Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

And these are the singers ... they were employed in that work day and night.?

1 Chronicles 9:33

Well was it so ordered in the temple that the sacred chant never ceased: for evermore did the singers praise the Lord, whose mercy endureth for ever. As mercy did not cease to rule either by day or by night, so neither did music hush its holy ministry. My heart, there is a lesson sweetly taught to thee in the ceaseless song of Zion's temple, thou too art a constant debtor, and see thou to it that thy gratitude, like charity, never faileth.

God's praise is constant in heaven, which is to be thy final dwelling-place, learn thou to practise the eternal hallelujah. Around the earth as the sun scatters his light, his beams awaken grateful believers to tune their morning hymn, so that by the priesthood of the saints perpetual praise is kept up at all hours, they swathe our globe in a mantle of thanksgiving, and girdle it with a golden belt of song.

The Lord always deserves to be praised for what he is in himself, for his works of creation and providence, for his goodness towards his creatures, and especially for the transcendent act of redemption, and all the marvelous blessing flowing therefrom. It is always beneficial to praise the Lord; it cheers the day and brightens the night; it lightens toil and softens sorrow; and over earthly gladness it sheds a sanctifying radiance which makes it less liable to blind us with its glare.

Have we not something to sing about at this moment? Can we not weave a song out of our present joys, or our past deliverances, or our future hopes? Earth yields her summer fruits: the hay is housed, the golden grain invites the sickle, and the sun tarrying long to shine upon a fruitful earth, shortens the interval of shade that we may lengthen the hours of devout worship. By the love of Jesus, let us be stirred up to close the day with a psalm of sanctified gladness.

 

[beensetfree]

I am an Alien



Do you believe in aliens? Surveys show that more and more folks are open to the idea that we are not alone in this ginormous universe...that lurking out there - or maybe even here - are beings that are definitely different in nature and not at home on this planet.

Like Teletubbies - right? I mean, if Tinky Winky and Dipsy who annoyingly repeat the phrase "Bibberly cheese!" aren't aliens, I'm not sure what would qualify...

Then there's the new Sci-Fi series that has a lot of people talking called V . The V stands for "visitor" - as in aliens who are "visiting" Earth, but it seems pretty clear that they are not here to chill out and try and figure out great mysteries like why so many humans get into arguments over Edward and Jacob.

The visitors are on a mission to conquer the planet, and this just might be...

The end of humanity! Nooooooooo!!! (Cue the epic music.)

Personally, I like being an alien. Not that its always easy, but having a "stranger in a strange land" mentality helps me get why life on planet Earth just seems so messed up at times.

Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind - not yet anyway. I call myself an alien because that's what God calls Christians:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 1:10-12).

The day that I trusted in Jesus Christ as my only hope of salvation, something incredible happened. I ceased being just a person and became a child God. I was freed from the chains of humanity that would have you believe that joy and contentment can come from anything in this world. My true citizenship and home is in heaven, so my life is now an alien journey on planet Earth.

On the show V , the aliens are there to distract, deceive, and ultimately destroy the native folks, and that is obviously why the Christian kind of "visitor" is on a completely different mission. Our task is to:

Live an exemplary life among the natives so that our actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives (1 Peter 2:12, The Message).

Isn't that incredible? As believers in Jesus Christ, we get to show our "alien-ness" by loving the unloved, forgiving our offenders, and passing along the greatest message in all the universe:

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died (1 Corinthians 16:3-6).

This gospel message is also alien, because it wasn't invented by any human mind. The gospel is from the mind of God and is the power of God. It is capable of transforming any guilt-ridden, hopeless life into unbelievable meaning, purpose, and value.

Are you feeling a bit alienated and alone at times? Unfortunately, that's a part of following Christ. To feel not at home and rejected by a culture that cares only about selfish personal happiness and limitless pleasure is natural when you dare 2 share a Christ-like life and the gospel message. But remember that no matter how dark and lonely the path, there is an amazing end to the journey - then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

The end for us aliens is actually just the beginning! Jesus Christ is returning to gather all His followers, and there is going to be a homecoming party that is beyond your wildest imagination.

I'm sure you're familiar with the common alien phrase: "Take me to your leader."

Well, fellow alien...let's turn that around and ask our friends and family this: "Would you like to meet my Leader?"

