This may have been for you a year of slowly drifting away from the Lord. You 
didn't run away; you're just not as close and warm...intimate like you used
to be. Maybe it's been a

year of real confusing doubts, hardships that have made you disillusioned 
and maybe a little hard-hearted. Or there could be a distraction that has 
taken
His place for a while. But I'll bet you've discovered it's really no good 
away from Him is it?

Those are the best times of your life when you're close to Him. It's 
Christmas time! It's time to fix things up. "Seek the Lord while He may be 
found.
Call on Him while He's close" like He is now. And maybe this year, maybe 
this is when you finally think about opening up to Christ as your personal 
Savior.
Not just a baby in a manger. Not just the One we sing about in our carols 
and we go to church services and go through our Christmas thing.

You miss Him. You've missed having a personal relationship with Him. That's 
what you were made for. It's not that you haven't known about Him. You've 
never
been against Him. You're religious. You know a lot of people who are 
Christians, but maybe you've never made your personal commitment to Christ. 
You've
never said, "Jesus, what you did on that cross; what you came to do was for 
me. That was for all the wrong things I have done."

Well, Christmas is close, and I wouldn't be surprised if you feel a tug in 
your heart. And that tug? That's Jesus. This could be your first Christmas 
with
Christ in your heart if you'll fix things up with Him.

I'd love to help you begin that relationship with Him and understand from 
what He wrote in the Bible exactly how this relationship works. Would you go
to our website ANewStory.com? There, I think, you'll be able to find the way 
home.

Whatever stands between you and Jesus right now, let's clean it up before 
Christmas. Then it will be more than a song for you. You can really say, 
"I'll  be home for Christmas!"

Insight for Living
Devotional Library
Insight for Today

October 4, 2014

Lie Back and Look Up
by Charles R. Swindoll

Daniel 12:3

Okay, are you ready to have your mind boggled? If not, better shove this 
aside until you can handle it. It's too stretching to pass over with a yawn.

The germ thought struck me when I was deep in the redwoods some time ago. I 
lay back and looked up. I mean really up. It was one of those clear summer
nights when you could see forever. So starry it was scary. The vastness of 
the heavens eloquently told the glory of God. The expanse silently declared
the work of His hands.

No words would adequately frame the awesomeness of that moment. I remembered 
a statement one of my mentors used to say: "Wonder is involuntary praise."
That night, it happened to me. I loved it!

What struck me deepest as I curled up in my sleeping bag was this: 
Everything I have seen belongs to this one galaxy. There are hundreds more 
beyond our
own. Maybe thousands . . . some much larger than ours. Astronomers are now 
convinced there are twenty galaxies within two and a half million light 
years;
there may be a billion galaxies within photographic range of the 200-inch 
Mount Palomar telescope.

Let's limit our thinking, for a moment, just to this one solar system . . . 
a tiny fraction of the universe above us. Because it is impossible to grasp
the astounding distance about us, we need analogies, simple comparisons, to 
assist us. Hold on as we take a quick trip to the regions beyond.

If it were possible to travel the speed of light, you could arrive at the 
moon in one and a third seconds. But continuing that same speed, do you know
how long it would take you to reach the closest star? Four years. Incredible 
thought!

If you've ever visited New York City's Hayden Planetarium, you've seen that 
miniature replica of our solar system showing the speeds and sizes of our 
planets.
What is interesting is that the three outer planets are not included. There 
wasn't room for Uranus, Neptune, and the now "dwarf plant," Pluto. Uranus 
would
be in the planetarium's outer corridor, Neptune would be around Eighth 
Avenue. And Pluto? Another three long avenues away---Fifth Avenue. By the 
way, no
stars are included, for obvious reasons. Can you imagine (on the same scale) 
where the nearest star would be located? Cleveland, Ohio. Vast! And that's
just our own local galaxy, remember.

A scientist once suggested another interesting analogy. To grasp the scene, 
imagine a perfectly smooth glass pavement on which the finest speck can be
seen. Then shrink our sun from 865,000 miles in diameter to only two feet . 
. . and place the ball on the pavement to represent the sun. Step off 82 
paces
(about two feet per pace), and to represent proportionately the first 
planet, Mercury, put down a tiny mustard seed.

Take 60 steps more, and for Venus put an ordinary BB.

Mark 78 more steps . . . put down a green pea representing earth.

Step off 108 paces from there, and for Mars put down a pinhead.

Sprinkle around some fine dust for the asteroids, then take 788 steps more. 
For Jupiter, place an orange on the glass at that spot.

After 934 more steps, put down a golf ball for Saturn.

Now it gets really involved. Mark 2,086 steps more, and for Uranus . . . a 
marble.

Another 2,322 steps from there you arrive at Neptune. Let a cherry represent 
Neptune.

This will take two and a half miles, and we haven't even discussed Pluto! If 
we swing completely around, we have a smooth glass surface five miles in 
diameter,
yet just a tiny fraction of the heavens---excluding Pluto. On this surface, 
five miles across, we have only a seed, BB, pea, pinhead, some dust, an 
orange,
golf ball, a marble, and a cherry. Guess how far we'd have to go on the same 
scale before we could put down another two-foot ball to represent the 
nearest
star. Come on, guess. Seven hundred paces? Two thousand steps more? Four 
thousand four hundred feet? No, you're way off.

We'd have to go 6,720 miles before we could arrive at that star. Miles, not 
feet. And that's just the first star among millions. In one galaxy among 
perhaps
thousands, maybe billions. And all of it in perpetual motion . . . perfectly 
synchronized . . . the most accurate timepiece known to man.

Phenomenal isn't the word for it.

No God? All by chance? Whom are you kidding? I honestly cannot think of a 
more erroneous thought than that. Listen carefully to the truth:

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For 
ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. 
Through
everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities---his 
eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 
(Romans
1:19-20 NLT)

The boggled mind leads to a bended knee.

Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright  1985, 1988, 
1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by 
permission.

Memon People
Oct 05, 2014 01:00 am

Today's Devotional

Proverbs 11:24, ESV "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another 
withholds what he should give, and only suffers want."

The Memon people would understand this proverb. They are noted for their 
generosity and their community development work. This is a community that 
defies
all the negative stereotypes of Muslims. But does noble character mean that 
they follow Christ? Not at all. They do the right thing for other reasons,
not to glorify the Lord.

Pray that the Memon people will discover a greater reason for giving to 
charity.

Today's People Group

“We cannot achieve anything substantial until the madrassa system is 
modernized. Our madrassa (Islamic religious school) should be a place where 
students
receive both Islamic teachings and a modern education.†Rashid, a Memon 
teacher in Mumbai, was explaining to several skeptical mullahs (Islamic 
religious
teachers) why he supported a new academic program. He continued, “A few 
madrassas, such as the one in West Bengal, have added modern curriculum. 
They have
been very successful in preparing students for the modern world. The 
children are growing spiritually, and they can plan their career in any 
field of their
choice. In this way our Muslim communities can benefit.â€

The one million Memons worldwide are especially recognized for their 
achievements in business, trading, education, writing, medicine, and 
politics. The
majority can be found scattered across India, and a few thousand still live 
in Pakistan, mainly Karachi. Others are well established in parts of Europe,
Kenya, and the Middle East. Wherever they migrate, they establish social and 
welfare committees. Any member of their group can ask for help, making sure
that they donâ€t face dire poverty. The Memons who are on the social and 
welfare committees are highly respected for their professionalism and often 
are
available to help with problems in communities. Very few of these people 
know the Savior.

Pray that God will open the minds and hearts of the Memons so that they will 
understand He is the lover of their souls, and allow them to enjoy His great
blessings and eternal life.

Learn more at
Joshua Project.
forward to a friend
Copyright  2014 U.S. Center for World Mission, All rights reserved.

Preparing Yourself for Christmas
bible
By Answers2Prayer
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It is the first Thursday of December, exactly 3 weeks before Christmas, and 
all around you hear the same questions: Have you finished your Christmas 
shopping
yet? Have you done your Christmas baking? Is the house decorated? Are you 
ready for Christmas?

I'm happy to report that the answer to each of these questions is a loud, 
enthusiastic "yes!"

The baking is done and in the freezer and so is Christmas dinner, the house 
is decorated, presents are bought and under the Christmas tree, and the 
plans
are all made. You see, my goal since last Christmas has been to be able to 
dedicate my entire attention on the birth of my precious Lord and Savior at
Christmas this year, and when the opportunity came up for a surgical date 
for a rotator cuff repair on the 19th of December, I jumped on it. Not only 
would
this be the extra motivation I would need to be prepared in advance, but the 
immobilization of my dominant arm would ensure that I am not even able to
let preparations distract me from Jesus this Christmas!

But wait. Have I forgotten the most important preparation of all? Have I 
been so focused on the "things" of Christmas that I have not even given 
thought
to preparing my heart for Jesus? Have I failed to even consider what I'm 
going to give Him for Christmas?

Fortunately, I still have time. Christmas is still three weeks away. But 
what can I give to Jesus, anyway? After all, He holds the entire universe in 
His
hands! What I need is Jesus' wishlist, and yes, He does have one with at 
least three items on it! Let's take a look:

1. "My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my way." (Prov 
23:26 NKJV).

That's it, friends! Jesus wants our hearts! This means He wants to be the 
Lord of our lives. He wants us to give up the driver's seat, hand over the 
reins,
and submit to His will.

2. Jesus' second wish is for us to receiving the fullness of the gift He 
died to offer us, not just in part, but in full. Consider this text: "that 
the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the 
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your 
understanding
being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what 
are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is 
the
exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe..." (Eph 1:17-20 
NKJV)

3. The third item on Jesus' "wishlist" is that we obey His commands. These 
are three-fold: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all 
your
soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..." (Luke 10:27a); 
"Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27b); and "Go therefore and make 
disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son 
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have 
commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt 
28:18-20)

That's it, friends! Jesus wants us to love like He loves, and He wants us to 
share the good news of His unending grace!

So I ask you again: Are you ready for Christmas? Are you prepared to give 
Jesus the three things on His wishlist? If so, will you join me in 
submitting
your all to the Lord and Savior of the Universe? Will you walk in the 
fullness of His grace? Will you obey His commands to love one another and to 
go forward
and carry the gospel to the nations?

If you will do just that, then it doesn't matter the state of your 
decorations, Christmas shopping or Christmas dinner. You are truly ready for 
Christmas.

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "
Aboard God's Train
-- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator 
for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and
Scriptural Nuggets,
a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with
Answers2Prayer Ministries.
Follow Lyn on
Twitter
@lynchaffart.

Announcement:

What kind of Biblical prophecies does the birth of Jesus fulfill? Join us 
beginning on December 11 for Christmas Prophecies, a mini-series by Suresh 
Manoharan.

Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."

God is Not Boring
John Piper

Recently I spoke at Northwestern College as part of their year-long 100th 
anniversary celebration. The title of the message was "The Supremacy of God 
in
the Life of the Mind." One capability of the mind that I focused on was the 
imagination. It applies to everybody who has a mind. Here's what I said:

One of the great duties of the Christian mind is imagination. It is not the 
only thing the mind does. The mind observes. The mind analyzes and 
organizes.
The mind memorizes. But imagination is different. It does not observe or 
analyze what's there; it imagines what is not seen but might be there and 
might
explain what is there (as in the case of most scientific discoveries). Or it 
imagines a new way of saying what is there that no one has said before (as
in the case of creative writing and music and art).

I say that imagination is a Christian duty for two reasons. One is that you 
can't apply Jesus' golden rule without it. He said, "Whatever you wish that
others would do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12). We must imagine 
ourselves in their place and imagine what we would like done to us. 
Compassionate,
sympathetic, helpful love hangs much on the imagination of the lover.

The other reason I say that imagination is a Christian duty is that when a 
person speaks or writes or sings or paints about breathtaking truth in a 
boring
way, it is probably a sin. The supremacy of God in the life of the mind is 
not honored when God and his amazing world are observed truly, analyzed 
duly,
and communicated boringly. Imagination is the key to killing boredom. We 
must imagine ways to say truth for what it really is. And it is not boring. 
God's
world - all of it - rings with wonders. The imagination calls up new words, 
new images, new analogies, new metaphors, new illustrations, new connections
to say old, glorious truth. Imagination is the faculty of the mind that God 
has given us to make the communication of his beauty beautiful.

Imagination may be the hardest work of the human mind. And perhaps the most 
God-like. It is the closest we get to creation out of nothing. When we speak
of beautiful truth, we must think of a pattern of words, perhaps a poem. We 
must conceive something that has never existed before and does not now exist
in any human mind. We must think of an analogy or metaphor or illustration 
which has no existence. The imagination must exert itself to see it in our 
mind,
when it is not there. We must create word combinations and music that have 
never existed before. All of this we do, because we are like God and because
he is infinitely worthy of ever-new words and songs.

A college - or a church - committed to the supremacy of God in the life of 
the mind will cultivate many fertile, and a few great, imaginations. And O 
how
the world needs God-besotted minds that can say the great things of God and 
sing the great things of God and play the great things of God in ways that
have never been said or sung or played before.

Imagination is like a muscle. It grows stronger when you flex it. And you 
must flex it. It does not usually put itself into action. It awaits the 
will.
Imagination is also contagious. When you are around someone (alive or dead) 
who uses it a lot, you tend to catch it. So I suggest that you hang out with
some people (mainly dead poets) who are full of imagination, and that you 
exert yourself to think up a new way to say an old truth. God is worthy. "
Psalms 96"
- or picture, or poem, or figure of speech.

By John Piper. Desiring God. Website:
www.desiringGod.org.

Today's Daily Encounter

What Can I Even Begin to Do?

"So the Lord said to him [Moses], 'What is that in your
hand?'"1

In response to a Daily Encounter on the subject of
discovering oneâ€s God-given life purpose, a subscriber
whom I shall name "Janet" (not her real name) e-mailed
me, saying, “I am disabled. I can't drive and am
homebound. I can barely take care of myself; so what
can my purpose be? I have multiple fractures of my
spine and could go on with all my surgeries. What can I
even begin to do?" Following is my reply:

“Dear Janet, I am very saddened to hear of your
condition. This has to be a terrible challenge.
However, here is a possible suggestion. Because you
have an e-mail address and can at least send e-mail
messages, tell God that you are available for Him to
use and ask Him to use you to be an encourager of
others via sending positive e-mail messages, or to give
you a ministry using your computer and e-mail. Also,
you could have a wonderful prayer ministry and be
greatly used by God in this area.

"For simple and practical ideas that you could use in a
personal ministry, please check out this website at:
http://www.actsweb.org/people_power_invite.php.
God
could certainly use you in this ministry as a People
Power for Jesus Partner to reach others with the saving
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Here is a suggested prayer that you could pray at the
beginning of every day: "Dear God, today I commit and
trust my life and way to you. Oh that you would bless
me wonderfully. Please be with me in everything I do.
Greatly expand my Christian borders, and keep me from
all evil, harm and disaster. Also, I am available again
today. Please make me usable and use me to be an
effective witness for Jesus and to be 'as Jesus' in
some way to every life I have contact with, whether it
be in person, through an email, a letter, or via the
telephone. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

I have been praying this prayer every morning since my
youth, and plan on praying it every morning for the
rest of my life. Nobody is more amazed than I am in how
God has faithfully answered this prayer over so many
years. If you will make yourself available to God for
Him to use and genuinely want Him so to do, I can
guarantee that God will use you to be a wonderful
blessing to the lives you touch.

When God called Moses to lead the Children of Israel
out of slavery in Egypt, Moses didnâ€t know how he was
going to do the job; so God simply told him to use what
he had in his hand. Thatâ€s how God uses each one of us
… He calls us to use what He has already given to us
and what we already have.

My suggested prayer for today, for every Daily
Encounter subscriber, is the prayer that I suggested
for Janet to pray.

1. Exodus 4:2 (NKJV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on:
http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php.
Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on
http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php
to note this.

* * * * * * *

Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
ACTS International.

An Unhurried Holiday
Karen Ehman

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying 
in the manger."
Luke 2:16
(NIV)

"Hurry up! We're going to be late to the choir concert!"

"Come on kids. Help me unload these groceries right now. I've got to get 
these cookies baked before bedtime."

"Is it 6 a.m. already? I gotta get to that door buster sale as soon as it 
opens so I don't miss out on the deals!"

With the holiday season upon us, the music at the mall announces that folks 
are dreaming of a white Christmas. That may be true. But in reality, many 
women
are dreaming of something else white: a little more white space on our 
December calendars!

Pageants. Parties. Shopping trips. Baking days. Wrapping nights. At every 
turn there are people to see, things to do, stuff to buy. The hustle and 
bustle
of this supposed-to-be-happy season can knock the holly-jolly right out of 
our holidays and replace it with hurried-up headaches instead.

As a result, our calendars become overloaded, crowding out the spiritual 
significance of the season.

I wonder if the participants in the original Christmas story ever dreamed 
that the celebration of Christ's birth would become so hassled and hurried. 
The
shepherds? The angels? The wise men? Mary and Joseph too?

Was hurriedness present the night Jesus was born? We might think that it was 
not. But actually, there was hurry present that night. However, it wasn't
to the mall or grocery store that people were rushing.

The shepherds were working in the fields when suddenly an ensemble of angels 
told them the Christ Child had been born. Luke 2:16 says they hurried off
to find Him lying in a manger.

If I had been one of those shepherds, I would have been quiet and amazed 
once I got there. Being around a newborn baby makes me speak in a hushed 
tone
and feel such awe as I see new life. In the presence of Jesus I wonder if 
those men too were settled and silent.

Maybe we could do the same today. In the midst of our holiday hustle and 
tasks, we could stop; leave our work. We could slow down long enough to 
hurry
in another direction. We could put our activities on hold so we might 
quietly meet with our Lord. We could be settled and silent in the presence 
of Jesus.

As a result we just might discover an unhurried holiday: a season that will 
strengthen us spiritually instead of sapping our energy and joy.

How about it? Will we pause and purpose to hurry into His presence instead 
of rushing from task to task? Dare we linger long enough to be refreshed by
the company of the One whom the holiday is really about? The tasks will wait 
while we do.

