Source and Author Unknown
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
George Mueller was a great man of faith and prayer. He once prayed for a friend's salvation. The man did not respond to Christ but Mueller kept praying. For over 60 years he prayed confidently, earnestly and expectantly for his friend to be saved. At George Mueller's funeral, that friend he had prayed for all those 60+ years gave his heart to Christ.
But It’s Not Working!
How easy it is for us to look at the results of our prayers and conclude, "This is not working. God is not answering. I just need to quit!" Have you ever thought that and done that? Quit on your dream, your miracle, your marriage, your breakthrough? As one wise preacher has said, "It's always too early to quit."
Jesus told a parable of a widow who was being oppressed and cheated by another. She went to the judge for legal protection, and he was unwilling to help her. What did she do? Throw up her hands and quit? Curl up into a ball and detach from society? Curse God and die? NO!!! She kept coming back, day after day, to the judge and bombarded him with her request, "Give me legal protection from my opponent." Although the judge was unrighteous and unmoved in heart by her pleas, her persistence wore him out, and he gave her what she asked for.
Don't you know how easy it would have been for her to quit? She did not know that her persistence was wearing him down. She just knew that the judge was her only hope and she kept coming to Him. Obviously, what appeared from the outside observer to not be working, was indeed working and eventually, the judge granted her request.
Keep Praying
My friend, when you are tempted to quit praying about something because you see no visible results DON'T! Keep trusting God, and keep bombarding heaven with your prayers. Remember, God is not an unrighteous judge who cares nothing for us. God is a good and loving Father who desires to answer us IF we will keep praying and calling out to Him. He is a God who loves persistent prayer because persistent prayer tells God you believe Him and trust Him regardless of the circumstances.
Have you thrown in the towel on something you used to pray about - a friend's salvation, a relationship to be restored, a career change, a prodigal son to return, revival in America? Pick up the towel and get back on your knees again. Pray according to His will with confidence and expectation of an answer (1 John 5:14-15). God promises that He will not delay long over His elect who cry out to Him day and night. He will answer us at the right time with a mighty answer from heaven.
Scriptures
I John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Resurrection Power: Beauty from Ashes
Today is Easter Sunday, the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is one of the three most honored days in the Christian experience; Good Friday and Christmas day are the other two.
Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus chose to leave the glory He had in Heaven and become a human being. As a human, He experienced everything we humans experience such as physical pain, emotional pain, and temptation. Yet, even though He was human, He did not sin.
Good Friday is the day to honor the death of Jesus. He was found guilty by His own people of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. The Roman government was involved as the executioners of this crime Jesus was charged with. The Jewish religious leaders struck Him, spit on Him, and cast Him out to be turned over to the Roman government. The soldiers in the employment of the Roman government mocked Him and beat Him without mercy. The struck Him on the head and whipped His body with a metal-tipped whip. They shoved a crown made from thorns on His head. Scriptures record that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. After the beatings and torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross upon which He died. As the sinless God-man, His death became the final offering, the final sacrifice, for the sins of mankind.
Easter Sunday is the celebration and remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. As the Son of God, His death was planned by His Heavenly Father so that the resurrection could take place. The resurrection is God’s victory over death and sin. The death of Jesus had to occur. The sinless God-man had to die to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. The sinless God-man had to die in order to go to hell to defeat sin and death itself. The sinless God-man rose from the grave through the resurrection power of God to give all would believe in Him victory over sin and death. Without Jesus’ death, none of these things could occur.
Jesus willingly accepted the task of leaving Heaven and setting aside His glorious majesty as God’s Son to become a flesh-and-blood human. He willingly accepted the Father’s will that He be tortured and die a horrendous death on the cross. Why? Scripture tells us that Jesus knew the good purpose His life, death, and resurrection would provide for mankind. The Bible even says that Jesus knew there would be joy as a result of what He suffered: “…who for the joy set before endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). God planned and allowed all of this to happen.
