Staying Alert – Christian Devotional – 1/30/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

1 Kings 4:29-34; Proverbs 2:1-10; 4:5-7; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:5-11; 12:2

Your mind is a muscle. It needs to be stretched to stay sharp. It needs to be prodded and pushed to perform. Let it get idle and lazy on you, and that muscle will become a pitiful mass of flab in an incredibly brief period of time.

How can you stretch your mind? What are some good mental exercises that will keep the cobwebs away? I offer three suggestions:

READ. You may be too crippled and too poor to travel—but between the covers of a book are ideas and insights that await the joy of discovery. William Tyndale was up in years when he was imprisoned. Shortly before his martyrdom he wrote to the governor asking for:

A warmer cap, a candle, a piece of cloth to patch my leggings. . . . But above all, I beseech and entreat your clemency to . . . permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew grammar and Hebrew Dictionary, that I may spend time . . . in study.¹

The powers of your perception will be magnified through reading. Read wisely. Read widely. Read slowly. Scan. Read history as well as current events . . . magazines and periodicals as well as classics and poetry . . . biographies and novels as well as the daily news and devotionals.

Don't have much time? Neither did John Wesley. But his passion for reading was so severe he made it a part of his schedule—he read mostly on horseback. He rode between fifty and ninety miles a day with the book propped up in his saddle . . . and got through thousands of volumes during his lifetime. Knowing that reading attacks thickness of thought, Wesley told many a younger minister either to read—or get out of the ministry.

TALK. Conversation adds the oil needed to keep our mental machinery running smoothly. The give-and-take involved in rap sessions, the question-answer dialogue connected to discussion, provides the grinding wheel needed to keep us keen.

Far too much of our talk is surface jargon . . . shallow, predictable, obvious, pointless. Talk is too valuable to waste. Leave the discussion of people and weather to the newscasters! Delve into issues, ideas, controversial subjects, things that really matter. Ask and answer "why" and "how" . . . rather than "what" and "when." Probe. Question. Socrates was considered wise—not because he knew all the answers, but because he knew how to ask the right questions. Few experiences are more stimulating than eyeball-to-eyeball, soul-to-soul talks that force us to think andreason through specifics. For the sheer excitement of learning, talk!

WRITE. Thoughts disentangle themselves over the lips . . . and through the fingertips. How true! The old gray matter increases its creases when you put it down on paper. Start a journal. A journal isn't a diary. It's more. A journal doesn't record what you do—it records what you think. It spells out your ideas, your feelings, your struggles, your discoveries, your dreams. In short, it helps you articulate who you are.

Who knows? Your memoirs might make the bestseller list in the future. And speaking of that, why not try writing an article for your favorite magazine? Editors are on a constant safari for rare species like you.

One More Night With The Frogs – Christian Devotional – 1/29/10

by Pastor Larry Thompson at mygodsightings.com

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.” ⁹ “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.” ¹⁰ “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. “All right,” Moses replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ¹¹ The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River.” Exodus 8:8-11 (NLT)

C. Northcote Parkinson said: “Delay is the most deadly form of denial.”

Today’s Bible study is one of the most confusing passages of Scripture I know. God, through the leadership of Moses, has sent yet another plague to Egypt and the palace of Pharaoh. This time it is frogs and the slimy little green things are everywhere! Moses stands before the leader of Egypt and said, “If you just let God’s people go then I will pray and ask God to remove the frogs from your land.” Pharaoh tells Moses, “Yes, please remove the frogs.”

Now the moment of truth: Moses says, “Just tell me when you want to get rid of the frogs and I will pray and God will remove them.”

And here is Pharaoh’s unbelievable answer. Pharaoh said,

“Tomorrow!”

I have never been able to figure this guy’s response! He has frogs in his food, frogs in his bed, frogs in his clothes, frogs everywhere, and God was ready to remove the frogs instantly. The decision was up to Pharaoh. But when given the choice, he said, “Tomorrow!”

It was as though he was saying,

“Moses, could you just give me one more night with the frogs.”

How could he possibly have chosen one more night with those frogs? It was a very strange decision on Pharaoh’s part. However, before we pass judgment on Pharaoh and assign him to the psychiatric ward for observation…let me ask this question:

“What are you doing about the frogs in your life?”

We all have “frogs” in our life. I’m talking about the frogs of troubles, doubt, burdens, suffering, sickness, sorrow, perplexities, disappointments and heartaches. These are the frogs you always say you need to deal with and yet they remain a continual part of your life. They are a constant source of harassment.

Just as Moses was sent by God to deal with the frogs in Pharaoh’s life, so also was Jesus was sent by God to deal with the frog situation in our lives. God is standing by today as you read His word. He is ready to remove the frogs that that are causing so much turmoil in your life.

Man's Quest – Christian Devotional for 1/28/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

1 John 3:16-20; Matthew 11:25-30; Psalm 62:5-8, 91:1, 2

Greece said . . . Be wise, know yourself. 
Rome said . . . Be strong, discipline yourself. 
Judaism says . . . Be holy, conform yourself. 
Epicureanism says . . . Be sensuous, enjoy yourself. 
Education says . . . Be resourceful, expend yourself. 
Psychology says . . . Be confident, fulfill yourself. 
Materialism says . . . Be acquisitive, please yourself. 
Pride says . . . Be superior, promote yourself. 
Asceticism says . . . Be inferior, suppress yourself. 
Diplomacy says . . . Be reasonable, control yourself. 
Communism says . . . Be collective, secure yourself. 
Humanism says . . . Be capable, trust yourself. 
Philanthropy says . . . Be unselfish, give yourself.

And on and on and on goes the quest of man. No wonder people are confused! Pick any thought-dish from this smorgasbord of human philosophy, then digest it completely . . . and you will find yourself suffering from the worst case of indigestion imaginable.  It may smell good and even satisfy your rhetorical palate during the time you are consuming it . . . but it will leave you hungry, uneasy, and searching for something else to satisfy.

Rollo May's words often interrupt my thinking as I ponder the plight of searching men and women today:

It is an old and ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.