Here's to more "white space" this Christmas; space that creates more room in 
our days for meeting with Jesus!

Dear Lord, remind me daily that it's You I should rush to during the holiday 
hustle. Not things. Not activities. I want to seek and find only You. In 
Jesus'
Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Want an unhurried holiday? Visit
Karen's blog
to sign up to receive by email her 5-Days "From Chaos to Calm: The LET. IT. 
GO. Christmas Challenge"

Untangling Christmas: Your Go-to Guide for a Hassle-Free Holiday
by Karen Ehman and LeAnn Rice

LET. IT. GO.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith
by Karen Ehman

Reflect and Respond:
What activities and responsibilities threaten to make you rushed and 
stressed at the holidays?

Pull away from the holiday hustle and spend time with Jesus.

Power Verses:
Luke 2:15, "When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the 
shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing 
that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.'" (NIV)

Proverbs 8:17, "I love those who love me, and those who search for me find 
me." (HCSB)

© 2012 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

New Post on KenBible.com - The Christ of Christmas
----------------------------------------------------------
The Christ of Christmas

Posted: 30 Nov 2014 09:55 PM PST

During Christmas, Jesus is the Gift of the Father.
He is all the fullness of God embodied in a human infant.

A child will be born to us, a son will be given to us…
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6, NASB)

Christmas is the unveiling of
God’s greatest promise,
His greatest miracle,
His greatest gift:
His own incarnation.
All He is,
all His purity and perfection,
all His transcendent beauty,
became a human being.
The limitless God became the poorest, most helpless of all human creatures:
the newborn infant of an unmarried peasant girl.

Look! Here is the gift of Christmas.
Here is the wonder of Christmas.
Here are all the most precious treasures,
poured out on all who will receive them.
Here are holiness, wisdom, and boundless joy,
wholeness, harmony, and complete well-being.
Here are unity and individuality,
eternal belonging and a glorious destiny.

During Christmas, receive
the Gift of the Father,
the life of the Father, and
the love of the Father.
Receive Jesus Christ by simple faith.

Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United 
States

Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

Devotions by Christine Caine - Undaunted

Read
Galatians 5:22 23

A list is given of the characteristics of those who live in close 
relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Good Fruit

No amount of Christian activity compensates for the failure to be an 
authentic Christian. Our authenticity (or lack thereof) is made evident by 
the fruit
that our lives are bearing. If we're to be recognized as Christ's followers, 
we need to be producing the fruit of his Holy Spirit.

Going to church or praying a prayer doesn't automatically result in the 
fruit of the Spirit being produced in our lives. Rather, the condition of 
our souls
strongly influence the fruit that comes out of our lives. Quite simply, if 
there are areas of our souls that have been damaged in some way, we will 
inevitably
produce bad fruit in those areas. And keep in mind that bad fruit doesn't 
necessarily point to a horrific past or abuse ”it can simply mean that there 
are
areas of the soul that are still not Christlike (and we all have these).

How can identify these areas by examining our responses to the people and 
events in our lives. For example, when we hear that a coworker has received 
another
promotion, do we have the fruit of kindness and rejoicing, or do we talk 
about why someone else could do a better job? When we see a grim report on 
the
news, do we freak out, sell our stock portfolio to buy gold, and fill our 
cellars with a six-month supply of imperishable food? Or do we respond with 
a
strong peace in our hearts, knowing that God will take care of us?

If we want to bear good fruit, working on our soul muscle is imperative, 
regardless of whether or not our past looks like a train wreck (like mine). 
The
goal for all of us is developing the kind of prosperous soul from which 
flows the qualities listed in Galatians. This fruit cannot be manufactured 
or externally
generated; It results only from soul transformation and an authentic 
relationship with Jesus.

It's great to know that we can choose to change our spiritual core by 
strengthening and healing our soul muscle. We have God's power working 
within us
to bring about our transformation into the image of Christ that each one of 
us and, more important, God desires. No matter where we've come from or what
negative habits we have created in our lives, we have a promise from God 
that we can be someone new. From that soft, responsive heart he has placed 
within
us and his Spirit living on the inside of us, we can learn to live a life 
that is controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by our flesh.

Point to Ponder

Does your soul muscle need some healing? Ask God to help you develop 
authentic joy and peace. Through prayer and the taking in God's Word, you 
can strengthen you spiritual core.

Undaunted by Christine Caine
Today's reading is adapted from
Undaunted: Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do
by Christine Caine. Available in softcover, audio, ebook, and Spanish 
editions.
Devotions by Christine Caine, Copyright © 2012 by Christine Caine and Equip 
& Empower Ministries.

The Evangelistic Power of May
Randy Newman

Years ago I heard a Christian speaker telling a university audience of 
evidence he had seen in our created world for some kind of intelligent 
designer.
He suggested the intelligent designer was the god who revealed himself in 
the Bible. This all seemed fairly plausible to me but not too 
earth-shattering.

During the Q & A session, a professor from the university's physics 
department raised his hand and said something along the lines of, Well, 
your evidence
doesn't require a belief in a god. The design you're talking about could 
also be the result of aliens landing here and setting up an orderly world.

As I listened, I thought three things: First, it's always amusing how people 
don't ask questions during a Q & A session. They pontificate. Second, I 
marveled
that a professor in the physics department preferred a belief in aliens to a 
belief in God. Third, I wondered how forcefully the speaker would dismantle
this proposal. As a Christian, I hoped he wouldn't laugh or use words like, 
stupid, or ridiculous. But surely, I thought, he was going to pounce on
the absurdity of a belief in creative aliens.

The speaker simply said, Maybe, and paused a few seconds.

He went on to say, You're right. It could be aliens. But I think it's more 
plausible to believe in some kind of supernatural force or a god. And I 
think
the god who is portrayed in the Bible seems a lot more likely than aliens 
producing a world of order and beauty.

Then he took the next question. After considering his tactic, I think it's 
brilliant. Rather than expending a lot of energy marshaling arguments 
against
a belief in aliens, he pointed the attention to where it should be. In the 
process, he indirectly weakened his opponent's argument by showing a much 
better
possibility.

I also think his approach had the advantage of melting his adversary's 
hardened attitude. A frontal assault often strengthens the opposition. 
Maybe can
do the opposite.

I wonder how much energy we expend (waste?) on trying to counter arguments 
against the gospel. To be sure, that is necessary in many cases. But I'm not
convinced we always need to do so. And we certainly do not need to be 
sarcastic or insulting of alternative theories no matter how bizarre. No one 
likes
to be called stupid or hear his or her beliefs ridiculed. Saying maybe 
actually shows a level of respect for some arguments that goes beyond what 
they
might actually deserve. But I think it's better to err on the side of 
gentleness and respect (see
1 Peter 3:15)
than to resort to other, sometimes popular, approaches.

----------------------------------------------------------

Randy Newman has been with the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ since 1980 
and currently serves with Faculty Commons, their ministry to university 
professors.
Randy is a Jewish Believer in Jesus and is the former editor of The 
Messiah-On-Campus Bulletin. He is the author of numerous articles and books 
including
Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People's Hearts the Way Jesus Did
and
Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and 
Others Who Know You Well.

Our Identity

Daniel 10:11

Child of God, do you hesitate to appropriate this title? Has your unbelief 
made you forget that you are also greatly loved? Surely you must have been 
greatly
loved, to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb 
without blemish and without spot? When God crushed His only Son for you, 
what
was this but being greatly loved? You lived in sin and rioted in it; surely 
you were greatly loved for God to have been so patient with you. You were 
called
by grace and led to a Savior and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. 
Doesn't this all prove a very great and superabounding love?

Since that time, whether your path has been rough with troubles or smooth 
with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are greatly loved. If the 
Lord
has chastened you, it was not in anger; if He has made you poor, still in 
grace you have been rich. The more unworthy you feel yourself to be, the 
more
evidence you have that nothing but unspeakable love could have led the Lord 
Jesus to save a soul like yours. The more disapproval you feel, the clearer
is the display of God's abounding love in choosing you and calling you and 
making you an heir of heaven.

Now, if such love exists between God and us, let us live in the influence 
and sweetness of it and use the privilege of our position. We should not 
approach
our Lord as though we were strangers or as though He were unwilling to hear 
us—for we are greatly loved by our loving Father. "He who did not spare his
own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously 
give us all things?"1 Come boldly, believer, for despite the whispers of 
Satan
and the doubts of your own heart, you are greatly loved. Meditate on the 
exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine love this evening, and then 
go
to your bed in peace.

1Romans 8:32

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Ezekiel 35

verse 2 Psalms 85
Truth For Life

From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003.

A New Thing  Zechariah

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Luke 1:57-66 (NIV)
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great 
mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise 
the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 
but his mother spoke up and said, No! He is to be called John. 61 They 
said to her, There is no one among your relatives who has that name. 62 
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name 
the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment 
he wrote, His name is John.64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his 
tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 The neighbors 
were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people 
were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered 
about it, asking, What then is this child going to be? For the Lord's hand 
was with him.

Elizabeth and Zechariah were righteous people who were up there in age. They 
had no children because Elizabeth was barren. By lot Zechariah was chosen to 
serve in the temple one day. While he was serving, an angel appeared and 
told him that Elizabeth was going to have a child who was to be named John. 
The angel said that God was doing a new thing and their son John was going 
to usher in the Messiah. Zechariah didn't believe what the angel said so the 
Lord made it so Zechariah could not speak.

When the baby was born, another new thing happened. The baby was not named 
after a relative which was the custom of that day. Instead the baby was to 
be named John as the angel had told them.

Zechariah could count on one hand the number of times God opened barren 
wombs in the Scripture but he probably thought that was then and He hadn't 
done that for Elizabeth. They had not had a baby in all those years and it 
was impossible for her to have one now. This was not a new thing that God 
did with Elizabeth but Zechariah still looked at the past and didn't see any 
way their future would be any different.

Today we may look back to something great that we read of as the miracles in 
the Bible or even miracles we have heard from in history since those days. 
WE then may think that those things don't happen today. Miracles were for 
those times but don't happen now. God used great men like Abraham, Joshua, 
Moses, etc. But he can't use me. Sometimes we may look at our past and see 
all our failures and think that God will not perform any miracles in our 
lives because of these. WE may think we have lived such a bad life that God 
cannot use us. WE hear of people today who are healed or become great people 
of God who do many things like preach to large crowds or become 
missionaries. WE may think that because of our past that none of that can 
happen to us.

AS the verses from Isaiah above say, we have to stop looking at the past. 
God is doing a new thing. He can do a new thing in our lives. He still 
performs miracles. He calls people to lead from small backgrounds. WE need 
to make ourselves available to Him to do what He wants to do with and 
through us.

Don't be like Zechariah. Trust the Lord completely and look for the new 
thing He has for your life.

by Dean W. Masters

Owner of the Master's List


The Best Things About the Boring Parts of the Bible
Nancy Guthrie / October 2, 2014
The Best Things About the Boring Parts of the Bible

Let’s admit it, there are certain parts of the Bible we skim because . . . 
well . . . because we think they’re boring. They’re repetitive, overly 
detailed,
full of names and places we can’t pronounce. So why bother with them? There 
are many reasons — not the least of which is that even the parts of the 
Bible
we deem to be boring are significant because they are God’s word to us. Here’s 
my top ten list of the best things about the boring parts of the Bible.

10

After a poetic Creation and a cosmic disaster, the story of the Bible slows 
down in Genesis by tracing the sons of Adam and Eve’s son, Seth, through 
numerous
generations. Why do we need to know this? Because God made a promise 
recorded in Genesis 3 about a particular descendant of Eve. The whole of the 
Bible
is most significantly about this descendant. So, the tenth best thing about 
the boring parts of the Bible is:

Tracing the line of descendants from Adam and Eve forward keeps us tuned in 
to what is most important in the Bible’s story, or really who is most 
important
— the promised offspring who will one day be born and will do battle with 
the offspring of the ancient serpent and win.

9

In Genesis 6–9 we witness the population of the world narrowed down to just 
Noah and his 3 sons and their families. The begats of the Bible pick up 
again
in Genesis 10 focusing in on the descendants of just one of Noah’s sons — 
Shem — and finally on one descendant of Shem — Abraham — to whom God makes 
incredible
promises. Further lists help us to trace the coming of the promised 
descendant through Isaac and Jacob and Judah and David until we read in 
Galatians 4:4,
“when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman.†
Keeping our focus on this promised One helps to keep us from making the 
Bible
all about us instead of all about him.

The book of Exodus begins with the vivid story of a baby in a basket on the 
Nile River who becomes the deliverer of God’s people from their slavery in
Egypt. On their way to the Promised Land, God gives Moses detailed 
instructions for the design of the tent they are to construct in which God 
will come
down to dwell among them. In the detail of the design we see gourds and open 
flowers woven into the fabrics, a basin made to look like a lily, lampstands
made to look like trees with branches. The writer of Hebrews says the 
tabernacle and later the temple were, “copies of true things,†and “a shadow 
of the
good things to come†(Hebrews 8:5). So for #9:

The detail of the tabernacle and temple design reminds us of Eden and fills 
us with anticipation for the beauty and perfection of the new heavens and 
new
earth.

8

As we continue in Exodus we read exacting detail about the clothing that was 
to be made for the high priest who would serve in the tabernacle. It was to
be holy, glorious, and beautiful like God himself, which is appropriate 
since the priest represented God to the people. The priest also represented 
the
people to God. He wore an ephod and a breastplate that had stones with the 
names of the twelve tribes on them. So when the high priest entered the Holy
Place, it was as if he took the people and their concerns into the presence 
of God with him.

The detail of the high priest’s clothing assures us that our Great High 
Priest, Jesus, carries our burdens on his shoulders and our concerns on his 
heart
as he intercedes for us in the presence of God.

7

In Leviticus 1–7 we find detailed instructions for offering sacrifices which 
were like flashing neon signs saying: “sin brings death . . . sin brings 
death.â€
But the sacrifices also revealed that God accepts the blood of an innocent 
substitute to pay for sin.

The requirements of Old Testament sacrifices help us to see what sin costs 
as well as the fullness of our forgiveness made possible through the 
once-for-all
perfect sacrifice of Christ.

6

Let’s face it — the laws about what make a person ceremonial clean or 
unclean found in Leviticus 11–15 are strange. Yet when we study them, we see 
that
everything that makes a person unclean is something that reflects the 
effects of the curse of sin on this world. Animals fed on other animals only 
after
the curse. Bodies bled and developed disease only after the curse. Mold and 
mildew, the visible evidence of decay, came into being only after the curse.
Everything designated unclean in Leviticus demonstrated that things are not 
the way they once were in the Garden—the way God originally intended them to
be.

The laws regarding clean and unclean in Leviticus give us hope that we who 
are unclean can be made clean through an acceptable sacrifice, and will one
day be made holy to enter into the presence of God.

5

Jesus, who was perfectly clean, took our uncleanness upon himself so that we 
might be made clean and he is at work even now, by his Spirit, making us 
holy.
God will not abandon our world to its uncleanness forever! He will make it 
clean.

The book of Numbers begins and ends with a census. In Numbers 1 we find the 
record of the generation who rebelled and refused to believe that God was 
giving
them the land of Canaan and therefore died in the desert. In Numbers 26 we 
read the census record of the second generation as they prepared to enter 
into
their inheritance and abundant life of the Promised Land. Why do we need 
this information?

The census records of Numbers encourage us to examine whether our names are 
to be counted among those who refuse to believe and will die in the 
wilderness
of this world, or if we are counted among those who believe God’s promise of 
an inheritance and have life in the abundance of the Promised Land to look
forward to.

4

In Joshua 13–21 we read the geographic details of the land in Canaan given 
to each tribe. Because we are unfamiliar with the ancient geography, it can
be a boring list to us. But if we were familiar with these places and with 
these people, we could better imagine the sense of wonder among God’s people
as each tribe was given a huge amount of territory in the Promised Land. 
Likely the people of each tribe would have looked at each other and said, 
“All
of this for us?â€

The allotment of territories to tribes in the land of Canaan gives us a 
preview of what it will be like when our greater Joshua, Jesus, leads us 
into the
eternal Promised Land where we will inherit all that God has promised.

3

One day our Greater Joshua will read out the inheritance that will be ours 
in the new heaven and the new earth, and we won’t be bored! Surely we will 
breathlessly
say, “All of this for us?â€

First Chronicles includes chapter after chapter of genealogies that begin 
with Adam and stretch to the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi — the 
kingly
and priestly tribes — who made up most of those who returned to the land 
after exile.

The genealogies in 1 Chronicles help us focus on where history is headed — 
the son of David, seated on the throne of the universe.

2

This list should reorient our hearts toward the coming of our great king 
when we will hear a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling 
place
of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, 
and God himself will be with them as their God†(Revelation 21:3).

When Nehemiah was trying to figure out who among the returned exiles should 
take up residence behind the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem, he pulled out the
book in which the names of those who returned to Judah when the opportunity 
was first given by Cyrus’s decree to come home were listed.

The list of names in the book Nehemiah read that included all those whose 
hearts God stirred up to leave Babylon for Jerusalem should make our hearts 
glad
to know that God likes to keep lists of those whose hearts he has stirred up 
with a longing for his city, those who will inhabit the New Jerusalem.

1

In Revelation 21:27 John tells us, “Only those who are written in the Lamb’s 
book of life†will populate the New Jerusalem. We will not be bored when 
that
list of names is read! We’ll be on pins and needles listening for our names.

The New Testament begins with a genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, 
the son of Abraham. And oh the grace we find in this boring part of the 
Bible!
There in the lineage of Jesus is Abraham who pretended his wife was his 
sister and gave her to a godless king; Judah who fathered Perez and Zerah by 
Tamar,
his daughter-in-law; Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who put everything at 
risk to get in on the promises of God; Ruth, a Moabite who left everything 
behind
to make Israel’s God her God; David who took another man’s wife and then had 
her husband killed; Solomon who allowed many foreign women to turn his heart
away from loving the Lord. So the #1 best thing about the boring parts of 
the Bible is:

The genealogy of Jesus shows us that Jesus welcomes flagrant but forgiven 
sinners into his family.

