My Little Children

In First John 2:12 John writes this little tidbit of information for us to catch a glimmer of and it says, "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His names sake."

How emotionally appropriate it seems that God looks a us as "little children" and He has passed that idea on to His disciples that we may continue to think in that vain in today's society. We are God's children, all at different levels of understanding His plans for each of us, but all His little children none the less.

So the most secure times in my life were those times when I was safe in the arms of my earthly father, as his little child. Somehow I knew that no matter what would befall me at that moment, my father had his arms around me and that NOTHING could touch or harm me.

Today, I can see this analogy in the arms of Christ today. Oh, there are a lot of things that slip through the cracks and get to me, but there is something about being a child of the King that remove any and all fear of the outcome; Does that make sense? I feel a complete calmness about this issue. I am His "little child" and so, while that is fact (which will never change throughout eternity) nothing that can touch me, can destroy me (my spiritual being) or my relationship with Him.

I reference this verse back to First John 2:1 which says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with he Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." There was a time that I didn't have a clue what "propitiation" meant until I fully grasped the love and compassion of God. This is an act of conciliation or appeasement to our God. Could we POSSIBLY be entwined in better arms than Christ?

Dave

We Have This Treasure In Earthen Vessels

Here is a very interesting and inspiring passage of scripture that needs very little commentary and just a thought or two.

It is in 2 Corinthians 4:6,7 and it reads, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves..."

Pretty cool, huh? The light shines in the darkness. I remember in the beginning, on the first day of creation that God created light; in fact, He said, "Let there be light; and here was light." (Genesis 1:3) What is unique about that is that the Sun, Moon, and Stars were not created until the fourth day of creation (find this in Genesis 1:14-19).

So what is it that "...shall shine out of darkness?" I submit to you that it was the light of God Almighty. When Jesus walked into a room, even the darkness headed for the corners and the doors.

Jesus is the light of the world, whether you decide to believe it our not, matters not. God spoke and there was light. Nuff said!

Dave

Now Then Go

"Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say" (Exodus 4:12).This is an interesting verse of scripture. It follows along with the story of Moses and the burning bush. You can read the story in Exodus 3:1-9). It is an amazing story of the calling of God to Moses to lead God's people out of bondage. I can imagine if some of us were there at the time we might be raising our hand and jumping up and down saying "I'll go, send me! I'll go, send me!" But would we really?

Moses was a Godly man and he had just had an experience talking to God through a bush that was burning but it was not being consumed. In fact, in verse 4 we can see that Moses was slowly edging closer and closer to the burning bush, ever so slowly, trying to determine what this magical mystery was when suddenly he hears "Moses, MOSES!" You might know that I have my own thoughts as to why God called Moses twice. Okay, your in the middle of a mountain, no one else around, probably dark at this point, dusk at least, you don't know why you are where you are and suddenly you hear your name coming from the burning bush. NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I know what I'd do. I do a quick 180 and start running as fast as I could, the other way. Well, I think that may have been Moses' reaction. And that's probably why God had to call to him a second time. I can't prove that so just humor me, please.

So, now that God has his attention, He explains to Moses what it is that He wants done. And Moses sits and listens and finally God says in verse 12 "Now then go..." Well it sounds like too big a task for Moses so he basically says, Lord, why don't you just send someone else? Earlier Moses had attempted to use the excuse that he was "slow of speech" which probably means he stuttered. As the story continues, God's anger burns against Moses, so he assigns his brother Aaron, (who would later become Moses' albatross) to be his mouthpiece.

• 
  "Well God, it was really crowded at the Mall and besides, that guy had every exposed part of his body pierced and I didn't want to get too close to him!"
• 
  "But God, they don't allow us to talk about you in class and I really need an "A" in this class to get into that other school!"
• 
  "Are you kidding, God? That guy hasn't had a bath in probably a month, he stinks, he's scary looking, and you want me to go give him a sandwich and tell him about you?"

For thousands of years we have made excuses for not following through with God's plan for our lives but how quickly we forget that God had a plan for another person one day and he walked right up to me and told me how I could get to heaven. Boy, I'm sure thankful he had the courage to share God with me.

Oh, I think I'm starting to understand. I don't have to receive a degree from a big seminary to share my faith in Christ. I don't have to have a large vocabulary to get the point across. All I really have to do is be available when Your Holy Spirit says "Now then go...!" Now we are starting to understand.

I do have a degree from a big seminary, but you know what? Nobody has ever seen it. It sits in a box in the garage, collecting dust, because most of my evangelistic education came from passing out those sandwiches and tracts, getting invited to leave prisons for showing prisoners a better way to live, stopping at the Mall to talk to the "intolerable" and raising the name of Jesus in the face of demon possessed (that was scary).

If you don't know anything else to say to someone who may be searching for life's answers you can simply say, I once was blind but now I see (John 9:25 paraphrased). Once we were all blinded by the deception of this world, but now we see, and what we see is Jesus!

Dave

We Are More Alike Than Unalike!

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10: 11 & 12 that, "Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will NOT be disappointed. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him."

I captalized and underlined the word NOT in that passage because it is emphatic (uttered, or to be uttered, with emphasis; strongly expressive) grammer. Here's what it means. Now listen close. You don't want to miss this. It means "NEVER, NO NEVER, NOT EVER!"

The Gospel Ministry has put me at the side of several "death beds" over the last 30 years or so, and I can personally testify that, without exception, there has not been one person, on his or her way out of this life, claiming to be sorry that they trusted the Lord for their life. Trusting Christ for our lives is not a disappointment but the greatest gift of life ever given.

And Paul goes one step further to explain to us that there is no distinction between us. We are all God's children. For Jesus is the same Lord for you and for me, for the Jew and the Gentile, for the saved and the lost. What is the only distinction is the "abounding riches for those who have called upon His name.

My pastor friend Norm, always says "We are more alike than unalike." But the greatest thing about where we can be alike is receiving His Grace and Promise of eternal life.

Dave

Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

Law Number One

God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. (References contained on this Home Page are from the Bible and should be read in context wherever possible.) God's Love "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"(John 3:16 NIV). God's Plan [Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10). Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?Because...

Law Number Two

Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life. Man Is Sinful "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin. Man Is Separated "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).

This diagram below illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails. The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

Law Number Three

Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. He Died in Our Place "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He Rose From the Dead "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."
(1 Corinthians 15:3-6).


He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. It is not enough just to know these three laws...

Law Number Four

We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. We Must Receive Christ "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12) We Receive Christ Through Faith "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8.) We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation [Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"(Revelation 3:20). Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. These two circles represent two kinds of lives:


When self is on the throne Christ is outside; the life Interests are directed by self often resulting in discord and frustration







When self has yielded to Christ then He is in the life and on the throne; Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan.


Which circle best describes your life?Which circle would you like to have represent your life? The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (Prayer is talking to God) God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

The above presentation is an excellent format for presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost (courtesy of Campus Crusade For Christ). Whether you are a seasoned veteran at presenting the Gospel or a brand new Christian, this simple example has led millions of people to their "knees" in prayer, asking God to take over their lives. You don't know what it feels like to lead someone to Christ until you have done it yourself.