Talk to your friends about alien movies and why they like or don't like them. Use that discussion as a springboard to talk about how Christians are called "aliens" in the Bible and what that means - especially in terms of the "alien" message of the gospel.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth (Hebrews 11:13).

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty"
(2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).


Thought For The Day

"Only when we have knelt before God, can we stand before men."


Verse for the Day

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

 

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The Lord made us & will complete His work in us
Your hands fashioned and made me,
and now you have destroyed me altogether.

Remember that you have made me like clay;
and will you return me to the dust?

Job 10:8,9 ESV

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But the path of the righteous
is like the light of dawn,

That shines brighter and brighter
until the full day.

Proverbs 4:18 NASB

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For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Galatians 5:13-16 NASB

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Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1:6 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.”

Psalm 65:11

All the year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us; both when we sleep and when we wake his mercy waits upon us. The sun may leave us a legacy of darkness, but our God never ceases to shine upon his children with beams of love. Like a river, his lovingkindness is always flowing, with a fulness inexhaustible as his own nature. Like the atmosphere which constantly surrounds the earth, and is always ready to support the life of man, the benevolence of God surrounds all his creatures; in it, as in their element, they live, and move, and have their being.

Yet as the sun on summer days gladdens us with beams more warm and bright than at other times, and as rivers are at certain seasons swollen by the rain, and as the atmosphere itself is sometimes fraught with more fresh, more bracing, or more balmy influences than heretofore, so is it with the mercy of God; it hath its golden hours; its days of overflow, when the Lord magnifies his grace before the sons of men. Amongst the blessings of the nether springs, the joyous days of harvest are a special season of excessive favor. It is the glory of autumn that the ripe gifts of providence are then abundantly bestowed; it is the mellow season of realization, whereas all before was but hope and expectation. Great is the joy of harvest. Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven.

The Psalmist tells us that the harvest is the crowning of the year. Surely these crowning mercies call for crowning thanksgiving! Let us render it by the inward emotions of gratitude. Let our hearts be warmed; let our spirits remember, meditate, and think upon this goodness of the Lord. Then let us praise him with our lips, and laud and magnify his name from whose bounty all this goodness flows. Let us glorify God by yielding our gifts to his cause. A practical proof of our gratitude is a special thank-offering to the Lord of the harvest.

 

[beensetfree]

You are a Letter from God


Have you ever wanted to write a letter to God? If you sat down right now to compose a message to the Creator of the universe, what would you say?

I think most would go with the whole series of "why?" questions...why me God? Why did my parents divorce? Why am I depressed a lot? Why did you make me this way? Why are things turning out like this?

Valid questions to be sure - and also ones that God is not threatened or angered by. Life is sometimes plain and simple awful, and it is human nature to point our finger at the sky and blame the One in charge - right?

That is certainly something Tyler Doherty could have done, and no one would have blamed him.

Who is Tyler Doherty? Well that's not his real name, but he is a real 8 year old boy who went from an easy going, soccer playing childhood to the darkest journey anyone could ever face when one simple word entered his world:

Cancer

In the process of his battle with this deadly disease, Tyler had to quit his beloved sport, lose his hair and eyebrows, and face a daily battle with a reality that could crush the spirit of anyone on the planet.

But Tyler had an unshakeable relationship with God...a childlike faith that turned his pain and discouragement into a community transformation. That's why the letters he writes to God are not about the "why," or even about him. Tyler writes to God about other people and their problems, and in turn becomes a living letter from God to everyone around him.

And now his story has the chance to transform - not hundreds - but literally millions of lives through the movie Letters to God.

I can't say if I would have the faith that Tyler had when facing a giant of that size, but one thing I have in common with him is that I, too, am a living letter from God to the people around me.

And if you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, this statement is true about you:

Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts (2 Corinthians 2:2-3).

This truth formed the foundation of Tyler 's outlook on life. He wrote pen and ink letters to God on behalf of others, and in turn God used him to be a beating heart letter from Jesus Christ. His deepest wish was that the sad, hurting, and broken people in his world would come to know God.

We've been granted an unbelievable opportunity - haven't we? Every day God is texting the world through our eyes, our words, our attitudes, and our actions. The ink from our hearts bleeds onto the paper of our world, painting a picture of Jesus Christ.

So what kind of living letter are you? The answer to this question can be found in another question:

What kind of letters are you writing to God?