This gives outsiders and outlaws like you and me hope. He is not ashamed to 
call us brothers and sisters.
Copyright © 2014 Desiring God, all rights reserved

Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

Daily Devotions
Life is full of Choices

What Seems Impossible
Wednesday, October 1, 2014

When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to 
answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not
open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of 
the gate. They said to her, You are out of your mind! But she kept 
insisting
that it was so. Acts 12:13-15
The reports seemed absurd. It was 1849, and two German missionaries reported 
discoveries that many found impossible to believe.
Johann Krapf described seeing a mountain in East Africa (later called Mount 
Kenya) that was capped with snow! Around the same time, another missionary,
Johannes Rebmann, discovered Mount Kilimanjaro, declaring that this 
mountain, too, was covered with snow.
As author Martin Dugard describes, the discoveries of these men were 
published in a church magazine. However, the Royal Geographical Society in 
London
seriously doubted their findings. Why? These missionaries had described 
seeing snow on mountains in some of the hottest places on earth. To these 
brilliant
minds thousands of miles away, the reports seemed clearly ridiculous.
Yet what seemed impossible to those scientists was, in fact, true. These 
mountains were capped with snow!
How easily we can be governed by what we think seems possible. We can 
confine our beliefs to what makes sense to our minds and is consistent with 
our experience.
In the process, we can limit God and find ourselves filled with doubt rather 
than faith.
The early Church experienced something like this when Peter was imprisoned. 
They prayed fervently for his release. But when God answered their prayers
and miraculously delivered Peter, they refused to believe that he had been 
released. In fact, when Rhoda told them Peter was at the door, they claimed
she must have been out of her mind!
What seems impossible in your life? Ask God for His help. For healing. For 
provision. For answers. Have faith and don't doubt. Remember that He is the
God of miracles”not just in the past, but today!
Today's Inspiration Prayer

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, I commit these situations to You: ________. I believe that all 
things are possible for You. I trust in You. Thank You for doing miracles. 
In Jesus
name. Amen.

Further Reading: Acts 12

God's Generosity

Psalms 84:11

God is wonderfully generous by nature; to give is His delight. His gifts are 
immeasurably precious and are given as freely as the light of the sun. He
gives grace to His own because He wills it, to His redeemed because of His 
covenant, to the called because of His promise, to believers because they 
seek
it, to sinners because they need it. He gives grace abundantly, seasonably, 
constantly, readily, sovereignly; the value of the blessings is doubled by
the manner in which it is given.

Grace in all its forms He freely supplies to His people: Comforting, 
preserving, sanctifying, directing, instructing, assisting grace He 
generously and
constantly pours into their souls, and He will always do so, whatever may 
happen. Sickness may come, but the Lord will give grace; poverty may descend
on us, but grace will definitely be supplied; death must come, but grace 
will light a candle in the darkest hour. Reader, how blessed it is as years 
roll
on, and the leaves again begin to fall, to enjoy this unfading promise, "The 
LORD bestows favor and honor."

The little conjunction "and" in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the 
present with the future: Favor and honor always go together. God has married
them, and no one can separate them. The Lord will never deny a soul honor to 
whom He has freely granted favor; indeed, honor is nothing more than favor
in its Sunday best, favor in full bloom, favor like autumn fruit, mellow and 
perfected. How soon we may have honor none can tell! It may be that before
this month of October has run out we will see the Holy City; but if the 
interval is longer or shorter, we shall be honored before long. The honor of 
heaven,
the honor of eternity, the honor of Jesus, the honor of the Father—the Lord 
will certainly give all this to His chosen. What a wonderful promise from a
faithful God!

Two golden links of one celestial chain:
Who owns favor shall surely honor gain.

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Ezekiel 34

verse 2 Psalms 83, 84

From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. 
Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News 
Publishers,
Wheaton, IL 60187,
www.crossway.org.

The Last Days
by Sarah Phillips

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth 
distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 
men fainting
with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers 
of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take 
place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing 
near."
Luke 21:25

Most of us don't love to wait. We want to get on with things. Tie things up 
neatly so we can move on to the next thing. We often forget that in some 
cases,
the opportunity to wait is an expression of God's mercy.

You see, this Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. It came quickly this 
year. I was so busy preparing for Thanksgiving, I almost forgot about 
Advent.
Thankfully, our reliable pastor will be decked out in purple this Sunday, 
scripture readings and hymns ready to go.

Advent isn't really an event so much as a season set aside to wait for an 
event. We can choose how we want to practice Advent. We can see it as a 
burden,
an afterthought, or a hindrance. Or we can see its greater application to 
all of life. We can recognize it for what it is: a reminder to stop, clear 
away
some of the normal "stuff" of life, and remember that throughout our life 
here we are waiting for something big, something that needs our attention 
and
preparation: The second coming of Christ.

Many times I've heard fellow Christians express the desire for the day to 
just get here already. Can't we just end the wars and suffering… the 
waiting…
and get on with Christ's return? Many pick apart the Scriptures, looking for 
details, for signs, that Christ is coming soon. Groups form and debates rage
about the finer details of the end times.

While I am sure God appreciates our interest in and desire for his arrival, 
I am not so sure we really know what we're asking for when we say we wish he
would hurry up and appear.

Think about it. Are we really ready? Is the world really ready? If you had 
to stand before Christ tomorrow, would you be ready? I don't mean "ready" as
having correctly predicted the dramatic events that would unfold during the 
end times. I mean would your life reflect service to him? Love of him? 
Submission
to him?

Mine wouldn't. At least not to the extent that it should. I'd like a few 
days, or um decades, to straighten things out. And to the best of my humble 
abilities,
help a few more of those living in the dark find the light.

Suddenly, waiting doesn't seem too bad. God's plan to give me and the rest 
of the world a little more time doused with a lot of his grace doesn't seem
so frustrating.

After reading the above dramatic passage from Luke at an Advent Sunday 
service past, our pastor did not delve into prophecy or speculation about 
the last
days. He backtracked a little, and instead opted to focus on the here and 
now. He challenged us to avoid the "drowsiness" that comes with our everyday
cares and concerns. He challenged us to become disciplined people, 
Christians whose lives are truly transformed by Christ instead of by the 
seductive "spirit
of the age." He held up examples of fellow Christians who came before us and 
conquered their own contemporary challenges.

He reminded us that we will each have our own "last day" even if our lives 
here do not witness the Last Day.

That's what Advent is really about… grace today for whatever may come 
tomorrow. It's about God's incredible patience and love for children who 
have much to
learn and need plenty of precious time to allow for stumbling along the way. 
As for the final days, set aside the speculation and leave that to God's 
perfect
timing. He'll know when we're ready.

Intersecting
Faith
& Life: A disciplined
prayer
life opens our lives to God's transforming graces. Set aside a little extra 
time every single week, from now until Christmas, to spend time in prayer.

Further Reading

Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Insight for Living Ministries
November 27, 2014

A Season for Humble Gratitude
by Charles R. Swindoll

Psalm 116:1-7

It's baaaack!

The age-old yuletide season is about to slip in the door once again. Better 
not shout, better not pout, for the malls will be playing "Jingle Bells" 
several
thousand times between now and December 25. If you're not careful, the 
crowds and commercialism will weigh you down like that fourth helping of 
stuffing
at Thanksgiving dinner. And there's nothing worse than a jaded attitude that 
resists the true spirit of the season.

Although this has been a challenging year in numerous ways, we have a 
practical reason to look back over it with gratitude for God's protection 
and grace
to each of us. This reflection sets in motion the ideal mental attitude to 
carry us through the weeks ahead. In other words, a sustained spirit of 
humble
gratitude will make the period leading up to December 25 an integral part of 
the Christmas celebration rather than a dreadful marathon run toward the 
finish.

We live in a world fraught with evil---one in which innocent people are 
gunned down as they go about their business, where world governments seem 
powerless
to stop those whose intent is to control through fear. But we cannot afford 
to end the year in frustration. I---like you---have seen and experienced 
God's
hand of protection and mercy, even in the toughest moments.

During this holiday season, let's pledge not to let ingratitude become our 
creed or cynicism our stumbling block. As we consistently remind ourselves 
of
God's provision in our lives and the lives of our loved ones, the holidays 
will become a special time of spiritual enrichment, personal renewal, and 
genuine
gratitude.

Sometimes, though, it can be a challenge to give God daily praise and look 
for His hand, even when we possess the knowledge of His love and 
faithfulness.
If you find yourself in this situation, often the Psalms are a great source 
to get you back on track.

Psalm 116 is an extraordinary expression of love---addressed to God! "How do 
I love Thee, God?" the psalmist seems to ask. In his answers, he sets forth
several magnificent truths about God's goodness and deliverance.

I love the LORD, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!"
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. (116:1-7)

How do we love our God? We love Him by counting the many ways He has been 
good to us and, as the psalmist did, by sharing His goodness with others. 
What
does God desire? Our humble thanks. Our heartfelt gratitude. He wants us to 
be hungry for life, to treasure every day He entrusts to us. When you have
a quiet moment, read the entire psalm, expressing your own heart of 
gratitude to our loving Lord.

Let the wonder of the season wash over you again. God loves you and me with 
every bit of His heart, to the extent that He gave us the very best gift: 
life,
wrapped up in the form of His Son. It's this life---the abundant life---that 
Jesus promised. This is the true spirit of the season.

Let's be humbly grateful.

Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, "A Season for Humble Gratitude," Insights 
(November/December 2002). Copyright © 2002, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All 
© 2014 Insight for Living. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Lesson of Lasagna
by Katherine Peters Britton

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it 
Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.'" -
1 Samuel 7:12

Life in the Peters household produced a frenetic Christmas just about every 
year, but that year eclipsed them all. I was eleven years old when two 
game-changers
happened in quick succession. First, in early November, my youngest sister 
was born. My twin brothers hadn't yet turned two, so daily life included 
diaper
changes for three kids in addition to the newborn routine. Just a month 
later, my dad was ferrying me home from a Christmas cookie exchange when a 
truck
broadsided us. Multiple injuries kept Dad laid up for a couple weeks, right 
in the midst of Christmas parities and preparation.

The body of Christ carried many burdens for my overwhelmed
family
during the crazy season that followed. Friends cleaned the house, washed 
laundry, babysat so my exhausted mother could nap, put lights on our 
Christmas
tree, took us kids Christmas shopping, and more. Even as a kid, I noticed 
how many people set aside their holiday bustle to lend a hand.

What I remember best, though, is the lasagna.

Church members consistently supplied us with hot meals when we would 
otherwise have eaten cold cereal, given the circumstances. I remember lots 
and lots
of casseroles during the Christmas season, and - I must embarrassingly 
admit - my childish tastes invited me to turn up my nose at many of them. 
Especially
the lasagna, which I barely tolerated in the best of times. During those two 
months, we choked down veggie lasagna that I thought tasted like printer 
paper,
picked at lasagna surfeited with cottage cheese (I still despise cottage 
cheese), rejoiced over meat-lovers lasagna, and tried to get away with 
eating
just the garlic bread someone brought as a side dish. Lord bless the folks 
that brought us that signature casserole, but after New Years I never wanted
to see lasagna again. Ever.

Of course, the years have chugged along, I swapped out my last name, and I 
reticently reversed course on lasagna. The casserole has that sweetly 
sentimental
quality of Grandma's cookies now, always reminding me of those crazy two 
months that began with a birth and closed with a year's end. It's my "edible 
Ebenezer,"
if you will. I know that might sound flippant, but I can't help but remember 
how God provided for my family during a rough patch when I smell that smell.
To me, lasagna will always be synonymous with a church's love.

Intersecting
Faith
& Life: As we celebrate Thanksgiving, when food and memories intertwine so 
closely, look around for the Ebenezer stones in your own life. What past 
events
can you point to and say, "Yes, the Lord helped us there." Tell your family 
and friends the stories of God's grace and provision, so they too will 
"forget
none of his benefits" (
Psalms 103:2).
We serve a faithful God - let's remember to look back on those markers.

Further Reading:

Crosswalk the Devotional
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

The Ministries of Francis Frangipane

A Thankful Heart
(En Español)

The very quality of your life, whether you love it or hate it, is based upon 
how thankful you are toward God. It is one's attitude that determines 
whether
life unfolds into a place of blessedness or wretchedness. Indeed, looking at 
the same rose bush, some people complain that the roses have thorns while
others rejoice that some thorns come with roses. It all depends on your 
perspective.

This is the only life you will have before you enter eternity. If you want 
to find joy, you must first find thankfulness. Indeed, the one who is 
thankful
for even a little enjoys much. But the unappreciative soul is always 
miserable, always complaining. He lives outside the shelter of the Most High 
God.

Perhaps the worst enemy we have is not the devil but our own tongue. James 
tells us, "The tongue is set among our members as that which . . . sets on 
fire
the course of our life" (James 3:6). He goes on to say this fire is ignited 
by hell. Consider: with our own words we can enter the spirit of Heaven or
the agonies of hell!

It is hell with its punishments, torments and misery that controls the life 
of the grumbler and complainer! Paul expands this thought in 1 Corinthians
10:10, where he reminds us of the Jews who "grumble[d] . . . and were 
destroyed by the destroyer." The fact is, every time we open up to grumbling 
and
complaining, the quality of our life is reduced proportionally -- a 
destroyer is bringing our life to ruin!

People often ask me, "What is the ruling demon over our church or city?" 
They expect me to answer with the ancient Aramaic or Phoenician name of a 
fallen
angel. What I usually tell them is a lot more practical: one of the most 
pervasive evil influences over our nation is ingratitude!

Do not minimize the strength and cunning of this enemy! Paul said that the 
Jews who grumbled and complained during their difficult circumstances were 
"destroyed
by the destroyer." Who was this destroyer? If you insist on discerning an 
ancient world ruler, one of the most powerful spirits mentioned in the Bible
is Abaddon, whose Greek name is Apollyon. It means "destroyer" (Rev. 9:11). 
Paul said the Jews were destroyed by this spirit. In other words, when we 
are
complaining or unthankful, we open the door to the destroyer, Abaddon, the 
demon king over the abyss of hell!

Paul wrote, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and 
petition with gratitude, make your requests be known to God" (Phil. 4:8 
MEV). Thanksgiving
shuts the door to the bottomless pit and opens the door into the presence of 
God.

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The Shelter of the Most High
by Pastor Frangipane. This book with associated audio resources are 
currently on sale at
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November 25, 2014

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A Note on Advent Candles
by Noël Piper

Advent candles are a simple way to help us move with anticipation through 
the weeks until Christmas finally arrives.

Various helpful schemes of symbolism can be attached to the candles, their 
number, and color. But here are the basics — one candle for each of the 
Sundays
of Advent, and if you wish, a fifth for Christmas Day. It’s not necessary to 
have a special wreath or other advent candle holder — just candles. On the
first Sunday, only one candle will be lit, then two on the second, and so 
forth. That’s all that’s necessary. But if we want our Advent candles to be 
more
than a centerpiece, we have to ask ourselves, “What makes these more than 
wax and wick?â€

The flame is a symbol of the one who is called “the light of the world.†We 
who follow him “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of lifeâ€
(John 8:12). As we move closer to the day when we’ll meet him, there is 
greater and greater brightness.

But we need to remember that our very young children will see only candles. 
No matter how much we explain the symbolism, they need some more years 
before
they can comprehend it. That’s why I always incorporate a manger scene into 
our Advent candle arrangement. Tangible is my guiding word. What a child can
see and touch, he might understand at a little more clearly. It’s helpful 
for us adults, as well.

Each Advent Sunday, we Pipers gather at the table for a meal — whichever 
works best for the whole family — and hear a word from the Bible before 
lighting
the next candle. When the children were younger, each week’s passage 
probably would be one part of the Christmas story from Matthew or Luke. As 
they’ve
grown older, we’ve expanded to include Old Testament prophecies of the 
Messiah’s coming. (Also, you could read aloud one of the short devotional 
meditations
from
Good News of Great Joy)
Then on other days, whenever we sit at the dining room table where the 
candles are the centerpiece, we light that week’s number of candles.

The light, brighter by the week, points us toward Jesus who has called us to 
be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] 
out of darkness into his marvelous light†(1 Peter 2:9).  
Copyright © 2014 Desiring God, all rights reserved

How to Make Your Holidays Christian
Noël Piper / November 26, 2014
How to Make Your Holidays Christian

Many nations have special days for giving thanks. In the United States, 
Thanksgiving Day is always the fourth Thursday in November.

Wherever we are in the world, there are at least two requirements for any 
sort of thanksgiving to happen: something we’re thankful for and somebody to
thank. As obvious as that may seem, it’s amazing how many people can say, “I’m 
thankful for . . .†in a sort of generic way without admitting, or even
realizing, that God is there to hear their thanks. And they’re certainly not 
giving him credit for whatever it is they’re grateful for.

We who are Christians, though, know that “every good gift and every perfect 
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights†(James 1:17). And
when Paul prays that the Ephesians would be “giving thanks always and for 
everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ†
(Ephesians
5:18–20), everything reminds us that not every good gift seems happy at the 
moment.

Thanks Be to God

So when we sit down to the table together this Thanksgiving and name things 
we’re thankful for, I pray that we can ask our Father to help us know 
wholehearted
thanks for things that are hard amongst the things that come more easily to 
mind: illness or health, joblessness or fulfilling work, death or life of 
ones
we love, and more.

There is one thing on our gratitude list that we who are following Christ 
all have in common: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift†(2 
Corinthians
9:15). Of all people in the world, we have the greatest reason to give 
thanks and an inexpressibly great God who receives our gratitude. What more 
could
we desire than that hope and salvation? “Blessed be the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ!†(1 Peter 1:3).

Waiting for Christmas

Which leads to the next great celebration on our calendar — Christmas. 
Granted, there are several human reasons for the timing of our Thanksgiving 
observation
in the United States, some based in God’s work in American history and some 
growing out of commercial and financial pressures. But God is always 
sovereign,
working through what look like merely human causes. And so I’m grateful that 
as we give thanks this last week in November, we’re throwing open the 
gateway
to our celebration in December of Christ’s incarnation.

