Jesus Christ is the same

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

The present-tense Christ. He never says "I was." We do. We do because "we were."

We were younger, faster, prettier. Prone to be people of the past tense, we reminisce. Not God. Unwavering in strength, he need never say, "I was." Heaven has no rearview mirrors....

Can God be more God? No. He does not change. He is the "I am" God. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

- From: Everyday Blessings Copyright (J. Countryman, 2004) Max Lucado

Today's Promise: Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Change is great until it happens

Pity Jay Leno. The Tonight Show host for 17 years, Mr. Leno is scheduled to lose his late night stage at NBC in 2009. Conan O’Brien was promised the spot several years ago, and now speculation is heating up regarding Mr. Leno’s future. Today’s New York Times tells us that the comedian may move to ABC, sending Nightline into oblivion. He may move to Fox, which has no network late-night programming at present. He may replace David Letterman when his contract is up in 2010. He may replace Larry King on CNN. Or he may do none of the above. He’s been making $27 million a year, so finances probably aren’t his chief motivation.

Transitions come to all of us. Today’s Times is speculating on the future at Microsoft after Bill Gates. Tennis fans wonder how much longer Venus Williams will compete at Wimbledon, though she’s still in the tournament and Maria Sharapova isn’t. Barry Bonds is apparently retired from baseball, though not of his own volition. Someone noted that change is good until it happens. Another wit observed that the only person who really likes change is a wet baby.

You can’t step in the same river twice, Heraclitus observed 25 centuries ago. How different is your world from last summer? Gas prices have doubled; two unlikely presidential candidates are running against each other; the subprime lending crisis has affected the global economy; the Texas Rangers actually have some pitching. The Chinese have a saying: to predict is difficult, especially with regard to the future.

We can be frustrated at the unpredictability of life, or we can welcome the changes and challenges it presents. I’m glad it won’t be this hot in October, and that the presidential campaigns won’t last into Christmas. But it’s a mistake for me to wait for cooler weather or less political rancor and miss the privilege of this Friday.

A counselor once told me that 90% of his clients’ troubles stemmed from guilt over the past or fear of the future. What is worrying you this morning? How many of your burdens have to do with this day? And yet this is the only day there is. “Tomorrow” is just a word, not a reality. All of God there is, is in this moment. He is the Great I Am, not the I Was or the I Will Be.

Have you connected with the personal God of the universe yet today? He is waiting to be as real and present on earth as he is in heaven. He stands at the door and knocks—if we will open, he will enter (Revelation 3:20). Philip Yancey observed that God goes where he’s wanted. Have you made him welcome in your day?

from God Issues by

By Dr. James C. Denison
Pastor for Teaching, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas

June 27, 2008

THE BROOK HAS DRIED UP by Charles R. Swindoll

Read 1 Kings 17:5--7

One morning Elijah noticed that the brook wasn't gushing over the rocks or running as freely as it had in days past. Since that single stream of water was his lifeline, he checked it carefully. Over the next few days he watched it dwindle and shrink, until it was only a trickle. Then one morning, there was no water, only wet sand. The hot winds soon siphoned even that dampness, and the sand hardened. Before long, cracks appeared in the parched bed of the brook. No more water. The brook had dried up.

Does that kind of experience sound familiar to you? At one time you knew the joy of a full bank account, a booming business, an exciting, ever-expanding career, a magnificent and exciting ministry. But the brook has dried up.

At one time you knew the joy of using your voice to sing the Lord's praises. Then a growth developed on your vocal chords, requiring surgery. But the surgery removed more than the growth; it also took your lovely singing voice. The brook has dried up.

Your partner in life has grown indifferent and has recently asked for a divorce. There's no longer any affection and no promise of change. The brook has dried up.

I've had my own times when the brook has dried up, and I've found myself wondering about the things I've believed and preached for years. What happened? Had God died? No. My vision just got a little blurry. My circumstances caused my thinking to get a little foggy. I looked up, and I couldn't see Him as clearly. To exacerbate the problem, I felt as though He wasn't hearing me. The heavens were brass. I would speak to Him and heard nothing. My brook dried up.

That's what happened to John Bunyan in seventeenth-century England. He preached against the godlessness of his day, and the authorities shoved him into prison. His brook of opportunity and freedom dried up. But because Bunyan firmly believed God was still alive and at work, he turned that prison into a place of praise, service, and creativity as he began to write Pilgrim's Progress, the most famous allegory in the history of the English language. Dried-up brooks in no way cancel out God's providential plan. Often, they cause it to emerge.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Contentment

We learned the end of last week that the missing young lady returned home....
Answered Prayer - and we give thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contentment

He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honor. Proverbs 21:21 (NKJV)

In our world, contentment is a strange street vendor, roaming, looking for a home, but seldom finding an open door. He moves slowly from house to house, knocking on doors, offering his wares: an hour of peace, a smile of acceptance, a sigh of relief. But his goods are seldom taken. We are too busy to be content.

"Not now, thank you. I've too much to do," we say. "Too many marks to be made, too many achievements to be achieved...."

So the vendor moves on. When I asked him why so few welcomed him into their homes, his answer left me convicted. "I charge a high price, you know. My fee is steep. I ask people to trade in their schedules, frustrations, and anxieties. I demand that they put a torch to their fourteen-hour days and sleepless nights. You'd think I'd have more buyers." He scratched his beard, then added pensively, "But people seem strangely proud of their ulcers and headaches."

