All Hallows Eve

Revelation 20:4 (NLT)

4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Mentioned here are The Saints who suffered for the sake of Christ. They had been faithful and had kept clear of pagan idolatry and rituals. In standing firm they had been beheaded for their testimony of God and Christ. They were given eternal life, honor and power to rule with Christ for their good deeds.

Many Christians know All Hallows Eve by the secular name "Halloween," and avoid any celebration or religious observance of the day. The prevailing thought within many churches is that the holiday glorifies evil and is anti-Christian in its ideology. While many of the customs and traditions associated with the celebration find their roots in Medieval superstitions and ancient European rituals, the prevailing theme of the holiday was to give thanks for the harvest and honor family and friends who died in the past year.

The Church recognized this facet of the observance as they expanded their missionaries into Northern Europe and Britain. Seizing an opportunity to advance the cause of Christ, the Church incorporated Christian ideology into the various harvest festivals throughout Europe and changed the day of honoring saints and martyrs to correspond with the celebrations of the autumn months.

Traditionally, All Hallows Eve is a vigil for the observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, which fall respectively on the first two days of November. The name itself means "holy evening". The night is marked within the Church with prayers, hymns, fasting, and the reading of various scriptures in preparation for the celebration of the faith of the saints and martyrs the following day.

All Hallows Eve falls on the 31st of October, which also happens to be the day for the Protestant celebration of the Reformation. Pope Gregory IV set the date for All Saints Day in the early ninth century to specifically interact with the Celtic festival Of Samhain. The prevailing belief within the Church Catechism was that "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.

Whatever the prevailing view amongst churches, for many Christians, Catholic and Protestant, All Hallows Eve continues to be observed as a time of faith and hope. Remembering those who lived their Christian faith and served God with all their hearts, even to the point of giving their lives, provides inspiration and perseverance for those who still remain. [Excerpts from http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/all_hallows_eve.html What is All Hallows Eve Traditions? Written by David Katski]

Take time to remember that tonight is All Hallows Eve and take a moment of reverence to thank God for those who have served Him faithfully. For tomorrow we are to celebrate the faith of the saints and martyrs who are mentioned in Revelation 20:4 and others who gave their lives for Christ. 

Grace and mercy that frees us to help others.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Matthew Henry states, “Every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation, and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness. The grace that saves them is the free undeserved goodness and favor of God; and he saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God.”

Repentance is a process of showing that you are sorry for something bad or wrong you did and that you want to do what is right. Most often a person tends to feel regret or sorrow for their actions. But God doesn’t want us to live with regret and sorrow, which is why we were saved by grace. For in God’s mercy He does not want us to linger in a state of remorseful sin where we feel prisoners to the sins we have committed. Instead God wants us to know His mercy and be free from the weight of sin that holds us down with regret and sorrow.

God wants to show us that through His power we can move past the sins in our life. There are people who have committed sins and paid the consequences for them. Instead of being held in slavery to the sin they found freedom. They found they could use their past circumstances to help others and minister to people with the same problems they had faced in their life.  

One example that comes to mind is Model and Actress Jennifer Gimenez. Even though she had a successful career she struggled in her personal life. Only those closest to her knew of the severity of her drug and alcohol addiction. The addiction threatened to destroy everything she had worked so hard to achieve. Jennifer went through her struggles to find a road to recovery from addition. Eventually Jennifer found grace and mercy that allowed her to move past her addition and start helping others.

Jennifer works as an addiction counselor, and she’s using her new project, SoberBook.com, as a way to help people open up and seek help. Anyone who has ever struggled with drugs, alcohol, or any other type of an addiction can post their story anonymously, offering hope and support to others who may be going through the same thing.

A little time for yourself

John 6:14-15 (NIV)
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

For the wrong purposes the people approached Jesus. They saw the miracles he performed and knew him to be a prophet, but they did not understand His mission and therefore came to force Him to act as king. Jesus knew their hearts and withdrew to be alone by himself where he could spend time alone in thought and in prayer.