This year, as is often true, the first day of Advent falls on the Sunday of 
Thanksgiving weekend. Then for the next four weeks, it’s as if we’re 
re-enacting,
remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and 
longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent 
means —
coming.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, 
born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might
receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit 
of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!†So you are no longer a
slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4–6)

And yet we are still waiting. Our spiritual redemption came to us with the 
baby of Bethlehem. But still, as Romans 8 says, “we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as 
sons, the redemption of our bodies†(Romans 8:23). There is suffering and
tragedy still, even for Christians. Someone we love is dying. We may be in 
pain. Sometimes we have trouble believing God’s promises. In other words, 
our
redemption is not complete. We are waiting for the redemption of our 
bodies — waiting for Jesus’s second advent, for him to come again.

So here we stand in the middle. Advent is a season of looking back, thinking 
how it must have been, waiting for the promised salvation of God, not 
knowing
what to expect. And at the same time, it is a season of looking ahead, 
preparing ourselves to meet Jesus at his Second Coming.

Preparing Our Hearts for His Coming

The first chapter of 1 Peter helps us examine ourselves during this season 
of introspection amidst our celebration. Peter gives us God’s high standard
as we contemplate our standing with him: “You shall be holy, for I am holy†
(1 Peter 1:16). This is a time to ask ourselves questions like:

• Am I clear-thinking and sober-minded, or are my concerns mainly trivial? 
(verse 13)
• Is my hope set fully on the grace I will receive from Jesus at his Second 
Coming, or do I cringe at the thought of leaving behind the life I love? 
(verse
13)
• Am I an obedient child of my Father, or am I still shaped by the passions 
that drove me before I knew Jesus? (verse 14)

If regular personal devotions are not part of our lives, this would be a 
time tailor-made to begin. The living water in our own hearts is the 
fountain
from which we shower Christ on our family. Our time with God and his 
preparation of us is a necessary foundation. Without it our Christmas 
activities will
degenerate into mere hoopla.

But however much we want a significant Christmas celebration for the ones 
close to us, that is not the primary reason for our contemplation and 
self-examination.
Our deeper motivation is the strengthening of our ultimate hope in Jesus, 
“so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in 
shame
at his coming†(1 John 2:28).

May this be a week filled with thanksgiving, leading us into a season of 
reflection on what our lives are — gratitude for the promises that were 
fulfilled
when God gave us the gift of his son and anticipation of and preparation for 
Christ’s coming again. And may our lives, homes, activities, and 
celebrations
reflect the true treasure of our hearts.

11 Ways to Recover from Being Too Busy
Whitney Hopler

Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of 
Brady Boyd’s new book
Addicted to Busy: Recovery for the Rushed Soul
(David C Cook, 2014).

Are you rushing through life with a packed schedule that pushes you along? 
Do you often find yourself stressed and exhausted from trying to fit too 
much
into too little time?

If you look beneath your busy lifestyle, you’ll discover that it may be 
covering up something you lack spiritually. God intends for you to live a 
peaceful
life, with plenty of time to rest. You can start enjoying that kind of life 
once you heal from the factors that are driving your busyness.

Here’s how to recover from being too busy:

Acknowledge the unhealthy rhythms in your life and count the cost of them. 
God has designed you to live rhythmically, but some of the rhythms you’ve 
chosen
for your lifestyle may not be serving you well. Maybe you have a tendency to 
sign up for more than can reasonably fit into your schedule because you’re
driven to feel needed, or perhaps you neglect to make time to spend in
prayer
with God each day. Whatever your unhealthy rhythms are, note the toll that 
each one is taking on your life in specific ways, such as leaving you with
a sense of anxiety or a lack of purpose, or disconnecting you from important
family
relationships. Confess to God the different ways that your busyness has 
caused you to sin – from shortchanging your children the attention they 
deserve
from you, to cutting corners in any of your business practices. Ask the Holy 
Spirit to help you change every unhealthy time rhythm in your life to a 
healthy
one.

Set goals to bring rest to your body, mind, and spirit. Think and pray about 
specific ways that you’d like to enjoy life physically, mentally, and 
spiritually
after you’ve recovered from being too busy. What would your life look like 
if you’re feeling peaceful within yourself and engaged with God and other 
people?

Tune out distractions and tune into God’s presence with you. Practice 
eliminating things that distract you from using your time well so you can 
better
focus on God’s constant presence with you. For one 24-hour period, turn off 
your TV, iPad, smart phone, and every other device that typically distracts
you from sensing God speaking to you. Use the time that you would otherwise 
have spent distracted to pray throughout the day, asking God to help you 
notice
him at work in your life and to give you peace.

Dare to be yourself. Have you been bragging to others about how busy you are 
in order to make yourself seem important to them? If so, stop wasting time
trying to manage other people’s impressions of you. Have you been spending 
too much time working in an attempt to earn money to buy what you see that 
others
have? If so, stop comparing your life to other people’s lives. Embrace your 
unique callings from God and ask him to help you be content with who you are
and what you have.

Enjoy some “bedhead days.†Receive God’s gift of rest fully on certain days 
when you’re not scheduled to work and can relax with your family. On these
“bedhead days,†take a break from stressful obligations like errands and 
chores and just pursue restful and fun activities together – from sleeping 
in
and eating leisurely meals, to playing games or taking a long hike outdoors. 
The more rested you are, the more you’ll be able to focus on pleasing God
alone rather than giving into time pressure from other people.

Discover Sabbath shalom. Choose to follow God’s command to observe a weekly 
Sabbath day, in which you rest and focus on worshiping him. In the process,
you’ll invite God to pour peace into every part of your life. When you 
experience peace with God, within yourself, and with other people, you’ll 
experience
the blessing of “shalom†that will promote your wellbeing spiritually, 
physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thank God for giving you the gift of 
rest.

Teach your kids how to rest. Stop overscheduling your children’s lives. Free 
time is a crucial part of their healthy development, teaching them how to
reflect on their experiences in light of biblical truths, express their 
God-given creativity, and discern God’s voice speaking to them. Keep your 
children’s
lives simple, choosing their scheduled activities sparingly rather than 
signing them for every sport team, music class, or other activity that 
happens
to interest them. Give them room to breathe so they can learn the life 
lesson that’s more important than any extracurricular activity can teach 
them: to
rest.

Follow the example that Jesus set of living at the right pace. Jesus modeled 
the kind of life that everyone should aspire to live – including the proper
pace. Jesus’ pace of life was rhythmic (he engaged with people and then 
withdrew to pray in solitude at regular intervals), relational (he spent his 
time
focused primarily on investing in relationships, communicating often with 
God the Father in heaven and people on Earth), and resolute (Jesus insisted 
on
building times of peace and quiet into his busy schedule to maintain a 
healthy balance).

Praise God rather than seeking praise for yourself. Check your motivations 
for the work you do on a regular basis. Are you truly spending your time 
trying
to bring glory to God and express your love for him? Or are you staying busy 
trying to show other people how important you are and earn their praise? How
willing are you to serve God in obscurity, doing good work privately for the 
sake of pleasing God alone? Rather than trying to promote yourself, trust
God to promote you to bigger assignments if and when the right time comes 
for that.

Delegate tasks to others who can help. Enlist help from other people 
whenever you can’t reasonably complete tasks on time. Don’t be afraid that 
doing so
will make you replaceable; instead, trust in God’s design for relationships 
of people working together.

Start living out the dreams that your new schedule helps you reach. Now that 
you have a healthy margin in your schedule, you can fit in the activities
that are necessary to make your God-given dreams come true. Celebrate by 
starting to live out your dreams!

Adapted from
Addicted to Busy: Recovery for the Rushed Soul,
copyright 2014 by Brady Boyd. Published by David C Cook, Colorado Springs, 
Co.,
www.davidccook.com.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You
A Word With You
Daily Devotional
Out of the Book and Into the Battle - #7232

Ever since I was little I've been fascinated by the American Revolution, and 
I always wanted to see Concord Bridge, where it sort of all began. You know,
the shot heard around the world? By the time I got there, I had two little 
boys of my own who were not fascinated by the American Revolution. I wanted
to spend a while at Concord Bridge, imagining those Colonial farmers 
descending and the Red Coats stepping up to the bridge in their rigid 
formation.

Unfortunately my sons were not interested in all of that. I tried to tell 
them the story; yawn! Come on, this is vacation. Who cares about history, 
right?
One last idea. I got their tricorn hats that we bought them and we got some 
sticks for them to use as muskets. I made them the Americans and I played 
Red
Coat. So they came charging across one side of the Concord Bridge. I went 
running away from them. I eventually ended up fatally wounded. And when we 
were
done they said, "Let's do it again, Daddy!" Of course they won every time. 
They became interested, but not until they had a part.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Out of 
the Book and Into the Battle."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 20:6-7. Jesus is 
telling a story about a man who needs help at harvest time. He's gone out 
three
times during the day to get more and more help. And finally, he goes out 
near the end of the working day, and it says this: "About the eleventh hour 
he
went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have 
you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 'Because no one has 
hired
us' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'"

There's an urgent job to be done! Harvest time passes fast; you've got to 
get to it. There's only a few days to make it all happen. Big job; urgent 
job
with not enough help. Men standing around? Why? Because they said they 
didn't have a job to do. So Jesus says here basically there's a job for 
everyone
in the harvest; the harvest of human hearts.

See, a lot of church folks are like my sons at Concord Bridge. You hear the 
facts about the battle. You hear stories of what other people have done to
reach people, but you're not playing any active part. You're just watching.

Actually God doesn't intend to have any of His kids just be spectators. This 
is a war with life-or-death stakes going on. He wants you out of the stands
and into the game. Maybe your Christianity is kind of gray and boring. And 
it is until you get a mission, not just hear about people with a mission.

You need a job to do for Jesus, and you can be sure He's got one. You're 
surrounded by work He needs done. There are boys who need you. There are 
girls
who need you to reach out to them. There are senior citizens who are lonely 
and need to hear about Christ in their few remaining years. There are 
teenagers
maybe you could connect with. There are homeless people. There are Christian 
workers who are buried in administrative detail and you could help relieve
them for the work that only they can do. You are urgently needed somewhere 
I'll tell you.

When you get a mission, when you get a piece of the action, your faith comes 
alive. You read the Bible with a new appetite, you pray with a new 
intensity,
and you listen with a new openness. You can't just go to church to get 
filled up and meet your needs. It's a staging area for God's rescue 
operation on
earth launched at the cross. It's a place for God's soldiers. It's a place 
to get ready for the battles that affect people's eternities.

Christianity seems hollow, meaningless and boring without a personal 
mission, and you are needed. So don't just listen to secondhand facts about 
the battle
for human souls and for eternities. Do what my boys did. Grab a musket and 
run to the battle in Jesus' name.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. · P.O. Box 400 · Harrison, Arkansas 72602 · 
USA

Digest People of the Day
Nair People
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Nair People
Sep 30, 2014 01:00 am

Today's Devotional

2 Timothy 3:15 ""

Have you considered what it might be like for the thousands of peoples in 
today’s world who do not have the Bible in their own language? Think of the 
help
and comfort you receive daily from God’s Word-to say nothing of the most 
basic instructions and knowledge of life you find in Jesus Christ.

Pray for those who are struggling to make God’s Word clear and 
understandable to the people groups who have never heard about Jesus. Pray 
also that God
will use your prayers, giving, sending, or going to reach these people for 
Christ.

Today's People Group

Rasheesh walked into the Hindu temple and bowed to the statue of the snake. 
He quickly stopped because he felt uncomfortable, but didn’t know why. 
Rasheesh
remembered that he was a Nair, and that his ancestors had always worshipped 
snakes. That thought brought him no comfort. He couldn’t shake the feeling
that there was something evil about snakes.

The Nair live throughout India, mainly in the southwestern state of Kerala. 
The Nair had once been proud soldiers. In 1809 the Nair revolted against 
their
British colonial masters. After that revolt was crushed, the British limited 
the number of Nair who could serve in India’s colonial army. Since that time
the Nair began drifting into nonmilitary professions. Since India’s 
independence in 1947, the Nair could be found in many professions. Most Nair 
are Hindus.
Very few have heard that true life only comes from knowing Jesus Christ.

Pray that God would open the spiritual eyes of the Nair people group. May 
they see that snake worship is demonic. Ask the Lord to break the hold that 
snake
worship and Hinduism have on this people group. Pray that the Nair people 
will listen to gospel radio broadcasts.

Learn more at
Joshua Project.
Copyright © 2014 U.S. Center for World Mission, All rights reserved.

The Dark Cloud

2 Chronicles 6:1 (NCV)
1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in the dark cloud.

Psalm 18:11 (NASB95)
11 He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

Many people, even Christians, go through what they feel like are dark clouds 
sometimes. Trouble seems to come from all sides. WE might feel lonely, 
depressed, in despair, in agony or one of many different feelings. We don’t 
know why we are going through these circumstances and may want to give up 
but we can take comfort that God will be there in our dark clouds. Just 
because we are in a cloud doesn’t necessarily mean that God has left us even 
though we may feel like He has at the time. Jesus himself told those of us 
who belong to Him that He will never forsake us. Take heart, the clouds will 
vanish in God’s time. Until that happens, let God refresh your soul through 
prayer, Bible study and meditation. We need these more in these times in the 
clouds than when we have blue skies.

When we are in the dark cloud we may not know why we are there but, like C. 
H. Spurgeon, we may find out later how this time can be used by God:

Spurgeon once tells of how he was utterly depressed in spirit and soul, 
discouraged, and failing in health. Just before leaving for a recuperation, 
he preached on “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The experience 
was so sad that he wished it would never happen again.
Afterwards, a man come to see him. Spurgeon described him later as “one step 
away from the insane asylum,” his head bulging, his hands nervous and his 
spirit totally depressed. The man told Spurgeon that after hearing his 
sermon, he felt that Spurgeon was the only one who could understand him and 
so he had come. Spurgeon comforted him as best he knew how from his own sad 
experience.
For five years, Spurgeon did not see the man. But “just last night” (he was 
delivering the above lecture to students at the College), “I saw him: it was 
like night and day. He was completely changed.” Spurgeon concluded that he 
was willing to undergo hundreds of such experiences now that he knew God 
permitted it to happen so that he could know and sympathize with people 
under similar predicament.
-taken from Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations

by Dean W. Masters

7 Reasons to Trust God in the Middle of Your Mess
Cindi McMenamin

When life gets messy, it's natural for us to get stressed. Or angry. Or 
bitter. Especially when life takes a turn we didn't expect - a broken 
engagement,
the loss of a spouse, the diagnosis of cancer, the death of a dream.

The unexpected mess has happened in my life many times:

• My daughter's injury in high school cheer that resulted in not one, but 
three ACL repair surgeries in the span of 15 months.
• My husband's resignation of his ministry job to take a much-needed 
sabbatical that resulted in several months of very tight finances and the 
occasional
wondering if God was still there.
• And most recently, aging parents and their health problems and the 
emotional stress that places on an entire family.

But I've learned that most of the time that trouble comes, God wants to 
sharpen us, mold us, and transform us into something greater. He wants us to 
see
a side of himself that we haven't yet seen. And he wants others to see the 
amazing things he can do in our lives when we trust him with the mess. So we
might as well respond the way he desires so we can get out of the mess, 
don't you think?

As I was writing my newest book,
When God Sees Your Tears,
I realized there's lots of reasons to trust God when life takes a turn for 
the worse. The alternative to trust is stress. And stress kills, literally.
So save your health, pass the test, and please God by trusting him in the 
middle of the mess.

Here are seven reasons to trust God with your tears and not stress when 
you're in the middle of the mess:

1. God is more compassionate than you realize.

Psalm 56:8
tells us that God not only sees our tears, he collects them. That means my 
hurt and yours is more precious to him than we can imagine. That kind of 
response
from him means he's trustworthy to work our situation out for our best.

2. Your situation didn't take God by surprise.

Just because it caught you off guard, doesn't mean that God was clueless, 
too.
Psalm 139
tells us that God is familiar with all our ways - where we've been, what 
we're doing now, and where we're going. Before there is a word on our 
tongues,
he knows it completely. So, trust what he already knows. True
faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (
Hebrews 12:1).
So exercise true faith by being assured and convinced that God is in 
absolute control.

3. God is much more capable of managing your life than you are.

We often believe we have the best solutions to our problems. In fact, there 
are times I've found myself suggesting to God what he ought to do in my 
particular
situation. But
Isaiah 55:8-9
assures us that his ways are higher than our ways, meaning his method and 
his timing in how he chooses to do things are so much better than ours. He 
is
God and I am not. And that just might be what he's trying to show you and me 
in the struggle we're struggling to fix. So, plain and simple, give it to
him. He can handle it.

4. God can, at any time, clear up the mess. So wait for his timing and learn 
all he wants you to learn in the moment.

Romans 8:28
assures us that "God causes all things to work together for good to those 
who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." But the 
next
verse tells us how God works things for good in our lives: "For those whom 
he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his 
Son...."
There it is. God wants us to become more like his Son through our struggles. 
So be teachable. Be open to what he wants you to learn. And be moldable. You
- and your heart - might be the one reason God has not yet fixed the 
situation.

5. God is incapable of misunderstanding, mismanagement, or mistakes.

Deuteronomy 32:4
says "his works are perfect, and all his ways are just." That means God 
doesn't get it wrong. Ever. You and I, on the other hand, are fully capable 
of
making an even greater mess of things. Quit your meddling and let him work 
his miracle.

6. God already has the problem solved.

Often we are looking for a certain resolution, before we will consider our 
problem fixed. But God looks to the details of our intentions and our very 
hearts.
It's possible the problem still exists because he's working on something 
inside you right now, and then he'll take care of the exterior situation.

7. A messy situation is one of the primary ways God awakens our need for 
him, grows our dependence on him, shapes our character, and draws us closer 
to
himself.

Life consists of messes. They are not always because you've done something 
wrong. Sometimes they just happen. And often he allows it because he wants 
to
draw us into a deeper dependence on him and show us a new side of himself. 
Those are the things that make our messes meaningful - they draw us closer 
to
our Savior. I love how
James 1:2-3
tells us to "consider it all joy" when we encounter various trials, knowing 
the testing of our faith produces endurance. "And let endurance have its 
perfect
result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (
verse 4).

