Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I am saved”
I’m whispering “I get lost!”
“That is why I chose this way.”

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone 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 pray for strength to carry on.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I’m loved.

 

[beensetfree]

Jesus is called the good shepherd, so why does Jesus use the analogy of His being a shepherd, and we being His sheep?

The Nature of Sheep
My uncle in Iowa raises sheep, and I can remember him saying a lot of things about his sheep; most of it bad. For one thing, sheep are defenseless against predators. They can’t fight back and they can’t outrun predators. They simply panic. They’re afraid of water and can only be led to still water by a shepherd (Psalm 23:2), and who can blame them?

Sheep can’t swim. Imagine getting all that wool soaked, so they’re really good at doing two things in water…sinking, and drowning. They’re also very good at getting stuck on their backs and being totally defenseless. They can be frightened into having a heart attack by imagining a dog or wolf is going to attack, even if it doesn’t. And sheep must be led to green pastures (Psalm 23:1); otherwise they’d eat the grass down to the roots, destroying the pasture.

The Door
When Jesus spoke of Himself as the Good Shepherd, saying “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep” (John 15:1-2).

The sheep can come in and go out, but only through the door, and He calls Himself the door. He is the one and only way in or out of the sheepfold (Acts 4:12), so only “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3).

And just like my uncle’s sheep, they will not go up to anyone else…they will not follow anyone else. In fact, they’ll run away from anyone else. That’s why Jesus says, “A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:5). In ancient times, when a shepherd laid down at night to guard the sheep, guess where he lays?

Right at the door or the gate of the fence or pen. No one can come in or go out without going over or through the shepherd, including ravenous wolves, so He guards the sheep all night and feeds them during the day. They are all under His constant vigilance, just as believers are under Jesus’ constant care. He knows His sheep and knows that they can become restless, so the shepherd has to go slow in some cases to stay with the stragglers. He watches over them day and night, and only His voice do they know, and only His voice will they hear, and only His voice will they obey, but He also knows their voice (John 10:4).





Total Dependence
Do you see the analogy of a shepherd and Jesus being the Good Shepherd? Jesus is the True Shepherd who guards His flock, and that’s good because sheep are absolutely helpless and vulnerable without “The” Shepherd.

Not just any shepherd will do. If a sheep falls onto its side, it can become turned upside down…and will die if not picked up and placed upright. It can literally starve to death or lay there, being vulnerable to predators. And we of His flock can fall down and be on our backs, helpless and vulnerable, but the Good Shepherd can set us upright again.

Sheep, not being the most intelligent of animals, have been known to just walk right off a cliff, but the True Shepherd won’t let that happen as long as they are in His fold. And this shepherd gives peace to the sheep…He restores them and makes them lay down in green pastures to rest in Him (Psalm 23:1-2), so sheep must be led to green pastures or they’ll destroy the pasture.

And since they have no natural defenses, no way to fight back, and are slow on foot, the shepherd is invaluable to the life of the sheep. We sort of adopted an old tomcat (or rather, he adopted us). He was abandoned in the middle of winter and so he will not let anyone else approach him or even get near him; not even within 50 feet.

For some reason, I was the only one able to approach him, but it days of speaking to him in a soft, quite voice. It took a month or so before he finally trusted me. Today, he knows my voice and not that of a stranger, so I speak to him in a gentle, caring and soft voice, and he’s learned to trust me completely. Even around a blind corner where he can’t see me, if he knows my voice and he comes running.

He knows I’ll feed and care for him, just as the sheep recognize the Shepherd’s voice and the Shepherd knows their voice and cares for them. So why would any sheep want to leave the flock, and by extension, their local church? Regardless of this, some do. And some wolves, cloaked in sheep’s clothing, or acting as another shepherd, can hurt the sheep. For one thing, he can be fleecing them, and since sheep are not that intelligent, they might fall for anything, however, the true sheep must learn to recognize the True Shepherds voice, and the Shepherds voice is found in the Word of God.

In the Fold
The shepherd cannot easily protect any sheep that don’t remain in the fold. And if they don’t hear the Shepherd’s voice often enough (Bible), after a while, they might not be able to recognize it at all. Then, these sheep then might follow any self-proclaimed shepherd, but here’s a given; no sheep can come into the flock without first going through the shepherd, so there is only one way to the flock and into the fold, and this is through the Shepherd Himself.

There is no other way, there are no other paths, and there is only one door. Sheep that can do tricks or good deeds still can’t go into the fold except by the Good Shepherd. And He stands at the door to invite new sheep in and to keep the present sheep safe. He guards this door. In fact, you might say, He is the door.

Thieves and robbers can scale the fence, but the Good Shepherd has authority and power to keep them out. If the flocks are the saints, the fence is the church, and Jesus is the door, when they go outside of this safe and secure environment they can get hurt, so He lays down at the door or gate of the pen to protect them.

The True Shepherd literally laid down His life for His sheep and has purchased the sheep with His own blood (1 Cor 6:19-20, 7:23). They are His, and He is theirs. You must go through the Shepherd to join the flock of the Landowner (God), because He is the door. And if you knock, He will open. And you may come in, but only through Him. And with Him you shall remain, forever. Then you can say with the psalmist, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).

Conclusion
Sheep are really good at just a few things. They are good at drowning, being defenseless, and being utterly dependent upon the shepherd. They do provide wool and meat, but they can’t even take credit for that since their Creator made them that way. Isaiah the Prophet nailed it when he wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus knew the nature of people without a shepherd. Matthew wrote that when Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36), and we’re helpless too…without Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

 

[beensetfree]

When Jesus Looks.