Dave

More Than Burnt Offering And Sacrifice

"...to love Him (the Lord) with all the heart and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark 12:33).

We see this passage in other places as parallels to the Gospels and each one speaks of the same thing. Laws were made with mankind, God saw that we could not keep them and when Jesus came onto the scene, He was sure to make a more simplified manner in which to be obedient to Christ.

You know, as long as there is emotion in the world, as long as there is right and wrong, we are going to have trouble with this issue. Aren't you thankful that you have a Savior Who was willing to still go to the cross even after He had simplified the law to the extent that all we had to do is Love God and Love one another. All God is looking for is the sincerity of our hearts. Around here we have differences of opinions concerning moral and ethical issues such as abortion, adultery, stealing from others, etc. However, God seems to have said that it is okay to "hate the sin", I just want you to be able to "love the sinner." And we find ourselves on both sides of the spectrum. We are both the sinner and the one who loves the sinner a well. That's not too difficult, is it? And if we begin to think that this IS too difficult, I think it is time to re-evaluate our spiritual well-beings.

Next week I'll have something to say about the "penalty of sin" in the sight of God (Romans 6:23). Thank God, He made provision for our sins because it is no secret that we, of our own strength, have no ability to stop ourselves.

When, within the Gospel messages, Jesus said to "love your neighbor as yourself" He was simply saying that it is absolutely possible to hate sin and still love the sinner. Think about it because this idea effects every single one of us.

Dave

Warm & Fuzzy or Black & Cold

Listen to what the writer of Proverbs has to say in chapter 11 verse 20: "The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their walk are His delight." You've undoubtedly heard the verse of scripture that says "delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" right? Well here the writer makes a distinction between the two hearts.

There is a heart that is black and cold and everything that comes from it has an "odor" or an "insult" or something very contrary to the peaceable heart of God. And then there is a heart that is "warm & fuzzy" and just waiting to find a way to glorify God. There are hearts out there roaming the world that just lie waiting to pounce on something or someone and bring the element of pain and discouragement. And then the other heart walks the earth looking to be a blessing to someone, perhaps someone in need.

What color is your heart? Does the Lord God look down on you and see a heart badly in need of repair (that repair being a "touch" for the Almighty), or does God see your heart working His will as often as you can find a place to minister.

I sometimes embarrass my daughters when we go out for dinner, but I always try to find someone to talk to, about most anything. Sometimes I even say "stupid" things just to get their attention. But the whole purpose is to bring a smile or blessing of some kind to an individual. Trying to offer up just a little kindness each day as I walk through life. I do know that there were some people in the chemotherapy treatment center that were sad to see that I had completed my treatment for the time being, and of course there were those that were having a party because I wouldn't be coming back.

You don't have to go too far to find the smile that is trying to escape from another person as they walk through life. And even once, while being hooked up to my chemo treatment IV, I was given an opportunity by God to get on my knees and help lead a precious dying woman to Christ. And it was all because I chose the "warn & fuzzy" over the black and cold heart.

What's your choice? Are you afraid to start up conversations with complete strangers? I've got a secret for you that will change your whole way of thinking. Next time you get the opportunity, just remember that the person you are working toward being a blessing to is "just like you" and you may be the only "Jesus" they ever get a chance to see.

Dave

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Today, in the mail I received a letter from Social Security "touting" the praises of Mr. Obama and his plan to give all of those on Social Security a one-time $250.00 to use as we see fit. I am (like Michelle Obama) finally very ashamed of my government when they do as they have done today.

Everyday we hear on the news that the government has bailed out, bought out or fired someone from a Mega Financial Institution and even as I am writing this note, their plans include giving GM another 2 Billion dollars, KNOWING that their ultimate fate will be in front of a bankruptcy judge.

I just returned from the pharmacy where I picked up yet another medication and the co-pay alone was $62.00 which is a big chunk of money to take from a $1600.00 monthly budget. It is you and I, the people in the "everyday" trenches of life who have supported and sustained this country for all these years and all of the "Big Gun's" friends are getting their campaign promises fulfilled at our expense. If the difference between what the government is doing for GM and others like them, and people like you and I, doesn't "scare the pants" off of you, then you are just not paying attention.

I am going to type the letter I got from Social Security on this note (word for word) for your viewing pleasure. I hope that you will have the compassion for America to pass this atrocity around for as many folks in the world as possible can see. I think that I will probably send my check back addressed to the Messiah Obama himself so he can see how much "good" he is doing for the country that he is systematically destroying. You can "click" on the title if you want to read the actual "News Release".

Dave - God Help Us!

Information About Your One-Time Payment

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Good news! The economic recovery bill that President Obama signed into law in February 2009 provides for a one-time payment of $250 to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.

You should receive your one-time payment by late May 2009. You do not need to take any action to get this payment.

Here is some helpful information about the one-time payment that you will receive:

• Your one-time payment will be $250. Each person will get only one payment. If you receive both Social Security and SSI benefits, you will receive only one payment of $250.
• If we directly deposit your Social Security or SSI payment to your financial institution, the $250 one-time payment will be deposited into your account. If we mail your Social Security or SSI payment to you, we will mail the $250 one-time payment to you.
• We will not include the payment in your monthly Social Security or SSI benefit payment. You will receive the $250 payment separately.
• If you are married and both you and your spouse receive Social Security or SSI, you will each receive a $250 payment. However, children under the age of 18 (age 19 if still in high school) who receive Social Security benefits are not eligible for the $250 payment. Since every family situation is different and the rules can be complicated, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov to learn more and review our frequently asked questions on the economic recovery payments.
• The economic recovery legislation also provides for a one-time payment to recipients of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits. However, if you receive Social Security or SSI benefits and you also receive VA and/or RRB benefits, you will only receive one $250 payment. The Social Security Administration will send you this payment.
• We will not count the one-time payment as income for SSI purposes. If you keep the one-time payment for 9 months or more, it will count toward your SSI resource limit.
• The law requires the Department of the Treasury to offset these one-time payments to collect delinquent child support and debts owed to state and federal agencies.

Again, you do not need to do anything to receive this payment. To assist us in issuing these payments as quickly as possible, please do not contact us about your payment unless you do not receive it by June 4, 2009. Do not provide your personal information to someone who contacts you requesting it to process your payment.

For more information, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

Michael J. Astrue

Commissioner

THE ONLY THING I SEE MISSING FROM THIS LETTER (BESIDES THE UNFAIRNESS WITH WHICH IT IS PRESENTED) IS MY DIAPER CHANGING SCHEDULE.

FROM A VERY CONCERNED AMERICAN!