Your prayers are your letters, so if they are generally composed of complaints, questions, and self-focused requests, then that is the kind of God the people around you will see.

How about we all start a new letter writing campaign? One that asks God to touch lives and heal the pain in our corner of the world. One that begs God for the salvation of our friends who don't know Him because they haven't trusted in Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation.

Let me start this campaign with a letter from God that changed me to the core of my being:

He was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God's paths to follow our own.
Yet the L ord laid on him
the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Remember, the ink that God is using to write His message to the world through you was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Don't waste this precious gift with selfish and self-centered prayers and living, rather make each day a magnificent composition to your Savior, then watch Him write His message of unconditional love and salvation to everyone around you!

Ask your friends what they would put in a letter to God. Would they ask questions? Would they question His goodness? Or would they be more like Tyler and praise God for the life they've been given? Pray for an opportunity to talk about the Biblical description of Christians as "living letters"' from God, telling the world about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:15-17).

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing (Philippians 2:14-16).

Verse for the Day

"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits... who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. --Psalm 103: 1,5

 

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Do all for the sake of the gospel
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV

__________________

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another:
just as I have loved you,
you also are to love one another.

By this all people will know that
you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another."

John 13:34,35 ESV

__________________

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself', ye do well:

James 2:8 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

So she gleaned in the field until even.?

Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances, and hearing the word to gather spiritual food. The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: so must I be content to search for single truths, if there be no greater plenty of them. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise unto salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open: if she stumbled among the stubble in a dream, she would have no load to carry home rejoicingly at eventide. I must be watchful in religious exercises lest they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost much already ? O that I may rightly estimate my opportunities, and glean with greater diligence. The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. High spirits criticize and object, but lowly minds glean and receive benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul-saving word is not received except with meekness. A stiff back makes a bad gleaner; down, master pride, thou art a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment.

What the gleaner gathers she holds: if she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day's work would be but scant; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last her gains are great. How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I feel duly the importance of storing up the truth? A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise; if there be no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she labors under the sense of necessity, and hence her tread is nimble and her grasp is firm; I have even a greater necessity, Lord, help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields which yield so plenteous a reward to diligence.

 

[beensetfree]

What's in Your Wonderland?


"There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter.Which luckily I am."- The Mad Hatter

I don't know about you, but if I were in an uncomfortable situation with a room full of people, and I saw a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch booking towards a maze, I'd be outta there in a heartbeat.

That's what Alice Kingsley does for the second time in ten years - and this time the stakes are much, much higher.

Welcome to Director Tim Burton's vision of Alice in Wonderland.complete with a goth-esque Alice, Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter, and what Disney film would be complete without a smoking caterpillar?

A fun ride to be sure, but traveling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland is not for the faint of heart. And perhaps you do need to be at least a bit mad to survive.

Which luckily for me, I am as well.

I didn't see a white rabbit and follow him down a hole, but when I was 15, I heard a message and an invitation that sounds just about as crazy as Alice in Wonderland. The speaker talked about an invisible spiritual kingdom that co-exists with the physical world we live in. There are good and evil forces locked in battle, and the stakes are the highest in the universe, because the war is for eternal souls.

So I checked it out in God's Word to see if he was correct, and this is what I found:

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Are you seeing the picture here? When I trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, I entered into a spiritual wonderland that has been the greatest adventure I ever could have imagined. I've seen and experienced things that simply cannot be described with human language.and yes, there are those who might call me mad. But who cares? I'm in league with someone else who was labeled similarly:

"I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic.?I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'"

Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!" (Acts 26:17-18;24)

This is a scene from The Apostle Paul's life when he was on trial for being a Christian. When he told them about the spiritual rabbit hole that Jesus called him down, they wrote him off as the original Mad Hatter.

And I guess we all seem a little mad. We appear mad because we believe that God loved the world so much that he sent Jesus to save us. We look crazy because we believe life was designed for us to love/serve God and to "rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment" (Jude 1:23). But really, this is the realest reality of all.

Can I be a white rabbit for a second? I'd like to invite you to the wonderland of Christianity. Following Christ is not a boring religious exercise designed to keep us from having fun - that's what Satan would like you to believe. Rather this is what God promises:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

This pledge is not referring to heaven - although that will be amazing as well. This is a guarantee to those who love Jesus, that their lives will be as radically different and more exciting and breathtaking as Wonderland compared to England. It's a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger.