 

 

 

If you were doomed to live the same life over and over again for eternity, would you choose the life you are living now? The question is interesting enough, but I've always thought the point of asking it is really the unspoken, potentially devastating follow-up question. That is, if the answer is no, then why are you living the life you are living now? Stop making excuses, and do something about it. [William Alexander, The $64 Tomato (Algonquin Books, 2007), p. 245]

 

Sometimes we need to just step back from life for a bit and examine what is taking place in our lives. While Jesus did a lot to serve others He never hesitated to step back and take a little time to think through things and pray to The Father for guidance. Let us learn to do the same in our lives.

Love - winning at life

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

These verses start and stop with what love while the center section focuses on what love is not. Matthew Henry writes of these verses, “How lovely a mind is that which is tinctured throughout with such benevolence, and has it diffused over its whole frame! Happy the man who has this heavenly fire glowing in his heart, flowing out of his mouth, and diffusing its warmth over all with whom he has to do! How lovely a thing would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more actuated and animated by this divine principle, and paid a due regard to a command on which its blessed author laid a chief stress! A new commandment give I to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another, Jn. 13:34. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, v. 35. Blessed Jesus! how few of thy professed disciples are to be distinguished and marked out by this characteristic!”

During a commencement address at his alma mater, Northwestern University, the comedian Stephen Colbert offered some wise words for life:

After I graduated from [Northwestern], I moved to Chicago and did improv. Now there are very few rules about improvisation, but one of the things I was taught early on is that you are not the most important person in the scene. Everybody else is. And if they are the most important people in the scene, you will naturally pay attention to them and serve them. But the good news is you're in the scene too. So hopefully to them you're the most important person, and they will serve you. No one is leading; you're all following the follower, serving the servant. You cannot win improv.

And life is an improvisation. You have no idea what's going to happen next and you are mostly just making things up as you go along. And like improv, you cannot "win" your life …. I have my own show, which [is] full of very talented people ready to serve me …. But at my best, I am serving them just as hard, and together, we serve a common idea …. And a sure sign that things are going well is when no one can really remember whose idea was whose, or who should get the credit for what jokes. [Dave Zahl, "No More Winning: Stephen Colbert on Love, Service, and Improv," Mbird blog (5-9-13)]

If only we would serve others out of love in this manner that we would not consider ourselves to be most important, but instead a loving servant. And hopefully the same would be true of those around us. What is winning in life but to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Then He tells us to love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Being able to truly love as The Lord commands is winning in the game of life. For we become more like Jesus and that is the goal of life.

Waiting on The Lord

Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

It is through faith, prayer and humility that we can wait on The Lord. While we may be nervous and afraid we must stay focused on God knowing He is our protector. Stay brave and courageous for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Those that wait upon the Lord have reason to be of good courage.

I learned to work on my own cars when I was younger. There was one time I was replacing a water pump. It was a difficult job. I had to lift up the engine so I could access some of the bolts. The water pump itself was in a difficult spot where I had to almost be a contortionist to reach some of the bolts.

I proudly removed the water pump and replaced everything but one final bolt. Unfortunately because of rust, the position of the bolt and the angle at which I had to work, the bolt kept trying to cross thread. Anyone who has worked with bolts knows that if you cross thread a bolt, you ruin the threads and any chances of using the hole where the bolt goes without some intervention at a machine shop.

I was getting very frustrated with that bolt. I worked and worked trying to get that bolt to go on correctly. I tried cleaning the hole for the bolt. I used rust remover. I tried everything I knew to do. I was not only frustrated, but very tired from leaning over the engine compartment.

My wife kept coming out and suggesting I call a friend named Miller who lived down the street. Finally I broke down and called. His wife said he would be home in an hour and she would have him come down to my house.

Miller finally arrived and tried to put the bolt in and had the same problem I did; the bolt kept trying to cross thread. Then Miller said come on down to my house a minute and we will get this fixed. At his house he took out a metal grinder and carefully grinded off the first quarter inch of the threads on the bolt. We then went back to my house and the bolt slipped right in and threaded correctly.

You see Miller knew that with the first part of the threads ground off, the bolt would line up straight in the hole. It was worth waiting on Miller for his help or I would have been out there all night trying to get that bolt to go into place.