Prerequisite, Proof, Profit, & Privilege

John 14:21-26 says the following: "He who has My commandments (This is a prerequisite - a prerequisite is something you must have before advancing to the next level, such as having Bible 101 before signing up for Bible 202), and keeps them, he it is who loves Me (herein lies the proof within the passage - keeping these commandments show one's love for the Lord Jesus Christ), and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father and I will love him (now here we see the profit in this passage - ie; having the commandments and keeping the commandments give the reward of love from the Father and Jesus Christ), and will disclose Myself to him" (and finally the privilege of this passage of scripture is because of the first three things, Jesus will disclose Himself to us).

Leave it to a pastor to come up with four "P's" and a punchline. But hang on, I think the punchline is yet to come. You see, in this passage from verse 16 through 26, Jesus is making reference to the Holy Spirit who is to come later and the benefits of the third person of the Trinity.

And so "Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world" (they still don't understand)? and Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."

So Jesus once again affirms the love not only of Himself but also the love of the Father and the promise "to abide" (dwell with them). Of course, Jesus also offers a stern warning to others by saying, "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me (verse 24). And once again He reminds them that "These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you" (in other words, I've said this time and again).

Finally, in verse 26 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as their comforter or "one who comes along side to comfort." "But the Helper , the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

Jesus has a tremendous love for the sheep and He wants them to know that He does not plan to leave them alone to try to do His work without a Helper. We all are aware that the "theme" of the Gospel of John is "Love" and even in Jesus suggesting His departure, makes sure that they know He is "passing" the baton and not leaving them to "turn the world upside down, on their own.

Punchline: (although not necessarily funny) God cares so much for us that in just a few chapters from here, He will allow Roman Soldiers to nail His Son to a cross, and bare the sins of the world. I think we have to go a long way to demonstrate that kind of love.

Dave

His Grace Is Sufficient

"And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I a weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

It was not my plan to write anything today because I am fighting my own emotional weakness battle and I felt that it might be good to take a break, however I feel compelled to write from the Word of God and am "Obsessed" with this action. I cannot stop myself. I feel the "wind of the enemy" from all directions and am exceedingly tired from these attacks.

I am a faithful Christian man who believes what is written above, so today, I draw from this scripture, the strength to continue to stand in the face of adversity. I covet your prayers for me, a sinner, saved by the very grace of God.

Dave

In This World You Will Have Tribulation

It was a special day yesterday because we usually watch one of our grandchildren overnight so that our daughter can do a full day of school at ASU. So we had fun together, playing, eating, watching Disney videos and stuff that little two year-old girls want to do. And then we went out for a doctor's appointment and then for dinner, just the three of us. And suddenly, we were separated as it was time to bring her home to her parents. We were "scattered" as a group of fun-loving grandparents and a little child.

It reminded me of this passage of scripture in John 16:32,33 that says, "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." Not that this passage may be a little "deep" for a couple of grandparents who simply dropped off their granddaughter at her home with her parents, but in the verse Jesus was saying something even more emotional.

Shortly before this passage, He had explained to the disciples that the hour was approaching for His final action which He was sent to us to fulfill. He warned the disciples that they would be come "outcasts" in their own land, He promised the Holy Spirit for comfort once He was gone, and He told them about death and ultimate resurrection. Now that was surely a lot of information but, action that would be taken which was serious enough to "scatter" or "separate" these men who had followed Him so faithfully for three years.

Jesus said that even though these men would "scatter" that He would not be alone because the Father was with Him. Then He describes His authority by saying "These things I have spoken..." and he grants to them, peace. His warning is that while occupying space here in this world that we will "have tribulation," but that it was important that we "take courage...because He has overcome the world."

Every day of our lives is filled with tribulation, some big and some small. Some even fatal to the human being exposed to the trial. But it is just like Jesus to say to us to "take courage because I have overcome the world." Don't fear, although it may cost you your very life, I have overtaken this world and if you leave this world it will only be to stand at my side along with my Father who is in heaven.

Now I'll be the first to admit that there are things that happen in my life that make it difficult for me to "take courage" no matter who it is that has overcome the world. It is still a difficult task. And that is why Paul has reaffirmed this notion to us in Romans 8:28 where he say, "And we know that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." The key word here being ALL. Each of us have things that happen to us most everyday that are NOT good, but God puts it all together with His strength and makes it work for good. Remember when Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and they came together later on in the story Joseph said "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

I just want to say to those of you who are "hurting" and "crippled" by life's mishaps that just as much as God was with Jesus as He prepared His disciples for this "scattering," He is with you in the middle of your trial. Don't allow your emotion to turn to "anger" when "love" is so close by.

Dave

Does My Faith Please God?

"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God" (Hebrews 11:5).

Now this is a good way to bring on eternity in my eyes. "Enoch was taken up..." Enoch became the father of Methuselah when he was just a "lad" of sixty-five. Then the Bible tells us that he walked with God for three hundred more years after having Methuselah. Wow! They must have had some really good drinking water in those days. Of course his son Methuselah was no "spring chicken" at his death either. In fact, you may not know this, but Methuselah was nine hundred and sixty-nine years old when he finally died. He was the oldest person in recorded history. I can't get my head around that long of a life. My wife's grandmother reached one hundred and eight years old and I thought that was some trick (just a sidebar. Thought it might be interesting to some of you).

What is interesting and inspirational about this verse is that Enoch was taken up so that he should not experience death. Now I'd be interested in that kind of deal. Sometimes when I feel real sorry for myself I feel like I've experience my share, and someone else's share of pain so being "taken up" rather than dying could really be a good thing.

But what is really unique about this verse in the faith chapter of Hebrews is that Enoch was taken up because he was "pleasing to God." Okay, now I'm really confused. I don't want this cancer because it will kill me. I don't want anymore back surgeries because of incompetent doctors. I don't want to get sick because I might die; I just want to be pleasing to God. WAIT A MINUTE!!! Enoch was pleasing to God and God just reached down one day and took him.

So here is the bottom line. Enoch did not have to experience death because of the witness he was, what he did, how he testified with his faith in God. It actually says, "he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God." You know, it doesn't really matter if we are taken up, taken over, taken through just so long as we are "taken by God." Wouldn't you agree. None of us know if we will be here later on to read this devotion, do we?

By faith Abel offered, by faith Noah prepared, by faith Abraham was called, by faith Sarah conceived. What do they all have in common? Faith! "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death..." Truly, God has not asked a lot of us. He just wants us to live by faith. My wife has a little pedometer that measures the number of steps she takes in a day. I wish I had a meter that would measure my level of faith each day.

When was the last time you checked your "Faith-O-Meter?"

Dave

The One With The Biggest Toys Still Dies!

The disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 18 "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

I remember as a child and I am sure that most every child has made this statement: "My daddy can beat up your daddy." The biggest and the best and it starts early in life.

We spend all of our lives trying to be the "biggest and the best" looking for the most fun toys, trying to have the greatest adventures on vacations, reaching...reaching...reaching for the absolute best that life has to offer. And some do this because it is not "good enough" for them to just simply "keep up with the Jones" family. We need and want the greatest. When someone in the neighborhood goes out and get a new car, you can almost bet that someone else in that same neighborhood will come home in a few days with a newer, bigger car.

