Just sharing.

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Let's Make a Deal


Okay, so here's the deal. You're 47 years old and are doing fairly well financially. You know a 90-year-old woman who lives alone in a rather nice house. You figure she's not going to be around much longer, so you offer to pay her $500 a month as long as she lives, provided you get her house when she dies. If she agreed, would you make the deal?

We like to think that certain risks we take are "sure things," yet life proves us wrong again and again. This very deal was made in France in 1965. The 47-year-old man was a lawyer, so he wrote everything up, sat back, and waited. And waited. And waited.

In fact, he waited until 1995. That's when he died. The woman, in the meantime, was still going strong. Her name was Jeanne Calment, who is now in the record books as the person with the highest age ever authenticated. She celebrated her 122nd birthday on February 21, 1997, and died the following August. By the time of the lawyer's death, she had received 900,000 francs ($180,000) for her house--three times its actual value. On Calment's 120th birthday, the lawyer joked, "We all make bad deals in life."

His comment pretty much sums up the moral of this story, but perhaps we need to take a closer look at why it was such a bad deal. It's the same reason so many of us make bad deals: we're suckered into looking only at the short-term consequences of the things we do. We convince ourselves we're thinking long-term, but we're wrong.

Maybe we turn our backs on long-time friends, hoping to move up into a more exclusive social group at school, but end up with NEITHER set of friends. Maybe we spend every available dollar on clothes and entertainment, hoping to establish a decent image, but eventually find ourselves with neither image nor cash. As we look back over our lives, many of the hopes and dreams we thought were long-term turn out to be quite short-lived.

Several of our decisions are much more short-sighted than we would like to admit. We certainly need to plan for the future and make wise decisions in that regard. Yet let's learn from this French lawyer that we won't always see our best intentions come to fruition. His $180,000 investment didn't pay off (for HIM) at all. Just think what else he could have done with the money.

There's probably not a day that goes by when you won't have an opportunity to make a decision that has eternal consequences. Any time you choose to talk to a loner, to volunteer for public service, to commit yourself to a worthwhile church project, or to make some similar decision, you never know what the results might be for someone else in the context of eternity. So as you make your long-range plans, never forget to make the most of today as well.

On your own ...

Read Luke 12:13-21.

 

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Grow in Grace
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteous- ness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 NIV

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And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV

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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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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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“In the name of the Lord I will destroy them.”

Psalm 118:12

Our Lord Jesus, by his death, did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but to the entire man. He contemplated in his passion the sanctification of us wholly, spirit, soul, and body; that in this triple kingdom he himself might reign supreme without a rival. It is the business of the newborn nature which God has given to the regenerate to assert the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. My soul, so far as thou art a child of God, thou must conquer all the rest of thyself which yet remains unblest; thou must subdue all thy powers and passions to the silver sceptre of Jesus’ gracious reign, and thou must never be satisfied till he who is King by purchase becomes also King by gracious coronation, and reigns in thee supreme.

Seeing, then, that sin has no right to any part of us, we go about a good and lawful warfare when we seek, in the name of God, to drive it out. O my body, thou art a member of Christ: shall I tolerate thy subjection to the prince of darkness? O my soul, Christ has suffered for thy sins, and redeemed thee with his most precious blood: shall I suffer thy memory to become a storehouse of evil, or thy passions to be firebrands of iniquity? Shall I surrender my judgment to be perverted by error, or my will to be led in fetters of iniquity? No, my soul, thou art Christ's, and sin hath no right to thee.

Be courageous concerning this, O Christian! be not dispirited, as though your spiritual enemies could never be destroyed. You are able to overcome them—not in your own strength—the weakest of them would be too much for you in that; but you can and shall overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Do not ask, “How shall I dispossess them, for they are greater and mightier than I?” but go to the strong for strength, wait humbly upon God, and the mighty God of Jacob will surely come to the rescue, and you shall sing of victory through his grace.

 

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3 Biblical Lessons For Expectant Parents


It’s such an exciting time waiting for the birth of a baby, so here are some encouraging lessons from the Bible for parents to consider.
Wonderfully Made!
As a parent and now grandparent, I can tell you that there are times when it seems the baby will never come. I can’t speak for my wife, but the waiting might be the hardest part of all. When we knew it was about time, it was suddenly as if there wasn’t enough time to get us and everything else to the hospital, but we made it. With the technology we have today, we can see the child growing and forming in a way that’s never been possible, and after seeing some of the images of children growing in the womb, I agree with the psalmist who wrote, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14). He understood that God is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15), and knew that God “formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). Life is still a miracle, and I can say it was God “who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Psalm 22:9-10), but how wonderful the birth of a child is!