- From: No Wonder They Call Him the Savior Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003) Max Lucado

Please pray

Dear Trace Crossing family -
We normally don't use this blog as a prayer board; however, tonight (after the 10 p.m. news) our hearts are burdened. A young lady that we know and love (and love her parents and grandparents) was described as missing since Monday. Please join us in praying for her safe return. She is a Tupelo girl that has grown up in Harrisburg Church. Apparently she was last seen at ICC by the news report.

Thank you for joining us in prayer,
Marilyn and Jennie

LAMININ - Louis Giglio

HE UNDERSTANDS

Cries of loneliness. Tune out the traffic and turn down the TV. The cry is there. You can hear their cries. You can hear them in the convalescent home among the sighs and the shuffling feet. You can hear them in the prisons among the moans of shame and the calls for mercy. You can hear them if you walk the manicured streets of suburban America, among the aborted ambitions and aging homecoming queens. Listen for it in the halls of our high schools where peer pressure weeds out the "have-nots" from the "haves."

Many of you have been spared this cruel cry. Oh, you have been homesick or upset a time or two. But despair? Far from it. Suicide? Of course not. Be thankful that it hasn't knocked on your door. Pray that it never will. If you have yet to fight this battle, you are welcome to read on if you wish, but I'm really writing to someone else.

I am writing to those who know this cry firsthand. I'm writing to those of you whose days are bookended with broken hearts and long evenings. I'm writing to those of you who can find a lonely person simply by looking in the mirror.

For you, loneliness is a way of life. The sleepless nights. The lonely bed. The distrust. The fear of tomorrow. The unending hurt.

When did it begin? In your childhood? At the divorce? At retirement? At the cemetery? When the kids left home?

Maybe you have fooled everyone. No one knows that you are lonely. On the outside you are packaged perfectly. Your smile is quick. Your job is stable. Your clothes are sharp. Your waist is thin. Your calendar is full. Your walk brisk. Your talk impressive. But when you look in the mirror, you fool no one. When you are alone, the duplicity ceases and the pain surfaces.

Or maybe you don't try to hide it. Maybe you have always been outside the circle looking in, and everyone knows it. Your conversation is a bit awkward. Your companionship is seldom requested. Your clothes are dull. Your looks are common. Ziggy is your hero and Charlie Brown is your mentor.

Am I striking a chord? If I am, if you have nodded or sighed in understanding, I have an important message for you.

The most gut-wrenching cry of loneliness in history came not from a prisoner or a widow or a patient. It came from a hill, from a cross, from a Messiah.

"My God, my God," he screamed, "why did you abandon me!" (Matthew 27:46)

Never have words carried so much hurt. Never has one being been so lonely.

Out of the silent sky come the words screamed by all who walk in the desert of loneliness. "Why? Why did you abandon me?"

I keep thinking of all the people who cast despairing eyes toward the dark heavens and cry "Why?"

And I imagine him. I imagine him listening. I picture his eyes misting and a pierced hand brushing away a tear. And although he may offer no answer, although he may solve no dilemma, although the question may freeze painfully in midair, he who also was once alone, understands.

- from No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, Max Lucado

A Soft Tap at the Door

But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. 1 Peter 1:15

I have something against the lying voices that noise our world. You've heard them. They tell you to swap your integrity for a new sale. To barter your convictions for an easy deal. To exchange your devotion for a quick thrill.

They whisper. They woo. They taunt. They tantalize. They flirt. They flatter. "Go ahead, its OK." "Don't worry, no one will know."

The world rams at your door; Jesus taps at your door. The voices scream for your allegiance; Jesus softly and tenderly requests it. The world promises flashy pleasure; Jesus promises a quiet dinner...with God.

Which voice do you hear?

- From: In the Eye of the Storm Copyright (Word Publishing, 1991) Max Lucado

Hope for Hurting Hearts

Have you ever wanted a "do over"? Today's New York Times tells the story of the 14^th unassisted triple play in major league history. Monday night, the Cleveland Indians' second baseman caught a line drive as runners on first and second took off. He touched second base for the second out, and tagged the runner from first for the third out. It's the rarest feat in baseball. He was so excited, as he ran from the field he threw the ball into the stands. That's a baseball he'd like to have back. I'll bet you know the feeling.

We're learning to find the kind of happiness only God can give. Nine decisions position us to receive all that his grace offers. As we learned yesterday, the first is to be "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), admitting our desperate need for God's mercy and help. When last did you confess to your Father that you don't know how to live your life, and put him at the controls? What's the last important decision you gave to him first? The last problem you trusted to him in prayer? The last time you did what he said, even though you didn't understand? Would an objective observer say that God is your King or you are?

Now Jesus gives us our next step: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). According to Greek scholar Fritz Rienecker, the word translated "mourn" means "to grieve with a grief which so takes possession of the whole being that it cannot be hid." Jesus assumes that we will all face such suffering. He does not say that we are blessed "if" we mourn but when we do.

How can it be that our mourning will always be comforted? It seems to me that the first beatitude makes possible the second. If we admit our need of God, turning our problem and pain over to him, he can comfort us. If we will not, he cannot.