The disciples had a few arguments about who it was that Jesus loved the most or was His best disciple. But Jesus put them all to shame when He sat a little child on His lap and said if you want to be the greatest, humble yourself as this little child.

My brother-in-law and I have always been competitive as we raised our families. He would do something and I would "one up" him. Then he would "one up" me (all in good natured fun, of course) but we are all like that. It is our competitive edge showing. Finally I got cancer, and said "Top that, Med!" Just kidding! While we are all trying to be the "greatest" Jesus is teaching us how to love. Isn't that just like Jesus? In the four months since I started writing daily devotions, I have learned more about love, especially the love of Christ, than in any other time in my life. I want to be that little child. I want to sit with Jesus, humbled as one of His precious children.

Dave

Alone With God!

In the Gospel of John chapter 7 and verses 10 & 11 it says, "But when His(Jesus') brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as it were, in secret. The Jews therefore were seeking Him at the feast, and were saying, "Where is He?"

There were plenty of places in the New Testament where Jesus chose to go to be alone with the Father. In the Garden before they came to carry Him off to trial, He asked the disciples to sit and watch while He went a little further in the garden to be alone with the Father.

The intimate relationship between Jesus and His Father was such that He wanted His time alone with the Father to draw strength from Him. This is an action that we need to take advantage of more often in our own lives. We are ALL very busy doing a little bit of EVERYTHING and so there is very little time for that intimacy with the Father, alone.

A precious sister mentioned her desire for more strength as a Christian woman and intimacy with the Father will bring about that strength in all of us. I know this practice first hand. Sometimes it is just good for us to practice doing the will of the Father without anyone else knowing about it. Sometimes we say we are going into our "prayer closet" to be alone with God. This is a good thing for us. Sometimes I will just lay in bed with my headphones on listening to the spoken Word that has been downloaded on my iPod.

When was the last time you were alone with God? Do you find yourself more times, hanging in a crowd or are you working your way toward the intimacy that Christ showed His disciples while He walked here? It is never a bad time to go and be alone with God. There have been times in my life that I have heard Him more clearly while it was just He and I.

Try to find your "alone place" with God. That place that is secret and nobody else knows about it. You know, doing something for a brother or sister in need without telling anyone is also considered "alone time with the Father."

He's looking for you. Can you break away from the crowds like Jesus did and get alone with God? You'll love it, I promise.

Dave

Please Pray With Me

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God" (2 Timothy 1:7,8).

"...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:1-4).

We did not get the news about my MRI Scan that we were looking for today. In fact, the results are simply "more of the same." We've known that every disc in my lumbar region is damaged to some extent and we were told today that the disc at the L4-L5 level has fully herniated and naturally they want me to see an Orthopedic Surgeon right away. I'm sure I will but there are some things that I just don't feel like having done to my body anymore. One of those is a sixth back surgery. So I just ask you to please pray for now.

I quoted the verses above today because I believe they exemplify what most Christians want people to see in their walk. "Power, love and discipline." I want people to see whatever suffering in my life is in accordance with God's will and I am good with it. I, like any other, want to be recognized, not as a martyr but as a "soldier" for the sake of Christ. If that means ongoing back pain until I meet him face to face, so be it. But it is important, as Paul says here, for the "witness of faithful men."

We have been given the gift of eternal life which cannot be duplicated by anyone other than Christ and what He did at Calvary. So I try to stand tall. You try to stand tall. And then sometimes we just fall from the weight of the load. But we remember first and foremost the suffering was Christ's to bear and ours is only light and momentary infliction.

God knows the level of pain and hurt that we can handle especially in our sin and Paul explains it in First Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; an God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."

Sometimes all we can do is "cry out to God" and there is no shame in that. In fact, I believe that God waits for those "cries" from time to time so He knows that He has our undivided attention. He has mine, and now you have my thoughts on the subject. I covet your prayers.

Dave

If You Can't Say Something Nice....

Some of the most profound Biblical statements can be found in the book of Proverbs. Another interesting thought is that if you start reading a chapter a day on the first day of the month, you will read through the entire book of Proverbs by the last day of that month. Try it! You might like it so much you'll do it again next month.

Okay, so much for the advertisements. I'm looking at couple of simple verses of scripture in, you guessed it, Proverbs. Chapter 17 verse 24 which says, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Also in Proverbs 4:20-23 it says, "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them. And health to all their whole body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."

I can remember back when a black man by the name of Rodney King, was beat by the Los Angeles Police Department (I think I remember at a gas station) for doing, I don't know what and when the dust settles he is saying to the media "Can't we all just get along?" Now I don't know all the details of the Rodney King story but I wanted to use the words to make a point.

The Bible tells us that pleasant words are as sweet as a honeycomb and can bring healing to our bones. It also tells us to "listen" and not to depart from its sayings. God has called us to be good stewards of His Word and we need to listen to Him as He draws us close to Him using the "pleasant words of life." God should be our best friend, because, as you know, He is our only hope for eternity. A whole lot of years later, James, the half-brother of Jesus would say, "...let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

So much of the world is full of anger and deception. I can't even begin to wonder what that tastes like but we need to look at the examples from God's Word as we live our lives around one another. I remember when I first got saved. I worked as an overhead crane operator out at Kaiser Steel in Fontana, California. I had a lot of friends and we could literally, "cuss the wallpaper off a wall" with our speech. When I read this passage from the book of James, I treated my speech like it was a phonograph record player and I turned my speaking down from 78 rpm's to 33 1/3 rpm's and started thinking of what I was about to say before I said it. It didn't take long to change my vocabulary and eliminate the foul language from my life.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb..." I believe that to be true. Of course I've always heard you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. People watch us. Especially those of us who are professing Christianity. They want to see that there is REALLY something different in the Christian walk. If we walk and talk just as the world does, we will not draw very many flies!

Dave

God Will Provide

I have had some serious back problems since 1989 and my back continues to give me trouble. Sometimes I wish that it could just be removed and a new one attached in its place. Kind of like when the car breaks down and you don't know what is wrong. You just want to loosen the radiator cap and drive a new car under it.

Well, the back pain and other symptoms came to a head yesterday and so we went to see the "rusty" doctor and he advised an immediate MRI Scan, probably because I have so many other, underlying problems he didn't want to take any changes. And today we went and had the MRI done and we wait for the results of the scan.

This made me think of Abraham and Isaac so I went to Genesis 22 and re-read the story of this amazing miracle of God. I'm sure I don't need to tell you the story and you should go to the reference and read it for yourself. What I was really "struck" by was verses 7 & 8 of Chapter 22.

Here's what it says in my Bible: "And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' And he said, 'Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" "And Abraham said, 'God will provide for Himself the lamb or the burnt offering, my son.' So the two of them walked on together."

Of course the entire passage from verse 1 through 19 is a wonderful testimony in picture form of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not suggesting any biblical changes but I covered up the word "for" and my Bible actually reads "God will provide Himself..." Not a breach of the Word, just a play on words. I can see Jesus in this passage. How about you?