Freed from Anxiety
Babies know nothing about due dates…they come when they’re ready to come. All we know for sure is that it will be “in due time,” like when “Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, I have asked for him from the Lord” (1 Sam 1:20). The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Of course, that’s easier said than done when you’re entering into labor…a time when new mothers, and yes, new fathers, can become anxious about things, but the way God wants us to deal with anxiety is to pray about it, and mix those prayers with thanksgiving. The kind of peace that comes from God is the only thing that can guard our hearts and minds.

Any mother can tell you that, “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21). Any godly mother understands that“children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3), something that was understood even in ancient times as “when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant” (Gen 33:5). Parents…are you feeling anxious? Remember, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Parents are not the only ones to comfort their children because God Himself said; He is as a “mother [Who] comforts, so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13).

Planned by God
There are no “accidents” as far as God is concerned. Every person has been placed in time and history for God’s purpose, so we know that children are intentional, just as Jeremiah wrote, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1:5). Hannah must have also learned this as she asked the Lord for a child and received one (1 Sam 1:20, 27), and his name would be Samuel. Looking at various Scriptures, we can see that, from God’s perspective, life begins at conception.

To support that face, the psalmist wrote, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16), and “Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you” (Psalm 71:6). Not only did the psalmist know that God is sovereign over his life, he writes that everyone’s “days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass” (Job 14:5).

There is “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Eccl 3:2), and it’s not we who decides when someone is born or when someone dies. It is God alone who makes that determination. Because of this, it is my hope that all who have rejected Christ will repent and believe, because “just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27), you must believe in Christ before the judgment (your death or Christ’s appearance), because after that…you will face the judgment of God (Rev 20:12-15). That’s why today’s the best day of all to believe (2 Cor 6:2), since there’s no guarantee that tomorrow will ever come.

Conclusion
If you or someone you know is pregnant, please share this with them. It may give them comfort and reassurance they need in a time when there is little comfort to be had, and give them some peace of mind, knowing God is the Author of Life, and that children are a heritage from the Lord. When parents bring up their children in the Lord, they are more likely not to depart from it, and even though its’ no guarantee they’ll trust in the Lord, train them up anyway, in the way that they should go, but be sure to go there yourself (Charles Spurgeon). I’ve learned that more is caught than taught, and they will not listen to what I say if my actions drown out my words. Love is about feelings, yes, but more so, love is a verb; just look at the cross (John 3:16).

 

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Called to freedom
Called to love

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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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

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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

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

James 2:8 KJV

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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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“Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.”

Psalm 51:14

In this solemn confession, it is pleasing to observe that David plainly names his sin. He does not call it manslaughter, nor speak of it as an imprudence by which an unfortunate accident occurred to a worthy man, but he calls it by its true name, bloodguiltiness. He did not actually kill the husband of Bathsheba; but still it was planned in David's heart that Uriah should be slain, and he was before the Lord his murderer. Learn in confession to be honest with God. Do not give fair names to foul sins; call them what you will, they will smell no sweeter.

What God sees them to be, that do you labour to feel them to be; and with all openness of heart acknowledge their real character. Observe, that David was evidently oppressed with the heinousness of his sin. It is easy to use words, but it is difficult to feel their meaning. The fifty-first Psalm is the photograph of a contrite spirit. Let us seek after the like brokenness of heart; for however excellent our words may be, if our heart is not conscious of the hell-deservingness of sin, we cannot expect to find forgiveness.

Our text has in it an earnest prayer — it is addressed to the God of salvation. It is his prerogative to forgive; it is his very name and office to save those who seek his face. Better still, the text calls him the God of my salvation. Yes, blessed be his name, while I am yet going to him through Jesus’ blood, I can rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The psalmist ends with a commendable vow : if God will deliver him he willsing—nay, more, he will “sing aloud.” Who can sing in any other style of such a mercy as this! But note the subject of the song—“Thy righteousness .” We must sing of the finished work of a precious Saviour; and he who knows most of forgiving love will sing the loudest.

 

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Do good - be kind...
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Say not unto thy neighbour,
Go, and come again, and to morrow
I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Proverbs 3:27,28 KJV

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The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.