So.what's in your Wonderland?


Ask your friends what they think about Christians and Christianity in general. Talk to them about how following Christ is a radically different way to see life, and pray for an opportunity to share the gospel.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

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

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Verse for the Day

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phillipians 4:6

 

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For those who have served well
Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:13 NIV

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"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

Matthew 25:21 NASB

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Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 3:20,21 KJV

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For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Hebrews 10:34 ESV

__________________

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself', ye do well:

James 2:8 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“But as he went.”

Luke 8:42

Jesus is passing through the throng to the house of Jairus, to raise the ruler's dead daughter; but he is so profuse in goodness that he works another miracle while upon the road. While yet this rod of Aaron bears the blossom of an unaccomplished wonder, it yields the ripe almonds of a perfect work of mercy. It is enough for us, if we have some one purpose, straightway to go and accomplish it; it were imprudent to expend our energies by the way. Hastening to the rescue of a drowning friend, we cannot afford to exhaust our strength upon another in like danger. It is enough for a tree to yield one sort of fruit, and for a man to fulfill his own peculiar calling.

But our Master knows no limit of power or boundary of mission. He is so prolific of grace, that like the sun which shines as it rolls onward in its orbit, his path is radiant with lovingkindness. He is a swift arrow of love, which not only reaches its ordained target, but perfumes the air through which it flies. Virtue is evermore going out of Jesus, as sweet odors exhale from flowers; and it always will be emanating from him, as water from a sparkling fountain. What delightful encouragement this truth affords us! If our Lord is so ready to heal the sick and bless the needy, then, my soul, be not thou slow to put thyself in his way, that he may smile on thee.

Be not slack in asking, if he be so abundant in bestowing. Give earnest heed to his word now, and at all times, that Jesus may speak through it to thy heart. Where he is to be found there make thy resort, that thou mayst obtain his blessing. When he is present to heal, may he not heal thee? But surely he is present even now, for he always comes to hearts which need him. And dost not thou need him? Ah, he knows how much! Thou Son of David, turn thine eye and look upon the distress which is now before thee, and make thy suppliant whole.

 

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Did Jesus Disciple Women? Did Jesus Have Women Disciples?


Why do we tend to ignore women disciples of Jesus? Here’s reason why we shouldn’t.

Who are Disciples?
Jesus said in Luke 14:33, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple,” but what is a disciple of Christ, and who are His disciples today? The word disciple comes to us from the Old English word discipul (fem. discipula) which comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning, “pupil, student, follower,” and said to be from the word discere from which we get the word “discern” and that comes from the root word, dek which means “to take, accept” (hint: Matt 28:18-20), so a disciple is a student or learned who is following the teachings of someone and “takes it” or “accepts” as their own. According to Barnhart and Klein, it comes from a lost compound word, discipere , which means “to grasp intellectually,” “analyze thoroughly,” and is from dis- “apart” plus capere “to take, take hold of,” like “carpe diem” is Latin for “seize the day.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for disciple is “mathēteuō” and it means a “student, learner,” or “pupil,” so that’s what disciple means, and it has nothing to do with masculine or feminine.

To Be His Disciple
A lot of people say they are Christians or believers but few say they are Jesus’ disciples or they “follow Him,” but there are still disciples of Jesus Christ today and the way you can identify them is whether they follow Jesus’ teachings or not. Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40), so does a person forsake all, including family relations, in order to follow Christ? If not, they are not a true disciple of Jesus. They might think they are, but Jesus gives a very narrow definition of who is a true disciple of His.

Discipleship is anything that calls someone to live in Christ, equips them to live like Christ, or sends them to live for Christ, and authentic discipleship always strives to raise up men and women who love God above all else. No wonder Jesus said we should count the cost (Luke 14:28). Can you be a disciple without evangelism (Matt 28:18-20)? “Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24), and that means to do what Jesus commands, which includes the Great Commission, so “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26), and “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27), so every Christian should know, if they don’t already, it is a very narrow path that leads to eternal life, which is why so few find it (Matt 7:13-14), “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple”(Luke 14:33). Many are called, but few are chosen (Matt 22:14), so another point is, Jesus chooses His disciples, not they who choose Him. Christ said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (John 15:16a)

Women Disciples
Today, since more women attend church than men do, there may actually be more women disciples than men, so yes, by all means, Jesus had women disciples, meaning He discipled women too. It wasn’t long before Jesus “went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1), but “also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means” (Luke 8:2-3), so not only were women disciples of Jesus, they also provided for His earthy ministry “out of their means.”