And so it is! Look across your office desk tomorrow and chances are you'll be observing a living example of someone still searching, still running to find inner satisfaction. Step out in front of your apartment or home tomorrow morning and look both ways . . . listen to the roar of automobiles . . . study the dwellings surrounding you. Those sights and sounds represent people who have, like Little Bo-Peep's sheep, "lost their way," and, tragedy upon tragedy—they don't know where to find it. Many of them have tried hard to "be religious" or "live by the golden rule" or "tie a knot and hang on" or "be sincere," but they're still running blind and bored and baffled.

They are attempting to fill the inner vacuum with everything but the only thing. You name it, it's being tried. As Henry Thoreau declared:

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

Robert lngersol, the bold and brilliant agnostic, spent many years of his life opposing and attacking Scriptures and Christ's claims. On his deathbed . . .  at the end of his race, he uttered:

Life is a narrow veil between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry.

Ingersol's pursuit is best described in the bumper sticker I saw on my way to work:

DON'T FOLLOW ME . . . I'M LOST

Pontius Pilate, Judea's notorious governor, stood eyeball to eyeball with Jesus of Nazareth. In the judicial process of interrogation, he heard Christ refer to "everyone who is of the truth," to which Pilate replied, "What is truth?" That question hangs heavily on the thin wire of reason in many a mind this very hour. Pilate never waited for an answer. He whirled away in confused disgust. He should have stopped running and waited for the answer. Jesus could have told him that He alone had satisfying words of life . . . for He alone is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

Christianity is not a system of human philosophy nor a religious ritual nor a code of moral ethics—it is the impartation of divine life through Christ. Apart from the Way there is no going . . . apart from the Truth there is no knowing . . . apart from the Life there is no living.

God says . . . Be in Christ, rest yourself.

Insight – Christian Devotional for 1/27/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Mark 6:45-56; Luke 24:36-45; Colossians 3:2; Hebrews 5:1-14; 1 Peter 1:13-15; 1 Kings 4:29

Are you ready for a surprise? You blink twenty-five times every minute. Each blink takes you about one-fifth of a second. Therefore, if you take a ten-hour automobile trip, averaging forty miles per hour, you will drive twenty miles with your eyes closed.

I know a fact far more surprising than that. Some people go through life with their eyes closed. They look but don't really "see" . . . they observe the surface but omit the underneath . . . they focus on images but not issues . . . vision is present but perception is absent. If life were a painting, they would see colors but no genius in the strokes of the brush. If it were a journey, they would notice a road but no majestic, awesome scenery. If it were a meal, they would eat and drink but overlook the exquisite beauty of the china and the delicate touch of wine in the sauce. If it were a poem, they would read print on the page but miss altogether the passion of the poet. Remove insight and you suddenly reduce life to existence with frequent flashes of boredom and indifference.

Those without insight dwell mainly in the realm of the obvious . . . the expected . . . the essentials. The dimensions that interest them are length and width, not depth. Please understand, I do not mean to be critical of those who cannot go deeper . . . but of those who can but will not. I'm not pointing my finger at inability but rather refusal.

As a concrete illustration, take the boatload of disciples in Mark, chapter 6. Immediately after Jesus had miraculously fed thousands of people with a few loaves and fish, He sent His men away in a boat as He slipped off to a quiet place on the mountain to pray. A storm later broke upon the sea and they were filled with panic. He came to their rescue shortly thereafter and calmed the sea as He stilled the wind and assured them there was no reason to be afraid. Mark makes a comment worth remembering:

They were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. (Mark 6:51-52)

It wasn't that they were unable to understand. They didn't want to understand! William Barclay of Glasgow says, "Their minds were obtuse." That was the root problem. Those men were insensitive, dull, blunt-brained. They weren't ding-a-lings by nature, but by choice—and therein rested not the tragedy but the blame! They didn't need Jesus's pity as much as they deserved a rebuke. By then they had been sufficiently exposed to their miracle-working Master to respond with keen insight to their circumstances. Had they applied what they observed earlier that day when the thousands were fed, their response to the storm would have been insightful.

Hebrews 5 is addressed to similar disciples today. Hours upon hours have been logged under the teaching of the Word, and opportunities to use those truths have been legion. But what does this passage say? It says some have become "dull of hearing"—thick, lazy, sluggish, lacking insight. Maturity—the result of mixing insight with practice—is rare today . . . and so the discernment between good and evil, brought on by "trained senses," is frequently conspicuous by its absence.

What are a few practical rewards? Parents with insight usually raise kids that are secure, fulfilled, relaxed, free to forge out ideas and to think. Single adults with insight won't feel they must marry—the sooner the better. Teachers with insight create an atmosphere conducive to learning. Bosses with insight develop employees and remain sensitive to surrounding needs. Students with insight learn far more than the required subject—they indeed glean an education.

I challenge you: Open your eyes! Think! Apply! Dig! Listen! There's a lot of difference between necessary blinking and unnecessary blindness.

Developing Biblical Self-Control – Christian Devotional – 1/26/10

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)

People with self-control master their moods. They do not let their moods master them. Most of what gets done in the world is accomplished by people who do the right thing even when they don't feel like it: "A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls." (Proverbs 25:28, NLT)

People with self-control watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths: "Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself." (Proverbs 13:3, TEV)

People with self-control restrain their reactions. How much can you take before you lose your cool? "If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it." (Proverbs 19:11, TEV)

People with self-control stick to their schedule. If you don't determine how you will spend your time, then others will decide for you: "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV)

People with self-control manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went! "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has." (Proverbs 21:20, NIV)

People with self-control maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements: "Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body ...." (1 Thessalonians 4:4, MSG)

In what areas do you need to develop for self-control? The disciplines you establish today will determine your success tomorrow.

But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control. It takes a power greater than yourself: "For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, TEV)

Failures – Christian Devotional – 1/25/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Joshua 6:1-27; 1 Samuel 7:1-50; 1 Chronicles 11:15-19

Snake River Canyon coiled up, rattled its tail, and sank its fangs into its would-be captor. On a sultry Sunday afternoon its l,700-foot jaws yawned wide as it swallowed a strange-tasting capsule prescribed for it by Dr. Robert C. Truax, the scientist-designer of Sky Cycle X-2. Starring in the show was a guy some people tagged Captain Marvel, who looked more like Billy Batson unable to remember the magic word. But before we label him a showman or a show-off . . . I suggest we consider the outcome of this showdown.