This Easter season, I have been thinking about my pain, suffering, and loss. I ask myself if God planned and allowed it to happen. My thoughts lead me to the Bible to try and find an answer to my question.
This Easter I think of Joseph whose story can be found in the book of Genesis. Out of jealousy because Joseph was their father’s favorite, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was wrongly accused of attempted rape and suffered in prison as a result.
This Easter I think of Job whose story can be found in the book of Job. Job was the most faithful and wealthiest man in all the earth. Satan appeared before God and accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job. Satan told God that the only reason Job worships Him is because He blesses him and protects him. If God dropped this protective shield then Job would think differently about God. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted to Job except to touch Job himself. As result, Satan causes Job to all in one day, lose his all his livestock, which was his wealth, and lose his seven sons and three daughters in a freak accident. Despite it all, Job does not blame God and the Bible reveals that Job did not sin in his words or his attitude.
Satan appears before God a second time and tells God that Job will curse God to His face if his life is threatened. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job except kill him. Satan causes painful sores to cover Job’s entire body yet in all of this, Job does not blame God for what is happening. Job even says, “Shall we not accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).
This Easter I think about my story. I think about the pain and loss I have experienced and I must ask myself some questions? Like Jesus I have asked, “Father, is there any other way than this one? If there isn’t any other way, then not my will be done in me but Your will be done in me.” I ask myself the attitude behind Job’s question, “Do I accept only good things from You, Father God, and reject the idea that trouble might be Your will for me life as it was for Joseph, Job, Jesus, and others?” I consider Jesus’ attitude and ask, “Father, will You help me to see this situation the way You see it? Will You help me to see the joy that will be mine when You deliver me from this pain and hurt?”
Joseph forgave his brothers for what they did to him and told them that what they had meant for evil God worked out for good. Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Jesus said, “…not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The end result of these stories of betrayal, pain, and suffering?
God honored Joseph’s faith by paying him back for all the wrong that had been done to him. Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt about a coming famine and was immediately placed in charge over all of Egypt second in power only the Pharaoh. He was also given a wife who gave him a family. As the famine worsened, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food and Joseph was instrumental in saving the lives of all of his blood relatives, God’s chosen people whose generations would produce the baby Jesus.
God honored Job’s faith by giving him another family of seven sons and three daughters. God also restored Job’s health and gave him twice the wealth he had before his faith was tested.
God honored Jesus’ faith and obedience by raising Him from the dead so that we could have the life of God in us through Him. God honored Jesus’ faith by giving Him a place of authority in the spiritual realm so that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin.
The Bible tells us that as believer’s, we have the same power at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).
I confess I do not understand God’s sovereignty, God’s ability, desire, and choice to do whatever He wants to do. There are times when I think that God could have stopped all of the awful and terrible things that have happened that devastate people’s lives.Yet, I trust Him even though I don’t understand. How can I trust Him? Because I read stories of faith like those of Joseph, Job, Jesus, and many others found in the Bible and I see that in every instance, God worked the situation out for the good of those who loved Him. He destroyed the works of the devil in their lives and paid them back for the wrong that was done to them. I trust the God of Joseph, Job, and Jesus to work my situation out for my good and to pay me back for the wrong that has been done to me. I trust the Father of Jesus Who is my Father, too, to exert His power in me to create life out of death in me.
I choose to have the faith and heart of Joseph who forgave those who wronged him and confessed that what they meant for evil God worked for good. I choose to have the faith and heart of Job who lost everything just short of his life and yet he still praised God. I choose to have the faith and heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus, Who lived in submission and surrender to God’ will for Him. I choose to believe that my God can be trusted to take the ashes created by events in my life and turn them into something beautiful for a greater good than I am not able to fully see right now.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds me that God even uses Satan and his evil works to reveal God’s glory.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds us of the hope that God truly can take the situations that Satan intends for evil and work them out for the incredible good of those who love Him.
Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus chose to leave the glory He had in Heaven and become a human being. As a human, He experienced everything we humans experience such as physical pain, emotional pain, and temptation. Yet, even though He was human, He did not sin.
Good Friday is the day to honor the death of Jesus. He was found guilty by His own people of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. The Roman government was involved as the executioners of this crime Jesus was charged with. The Jewish religious leaders struck Him, spit on Him, and cast Him out to be turned over to the Roman government. The soldiers in the employment of the Roman government mocked Him and beat Him without mercy. The struck Him on the head and whipped His body with a metal-tipped whip. They shoved a crown made from thorns on His head. Scriptures record that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. After the beatings and torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross upon which He died. As the sinless God-man, His death became the final offering, the final sacrifice, for the sins of mankind.
Easter Sunday is the celebration and remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. As the Son of God, His death was planned by His Heavenly Father so that the resurrection could take place. The resurrection is God’s victory over death and sin. The death of Jesus had to occur. The sinless God-man had to die to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. The sinless God-man had to die in order to go to hell to defeat sin and death itself. The sinless God-man rose from the grave through the resurrection power of God to give all would believe in Him victory over sin and death. Without Jesus’ death, none of these things could occur.
Jesus willingly accepted the task of leaving Heaven and setting aside His glorious majesty as God’s Son to become a flesh-and-blood human. He willingly accepted the Father’s will that He be tortured and die a horrendous death on the cross. Why? Scripture tells us that Jesus knew the good purpose His life, death, and resurrection would provide for mankind. The Bible even says that Jesus knew there would be joy as a result of what He suffered: “…who for the joy set before endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). God planned and allowed all of this to happen.
This Easter season, I have been thinking about my pain, suffering, and loss. I ask myself if God planned and allowed it to happen. My thoughts lead me to the Bible to try and find an answer to my question.
This Easter I think of Joseph whose story can be found in the book of Genesis. Out of jealousy because Joseph was their father’s favorite, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was wrongly accused of attempted rape and suffered in prison as a result.
This Easter I think of Job whose story can be found in the book of Job. Job was the most faithful and wealthiest man in all the earth. Satan appeared before God and accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job. Satan told God that the only reason Job worships Him is because He blesses him and protects him. If God dropped this protective shield then Job would think differently about God. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted to Job except to touch Job himself. As result, Satan causes Job to all in one day, lose his all his livestock, which was his wealth, and lose his seven sons and three daughters in a freak accident. Despite it all, Job does not blame God and the Bible reveals that Job did not sin in his words or his attitude.
Satan appears before God a second time and tells God that Job will curse God to His face if his life is threatened. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job except kill him. Satan causes painful sores to cover Job’s entire body yet in all of this, Job does not blame God for what is happening. Job even says, “Shall we not accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).
This Easter I think about my story. I think about the pain and loss I have experienced and I must ask myself some questions? Like Jesus I have asked, “Father, is there any other way than this one? If there isn’t any other way, then not my will be done in me but Your will be done in me.” I ask myself the attitude behind Job’s question, “Do I accept only good things from You, Father God, and reject the idea that trouble might be Your will for me life as it was for Joseph, Job, Jesus, and others?” I consider Jesus’ attitude and ask, “Father, will You help me to see this situation the way You see it? Will You help me to see the joy that will be mine when You deliver me from this pain and hurt?”
Joseph forgave his brothers for what they did to him and told them that what they had meant for evil God worked out for good. Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Jesus said, “…not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The end result of these stories of betrayal, pain, and suffering?
God honored Joseph’s faith by paying him back for all the wrong that had been done to him. Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt about a coming famine and was immediately placed in charge over all of Egypt second in power only the Pharaoh. He was also given a wife who gave him a family. As the famine worsened, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food and Joseph was instrumental in saving the lives of all of his blood relatives, God’s chosen people whose generations would produce the baby Jesus.
God honored Job’s faith by giving him another family of seven sons and three daughters. God also restored Job’s health and gave him twice the wealth he had before his faith was tested.