Psalm 37:21 NASB

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When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.

Proverbs 16:7,8 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 will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”

Psalm 23:4

Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! Even death itself, with all its terrible influences, has no power to suspend the music of a Christian's heart, but rather makes that music become more sweet, more clear, more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can do is to let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence, then, in the blessed Spirit's power to comfort us.

Dear reader, are you looking forward to poverty? Fear not; the divine Spirit can give you, in your want, a greater plenty than the rich have in their abundance. You know not what joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which grace will plant the roses of content. Are you conscious of a growing failure of your bodily powers? Do you expect to suffer long nights of languishing and days of pain? O be not sad! That bed may become a throne to you. You little know how every pang that shoots through your body may be a refining fire to consume your dross — a beam of glory to light up the secret parts of your soul.

Are the eyes growing dim? Jesus will be your light. Do the ears fail you? Jesus’ name will be your soul's best music, and his person your dear delight. Socrates used to say, “Philosophers can be happy without music;” and Christians can be happier than philosophers when all outward causes of rejoicing are withdrawn. In thee, my God, my heart shall triumph, come what may of ills without! By thy power, O blessed Spirit, my heart shall be exceeding glad, though all things should fail me here below.

 

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An ever present help
He is an ever present help...

You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

Psalm 22:23,24 NIV

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For thou wilt save the afflicted people;
but wilt bring down high looks.

For thou wilt light my candle:
the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 18:27,28 KJV

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Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness,
the LORD is a light for me.

I will bear the indignation of the LORD
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.

He will bring me out to the light,
And I will see His righteousness.

Micah 7:8,9 NASB

__________________

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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“thy gentleness hath made me great.”

Psalm 18:35

The words are capable of being translated, “thy goodness hath made me great.” David gratefully ascribed all his greatness not to his own goodness, but the goodness of God. “Thy providence,” is another reading; and providence is nothing more than goodness in action. Goodness is the bud of which providence is the flower, or goodness is the seed of which providence is the harvest. Some render it, “thy help,” which is but another word for providence; providence being the firm ally of the saints, aiding them in the service of their Lord.

Or again, “thy humility hath made me great.” “Thy condescension” may, perhaps, serve as a comprehensive reading, combining the ideas mentioned, including that of humility. It is God's making himself little which is the cause of our being made great. We are so little, that if God should manifest his greatness without condescension, we should be trampled under his feet; but God, who must stoop to view the skies, and bow to see what angels do, turns his eye yet lower, and looks to the lowly and contrite, and makes them great. There are yet other readings, as for instance, the Septuagint, which reads, “thy discipline”—thy fatherly correction—“hath made me great;” while the Chaldee paraphrase reads, “thy word hath increased me.”

Still the idea is the same. David ascribes all his own greatness to the condescending goodness of his Father in heaven. May this sentiment be echoed in our hearts this evening while we cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet, and cry, “thy gentleness hath made me great.” How marvellous has been our experience of God's gentleness! How gentle have been his corrections! How gentle his forbearance! How gentle his teachings! How gentle his drawings! Meditate upon this theme, O believer. Let gratitude be awakened; let humility be deepened; let love be quickened ere thou fallest asleep to-night.

 

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What Do You Say To A Grieving Friend Or Family Member?


Everyone that I know has endured a time of grief, so what do you say to a grieving friend when they’ve experienced a great loss in their life?

Life and Death
Dying is part of living. All things that are born will live and then die, and no one knows exactly when that end will come in most cases. Being human is 100% fatal. Death comes to all (unless Christ appears first), and at best, we can only guess, so what happens when someone is taken away by tragedy or disease, and suddenly you’re left speechless before your friend or family member? What do you say to someone who’s lost a loved one? Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all, only telling them you’re sorry for their loss, so if you have a friend or family member who’s going through a time of grief right now, please share some of these Bible verses with them in order to give them some comfort.