So I assume that it was not a coincidence that God would draw my attention to this story in His Word today after having had this medical scan and now waiting for the results. For almost 58 years now, the Lord has been providing for me and I'm sure that He's not ready to quit just yet.

Lord, give me the continued faith of this father and son in the dynamic story that has been told here in Your Word...Amen! And with that, I am sure that God Will Provide!

Dave

What Sin?

I remember a few years back, a musical artist by the name of Morgan Cryar performed a song and the title of it was "What Sin?" And I listened intently to the words of the song and its meaning and it quickly became a favorite. Below this paragraph, I have placed the words to the song and if you click on the title of this blog, it will take you to a YouTube video of it. It will be worth four minutes of your time to listen to the song and especially the words.

It happened so long ago. And I cried out for mercy back then. I plead the blood of Jesus, Begged him to forgive my sin. But I still can't forget it, It just won't go away. So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"But this is all He'd say,

Chorus: What sin, what sin? Well that's as far away as the east is from the west. What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed. Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.

The heaviest thing you'll carry, Is a load of guilt and shame. You were never meant to bear them, So let them go in Jesus name. Our God is slow to anger Quick to forgive our sin, So let Him put them under the blood, Don't bring them up again. Cause He'll just say,

Chorus: What sin, what sin? Well that's as far away as the east is from the west. What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed. Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.

Lord, please deliver me from my accusing memory. Nothing makes me weak this way, then when I hear you say,

Chorus: What sin, what sin? Well that's as far away as the east is from the west. What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed. Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.
(c) 1995 Kata Dioko Music, ASCAP

Hebrews 8:12 says, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." Also in Hebrews 10:17 it says, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Listen to how Isaiah says it in 43:25 "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins."

I've spent a lot of years "beating myself" over the head with things in my life that were continuing problems and all along I wasn't hearing Him say to me "What Sin?" Get over it and get on with your life for My sake because I forgot about that a long time ago. Are you beating yourself up? God is saying to you "What Sin?" It's time to get on with what He called you to do and not sit around continually confessing the same sin over and over again. "What Sin?"...God!

Dave

That's A Big 10/4 Good Buddy

A whole lot of years ago, my brother-in-law and I became deeply involved in the "CB" movement. I call it a "movement" because I don't know what else to call it. We had CB radios in our cars, our vans, our homes. And we talked to everyone, all the time. We had fun at a few of their "CB Rallies" and even played a few practical jokes. Did I mention my handle? I was "The Mustard Seed!" Everyone who knew me through the circle of friends on the CB knew me as "The Mustard Seed!" My brother-in-law was "The Silver Dodge!" Now I think I need to explain his handle to you. He had a Silver Dodge. Yeah, that hard. That's why I explained it to you.

Anyway I was reading through the scriptures and came upon this verse in Matthew 17:20 which says, (Jesus speaking here) "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you."

A few verses earlier a demoniac man had been brought to Jesus and the person bringing him said that he had taken the demoniac man to Jesus' disciples and they were not able to do anything about the man's demon. So Jesus says, "bring him to me, I'll do it!" And of course, Jesus rebukes the demon and he leaves the man.

The disciples are baffled and wondering about the powers they should have that have been given them by Jesus and so they ask "What's up with our powers?" And in verse 20 Jesus explains their difficulties. The whole purpose of Jesus' action is to get us to live by faith. Faith as small as a "mustard seed" can move mountains, but it must be real faith.

Even though in the 70's I was labeled "The Mustard Seed" it has taken literally decades for me to gain the faith of that seed. I have never physically moved a mountain from one place to another however, there have been plenty of mountains moved in my life. It would take a lifetime to tell you about those mountains but the point is that if you possess that same little seed of faith, there have been mountains moved in your lives too. Take a look back over your life and see if I'm not right.

Just a little grain of mustard seed is all that is needed in the Christian walk to create movement like Jesus Christ created. You trust Him with your life, and I promise you, He'll move mountains for yours.

Dave

Spiritual Heartburn

Yesterday, being Easter, Barb and I met the entire family at our Son's home for Easter dinner. Everyone contributed and everything was, naturally too good to pass up. So I didn't pass up anything. I ate as much as I could for as long as I could, then we all sang songs while our Granddaughter and Grandson played the instruments. Xbox Guitar Hero, you know! Anyway after some time had passed I began to feel this burning in my heart. I think I ate too much of the wrong stuff but it sure was good.

It made me think of the two men walking on the Road to Emmaus after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Luke 24 verses 30 - 32 it says, "And it came about that when He (Jesus) had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"

Throughout their seven mile trip they walked and talked with Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and did not recognize Him until they broke bread together. And when they did, they recognized that their hearts were burning inside of them. They had been with the King. They feasted with the Lord God Himself and they experienced a spiritual burning in their hearts.

I know and have known of that spiritual heartburn they experienced. Jesus walks with us every day and our hearts burn with the desire to follow as He leads. When I eat too much and get heartburn I usually take a "Tums" or something like that to ease the burning. But when my heart burns inside from listening to the Lord, I simply absorb His Word and become obedient to His commands.

Ever feel that "Spiritual Heartburn?" Listen closely! Jesus may be speaking to you right now! Can you feel the Spiritual Heartburn?

Dave

Resurrection Sunday Morning

"Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that He had said these things to her" (John 20:16-18).

Today is the day that we as Christian men and women come together to celebrate the "Resurrection" of our Lord Jesus Christ. April 12, 2009 is Resurrection Sunday for those of us who believe. What a wonderful feeling, indeed, that we do not worship a savior who is still in his grave. How wonderful it is that the very mention of His name brings people together. If not for today, there would be no other day that would be worthwhile. Because as Jesus defeats and escapes the "jaws" of death, He sets the captives free. And who are those captives? That's you and I. That's anyone in the entire world who would surrender his or her heart to Jesus Christ.

My favorite inspirational book is by Max Lucado and it is called "Six Hours One Friday" and in the 7th chapter he talks about the disciples huddling around in the upper room. Allow me the freedom to quote from these pages; "The church of Jesus Christ began with a group of frightened men in a second-floor room in Jerusalem. Though trained and taught, they didn't know what to say. Though they'd marched with Him for three years, they now sat...afraid. They were timid soldiers, reluctant warriors, speechless messengers. Their most courageous act was to get up and lock the door. Some looked out the window, some looked at the wall, some looked at the floor, but all looked inside themselves" (Chapter 7 of Six Hours One Friday/John 20:19).

Today, over 2000 years later, we do not have to hide. We should not be afraid. We should however, choose this day for self-examination of our Christian life. So much in the world going wrong (in the world's view point). I just heard today that the number of those willing to claim Christianity is "slipping" in the popular polls. That's a load of "pig swine" as far as I am concerned. I've never had more conversations in my life than those taking place today concerning our Lord Jesus Christ (I highly recommend the book).