When Jesus looks upon my life,
What picture does He see?
Does He see His own reflection,
Or does He just see me?

Does He see His likeness,
The product of His hand.
Or just another Christian,
Who never took a stand.

Does He see a child of God,
A child that He set free.
Living life to honor Him,
Or does He just see me.

What about the other folks,
I meet along the way.
Do I show them Jesus,
To brighten up their day.

When someone looks into my eyes,
Can they truly see.
That calm and gentle peace of God,
That dwells inside of me.

When I reach out and shake a hand,
Is He right there in my grip.
Can they feel that strength from God,
That steadies when I slip.

When folks are in my presence,
Do they know His Spirit’s there?
Can they see that He’s the one,
Who guides me everywhere.

When other people think of me,
What is on their mind?
Do they think of Jesus Christ,
So gentle and so kind.

I try to be like Jesus,
Every single day.
Spreading love and kindness,
All along my way.

I’m afraid that I have failed,
I could not pass the test.
Deep inside my heart I know,
I haven’t done my best.

I have had to fight my flesh,
Since the day that I was born.
It’s always causing trouble,
And being such a thorn.

That’s why His Spirit dwells in me,
He’s helping me to learn.
In every situation,
Where I need to turn.

He knew I’d never pass the test,
That’s why He took my place.
He gave His life to save my soul,
He suffered my disgrace.

Now I try to be like Him,
I must present Him well.
So other folks will want His gift,
And turn their backs on hell.

Other folks should see the joy,
That Christ has given me.
They should want to have it too,
Especially since it’s free.

They should begin to ask me,
What is it they must do.
Just how it is they go about,
Getting Jesus too.

Then I get to tell them,
This wondrous gift is free.
It only takes a humble heart,
A prayer on bended knee.

Someday when I’m face to face,
With the Lord who set me free.
Will He see His own reflection,
Or will He just see me?

 

[beensetfree]

Jesus said that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15), so what does He mean by saying, “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these?”

A Gift
Children are a gift from God, no doubt about it, just as the psalmist wrote, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3). Just about any parent you ask will tell you their children are invaluable. Children are precious to God, and to us, but they’re also refreshing honest, and often take things literally.

One example from about 10 years ago proves my point. My friend lived next door to a neighbor whose wife would come over almost every day to talk to his wife. One morning, after the woman had only been talking for just a few minutes, my friend’s son came up to his mom and asked, “Mommy…is she talking your leg off yet?” Ouch! Aren’t most children brutally honest? That must have been embarrassing, but the lesson learned is we must watch what we say around children because they’re bound to repeat it. And they tell the truth…even when it hurts, however they might do that without even realizing it.

Come to Jesus
When Jesus’ disciples tried to prevent some small children from coming to Him, He was not happy and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:14). Jesus not only rebukes them for trying to keep them from coming to Him, but Jesus uses these little ones to prove a point, and that is that these very ones are to whom the kingdom of heaven belong.

Why? Because children are humble, they are teachable, and they are pliable in the hands of the Potter, unlike adults who may become more cynical and become prideful over time. We know that God resists the proud, and will only extend His grace to the humble (James 4:6), so humility is a big factor in entering the kingdom.

For example, all who come to faith in Christ must humble themselves and confess that they are sinners (1 John 1:8, 10), and that all of us fall infinitely short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23), but a person that is full of pride generally won’t bend the knee to confess their sins, or admit they need the Savior.

A person who trusts in themselves cannot also trust in Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matt 12:30), so if you have not trusted in Christ, you are still trusting in yourself, and that means, you are against Christ. Baptism is a good example of how we must humble ourselves. It’s not easy to be baptized in public and admit to all who are there, that you are a sinner and need the Savior, Jesus Christ. Having a child-like humility might be why most believers find it easy to turn to Christ at a very young age, many as a child.





The Kingdom’s Nature
One of my favorite verses is where Jesus calls “a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:2), and said to them, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3-4). Notice that there are some conditions to being “the greatest in the kingdom.”

He says, “unless you repent (change, turn around) and become like little children” (trusting, humble, meek, lowly, loving, forgiving), you will certainly not be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, but Jesus gives us a warning about these little ones too, saying, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt 18:6), and to the Jew, the sea is symbolic of death.

Child-Like
Just after Jesus had been telling the disciples that He was about to go to Jerusalem and suffer and fall into the hands of men and be crucified, you’d think they would be asking Him about this, but what were they talking about? Who would be the greatest in the kingdom!

Here was Jesus going up to die for ungodly, wicked sinners, who were enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10), including them (and us!), and they were talking…no, probably arguing, about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Imagine Jesus’ consternation over this! That’s when “he sat down and called the twelve.

And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mark 9:35-37). They were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom, so Jesus told them that the very least would be greatest.

Whoever wanted to be greatest would likely be the least. It’s just the opposite of the way the world works. The greatest would not be the proud or mighty, but the one who is “servant of all.” The greatest would be the one who serves the most, not the one with the most servants. Just ask any child when you need help. I’m sure most would jump at the chance to be your “little helper.”