God can be trusted. And he wants you to know that. Lean into him during this 
time and you will know what it means to "find meaning in the mess."

Cindi McMenamin is a national speaker and award-winning writer who helps 
women find strength for the soul. She is the best-selling author of
When Women Walk Alone
(more than 120,000 copies sold) and a dozen other books including
When a Woman Overcomes Life's Hurts,
and her newest release,
When God Sees Your Tears,
upon which this article is based. For more resources to strengthen your 
soul,
marriage,
and relationships with God and others, see her website:
www.strengthforthesoul.com.

KenBible.com

New Post on KenBible.com - Christ Is Our Feast
----------------------------------------------------------

Christ Is Our Feast

Posted: 28 Sep 2014 09:55 PM PDT

In Matthew 22, Jesus told a story:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast 
for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited 
to
the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again, he sent out other 
slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared
my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and 
everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.â€â€™

“But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another 
to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and 
killed
them. But the king was enraged and he sent his armies and destroyed those 
murderers and set their city on fire.

“Then he said to his slave, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were 
invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as 
you find
there, invite to the wedding feast.’†(vv.1-9, NIV)

Jesus’ story reminds us of what Isaiah had said many centuries before:

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
(Isaiah 55:1-2, NIV)

Jesus Christ is the banquet our Father spreads for all His children.
His life,
His love,
His holiness,
His truth,
His peace,
His Spirit, and
His relationship with the Father
are the nourishment we all need and crave.

Come daily,
hourly,
constantly, and
feast on Him by simple faith.
Don’t look past His provision and
spend yourself chasing what can never satisfy.
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Heaven.

The Lost World

Welcome to the part of God's Word I like to call the Lost World. This is a 
mysterious part of human history involving upwards of perhaps a billion 
people
who lived before the Flood. What was the Antediluvian World like? Why did 
God destroy it? Who lived and served God in that time? And what can we learn
from the world that perished? All this and so much more lies ahead in 
Genesis 4-5.

Why study The Lost World?

Because we can find Christ is our all in all the Bible

What can we New Testament
Christians
find in Genesis 4-5? Most amazingly, Christ in all His glory. The way we see 
these chapters will color all the rest of God's Word. Listen to the 
testimony
of a great Bible student of 150 years ago, J. C. Ryle

"In every part of both Testaments Christ is to be found—dimly and 
indistinctly at the beginning, more clearly and plainly in the middle, fully 
and completely
at the end—but really and substantially everywhere."

Christ's sacrifice and death for sinners, and Christ's kingdom and future 
glory, are the light we must bring to bear on any book of Scripture we read.
Christ's cross and Christ's crown are the clue we must hold fast, if we 
would find our way through Scripture difficulties. Christ is the only key 
that
will unlock many of the dark places of the Word. Some people complain that 
they do not understand the Bible. And the reason is very simple. They do not
use the key. To them the Bible is like the hieroglyphics in Egypt. It is a 
mystery, just because they do not know and employ the key.

It was Christ crucified who was set forth in every Old Testament sacrifice.

Every animal slain and offered on an altar was a practical confession that a 
Saviour was looked for who would die for sinners—a Savior who should take
away man's sin, by suffering, as his Substitute and Sin-bearer, in his stead 
(
1 Peter 3:18).
It is absurd to suppose that an unmeaning slaughter of innocent beasts, 
without a distinct object in view, could please the eternal God!

(1 Peter 3:18).
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, 
to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the 
Spirit."

It was Christ to whom Abel looked when he offered a better sacrifice than 
Cain.

Not only was the heart of Abel better than that of his brother, but he 
showed his knowledge of vicarious sacrifice and his faith in an atonement. 
He offered
the firstlings of his flock, with the blood thereof, and in so doing 
declared his belief that without shedding of blood there is no remission (
Heb. 11:4).

"By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was 
commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith he still speaks, even though he is dead."

To continue reading this message please copy and paste this URL into your 
browser bar:
http://www.dtbm.org/sermon/the-lost-world/

For more from Discover the Book Ministries, please visit
discoverthebook.org

The Lost World

Welcome to the part of God's Word I like to call the Lost World. This is a 
mysterious part of human history involving upwards of perhaps a billion 
people
who lived before the Flood. What was the Antediluvian World like? Why did 
God destroy it? Who lived and served God in that time? And what can we learn
from the world that perished? All this and so much more lies ahead in 
Genesis 4-5.

Why study The Lost World?

Because we can find Christ is our all in all the Bible

What can we New Testament
Christians
find in Genesis 4-5? Most amazingly, Christ in all His glory. The way we see 
these chapters will color all the rest of God's Word. Listen to the 
testimony
of a great Bible student of 150 years ago, J. C. Ryle

"In every part of both Testaments Christ is to be found—dimly and 
indistinctly at the beginning, more clearly and plainly in the middle, fully 
and completely
at the end—but really and substantially everywhere."

Christ's sacrifice and death for sinners, and Christ's kingdom and future 
glory, are the light we must bring to bear on any book of Scripture we read.
Christ's cross and Christ's crown are the clue we must hold fast, if we 
would find our way through Scripture difficulties. Christ is the only key 
that
will unlock many of the dark places of the Word. Some people complain that 
they do not understand the Bible. And the reason is very simple. They do not
use the key. To them the Bible is like the hieroglyphics in Egypt. It is a 
mystery, just because they do not know and employ the key.

It was Christ crucified who was set forth in every Old Testament sacrifice.

Every animal slain and offered on an altar was a practical confession that a 
Saviour was looked for who would die for sinners—a Savior who should take
away man's sin, by suffering, as his Substitute and Sin-bearer, in his stead 
(
1 Peter 3:18).
It is absurd to suppose that an unmeaning slaughter of innocent beasts, 
without a distinct object in view, could please the eternal God!

(1 Peter 3:18).
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, 
to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the 
Spirit."

It was Christ to whom Abel looked when he offered a better sacrifice than 
Cain.

Not only was the heart of Abel better than that of his brother, but he 
showed his knowledge of vicarious sacrifice and his faith in an atonement. 
He offered
the firstlings of his flock, with the blood thereof, and in so doing 
declared his belief that without shedding of blood there is no remission (
Heb. 11:4).

"By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was 
commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith he still speaks, even though he is dead."

To continue reading this message please copy and paste this URL into your 
browser bar:
http://www.dtbm.org/sermon/the-lost-world/

For more from Discover the Book Ministries, please visit
discoverthebook.org
and
click here
to listen to Dr. John Barnett at OnePlace.com.

Featured Sermon
from
LightSource.com
Adrian Rogers
Love Worth Finding

The Woman Who Lived a Sinful Life

Her character: She was a notorious sinner, possibly a prostitute or 
adulteress. Rather than trying to defend what was indefensible in her life, 
she admitted
her sin and made a spectacle of herself in a passionate display of love and 
gratitude.
Her sorrow: That she had offended God so grievously.
Her joy: That Jesus forgave her sins and commended her for her great faith 
and love.
Key Scriptures:
Luke 7:36-50

Her Story

The woman felt as though the world had unraveled in a moment's time. Doors 
had opened, walls had crumbled, thoughts of the future no longer frightened
but thrilled her. She felt clean and whole, innocent as a girl still living 
in her father's house. Her heart was a wild confusion of sorrow and joy as
she followed the rabbi through the doorway.

Ignoring the stares of the men, she walked over to the place where Jesus was 
reclining at a table. In her hands she held an alabaster jar of perfume. Her
body trembled as she approached. She hardly knew what she was doing as she 
covered his feet with her kisses and then anointed them with the precious 
perfume,
wiping his feet with her hair. How else could she express her heart to the 
man who had loved her so well?

Like any good Pharisee, Simon loved the law, measuring his days by the 
steady rhythm of the regulations by which he lived. They were a fence 
safeguarding
his purity, protecting his sense of settled security. How good of the holy 
God to provide a map for the righteous, a way of life to set him apart from
ordinary Jews—like the woman who had just walked through the door, hoping to 
glean a few scraps from his table.

Simon was surprised that a sinful woman, even a hungry one, would enter his 
house. But his surprise grew as he noticed she was not eating but weeping so
profusely that her tears were spilling onto the feet of one of his guests. 
Everything about the scene repelled him, offending his sense of order—a 
notorious
harlot kissing the man's feet, wiping them with her hair, and then pouring 
perfume over them. It was an astonishing performance.

Even more astonishing was the fact that his guest seemed to enjoy the 
attention. "If this man were a prophet," Simon thought, "he would know who 
is touching
him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." All of his 
questions about Jesus were put to rest by the scene he had just witnessed. 
His ordered
way of looking at the world was safe enough, bolstered by the judgment he 
had just made.

As though he had overheard Simon's secret thoughts, Jesus turned and spoke 
to him. "Simon, I have something to tell you.

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred 
denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, 
so
he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I 
came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet
my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a 
kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my 
feet.
You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. 
But
he who has been forgiven little loves little."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even 
forgives sins?"

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Though this woman was a notorious sinner, she recognized her great need for 
grace. Repentance turned her world on its head, opening up an entirely new
view of things. Simon, by contrast, was a religious man who, no doubt, had 
done his best to live a respectable life. His sin was tucked away, hidden 
even
from himself. His habit of judging others had formed a fence around his 
one-dimensional view of the universe, shielding his neat and orderly life 
from
the unpredictable power of grace.

But Simon and the woman both owed a debt they could not possibly repay. 
Though Simon's sin was less obvious, it was the more dangerous. He was like 
a man
who was following a map he was certain would lead to heaven—but when heaven 
came down and walked into his house, he didn't even know it. The woman, on
the other hand, realized just how lost she had been. Forgiven much, she 
loved much. She found heaven at the feet of Jesus.

Her Promise

Let's be honest. Many of us would respond to this sinful woman just as the 
Pharisee did. It's so easy to look more with judgment than love at people 
whose
lives have been devastated by sin. But Jesus looked at her and at Simon and 
saw the same thing: their need for forgiveness. And he gave it freely. We 
don't
know what Simon's response to Jesus was, but the woman's response is evident 
in her tears and kisses.

This story isn't included in Scripture just so we can see the forgiveness 
given to one sinful woman; it's included so we can know that no matter how 
sinful,
how broken, how entrenched in error we might be, forgiveness is available if 
only we seek it in faith—he's promised.

Today's devotional is drawn from
Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture
by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Visit
AnnSpangler.com



Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You

A Word With You
Daily Devotional
Pounding on a Locked Door - #7231

My wife and I were out for a Sunday afternoon drive, and we saw a very 
strange contradiction. There was this church, and there were long stairs 
leading
up to the entrance, and one lone lady at the door. She was trying every door 
to get in that church and they were all locked. She was frustrated. Now, 
what
was the contradiction? Well, the name on the church-Our Lady of Perpetual 
Help. My wife said, "You know, this reminds me of a scene I saw when I was 
in
Haiti." She said, "I was right near a church and there was this very gaunt 
woman, maybe starving to death woman and weeping at the door of this church.
And she looked like she was desperate to get in and every door was locked. 
She literally was beating her fists bloody on the door and there was no 
response."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Pounding 
on a Locked Door."

Our word for today from the Word of God is sobering. It's one of the most 
unsettling passages in the Bible. It's in Luke 13, beginning with verse 23; 
listen
to these words. "Someone asked Jesus, 'Lord, are only a few people going to 
be saved?' And He said to them, 'Make every effort to enter through the 
narrow
door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 
Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand 
outside
knocking and pleading, "Sir, open the door for us." But he will answer, "I 
don't know you or where you come from." Then you will say, "We ate and drank
with you, and you taught in our streets." But he will reply, "I don't know 
you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!" There will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out."

Oh man! This is the door of eternity. People are trying to get into heaven, 
expecting to get into heaven, but it says many will not be able to. Jesus 
will
utter those sobering, chilling words, "I don't know you." They'll end up 
weeping. They'll end up thrown out. This is about real people locked out of 
heaven;
people like our neighbors, our coworkers, like you and me. They're 
surprised! People who have been around Jesus a lot. They know a lot about 
Him, but somehow
they missed Jesus. They missed the personal relationship with Him.

You know, with the current demands of our lives, it's real easy to kind of 
neglect eternity; to postpone God. It's a mistake to just have Jesus in your
head and not have Him in your heart. But each of us has this 
non-cancellable, non-postpone-able appointment with our Creator. The Bible 
says, "It is appointed
to man once to die and after this the judgment." And in that instant when 
God decides we've taken our last breath and our heart has beaten for the 
last
time, there is only one thing that matters. It won't be our religion, won't 
be our titles, not our net worth, our sickness, our references, and not even
our Christian activities. Only one thing will matter, "What did you do with 
my Son, Jesus?"

Get a picture here of the greatest eternal tragedy, being locked out of 
heaven. God doesn't want it that way. He did all He could to remove the sin 
that
keeps people out of heaven. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He said, "Why 
have You forsaken Me, God?" Why did God the Father turn His back on His one
and only Son? Because He was carrying all the guilt and all the hell of my 
sin and yours. Your sin has been paid for so you don't have to. Jesus was 
cut
off from the Father so you don't have to be.

But you do have to take this eternal gift purchased by the blood of God's 
Son. You have to surrender that self-running of your life and tell God 
you're
putting all your trust in Jesus. The Lord will come down and the gate of 
heaven will be wide open for you. Have you ever reached out to Him with 
desperate
hope and faith and said, "Jesus, I'm Yours"? Would you today? We're not 
guaranteed tomorrow. This is the only day we know for sure.

If I can help you with that, I'd just love to have you drop by our website 
where I can explain to you very simply there how to begin this relationship
and know you've got it. It's ANewStory.com.

You have nothing more important nor urgent to do than to be sure you have 
settled things with Jesus, because your forever depends on it. Jesus said 
there
will be many who are like the lady at that church pounding on the door of 
heaven, desperately trying to get in. But it will be too late for them; too 
late
to find Jesus. So, would you open your heart to Him now?
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. · P.O. Box 400 · Harrison, Arkansas 72602 · 
USA

The FAX of Life

Title: Bad Religion

Date: For the Week of September 29, 2014

The bulk of the finest people I have ever known are devoutly religious. But 
some of the meanest people I've ever known are also among the most religious
people I've ever encountered. I struggled for a long time to figure it out.

For example, one lady I grew to fear and avoid could quote more Scripture 
than just about anybody in our church. Little kids had better not touch her,
though, or she would screech at them and make them cry. Her husband was a 
cowering little fellow who hardly ever spoke. I never wondered why.

A preacher whom I recall very distinctly had a withering wit that he turned 
on people to mimic, mock, or otherwise humiliate them. As I think back on
it, the worst thing about that memory is that I sometimes laughed as he did 
it.

If you think I'm making it up that truly devout religious people can be 
mean-spirited and evil, just read the online comments made to stories in the 
New
York Times or your local newspaper that speak positively about evolution or 
homosexuality. The invective is too harsh to reproduce here. Some of the 
comments
even use profanity, assign the "godless evolutionist" to hell, or tell the 
"shameless perverts" that God will damn them at the Final Judgment.

I've read a few of those pieces that made me think the writer would kill 
somebody if he thought he could do it without getting caught. So is it his 
religion
or his fear of the police that keeps him from doing something evil?

Nobody ever read one of those postings and thought the harsh language and 
judgment it contained helped them see Jesus. Understand his mission to the 
lost.
Want to be his follower. Or give her a positive impression of his people.

So I think I've figured out the mystery: Religion can lead people to do 
hateful and wicked things to people, but loving and following Jesus never 
does.

Aren't "religion" and "following Jesus" one and the same thing? Hardly! 
Religion is the system of beliefs and institutional loyalties one embraces, 
while
following Jesus is the conscious imitation of the person one learns about in 
the Gospels. And the only people Jesus ever called names or declared in 
danger
of hell were the most religious people of his time and place. They prayed, 
made pilgrimages, gave money, worshipped with pious looks on their faces, 
and
quoted Scripture. They had no clue about the loving, compassionate nature of 
God.

Defending a pattern or system, proving my church is better than yours, or 
trumping my argument with your counter-argument breeds defensiveness. Makes
tempers flare. Alienates friends. Starts wars. Makes people nasty. Breaks 
God's heart. Following Jesus produces humility and keeps you from being 
mean.

Jesus never called us to be religious. He said, "Follow me."

For back issues and other resources please visit
www.RubelShelly.com

A NORVELL NOTE by Tom Norvell
- http://www.anorvellnote.com


A Norvell Note

Vol. 17 No. 39 September 29, 2014
Lessons Re-Learned From Granddaughters
These lessons are not new. I am pretty sure I, and all people, learned these 
as a child, or maybe they naturally came with us into the world. Like many
other things as we grow older we think we learn better ways of living, or we 
forget the simple lessons Jesus said we must learn from those about whom He
said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, 
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven†(Matthew 18:3, NIV). So, with 
the
most recent visit with my youngest granddaughter, previous visits with my 
oldest granddaughter, watching my son and daughter as they grew, and drawing
from my own life, I have been reminded of these life lessons.
Falling asleep is easier if you know someone is there to take care of you.
My job (a real chore) was to stay with her while her mom and dad were out 
for the morning. My instructions were: “If she wakes up, comfort her, feed 
her
a little, and she’ll go back to sleep.†She woke up. I comforted her. I fed 
her a little. And she began to fall back to sleep. She made a few 
noises…those
special grunts and squeals that babies make when they are half awake and 
half asleep. As I lay beside her on the bed I put my hand on her chest to 
assure
her that she was not alone and that I was near. She would occasionally half 
open her eyes look at me and rub or pat my hand. She did that a few times 
and
settled back in to finish her sleep.
My heart melted. My eyes watered. And I thought, “I’m the same way.†When I 
lay down to rest, for a nap or for the night, it is always good to someone
is there. If not physically it is important to know that emotionally and 
spiritually someone is there. My Papa is there. He is always there. Close to 
me,
assuring me, calming me, comforting me, feeding me, and reminding me that He 
loves me.
He is my Father. I am His child.
As we make our way through life there are a lot of distractions.
She is on the floor in her space with her toys. She looks across the quilt 
and sees a toy that she wants. Bright colorful rings. Her eyes light up. Her
arms wave with excitement. She starts across the quilt. Then, she sees the 
Fox. She loves the fox. She grabs him. Squeezes him. Chews on his ear. Then,
she sees the rattle and heads for it. On the way she raises her head to make 
sure we are still there. She smiles and on she goes. But, then she sees that
I have phone out to take her picture. “I love phones.†She makes an 
immediate left turn and heads for the phone which is the other side of my 
legs. Legs
do not stop her. She pulls up, strains, grunts, and eventually tumbles off 
my legs. As she almost reaches my phone she notices my drink cup with a 
bright
red straw. “Ooooh! I love bright red straws!â€
I do the same thing. I begin my day with a clear direction and detailed 
plan. I get a cup of coffee and prepare for a quiet time in the Word and 
prayer.
Then, comes a phone call, a text, and email, a reminder of something I had 
forgotten. “Oh, I’ve got to do that first.†“Oh! Man! I forgot about that!â€
Somewhat like a pin ball I bounce from one thing to the next. When I reach 
the end of the day I think of one more thing that needs my attention. The 
time
in the Word and in prayer was lost along the way.