When Jesus was being crucified, more women were present than men, since the men had ran for their lives after Jesus was arrested, and so at Calvary, “There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem” (Mark 15:40-41). Remember that a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ, following wherever He went and doing whatever He commands. Being a disciple has nothing to do with being male or female. It has everything to do with following Him, at whatever the cost.

The universal proclamation to make disciples cannot exclude women since the call to salvation is universal. That means it must necessarily include women, so being a disciple has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother” (Mark 3:35), so it is male, female…in fact, all who call upon the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13), regardless of who they are.

Conclusion
To be a disciple of Christ’s you must study His textbook, the Bible. It’s like enlisting someone in the Army and issuing them a rifle that they never learn how to clean and shoot. The risk when we don’t “fully” disciple new believers is that they will almost always become lukewarm in faith, worldly in behavior, and hypocritical in witness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book on the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, and the cost for his being a disciple of Christ was his death in a Nazi prison camp.

He said if you want to be a disciple, look to Jesus! Dietrich Bonhoeffer desired to be a disciple of Christ and then entered into the sufferings of Christ, which is just what Paul desired, writing that it was so “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10), and that’s exactly what he found, or as Bonhoeffer has said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Sometimes that is the cost of discipleship.

 

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Redeemed - How I love to proclaim it!
And the ransomed of the LORD will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads.

They will find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:10 NASB

__________________

For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob,
and ransomed him from the hand of
him that was stronger than he.

Therefore they shall come and sing
in the height of Zion,
and shall flow together to the goodness
of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine,
and for oil, and for the young of the
flock and of the herd: and their soul
shall be as a watered garden;
and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Jeremiah 31:11,12 KJV

__________________

Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
He will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:16,17 NIV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands.?

Haggai 2:17

How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we to be when the corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer unto the Lord thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious destroyers?smut, bunt, rust, and mildew. These turn the ear into a mass of soot, or render it putrid, or dry up the grain, and all in a manner so beyond all human control that the farmer is compelled to cry, ?This is the finger of God.?

Innumerable minute fungi cause the mischief, and were it not for the goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would soon scatter famine over the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of men, but in view of the active agents which are ready to destroy the harvest, right wisely are we taught to pray, ?Give us this day our daily bread.? The curse is abroad; we have constant need of the blessing. When blight and mildew come they are chastisements from heaven, and men must learn to hear the rod, and him that hath appointed it.

Spiritually, mildew is no uncommon evil. When our work is most promising this blight appears. We hoped for many conversions, and lo! a general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel hardness of heart! There may be no open sin in those for whom we are laboring, but there is a deficiency of sincerity and decision sadly disappointing our desires. We learn from this our dependence upon the Lord, and the need of prayer that no blight may fall upon our work. Spiritual pride or sloth will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord of the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts, and shrivel our prayers and religious exercises. May it please the great Husbandman to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of Righteousness, and drive the blights away.

 

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ians Must Love Muslims
AUGUST 4, 2017 BY JACK WELLMAN

83 COMMENTS
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There are biblical reasons that believers should love Muslims, while there is no room for hate.
Enemies of God
The Apostle Paul never did try to tiptoe around the Word of God. He said, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6), and so, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Even more incredibly,“while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10). Since God died for ungodly, wicked sinners who were His enemies, how can we not love others in a way that proves that we are Jesus’ disciples? Jesus said it is by our love for one another that people will know we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). Since Jesus died for us when we certainly didn’t deserve it, how can we ever call someone an enemy? We used to be one! We must look at people the way God looks at people, and we know from Scripture that “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1st Tim 2:4), so we should pray that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2nd Tim 2:25b). A person’s positon in life, skin color, religion, or national origin, should never matter to the believer in Christ. God is no respecter of persons and He doesn’t regard one over another, and neither should we.
The Unlovable
Who among us is loveable? I mean loveable to God? The Apostle Paul doesn’t rank peoples and nations, but rather puts us all in the same category, writing, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10), and “no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Rom 3:11), in fact, not just you and me, but “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:12). Paul says with authority that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). That certainly levels the playing field of humanity. None are good and certainly not good enough to work their way to heaven, so we must learn to look at people differently, and that means Muslims are not our enemies any more than atheists, Buddhists or Hindus are. We are no better than they, and they are no better than we. The only difference is God saved us, but He is saving others too, including those who have come out of various world religions but also out of atheism and agnosticism.