Conclusion
Becoming child-like does not mean we become childish, because the greatest wisdom of all is putting your trust in Christ. Unless we come to Christ as a child, and in a humble state, with meekness and submissiveness, we might make it into the kingdom, but we won’t be greatest. We must all come to Jesus in humble obedience, in trust, and having faith in Him and not in ourselves. In my lifetime, I have seen many a child and adult put their trust in the Holy One, and the only One Who can save; Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

The good news today is that children still come to Jesus. He still forbids none (John 6:37-39). He will save all who believe in Him, young or old. They do the coming; He does the saving. Jesus says to you and to all, that “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3). To turn means to repent, and it is exactly what Jesus said about entering the kingdom of God, saying, “the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). That is my prayer for you, if you have not already trusted in Christ.

 

[beensetfree]

Isn't it funny.

Funny how a $20.00 bill looks so big when
you take it to church, but so small when you
take it to the mall.

Funny how big an hour serving God looks and
how small 60 minutes are when spent
watching television, playing sports, sleeping
or taking a lunch break.

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at
church are but how short they are when
watching a good movie.

Funny how we get thrilled when a football
game goes into overtime, but we complain
when a sermon is longer than the regular
time.

Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in
the Bible and how easy it is to read 200-300
pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how we believe what newspapers say,
but question what the Bible says.

Funny how people scramble to get a front
seat at a concert, but scramble to get a
back seat at the church service.

Funny how we cannot fit a gospel meeting
into our schedule with our yearly planner but
we can schedule for other events at a
moment’s notice.

Funny how we look forward to that big date
on Friday night, but complain about getting
up for church on Sunday morning.

Funny how we are rarely late to work, but
always late to church.

Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus
our brother, but find it hard to introduce
them to our family.

Funny how small our sins seem, but how big
their sins are.

Funny how we demand justice for others, but
expect mercy from God.

Funny how much difficulty some have learning
the gospel well enough to tell others, but
how simple it is to understand and explain the
latest gossip about someone else.

Funny how we can’t think of anything to say
when we pray, but don’t have any difficulty
thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we are so quick to take directions
from a total stranger when we are lost, but
are hesitant to take God’s direction for our
lives.

Funny how so many church goers sing “Standing on the
promises” but all they do is sit on the premises.

Funny how people want God to answer their
prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how we sing about heaven, but live
only for today.

Funny how people think they are going to
Heaven but don’t think there is a Hell.

Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil
and suffering in the world, but it is not
necessary to thank Him for what is good and
pleasant.

Funny how when something goes wrong, we
cry, “Lord, why me?” but when something
goes right, we think, “Hey, it must be me!”

Or wait…maybe all this isn’t so “funny” after all.

 

[beensetfree]

A few nights ago a peculiar thing happened. An electrical storm caused a blackout in our neighbourhood. When the lights went out, I felt my way through the darkness into the storage closet where we keep the candles for nights like this. Through the glow of a lit match I looked up on the shelf where the candles were stored. There they were, already positioned in their stands, melted to various degrees by previous missions. I took my match and lit four of them.

How they illuminated the storage room! What had been a veil of blackness suddenly radiated with soft, golden light! I could see the freezer I had just bumped with my knee. And I could see my tools that needed to be straightened.

“How great it is to have light!” I said out loud, and then spoke to the candles. “If you do such a good job here in the storage closet, just wait till I get you out of where you’re really needed! I’ll put one of you on my table so we can eat. I’ll put one of you on my desk so I can read. I’ll give one of you to Denalyn so she can cross- stitch. And I’ll set you”, I took down the largest one, ” in the living room where you can light up the whole area,” (I felt a bit foolish talking to candles – but what do you do when the lights go out?)

I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, ” Now, hold it right there.”

I stopped. Somebody’s in here! I thought. then I relaxed. It’s just Denalyn, teasing me for talking to the candles.

“OK, honey, cut the kidding,” I said in the semi-darkness. No answer. Hmmm,maybe it was the wind. I took another step. “Hold it, I said!” There was that voice again. My hands began to sweat.

“Who said that?”

“I did.” The voice was near my hand.

“Who are you? What are you?”

“I’m a candle.” I looked at the candle I was holding. It was burning a strong, golden flame. It was red and sat on a heavy wooden candle holder that had a firm handle.

I looked around once more to see if the voice could be coming from another source. “There’s no one here but you, me and the rest of the candles,” the voice informed me.

I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. You won’t believe what I saw. There was a tiny face in the wax. (I told you you wouldn’t believe me.) Not just a wax face that someone had carved, but a moving, functioning, fleshlike face full of expression and life.

“Don’t take me out of here!”

“What?”

“I said, don’t take me out of this room.”

“What do you mean? I have to take you out. You’re a candle. Your job is to give light. It’s dark out there. People are stubbing their toes and walking into walls. You have to come out and light up the place!”

“But you can’t take me out. I’m not ready,: the candle explained with pleading eyes. “I need more preparation.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “More preparation?”

“Yeah, I’ve decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won’t go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You’d be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be. So I’m doing some studying. I just finished a book on wind resistance. I’m in the middle of a great series of tapes on wick build-up and conservation – I’m reading the new best seller on flame display. Have you heard of it?

“No,” I answered.

“You might like it. It’s called Waxing Eloquently”.

“That really sounds inter–” I caught myself. What am I doing? I’m in here conversing with a candle while my wife and daughters are out there in the darkness!

“All right then,” I said. “You’re not the only candle on the shelf. I’ll blow you out and take the others!”

But just as I got my cheeks full of air, I heard other voices. “We’re not going either!”

It was a conspiracy. I turned around and looked at the three other candles; each with flames dancing above a miniature face.

I was beyond feeling awkward about talking to candles. I was getting miffed.

“You are candles and your job is to light dark places!”

“Well, that may be what you think,” said the candle on the far left – a long thin fellow with a goatee and British accent. “You may think we have to go, but I’m busy.”