Any third grader could have told you the vaunted skycycle leap across the canyon was a triple-A flop—a classic fizzle. The skycycle gave up in mid-air; the driver floated to safety beneath a nylon cloud. But he didn't sit long-faced in a dark corner. Most people send an ambulance and a wrecker to mop up their mistakes. He could have sent a Brink's armored car. As bystanders shouted "Rip off!" he was thinking about write-offs. Anyone who can walk away from a failure with a smile, a bulging rear pocket, and his pride still intact has to have something going for him. The real six-million-dollar man, if you can believe it, was a two-wheeled wonder named Evel Knievel. Nobody—but nobody in the long history of sports ever came off a more abysmal failure better than he. The remains of Dr. Truax's flopcycle littered the canyon, but the man who took off like a bird made out like a banker.

When you stop and think it over, there's an abiding truth in that Idaho extravaganza all of us ought to capture and cultivate. It's much greater than money and far deeper than a canyon jump. There's a philosophy of life here I'm now convinced is worth one's pursuit. Here it is:

THE PERSON WHO SUCCEEDS IS NOT THE ONE 
WHO HOLDS BACK, FEARING FAILURE, NOR 
THE ONE WHO NEVER FAILS . . . BUT RATHER 
THE ONE WHO MOVES ON IN SPITE OF FAILURE

As Lowell wrote:

Not failure, but low aim, is crime.

As Teddy Roosevelt believed:

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Give me a "skycycle" and a 108-foot take-off ramp with all its risks any day—before you sentence me to the path of predictability between the stone walls of routine and fear. God asks that we believe Him regardless of the risks—in spite of the danger—ignoring the odds. The ancient city of Jericho was defeated because Joshua and his troops defied the "normal procedure" of battle . . . never once fearing failure. The Gentiles heard of Christ Jesus because Paul and a few companions kept getting back up after being knocked down. Peter's two letters are in the Book because he refused to live in the shadow of his bad track record.

Great accomplishments are often attempted but only occasionally reached. What is interesting (and encouraging) is that those who reach them are usually those who missed many times before. Failures, you see, are only temporary tests to prepare us for permanent triumphs.

Whoever you are today—listen to me! Sitting there licking your wounds will only result in a bitter aftertaste. Sighs and tears and thoughts of quitting are understandable for the moment but inexcusable for the future. Get up and get on with it!

And if you're looking for an absolute guarantee against future failures, I know of only one—death.

The Broken Wing – Christian Devotional for 1/24/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at crosswalk.com

Daniel 9:4-19; Luke 7:36-48; Acts 10:34-43

It is quite probable that someone reading my words this moment is fighting an inner battle with a ghost from the past. The skeleton in one of yesterday's closets is beginning to rattle louder and louder. Putting adhesive tape around the closet and moving the bureau in front of the door does little to muffle the clattering bones. You wonder, possibly, "Who knows?" You think, probably, "I've had it . . . can't win . . . party's over."

The anchor that tumbled off your boat is dragging and snagging on the bottom. Guilt and anxiety have come aboard, pointing out the great dark hulks of shipwrecks below. They busy themselves drilling worry-holes in your hull and you are beginning to sink. Down in the hold, you can hear them chant an old lie as they work: "The bird with the broken pinion never soared as high again. . . ."

Allow me to present a case in opposition to these destructive and inaccurate accusers. It may be true that you've done or experienced things which would embarrass you if they became public knowledge. You may have committed a terrible and tragic sin that was never traced back to you. You may have a criminal record or a moral charge or a domestic conflict that, to this moment, is private information. You may wrestle with a past that has been fractured and wounded by a mental or emotional breakdown. Futile attempts at suicide may add to the previous scar tissue and increase your fear of being labeled "sick" or "nervous." It is possible that you live with memories, covered now by the sands of time, of an illicit relationship or a financial failure or a terrible habit or a divorce or a scandalous involvement. You feel that any one of these things might mar or cripple your reputation if the dirty details ever spilled on the table of gluttonous gossipers.

But wait a minute. Before you surrender your case as hopeless, consider the liberating evidence offered in the Bible. Take an honest look at men and women whom God used in spite of their past! Abraham, founder of Israel and tagged "the friend of God," was once a worshiper of idols. Joseph had a prison record but later became prime minister of Egypt. Moses was a murderer, but later became the one who delivered his nation from the slavery of Pharaoh. Jephthah was an illegitimate child who ran around with a tough bunch of hoods before he was chosen by God to become His personal representative. Rahab was a harlot in the streets of Jericho but was later used in such a mighty way that God enlisted her among the members of His hall of fame in Hebrews 11.

Still unconvinced? There's more. Eli and Samuel were both poor, inconsistent fathers, but proved to be strong men in God's hand regardless. Jonah and John Mark were missionaries who ran away from hardship like cowards but were ever-so-profitable later on. Peter openly denied the Lord and cursed Him, only to return and become God's choicest spokesman among the early years of the infant church.Paul was so hard and vicious in his early life the disciples and apostles refused to believe he'd actually become a Christian . . . but you know how greatly God used him. We could go on and on. The files of heaven are filled with stories of redeemed, refitted renegades and rebels.

How magnificent is grace! How malignant is guilt! How sweet are the promises! How sour is the past! How precious and broad is God's love! How petty and narrow are man's limitations! How refreshing is the Lord! How rigid is the legalist!

There is not a single saint who sits in a single church free from a few things he or she is ashamed of—not one of us! The one who thinks otherwise is worse than all the rest combined. In plain, garden-variety English, we were all taken from the same dunghill. And so we all fight the same fight with the filth of the flesh regardless of how loudly we sing, how piously we pray, or how sweetly we say hello.