Dreams and Visions
In many cases, where missionaries can’t go, Jesus has appeared in dreams and visions to people of various faiths around the world, including the Islamic faith. It doesn’t matter to God where someone is. He can move heaven and earth to save one soul, and we know it’s His will that none should perish, and that includes Muslims. Many former Muslims have come to know the Jesus of the Bible…the Son of God Who died for their sins…cleansing all who would trust in Him. There are certainly concerns about Sharia Law taking over certain areas of the nation, but the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists and we shouldn’t treat all Muslims as if they are. That’s looking at the outside and not the heart, as God does (1st Sam 16:7). Many Muslims who immigrated to the U.S. or Canada have done so to escape Sharia Law or the radical elements of Islamic extremists. They are tired of the violence, and so when they are exposed to Jesus as He truly is (like in the gospel of John), they see that He teaches that we are to be praying for our enemies, doing good to those who do bad to us, and blessing those who curse us (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28). That’s Jesus’ way and it must be our way too if we are to be His disciples and hope to be used by God to lead some to Christ. The love of God is a powerful magnet to Muslims, and our love for them should act in the same way.
Why Muslims?
Undoubtedly, God has been calling many former Muslims into the church. They too are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), and God has “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26), and He created all the nations so “that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us”(Acts 17:27). As Paul said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28), “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). The children of God are the children of God, not because of sex, color, national origin, or former religion. They become the children of God when they trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Remember that Abraham was a pagan when God called Him and the Apostle Paul was the church’s arch enemy, imprisoning and killing Christians, but God saved him. This shows that the worst of sinners can be saved, and that’s why grace is so very amazing. Why try to witness to Muslims? We’re told to go into all the world, and not just certain people groups (Matt 28:18-20). Why not Muslims, or Buddhists, or atheists, or anyone you see? Even the Jews will be restored to a right relationship with God, and the day will come when “Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zech 8:22-23).
Conclusion
If we are fearful or afraid to even talk to a Muslim, then we’re taking the wrong approach and we must be uneducated about Muslims, but we’re also having a memory lapse, because we too were once an enemy of God (Rom 5:10). Our true enemy is the one we should be concerned about. He’s a powerful and yet invisible enemy that truly is an enemy ours (Eph 6), but even he and his minions can’t keep us from God (Rom 8:37-39), and someday that enemy will face the judgment of God (Rev 20:10). Muslims are not our enemies, they are people that God wants to save and is saving and, and by our love and prayers for them, God might possibly use us as a means to save some.
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is a writer at Christian Quotes and also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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"Exactly, same with believers, it is our right and honor to worship God. So what ..."
ANDRES DESAYA

 

[beensetfree]

Glorify Him In All Things!
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

__________________

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10,11 NASB

__________________

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?”

Numbers 32:6

Kindred has its obligations. The Reubenites and Gadites would have been unbrotherly if they had claimed the land which had been conquered, and had left the rest of the people to fight for their portions alone. We have received much by means of the efforts and sufferings of the saints in years gone by, and if we do not make some return to the church of Christ by giving her our best energies, we are unworthy to be enrolled in her ranks. Others are combating the errors of the age manfully, or excavating perishing ones from amid the ruins of the fall, and if we fold our hands in idleness we had need be warned, lest the curse of Meroz fall upon us.

The Master of the vineyard saith, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” What is the idler's excuse? Personal service of Jesus becomes all the more the duty of all because it is cheerfully and abundantly rendered by some. The toils of devoted missionaries and fervent ministers shame us if we sit still in indolence. Shrinking from trial is the temptation of those who are at ease in Zion: they would fain escape the cross and yet wear the crown; to them the question for this evening's meditation is very applicable.

If the most precious are tried in the fire, are we to escape the crucible? If the diamond must be vexed upon the wheel, are we to be made perfect without suffering? Who hath commanded the wind to cease from blowing because our bark is on the deep? Why and wherefore should we be treated better than our Lord? The firstborn felt the rod, and why not the younger brethren? It is a cowardly pride which would choose a downy pillow and a silken couch for a soldier of the cross. Wiser far is he who, being first resigned to the divine will, groweth by the energy of grace to be pleased with it, and so learns to gather lilies at the cross foot, and, like Samson, to find honey in the lion.