“Busy?”

“Yes, I’m meditating.”

“What? A candle that meditates?”

“Yes. I’m meditating on the importance of light. It’s really enlighting.”

I decided to reason with them. “Listen, I appreciate what you guys are doing. I’m all for meditation time. And everyone needs to study and research; but for goodness’ sake, you guys have been here for weeks! Haven’t you had enough time to get your wick on straight?”

“And you other two,” I asked, “are you going to stay in here as well?”

A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks that reminded me of Santa Claus spoke up. “I’m waiting to get my life together. I’m not stable enough. I lose my temper easily. I guess you could say that I’m a hothead.”

The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. “I’d like to help,” she explained,”but lighting the darkness is not my gift.”

All this was sounding too familiar. “Not your gift?” What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly.” Without asking my permission, she began a rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.” (I have to admit, she had a good voice.)

The other three joined in, filling the storage room with singing. “Hey, I shouted above the music, “I don’t mind if you sing while you work! In fact, we could use a little music out there!”

They didn’t hear me. They were singing too loudly. I yelled louder. “Come on, you guys. There’s plenty of time for this later. We’ve got a crisis on our hands.”

They wouldn’t stop. I put the big candle on the shelf and took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet. I had all I could take. One by one I blew them out. They kept singing to the end. The last one to flicker was the female. I snuffed her out right in the “puff” part of “Won’t let Satan puff me out.”

I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked back out into the darkness. I bumped my knee on the same freezer. Then I bumped into my wife.

“Where are the candles?” she asked.

“They don’t….they won’t work. Where did you buy those candles anyway?”

“Oh, they’re church candles. Remember the church that closed down across the town? I bought them there.”

I understood.

 

[beensetfree]

Working

I asked the Lord, “What shall I do?”
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then He pointed me out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”

I quickly relied, “Oh no, not that.
“Why no one would ever see.
“No matter how well my work was done;
“Not that little place for me.”

The word He spoke, It was not stern,
He answered me tenderly;
“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.
“Are you working for them or me?
“Nazareth was a little place, and so was Galilee.”

 

[beensetfree]

I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something;
and what I should do and can do, by the grace of God, I will do

 

[beensetfree]

I knelt to pray when day was done
And prayed "O Lord, bless everyone,

Lift from each saddened heart the pain
And let the sick be well again

." And then I woke another day
And carelessly went on my way,

The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.

I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road.

I did not even go to see
The sick man just next door to me.

Yet once again when day was done
I prayed, "O Lord, bless everyone."

But as I prayed, into my ear
there came a voice that whispered clear,

"Pause now, my son, before you pray.
Whom have you tried to bless today?

Gods sweetest blessing always go
by hands that serve him here below."

And then I hid my face and cried,
"Forgive me, God, I have not tried,

But let me live another day
and I will live the way I pray."

 

[beensetfree]

“Your refuge from the avenger of blood.”

Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the utmost. Even so the word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way to him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all. With regard to the roads to the city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an easy passage to the city.

Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw to their order, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How graciously do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up hand-posts, with the inscription upon them — “To the city of refuge!” This is a picture of the road to Christ Jesus. It is no roundabout road of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and the other; it is a straight road: “Believe, and live.” It is a road so hard, that no self-righteous man can ever tread it, but so easy, that every sinner, who knows himself to be a sinner may by it find his way to heaven.

No sooner did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city than he was safe; it was not necessary for him to pass far within the walls, but the suburbs themselves were sufficient protection. Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of Christ's garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him with “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” you are safe.

“A little genuine grace ensures
The death of all our sins.”


Only waste no time, loiter not by the way, for the avenger of blood is swift of foot; and it may be he is at your heels at this still hour of eventide.

 

[beensetfree]

“Pray one for another.”

James 5:16

As an encouragement cheerfully to offer intercessory prayer, remember that such prayer is the sweetest God ever hears, for the prayer of Christ is of this character. In all the incense which our Great High Priest now puts into the golden censer, there is not a single grain for himself. His intercession must be the most acceptable of all supplications — and the more like our prayer is to Christ's, the sweeter it will be; thus while petitions for ourselves will be accepted, our pleadings for others, having in them more of the fruits of the Spirit, more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, will be, through the precious merits of Jesus, the sweetest oblation that we can offer to God, the very fat of our sacrifice.

Remember, again, that intercessory prayer is exceedingly prevalent. What wonders it has wrought! The Word of God teems with its marvellous deeds. Believer, thou hast a mighty engine in thy hand, use it well, use it constantly, use it with faith, and thou shalt surely be a benefactor to thy brethren. When thou hast the King's ear, speak to him for the suffering members of his body. When thou art favoured to draw very near to his throne, and the King saith to thee, “Ask, and I will give thee what thou wilt,” let thy petitions be, not for thyself alone, but for the many who need his aid.

If thou hast grace at all, and art not an intercessor, that grace must be small as a grain of mustard seed. Thou hast just enough grace to float thy soul clear from the quicksand, but thou hast no deep floods of grace, or else thou wouldst carry in thy joyous bark a weighty cargo of the wants of others, and thou wouldst bring back from thy Lord, for them, rich blessings which but for thee they might not have obtained:

“Oh, let my hands forget their skill,
My tongue be silent, cold, and still,
This bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget the mercy-seat!”

 

[beensetfree]

I often advise people to go to church for pragmatic rather than spiritual reasons.