God honored Jesus’ faith and obedience by raising Him from the dead so that we could have the life of God in us through Him. God honored Jesus’ faith by giving Him a place of authority in the spiritual realm so that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin.
The Bible tells us that as believer’s, we have the same power at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).
I confess I do not understand God’s sovereignty, God’s ability, desire, and choice to do whatever He wants to do. There are times when I think that God could have stopped all of the awful and terrible things that have happened that devastate people’s lives.Yet, I trust Him even though I don’t understand. How can I trust Him? Because I read stories of faith like those of Joseph, Job, Jesus, and many others found in the Bible and I see that in every instance, God worked the situation out for the good of those who loved Him. He destroyed the works of the devil in their lives and paid them back for the wrong that was done to them. I trust the God of Joseph, Job, and Jesus to work my situation out for my good and to pay me back for the wrong that has been done to me. I trust the Father of Jesus Who is my Father, too, to exert His power in me to create life out of death in me.
I choose to have the faith and heart of Joseph who forgave those who wronged him and confessed that what they meant for evil God worked for good. I choose to have the faith and heart of Job who lost everything just short of his life and yet he still praised God. I choose to have the faith and heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus, Who lived in submission and surrender to God’ will for Him. I choose to believe that my God can be trusted to take the ashes created by events in my life and turn them into something beautiful for a greater good than I am not able to fully see right now.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds me that God even uses Satan and his evil works to reveal God’s glory.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds us of the hope that God truly can take the situations that Satan intends for evil and work them out for the incredible good of those who love Him.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Hurting and Lonely
I am hurting and lonely tonight. The silence in my house seems to echo off the walls. This silence enhances my sense of pain and loneliness.
I called a friend to talk about something that pertains to tomorrow and she sensed something was wrong. This friendship is only a few months old, but it is a God-created friendship and it feels as if we have been good friends for a very long time. Our friendship is mature enough that even after a few short months she sensed something in my voice and asked if I wanted to talk. I replied that there really wasn’t much to talk about. She knows my story and I would not be telling her anything new. I was tempted to resort to old habits and say “I am fine” and not talk about what is going on inside me. Instead of staying isolated, I chose to be honest and said, “I just hurt and I feel lonely.”
My friend offered words of encouragement and reminded me that I am doing the right things and “it won’t always be like this.” She said that what I am experiencing “is only for a season” and that I will not always be hurting or feeling lonely. I knew the words she spoke were true even though the truth feels like such a far away thing. As she spoke her words of encouragement, I remembered something she said in a conversation last week: “God’s timing is perfect.”
I do not know how long I will continue to hurt and feel lonely. Sometimes my emotional state seems like winter, it lasts longer than I want it to. Despite the fact that I do not know how long I will continue hurting, I truly know that God is at work in me healing my broken heart. I know that even when I feel incredibly lonely like I do tonight, I am not alone. God is with me. And even in the midst of the hurt and loneliness, I can sense God’s presence. I can sense His pleasure with me because of the choices I am making in my pain and loneliness to walk the road ahead that He has prepared for me. This road is not one that is filled with selfishness and pain-numbing activities (although I could take that road if I wanted to). God’s road for me is a road that is full of life and hope and integrity. It is a road full of peace and comfort. It is a road full of traveling companions like the one I talked to tonight. It is a road filled with good things that can come from God and God alone. It is a road that is reflective of God's speed limit for my healing. It is the only road I want to travel.
Scriptures for Comfort
Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you…he who formed you… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…””
Jeremiah 31:13: “…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
I called a friend to talk about something that pertains to tomorrow and she sensed something was wrong. This friendship is only a few months old, but it is a God-created friendship and it feels as if we have been good friends for a very long time. Our friendship is mature enough that even after a few short months she sensed something in my voice and asked if I wanted to talk. I replied that there really wasn’t much to talk about. She knows my story and I would not be telling her anything new. I was tempted to resort to old habits and say “I am fine” and not talk about what is going on inside me. Instead of staying isolated, I chose to be honest and said, “I just hurt and I feel lonely.”