What is causing you grief or sadness this morning? If sins are burdening your soul, give them to your Father and claim his comfort: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

If you are grieving the loss of one you love, trust your pain to the One who wept at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:35) and thank Jesus that those who believe in him never die (John 11:26). If you are suffering physical pain, put your struggle in the hands of the Great Physician and know that he will heal you physically, spiritually, or both. If you are facing economic challenges or family struggles or vocational difficulties, give them to your Father and claim his promise to supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). The ball is in your hands. Choose wisely.

Copyright © 2008. GodIssues.org. All rights reserved.

Meet WiMax

Don't you hate to wait on your computer? You wake it up and log on to the Internet, and the thing whirs and chatters and finally connects two seconds later. Then you open a browser and click on a file, and are forced to wait another second or so for the thing to load. That's three seconds of your day wasted. Now someone's going to do something about it, investing a mere $3.2 billion to give you the fastest Internet yet.

Today's Wall Street Journal introduces us to WiMax, the anticipated next generation of the Internet. Financial backers include Sprint Nextel, Clearwire, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Google and Intel. The entire venture will eventually cost more than $12 billion. The new network will theoretically deliver much faster Internet access for cell phones and laptops. It's about time--literally.

You and I live in a "real time" world. It wasn't always that way, of course. I'm old enough to remember when Jack In The Box invented the first drive-through restaurant, with a clown taking your order and someone magically preparing it by the time you pulled up at the window. When I wanted a new bike, we collected S&H Green Stamps for months until we had enough, then brought them to the store, chose the bike, and waited weeks for it to arrive. My sons would understand nothing I just wrote.

Imagine doing today's email essay just 25 years ago at my first pastorate, where I inherited a mimeograph machine. I would use a typewriter to type this essay onto a "master," then affix it to a drum which transferred ink onto sheets of paper fed through the machine. Then I would stack the paper until the ink was dry, put it through a folding machine, stuff the letters into envelopes, lick and seal them, affix stamps, and take them to the post office. Three days later they would arrive in your mailbox.

Now everything's changing, quickly. More text messages will be sent and received today than the planet's population. Google searches this month will total more than 2.7 billion. Three thousand books will be published today. The technological revolution is shrinking the world and creating a global economy and experience.

But the things that matter most won't change. A wise pastor once claimed that every person needs three things: help, home, and hope. WiMax cannot create any of them. The Person who offers them all to your heart today is closer than your computer, more available than email. He's ready to hear your next prayer and heal your next hurt. He's holding you in his hand this moment (John 10:28). Will you hold his today?

- copyright @ 2008. GodIssues.org

Thought

*At the start of any given day, it is not a bad idea to pray for a fresh touch of God's grace to keep you sane for what lies ahead. Pray not to live in the past, lick old wounds, or nurse grudges. Those things will drive you crazy! Pray instead for the ability to focus on what is positive, honorable, and upright. These things bring you peace! And ask God to let you be authentically and truly human. To be "authentically and truly human" is to be what God created you to be. Reflect the image of our God into the world. Think sane thoughts about your own worth and dignity. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Be true to your commitments. Give your best to every task. And spread some joy in your world. Here is the way Paul said it long ago: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:2 NLT). - Rubel Shelly

A Safe Place

The following poem sums it up well. In tribute to mothers everywhere:

A SAFE PLACE

She tied your laces so you would not trip,
and held your hand so you could not slip.

She gently wiped your runny nose dry,
and held you close when you would cry.

She sewed the button on your shirt,
and kissed your knee to stop the hurt.

She wrapped Life's gifts in ribbons and lace,
and handed you a world that was a safe place.

The years passed quickly, and along the way,
she guided you so you would not stray.

Now she needs you to hold her hand,
when she's too frightened to understand.

She needs you there to lend an ear,
to aches and pains she cannot bear.

And turn her fears inside out,
and smile for her while she may pout.

She's earned the right, as you well know,
to call you back after she's let you go.

So hug her now and hold her dear,
as she did for you in yesteryear.

- Ruth Sochaczewski
with permission from Horizons Magazine

Invisible Mothers

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it? I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel? I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, and she’s gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies. Then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you’re gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

CHRISTIAN

by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting I'm clean livin.

I'm whispering I was lost, now I'm found and forgiven.



When I say..."I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.



When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.



When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.



When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.



When I say... "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain,

I have my share
of heartaches so I call upon His name.



When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow.

Fuel for the Soul

By Dr. James C. Denison
Pastor for Teaching, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas

Topic: help for stressed souls

Stop and smell the jet fuel. My father used to tell me that I needed to "slow down" when I was eating, or talking, or walking, or doing pretty much anything but sleeping. As Will Rogers said, the older I get the smarter my father has become. Now even the nation's airlines seem to agree with my dad.

Today's New York Times tells us that airplanes are flying more slowly these days and saving millions on fuel as a result. Southwest Airlines is extending each flight by one to three minutes, and thinks it will save $42 million in fuel this year. A Northwest Airlines flight from Paris to Minneapolis this week flew at an average speed of 532 m.p.h. instead of the usual 542 m.p.h., adding eight minutes to the flight and saving $535 worth of fuel. Adding four minutes to its Hawaii flights saves the airline $600,000 a year on that route. JetBlue apparently started all of this two years ago, adding an average of just under two minutes to each flight and saving $13.6 million a year in jet fuel.

Not everyone in aviation has joined the trend. An American Airlines spokesman said, "We have the flying schedule to protect." They'll agree with my father eventually.