My own return to church after a nearly twenty-year absence was because I was worried about my children. I felt that the older ones were beginning to go off in the wrong direction. When I looked at successful parents, I realized most of them were regular church goers. Because I wanted to do my parenting job a little better, I started attending church every Sunday morning and every Sunday evening. Only six weeks or so later, the Holy Spirit moved me. I had been baptized long before, but I went forward to the altar and re-affirmed my faith. Before the year was out, my husband also accepted Christ and some years later I saw the youngest of my children baptized into the Lord.

I have no feelings of guilt whatever when I urge someone to come to church just to get a handle on how church people live—what they do to keep their bills paid even on low incomes and how they raise good children. It may not seem as if I’m trying to save souls, but I know if I get someone into the church, God will take care of the rest.

 

[beensetfree]

Our church has a prison ministry, and dozens of men and women are putting their trust in Christ, so here is an actual letter that we wrote to a prisoner who is in for life (but have changed his name).

Letters to Prisoners
Our church ministers to the poor, those in nursing homes and hospitals, but also prisoners who have requested pen pals or asked for Bible studies, and so we minister to men and women in state prisons and state hospitals because in most cases, their families have forsaken them, their friends are done with them, and all they have left is Christ, but when a person is broken and has come to an end of all options in their life, that’s when they are humbled by circumstances and some place their faith in Christ. They see that their only way out is up! That is, all they have left is hope in Christ, and ironically, hundreds have been set free behind bars, and now await the day of the Lord’s return. The name has been changed but everything else is accurate in this letter to a prisoner who we will call “Richard.”

Hello Richard
I got your letter and began to pray right away, and our church prayed for you Sunday and I gave the prayer request as an “unspoken need,” as you requested, but I believe, from what you’ve told me, that you are under spiritual attack. Why are you receiving so many spiritual attacks? It’s because those who make the greatest differences in the kingdom are the enemies greatest threat, and the enemy doesn’t bother with silent, under-ground, Christians or “pew potatoes” (like I was for so long). They will go after those who are making a positive difference in the kingdom. I sense you need our ongoing prayer, so when you feel you are under attack (which may come in the form of depression, feelings of worthlessness, or despair), know that we are holding your arms up as Aaron and Hur held up Moses arms when his arms grew weary. You cannot see these “invisible prayer-arms” holding you up, but they are there, nonetheless. Believe me, I know what it feels like to be drained, poured out for others like a drink offering, and having nothing left in the spiritual tank! We give, give, give, and none give to back to us…but I will pray for you brother! I also have people holding me to invisible and unreasonable expectations, so I feel that too, but you know what…that’s a sign of being a spiritual leader. Other men who do nothing for Christ and are silent in their testimony, don’t know what that feels like, but you do because you are helping these men. And yes, it is draining, so I pray for God to fill you brim full with His Sprit to help strengthen you.

Making a Difference
Think about this….what if you were not there and the men in your cellblock or floor did not have someone like you to listen to them or counsel them…what would come of them? Would they have received biblical counsel or have their questions answered…or, would they have been led to Christ?! Possibly not because you wouldn’t have been there to share Christ, so just as you helped in opening the doors of heaven for some of these men, you must realize that it was for such a time and place as this that God has appointed you. That’s the way God works, but of course, you already know that. The Word of God cuts me to the quick before it cuts them….but it cuts in order to heal. The surgeon’s scalpel hurts, but it just might save your life. You might feel alone, but you are not alone. And, you are just the opposite of many I know because you are humble, and that’s who God extends His grace to (James 4:6). You said you are broken and messed up, but our church is close to railroad tracks and I remind the church that every time I hear a train, remember, we’re all train wrecks before God, but God is in the restoration business! God rarely calls the mighty, strong, or the rich, so I think it’s good to admit what you said. We are all broken…and have been since The Fall (Gen 3).







Growing in the Lord
You said to tell you where you are growing. Here’s how I know you are in Christ and in His Word. You said “Guys in hear tell me I give them hope.” Wow! Next, you said you spend your days reading Our Daily Bread, Faith 2 Faith, The Bible, praying, and listening to Bible teachers , so that is evidence, in fact, strong evidence of a deep hunger for God and to know His Word better. That shows evidence that you are growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord, so there you go. A year ago, did you spend this much time studying the things of God? Look back, 1 or 2 years ago, and see how you time spent studying His Word has increased and how you have changed toward the things of God! You are near and dear to me Richard. Something happened…and our souls were knit together by God’s Spirit. It is a glorious thing!

Why Suffering?
I am your friend. You can vent all you want to. It’s okay. I can take it. Friends are born (created for or purposed for) adversity, and here I am brother. You are special to me, but as for all these heavy burdens and trials….guess what? Jesus could come back at any moment…..and BOOM! Problem Solved! Someday we will hear, “Look! It’s Jesus coming on the clouds.” For some, that will be a time of joy, but for others, they will mourn, having rejected Christ (Rev 1:7). I must close because it’s Sunday and I must rest. I continue praying for you, and our church are holding up your hands by our prayers. Why is all this happening to you brother? I don’t know. I’m just a clay vessel myself, so I don’t know what shape the Master Potter has in mind, but He’s not done with you yet, and you have God’s finger prints on you.

I am sending you something very, very special….my sermon outline I used for preaching on why there is suffering and how God uses it. I don’t do this for anyone…but thought this might be of some use to you…some of this I wrote thinking of you brother!

PS, Did you know that I save every letter you write…and the same for the other prisoners, but yours is on top of the stack!