 

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In the Smallest Way


By Kristi Powers


Their faces all blur together.

I see her when I look in the mirror tonight.the girl who has lost all hope...her dark eyes haunt my thoughts, what can I say Lord? How can I bring her hope?

I see him when I wake up in the middle of the night. I wonder if he is awake and still praying and hoping those unwanted feelings will go away. The tears fall softly down my cheeks as I pray for him. Lord, why was he given these feelings? Why must he struggle day after day with those thoughts?

I "see" another young man when I watch a school play. I remember watching him year after year and hearing about what a special young man he was...all of his life ahead of him. Why Lord? Why did he end his life? What can those he left behind do with the all the pain and agony of not understanding. If only. if only he had reached out to just one person before giving into the despair and hopelessness.

I see her in my minds eye.one of the most outwardly beautiful girls I have ever known....but she doesn't see her beauty when she looks in the mirror. She only sees her failures and her flaws. Her insecurity shouts so much louder then the still small voice inside her. Why Lord? Why can't she see herself the way you do? Why can't she latch onto your Words when You call her your precious, precious daughter? Perfect in her flaws for You have made her.

I ask these questions of You tonight, and I search my heart for what You would say to me.

This is how you answer me.


"My child, there is no pit so deep, that My love is not deeper still. I see each of these also. They are so much better left in My hands then yours. For you see, I am at work....you may not see Me, you may not hear Me, but in My Word I say that I am close to the broken hearted. My ways are not your ways child. How quickly you forget that I have each hair on their head numbered. My love for them is endless and never changing. They only need to stretch out their hand from the pit they are in, and I will pull them up and hold on to them and never let them go.

There is nothing that goes unnoticed by Me. Remember my child, I say that for anyone who harms one of my children, it would be better for them to tie a millstone around their neck and be thrown into the sea. I take it very seriously when someone messes with my children. For I love them so very much. Trust me Kristi. Trust that I see and hear and know and My plan for them is one of hope and a future."


Within the quiet of my soul I then ask, "How can I help you Lord? What would you require of me?" And then I remember that it is in the little things of life that the big things are made. It is in the kindness of a small deed or thought that You are seen.

"Do you remember Kristi?"

"Yes", I reply, "I remember." Twenty-five years ago, and I still remember. I remember standing up for her.

"It was such a small thing, Lord, to stand up for her in gym class."

"But what happened Kristi?"

"It gave her the confidence and hope she needed, Lord. It was the small act of kindness that she needed to know how much You loved her Lord. Afterwards she was able to stand up for herself. To know she was worthy. That she was confident. That she was loved....just the way she was."

"And that, My child, is what I require of you. The hand for them to hold on to when the waves of life crash in. The lap to lay their head in and just cry when all of the world seems too dark to go on. Sometimes, but only sometimes, you will be the one to stand up for them, to say where the wrong has been done to them. To be My voice and to be their defender."

I take it all in as God's still small voice speaks to my heart.

"Kristi, there is one thing above all others that I would have you do."

"Anything, Lord, anything!"

"PRAY. For I hear your prayers and I answer. Maybe not in the way you would like, but I answer prayer. Sometimes I answer it in the smallest way.

As I finish pouring my heart out to God this evening, I put my laptop away and I gently lift the sleeping five-year-old that has been curled up next to me and carry him to his room. As I tuck him in his bed he opens up those large sleepy eyes and says, "Mommy, I love you. You are the nicest Mommy in the world."

I sit on his bed and smile. In twelve words, my youngest has made my night a special one. Twelve words was all it took to end my day on a joyful note.

in the smallest way....

Verse for the Day

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working
together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?"
James 2:21,22

 

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I delight to do Your will
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
your Law is within my heart."

I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness
in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

Psalm 40:8,9 NASB

__________________

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

John 4:34,35 ESV

__________________

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

Psalm 37:30,31 NIV

__________________

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

2 Corinthians 3:2,3

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.”

Psalm 72:19

This is a large petition. To intercede for a whole city needs a stretch of faith, and there are times when a prayer for one man is enough to stagger us. But how far-reaching was the psalmist's dying intercession! How comprehensive! How sublime! “Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.” It doth not exempt a single country however crushed by the foot of superstition; it doth not exclude a single nation however barbarous. For the cannibal as well as for the civilized, for all climes and races this prayer is uttered: the whole circle of the earth it encompasses, and omits no son of Adam.