Most people don’t like to wait. I had a hard time waiting for my friend Miller to get home. However that wait turned into a learning experience that I have used several times throughout the years. However, we learn some of life's greatest lessons through delayed gratification by waiting.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Stop an argument before it gets out of hand

Proverbs 17:14 (NLT)
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.

All it takes is a harsh word, an angry demand, a condescending tone and a quarrel ensues. It is like opening a floodgate in that it starts slowly, but the flood grows larger as more water is released. A few words may turn into many until a quarrel is flowing like a river. So stop before the words become too harsh and a dispute breaks out that becomes hard to end.

 

 

Gordon McDonald writes in "When Bad Things Happen to Good Relationships," Leadership Journal (Winter, 2011) -- One of our family scrapbooks contains a note written many years ago by our daughter's best friend, Cindy. It was written when the girls were both 8-years-old and inseparable. They walked to school together every morning, enjoyed frequent sleepovers, and consulted one another on homework assignments each night.

Then one day a tiny incident stressed their friendship. Our daughter, becoming impatient when Cindy would not walk fast enough on the way to school, called her a slowpoke.

It was impulsive, a bad choice of words. One can only guess what it may have meant to Cindy. At any rate there was instant enmity between the girls. That evening there was no collaboration on homework. An upcoming sleepover was canceled. And the following morning the girls walked to school by different routes.

A day later a note, the one in our scrapbook, came in the mail. Addressed to our daughter, it read: "You called me a slowpoke, and I am angry at you. You're no longer my friend, Cindy." Could Cindy have been more specific? The issue, her feelings, the altered status of the relationship: all clearly defined in two sentences.

The separation lasted, at most, one more day. When both girls realized how much they missed each other, they offered mutual "sorrys" (one for walking too slow, the other for using the epithet slowpoke) and resumed their friendship. Soon, it was as if nothing had come between them.

Yet something had happened; something had been learned. One girl had become aware of the importance of guarding her tongue lest an errant word hurt another's feelings. And the other learned not to overreact in a heated moment. Valuable lessons. If remembered, the "learnings" might save both of them in many of the inevitable quarrels they would experience in the future.

 

 

In James 1:19 the apostle gives us some rules to follow, “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  The most important thing we can do is listen to another person, understand their feelings and relate to them as best as possible. Take time to think through their words and respond carefully with your own words. And if anger ensues, stop the argument and discuss matters when emotions are not running high. It takes two to argue; so if one stops arguing it is difficult for the other to continue.

 

A still small voice

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

These verses are a part of the story of Elijah hiding in a mountain cave after fearing death from Jezebel. The Lord however had been with Elijah as he fled. God had sent an angel to minister to him after he had run a great distance. Now hiding in a cave, God Himself comes to speak to Elijah. God didn’t speak to Elijah in a mighty way, but instead He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.

In the movie, The Horse Whisperer, Tom Booker, played by actor Robert Redford, employs his special gift of "gentling" horses.

A tense, New York magazine editor can't believe her eyes as she witnesses the gradual transformation of her daughter's horse from traumatized to tamed. In one telling scene, the horse, frightened by the editor's ringing cell phone, gallops off into the far end of a large pasture. Booker walks into the pasture and sits down, where he waits for what appears to be hours. The horse, drawn by its curiosity, inches closer and closer. Finally, it cautiously approaches close enough to touch the "whisperer," and allows itself to be led back to the safety of its stall.

That's the way it is with God, as he "gentles" the untamed or traumatized people who run from him. You see God is always close by just waiting for us to listen and turn to Him. There is no need for God to shout for He is next to us, walking with us and leading us through our lives. We all need to take time and listen as God speaks to us in a still small voice.

The burdens in your life.

Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

There were those who complained of the burdens of the ceremonial laws, intolerable yokes of labor made much more so by the religious leaders who pushed hard rules upon the people. There was also the great weight of sin upon the people that caused regrets and shame. Jesus invited everyone to come and find rest in Him for his yoke was easy and the burden was light. Willing to be saved by Jesus, in His way, by His terms, we find comfort from the Physician who cares for us and our Advocate that speaks on our behalf.