My love to you in Christ. Stay hungry

Jack

Conclusion
Why should we pay any heed to those who are locked up behind bars? Why not? Jesus says what we do for the least of these (Matt 25:35-36), we do for Him (Matt 25:40). They, like us, have made mistakes and have paid for their crime, or are currently paying for their crime, but many have been brought to an end of themselves and are left with no hope at all. This is the perfect time to offer the hope that is found in Christ. Do we know for sure who is and who isn’t saved? No, but many are so hungry for the Word of God and want to search out Scriptures on this subject or others, and we know that a hunger for God’s Word is generally a byproduct of the Holy Spirit because as the Apostle Paul said, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom 8:5), and many prisoners know they’ll never get out, so all they can do, and in many cases, they are compelled to do by God’s Spirit, is to share Christ with other prisoners. Besides, before we put our trust in Christ, we were all on death row, awaiting sentencing that comes after death (Heb 9:27).


Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2018/02/07/a-letter-to-a-prisoner/#gPLSVisy0BRCWrVI.99

 

[sohbuckkong]

U r not free,
U r still bonded worst then a slave. Satan is yr master. U are doom.

Our church has a prison ministry, and dozens of men and women are putting their trust in Christ, so here is an actual letter that we wrote to a prisoner who is in for life (but have changed his name).

Letters to Prisoners
Our church ministers to the poor, those in nursing homes and hospitals, but also prisoners who have requested pen pals or asked for Bible studies, and so we minister to men and women in state prisons and state hospitals because in most cases, their families have forsaken them, their friends are done with them, and all they have left is Christ, but when a person is broken and has come to an end of all options in their life, that’s when they are humbled by circumstances and some place their faith in Christ. They see that their only way out is up! That is, all they have left is hope in Christ, and ironically, hundreds have been set free behind bars, and now await the day of the Lord’s return. The name has been changed but everything else is accurate in this letter to a prisoner who we will call “Richard.”

Hello Richard
I got your letter and began to pray right away, and our church prayed for you Sunday and I gave the prayer request as an “unspoken need,” as you requested, but I believe, from what you’ve told me, that you are under spiritual attack. Why are you receiving so many spiritual attacks? It’s because those who make the greatest differences in the kingdom are the enemies greatest threat, and the enemy doesn’t bother with silent, under-ground, Christians or “pew potatoes” (like I was for so long). They will go after those who are making a positive difference in the kingdom. I sense you need our ongoing prayer, so when you feel you are under attack (which may come in the form of depression, feelings of worthlessness, or despair), know that we are holding your arms up as Aaron and Hur held up Moses arms when his arms grew weary. You cannot see these “invisible prayer-arms” holding you up, but they are there, nonetheless. Believe me, I know what it feels like to be drained, poured out for others like a drink offering, and having nothing left in the spiritual tank! We give, give, give, and none give to back to us…but I will pray for you brother! I also have people holding me to invisible and unreasonable expectations, so I feel that too, but you know what…that’s a sign of being a spiritual leader. Other men who do nothing for Christ and are silent in their testimony, don’t know what that feels like, but you do because you are helping these men. And yes, it is draining, so I pray for God to fill you brim full with His Sprit to help strengthen you.

Making a Difference
Think about this….what if you were not there and the men in your cellblock or floor did not have someone like you to listen to them or counsel them…what would come of them? Would they have received biblical counsel or have their questions answered…or, would they have been led to Christ?! Possibly not because you wouldn’t have been there to share Christ, so just as you helped in opening the doors of heaven for some of these men, you must realize that it was for such a time and place as this that God has appointed you. That’s the way God works, but of course, you already know that. The Word of God cuts me to the quick before it cuts them….but it cuts in order to heal. The surgeon’s scalpel hurts, but it just might save your life. You might feel alone, but you are not alone. And, you are just the opposite of many I know because you are humble, and that’s who God extends His grace to (James 4:6). You said you are broken and messed up, but our church is close to railroad tracks and I remind the church that every time I hear a train, remember, we’re all train wrecks before God, but God is in the restoration business! God rarely calls the mighty, strong, or the rich, so I think it’s good to admit what you said. We are all broken…and have been since The Fall (Gen 3).







Growing in the Lord
You said to tell you where you are growing. Here’s how I know you are in Christ and in His Word. You said “Guys in hear tell me I give them hope.” Wow! Next, you said you spend your days reading Our Daily Bread, Faith 2 Faith, The Bible, praying, and listening to Bible teachers , so that is evidence, in fact, strong evidence of a deep hunger for God and to know His Word

My love to you in Christ. Stay hungry

Jack

Conclusion
Why should we pay any heed to those who are locked up behind bars? Why not? Jesus says what we do for the least of these (Matt 25:35-36), we do for Him (Matt 25:40). They, like us, have made mistakes and have paid for their crime, or are currently paying for their crime, but many have been brought to an end of themselves and are left with no hope at all. This is the perfect time to offer the hope that is found in Christ. Do we know for sure who is and who isn’t saved? No, but many are so hungry for the Word of God and want to search out Scriptures on this subject or others, and we know that a hunger for God’s Word is generally a byproduct of the Holy Spirit because as the Apostle Paul said, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom 8:5), and many prisoners know they’ll never get out, so all they can do, and in many cases, they are compelled to do by God’s Spirit, is to share Christ with other prisoners. Besides, before we put our trust in Christ, we were all on death row, awaiting sentencing that comes after death (Heb 9:27).


Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2018/02/07/a-letter-to-a-prisoner/#gPLSVisy0BRCWrVI.99

 

[beensetfree]

Drink plenty of water

I’ve heard it. I’ve read it. As long as I have been running, it’s always been the same message: “drink plenty of water.”

All along most race courses are water stations, and most runners slow down to drink a cup of cool water. Keeping your water level up is critical when you run. If you get slightly dehydrated, you will not run well. If you get moderately dehydrated, you will become disoriented. If you get seriously dehydrated, you can die. It’s serious business.

The first year I ran was 1991, and I was inexperienced (also younger, slimmer, stupider, etc.) I passed water stop after water stop, occasionally drinking a swallow or two. I felt good, and I wasn’t going to waste precious seconds drinking water, even though it was a hot, humid day.

Big mistake. As I neared the final mile, I “hit the wall.” My energy level dropped to zero, I began having to walk some, and I realized I would have to work hard just to finish. I did make it across the line, but only with a tremendous headache and hardly enough energy to walk. It was not much fun.

I learned an important lesson that year. Stopping for water doesn’t actually slow you down. In fact, you will run a better race if you do drink water. The bottom line is that your body is simply not designed to function without water.

In the same way, your spiritual stamina depends on stopping for regular drinks of “spiritual water.” The dilemma for busy believers is finding time to invest in reading the Word and meeting with God in prayer. Like the runner intent on reaching the finish line, we tend to put off those regular drinks of water until we are totally parched.

But in the long run, you will run a better race if you will stop for spiritual water. In fact, finishing the Christian race at all may depend on it. And runners who don’t ever slow down to take a drink often stumble off the course far short of the finish line.

In this year’s race, I saw a man become dehydrated just a mile from the finish. Strangely, he didn’t seem to recognize that anything was wrong. He was swaying from side to side as he walked, mumbling over and over, “I’m fine. I’m fine.” He was so disoriented that he didn’t even recognize his own sick condition.

If you let yourself become spiritually dehydrated, you may not even be able to recognize it. Stop today to drink some cool “living water.” For serious runners, it’s a must.

 

[beensetfree]

I’m getting ready to change my major. I’m sure that as college students you hear that a lot. Many of you have probably even said it yourself. However, you probably haven’t heard it too often from an engineering masters student who is only lacking a thesis to graduate.

I spent this past summer doing research in a cold, white lab with no windows. No one else works in my lab, so I had a lot of time alone with my thoughts…well, almost alone. God occasionally stopped by to keep me company. I have talked to God often throughout my life. But there in the lab with the only noise coming from the distant hum of the computers and the air conditioning, I was able to truly listen to God for the first time.

Before you get too excited, I must admit that God didn’t reveal the great secrets of the universe to me. He didn’t even tell me anything profound. God simply helped me to see something that I had known deep in my heart for a long time…that I would not be happy working as an engineer. He was calling me to use my talents in ministering to young people.

You may not realize how hard it is in today’s society to tell people that I am leaving the field of engineering when my masters degree is almost in my hand. People automatically assume that I must be a failure or that I didn’t have what it takes to finish. I probably would have thought the same thing myself a couple years ago.

Our society puts so much emphasis on high salary high tech jobs that we think anyone who has the ability to do those jobs must be crazy not to. However, God has an annoying habit of not going by the same values as society. God told me last summer that just because I am fluent with a 2000 function calculator doesn’t mean that He didn’t give me other talents that were just as important. I had been spending so much time developing my talents that society valued that I neglected developing the talents that God wanted me to use.

Part of developing our Christian conscience should be learning to listen to God’s plans for us. We need to learn to take the time to listen to what God is calling us to do and not just assume our place in society based on what society says we should do.

If all the talented and smart people of the world became doctors, lawyers, and engineers, then who would be left to watch after the little ones. Since this past summer, I have realized that there are many talented people looking after the little ones. These people could have easily given in to society and been in a “high power” job, but they have chosen to listen to God’s callings and do His work instead.

God does call some of us to be engineers, and it is a good thing that He does. However, thanks to a lot of prayer in a cold, white, windowless lab, I now know that the high tech world is not where He is calling me. Anybody need a used calculator?

 

[beensetfree]

Three questions

About a year ago, I stayed for a week with the director of vocations for the diocese of Idaho, Fr. Ron Cook. During my stay, he shared with me these three questions that he always asked young people who were thinking about their vocation. I have found these three questions to be invaluable in every area of my life where I have struggled with doing God’s will. If you ask yourself these three questions and answer yes to them, you will find that doing God’s will becomes a lot easier.

1. Do you believe that God knows what will make you happy better than you do?
2. Do you believe that God wants you to be happy more than you do?
3. Can you put your life and your will in God’s hands.

 

[beensetfree]

“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”

Isaiah 44:22

Attentively observe the instructive similitude : our sins are like a cloud. As clouds are of many shapes and shades, so are our transgressions. As clouds obscure the light of the sun, and darken the landscape beneath, so do our sins hide from us the light of Jehovah's face, and cause us to sit in the shadow of death. They are earth-born things, and rise from the miry places of our nature; and when so collected that their measure is full, they threaten us with storm and tempest. Alas! that, unlike clouds, our sins yield us no genial showers, but rather threaten to deluge us with a fiery flood of destruction. O ye black clouds of sin, how can it be fair weather with our souls while ye remain?

Let our joyful eye dwell upon the notable act of divine mercy — “blotting out.” God himself appears upon the scene, and in divine benignity, instead of manifesting his anger, reveals his grace: he at once and for ever effectually removes the mischief, not by blowing away the cloud, but by blotting it out from existence once for all. Against the justified man no sin remains, the great transaction of the cross has eternally removed his transgressions from him. On Calvary's summit the great deed, by which the sin of all the chosen was for ever put away, was completely and effectually performed.