So should you. We live in the most hectic, fast-paced, stressed-out culture in history. Our society is changing more rapidly than ever before. Sociologists speak of these days as "whitewater" times. We're rafting faster than we can row, with no real idea what's around the next turn in the river. For instance, today's Times reports that some on Wall Street think the economy has bottomed out and will rebound later this year, but others are quick to disagree. People are buying more small cars than ever as gas prices continue to escalate, but no one knows if the trend will continue. Everyone is wondering how next week's presidential primaries will affect the Democratic race, if they do at all.

In times like these, we will save more than jet fuel if we slow our souls down. For centuries, people seeking God have kept spiritual "hours," following a fixed schedule which stops to pray at various times through the day. The Psalmist said, "Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws" (Psalm 119:164), so liturgical traditions have often recommended prayer at 6 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., and midnight. Other Christian communions follow the example of Psalm 55:17, praying when they rise, at noon, and before going to bed. What matters is not so much the specific schedule we choose as that we choose one.

When is your next appointment for your soul to meet with your Father today?
from: http://www.godissues.org/articles/categories/God-Issues-Today/This-Year/

Days of Remembrance

This past week while in Washington D. C. I visited the Holocaust Museum. It was an incredible place to experience. I am so glad I went. As it turned out this week has been known as the Days of Remembrance. Take a moment today to remember those that lost their lives or were prisoners of such horrible monstrosity. -mr
May it never happen again.
http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor

The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as our nation's annual commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to those victims. In accordance with its Congressional mandate, the Museum is responsible for leading the nation in commemorating the Days of Remembrance, and for encouraging and sponsoring appropriate observances throughout the United States.

Observances and remembrance activities can occur during the week of Remembrance that runs from the Sunday before "Yom Hashoah" (Holocaust Remembrance Day) through the following Sunday. Days of Remembrance are observed by state and local governments, military bases, workplaces, schools, churches, synagogues, and civic centers.

Since 1982, The Museum has organized and led the national Days of Remembrance ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, with Holocaust survivors, liberators, members of Congress, White House officials, the diplomatic corps, and community leaders in attendance.

The Bigger Picture

Leith Anderson shared a story about when he was a boy. He grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day, his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, not a single Dodger ever got on base and his excitement was shattered.

Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base."

The man said, "You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?"

Leith replied, "Yeah, but uh, we lost."

He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team's defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history.

"You were there?"

I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the "defeats" in our lives -- the times when things don't turn out the way we want them to. So we're depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don't treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties.

But, we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our "defeat" that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.

Remember when Paul was in prison? He wrote to the Christians in Philippi: "My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news." (Philippians 1:12)

While most of us would have focused on the "defeat" (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. It's not an easy thing to do. It's never easy to view things from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one, but it is especially difficult in the midst of pain and defeat. But it is learning how to have a heavenly view that helps us to know joy no matter what happens in our lives.
(c) 2007 Alan Smith
alansmith.servant@gmail.com
Thought for the Day
www.TFTD-online.com

Four Open Secrets About the Rest of Your Life

Tell a child you have a secret and you have his undivided attention. All of us children - big and little, young and old - love secrets; love to hear them, love to tell them. Today, I am opening the vault and revealing four of the best-kept secrets in the Kingdom of God.


Secret #1 - God has big plans for you.
Jeremiah 29:11 says it best. "I know the plans I have for you: plans for your welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." His plans for us fall into two categories - earthly and heavenly.


Secret #2 - He is not going to tell you what they are.
In His compassion, God makes big plans for us. In His wisdom, He does not tell us what they are. He protects us from knowledge of the future for two reasons.
(1) We could not handle it.
(2) We would mess it up.

Suppose you found out that your brothers were going to fake your death and sell you into slavery, and that you would end up forgotten and forsaken in a foreign prison for years. Who could handle such news? Most of us would grieve over such a future and grow bitter toward our brothers and angry at
God. In the Old Testament book of Genesis, Joseph experiences precisely such a fate.

Suppose the Lord told you that one day you would become the king's second-in-command and live in power and luxury for the rest of your life. Who could handle news like that without becoming distracted? This too is the story of Joseph in Genesis.

Scripture promises the Lord will not put more on us than we can bear. One way He does that is by withholding details about our future. The burdens would rob us of our joy and threaten to destroy us in advance, while the blessings would distract us from our responsibilities of the moment.


Secret #3 - God is working on His plans this very moment.
He is getting you ready for the future and getting the future ready for you. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-6). He is getting Heaven ready for us. He is getting us ready for Heaven.

One way God prepares us for future challenges is by giving us difficulties and hardships. He strengthens us the same way a personal trainer builds our muscles: by laying on stress. "It is good for me that I was afflicted," the psalmist said, "that I might learn thy statutes." (Psalm 119:71) That's how
it works.


Secret #4 -- Your job is to be faithful today.
Bloom where you are planted, as the saying goes. The way to be ready for tomorrow's opportunities is to do our job today, no matter how insignificant or routine.

Writing in the Spring 2003 issue of "Columns," the alumni magazine of Louisiana College, Curt Iles pays tribute to science professor Charles Cavanaugh. Early in Curt's sophomore year, he paid Cavanaugh a visit to tell him he planned to drop chemistry.