 

 

 

The human mind is a wonderfully complex organ. Our brains can actually process a group of words, even if they are spelled totally incorrectly. For example, see if you can read the following:

The hmuan mnid is a wndoreullfy cpoemlx oargn. You see? It deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod aearpr, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the human mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig isn't it?

Oftentimes our lives, and the world around us, don't seem to make sense. There are even times when everything seems to be a total mess. But when we take a step back and remember that God is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last we can rest assured that one day it will all become perfectly clear.

 

Some days our life seems difficult and confusing, but Jesus is always calling out that we can find rest in Him. The Bible even tells us God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Share your burdens with The Lord for He wants to be peace into your life and lighten your burdens.

Transformed to withstand sin

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Matthew Henry says of this verses, “"Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind; see to it that there be a saving change wrought in you, and that it be carried on.' Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind, a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit-new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was-old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs. The mind is the acting ruling part of us; so that the renewing of the mind is the renewing of the whole man, for out of it are the issues of life.

As a very little dust will disorder a clock, and the least sand will obscure our sight, so the least grain of sin which is upon the heart will hinder its right motion toward God.

—John Wesley, English theologian and early leader of Methodist movement (1703–1791)

We are told in Romans 12:2 that we are to learn to know God’s will for our lives, which is good and pleasing and perfect. We do this this through have a relationship with Christ instead of the world. Instead of following what the world demands – we instead allow our minds to be transformed by the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Our perfection in Christ comes from putting away the ways of the world and allowing Christ to work within us, transforming us, and becoming more like Christ.  Ephesians 4:24 tells us “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

I know a young man about the age of my son who went through a period of life addicted to pain medication that started with serious injury.  There came a moment he realized he needed to change and gave himself over to Christ to allow the change to occur. He became free of all the pain medication and found a transformed life. Sadly this young man has just recently been diagnosed with liver failure. His mind is so against the medication that once took hold of him that he has been having liver biopsies without any narcotics to deaden the pain. It’s a very painful process, but he said he would rather endure the pain than to face the pain of becoming addicted to pain pills again.

If only we could have the mindset to say, “I will endure what I must to withstand the temptations of sin we would find a remarkable transformation taking place in our lives.”

P.S. Please pray for the young man above. He doesn't have insurance to cover the cost of a new liver, and is currently being prepared for a  liver transplant in the event he is able to find insurance to cover his future medication costs for anti-rejection medications. Pray that God would miraculously heal this young man and give him hope for a future with his wife.

Warning about self-confidence

James 4:13-16 (NLT)

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

These verses give a warning about one’s own self-confidence in the plans they make concerning their life. For our lives are temporary and can end at any moment and when life ends so do the unfulfilled plans that have been made.

Scene 1, Act 1:  Joe considered himself to be an enterprising person. He had been putting together plans to build a new company. This company had the potential of making him millions of dollars. He had consulted often with his friend Bob. Bob had experience putting businesses into place for others and Bob had great ideas that Joe was able to put to use.

Scene 1, Act 2:  Joe had just bounced more ideas off Bob for his company. Joe’s plans were about to be finalized and his dream of building a company was about to be a reality. Just a few more steps in his plans and things were going to take off. Bob had thought to himself that if had just had Joe’s drive, maybe he could have been where Joe is today.

Scene 2, Act1:  Bob is standing in his office looking out the window and thinking about the past. Bob looks toward the door of his office and sees everyone so busy at work. Bob thinks, If only Joe had not died in the car wreck after their final meeting this would have been Joe’s business and not his. For all the ideas Joe had bounced off Bob gave Bob a catalyst to create a company of his own instead of creating a company for someone else.

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9:12, “People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.” There is always uncertainty in life. We should trust the plans of The Lord for us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Grace and mercy

Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIV)

4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

Previously Moses had warned the Israelites of the perils that might arise from their predecessors, the Canaanites, concerning idolatry. In this chapter Moses warns the people of idolatry rising up inside of them and tempting others with their idolatrous thoughts. In the verse above Moses reminds the people it is the Lord your God you must follow and revere; following his commandments and staying close to God for reassurance. For when we draw close to God, God draws close to us.