Our Lord went to Calvary, suffered the ordeal of the cross, and came back again. I challenge anyone to come up with another who has accomplished as much. I also challenge you today to NOT be like those frightened disciples in the upper room. Don't be afraid for your life for your life is "but a vapor." I'm trying everything I know to get more people introduced to my Lord than any other time in my Christian walk.

Today is the best day to say "this is the first day of the rest of my life and everyday forward I will tell someone about Jesus!" Are you that brave? Do you feel that much freedom in your salvation? I know each one of you have dozens of email friends you can send this message to as a start.

Twelve men turned the entire world upside down for Jesus Christ, but only after He gave them the opportunity to be at peace. The very last words He said to them in verse 19 is "Peace be with you.

"Praise God, Praise God, He's ALIVE! Now go! You've got a lot of work to do. Oh, and Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Dave

Woman, Behold Your Son

If there could be such a thing as a "touching" moment during Jesus' hours on the cross, perhaps it would have been this one in John 19:26&27 where, while He hung between heaven and earth, He had the compassion to care for his mother. Before He took His last breathe, He took the time to recognize His own mother's need.

"When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (Jn. 19:26,27).

The truth helps us understand that we do not know to what extend we can bear a trial until we have been placed in the fire. Here stands the mother of Jesus, the virgin Mary, and we don't read about her in a "fit of anger" or standing at the cross, ringing her hands. She wasn't "tearing her clothes" but merely standing there as she watches her Son, suffer this agony for the sins of the world. And perhaps it is because she had a better understanding all along about what her Son, the Son of God must endure and her role in it.

So with the tenderness that only God could express, Jesus provides for His mother. He had no gold or silver, no clothes, nothing of earthly value to leave to His mother, so as He sees John, not far from her, He places His mother into John's loving care. He calls her "woman" rather than mother and I think that has a compassionate tone because "mother" at this point would have been very emotionally "cutting" for her.

So here, Jesus provides for His mother before His death. It is believed that Joseph, her husband had long since died and Jesus was her support so now He takes a tender moment to see to her care. Even at this point, for the most part, they do not yet understand what is to come on that Resurrection Sunday morning.

When my father died, we stood out at the graveside, and I motioned for my two brothers and one sister to come up and stand beside me at our Father's casket and proclaimed that now it was up to us to care for our mother, his wife, and I believe that is as it should be.

Jesus knew exactly what the future held and yet He took the time to share this compassion with His loved ones. What was done on the cross, what we plan to celebrate on Sunday, all culminates in the love and compassion we have inherited from our Father above. And so we share our love for one another.

If you are not able to be with your mother this Sunday, give her a call. It will brighten up her day. Praise God, Jesus Christ IS alive!

Dave

Do You Practice "Deceit" or "Joy"?

You ever notice that when someone is deceiving you, they find it hard to look into your eyes? I've noticed that before. Those who would take advantage of a situation to their benefit regardless of the other party's condition! Those are the people that the first part of Proverbs 12:20a is speaking when he says, "Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil."

We can all see this happening in everyday life without even turning on the television and watching the news. Deception seem to be a way of life for some in this world. And that is just as it should be! Why do I say that? Well this world belongs to Satan. This is clearly noted in Ephesians 2:1&2 when Paul writes "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience." Yes, to some, deception is a way of life.

However Proverbs 12:20b continues by saying "but counselors of peace have joy." There is a major contrast here between the first part and the last part of the passage in Proverbs. And so with Christ in our hearts, we can see and tell the difference between one who would attempt to compromise us and the one who would bring joy to us. This would be the gift of "Discernment" for the Christian.

During this Holy week that we are in, that is exactly what we saw when Jesus said to Judas in Luke 22:48, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" This is just an educated guess but I am supposing that at this point Judas cannot look Jesus in the face and take this action.

And so we live with deception and joy as we carefully discern life.

Dave

Wings Like Eagles

"Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary" (Isaiah 40:31).

The oddest thing about this scripture verse today is that I was going to write this devotion last night and became too tired. I went to bed, not having written it and I woke up at 5:17 this morning. Laying in bed, I tossed and turned, not able to sleep and suddenly I hear God telling me to get up and write. "They will walk and not become weary." "They will gain new strength;" And this was my choice of scripture verse last night for today' devotion.

So God gave me the strength to get up (actually I think He pushed me out of bed) to complete my commitment to Him. God truly is our source of strength and desire. I could not get back to sleep because this promise I made to Him was not complete.

Tomorrow is "Good Friday"! A day we ponder as we are reminded of the beginning of the sacrifice of all sacrifices. On that day we think about Christ's crucifixion. And on these days we hear God say to us "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). And here we face the truth about life; that it is tough, that times get hard, and that they most assuredly will get harder, as the "Prince of the power of the air" (Satan) continues to create chaos within this world and among ourselves.

But Praise be to God on High, that He has stretched forth His "righteous right hand" to be involved in our lives. It is He who we call on in times of trouble and it is He that we praise in good times and bad. Because it is He who has promised us "eternal life" through Jesus Christ our Lord, because of this "road to Calvary."

You can lift your head up and stand tall, those of you who are sick and possibly dying. You can stand with character, those of you who may be losing everything you own in this world as the result of a lost job. You can "...mount up with wings like eagles..." those of you whose hearts are heavy with a very serious trial this morning, knowing that the God who stretched out His hand and delivered Christ to Calvary's Tree, is the same God whose righteous right hand, holds you upright today.

There is no way to diminish some of the "troubles" we walk through today, except to realize that this is not our home and we are only passing through. This 70 plus years are not all we have. We have been given a "home in paradise" that Jesus Christ went to the cross to secure for us.

His is risen! He is risen! Praise God, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. And because He has risen, you can experience everlasting life, at His side.

After 30 plus years of trying to walk with the Lord, I understand that you cannot immediately calm or steady someone with the tribulations we face today. I know that these are mere words that attempt to comfort. I go through the same perplexing dilemmas myself day after day. And I just pick up the Word of God and allow Him to be my "calm." I let Him steady my stride, one day at a time. I too, from time to time think about my difficulties and how much better it would be if they did not exist. But something inside (the Holy Spirit) keeps assuring me that even though this was not my plan (will) for my life, God is still a whisper away with His strength and comfort. It is at those times when I can feel the "wings" on my back that pick me up and plant me on solid ground.

Dave

Delight Yourself In The Lord

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it" (Psalm 37:3-5).

Do you want to know God's will for your life? Here's a simple scripture passage that tells you just exactly what to do. "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Well, you say, what does this have to do with God's will for me? I say in response to that, if you are delighting yourself in the Lord, THAT IS God's will for your life. He wants you to be delighted in Him. He wants you to be so "smitten" by His love and grace that all you can think of is the Lord. So by delighting yourself in the Lord, you are receiving His will for you. Where will that take you? I don't know. But wherever it is, it will be with the Lord and in His will.