My friend offered words of encouragement and reminded me that I am doing the right things and “it won’t always be like this.” She said that what I am experiencing “is only for a season” and that I will not always be hurting or feeling lonely. I knew the words she spoke were true even though the truth feels like such a far away thing. As she spoke her words of encouragement, I remembered something she said in a conversation last week: “God’s timing is perfect.”
I do not know how long I will continue to hurt and feel lonely. Sometimes my emotional state seems like winter, it lasts longer than I want it to. Despite the fact that I do not know how long I will continue hurting, I truly know that God is at work in me healing my broken heart. I know that even when I feel incredibly lonely like I do tonight, I am not alone. God is with me. And even in the midst of the hurt and loneliness, I can sense God’s presence. I can sense His pleasure with me because of the choices I am making in my pain and loneliness to walk the road ahead that He has prepared for me. This road is not one that is filled with selfishness and pain-numbing activities (although I could take that road if I wanted to). God’s road for me is a road that is full of life and hope and integrity. It is a road full of peace and comfort. It is a road full of traveling companions like the one I talked to tonight. It is a road filled with good things that can come from God and God alone. It is a road that is reflective of God's speed limit for my healing. It is the only road I want to travel.
Scriptures for Comfort
Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you…he who formed you… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…””
Jeremiah 31:13: “…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Monday, March 10, 2008
Interesting Easter Facts
Easter this year is Sunday March 23, 2008! He is Risen!
As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Here are some interesting facts about the calculated date for Easter.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And, none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
- The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now).
- The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones
that were around for that!).
- The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from
now).
- The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any
earlier than this year!
As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Here are some interesting facts about the calculated date for Easter.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And, none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
- The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now).
- The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones
that were around for that!).
- The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from
now).
- The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any
earlier than this year!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
As Silver Refined
Author and Source Unknown
Malachi 3:3 reads: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Malachi 3:3 reads: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
A Joke: Scientist Invents a Way to Create Life
A scientist invents a way of creating life, of breathing life into dirt with a cosmic ray he's developed. He says to God, "Hey, God, I can breath life into dirt! We scientists don't need you anymore!"
God says, "Let me see."
The scientist sets up his equipment, a complex array of tubes and gauges and dials and a chamber where his cosmic ray gets focused just right. He picks up a handful of dirt and goes to put it in the chamber, where life will be breathed into it.
"No, no," God says. "Get your own dirt."
God says, "Let me see."
The scientist sets up his equipment, a complex array of tubes and gauges and dials and a chamber where his cosmic ray gets focused just right. He picks up a handful of dirt and goes to put it in the chamber, where life will be breathed into it.
"No, no," God says. "Get your own dirt."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
My Birthday: God's Pleasure
Today is my birthday and for the first birthday ever I am glad I am alive.
Early in life I acquired an extremely shame-based perspective. I hated everything about me and would regularly heap self-condemnation and self-hatred upon myself. I had suicidal thoughts from a very young age until God delivered me of them when I was in my early to mid-thirties. At that time, I was on my way to work one day thinking that it might be better off to be dead when my thoughts went in a different direction. My desire to die was the result of the incredible pain I was feeling and had carried with me most of my life. I was tired of hurting and thought the only solution to ending my pain was to die. Yet, here was the thought progression driving to work that morning: “If I am dead then my husband is a widower and my daughter no longer has a mother. If I am dead then my parents no longer have their firstborn daughter and my sister no longer has a sibling.” I then went on to think that my employer would no longer have an employee but quickly realized that as an employee I could be replaced! What I realized that morning was that if I were dead then my death would change the lives of those I love. For the first time in my life, I had the idea take hold that I might actually have some value.