The Mosaic laws were given to show man that he was incapable of not sinning. For no matter what man did there was always the temptation of sin with him. In the verse above the penalty for following other gods and idols was death.

When Jesus came a new covenant was given that gave life instead of taking it. People were still expected not to sin for the Apostle James said, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”  When a woman was about to be stoned for adultery Jesus stopped the crowd and challenged them that anyone without sin should throw the first stone. Slowly all the people left for they knew they were sinners.  Jesus then told the woman to go and sin no more. Jesus had given her grace and mercy to live, just as He gives us grace and mercy when we sin.

There is no other Savior

Isaiah 43:11-12 (NLT)
11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. 12 First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.

God's people are witnesses for him, and can attest, upon their own knowledge and experience, concerning the power of his grace, the sweetness of his comforts, the tenderness of his providence, and the truth of his promise. They step forward as a witness for him that he is gracious and that no word of his has fallen to the ground. They can testify of the Lord’s promise of Salvation and that no other god offers such a plan of redemption. For all the prophets testified of Christ and His coming and God’s promise was fulfilled as He stated.

 

 

During the early months of 2005, Zondervan publishing company launched its biggest marketing campaign ever, costing about $1 million, and placing ads in everything from Relevant (a Christian magazine aimed at twenty somethings), to VH1 and MTV's websites. This campaign is to promote a new Bible translation aimed at spiritually curious 18-34 year-olds. The momentum hit a major bump in the road, however, when one of the magazines key to this promotion, Rolling Stone, pulled Zondervan's ad in early January just weeks before the scheduled run date.

Zondervan bought space in the February issue to promote Today's New International Version of the Bible. This ad, and others that are running in secular media like The Onion and Modern Bride, does not mention "God;" rather, it mentions "real truth" in a world of "endless media noise and political spin," and a blue Bible appears in the corner of the ad. Each ad carries the slogan: "Timeless truth; Today's language."

And that assertion of "truth" evidently triggered the rebuff from Rolling Stone.

Kent Brownridge, general manager of Wenner Media, parent company of Rolling Stone, commented that the ad "doesn't quite feel right in the magazine." Executives cited an unwritten policy against ads containing religious messages, though they would not comment on why they sold the space to Zondervan, the nation's largest Bible publisher, in the first place. Nor did they accept Zondervan's offer to change the ad text.

Kent Brownridge commented that, "The copy is a little more than an ad for the Bible. It's a religious message that I personally don't disagree with. We are not in the business of publishing advertising for religious messages."

Doug Lockhart, Zondervan's marketing vice president, commented that they are "really surprised and disappointed…. Rolling Stone was a perfect fit for the group we want to reach. This rejection underscores the challenge we face."

Two weeks later, however, Rolling Stone reversed course and decided to accept the ad from Zondervan. "We have addressed the internal miscommunications that led to the previous misstatement of company policy and apologize for any confusion it may have caused," Lisa Dallos, spokeswoman for Wenner Media, Rolling Stone's parent company, said.   [http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2005-01-17-bible-ad_x.html; submitted by Dana Beatty, Schaumburg, IL]

 

 

The troublesome part of this article is where it stated, “Executives cited an unwritten policy against ads containing religious messages, though they would not comment on why they sold the space to Zondervan, the nation's largest Bible publisher, in the first place. Nor did they accept Zondervan's offer to change the ad text.” 

But obviously someone stood up as a witness for God and convinced those at the magazine that the ad for Zondervan should be run. Those who are Christians are witnesses for God and they need to tell others God is the only God and there is no other.  Hear the words of God that say, “I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.”

 

 

Thirsting for God

Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

David wrote this psalm while in the dessert of Judah. This psalm shows that while David may thirst physically, he thirsts more for God.  There are times when we all find ourselves lost in a wilderness of life, but we must stay connected to God by faith.

Imagine that you just found out you have a rare and terminal illness. You sit down with your doctor.

"Is there no hope?" you ask.