And what is His will for you? Well, examine your heart because He wants to give you your desires. Are your desires worthy of His gift? Many of us walk around on this earth hurting, some physically, some emotionally, but if the desire of our heart is to be "delighted" in the Lord then He has already completed His part of the bargain by removing some of your pain with your very own desire. Kind of dizzying, huh? Well, He said to tell Him what was on your mind and He promised you your desires, so what really is there to understand other than His will for you is that you receive the desire of your heart (boy, that was a mouthful)? And naturally, if your heart is right with God, then you will want to delight yourself in Him.

There may be dozens of different ways to say what God wants or wills for us but truly, He is looking for that certain someone who is so in love with Him that they are satisfied with whatever He chooses for them. I have tried for decades to "Delight myself in the Lord" and I think I have achieved it. Some would say, what do you mean, you have a cancer that is not curable. It's eventually going to kill you. To that I would say, "that's right, but there are people I would never have met or been able to share His love with, had this medical condition never arrived." So you tell me, which act was more important? Me living an unfulfilled life in Christ without the desires of my heart, or living a little shorter here, fully engulfed in Him and His Glory. I'm not saying to you that you should start praying for a terminal disease so you can be in the will of God. I am however, saying that when I surrendered fully to His Lordship and control of MY life, this is the way it came about. And I could not be more pleased.

We all have our "season of time" on this earth and when it is time to go, I feel it better to go peacefully, knowing that at least for some part of my time here, I was in His "Perfect" will. So down deep inside of me, my ultimate desire is to share the Gospel of God with anyone and everyone so if it takes a medical trial in my life to get me to that desire I say, "Thank you, Lord for knowing just what I need and where I need to be." Besides, He's big enough to change His mind should He so desire. In the meantime, I have the "desires of my heart" from God!

Dave

Washing, Regeneration, Renewing

Today's scripture verse comes from the book of Titus chapter 3. This is a small, three chapter letter that Paul wrote to his brother Titus with little "nuggets" for the church. The theme of this epistle is to emphasize the connection of doctrine committed to faithful men with godliness of life. Grace, as the great doctrine of salvation is emphasized in this letter.

I wanted to quote a couple of verses in chapter 3 and they are verses 5-7 which say, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Years and years of study has been invested in this idea of grace over works and the doctrinal issue could become quite complex if you allow it to however, the bottom line is in His grace because if He chose not to be graceful then you could do works until you were blue in the face, and still not reach a level of "goodness" for the sake of salvation. We cannot, of ourselves, reach God based on the things that we do, because there is always a counterbalance with mankind. Don't misunderstand me here; "a tree is known by it's fruit". We were born with a sin nature and it is a natural thing for us to react to the prompting of sin. What is "unnatural" is for us to allow God to cover us in His grace, to KEEP us away from sin. You have to recognize this each time you are confronted about sin prior to the action of that sin.

And as verse 5 clearly states "He saved us according to His mercy and not based on our deeds." How did He do this? By the "washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." And when was this accomplished? On the cross at Calvary. When Jesus hung there between heaven and earth, held only by His will (not the nails), the process of "washing of regeneration" began as He took, upon His shoulders, the sins of the world. Not only the past sins or the sins He would witness while here on earth, but the sins you will commit today. God commanded that those be placed on Christ for the sake of salvation.

And when his process was completed at the cross, the Holy Spirit could be released to dwell among mankind, convicting and convincing each one of his sin allowing for repentance.

And He "justified" us as being righteous (you can get a very good understanding of justification in the book of Romans) before an Almighty God by His grace and made us "children of the king" all of those who would accept Him as Savior and Lord. Long, long ago someone said to me "that word justified means 'just as if I'd never sinned'"! That sounds good to me.

So no matter how dirty I think I make myself, when I turn my face toward God, He sees nothing more than Jesus who is covering my sin and making me righteous before a Holy God. What a deal! I know of no other place on earth or away from earth where you can get such a deal as that. And this coming Sunday, we will all come together and celebrate, not only the "washing of regeneration" but Jesus Christ as he "walks out of that tomb" ALIVE for the sake of all mankind. Kind of make you want to tell somebody, huh?

Dave

Keep Them From The Evil One

Today I was dwelling on the Lord's concern for us. How much He cares for us. How much He was willing to suffer for us. Exactly how far He was willing to go for us. It's mind boggling to think about because I am confident that I would not allow one of my children to suffer that much agony without stepping in. I remember the song we use to sing in church "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels"...but He died alone, for you and me.

We are in that week leading up to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and He sits His disciples down and begins this High Priestly Prayer for not only the protection of those around Him but to all of us as well beginning in John 17: 1-21. I hope you will take the time to read this prayer of Jesus' because He is praying for you at this point.

Within the next couple of chapters we will have witnessed His capture, His trials (several of them throughout the night) and finally, we will see Him nailed to a tree, the final sacrifice for the sins of the world. We'll witness God the Father, as He turns His head on His Son because He can have no part in sin or evil. We will witness a kind of love that has never been demonstrated before or since at this level or fashion. And we will, by the end of the week, celebrate His glorious resurrection, defeating death and the grave, for the single purpose of saving our souls.

I will merely point out one single verse in the passage which is verse 15 and it says, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." Jesus knew that we still had our work cut out for us here on earth but wanted the Father in Heaven to shield us from "the evil one". What grace in the face of emanate death. And He reminds God in the next verse, as though He wanted all of us to hear that "They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world." It's a though He was covering all the bases before He continued on His mission.

For a person as "wordy" as I am, sometimes I cannot find the words to say how much I thank my Lord God (Elohim) for the wonderful gift He has given to me.

This week we will envision Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Please take the time to thank Him for coming down and taking our sin and our place.

Dave

A Child Has Been Born To Us!

Today, one week before we celebrate Easter (Resurrection) Sunday, my passage of scripture is from Isaiah 9:6 and here is how it reads. "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

So today, while policemen across the nation are being senselessly gunned down by someone who, obviously has no ability to cope with this life, or probably "after life"; while young children are disappearing at an alarming rate with mostly no change of survival; while rogue governments are shooting "Ballistic Missiles" without the full support of the rest of the world; while our own government is digging the hole for us and our children and grandchildren deeper and deeper. On a day when a large number of Americans fear for their future, their jobs, their retirement, their way of life; and when we all watch the news night after night, hoping for a glimpse of something good to "hold onto", the prophet Isaiah is still, from centuries back, saying to us, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." That child was Jesus Christ and His Hope is worth holding onto.

As we enter into this Holiest of weeks for the Christian, we need to look to our God as the HOPE that cannot be received from mankind. We must attach our hearts and souls to the only One who can save us from a life of "damnation" in the "pits of hell". We must "gird our loins with truth" (Eph. 6:14) understanding that not everything we are looking at is seen in the same way with God.

Tonight as Barb and I were driving home from our daughter and son-in-laws home, we heard on the news that students, faculty, and alumni from Notre Dame were removing their support from a very prestigious and accomplished institution. The reason is because the school had invited Barack Obama to speak at their commencement. Because I wish to keep these devotions as far from political as I can, I try not to share my opinion, but what I see is that people have placed their HOPE in something other than the "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace". Be it a school, a man (even a president), a job, a way of life, a bank account, etc.