Mark it—when God forgives, He forgets. He is not only willing but pleased to use any vessel—just as long as it is clean today. It may be cracked or chipped. It may be worn or it may have never been used before. You can count on this—the past ended one second ago. From this point onward, you can be clean, filled with His Spirit, and used in many different ways for His honor. God's glorious grace says: "Throw guilt and anxiety overboard . . . draw the anchor . . . trim the sails . . . man the rudder . . . a strong gale is coming!"

When serving God, listen to your heart – Christian Devotional for 1/23/2010

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

A man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations -- what you love to do and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."

The Bible says what is in your heart is what you really are, not what others think you are, or what circumstances force you to be (Proverbs 27:19). Your heart is the real you. It determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do.

Physically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Just as we each have unique thumbprints, eye prints, and voiceprints, our hearts beat in slightly different patterns. It's amazing that out of all the billions of people who've ever lived, no one has ever had a heartbeat exactly like yours.

In the same way, God has given each of us a unique emotional "heartbeat" that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving.

Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel deeply passionate about and others that you couldn't care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention, while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart; listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.

When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about.

Where did those interests come from? They came from God!

God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.

Listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.

Friday January 22 2010 12:00 AM

Posted by Rick Warren

Praying Effectively – Christian Devotional - 1/16/10

by Greg Laurie at crosswalk.com

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 
—1 John 5:14

If you want to see your prayers answered in the affirmative, if you want God to say yes to your prayers more often, then you must pray according to the will of God.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).

Sometimes God will answer our prayers differently than we thought He would. But we need to remember that the primary objective of prayer is to line up our will with the will of God. True praying is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness. Prayer is not getting my will in heaven; it is getting God's will on earth.

The goal is to pray according to God's will, because 1 John 5:14 tells us, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

Nothing is outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the will of God.

So here is how I pray. I pray for what I think is right, but then I always add, "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done."

When you have lived for awhile, you begin to realize that God knows more than you, and you actually will thank God for unanswered prayers. With 20/20 hindsight, you will thank God that He said no to your prayers at an earlier time.

So don't ever be afraid to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. . . ." This is not a copout. Rather, it is an acknowledgement that you don't know everything, but God does—and God's will is better than your own.

When You're Worried – Christian Devotional for 1/15/10

by Greg Laurie at crosswalk.com

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 
—Psalm 61:2

Without question, life is full of troubles. We have concerns about our future, concerns about our health, concerns about our family, concerns about our finances, and the list goes on. Things happen that scare us—and sometimes even terrify us. There are things that concern us, things that alarm us, and things that cause us to be filled with anxiety.

Everyone worries a little. We all have anxiety. I admit that I worry, and I don't say that proudly. Worry is not a virtue. In fact, it can be a sin in which we are failing to trust in God. So I have a suggestion: the next time you are tempted to worry, pray instead.

Prayer is the way by which God helps us to overcome our anxiety and worry. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (NLT).

Maybe God will take your problem away. That is possible. Then again, maybe He won't. But here is what happens: you get perspective. You see God for who He is, and thus you see your problem for what it is. If you have a big God, then you have a relatively small problem. But if you have a big problem, it may be that you have a small God, because you are not seeing Him in His glory and for what He can do.

Prayer gives us His peace and His strength to help us get through whatever it is we are dealing with. That is what God does for the person who will call on Him.

WOW!

“When you feel unlovable, unworthy and unclean, when you think that no one can heal you:
Remember, Friend, God Can.

When you think that you are unforgivable for your guilt and your shame:
Remember, Friend, God Can.

When you think that all is hidden and no one can see within: Remember, Friend, God Can.

And when you have reached the bottom and you think that no one can hear:
Remember, my dear Friend, God Can.

And when you think that no one can love the real person deep inside of you:
Remember, my dear Friend, God Does.”

Unknown

Haiti: A Country In Need of Our Help – How To Help

by Michael Reagan at townhall.com

As you have no doubt heard, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near her capital of Port-Au-Prince on Tuesday afternoon. It was the strongest earthquake to hit Haiti since 1770, and two of its aftershocks were nearly as intense.

The damage is horrific, and has only worsened in the wake of the aftershocks. Haiti's centers of government, national and international, have in many instances been leveled. Hospitals are overflowing, and the country simply does not have the capacity to respond to the sheer volume of need.

Estimates of the death toll from Haiti's leaders have ranged from 100,000 to 500,000, though the damage is too severe to project accurately. One thing is certain: the loss is sure to be astronomical.

Accounts and photographs have poured in, showing the world the extent of this tragedy. Haitian President René Préval recounted, "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them.''

The Red Cross estimates that over 3 million people, a third of Haiti's population, may need immediate emergency assistance. In the face of such need, the Red Cross has already run out of medical supplies. More are on the way, but no one knows when they will arrive, or how many they will be too late to save.

President Préval has asked the world for medical assistance, saying Haiti lacks the capacity to hospitalize the wounded.

In response to this devastating natural disaster, President Obama has order a Marine Expeditionary Unit, consisting of approximately 1,100 United States Marines, to provide humanitarian assistance and security as attempts to bring in outside aid increase in the coming days and weeks.

However, each of us should not simply take solace in the fact that some of our men and women in uniform are being deployed to provide relief -- we should all join the rescue effort. Each able American should find a way to help bring relief to a nation that is facing a dire situation which will only worsen without significant and immediate aid.

So this week I am going to ask that you to help the Haitian recovery effort in some way, whether it is a direct donation or even volunteering to help collect funds for one of the charities listed below. Together, we can help make a difference for a nation where thousands of parents have been separated from their children and will not know for weeks or longer if those children have even survived this tragedy.

Here are a few ways to help this massive rescue/support operation:

? You can make an automatic $10 donation to the Red Cross by texting "HAITI" to 90999. The money will be charged directly to your cell phone bill and will go to an organization which, since its founding in 1881, has been one of the foremost emergency response organizations. You can also contribute to the Red Cross and read about further ways to help through their website -- www.redcross.org.

? Catholic Relief Services, with a track record of rushing humanitarian relief to survivors within hours of man-made and natural disasters around the world, has already pledged $5 million to efforts in Haiti ad with our help can facilitate much more -- www.crs.org.