"Prof," said the 19-year-old, "I thought it was God's will for me to become a science teacher. I enjoyed the biology classes you taught last year. But chemistry is killing me. That little rural high school I attended did not prepare me for this. I failed the test yesterday and I am not going to be able to pass this course. So, I plan to drop chemistry. Maybe God will have something else for me since I can't be a science teacher. I need to find His will."

Suddenly, the professor cut him off. "God's will? God's will? Son, I'll tell you what God's will is for you! Get in there, go to work, and pass chemistry. That's what God's will is for you!" And he stormed out of the office. Curt sat there in shock. Finally, realizing the professor was not returning, he went back to his dormitory. That night, he studied chemistry, and the next day, made a D on the test. At least, it was passing.

"That day," Curt Iles writes, "I decided that nothing was going to stop me from achieving my goal of teaching. I was going to pass this course or die trying." A month later, the chemistry professor said, "Iles, what's happened to you?" He was a student with a purpose.

Before leaving the disciples, Jesus began to prepare them for the future. Peter listened, absorbed all he could, then turned to the apostle John. "Lord," he said, "what about him?" Jesus said, "What is that to you? You follow me." (John 21:22)

God has big plans for you. He is mercifully not going to tell you what they are. At this moment, He is at work getting you ready for them and them ready for you. Your job is to do the work He has put on your plate today.
------------------------------
Joe McKeever
www.JoeMcKeever.com
and sent by The Daily Encourager

Hearing His Voice

"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47

Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God's voice is first to be one of His children. One of the great mysteries of the universe to my logical mind is how God can communicate with six billion people on the earth at the same time. It is one of those mysteries I must let go of because my "hard drive" would crash if I had to explain and understand this before I believed and trusted in Him. It is as though God places a computer chip in each human being, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, it becomes activated. We begin to communicate with Him. Jesus says that if we are children of God, then we can hear God's voice. He further explains this relationship in the following parable:

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice (John 10:1-5)."

The Shepherd is always representative of Christ. Sheep are representative of God's children. This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd's voice. There is another comforting aspect to this relationship. The Shepherd goes before the sheep to prepare the way. Jesus has already gone before us today to prepare our way.

Knowing the Shepherd and His voice allows us to have the assurance that we will not be fooled by another shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice. It is only when we are dull of hearing that we mistakenly hear another's voice and follow it. Sin can create a poor frequency in our communication with the Shepherd. Make sure your frequency is free of static (sin) today so that the Shepherd can lead you and go before you.

Finally, distractions can also keep us from hearing our Shepherd's voice. When the sheep get entangled in the fence or wander off, they get too far away to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must stay in close proximity to the Shepherd to hear His voice. Stay close to the Shepherd today. Listen and follow. He wants to lead you.

- Os Hillman, TGIF Today God Is First

Wedding Anniversary Fairy

A married couple in their early 60's was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.

Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table.

She said, "For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish."

The wife answered, "Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband."

The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the Queen Mary II appeared in her hands.

The husband thought for a moment: "Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."

The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish.

So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof!... the husband became 92 years old!!

The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful should remember fairies are female :):):)

(Sorry, I coulnd't resist posting this. - mr)

10 Reasons to Hope When You Are Hurting

1. God is truly in control.
If God is God, then nothing happens apart from His knowledge and permission. While it is difficult to imagine why God allows some painful things to happen, His character, revealed in the Bible and through the testing of generations, leads us to the conclusion that He is willing and able to sustain you during the worst of times. "We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:8,9)

2. There is an eternal life to come.
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the Glory He will give us later." (Romans 8:18) "He will keep you strong right up to the end, and He will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns." (1 Corinthians 1:8)

3. The story isn't finished yet.
Time after time, the Bible records hopeless situations that ultimately ended in victory. Think of Job's sickness, Joseph's betrayal by his brothers, David's adultery and the many who were healed in mind, body and spirit. "But Joseph told them, 'Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people.'" (Genesis 50:19,20)

4. God has not given up on you! Don't give up on him.
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

5. There is likely purpose in your pain.
Ask God to reveal His purpose in allowing this difficulty in your life. That's a legitimate question to ask. Often, the answer comes in the process of dealing with your circumstance. "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when Your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for When your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." (James 1:2-4)

6. You are loved!
Even the most unlovable person in the world is actually loved so much by God, that He let His Son die a terrible death to restore their relationship. God does love you! He sees your pain and weeps with you. "He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent Me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

7. Your prayers are heard.
"You parents - if your children ask you for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?" (Matt. 7:9,10)

8. You are not facing this alone.
"For God himself has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.' That is why we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5,6)

9. Others have made it through - you can too.
Try to connect with others who have gone through similar situations. You will find hope, strength and encouragement. "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

10. Reach out to someone else who's struggling.
Place your focus on someone else and invest your life in him or her. You may discover that your peace of mind is found in being a source of hope for another. "All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Steve Arterburn and Mike Marino
Copyright © 2002 New Life Ministries.

New Life Ministries wants to be a source of hope and encouragement for you. If you'd like to know about other resources for finding hope in difficult situations or if you need to speak with someone, call anytime at 1-800-NEW-LIFE.

Anvil Time

On God's anvil. Perhaps you've been there.

Melted down. Formless. Undone. Placed on the anvil for reshaping? (A few rough edges too many.) Discipline? (A good father disciplines.) Testing? (Buy why so hard?)

I know. I've been on it. It's rough. It's a spiritual slump, a famine. The fire goes out. Although the fire may flame for a moment, it soon disappears. We drift downward. Downward into the foggy valley of question, the misty lowland of discouragement. Motivation wanes. Desire is distant. Responsibilities are depressing.