Since that day I first thought I might be worth something, I can honestly say and gladly report that God has changed my attitude about myself and about living. The journey of the last decade or so has culminated in a birthday today where I actually said, “Thank You, Father God, for creating me and giving me life.”
Do I like everything about myself? No. Have I committed sins and done things I am ashamed of? Yes. Do I still experience pain? Yes. Have I arrived? Absolutely not. However, I have learned that these truths about myself do not need to make me hate myself. These truths do not make God hate me. I am a believer in Jesus and the Bible tells me that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God loves me and wants me to see me the way He sees me. God sees me as His dearly loved child.
God loves you and wants you to see yourself the way He sees you as His dearly loved creation. God sees you with His eyes of love. He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you so that you might be free from your sin (John 3:16) and your own dissatisfaction with who you are. God does not want to condemn you (John 3:17). God is the One Who created you and He loves you so much. Yes, your earthly parents started the process through conception but God watched over you as you were being formed in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14). God’s own hands shaped and formed you (Job 10:8). God loves you because you are His creation. God took pleasure in you on your birth day and wants You to experience His love for you regardless of what you have done.
Today I have experienced God’s love. I know I am not perfect. I have committed my fair share of sins and mistakes but I have confessed them to my Creator and He has forgiven me. Despite my faults and sometimes willful disobedience to Him, He continues to love me with an everlasting love.
I am now going to go finish celebrating my birthday and my life by sitting next to a fire drinking Pepsi and eating Oreo cookies that a friend gave to me for my birthday. I will drink my Pepsi and eat my Oreos while I listen to a Point of Grace CD another friend gave me for my birthday. I will “Turn Up the Music” and live this life of mine that God has created for His good pleasure. And my pleasure, too.
Today is my birthday and I sense God’s pleasure with me.
Today is my birthday and I am glad I am alive.
Scriptures
Job 10:8: “Your hands shaped me and made me…”
Psalm 139:13-14: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.; your works are beautiful…”
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Music Reference
"How You Live (Turn Up the Music)" can be found on the Point of Grace CD titled "How You Live."
Early in life I acquired an extremely shame-based perspective. I hated everything about me and would regularly heap self-condemnation and self-hatred upon myself. I had suicidal thoughts from a very young age until God delivered me of them when I was in my early to mid-thirties. At that time, I was on my way to work one day thinking that it might be better off to be dead when my thoughts went in a different direction. My desire to die was the result of the incredible pain I was feeling and had carried with me most of my life. I was tired of hurting and thought the only solution to ending my pain was to die. Yet, here was the thought progression driving to work that morning: “If I am dead then my husband is a widower and my daughter no longer has a mother. If I am dead then my parents no longer have their firstborn daughter and my sister no longer has a sibling.” I then went on to think that my employer would no longer have an employee but quickly realized that as an employee I could be replaced! What I realized that morning was that if I were dead then my death would change the lives of those I love. For the first time in my life, I had the idea take hold that I might actually have some value.
Since that day I first thought I might be worth something, I can honestly say and gladly report that God has changed my attitude about myself and about living. The journey of the last decade or so has culminated in a birthday today where I actually said, “Thank You, Father God, for creating me and giving me life.”
Do I like everything about myself? No. Have I committed sins and done things I am ashamed of? Yes. Do I still experience pain? Yes. Have I arrived? Absolutely not. However, I have learned that these truths about myself do not need to make me hate myself. These truths do not make God hate me. I am a believer in Jesus and the Bible tells me that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God loves me and wants me to see me the way He sees me. God sees me as His dearly loved child.
God loves you and wants you to see yourself the way He sees you as His dearly loved creation. God sees you with His eyes of love. He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you so that you might be free from your sin (John 3:16) and your own dissatisfaction with who you are. God does not want to condemn you (John 3:17). God is the One Who created you and He loves you so much. Yes, your earthly parents started the process through conception but God watched over you as you were being formed in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14). God’s own hands shaped and formed you (Job 10:8). God loves you because you are His creation. God took pleasure in you on your birth day and wants You to experience His love for you regardless of what you have done.