? Doctors Without Borders provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. They have already established emergency clinics in Haiti -- www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

? Samaritan's Purse, founded by Franklin Graham, is a nondenominational evangelical Christian relief organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. http://www.samaritanspurse.org. [ My personal favorite – JS ]

I want to thank each of you who are able to take a few minutes from your busy schedules to find a way to help. Your assistance may very well help save a life or enable a family to reconnect in the midst of a terrible human tragedy. And tonight, we should all say a prayer for those who lost their lives in this tragedy and those who remain in Haiti fighting for their survival.

When Your Religion Fails – Christian Devotional for 1/14/10

by Pastor Larry Thompson at First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale

As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.” Matthew 9:18 (NLT)

Have you ever noticed that it often takes a crisis for us to realize that God is not looking for a man’s religion, He seeks a personal relationship.

The man who cried for help was a religious ruler and a father. Luke reminds us that the ruler's name was Jairus. He was responsible for the administration of the synagogue at Capernaum. The synagogue ruler was an elected position among the religious leaders. He was highly respected, both capable and popular, a person of great power. He was one of the most important men in a community. HE WAS A VERY RELIGIOUS MAN but at the time of crisis his religion was not enough…HE SOUGHT A RELATIONSHIP.

Throughout my years as pastor, I have noticed that it is much easier to see a person who is not already religious to accept the relationship with Jesus Christ. A person who only has religion and not a relationship with the Messiah must come face to face that the very thing he has trusted all his life suddenly cannot be trusted in time of desperation. This religious man would pay the price for abandoning his religion to seek this personal relationship with Jesus. However, when it is your daughter’s life you are desperate and this man knows his religion has failed him…is there something more?

His hopelessness led him to Christ and his attitude revealed that his heart had been changed from religion to relationship. “He knelt before Him…” Jairus previously had only submitted to the laws of religion and now he found himself in humble submission to the Savior. Before we ask Him to touch those we love, we must ask Him to touch us, to change us.

This man was a religious man…a man driven to Jesus by a tragedy. God uses tragedy to drive many of us to Christ. I find it interesting that most religious people will not surrender their religion for a personal relationship until they have come to the place in their lives when they realize their religion has failed…only then will they seek the pricelessness of the personal relationship with the Messiah.

Keeping Your Word – Christian Devotional for 1/13/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

1 Chronicles 17:16-27; 2 Chronicles 6:12-15; Psalm 145:13

March 11, 1942, was a dark, desperate day at Corregidor. The Pacific theater of war was threatening and bleak. One island after another had been buffeted into submission. The enemy was now marching into the Philippines as confident and methodical as the star band in the Rose Bowl parade. Surrender was inevitable. The brilliant and bold soldier, Douglas MacArthur, had only three words for his comrades as he stepped into the escape boat destined for Australia:

I SHALL RETURN.

Upon arriving nine days later in the port of Adelaide, the sixty-two-year-old military statesman closed his remarks with the sentence:

I CAME THROUGH AND I SHALL RETURN.

A little over 2½ years later—October 20, 1944, to be exact—he stood once again on Philippine soil after landing safely at Leyte Island. This is what he said:

This is the voice of freedom, General MacArthur speaking. People of the Philippines: I HAVE RETURNED!

MacArthur kept his word. His word was as good as his bond. Regardless of the odds against him, including the pressures and power of enemy strategy, he was bound and determined to make his promise good.

This rare breed of man is almost extinct. Whether an executive or an apprentice, a student or a teacher, a blue or white collar worker, a Christian or a pagan—rare indeed are those who keep their word. The prevalence of the problem has caused the coining of a term painfully familiar to us in our era: credibility gap. To say that something is "credible" is to say it is "capable of being believed, trustworthy." To refer to a "gap" in such suggests a "breach or a reason for doubt."

Jurors often have reason to doubt the testimony of a witness on the stand. Parents, likewise, have reason at times to doubt their children's word (and vice versa). Citizens frequently doubt the promises of politicians, and the credibility of an employee's word is questioned by the employer. Creditors can no longer believe a debtor's verbal promise to pay, and many a mate has ample reason to doubt the word of his or her partner. This is a terrible dilemma! Precious few do what they saythey will do without a reminder, a warning, or a threat. Unfortunately, this is true even among Christians.

Listen to what the Scriptures have to say about keeping your word:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor. (Ephesians 4:25 NIV)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:17 NIV)

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity . . .
And speaks truth in his heart. (Psalm 15:1-2)

It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. (Ecclesiastes 5:5 NIV)

When a man . . . takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. (Numbers 30:2 NIV)

Question: Judging yourself on this matter of keeping your word, are you bridging or widening the credibility gap? Are you encouraging or discouraging others? Let me help you answer that by using four familiar situations.

1. When you reply, "Yes, I'll pray for you"—do you?

2. When you tell someone they can depend on you to help them out—can they?

3. When you say you'll be there at such-and-such a time—are you?

4. When you obligate yourself to pay a debt on time—do you?

Granted, no one's perfect. But if you fail, do you own up to it? Do you quickly admit your failure to the person you promised and refuse to rationalize around it? If you do, you are really rare . . . but a person of genuine integrity. And one who is an encouragement and can encourage others.

Do you know something? I know another One who promised He would return. He, too, will keep His word. In fact, He's never broken one promise. There's no credibility gap with Him.

He will return!