Passion? It slips out the door. Enthusiasm? Are you kidding?

Anvil time.

It can be caused by a death, a breakup, going broke, going prayerless. The light switch is flipped off and the room darkens. "All the thoughtful words of help and hope have all been nicely said. But I'm still hurting, wondering..."

On the anvil.

Brought face to face with God out of the utter realization that we have nowhere else to go. Jesus in the garden. Peter with a tear-streaked face. David after Bathsheba. Elijah and the "still, small voice." Paul, blind in Damascus.

Pound, pound, pound.

I hope you're not on the anvil. (Unless you need to be, and if so, I hope you are.) Anvil time is not to be avoided; it's to be experienced. Although the tunnel is dark, it does go through the mountain. Anvil time reminds us of who we are and who God is. We shouldn't try to escape it. To escape it could be to escape God.

God sees our life from beginning to end. He may lead us through a storm at age thirty so we can endure a hurricane at age sixty. An instrument is useful only if it's in the right shape. A dull ax or bent screwdriver needs attention, and so do we. A good blacksmith keeps his tools in shape. So does God.

Should God place you on his anvil, be thankful. It means he thinks you're still worth reshaping.

- From On The Anvil: Stories On Being Shaped Into God's Image Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2008) Max Lucado

THE U IN JESUS

Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son.

And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.

You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.

And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?

The stones split away, th e gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.

"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all - Just like I love U."

So many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?

It all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know,
But it all starts with U.

Remember whose you are...

I don't know your story and you don't know mine, but we share a common theme. We are driven by the search for true identity, a desire to be understood and appreciated for who we are. We have longing to seek out something more. Those are not evil desires. God gave us that desire to seek the essence of who he created us to be, so that he can fulfill it. He created the thirst so we can enjoy the Living Water. Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time and energy looking everywhere else but to him for that fulfillment.

In Jeremiah 2 God paints a picture of how his people loved him like a bride loves her groom, full of passion and complete in their devotion to him. But their hearts changed. In Jeremiah 2:13 God says that his people have forsaken him, the spring of Living Water, and have dug their own cisterns. They are looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. You can hear the Father's grieved heart as he lays out their behavior before them and then ends with "How's that working for you?"

My heart sinks as I see the areas in my life where I have chosen to find identity in my own cisterns, rather than drinking the Living Water. We too easily revert back to our own cisterns that can hold no water. Look at the cisterns in your life. What seemed like such a good source of legitimacy suddenly pales in comparison to true legitimacy found in God. That is why it is critical to meditate on the truths of who God is and who we are in Him until it sinks down deep into our spirit, soul, and body. John Calvin wrote in The Institutes Of The Christian Religion, "It now remains to pour into the heart itself what the mind has absorbed. For the Word of God is not received by faith if it fills the top of the brain, but when it takes root in the depth of the heart." Calvin is urging us to drink deeply of who God is and who we are in him.

Take deep drinks of the Living Water of who we are and what we have because of who he is:

He is Jehovah-Jireh (provider).
Genesis 22:14 Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide.
You can be sure he sees and knows your every need.
Ps. 121:3 He who watches over you will not slumber.
Matt. 6:8 Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

He is Jehovah-Rophe (healer).
Ex. 15:26 I am the LORD, who heals you.
You are being renewed.
Isa. 40:31 ... those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength...

He is Jehovah-Shalom (peace).
Jdg. 6:24 ... and called it The LORD is Peace.
You have life and peace.
Rom. 8:6 ... to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

He is Jehovah-Nissi (banner).
Ex. 17:15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.
You are led in Christ's triumph.
2 Cor. 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ...

He is Jehovah-Rohi (shepherd).
Ps. 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd...
You are his well-tended sheep.
Ps. 100:3 We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

He is Jehovah-Tsidkenu (righteousness).
Jer. 23:6 This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
You are free from the law of sin and death.
Rom. 8:2 Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

He is Jehovah-Shammah (THE LORD IS THERE, Eze. 48:35)
Mat. 28:20 Surely I am with you always...
You are continually with God.
Ps. 73:23 Yet I am always with you...

Stop and allow these truths to sink deep into your spirit. You may "know" these Scriptural facts, but now really receive their truth deeply in your spirit where your legitimacy, identity, significance, and birthright are defined by God.

Remember whose you are... and who you are in him!


taken from Revealing the Treasures available at www.thefathersbusiness.com
sent to me by Susanne Waters (Daniel's sister)

Today on the Jewish calendar

Today on the Jewish calendar is Nissan 10. On this day, the ancient pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover would be selecting their lambs to sacrifice for the Passover. According to Exodus 12:3-8, each family was to select the lamb and keep it until the 14 of the month and then sacrifice it for the Passover.

The night we studied the Passover when we did STEPPING UP, we talked about what it would mean to select a lamb, get attached to it, and then have to kill it--knowing that we were the ones who deserved to die, and an innocent would die in our place.

I found this blog today talking about this, and a video showing a sacrifice in Jerusalem. This is very graphic, but we can never understand what this means unless we see it.
It is very tough, but I recommend you watch it.
If you need to go back and read Exodus, do so.