"Well," he says, "there is one thing. Without this one thing, it's over. But with this one thing, you will be completely healed. But let me be utterly clear: It's impossible for you to live without this one thing."

What would you say?

1.       "Listen, Doc, you're boring me. My favorite sitcom is starting in five minutes, and I wouldn't miss it for anything. I don't have time for these silly cat-and-mouse games. See ya."

2.       Or, "Well that's interesting. But, Doctor, that's your opinion. You are completely entitled to it, and I'm sure it makes you feel better for having expressed it. But I resent your attempt to impose it upon me. I really don't need this kind of psychological blackmail, this medical fascism. Good-bye and good riddance."

3.       Or, "What? What is it? Tell me now! I have to know, and I won't leave until I do!"

Of course, the only sane response is the last one.

If we are saved by faith, and if we live by faith, and if it is impossible to please God without faith, the only sane response is: What is it? What is this faith? You have to tell me! I have to know, and I'm not leaving until I do! [Mark Buchanan, Things Unseen (Multnomah, 2002), pp.140-141]

This is how David was connected to God. Even in the midst of physical needs he placed his need in God first. David had faith in what God was doing in his life and David depended upon God to meet his needs. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

We don't know what tomorrow will bring

Proverbs 27:1 (NIV)
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Here King Solomon provides a word of caution against presuming we have time to act, to complete tasks, to finish what we started.  We should always be willing to prepare for the future, but we cannot assume that the future is guaranteed to us. There is one thing we should never put off. When we hear God’s calling to follow Christ and place our trust in Him we must do so that we do not miss out on the glories and riches of heaven; for tomorrow may not come and then it will be too late to act.

 

 

J. Richard Love of Ruston Louisiana write about articles he read in Time Magazine. On a vacation in October 2001, I was thumbing through a pile of dated magazines, and in Time magazine I stopped to read the column called Winners & Losers.

In the "Loser" category in an August 2001 issue was Rudy Giuliani, lame duck New York City mayor, suffering from crumbling health, a crumbling marriage, and a crumbling political career. What a loser, Time suggested. Who would want to be this guy?

In the "Winner" category a month earlier was Ted Olson, rising star as Solicitor General of the United States. What a winner, Time proclaimed. Who wouldn't envy this guy?

How things change. Within a matter of weeks of these two issues, Time would refer to Giuliani as the "Mayor of the World" and a "tower of strength" for his leadership in the aftermath of September 11, and a few months later the magazine would name him "2001 Person of the Year."

By contrast, we ached with Ted Olson as we watched him bury his wife, Barbara, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. No one envied him at that moment.

 

 

Life can change in the blink of an eye. The first priority is to ensure you have placed you faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Next you want to think of those close to you. Do they know Christ? Would they know how to answer if God asked them “Why should I let you into my heaven?”  If they don’t - help them understand and let God call them close to Him.

Forever with God and Christ

1 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
3 Let us thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through His loving-kindness that we were born again to a new life and have a hope that never dies. This hope is ours because Jesus was raised from the dead.

Here the apostle encourages us to give thanks to God the Father and our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. For it was through the loving kindness of Christ that we were born again to a new life and given a hope of eternity in heaven with Him. We have the hope of eternal life for Christ was raised from the dead just as those will be who have placed their faith in Him.

 

 

You've probably never heard of Wilbert Williams. He's not famous or rich. Still, Williams received an honor normally reserved for the connected, powerful, and wealthy. On December 2, 2004, the city of Chicago designated a street as Wilbert Williams Way. The honor is in celebration of his upcoming retirement.

What did someone as unknown as Williams do to deserve such a tribute? The question becomes even more compelling when you realize that for nearly 40 years, Wilbert Williams has worked at the Woman's Athletic Club as a doorman. Normally, an honorary street sign goes to people who get the door held open for them not to the one holding the door.

What set Williams apart? He has carried out his duties in an exemplary fashion. Police Officer Paul O'Donnell said, "In all these years, I've never heard him speak a harsh word about anyone. He's a gentleman." Through his kindness and service to others, Williams made an impact on those who he met at the corner of Michigan and Ontario. Commenting on why he has always helped tourists, pointing them in the right direction, Williams says, "If I was in a different city, I'd like someone to help me."