The Mystery Rolled Back – Christian Devotional for 1/12/10

[ This really, really hit home tonight! JS ]

By Selwyn Hughes at Crosswalk.com

1 Corinthians 15:50-58
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (v. 55)

Mark's observation "that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away" (Mark 16:4) seems a simple statement, but behind it lies a truth that is positively staggering in its implications. One is that no longer can death be an intimidator. "Death," said someone, "is the great enigma of life; humanly speaking, it is the one secret of the universe which is kept, the silence of which is never broken." To the weary and despairing, death may come as a friend; the cynical and disillusioned may meet it with indifference; to the healthy and the happy it may appear as a foe; but it comes to all. Death is like a great stone that blocks the path of human aspiration. How certain can we be of the continuity of life beyond death? What modest person would find in himself anything worthy to endure for all eternity? Such questions have been asked down the centuries. Death is a mystery - "the undiscovered country from which no traveler returns." Then came the first Easter Day, and the stone was rolled away. One Traveler did return. Death is an abysmal cavern no longer but a tunnel with light at the farther end. If people have seen it as a blind alley, then they need think no longer in those terms. It is now a thoroughfare, a highway. "'Tis death is dead, not He," said the hymnist. The mystery is a mystery no more. The stone that was rolled away the first Easter morn was not just the rock that sealed the tomb. Our Lord rolled back for us the mystery of death also.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, I rejoice and rejoice continually in Your glorious and triumphant victory over death. For Your victory is my victory. Help me to live by it, in it, and for it. I am grateful to my depths - grateful forever. Amen.

For further study:

John 11:1-44; Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:9; John 2:19;
1. When did Jesus declare He was the resurrection and the life?
2. What are the implications of this?

Surrender: let go and let God work – Christian Devotional for 1/11/10

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GW)

Surrendering your life means -

• Following God's lead without knowing where he's sending you;

• Waiting for God's timing without knowing when it will come;

• Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;

• Trusting God's purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships.
You are not self-serving, you don't edge others out, and you don't demand your rights.

The most difficult thing to surrender for many people is their money. Many have thought, "I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday."

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life -- Because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money," and "Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also."
The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
Jesus didn't pray, "God, if you're able to take away this pain, please do so." He began by affirming that God can do anything! He prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."
Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my, life or in another's life, please don't take it away!"

This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweats drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Patrick Henry Hughes

WOW!  The story of two heroes – father and son!

Worship – The Barrier of Pride – Christian Devotional – 1/10/10

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT)

Life is a struggle, but what most people don't realize is that our struggle, like Jacob's, is really with God! We want to be God, and there's no way we're going to win that struggle, but we try anyway.

A.W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us."

We aren't God, and we never will be. We're humans, and the times when we try to be God are the times we end up most like Satan, who tried to be equal with God, too.

We accept our humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. We give mental assent to the idea, but when faced with our own limitations, we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. We want to be taller (or shorter), smarter, stronger, more talented, beautiful, and wealthy.

We want to have it all and do it all, and become upset when it doesn't happen. Then, when we notice God gave others characteristics we don't have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity.

What it means to surrender
Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life in resistance to evil and injustice, or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. It not for cowards or doormats.

Surrendering is not putting your brain in neutral and giving up rational thinking. God would not waste the mind he gave you! God does not want robots to serve him. Surrendering is not repressing your personality. God wants to use your unique personality. Rather than being diminished, surrendering enhances your uniqueness.

C. S. Lewis observed, "The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because he made us.  He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own."

Worship: The barrier of pride – Christian Devotional for 1/10/10

Posted by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT)

Life is a struggle, but what most people don't realize is that our struggle, like Jacob's, is really with God! We want to be God, and there's no way we're going to win that struggle, but we try anyway.

A.W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us."

We aren't God, and we never will be. We're humans, and the times when we try to be God are the times we end up most like Satan, who tried to be equal with God, too.

We accept our humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. We give mental assent to the idea, but when faced with our own limitations, we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. We want to be taller (or shorter), smarter, stronger, more talented, beautiful, and wealthy.

We want to have it all and do it all, and become upset when it doesn't happen. Then, when we notice God gave others characteristics we don't have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity.

What it means to surrender
Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life in resistance to evil and injustice, or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. It not for cowards or doormats.

Surrendering is not putting your brain in neutral and giving up rational thinking. God would not waste the mind he gave you! God does not want robots to serve him. Surrendering is not repressing your personality. God wants to use your unique personality. Rather than being diminished, surrendering enhances your uniqueness.

C. S. Lewis observed, "The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because he made us.  He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own."

Worship: Offering Yourself to God – Christian Devotional – 1/9/10

By Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Romans 12:1-2 (TEV)

Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.
This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit.

What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life. All of it -- 95% is not enough.

Our total surrender to God is blocked by several things, including -

• Our ignorance of God - not knowing what he's really like.

• Our sinful nature - the desire to be God ourselves, and

• Our misunderstanding of surrender and the trust that it requires.

Can We Trust God?
Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. We won't surrender to God unless we trust Him, but we can't trust Him until we know Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes.

How do I know God loves me? He gives us many evidences:

• God says he loves you (Psalm 145:9);
• You're never out of his sight (Ps. 139:3);
• He cares about every detail of your life (Matt. 10:30);
• He gave you the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Tim. 6:17b);
• He has good plans for your life (Jer. 29:11);
• He forgives you (Ps. 86:5);
• He's patient with you (Ps. 145:8);
• He sacrificed his Son for you (Rom. 5:8).

God loves you infinitely more than you can imagine -

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, HCSB)
If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you."

God is not a cruel slave driver, or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.

When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

Surrender is the heart of worship – Christian Devotional – 1/8/10

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

"...Give yourselves to God... surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes." Romans 6:13 (TEV)

The heart of worship is surrender.

Surrender is an unpopular word, disliked almost as much as the word submission. It implies losing, and no one wants to be a loser.

Surrender evokes the unpleasant images of admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game, or yielding to a stronger opponent. The word is almost always used in a negative context. Captured criminals surrender to the authorities.

In our competitive world we're taught to never quit trying, never give up, and never give in - so we don't hear much about surrendering. If winning is everything, surrendering is unthinkable.

Yet, the Bible teaches us that rather than trying to win, succeed, overcome, and conquer, we should instead yield, submit, obey, and surrender.

And by surrendering to God, we enter into the heart of worship. This is true worship: bringing pleasure to God as we give ourselves completely to Him.

Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience, cooperating with your Creator. You say, "Yes Lord" to whatever he asks of you.

In fact, "No, Lord" is a contradiction. You can't claim Jesus as your Lord when you refuse to obey him. Peter modeled surrender when, after a night of failed fishing, Jesus told him to try again: "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Surrendered people obey God's word, even when it doesn't make sense.