Take time to notice everything.
She notices everything. She wants to investigate everything. Her hands. Her 
fingers. Her toes. Her toys. That piece of string on the carpet. The wedding
ring on my finger. The blue band on my wrist. The strings on my shoes. My 
nose. My mustache. Her mom’s face. Her dads beard. The napkin on the table. 
The
bird. The flowers. She wants to touch it, squeeze it, bite it, taste it, 
lick it. She notices everything.
We outgrow this lesson faster than any of the others. Busy schedules. 
Obligations. Deadlines. Commitments. Wants. Needs. Busy-ness. Important 
things. Before
you know it we miss a beautiful sunrise, we ignore a child playing in the 
park, and we miss a special moment with friends and family. As we rush 
through
our day we fail to listen to our spouse, we gobble down a meal, and we walk 
past people without acknowledging their existence. As we reflect on our day
we are reminded of all the things, moments and people that we passed up and 
passed over.
Children can teach us so much, if we will let them…if we will take time to 
notice and watch them. So, here is an assignment for the next week.
First, remind someone that you are there for them, and as you lay down to 
sleep remind yourself that God, you Father, is there to comfort you, feed 
you,
and help you rest.
Second, guard against unhealthy distractions. Stay focused on what is 
important.
Third, notice and enjoy all the people, things, and moments that the Lord 
puts in your path. Slow down. Relax. Rest.

Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2014. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.
The Commission of God

One of the characteristics about God that separates the
Christian faith
from other religions is that our God pursues us. While the world's religions 
devise ways to seek out and appease a higher being,
Christians
know that God is the One who initiated the seeking. God is the One who calls 
us to Him. Since the very beginning of history, God has chosen to commission
His people to testify to His name. Today He is still calling His children to 
share His Gospel with the world.

After His resurrection, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth 
has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 
baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and 
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with 
you
always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Great Commission is not only for preachers, evangelists, and 
missionaries. The Great Commission is for every believer and follower of 
Jesus Christ.
We do not need seminary degrees or a library full of commentaries to tell 
others about Christ. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive
all the qualification we need. His Holy Spirit will guide our words and 
actions. He will equip us to speak with whomever He leads us to, no matter 
how
intimidated or nervous we may feel. He will prepare the way for us; we only 
need to follow obediently.

We all have a role in spreading the Gospel message until the day of His 
return. Yet many of us routinely fail in following through on this 
commandment.
We shy away from it; we forget about it. We procrastinate. We become so 
involved in our earthly concerns and priorities that we neglect the kingdom 
of
God. As we make the Great Commission our top priority, we will discover that 
our concerns and excuses are taken care of: "But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" 
(Matthew 6:33).

Throughout history, God's people have disappointed Him in His commissions. 
In the days of the Old Testament, God gave His children great victories and
blessings to make Himself known to the world. Instead of sharing about God, 
His people became self-focused and kept the message to themselves. Even the
prophet Jonah tried to run away from his responsibility to share God's Word. 
In the days of the early Christian church, God's people would lose their 
enthusiasm
for witnessing. Eventually the center for missionary activity would change 
from one city to another: from Jerusalem to Antioch to Alexandria to Rome. 
Eventually
a missionary movement spread from Rome to England, where it crossed the 
Atlantic Ocean.

And here we stand at a crossroads. What will we continue to do with the 
opportunities God has given us? Will we completely lose our focus and allow 
the
Christian church to drift aimlessly? Will we obey the Great Commission and 
share the Gospel message while we still have the freedom to do so? Or will 
we
allow ourselves to be silenced while countless souls are in danger of 
eternal hell?

Only the Holy Spirit can change someone's heart, but God is calling us to be 
a part of the process. We can make a difference in the eternal lives of 
others.
We can tell our neighbors how Christ changed our lives. We can share with 
our friends why we have peace in the middle of difficult times. We can train
our children in the ways of the Lord. And we can unite together in prayer 
for the souls of nonbelievers. We can pray that we will continue to have the
freedom to openly speak Jesus' name in public. We can pray that we remain 
free to share the full Gospel message, without being confined to a 
politically
correct version. We can pray that God will continue to use His people to 
spread His Gospel to the ends of the world.

Spend time in prayer today examining your priorities. Where does the Great 
Commission fall on that list? Pray daily that God will renew your passion 
for
the souls of nonbelievers. Pray that God prepares the hearts of those around 
you to receive the Gospel message. Pray for the Holy Spirit to provide you
with opportunities for sharing about Christ. Pray that our country's 
freedoms will continue so that we may freely speak the uncompromising Truth 
of the
Gospel.

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have 
a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."--
Philemon 1:6

****

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registering for My Devotional today.

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around the world, to discover the light of Christ as we passionately 
proclaim
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www.leadingtheway.org

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Global Prayer Digest People of the Day
Koli People
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Koli People
Sep 28, 2014 01:00 am

Today's Devotional

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 
rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

What a tremendous promise-thoroughly equipped for every good work! One great 
challenge for those sending a new generation of laborers into the harvest
field is to provide training in how they should present the Word of God so 
that people can understand and accept it. In many cases, that means telling
informal stories like the example we are reading about today.

Pray that the Father will use His Word to equip existing and prospective 
missionaries in proclaiming Jesus to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, tribals, 
and
others without a church of their own.

Today's People Group

The Koli fisherman sat in his boat on the banks of a river in western India. 
The fisherman mended his nets as a Christian missionary watched. “I thought
your God was a carpenter and not a fisherman?†stated the modern day 
fisherman. “That’s true, but many of his good friends were fishermen.†
replied the
missionary. The fisherman fixed his gaze upon the missionary. “So Jesus 
understands people like me?†“Yes he does.†The fisherman set aside the net 
he’d
been mending. “There must be more to life than catching fish and worshipping 
gods who never answer my prayers.†“Yes there is. Let me tell you more about
Jesus and Peter.†The missionary saw the fisherman’s eyes light up. He 
sensed the man was ready to consider following Jesus.

The Koli live in Western India in places like Gujarat State. At 12 million 
strong they are one of the largest people groups in Western India. They 
speak
Gujarati and are almost all Hindus. A few Koli claim to be Christians; but 
they may not be truly saved because they don’t understand the need to be 
spiritually
reborn in Jesus Christ.

Pray that God would break the hold that Hinduism has on the Koli. Ask the 
Lord to burden faithful workers to reach out to this people group with the 
message
of salvation. May the Koli one day come to see the true and living God as 
the One who can save them from their sins.

Learn more at
Joshua Project.
Copyright © 2014 U.S. Center for World Mission, All rights reserved.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Today's Devotional

Worship Blessings

Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (NIV)

I love worshipping God. It's good to come among a group of like-minded 
people and sing together our praises of God. Being with church family week 
after
week gives me the strength, encouragement, and challenges to face whatever 
takes place during the next seven days. Without church, I don't know how I 
could
live. Without worship, I don't think that I would have any faith, hope, or 
love.

Worship to outsiders looks like a dull, religious thing. They don't 
understand the positive power and unique experience that being in God's 
house each
week creates. They think that many worshippers are weak, unintelligent, and 
misguided people. They don't know about the spiritual pull that God gives to
His people to come together to be with Him. It's a mysterious event where 
folks are drawn together by the bidding of the Holy Spirit and brought into 
the
favourable, sacred presence of God. I think that it's a unique experience on 
earth because it is a foretaste of the joys we will know in heaven, when we
finally join with the church triumphant in glorifying God forevermore.

Going to worship on a regular basis does not make us superior Christians, 
but it does build up our faith in Christ and our love of God. Worship helps 
us
to humbly come before God to praise His name, to seek His forgiveness, and 
to look for His guidance. It's a filling station for empty spirits; it's a 
sacred
haven for troubled souls.

When Christ confronted the devil about worship, He plainly and effectively 
stated that worship was meant to be directed toward God only. There is no 
other
object of our worship; there is no other being that we are meant to focus 
upon. When we worship God, we are fulfilling our destiny and our purpose, as
well as the meaning of our lives. We are created to worship God, so we are 
at our most complete when we come to church as believers and worshippers, as
well as pilgrims and disciples seeking and receiving His love.

Questions for personal reflection:

What does worship mean to me? How do I humbly serve God through regular 
worship?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are called to worship Your Father, our Creator, to 
serve His purposes, and to find meaning in His kingdom. Thank You for boldly
confronting the devil by declaring what true worship is. Help us to humbly 
and authentically worship God each day of our lives, as well as with Your 
gathered
people. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart 
traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Thought for Today: Plan ahead: it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark

Welcome to the Illustrator
Today's Bible Verse:

"If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and 
do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the 
light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses 
us from all sin." 1 John 1:6-7

By Answers2Prayer
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Repent, Believe, Be Saved

Pruning may be good for roses and vines and fruit trees, but most people, 
personally, don't like to be pruned.

Not so very long ago I heard of a man who had a lengthy list of illnesses. 
Doctors? He'd seen a million of them. Tests? He'd been poked, prodded, 
pinched
and punctured. Medicines? The bag carrying his cures no longer fit into the 
overhead storage compartment of any major airline. Still, when all was said
and done, the length of his list of maladies hadn't been shortened.

The man had resigned himself to living a life with ailments, until, one day, 
he received wonderful news of a doctor who could cure just about anything.
With high hopes he made an appointment and sat through the examination. Two 
days later, at a return visit, the doctor offered her assessment of his 
condition.

She said, "My friend, you're a sick man."

He knew he was, but it was nice to have someone confirm his complaints.

The doctor continued, "You can get well again if you will follow my advice. 
This is what I want you to do. I want you to lose about 40, no, make that 45
pounds, start a walking program, get eight hours of sleep each night, and 
eat more dark-green vegetables. And ...."

Ahh, here it comes, the man thought to himself, she's going to suggest 
surgery, or prescribe some super pill.

"And ..." the doctor went on: "you can dispose of your pills in the proper 
way. You don't need them. That's it."

After his initial shock, the man stammered and pleaded for some kind of 
potion, some kind of tonic that would make him well.

The doctor stood her ground by saying, "You need a change in your life, not 
in your medicine." She was done with him, but he was not done with her. The
man left the doctor's office and told everyone the doctor was a "quack."

That story, as good as any, explains sinful humankind's relationship with 
the Lord. God is the Doctor and in the blood of Jesus Christ He always has a
cure for the sins which ail us.

In His Holy Word He calls us to a change of life by saying, "Repent, 
believe, be saved." That's what God says, but it's not what humanity wants 
to hear.
We don't like to be told we're sinners; we don't want to be told we need a 
new life and a new heart; we don't want to have anyone suggest it is only 
through
Jesus Christ that we will get into heaven.

We don't like it, but it's true. If we're going to be saved, we need to 
repent, believe, be saved.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, it is a sad thing when sinful humans think they know 
what is best for them. May doubters, detractors and cynics be given eyes 
that
see the sacrifice Jesus made, so they might be well. May they see and then, 
by the Holy Spirit's power, may they repent, believe and be saved. In Jesus'
Name I ask it. Amen.

Pastor Ken Klaus

Lutheran Hour Ministries
All rights reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.

Announcement:

Do you know someone who is not saved? Are you not sure how to approach this 
individual? Why don't you encourage that person to
subscribe to our newsletter
and watch the Lord work on that individual via our newsletter? Doors will be 
opened and you will receive the opportunity to share Jesus with that person.


©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."

Abounding in Thanksgiving in a World of Grumbling
by Mike Pohlman
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and 
built up in him and established in the
faith,
just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7

My family and I just completed our first full week in our new home in Richmond, 
Virginia after leaving Los Angeles to begin my new job. And if I'm honest I 
cannot
say I've been abounding in thanksgiving over the last several days. No. In 
fact, abounding in grumbling may be the more accurate phrase to describe
my disposition of late. I've grumbled about the weather, traffic, leaves, 
the movers and a myriad of other things petty and not-so-petty. None of this
grumbling, however, has been constructive or justified. And, most 
importantly, it's been sinful.

To help combat this steady bombardment of grumbling I corralled our children 
the other night for a family time of thanksgiving. You've probably practiced
this exercise many times as well: go from person-to-person and highlight 
things you're thankful for (it's tough to grumble when you pause to consider 
the many blessings in your life).

It took my nine-year-old Samuel some time to get warmed up, but eventually 
he offered a short list of things he's thankful for, including our new 
church.
Anna was next. What would our seven-year-old daughter express gratitude for? 
Her new neighbor friends across the street and the Bible. Good stuff. 
Finally
it was John's turn. He echoed his big brother on some things and agreed with 
Anna that the neighbors are great, and then with the zeal of most 
six-year-old
boys who love sports, Johnny thanked God for his new basketball hoop out 
front (and proceeded to remind me of how he beat me in 21 over the 
weekend,
21 to 17). As Julia left to put our newborn down for the night, I shared 
with the kids several things I was thankful for. But it wasn't until the 
next
day that I realized the inadequacy of my list.

While I voiced gratitude for God generally, I failed to highlight specific 
attributes of God that, when I consider them, cause me to abound in 
thanksgiving.
Driving to work the next morning I found myself asking, What is it about 
God that I am most grateful for?

The one attribute of God that flooded my heart and mind was His 
providence”the fact that He orchestrates everything in my life for His glory 
and my good.
It's the promise of Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God 
all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his
purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to 
the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many 
brothers.

In his helpful book, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, 
Jerry Bridges applies Romans 8:28 to the sin of ingratitude. He counsels: 
The meaning is that God causes all things to work together for good; for things that 
is, circumstances”do not work together for good themselves. Rather,
God directs the outcome of those circumstances for our good. And what is 
the good God is working? Christlikeness. Indeed, all of our circumstances 
God
uses as a means of our sanctification. I began to abound in thanksgiving as 
I visualized God as the great conductor over my circumstances, using them as
an instrument for my growth in grace.

This Thanksgiving holiday I want me and my family to be bounding in 
thanksgiving. And for this to happen I know being thankful for God in a 
merely general
sense will not suffice. We need to meditate on some particular glories of 
our great God not least of which is His sweet providence over our lives. For
this I am most grateful.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Take a moment this Thanksgiving and ask yourself, 
What specific attribute of God am I grateful for? Perhaps you'l recall
His love or mercy or grace or forgiveness or patience or wrath or 
providence. Challenge your mind to meditate on, and prayerfully consider, 
some particular
glory of God as a means of abounding in thanksgiving

Featured Sermon
from
LightSource.com
Apostle Frederick K. C. Price

KenBible.com

New Post on KenBible.com - Hindered by Unbelief
----------------------------------------------------------

Hindered by Unbelief

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 09:55 PM PDT

[Jesus] came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so 
that they were astonished, and said, Where did this man get this wisdom and
these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son?And He did not do 
many miracles there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:54-55, 58, NASB)

Jesus, how often have You longed to do wonderful things among us,
but You were not able because of our unbelief?

How often have we, Your own people,
hindered You by our lack of faith?

Lord, what wonderful works would You do in my life
if I were only willing to trust You more simply and constantly,
in the face of each concern?

Jesus, You are my Lord.
You are Messiah.
You are Mighty God.
You are my Savior,
my Redeemer,
my Holiness,
my Rock,
my Life.

Help me to trust You step-by-step.
Work Your beautiful, loving, perfect will in me.

The little kindnesses and self-denials of Christian living!

(Henrietta Wilson, "Little things" 1852)

"Be kind and compassionate to one another" Ephesians 4:32

Look around you, first in your own family, then among your friends and 
neighbors, and see whether there is not someone you can show kindness 
to--someone
. . .
whose little burden you can lighten,
whose little cares you may lessen,
whose little pleasures you can promote,
whose little wants and wishes you can gratify.

Cheerfully giving up our own pleasures to minister to others, is one of the 
little kindnesses and self-denials of Christian living. Doing little things
that nobody likes to do, but which must be done by someone, is another.

It may seem to many, that if they avoid little unkindnesses, they must 
necessarily be doing all that is required. But it is not enough to abstain 
from
sharp words, sneering tones, petty contradictions, or daily little 
irritations. We must be active and earnest in kindness--not merely passive 
and inoffensive.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves 
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And over all
these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." 
Colossians 3:12, 14

~ ~ ~ ~

We have published Thomas Bradbury's comforting article, "
Comfort My People".

~ ~ ~ ~
Feel free to forward these gems to others who may be encouraged or profited 
by them!
www.gracegems.org


Is Your Soul Healthy?
by Sarah Phillips

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness 
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness… 
For this
very reason, make every effort to add to your
faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to 
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to 
godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess 
these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being 
ineffective
and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:3-8)

When I first became a believer, I was like the woman with the alabaster jar 
(
Matthew 26:7).
I loved much because I had been forgiven much. But as the years slipped by 
something happened in my life that happens to many believers: my 
gratefulness
towards God’s mercy transformed into frustration at my lingering sinful 
nature. I understood why I failed so greatly before knowing Christ, but it 
was
difficult to accept my failings when I felt I should know better.