One of the most powerful and comforting verses to share with someone is Revelation 21:3-4 where the Apostle John wrote, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” That means death will be vanquished forever, and when the saint of God dies, they will live again, according to Jesus’ own promise to all who believe (John 11:25-26)

Comforting Others
Decades ago when I lost my older brother, I remembered David’s solace in Psalm 34:18 where he writes, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Surely none can comfort the crushed like God and heal the brokenhearted like the Lord, so Paul praises God and says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4). In both Testaments, the Lord proclaims that “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). The death of loved one is a precious thing to us, and the pain penetrates deep into our soul, yet the Lord says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Death’s Doorway
Job seemed clear in understanding that the Lord will redeem his soul from the pit, saying,“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25-26). John knows that what we are like now will not be how we will be after death or after Christ’s return. The Bible says, “we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). We also know that believer’s “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Rev 22:4), so if the person who has passed away in the faith, remember that they are presently with the Lord. That means their suffering and pain are gone. The psalmist also understood that someday, “I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:15).


Death comes to all, and it’s appointed for us all to die, and after this comes the judgment (Heb 9:27), but the judgment for believer’s sins was placed upon Christ, so even though the Apostle Paul wrote, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death,” he answered his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:24), so “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). To all who trust in Christ, death is only a shadow and not the reality since we know that we’ll live again and be in the presence of God after death. The moment we die, or are away from this body, we are present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). That should comfort all who have lost loved ones. I doubt very seriously if they’d want to come back, and besides, they can’t come back…but you can go to them if you’ve repented and trusted in Christ.

Conclusion
Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt 5:4), so “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). Paul was “sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). Nothing means nothing and no one! If these Bible verses about grief have been of some comfort to you, why not bookmark them, and you can also share them with someone else who is grieving right now because we don’t grieve like the world does who have no hope outside of Christ. We know that they shall live again, and so shall we, so it’s not burial ground, but resurrection ground, and it’s not goodbye, but see you later, h0wever, if you haven’t trusted in Christ, it is goodbye, and it is forever!

 

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He Makes All Things New!
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Luke 22:17-20 NIV

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Because of God's oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant.

Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take his place. But Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end.

Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf.

Hebrews 7:22-25 NLT

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And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Hebrews 9:15,16 NKJV

____________

We need a Savior because we are sinners,
and the wages of sin is death...

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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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“The bow shall be seen in the cloud.”

Genesis 9:14

The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord's witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner's conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin, and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace.

To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ — to see him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God's rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow, there must be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun. So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is a real anguish in the sinner's conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement which he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus.

But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of rain make not rainbows unless the sun shineth. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see him — clouds hide his face; but no matter what drops may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if he does but shine there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see the rainbow the shower is over. Certain it is, that when Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!

 

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Trusting God
"In the Midst of Trouble"

Trusting God in the Midst of Trouble:

The cross stands as the final symbol that no evil exists that God cannot turn into a blessing. This is the power of the God. It is a mystery to the world how God would show forth his Glory on a cross. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

God is working on the things we suffer to bring light out of darkness, joy out of pain, life out of death. This is the great mystery of God, to transform the cross you bear into an object of Glory.

We must offer all of our suffering to the transforming power of God. A man was born blind. The disciples ask Jesus who did sin, the man, or his parents? John 9:1-3.

Many times when in the midst of trouble we may ask, why this sickness, why pain, why loneliness, why should I bear a cross? Jesus offers a very different perspective on the question of suffering, and that is, what will God do with my sickness?

What will he do with my pain to show forth his Redeeming Power? How will God bring good out of the evil I have suffered? How will God bring joy out of pain?

Let us, through the power of faith, trust God to work it out. The strategy in crisis is not ours; it is God. In every way, we must acknowledge the will of God. If we seek his direction, God will reveal what steps to take, what course of action to follow.

God is working through our circumstance to perform his word in bringing you out of whatever crisis you face. The desire of God for your life is always peace and the gift of grace.

As we seek the Lord in prayer, we know that he hears and will answer. “And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer.29:13, 10-14. The temporal is the instrument of the eternal.

Joseph is an example of how God can use your circumstance to show forth his glory. Joseph was hated and envied by his brothers. They cast him into an empty pit to die. God redeemed the life of Joseph by allowing the Ishmaelites to take him into Egypt as a slave.

Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and the Lord had made him prosper.

From the house of Potiphar, he went into prison because of a false charge on the grounds of rape. In prison, God was with Joseph and showed him mercy, gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Joseph would use his gift even in prison to the glory of God. Pharaoh made Joseph Lord of his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

The cross is where we wait for the hope that is against all human hope. We have this hope by faith. I can safely trust my life in the hands of God, for he knows what is best for me.

No circumstance is beyond the power of God. “There is no pain that heaven cannot feel, no sickness that Jesus cannot heal.” Nothing can stop the will of God for your life.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him, that loved us.”

when I am in the midst of trouble, I will trust in His power to keep me because He loves me.