God is not a cruel slave driver, or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.

When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

If You Can Find a Better Deal, Take It!

by Ann Coulter at Townhall.com

Someone mentioned Christianity on television recently and liberals reacted with their usual howls of rage and blinking incomprehension.

On a Fox News panel discussing Tiger Woods, Brit Hume said, perfectly accurately:

"The extent to which he can recover, it seems to me, depends on his faith. He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So, my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

Hume's words, being 100 percent factually correct, sent liberals into a tizzy of sputtering rage, once again illustrating liberals' copious ignorance of Christianity. (Also illustrating the words of the Bible: "How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words." John 8:43.)……

Christianity is also the hardest religion in the world because, if you believe Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead, you have no choice but to give your life entirely over to Him. No more sexual promiscuity, no lying, no cheating, no stealing, no killing inconvenient old people or unborn babies -- no doing what all the other kids do.

And no more caring what the world thinks of you -- because, as Jesus warned in a prophecy constantly fulfilled by liberals: The world will hate you.

With Christianity, your sins are forgiven, the slate is wiped clean and your eternal life is guaranteed through nothing you did yourself, even though you don't deserve it. It's the best deal in the universe.
Read more…

Friendly—Inside Out – Christian Devotional – 1/7/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

1 Samuel 16:1-7; 1 Kings 5:1-12; John 15:15

Are you attractive? I'm not referring to external beauty nor facial features. I'm asking if you are attractive—magnetic, winsome, charming, friendly. Listen to Proverbs 18:24a (KJV):

A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

Do you see the point of the proverb? To have friends we must be friendly. Friendliness is a matter of being someone . . . more than it is doing something.

A prerequisite to friendliness is a positive, healthy self-image. Ephesians 5:29 suggests this fact in a context dealing with a man's love for his wife.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church. (Read also Romans 12:3.)

A healthy attitude toward ourselves is necessary before there can be a healthy attitude toward others . . . which attracts them as friends. To encourage you toward that vital objective, let me remind you of three simple, yet wonderful facts:

1. God originally designed and "prescribed" you (Psalm 139:13-17).
2. God is not through—He hasn't completed His work in you (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 2:10).
3. The real you—that which God develops—is within you (1 Samuel 16:7).

Far more than your outward size, shape, features, and dress, your inner qualities are the things that make you attractive and friendly. First Peter 3:1-6 makes this abundantly clear.

So—rather than feeling obligated to "glad hand" everyone you see at church and work up an outward appearance of friendliness, take a long look at the inner you, the real you. Call to mind those qualities He has developed within you. Find encouragement in the fact that you have a unique combination of inner qualities found in no one else—so you have a contribution to make in just being yourself!

Ask God to give you the ability to be positive, honest, and open (and comfortable doing so!) at all times. Ask Him to use you to be a friend to someone who is needing a friend. Personally, I think that makes a lot more sense than feeling we have to walk around with a grin twenty-four hours a day!

I agree with John R. Mott:

Rule by the heart. When logic and argument and other forms of persuasion fail, fall back on the heart-genuine friendship.

We know God’s Truth Jesus Christ – Christian Devotional – 1/6/10

by Rick Warren at purposedriven.com

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

The Bible says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Truth is not a principle. Truth is a person; truth is Jesus Christ.

One of the clearest and best-known statements by Jesus is: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NLT)

Notice Jesus says, "I and the truth ...." He doesn't say truth is a religion, or a ritual, or a set of rules and regulations. He says "I." Truth is a person.

This is what separates Jesus Christ from every other leader of every other faith. Other leaders have said, "I'm looking for the truth" or "I'm teaching the truth" or "I point to the truth" or "I'm a prophet of truth." Jesus comes and says, "I am the truth."

A lot of people say, "I think Jesus was just a great teacher." But he couldn't be just that: No great teacher would claim to be God if he wasn't. Either Jesus is conning 2.3 billion people who believe a lie, or he was nuts, or Jesus is who he said he was.

Everybody's betting their life on something. I'm betting my life that Jesus is who he said he was.

What do you do with the truth once you've discovered it? Four things:

1. Believe the truth!

2. Do the truth -- Truth is not just an intellectual exercise; it's something you obey.

3. Stand for the truth -- The Bible tells us our responsibility is to never oppose the truth but to stand for it at all times.

4. Spread the truth.

The Bible says, "Let everything you do reflect your love of the truth and the fact that you were in dead earnest about it." (Titus 2:7) There's a lot in the Bible that I don't understand and that makes me uncomfortable. But the fact is, it is the truth. It is a map that always takes me where it promises.

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!'" (John 14:6-7, NLT)

Quietness – Christian Devotional – 1/05/10

by Charles R. Swindoll

Psalm 46, 131; Isaiah 30:15-18; Mark 6:30-32

It is almost 10:00, Monday night. The children are snoozing and snoring upstairs (or they should be!). Aside from a few outside noises—a passing car . . . a barking dog . . . a few, faint voices in the distance—all's quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit—quietness. Oh, how I love it . . . how I need it.

One of my most poignant memories of quietness occurred in California when I was walking with a friend along the sandy shores at Carmel. The silence of that early dawn was broken only by the rhythmic roar of the rolling surf and the cry of a few gulls floating overhead. The same thought I had then I have now: I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness. Stillness is an essential part of our growing deeper as we grow older. Or—in the words of a man who helped shape my life perhaps more than any other:

We will not become men of God without the presence of solitude.

Those words haunt me when I get caught in the treadmill of time schedules . . . when I make my turn toward the homestretch of the week and try to meet the deadline of demands, just like you. Alas, we are simply geared too high. Thanks to Alka-Seltzer, Excedrin, Sleep-eze, and Compoz, we repeat our nonproductive haste with monotonous regularity. As Peter Marshall put it:

We are in such a hurry, we hate to miss one panel of a revolving door.