But more importantly, remember that Jesus is our Passover Lamb. He died in our place. jl

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Video: Passover Sacrifice in Jerusalem

Recently I noted an article about a planned animal sacrifice in Jerusalem. This event was controversial because 1) there is no temple or altar in Jerusalem today; 2) killing an animal makes some people mad.
Friends in Jerusalem went to the Old City that day and saw a guy they suspected of carrying a ritual knife in his briefcase and followed the guy through a wild maze of streets in pursuit. It turned out they followed the right guy. They filmed the service.
We talked about the appropriateness of putting this online. The 5-minute video is as graphic as it gets. More and more people today don't realize that meat doesn't originate at a grocery store. They have little concept of an animal being raised and then slaughtered. Furthermore, almost no one in the Western world has ever sacrificed an animal for religious purposes.
I think, however, that is precisely why this *graphic* video should be shown. We read about sacrifice in the Bible but we don't really understand what that means. We read passages that talk about the "life being in the blood," but those are just words that we don't really consider. We "know" that the wages of sin are high, but we don't get the life lesson that the ancient Israelites received every year.
The point of sacrifice was simply this: you deserve to die because of your sin. This animal is dying in your place. Watching the priest slice his throat and watching the blood drain out drove the point home much better than reading a chapter of Leviticus.
Today New Testament believers know that the blood of bulls and goats is not enough to take away sin. But I think that we can often just take for granted Jesus' death in our place. We don't think about his innocent blood draining away because we can't conceptualize it. We don't always appropriate the idea of substitute because we've never seen a living object die in our place. But our loss can be this: sin is easy because forgiveness (we think) is cheap.
The video was made by SourceFlix Productions. Instead of dubbing over the scene with English commentary, they chose to include some explanatory text below. Don't watch this video while eating, and if you're thinking about showing your children, watch it yourself first.

Link to Passover Sacrifice video

Passover begins Saturday at sundown.

Related: for photos and explanation of the Samaritan Passover, see BiblePlaces.com (modern photos) or LifeintheHolyLand.com (19th century photos and text). Several years ago I wrote an article about a visit to the Samaritan Passover sacrifice (En Gedi Resource Center).

I Am a "Kept" Woman

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,
but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,
but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,
but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.
When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!
I'm blessed to be "kept."

A Good Choice

Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith.
Hebrews 10:22

It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. I'll take good health and a high IQ. I'll pass on the music skills, but give me a fast metabolism…Would've been nice. But it didn't happen. When it came to your life on earth, you weren't given a voice or a vote.

But when it comes to life after death, you were. In my book that seem like a good deal. Wouldn't you agree?...

Have we been given any greater privilege than that of choice? Not only does this privilege offset any injustice, the gift of free will can offset any mistakes.

You've made some bad choices in life, haven't you? You've chosen the wrong friends, maybe the wrong career, even the wrong spouse. You look back over your life and say, "If only…if only I could make up for those bad choices." You can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.

The choice in yours. - Max Lucado

from April 13, 2008 devotional on http://www.maxlucado.com

When Your Heart Is Breaking

by Tom Norvell
copied from The Daily Encourager - April 9, 2008

Question: "Can you die of a broken heart?"

Answer: "I don't know, but there are times when your heart is breaking that you wish you could die. It would be easier than enduring the pain."

Some hearts break because of unfulfilled love. Some hearts break due to unfulfilled dreams. Some hearts break because of the loss of a child, the loss of a parent, the loss of a friend, or the loss of a mate. Some hearts break when others are hurting and there is nothing that can be done to help them or to ease their pain. Jesus expressed this as described by Matthew, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (9:36)

When your heart is breaking you want help. You long for relief. You long for someone who can fix it. Ron Peltzman's little children's book, "Mr. Bell's Fix It Shop," is the story of Mr. Bell, a man who could fix just about anything, "Even a broken heart."

In Michael Card's song, "I Will Not Walk Away," these words speak the thoughts of a broken heart: "Don't read me pointless poems friend. Don't diagnose. Don't condescend. Though you may be right to disagree. I need someone to weep with me."

When your heart is breaking that is what we want, isn't it? We want to know that someone can fix this. When it cannot be fixed we want to know that someone is there to weep with us. We don't always want explanations, even though we may ask for them. We don't need another book to read, or another
famous quote, or another story that proves "you are not the only one who has ever had a broken heart." We need someone to weep with us. We need someone to comfort us.

Job had that from his three friends... for a while. "Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was." (2:13) Unfortunately for Job, they started talking.

Your heart may be breaking today. You may have spent the night weeping. You may be longing for someone to come sit and weep with you. You may be crying out to the Lord for help because you feel like a sheep without a shepherd.

I do not promise a Mr. Bell who can fix anything. I cannot promise that well-intentioned friends won't share "pointless poems" and useless platitudes. But I do promise that you can cry out to the Lord and that when you cry out you will be heard. And, I promise that the One who hears is close and will provide you the comfort you need.