 

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The Father Guides His Children
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

1 John 4:13-15 NIV

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Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;

Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.

In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

Psalm 143:10,11 NASB

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But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 KJV

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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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“For there stood by me this night the angel of God.”

Acts 27:23

Tempest and long darkness, coupled with imminent risk of shipwreck, had brought the crew of the vessel into a sad case; one man alone among them remained perfectly calm, and by his word the rest were reassured. Paul was the only man who had heart enough to say, “Sirs, be of good cheer.” There were veteran Roman legionaries on board, and brave old mariners, and yet their poor Jewish prisoner had more spirit than they all. He had a secret Friend who kept his courage up. The Lord Jesus despatched a heavenly messenger to whisper words of consolation in the ear of his faithful servant, therefore he wore a shining countenance and spake like a man at ease.

If we fear the Lord, we may look for timely interpositions when our case is at its worst. Angels are not kept from us by storms, or hindered by darkness. Seraphs think it no humiliation to visit the poorest of the heavenly family. If angel's visits are few and far between at ordinary times, they shall be frequent in our nights of tempest and tossing. Friends may drop from us when we are under pressure, but our intercourse with the inhabitants of the angelic world shall be more abundant; and in the strength of love-words, brought to us from the throne by the way of Jacob's ladder, we shall be strong to do exploits.

Dear reader, is this an hour of distress with you? then ask for peculiar help. Jesus is the angel of the covenant, and if his presence be now earnestly sought, it will not be denied. What that presence brings in heart-cheer those remember who, like Paul, have had the angel of God standing by them in a night of storm, when anchors would no longer hold, and rocks were nigh.

“O angel of my God, be near,
Amid the darkness hush my fear;
Loud roars the wild tempestuous sea,
Thy presence, Lord, shall comfort me.”

 

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No More We Doubt Thee: Why It’s Okay to Be a Thomas

I’ve always loved the story of Jesus appearing to Thomas.

Maybe it’s because of the skeptic in me. Growing up in the megachurch movement, I watched thousands of people around me every Sunday, swallowing a self-help gospel hook, line, and sinker. It wasn’t the Joel Osteen style, “you were born to win” sort of self-help gospel. I think that’s what it was so easy to digest to the usual churchy, Christian crowd.
(By the way, despite what the megachurch movement would like you to believe, they are jam packed with the usual church, Christian crowd, not by scores and hoards of newly attracted disciples.)

This kind of self-help gospel was a different style. It’s therapeutic quality was shrouded by claims of absolute morality, inerrancy of Holy Scripture, and the utter simplicity of the Christian life. It was out of this movement that a lot of the common quasi-spiritual cliches were born, catchphrases of self-reliance or pithy abdication, baptized with Christian culture god-language.

“God never gives us more than we can handle.”
“If he brings you to it, he will bring you through it.”
“God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”
“God has a plan for your life.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“God is in control.”
“You can’t put God in a box.”

I have a visceral reaction to this sort of thing. Always have. These are the kinds of things we say to convince ourselves. Diluting a historic Christian faith into bumper sticker form with nonsense sayings can really only serve to momentarily soothe our anxieties. But this world is stark, ugly, tragic. The beauty of creation remains, but the pangs and pains of sin and brokenness are all around us. If we don’t realize this, if being a Christian and following a crucified and risen Christ seems like the easiest thing in the world, our faith is vain, anthropocentric, and utterly meaningless.


To persist in the path of K-LOVE Christianity is a farce to me. I can’t do it.

So, please forgive me for what I’m about to say. I can so easily see myself in Thomas. I don’t see him as stubbornly harboring unbelief, I see him as being in profound faith. To doubt the stories of the other witnesses, no matter how convincing, well, it’s normal. To question your faith, to struggle with its complexities, to grapple with paradox, that is the stuff of following Jesus.

So don’t malign your inner Thomas. Don’t explain him away as sin. Embrace him.
Jesus can handle your questions, he can handle your doubts.

God is not an abuser with dignity so frail and insecurity so strong that would make God snap at the very idea of being questioned.
Let’s face it: the Christian story is foolishness to our human minds. It is ludicrous. That we would believe in a Savior crucified and risen is nothing short of absurd.
But yet we believe. In faith, we believe the day will come when we shall see Christ as he is, with wounded hands and broken side, and we shall bow and proclaim as Thomas did, “My Lord, and my God.”