Talk about pollution! I want you to think about what our nervous systems undergo just to stay afloat: Noise (music, news, talk, laughter, machinery, appliances, phones, and traffic) from 6:00 a.m. 'til midnight. Speed (bumper-to-bumper at 65 mph, on-ramps and off-ramps, deadlines and appointments) that makes us frown rather than smile . . . that causes us to check our watches more often than checking in with our Lord. Activities (meetings, services, suppers, luncheons, breakfasts, rallies, and clubs—all "necessary" and "nice") that have a way of dismissing quietness like an unwanted guest. Sure—some things are important—super, in fact—but not everything. Listen, if you and I really treasure quietness, we will have to make time for it. When you feed it only the "leftovers" from the schedule, it always goes hungry.

Now, believe me, I'm not bitter. I'm just being direct and honest with you about an ingredient that cannot be ignored much longer in our lives without our paying a dear, dear price. I am jealous that we: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NIV). I am desperately concerned that we slow down and quiet down and gear down our lives so that intermittently each week we carve out time for quietness, solitude, thought, prayer, meditation, and soul searching. Oh, how much agitation will begin to fade away . . . how insignificant petty differences will seem . . . how big God will become and how small our troubles will appear! Security, peace, and confidence will move right on in.

This is what Isaiah, the prophet, meant when he wrote:

And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. 
Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, 
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places (32:17-18).

You know something? That still, small voice will never shout. God's methods don't change because we are so noisy and busy. He is longing for your attention, your undivided and full attention. He wants to talk with you in times of quietness (with the TV off) about your need for understanding, love, compassion, patience, self-control, a calm spirit, genuine humility . . . and wisdom. But He won't run to catch up. He will wait and wait until you finally sit in silence and listen.

We know God’s Truth through Conscience – Christian Devotional – 1/4/10

Posted by Rick Warren at PurposeDriven.com

Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. Romans 2:14 (NLT)

God leads us to discover his truth, not only through creation, but also through our conscience -

Some things are hard wired in us by God; we know they are always right or always wrong, no matter what anybody else says. Our conscience tells us this. The Bible says, "Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." (Romans 2:14-15, NLT)
Say we take a random sample of one million people from around the planet and put them on a corner in New York City. We say: "Here's a 92-year-old blind lady with a walker. She needs to cross the street. Tell me which of these three options is morally right. One, you can let her try to cross on her own. Two, you can help her cross the street. Three, you can push her into on-coming traffic."

You don't have to be a Christian or Jew or Muslim or even a spiritual person; inside you know the right thing to do.

The Bible says, "Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." (Romans 2:14-15, NLT)
We are also led to the truth through careful consideration, God's commandments, and through Jesus Christ.

Dialogues of the Deaf – Christian Devotional – 01/03/10

by Charles R. Swindoll at Crosswalk.com

Leviticus 26:14, 18, 21, 27, 40-46; Luke 8:4-18; John 4:1-26; James 1:19

It is impossible to overemphasize the immense need humans have to be really listened to, to be taken seriously, to be understood. No one can develop freely in this world and find a full life without feeling understood by at least one other person. . . .

Listen to the conversations of our world, between nations as well as those between couples. They are for the most part dialogues of the deaf.¹

So wrote Dr. Paul Tournier, the eminent Swiss psychiatrist and author. His words convict me. They usually do . . . but these especially. Because they probe at an area of weakness in my own life. Not a glaring weakness; a subtle one. One that I'm able to hide from most folks because I'm often the one who's expected to talk. But some time ago it began to dawn on me that I needed to cultivate a discipline far more difficult than talking . . . and one that required an exceptional amount of skill.

Listening.
I don't mean just hearing. Not simply smiling and nodding while somebody's mouth is moving. Not merely staying quiet until it's "your turn" to say something. All of us are good at that game—cultivated in the grocery store, local laundromat, or on the front steps of the church building.

Dialogues of the deaf! Sounds come from voice boxes; guttural noises are shaped into words by tongues and lips. But so little is listened to—I mean really taken in. As Samuel Butler once stated: "It takes two people to say a thing—a sayer and a sayee. The one is just as essential to any true saying as the other."²

Illustration: Children. They express their feelings. Deep down in their fragile, inner wells are a multitude of needs, questions, hurts, and longings. Like a tiny bucket, their tongues splash out these things. The busy, insensitive, preoccupied parent, steamrolling through the day, misses many a cue and sails right past choice moments never to be repeated.

Or how about the person we spot without Christ? Have you ever practiced listening evangelism? Unless we're careful we usually unload the goods and go for the scalp. But people bruise easily. Sometimes irreparably. We must take care not to fold, spindle, mutilate, or assault! Sure, the gospel must ultimately be shared, but taking the time to listen patiently and respond calmly is an essential part of the process. I nodded with agreement when I read the admonishment of a rough and ready tycoon as he began the meeting with: "Now listen slowly!"

Check out Christ with the woman at the well (John 4). He could have blown her away with an endless barrage of verbal artillery. He didn't. He genuinely listened when she spoke; He "listened slowly." He read the lines of anxiety on her face and felt the weight of guilt in her heart. As she talked, He peered deeply into the well of her soul. It wasn't long before she found herself completely open, yet not once did she feel forced or needlessly embarrassed. His secret? He listened. He studied every word, each expression. Even the tone of her voice.

What does it take? Several things. Rare qualities. Like caring. Time. Unselfishness. Concentration. Holding the other person in high esteem. Sensitivity. Tolerance. Patience. Self-control. And—perhaps most of all—allowing room for silence while the other person is thinking and trying to get the words out. Wise is the listener who doesn't feel compelled to fill up all the blank spaces with verbiage.

Solomon said it clearly in Proverbs 20:12:


The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The LORD has made both of them.

Two ears. Two eyes. Only one mouth. Maybe that should tell us something. I challenge you to join me in becoming a better listener. With your mate. Your friends. Your kids. Your boss. Your teacher. Your pupils. Your clients. Your fellow Christians as well as those who need to meet Christ.

If those who battle with blindness need Seeing Eye dogs, we can be certain that those who struggle through dialogues of the deaf need Hearing Ear friends.

1. Paul Tournier, To Understand Each Other (Atlanta: John Knox, 1967), 8.

2. Samuel Butler, "The Art of Listening," The Royal Bank of Canada Monthly Letter 60, no. 1 (1979), 2.