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34, 17-18, NIV)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."(Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV)

When your heart is breaking cry out to the One who hears and binds up the brokenhearted. If your heart is breaking cry out to the One who is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

BIBLE STUDY RESPONSES

In response to my request for information about Bible studies that you are doing, I am posting the following. If you are doing a study or would recommend one, please leave a comment. jl

VOICES OF THE FAITHFUL by Beth Moore Experience the power of story with this moving 366-day devotional for men and women from Beth Moore and the International Mission Board. Written by hundreds of missionaries, it features amazing stories of courage, inspiration and God’s faithfulness to draw every tribe and nation unto Himself. Voices of the Faithful is a living testimony of how God’s heart is moved for the lost by the sacrifice, service and intercession of His people. Learn more

Death of a Nation by Ray Stedman (This study is on line, and can be printed in PDF form)
The tragedy of Judah, as it unfolds in the pages of the Book of Jeremiah, is the tragedy of nations today. This Book of Jeremiah, though written thousands of years ago, is still as relevant, up-to-date and pertinent to our day as it was when first written. The tragedy is that when people forsake God they lose the sense of their own worth. Without exception, when someone turns from God he also loses himself. When the people of Judah turned from the living fountain of God they became like animals, Jeremiah said. They began to act brutishly, and thus to hate themselves. This is always the consequence of a heart which rejects or turns from the living God. When you lose God, you no longer can love yourself. And if you cannot love yourself, you cannot love your neighbor. http://www.raystedman.org/jeremiah/index.html

Breaking Free by Beth Moore (The person doing this study is discipling two young ladies, AMEN)

Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life, leads you through a study of the Scriptures to discover the transforming power of Christian freedom. Based on Isaiah 61:1-4, this in-depth study draws parallels between the captive Israelites and today’s believers.

Beth uses Scripture to point out the benefits of our relationship with God and shows you how to remove obstacles that hinder that relationship. As you identify spiritual strongholds in your life, you will progress on the journey toward greater freedom in Christ. http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?ISBN=0767391128

Sparkling Gems From the Greek by Rick Renner (When I heard this I thought, WOW, that would be hard, but when I looked at it I really liked it. Also, it can come to you everyday!!!!)
365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word (This is in book form, and also daily devotionals can be sent to your email inbox dailygem@ rrmnew.org)

Getting Dusty
A follower of a rabbi's goal in Jesus' day was to walk closely to the teacher to learn all that he had to teach and then do what the teacher taught. Walking so closely to your rabbi in Israel would cause you to get covered in his dust. To be a dusty person today is to be covered in the teaching of God and to live out that teaching in your life.

Join En-Gedi as it seeks to "get dusty" in God's word. Every two weeks a new bible study will be posted on En-Gedi's site to help you learn, love, and live God's teaching. The current series is "Picture This: A Study of Jeremiah"

FAITH SEES THE SAVIOR

April 8th - GRACE FOR THE MOMENT - Volume 1

I stand a few feet from a mirror and see the face of a man (woman) …who failed his/her Maker. Again. I promised I wouldn’t, but I did. I was quiet when I should have been bold. I took a seat when I should have taken a stand.

If this were the first time, it would be different. But it isn’t. How many times can one fall and expect to be caught?

Your eyes look in the mirror and see a sinner, a failure, a promise-breaker. But by faith you look in the mirror and see a robed prodigal bearing the ring of grace on your finger and the kiss of your Father on your face...

Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.

Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith see his blood.

-- When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado

Life isn't about waiting till the storm is over...it's about learning to dance in the rain.

I got this note of encouragement last week, and sent it out to several people. I have been amazed at the responses. One comment was, "Too bad we Baptist didn't learn to dance".

So I started thinking. I am from a very legalistic background when it comes to dancing. It was FORBIDDEN!!!! All kinds of dancing. I remember asking my third grade Sunday School teacher why we didn't believe in dancing, and will never forger her answer. She told me the story of Herod giving a banquet and the daughter of his much disputed wife dancing for the guests. Because her dancing pleased Herod, he granted her a wish of anything she wanted. Not knowing what to ask for, she went to her mother who requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. (Mark 6:14-28) "That", she said, "is why we do not dance". And I believed her with all my heart. Lord knows I didn't want my head cut off.

I never took dance lessons, not did I allow my daughters to do so. I regret that to this day. It was when my children became pre-teens, that I realized how stupid this

"theology" really was. Scriptures tell of David dancing before the Lord, and we discussed in the study about the priests dancing before the Lord during the feasts. How did we miss that???

I did, what many still continue to do today concerning somewhat controversial topics, I took someone's word and didn't study the scripture. I agree that some of the dance movements tend to be a bit "much", but there is nothing more beautiful than interpretive movement or ballet to the music of the believers.

And I absolutely love Israeli music and dance. So, having been freed from this bondage, I decided one night to try some dancing to Jewish music. I was at home alone, had a DVD to learn by, and the perfect time to try it--no one to watch.

I need to explain about the location of my house. A street intersects to the street I live on right in front of my living room window. That means anyone coming to a stop will be looking right into my living area, where this "once forbidden sin" was about to take place.

I was really getting into the step--of course not perfectly. I have 50 plus years to overcome. But I was enjoying myself very much. I was singing, waving my arms, actually moving my feet. I was praising the Lord!! I whirled around, just like the dancers on the DVD were doing, only to face car lights shining right on me. I forgot to close the wooden shutters. I hit the floor, face down. I don't know how long they had been there, but they stayed, what seemed like, a long time. I guess assuming the show was over, they finally decided to leave.

I know that I should have prayed, "Lord, if you won't cut my head off, I promise I won't do this again". But instead I prayed, "Lord, I know those people out there in that car are laughing their heads off, so please, PLEASE don't let them be anyone I know."

That ended my dancing career. I still have my head on--well, somewhat. And so far, no one has told me that they had some free entertainment at my expense.

So much for dancing!!

jl