We must be up and doing for our Master, or we cannot honestly offer such a prayer. The petition is not asked with a sincere heart unless we endeavor, as God shall help us, to extend the kingdom of our Master. Are there not some who neglect both to plead and to labour? Reader, is it your prayer? Turn your eyes to Calvary. Behold the Lord of Life nailed to a cross, with the thorn-crown about his brow, with bleeding head, and hands, and feet. What! can you look upon this miracle of miracles, the death of the Son of God, without feeling within your bosom a marvelous adoration that language never can express?

And when you feel the blood applied to your conscience, and know that he has blotted out your sins, you are not a man unless you start from your knees and cry, “Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” Can you bow before the Crucified in loving homage, and not wish to see your Monarch master of the world? Out on you if you can pretend to love your Prince, and desire not to see him the universal ruler. Your piety is worthless unless it leads you to wish that the same mercy which has been extended to you may bless the whole world. Lord, it is harvest-time, put in thy sickle and reap.

 

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What If Today Really Were Your Last Day?

Although they had a small-time start in Canada, they are now huge in the U.S. Nickelback smashed onto the Billboard charts in 2001 with "How You Remind Me" and has convinced folks to buy more than 25 million albums since then. Included in Nickelback's trophy case are accolades from the MTV Video Music Awards, the World Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the Juno Awards, and several nods from the guys at the Grammy's. Nickelback's presence has been felt in the pop, hard rock, alternative, and metal crowds.

In other words, I'm assuming you know who Nickelback is?

Or perhaps you're familiar with one of their latest hits - "If Today Were Your Last Day"- that was also made into a very cool video. This song is also a very clear reminder that even though we'd like to think we have a long time to live here on earth, the fact is, no one really knows and there are definitely no guarantees. So in light of that, Nickelback poses some great questions:

If today was your last day
& tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?
Would you call those friends you've never seen?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up & down to God above
That you'll finally fall in love?
If today was your last day


So.what if today really was your last day?

Seriously, don't we just assume we have all the time in the world? So we fritter and waste away the hours and days on mostly meaningless and generally purposeless activities that really make no difference in the grand scheme of things?

That is what Nickelback is getting at, and I think this is an issue worth thinking about - and even contemplating for a bit.

Why? Well, for many reasons. But I think the most important being the fact that you don't want to look back at the end of your life with the burden of regret. Oh yes, there are thousands, maybe millions of people who do every single day. Instead of passing into eternity with a triumphant feeling of having squeezed every drop of juice out of life, their souls are weighted with the lament of all the "if only" and "why didn't I" flashbacks of life.

You know whose life didn't end with regret? The Apostle Paul's. Read and reflect on what is probably the last thing written by him and recorded in the Bible:

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Did you catch the parallels between Paul's last words and "If Today Were Your Last Day"? They both have a clear statement of "I'm going beyond this culture's annoying habit of wasting the days that could have been spent with passion and investment in the things that last forever."

Paul spent his days pouring out his life like a "drink offering" to God, because he knew two very critical things. First, Jesus Christ will return - and can at any time - and call all true believers into His kingdom. Second, after His return there will be a Judgment Day, when we will all give an account of how we spent the time we had on Earth.

Those two facts became the engine and the fuel of his life and as a result, he wrote two thirds of the New Testament and was used by God to spread the gospel throughout the world.

What if Paul hadn't lived each day as if it were his last? Well, he would have made more money, been more comfortable, maybe even retired on a tropical island and invented the internet so he'd have something to do.

And he would have sped into eternity with an eternity of regret.

But that wasn't for him, and that isn't for me. And do you know what? I hope it isn't for you either! Pour out each day like a drink offering to God. Look forward to Jesus' return at every turn in life. And most importantly, remember there will be a Judgment day, which I hope is a day where your life is applauded and your work is rewarded.

That is how to live like today is your last day.


Watch the Nickelback video on YouTube with your friends and talk about how they would answer the question of "If Today Were Your Last Day." Pray for an opportunity to share how that question doesn't worry you because you know where you will spend eternity, and share the gospel.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).

Thought For The Day

"Only when we have knelt before God, can we stand before men."


Verse for the Day

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6