Until then, let us continue to proclaim our faith in Jesus crucified and risen.
No more we doubt thee,
Glorious Prince of life!
Life is naught without thee;
Aid us in our strife.

 

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Pursue Peace and Unity of Spirit
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard:
that went down to the skirts of his garments;

As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew
that descended upon the mountains of Zion:
for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Psalm 133 KJV

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Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened calf with hatred.

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,
but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 15:17,18 NIV

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Continue to love each other with true Christian love.

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Don't forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies.

Hebrews 13:1-3 NLT

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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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Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.”

Psalm 25:18

It is well for us when prayers about our sorrows are linked with pleas concerning our sins—when, being under God's hand, we are not wholly taken up with our pain, but remember our offences against God. It is well, also, to take both sorrow and sin to the same place. It was to God that David carried his sorrow: it was to God that David confessed his sin. Observe, then, we must take our sorrows to God.

Even your little sorrows you may roll upon God, for he counteth the hairs of your head; and your great sorrows you may commit to him, for he holdeth the ocean in the hollow of his hand. Go to him, whatever your present trouble may be, and you shall find him able and willing to relieve you. But we must take our sins to God too. We must carry them to the cross, that the blood may fall upon them, to purge away their guilt, and to destroy their defiling power.

The special lesson of the text is this:—that we are to go to the Lord with sorrows and with sins in the right spirit. Note that all David asks concerning his sorrow is, “Look upon mine affliction and my pain;” but the next petition is vastly more express, definite, decided, plain — “Forgive all my sins.” Many sufferers would have put it, “Remove my affliction and my pain, and look at my sins.”

But David does not say so; he cries, “Lord, as for my affliction and my pain, I will not dictate to thy wisdom. Lord, look at them, I will leave them to thee, I should be glad to have my pain removed, but do as thou wilt; but as for my sins, Lord, I know what I want with them; I must have them forgiven; I cannot endure to lie under their curse for a moment.” A Christian counts sorrow lighter in the scale than sin; he can bear that his troubles should continue, but he cannot support the burden of his transgressions.

 

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The Lost Attribute of Boldness
APRIL 8, 2018 BY DR. LAUREL SHALER

13 COMMENTS

American Christians have lost our boldness. Perhaps we were never bold to begin with. Look around at the number of Christians being intimated and silenced by society. Instead of being bold for Christ, we allow ourselves to be bullied by culture. By all means, there are some that are vocal. Some that we should look up to as role models of the faith in face of trials and tribulation. But often the loudest voices are those who want the spotlight pointed at themselves rather than Jesus.
What’s really sad is that sometimes those who are doing the silencing claim to be Christians themselves.

Even when we agree on the controversial issues of the day, there are those that give in to cultural mandates…and try and force others to give in too. We may think our motives are pure of heart – we want to be loving, kind, tolerant. We want to extend grace. But then we cheapen that grace and wind up neglecting our first love, like the church at Ephesus (see Revelation 2).
We stop turning to see what the Holy Scriptures say.

We stop listening to the Holy Spirit. We don’t want to hurt feelings, risk relationships, or lose our status. We want to be popular – never outgrowing out juvenile desire for everyone to like us. So, instead of being true to the Word of God, we listen to what others tell us we should believe. We buy into those lies and begin to perpetrate them ourselves, convinced that so many people can’t be wrong. After all, if Hollywood (especially Disney) says something is okay, then it is, right?!? Besides, we’re more enlightened and have a better understanding of Scripture than people in the past. (How’s that for pride)?


Listen – there have and continue to be sins committed in the name of God. People often twist the Bible into saying what they want it to say. Or they forget all about the parts that would convict them of their sin. At the same time, Christians are guilty of not speaking up for the truth. We talk a lot about truth in love, but more and more people are forgoing the truth part all together.

Ask yourself, “Am I one of those people?” You’ll know the answer is yes if you fear man more than God.
Not everyone is called to write and speak publicly. We’re not even all called to be vocal on social media. But we are all commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. If we are too afraid to share our faith with others, if we are more concerned about what other humans think of us than what God thinks of us, or if we are not willing to speak up for the truth of the Bible, then we are not loving God. In fact, we’re replacing Him with an idol – ourselves. And it takes no boldness at all to place ourselves on a pedestal.