Practically let us obey the gracious command , “return unto me.” Why should pardoned sinners live at a distance from their God? If we have been forgiven all our sins, let no legal fear withhold us from the boldest access to our Lord. Let backslidings be bemoaned, but let us not persevere in them. To the greatest possible nearness of communion with the Lord, let us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, strive mightily to return. O Lord, this night restore us!

 

[beensetfree]

The Unicorn.

A long time ago, when the earth was green
And there was more kinds of animals than you’ve ever seen,
And they run around free while the world was bein’ born,
And the loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

There was green alligators and long-neck geese.
There was humpy bumpy camels and chimpanzees.
There was catsandratsandelephants, but sure as you’re born
The loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

But the Lord seen some sinnin’, and it caused him pain.
He says, “Stand back, I’m gonna make it rain.”
He says, “Hey Brother Noah, I’ll tell ya whatcha do.
Go and build me a floatin’ zoo.

And you take two alligators, and a couple of geese,
Two humpy bumpy camels and two chimpanzees.
Take two catsandratsandelephants, but sure as you’re born
Noah, don’t you forget my Unicorn.

Now Noah was there, and he answered the callin’,
And he finished up the ark just as the rain started fallin’.
He marched in the animals two by two,
And he called out as they went through,

“Hey Lord, I got your two alligators and your couple of geese,
Your humpy bumpy camels and your two chimpanzees.
Got your catsandratsandelephants–but Lord, I’m so forlorn
‘Cause I just don’t see no Unicorn.”

Ol’ Noah looked out through the drivin’ rain,
But the Unicorns were hidin’, playin’ silly games.
They were kickin’ and splashin’ in the misty morn,
Oh them silly Unicorn.

Then the goat started goatin’, and the snake started snakin’,
The elephant started elephantin’, and the boat started shakin’.
The mouse started squeakin’, and the lion started roarin’,
And everyone’s aboard but the Unicorn.

I mean the green alligators and the long-neck geese,
The humpy bumpy camels and the chimpanzees.
Noah cried, “Close the door ’cause the rain is pourin’–
And we just can’t wait for them Unicorn.”

Then the ark started movin’, and it drifted with the tide,
And the Unicorns looked up from the rock and cried.
And the water come up and sort of floated them away–
That’s why you’ve never seen a Unicorn to this day.

You’ll see a lot of alligators and a whole mess of geese.
You’ll see humpy bumpy camels and lots of chimpanzees.
You’ll see cats and rats and elephants
but sure as you’re born
You’re never gonna see no Unicorn.

 

[beensetfree]

How can you fight off lust in a world where there’s so much sexually explicit images?

Turn
Jesus said “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:48), so how can we possibly do that in a world where there’s sexually explicit images just about everywhere you look? It’s in public in the way people dress, on the Internet, TV, magazines, newspapers, and just about any place human eyes can see, so how can we keep our hearts from lusting after the images we see in the world?

Job gave me an idea how to deal with the lusting eye, and for him, it was turn your heard, or don’t look. When we look at something that might make us lust, the best thing to do is to quickly look the other way. For me, it was Job’s covenantal eyes, saying, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin” (Job 31:1)? Solomon’s wisdom tells us, “Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life” (Prov 6:25-26), so if we don’t want to desire such beauty to the point of lusting, we should choose to look away. It is just not worth the grief it will bring in ruined or destroyed relationships if we allow ourselves to act on that lust. What enters the eye gate enters the heart.

Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness” (Matt 6:22-23)! Just as what goes into the mouth, enters the body, whatever enters they eye gate, enters the heart…and often, finds a home.


i




Run
God’s will is clearly defined in Scripture, where the Apostle Paul writes, “by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:1-2), so “this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” (1 Thess 4:3-4).

Sometimes that abstaining comes in the form of leaving the place or situation where you’re tempted. That means we should “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22). Several times the Bible says our response to avoiding sin is to run or to flee. For example, Paul writes that we must “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor 6:18).

Don’t think you can’t be tempted, because “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). This is partly why the Apostle Peter wrote, “I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Pet 2:11), and sometimes why it’s best to run when you’re tempted.

Read
After a believer has put their trust in Christ, they have just begun the battle…the battle against the flesh. That’s something the Apostle Paul was clearly aware of, writing, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom 7:19). Even after conversion, we all still sin (1 John 1:8, 10), so we must “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5), but what can help us do that, besides run from temptation and turn our eyes away?

How can you turn away from or run from your imagination? The psalmist gives us sage advice by writing, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). In effect, the psalmist is saying he memorized Scripture so that he might not sin against God. The seemingly insignificant word “that” in this verse, is the hinge on which the door of the Word of God turns and slams the door on temptation shut. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts gives us ammo for times when we need to resist temptation.

For Job, it was turning his eyes away when he looked at a woman. For others, it was running as fast as they can, but the Word of God has power (Isaiah 55:11; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18), and we need God’s power, which are found in His Spirit and in His Word. That’s because, “all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16).

Conclusion
The best way to avoid lusting and temptation, which can carry us away into sin, is to immediately look away from anything that tempts you; remove yourself from a tempting situation; and hide God’s Word in your heart, because God’s Word has power where we do not (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18), and we need to tap that power in order to fight the temptation to lust, which could lead to a sin of sexual immorality.