It's easy to beat yourself up, even run from God, when you fall. Out of 
frustration and shame, I have begged God to rid me of my sinful tendencies. 
Of
course, God didn't instantly heal me with a lightning bolt, but answered me 
with a different kind of grace. The answer to my
prayer
came in the form of a Sunday school lesson on "holy habits," more 
traditionally known as virtues.

Practicing virtue is a lot like lifting weights – it's exercise that builds 
health in your soul. There are many virtues, but as we learned in class that
day, the foundation of all virtues can be found in the four natural virtues 
or cardinal virtues. These were first articulated by Plato but hardly belong
to Plato. They are part of what theologians call “natural law†– God’s 
design for humanity woven into our beings since the beginning of creation. 
When
a person cultivates these virtues in his or her life, they are cooperating 
with the Creator’s design for the human soul.

It's important to note here that pursuing a virtuous life is not the same as 
trying to earn salvation. Our salvation is a gift that flows from God’s 
grace.
But in our Christian journey, it's important to do our part to improve our 
character so that we can grow in character and more accurately reflect 
Christ's
goodness to the world. Now let's take a closer look at each cardinal virtue:

1. Wisdom: For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire 
cannot compare with her.
(Proverbs 8:11).
You’ve probably known people with book smarts who lack common sense. Or 
perhaps you know someone with street smarts who lacks knowledge. A person 
who has
cultivated the virtue of wisdom can not only discern truth but has the 
ability to implement their insights appropriately in any given situation. 
According
to scripture, characteristics of wise people include those who prepare 
properly for hard times (
Proverbs 21:20),
those who humbly heed instruction and correction (
Proverbs 8:9),
those who hold their tongues from saying foolish things (
Proverbs 10:19),
and those who fear the Lord (
Proverbs 14:16-35).
Because wisdom allows us to discern right from wrong, this virtue sets us up 
to practice all other virtues.

2. Justice: Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed
(Isaiah 1:17).
Most of us have some sense of justice from a very early age when we yell, 
"It's not fair!" A just or righteous person gives to others what is 
deserved,
keeps his word, and acts fairly even when no one is looking. According to 
scripture, a just person favors the innocent over the wicked (
Proverbs 18:5),
never accepts bribes (
Proverbs 17:23),
aids the poor, fatherless, and widows (
Proverbs 29:7,
Isaiah 1:17),
and experiences joy (
Proverbs 21:15).

3. Courage: In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence
(Proverbs 14:26).
While most of us associate courage with lack of fear, courage has more to do 
with fear put in proper perspective. A courageous person chooses right even
when a decision is frightening or comes with personal cost. Among many 
traits, the courageous person exalts Christ (
Philippians 1:20),
holds on to God’s promises (
Acts 27:25),
and gives an effective witness for Christ (
Acts 4:13).
A person can not exercise any virtue for long without courage because sin 
often appears easier or more attractive than virtue.

4. Temperance: Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks 
self-control
(Proverbs 25:28).
Temperance is an old-fashioned word for moderation. A temperate person 
exercises self-control, building a wall against unhealthy, sinful extremes. 
Among
many qualities, scripture tells us that a temperate person does not gossip (
1 Timothy 3:11),
does not vent anger (
Proverbs 29:11)
is respectable and able to take on leadership roles (
1 Timothy 3:2),
and is sexually pure (
1 Thessalonians 4:2-5).

So, are any of these virtues lacking in your life? I can see some areas 
where I am still weak. Thankfully, with God’s grace and a few good 
decisions, we
can grow in our effectiveness and productiveness for Christ.

Identify which cardinal virtue you struggle most with. Ask God for the grace 
to grow and make one positive change in your behavior this week that will
help you develop this "holy habit."

Further Reading:

Matthew 25:23

A Vision of Heaven
Friday, September 26, 2014

“He showed me a river of the water of life…On either side of the river was 
the tree of life…and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the 
nations.
There will no longer be any curse…the Lord God will illumine them; and they 
will reign forever and ever.†– Revelation 22:1-5 NASB
Believers who seek to witness to Muslims can find the barriers almost 
impenetrable. But one young Believer, living in Malawi, on the southeast 
coast of
Africa, found strong interest from a Muslim who was curious about 
Christianity and bold enough to ask questions.
He had been taught that paradise was a place dominated by wine and earthly 
pleasures. But this made no sense to him. As he talked with his Christian 
friend,
he found the truth in the Bible’s picture of Heaven. As a result, he 
surrendered his life to Christ.
These are the kinds of opportunities that the Holy Spirit can give to 
Believers. For our faith is not based on theories or ideas but a real, 
life-changing
relationship with God Himself. For we can know the truth and study the 
Bible. Believers are equipped not just with a picture of Heaven but actually 
can
know God in a personal way.
As this young Muslim discovered, the Bible presents real insights into God’s 
nature. We see Him not as a tyrant but a loving Father. And, in Revelation,
we see clearly His purposes for creation. How He desires to end sickness and 
the curse. We see God in all His glory, how He will “illumine†us with His
presence. And we will reign with Him forever.
For Believers, these words are central to our relationship with God. And we 
have opportunities to share the Gospel and these truths with people in our
personal lives. We can talk about God’s love and His desire that we know Him 
and experience the fullness of His blessings.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, thank You for loving me. I look forward to spending eternity with 
You. I praise and worship You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Further Reading: Revelation 22
Inspiration Ministries
3000 World Reach Drive, Indian Land, SC 29707
+1 803-578-1899 US | 0845 683-0580 UK
www.inspiration.org

Mission Possible

Mission Possible is a book by Hans Christian which gives an account of his 
Christian missions into Russia and western European countries. He smuggled 
bibles into these countries and there is one account of him smuggling a 
family out of a country where several miracles occurred.

There is one chapter that tells of his life during his teen years. His 
family was living in Germany and had gone to church since he was born. A new 
church opened up so he and a friend decided to go to it one Sunday. It was 
so different from what he was used to. the minister at the new church used 
more Scripture in that one sermon than his usual minister used all year.

After the service, Hans shook the preacher's hand. The preacher asked him, 
Have you been saved?†Hans said, I was baptized when I was a baby and 
later confirmed.†the preacher said, Yes, but have you been saved?

A few days later a friend of Hans met him on the street and Hans noticed 
something different about the guy. Hans asked, What's going on? You look 
different.the boy said, I've been saved!Hans realized that he didn't 
have what that friend had. He realized that being baptized when an infant 
and being confirmed doesn't cut it. He wanted what his friend had so he gave 
his life to Jesus Christ.

After that happened, he started telling everybody he met about Jesus Christ. 
He did this for a long time but realized that no one was giving their life 
to Jesus because of his witnessing. One night when he said his prayers, he 
knelt by his bed as usual and started praying out loud. He started crying 
out to God saying, Lord, what is wrong? Why aren't people turning to You? 
What am I doing wrong? He was weeping as he prayed. then he prayed, Lord 
fill me with your Holy Spirit.The next time he opened his mouth to pray a 
language he did not know came out of his mouth. He wondered what was 
happening. He stopped and when he started again the same language came out 
of his mouth. He was speaking in tongues as the believers did on the day of 
Pentecost. It was a sign that he had been filled with the Holy Spirit.

The main way he knew he had been filled with the Holy Spirit came the next 
day. There was a man he would meet every day. He would talk to him about 
Jesus every time he saw him with no results. That day he asked the man if he 
knew Jesus. The man came under conviction at that moment! More people 
started giving their lives to Jesus Christ as he talked to them after that.

This didn't just happen to him but to everyone in his youth group. It 
happened so much that the group was outgrowing their building!

Wouldn't it be great if we could fill our churches with people who have 
truly given their lives to Jesus Christ? We cannot do it by ourselves. See 
what Jesus said to the disciples in Luke 24:

45 Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, 46 and 
said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved the Christ to suffer, 
and to rise from among the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance and 
remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations 
beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And 
behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but do ye remain in the 
city till ye be clothed with power from on high.

They went to Jerusalem and prayed every day until the following happened on 
the day of Pentecost as seen in Acts 2:

1 And when the day of Pentecost was now accomplishing, they were all 
together in one place. 2 And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of 
a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were 
sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat 
upon each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and 
began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.

What happened on that day after they were filled with the Holy Spirit? they 
were endued with power. the Greek word for this type of power is dynamos 
which is where we get our word dynamite It is the most powerful force in 
the universe and because of this power 3000 gave their life to Jesus Christ!

If you have given your life to Jesus Christ then you are to obey ALL his 
commandments. the last commandment he gave was to go and make disciples! 
That means anywhere you go, as you go, make disciples! you cannot do it by 
yourself, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit and the power He gives for 
people to come under conviction. If you go in your own power, you will be 
like Hans before he was filled - not bringing anyone to Jesus Christ even 
though he was talking to everyone about Jesus.

by Dean W. Masters

My Callused Heart Needs Softening
GLYNNIS WHITWER

"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, 
God, will not despise."
Psalm 51:17
(NIV)

My daughter Cathrine held out her hands, palms up, for her brother to see. 
"Look, I have bumps on my hands ... what are they from?"

Robbie ran his fingers over her palms and answered with the authority of an 
older brother, "These are calluses, you got them from lifting weights at 
school.
Look at mine."

He turned his hands over, and she ran her fingers over his palms and 
grinned.

My children's hands are a resume of their work in the gym. Calluses formed 
to protect their tender skin from harm as they lift weights.

I sat at the table, watching the interaction, and then looked at my hands. 
Smooth palms and short nails revealed my hardest workouts came at the 
keyboard,
not the gym. But a thought skirted in and around my mind: Where else might 
calluses have formed?

Turning back to my computer, my eyes stared out the window and my fingers 
stilled on the keys as an image came to mind. My heart ... covered in 
calluses.

I closed my eyes and sighed. That explained a lot. My heart is harder than 
it used to be. And sadly, much harder than I'd like it to be.

It's easy to see how I've gotten here. Each time I've been hurt, my approach 
to dealing with pain has been stoic. The warrior-like determination inside
me to protect myself had affected the softness of my heart. With each 
offense, each lie, each rejection, I made a silent declaration to not be 
hurt like
that again.

I thought I'd handled things well because I hold no grudges. I'm desperately 
aware of my own sin and hold no accounts for offenses. But that image of a
callused heart revealed the truth that I haven't handled offenses as well as 
I thought.

It's hard dealing with people. We're all sinful and make choices that hurt 
others. But for me, over time suspicion replaced trust, and hyper-vigilance
replaced peace. My empathy was diminished, which is a very dangerous 
heart-position for someone whom God has called to love others.

I'm convinced these calluses aren't supposed to stay there. A callused heart 
may protect me from great pain, but it also keeps me from great love. To 
love
deeply, to love like Jesus, requires risk. I'll be honest, that vulnerable 
position makes me want to wrap a few more layers around my tender heart, and
vow beyond all measure to protect myself.

This makes me ask a question I really don't like to ask. At all. Am I 
willing to risk being hurt to obey the call to love?

King David, God's warrior, spoke of this decision as a "sacrifice." David 
was betrayed by those he loved and trusted. He had every right to seek 
revenge.
And yet Psalm 51 speaks of David's desire for a pure heart and to tell 
others about God. In verse 17 he says, "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken 
spirit;
a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."

Rather than choosing to protect his heart with pride, David chose brokenness 
and humility. He took his pain to God rather than move on like nothing 
happened.
It's from this place of humility that God met David and cared for his broken 
heart. With God's care, it mended in a healthy way, free from calluses.

There are some people I can't trust. But that doesn't apply to everyone. 
Rather, most are good folks who make an occasional mistake. They are the 
ones
who need my softened heart.

So here's my commitment. Rather than bandage my own wounds and act like I'm 
not hurt, I'm taking every offense to my Heavenly Father. Every day I'm 
praying,
Lord, heal and soften my heart so I can love like You.

Lord, You alone know the many ways people have hurt me. And You see the 
hardened places in my heart that affect how I love others. I'm asking You to 
break
my heart in a good way, Lord. Be my protection from the rough rubbing of the 
world, so I can be Your hands and feet to a world in need of Your love. In
Jesus' Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Ezekiel 36:26,
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from 
you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (NIV)

Psalm 51:10,
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." 
(NIV)


Daily Christian Quote
If you want to become brilliant in prayer, you have to become really good in 
conversation with people. You have to care about people. You have to chat
to people. You have to connect with people in the messy place where their 
life is. And it's in those times when you give yourself to those 
conversations that compassion can rise up and take hold of you, 
and your compassion will carry you into intercession properly for someone.
Graham Cooke

Christians are like snow covered dung!
(Martin Luther)

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool!"
 Isaiah 1:18

Christians are like snow covered dung; it is the purity of the covering 
which the Father sees!

"On that day a fountain will be opened--to cleanse them from all their sins 
and defilement!" Zechariah 13:1

"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!" 1 John 1:7

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might 
become the righteousness of God!" 2 Corinthians 5:21

"You are absolutely beautiful, My beloved! There is no spot in you!"
 Song of Solomon 4:7

"They are without fault before the throne of God!" Revelation 14:5

"Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him--and pardon me!"
Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

November 14, 2014

Crucible of Crises
by Charles R. Swindoll
God's Word is filled with examples of those who believed God and "commenced prayer." David certainly did. "I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm" (Ps. 40:1-2).

Paul and Silas experienced the same thing in that ancient Philippian prison when all seemed hopeless (Acts 16:25-26). And it was from the deep that Jonah cried for help. Choking on salt water and engulfed by the Mediterranean currents, the prodigal prophet called out his distress:

"Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, 'I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; Thou didst hear my voice. . . . All Thy breakers and billows passed over me. . . . But Thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God'" (Jonah 2:1-6).

Often it is the crucible of crisis that energizes our faith. Think it over.

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
Share with a Friend
© 2014 Insight for Living. All rights reserved worldwide.

6 Ways to Benefit from Reading Genealogies

Most Christians inwardly, if not outwardly, groan when they arrive at a 
genealogy in their Bible reading. This is a shame. The genealogies are 
wonderful
and I love studying (not just reading) and preaching them. They are 
compressed histories of God’s faithful and loving dealings with his 
children, and,
of his war against Satan. The genealogies in Scripture are so important that 
it may rightly be said that we cannot fully see the glory of the 
metanarrative
(i.e. the storyline) of the Bible without them. Here are six tips for 
reading genealogies that I think will benefit the diligent reader:

1. Read Them

Do not simply pass them by. It make take several days to carefully work 
your way through a particular genealogy in Scripture, but with good cross 
references,
a concordance or online Bible, you will be able to make connections and 
learn vital lessons you never did before. For example: the genealogy of 
Exodus
6:14-25 will show us that Korah who led the rebellion against Moses in 
Numbers 16 was actually Moses’ cousin. How is that for a family dynamic?

A similarly important connection lies in the relationship between Ahithophel 
(David's betrayer who hung himself, like Judas, after his conspiracy found
him out - see 2 Sam. 16:23-17:23) and Bathsheba and Uriah. If you read the 
list of David's mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:8-29, you will find a short 
genealogy
at the end of the chapter. We are told that Ahithophel was the father of 
Eliam, who was, in turn, one of David's mighty men. We are also told that 
Uriah
was one of David's mighty men along with Eliam (2 Sam. 23:39). Prior to 
this, In 2 Sam. 11:3, we read, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of 
Eliam, the
wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, one of 
David's mighty men. Uriah was one of David's mighty men. Ahithophel was 
Bathsheba's
grandfather and Uriah's father-in-law. How easily now we see the pieces fall 
into place in order to explain the revenge that Ahithophel sought by 
conspiring
against David with Absolam for the way in which David had murdered his 
son-in-law and torn apart his granddaughter's marriage.

2. Pay Attention to Every Word

Some details may pass us by in reading, but there are no wasted words in 
Scripture. Ex 6:15 “The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, 
and
Shaul, the son of a Canaanite womanâ€. This insertion of Shaul’s lineage is 
unique in the context and theologically important. Does it point to Simeon’s
unfaithfulness to the covenant standard (Genesis 26:34-35) which would later 
be codified in the Mosaic law (Exodus 34:15-16 & Deuteronomy 7:3). Or does
the nameless Canaanite woman fit the mould of the Tamar/Rahab characters in 
Matthew’s genealogy of the Christ? After all they named their child Shaul –
that is “asked of†or “prayer’s answerâ€.

3. Pay Attention to Every Missing Word

Most (not all) genealogies contain some details of ages and time. Two 
genealogies which contrast each other are those of Cain (the line of Satan) 
and of
Noah (line of Christ). Read them both in Genesis 4 and 5 and spot the 
differences, then ask yourself why have these differences been recorded?

4. Consider How They Remind Us of Life and Death

They point us to the cultural mandate “be fruitful and multiply†(Gen 1:28) 
in the midst of a sin-wracked world. Life is given by God, even as he 
commanded
it. Death is also such a reality – the words “and he died†which appear in 
Noah’s genealogy (Genesis 5) remind us that this age is not our ultimate 
destiny,

5. Consider How They Present to Us to Two Seeds

In the garden God set in opposition the seed of the woman - Christ – and 
the seed of the serpent – Satan. These are profoundly evident as you read 
genealogies.
Exodus 6 reminds us of this as we witness, Korah, Nadab and Abihu all of 
whom the Lord destroyed, in the same line as Moses, Aaron and Phinehas (the 
good
one of Numbers 25 and other places). Genealogies come to their zenith in the 
gospels of Matthew & Luke where we find the true seed – Jesus Christ. 
Tracing
his lineage is a remarkable exercise of God’s faithfulness.

6. Consider How They Present to Us a Faithful, Promise-Fulfilling, Covenant 
Keeping God

They present to us a line of sinners, saved by grace–all the way to the 
great genealogies of Christ in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. As we are presented 
with rotten,
sinful, deceitful, adulterous men and women in the genealogies, we are 
reminded that covenant status does not save, faith alone in the Christ does. 
In
this way, we learn to treasure God’s faithfulness to us and our children 
after us.