Today I have experienced God’s love. I know I am not perfect. I have committed my fair share of sins and mistakes but I have confessed them to my Creator and He has forgiven me. Despite my faults and sometimes willful disobedience to Him, He continues to love me with an everlasting love.
I am now going to go finish celebrating my birthday and my life by sitting next to a fire drinking Pepsi and eating Oreo cookies that a friend gave to me for my birthday. I will drink my Pepsi and eat my Oreos while I listen to a Point of Grace CD another friend gave me for my birthday. I will “Turn Up the Music” and live this life of mine that God has created for His good pleasure. And my pleasure, too.
Today is my birthday and I sense God’s pleasure with me.
Today is my birthday and I am glad I am alive.
Scriptures
Job 10:8: “Your hands shaped me and made me…”
Psalm 139:13-14: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.; your works are beautiful…”
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Music Reference
"How You Live (Turn Up the Music)" can be found on the Point of Grace CD titled "How You Live."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
When Your Hut is On Fire
Source and Author Unknown
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives...even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives...even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Brick Wall or a Speedbump?
I attended a Mark Lowry concert one time. Mark is a singer and Christian comedian. During the concert he talked about those events that occur in our lives that feel like brick walls. He said these difficult events look like brick walls and feel like brick walls even when we are surrendering the circumstances to the Lord. However, as time goes by and places a perspective on that event in our life, we have the ability to see that what seemed like a brick wall at the time was only a speed bump.
I do not know what you may have going on in your life right now, but I have a situation that absolutely feels like a brick wall and it hurts. The initial event occurred over a year ago and ended with circumstances that created a different reality for me. I did not ask for these circumstances and had no control over them yet they have changed my life forever. Maybe you have circumstances that you are experiencing because someone else is making decisions that affect you and you cannot do anything about it. It is not fair because their decisions affect your life and yet you have no control over what they will decide. Maybe your brick wall is a medical diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a career downsizing. Whatever the circumstance might be, God has promised to never leave us nor turn His back on us. In the Old Testament, Isaiah wrote the following as a word from God:
“Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3
God never promised that we would not have problems or pain. However, He has promised that He would lead us through the painful circumstances in victory. In the New Testament Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I have decided that in spite of what has been done to me and how it has changed my life, I will allow the Lord to work in me and change me so that I might get through my circumstances and be a better person as a result of what has happened. It’s just the getting through it that is a challenge.
If we hold on to God and the hope that can be found in the Bible and seek to do what He wants us to do, I have no doubt that we will make it through. Remember, when you hold onto God, He will lead you through your circumstances and you will be a better person as a result.
Scriptures Used
Isaiah 43:1-3: “Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
I do not know what you may have going on in your life right now, but I have a situation that absolutely feels like a brick wall and it hurts. The initial event occurred over a year ago and ended with circumstances that created a different reality for me. I did not ask for these circumstances and had no control over them yet they have changed my life forever. Maybe you have circumstances that you are experiencing because someone else is making decisions that affect you and you cannot do anything about it. It is not fair because their decisions affect your life and yet you have no control over what they will decide. Maybe your brick wall is a medical diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a career downsizing. Whatever the circumstance might be, God has promised to never leave us nor turn His back on us. In the Old Testament, Isaiah wrote the following as a word from God:
“Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3
God never promised that we would not have problems or pain. However, He has promised that He would lead us through the painful circumstances in victory. In the New Testament Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I have decided that in spite of what has been done to me and how it has changed my life, I will allow the Lord to work in me and change me so that I might get through my circumstances and be a better person as a result of what has happened. It’s just the getting through it that is a challenge.
If we hold on to God and the hope that can be found in the Bible and seek to do what He wants us to do, I have no doubt that we will make it through. Remember, when you hold onto God, He will lead you through your circumstances and you will be a better person as a result.
Scriptures Used
Isaiah 43:1-3: “Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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