Having a street named after you is impressive. How much greater the honor God promises to give to those who serve him well, an eternal inheritance that will never spoil or fade away.

[John Beukema, Western Springs, Illinois; source: Shamus Toomey, "Doorman Gets His Way," Chicago Sun-Times (12-2-04)]

 

God has the riches of heaven waiting for us. We need to realize our existence here on earth is short lived and we have a glorious eternity waiting for us because of Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to God the Father and Jesus Christ who in their love, mercy and grace thought of us and gave us hope to live with them forever.

Trust in what God can do for you

Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)

25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.

Abraham feared death because his wife was a beautiful woman, so he referred to her as his sister. Although Peter had been with Jesus, seen his miracles and even aided others - when Peter felt alone he suddenly feared the wrath of man and denied that he ever knew Jesus. We are encouraged to depend on the power of God which keeps us away from the thoughts of fear. If God is truly our salvation then with must believe with our hearts and trust God and not be afraid.

Our need to be in charge of ourselves, others, and situations often makes our relationship with Christ life's biggest power struggle. We are reluctant to relinquish our control and allow Him to run our lives. We may believe in Him and be active in the church and Christian causes, but trusting Him as Lord of everything in life can be scary.

Even though we pray about our challenges and problems, all too often what we really want is strength to accomplish what we've already decided is best for ourselves and others. Meanwhile we press on with our own priorities and plans. We remain the script writer, casting director, choreographer, and producer of the drama of our own lives, in which we are the star performer.

[Lloyd Ogilvie in 12 Steps to Living Without Fear. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 3.]

Do you find yourself planning your life without God’s help? Do you allow fear to overrun you because you haven’t talked to God about the problem? Maybe it’s time to stop depending upon you and depend on God. Stop fearing what man can do to you and start trusting in what God can do for you.

Our earthly and eternal bodies

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NKJV)
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

The apostle writes about the assurance of resurrection for those who have placed their faith in the promise of God that Jesus Christ died for our sin, rose again to life that we may too have victory over death and live an eternal life in heaven with the Father and the Son.

 

 

Hawa Ahmed was a Muslim student in North Africa. One day, she read a Christian tract in her dormitory and decided to become a Christian. Her father was an Emir (Islamic ruler), so she expected to lose her inheritance because of her conversion. She was completely unprepared for what happened. When she told her family she had become a Christian and changed her name to Faith, her father exploded in rage. Her father and brothers stripped her naked and bound her to a chair fixed to a metal plate with which they wanted to electrocute her. Faith asked them to at least lay a Bible in her lap. Her father responded, "If you want to die together with your false religion, so be it." One of her brothers added, "That will show that your religion is powerless." Although they had bound her, she was able to touch a corner of the Bible. She felt a strange peace, as though someone were standing beside her. Her father and brothers pushed the plug into the socket—and nothing happened. They tried four times with various cables, but it was as though the electricity refused to flow. Finally her father, angry and frustrated, hit her and screamed, "You are no longer my daughter."

Then he threw her into the street, naked. She ran through the streets, humiliated and in pain. People looked at her, curious rather than shocked. Shaking and tearful, she ran to a friend. Her friend let her in, clothed her, and gave her shelter. The next day, her friend asked neighbors what they had thought when they had seen Faith running naked through the streets. "What are you talking about?" they asked. "The girl had a wonderful white dress on. We asked ourselves why someone so beautifully clothed had to run through the streets." God had hidden her nakedness from their eyes, clothing her in a beautiful white dress. Today, Faith is a full-time evangelist with Every Home for Christ.

[Guido Kuwas , Global Revival News (12-17-01); submitted by Owen Bourgaize, Guernsey, United Kingdom]

 

It wasn’t time for Hawa Ahmed to go home to be with God, although she was prepared to do so. God had plans to use her here on earth for a while longer. Today, Faith is a full-time evangelist with Every Home for Christ.  Let us give praise to God while we exist here in these earthly bodies and give Him praise for the future bodies of immortal life waiting for us.