Additionally, we observe this faithfulness when God condemns wickedness in 
the covenant line. Korah, swallowed up by the earthquake of judgment 
produced
three sons who gave birth to the sons of Korah. These men (i.e. the Sons of 
Korah) were responsible not only for the care of the Tabernacle, but also 
the
penning of many beautiful and inspired Psalms. Genealogies can serve as 
valuable sources of assurance to the doubting Christian--they help build our 
faith
in the gracious and all-sufficient Christ.

We get out of genealogies from what time we are willing to put in. If we are 
prepared to spend the time, do the work and be guided by the Spirit, we will
be presented with potted-histories of God’s kindness to man. So we mush read 
the genealogies of Scripture and study them. They, like every other part of
Scripture, are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction 
in righteousness, that you may be made perfect, equipped for every good work
(2 Timothy 3:16).

Related Resources

R.C. Sproul "
Tracing the Genealogy of Jesus"
(Tabletalk Devotional)

T. Desmond Alexander "
The Royal Genealogy of Jesus"
(Tabletalk Article)

Welcome to the Illustrator
Today's Bible Verse:

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

By Answers2Prayer
Keep Your Eyes On The Instruments

From 1967 to 1970, we lived in Vienna, Austria, and we had a minister friend 
who travelled to many countries in Europe to bring the gospel to different
people, mostly behind the then Iron Curtain.

On one such trip, on his way home, waiting in an airport lounge, he saw the 
pilot and the crew heading to the plane that he was going to travel on. He
noticed that the captain was Herb, a neighbour who lived in the same 
apartment building, so he called out to him. Herb asked him to come to the 
cockpit
once they were airborne, and he would show him what was happening in the 
front of the airplane.

When he got there, Herb asked him to sit down, and they talked for a while, 
flying along peacefully. However, in the distance, there were some dark 
clouds,
and the plane was heading straight for them. Suddenly, they were in them, 
and it became dark. Rain hit the airplane, and there was a lot of 
turbulence.
The plane was tossed around, and they could not see where they were going. 
My friend was worried, but Herb and his co-pilot just sat there, apparently
without a worry in the world.

My friend asked him if there was not something he should be doing. "No," he 
said. "Just keep your eyes on the instruments."

When we are caught up in one of the storms of life, when the winds of 
disaster blow, when things appear so dark that we think we are going to 
perish, then
we should keep our eyes on God's guiding instrument: His Word. The Bible is 
the instrument which can keep us going in the right direction every day.

Romans 10:11,13 "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not 
be put to shame." For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be 
saved.'"
(NKJV)

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." 
(NKJV)

These are just a couple of quotations from Scripture, verses which sum up 
the truths of faith in Christ. When we read the Bible, we will find words 
like
these on many occasions, words which guide us in our journey of life, 
passages which are the instruments which guide us in our lives every day. 
And then,
even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no 
evil. Yes indeed, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 
times
of trouble.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we pray that You would be with us in times of 
trouble. We ask that You would give us comfort from Your Word. We know that
Your Word is the instrument which is designed to guide us through our lives, 
every day. We thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Joel Jongkind
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
Thanks to
PresbyCan Daily Devotional

Announcement:

Great news! Answers2Prayer has a webpage offering 68 Online Bibles available 
in different languages.
Please visit us.

If you know of an online Bible in a language that we do not yet have 
available, please let us know by
sending an e-mail.
Thank you my friends.

©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."

 Daily

No “ifsâ€

Mark 9:23

A certain man had a deeply troubled son who was afflicted with a spirit that 
struck him dumb. The father, having seen the futility of the attempts of the
disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ. Therefore, 
when he was invited to bring his son to Him, he said to Jesus, "If You can 
do
anything, have compassion on us and help us." Now there was an "if" in the 
question, but the poor trembling father had put the "if" in the wrong place.
Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the "if," kindly 
puts it in its legitimate position. "Actually, " He seemed to say, "there 
should
be no 'if' about My power, nor concerning My willingness; the 'if' lies 
somewhere else. If you can believe, 'all things are possible for one who 
believes.'"

The man's trust was strengthened; he offered a humble prayer for an increase 
of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out,
with an injunction never to return. There is a lesson here that we need to 
learn. We, like this man, often see that there is an "if" somewhere, but we
are continually blundering by putting it in the wrong place. "If Jesus can 
help me"; "if He can give me grace to overcome temptation"; "if He can grant
me pardon"; "if He can make me successful." No; if you can believe, He both 
can and will. You have misplaced your "if." If you can confidently trust, 
even
as all things are possible to Christ, so will all things be possible to you. 
Faith stands in God's power and is robed in God's majesty; it wears the 
royal
apparel and rides on the King's horse, for it is the grace that the King 
delights to honor. Girding itself with the glorious might of the all-working 
Spirit,
it becomes, in the omnipotence of God, mighty to do, to dare, and to suffer. 
All things, without limit, are possible to one who believes. My soul, can
you believe your Lord tonight?

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Ezekiel 26

verse 2 Psalms 74

Click here to learn more about
Truth For Life

From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. 
Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News 
Publishers,

MEN TURN TO MAKEUP FOR SUCCESS

Cho Won-hyuk stands in front of his bedroom mirror and spreads dollops of 
yellow-brown makeup over his forehead, nose, chin and cheeks until his skin 
is
flawless. Then he goes to work with a black pencil, highlighting his 
eyebrows until they âre thicker and bolder.

Having a clean, neat face makes you look sophisticated and creates an image 
that you can handle yourself well,says the 24-year-old college student.
Your appearance matters, so when I wear makeup on special occasions, it 
makes me more confident.

He carries a multicolored cosmetics pouch so he can touch up in public 
bathrooms throughout the day.

Won-hyuk's meticulous efforts to paint the perfect face are not unusual in 
South Korea. This socially conservative, male-dominated country, with a 
mandatory
two-year military conscription for men, has become the male makeup capital 
of the world.

The metamorphosis of South Korean men from macho to makeup over the last 
decade or so can be partly explained by fierce competition for jobs, 
advancement
and romance in a society where, as a popular catchphrase puts it, 
appearance is power. Women also have a growing expectation that men will 
take the time
and effort to pamper their skin.

Amorepacific Corporation offers 17 men's brands, with dozens of products to 
choose from, and operates two Manstudio stores in Seoul that are devoted to
men's skincare and makeup.

In this society, people's first impressions are very important. A man's 
skin is a big part of that impression, so I take care of my skin,says Kim 
Deuk-ryong,
a 20-year-old student.

Source: Yomiuri News

When we see how those who do not know Christ is striving to smooth away 
wrinkles in their faces, we who follow Christ knows that there is far more 
than
meets the eye!

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory

that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal

(2 Cor. 4:16-18, NIV).

The things we see today are gone tomorrow. It is only what we cannot see 
with our naked eyes that will last forever.

David Verwey

JAPAN MISSION

7-40 Monzen Cho, Ikoma City, Nara Ken, Japan 630-0266

Tel: (+81)743 73 1754; Fax: (+81)743 73 1681

E-mail: jm@japanmission.org

Website: http://www.japanmission.org/

NEWS Please select the following link to read the Japan Mission Bi-monthly 
News Bulletin:
http://www.japanmission.org/prayer-praise/

Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

3634 cdd Amy Got It
Wednesday September 24, 2014
Volume 15 Number 198

Today's Author: Pastor Bill

Christian Cyber Ministries participant D. S. - M. Hamilton, New Jersey 
contributed financially in support of today's cdd. Thank you - PTL! pb

Scripture: Revelation 2:4b
"You have left the love you had in the beginning" NCV

Arguably one of the most innocent moments in life is when a baby 
spontaneously reacts in a situation that brings joy and happiness. Amy was 
only a few
months old when her mom laid her down to sleep one night. That was when the 
mobile overhead took on a whole new meaning.

Amy began clapping her hands --- it was the first time she related an event 
with the joy of clapping her hands. With a huge smile on her face she 
clapped,
giggled and smiled. An adorable baby moment.

When Amy woke up the next day the clapping and joy continued. Amy saw mom 
and clapped and clapped and clapped again with a big smile and a giggle. Mom
placed Amy on the changing table and once again spontaneous clapping.

Today was a planned adventure for mom, dad, brother and Amy. They were going 
to the sea shore. The drive was full of clapping from Amy at each new event
in her life. She finally fell asleep and when the family arrived at the 
shore Amy was wide awake taking in the sites.

The entire family set up the umbrella, blankets, cooler and toys in a 
convenient spot. Then they propped Amy up in her car seat so she could view 
the waves
as they rolled in. Each wave was a new event and Amy was up to the task 
welcoming each roller as she clapped, and clapped and clapped. Amy didn't 
give
up and kept clapping for every new wave.

A concerned neighbor on the beach was observing from a chair not far away. 
After, what the concerned neighbor considered a long time of clapping, she 
walked
over addressing mom and dad. "Excuse me for my inquiry but I'm getting 
concerned about the amount of clapping this adorable little child is doing. 
Are
you concerned?"

Mom was quick to answer, "Thank you for your concerns, we don't worry about 
her clapping so much --- we only worry that someday she'll stop."

Perhaps you've noticed today that too many people have stopped applauding. 
We've stopped clapping! We have stopped celebrating God's gifts, 
creativeness
and Love!

Amy got it! Her exuberance for each new event generated by God's love for us 
was spectacular. While way too many of us have become complacent and 
skittish
about what the neighbors think when it comes to our enthusiasm for the Lord 
Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father help me never become complacent, skittish or embarrassed in 
showing my appreciation, love and admiration for what Jesus did for me. In 
the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Pastor Bill Team Prayer:

Father please bring 1............. 2............. 3.............. into your 
kingdom.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Copyright (c) 2014

Pastor Bill Christian Cyber Ministries

All Rights Reserved

The Ministries of Francis Frangipane

Love: God's Preservative
by Francis Frangipane
There will be a time when each of us will stand before Jesus Christ, and He 
will open a door called "reality past." There we shall gaze into the days of
our earthly existence. Jesus will not only commend our lives in a general 
way, but He will point to specific things we did. Rejoicing together with 
us,
He will say, "Well done!" Perhaps there was a special act of kindness that 
turned a bitter person back toward God, or perhaps you overcame your fears 
and
led a person to Christ whom God then used to win thousands.

In the Latin translation of the Bible, the phrase "well done" is rendered 
"Bravo!" How would you like Jesus to say that to you? Imagine Him with His 
arm
around your shoulder, saying, "Bravo! You were just an average person, but 
you trusted Me; you learned to love without fear. Look how many hearts we 
touched
together!" To be so pleasing to Christ that He rejoices over the life we 
give Him should be our highest goal.

Love in the Midst of Pressure
Yet it is here, in a world filled with evils, devil-possessed people, and 
conflicts of all sorts, that we must find the life of Christ. In fact, Jesus
warned about the Great Tribulation; one meaning of the word tribulation is 
"pressure." Even today, is not stress and pressure increasing on people? In
spite of these tensions God has called us to love extravagantly. If we do 
not counteract the stress of this age with love, we will crumble beneath the
weight of offenses.

Have you ever seen a supermarket shopping cart full of bent food cans? Most 
have lost their labels. You can buy a half dozen for a dollar or two. Often
what has happened is that the atmospheric pressure outside the can was 
greater then the pressure inside and the can collapsed. It could not 
withstand the
pressure.

Similarly, we must have an aggressive force pushing from the inside out that 
is equal to the pressures trying to crumble us from the outside. We need the
pressure of God's love pouring out through us, neutralizing the pressures of 
hatred and bitterness in the world.

Love is God's preservative. It surrounds our souls with a power greater than 
the power of the devil and the world around us. It keeps us balanced. It 
insulates
us against the hostility that exists in our world. Love is the shelter of 
the Most High; it is the substance of God's stronghold.

Lord, forgive me for looking for some other means of protection besides Your 
love. Truly, pressures have increased on my life; stress multiplies daily
in my world. Lord, grant me the eternal equalizer: love. Grant that I would 
walk in such surrender to You that the power of Your love would unceasingly
emanate from my soul. Amen.

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The preceding excerpt is adapted from the book
The Shelter of the Most High
by Pastor Frangipane. This book with associated audio resources are 
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A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2014
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Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were taken from the
NASB.


Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You
A Word With You
Daily Devotional
Be Careful, It's a Permanent Marker - #7227

It was time for the annual Prayer and Planning Retreat for our ministry 
team. And someone offered their large farmhouse to us. So we took them up on 
it.
We drove out in the country, hauled in our suitcases, and our bags of 
groceries, and our files, and our bags of groceries, and our flip charts, 
and our
easel, and our bags of groceries.

Now, one of our team, Ryan, was setting up our dry erase board for us; the 
kind you write on with a dry erase marker. This was a brand new board; we 
kind
of just got it for this occasion, and it was ready for our great ideas to be 
written on it. And so, Ryan decided once that he set it up, he'd try it out.
So he grabbed a marker and drew an amusing cartoon of us, and everybody 
gathered around. While we were having a good laugh, somebody said, "You 
didn't
use the permanent marker did you?" There was this very long, awkward silence 
followed by a very long groan, and then, "I'm so sorry." Poor guy! He really
thought it could be erased. I don't think the word permanent ever occurred 
to him.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Be 
Careful, It's a Permanent Marker."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 51. Right out of 
the very personal diary of King David after his adultery with someone else's
wife, a woman named Bathsheba. He says, "Wash away all my iniquity and 
cleanse me from my sin." He's hurting badly. "For I know my transgressions 
and my
sin is always before me. Against You, You only have I sinned and done what 
is evil in Your sight." In verse 7 he says, "Cleanse me and I will be clean.
Wash me and I'll be whiter than snow." How he so wants to be clean again!

Verse 12, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing 
spirit to sustain me." I don't know how good the thrill was with that woman,
but it didn't last long. But the bill haunted David a long time after the 
thrill was gone. Sin is always like that. It promises to give you so much 
before
you do it and then it takes so much from you after you do it.

We know David was forgiven. He says in Psalm 32, "You forgave the guilt of 
my sin." But the scars remained. See, sin is a permanent marker. You have no
idea the marks it will leave on your relationships with others, your sense 
of worth, your reputation, people's trust in you.

It could be right now you're looking at something that's out-of-bounds 
spiritually and it's tempting. It would be easy to give in to that 
temptation and
to tell less than the truth, or to hurt that person who has hurt you, or to 
get even. Maybe it's tempting to give in sexually, or to watch or listen to
something that is dirty. Or you just let your anger or bitterness win.

But first, would you get your calculator out and add up the bill? It can't 
be that good; not when you see how much it will cost you long after the 
brief
benefits of that sin are gone. You say, "Ron, the marks are already there." 
Well, realize that the most deadly marks of all are the record of your sins
in God's spiritual accounting book. And those were erased at the cross where 
Jesus went to the hell that you and I deserve.

Acts 3:19 says, "Repent and turn to God, and your sins will be washed away." 
And His forgiveness is total. It's eternal because of the nail prints, the
permanent marks in His hands and feet; the price He paid to forgive you--His 
unfathomable love. Forgiveness makes us clean before God. But don't forget,
if you just think you will abuse that grace the scars still remain.

We forgave Ryan when he made those marks on that board. Our relationship was 
okay, but it didn't make the marks go away. Sin could be forgiven, but its
consequences may be there until we see Jesus. And you just can't afford 
those marks.

Maybe you've never even had that day where you've had your sins forgiven by 
God once and for all, and had the spiritual shower that only the Man who 
died
for them can give you. You know what it is to feel dirty inside and you're 
ready to feel clean. You're ready to be forgiven. Would you go to our 
website
and let me show you there how to get that to happen in your life; how to 
begin that relationship? It's ANewStory.com.

My coworker had no idea that the result of putting those little marks on the 
board could not be erased-permanent marker, just like sin. When you do it
God's way there are no regrets and there are no marks that you can't erase.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. · P.O. Box 400 · Harrison, Arkansas 72602 · 
USA

Thank God For a Messy Church
external link

It's is God's grace to you if your church is messy. I heard those words come 
out of my mouth yesterday as I was guest-preaching at a church close to 
home.
I said them, and I believe them. At least, I believe them most of the time.

I love my church. I love the people I gather with week-by-week. They are fun 
and safe and easy to be with. But who said church should be safe and easy?

Yesterday, when I was at that church, I preached on the parable of The Lost 
Sheep, which is actually a parable about a kind and loving shepherd (see 
Luke
15). Like so many of Jesus parables, this one was told in the presence of 
two groups of people people who were convinced of their own badness and 
people
who were convinced of their own goodness. And in this case Jesus was 
speaking primarily to those good and religious people.

The parable is simple: A sheep has wandered off and the shepherd will not 
rest until he has found it and restored it to himself. And I thought about 
that
sheep, wandering lost and alone in the wilderness, and that shepherd who 
went looking for it. There are so many different ways that shepherd could 
have
reacted when he finally found it.

 He finds his sheep and rebukes it: You stupid, ignorant sheep. How dare 
you wander off from me? No. He doesn't rebuke it.
He finds his sheep and punishes it: You dumb, disobedient sheep. Ill 
teach you to wander off!No, he doesn't punish it.
He finds his sheep and is disgusted by it: You are filthy and smelly! 
What on earth did you get into? You go clean yourself up right now and I'll 
come
back later.No, he doesn't make it clean itself up.
He finds his sheep and sells it: can't have a sheep like you polluting 
my flock. Do you know how you made me look in front of everyone else No,
he doesn't get rid of it.

The text says, And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, 
rejoicing.When that shepherd finds his sheep, he cares for it. He hoists 
that
big, heavy, dirty sheep onto his shoulders and carries it home, rejoicing 
all the way. He carries it home and calls his friends and throws a party to 
celebrate.

The point of the parable is that God loves to save the lost. He loves to 
save sinners. He doesn't save those who are righteous and whose lives are 
all
put together, he saves those who are just plain bad.

If God is in the business of saving sinners, we need to expect that church 
will be full of sinners”those who are still wandering and those who have 
only
just been found. If our churches reflect God's heart for the lost, they will 
be full of people with problems, full of people showing the consequences of
a lifetime of wandering. And this means that church may not be a safe and 
easy place. It may not be a place full of people who have it all together. 
It
may be messy. It should be messy. Thank God if it is messy.