Some of us look at current events and cannot help but see the Glory of God as He makes ready the way for Christ's return. I saw an advertisement tonight in a theatre lobby for a movie coming out called "2012" and the caption read "will you be left behind?" I look at that and think, "will we even be here to see it?" And immediately after that my thoughts are "Maranatha, Lord Jesus! Come Quickly!"

If you are a walking, talking, professing, Christian; if you fancy yourself as a "Fully Devoted Follower Of Jesus Christ" then your thoughts and desires should fall into the same category. Not a judgement call, simply the truth of God. We are routing for Jesus to come. The One from antiquity forward has been referred to as the "wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

Didn't mean to get "up on the soap box" but it IS really hard out there these days, and everyone is being effected by these difficult times. I keep telling people that this is not my home and that I am merely passing through. And on the way through, God told me to introduce Him to others.

Can I introduce you to my Lord? I have never shied away from a question and never will. My email address is papadave2@cox.net. If you need more evidence, or don't know me from Adam, please, don't take my word for it. It's in His Word. A simple illustration is known as the 4 Spiritual Laws and you can find them on my website by clicking here. Jesus made His triumphant entry during this week. You can do the same thing.

Dave

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy

This is really wierd. I was just talking the other day to a girlfriend of my youngest daughter's and we were discussing the "Laws of Moses." Wild and Crazy stuff.

Anyway, the scripture verse is Acts 13:39 which says, "and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses."

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy! I was just in a lengthy discussion over the Internet with this precious soul discussing her Jewish heritage and she had a lot of questions. In fact, I still have an email I am sitting on to talk more to her and try to answer more questions and I came upon this verse for today's devotion. WOW!

Well, could there be anyone better than Him, Jesus Christ our Lord, God, and the Holy Spirit that could free us from the bond of the Old Testament Law? I don't think so. I'm still shaking my head. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy One, to be the most precious sacrifice (the final sacrifice) so that you and I might be able to communicate today. Ain't God Great?

The world be damned, but I have all of my stocks and bonds, securely placed in the "Hedge Fund" called Jesus Christ. You should too!

Click here to check out this song by Steve Green: People Need The Lord!

Dave

This Is The Way, Walk In It!

"And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it', whenever you turn to the right or to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

Some people are very patient and wait to hear from the Lord before they make decisions or take different directions in life and then there are others who simple "jump in with both feet."

As I read this passage of scripture it made me think of the foot race that Peter and John had on that "Resurrection" morning as they raced to the open tomb where Jesus was laid only a few days earlier. It is the book of John, and in chapter 20, verses 3 through 8 there is an incredibly beautiful testament of belief. It says, "Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple (John), and they were going to the tomb. And the two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and believed."

John was obviously a younger man so he easily outran Peter to the tomb, but he stopped and looked in and he "saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in." So after the race, John stops and cautiously takes a look in, not quite sure what he is seeing or believing and then Peter arrives a few steps behind and we all know "impetuous" Peter. He threw caution to the wind and stormed right into the tomb and he also "saw" but the word used here is "beheld..."

Peter did not know what was inside of that tomb but he knew a few days earlier it was where they put his Lord, Jesus Christ. It's like he was hearing God say, "Go on in and check it out" and when he did he "beheld" (another word for "saw") still not quite understanding what all of this meant. And so finally, in verse 8, that other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he "saw" and he "believed." Peter, very impetuous and John cautiously optimistic and when John "saw" he "believed."

God tells some of us, you go over here and to others of us, you go over there, but he allows all of us to "see" the wondrous resurrection of Jesus Christ for what it really was. The King of kings and Lord of lords, beating back death and coming out of the grave alive and once John saw with understanding, he "believed".

What may it take for you to believe? God is that still small voice of Isaiah 30:21 saying "This is the way, walk in it". I sit here in amazement still today, after seeing that wonderful documentary about "The Cross - The Arthur Blessitt Story" as Authur hears that voice from behind him, and even as he lay in a hospital bed with an aneurysm in his brain, he heard God speak, believed God's Word, left that hospital bed and walked (over 38,000 miles) for the Lord all around the world, telling people about Jesus Christ.

I sat in a doctor's office waiting on my wife today and while I sat there, I heard this small quiet voice behind me and it kept saying "go and tell them about Me. You have seen and believed, now go and tell them about Me." So I got up out of my chair. I went over to the man sitting there and started sharing Christ with him. Before I knew it, his wife and the receptionist were involved in the conversation and God was glorified. Can you imagine???!!!

Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it." When you hear it, behold His glory and then share Him with someone close by. Don't be afraid to jump in with both feed! You will be blessed.

Dave

"I Got To Tell Somebody" (Don Francisco - He's Alive)

Click on above link for video of Don Francisco's Song

Today I would like to reference a verse in Acts 2 and then an experience I had last night. In verse 38 Peter says, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I think all of you know that I am "all about" this verse of scripture. My desire is to try to get someone to see "Jesus in me" as often as possible. I believe that our "Normal Traffic Pattern" of life is the best way to witness to the world about Christ. And last night I was humbled by a movie that Barb and I went to see. It was called "The Cross - The Arthur Blessitt Story," and it was not just a movie (more of a documentary) but rather an experience in humility and faithfulness.

God sent him out into the mission field and his field was the entire globe. Arthur Blessitt not only walked across every nation on the planet but he carried a 12 foot cross with him everywhere he went. And everywhere he went he told people about Jesus. He told children and adults, young people and old. He shared Jesus Christ with people of every type of faith and never let the Lord down in his mission. I might add that it took him 40 years to complete his mission.

This film brought me to tears as I want so much to be that kind of witness for Christ. His love for the Lord took him to places you and I would not go to without a bodyguard or two. His life is a reflection of what God can do with someone who is completely "sold out" to His will.

I know that I am part of those helping to fulfill the "Great Commission" because I tell someone everyday about Christ, but I sit in the comfort of my home everyday and night and the only danger I experience is a little cancer problem. I want people to be introduced to Christ and that is why I write. However, I was humbled as I watched what power God can give to those who give Him their lives.

In the front of my Bible I have taped a newspaper article about a loved one who was murdered back in 1991. In the article the reporter wrote "She was always going out and telling people about Jesus...She goes out around her block and shares with the neighbors about the Bible."

Of course we all want to embrace that type of testimony about our lives and we are given these "moments" in our lives to encourage us, to go to yet, one more person and tell them about Jesus Christ. Peter said, "Repent...and be baptized...for the forgiveness of your sins."

I try to say that often, but probably not often enough. A very touching documentary of a man who gave his life to Christ and Christ gave it back to him, for God's glory. Are we all headed in the same direction. It never has been an "option" with God. It was a very serious command to those who know and trust Him with their eternity. Maybe you can tell someone about Jesus today!

Dave

How Do You Catch A Wild Pig?

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends.

If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!

Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about to slam the gate on America.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

FEEL LIKE A WILD PIG ???

Author Unknown