No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is apiece of the Continent, a part of the main. John Donne
No true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the corps, but the kind of man that the country turns out. Ralph Waldo Emerson
To seek the society of others and to shun it are two blameworthy extremes in the devotion of those who live in the world. St. Francis de Sales
God is the judge of all social systems. -- Oscar Romero
Civilization is always in danger when those who have never learned to obey are given the right to command. Fulton John Sheen
Therefore, as opportunity offers, let us work for the good of all, especially of the household of the faith. Galatians 6:10
We have the gospel of Jesus Christ which transforms society, not just glues all the bits together. Elaine Storkey
Just Another Mountain by Jami Slocum
"Yes, we will have struggles in this world. That's what John 16:33 says. But as this song says, God is in control. And what John 16:33 also says is "Take heart, for I have overcome the world!" My favorite line in this song is "How Your grace fills me with hope." Yes, we will have mountains to climb in this lifetime, but God will help us to reach the mountaintop." - coolram52
Prayer Request Like a woman in labor the tiny island nation of Japan has had over 700+ earthquakes since March 22th,2011.
C.S. Lewis writes "The divine art of miracle is not an of suspending the pattern to which events confirm but to feeding new events into the pattern. God shapes the world by prayer. As believers let us feed new events into this pattern through prayer.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Matthew 5:7
He that demands mercy and shows none ruins the bridge over which he himself is to pass. Thomas Adams
When adverse circumstances suddenly arise My children should immediately get "into faith" [love] rather than "into fear".
...."'In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD".... Isaiah 54:14-17 NASB
...."For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind".... 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
Put Your Faith Where Your Action Is! by Gwen Smith Today's Truth "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17, NIV).
Friend to Friend I remember a time, back in 1993, when I was swept up in the whimsical world of wedding planning. Every detail mattered. I was excited to be marrying Brad Smith and I wanted our wedding day to be a magical springboard to a life filled with amazing adventures and deep years of God-centered love. From the cake choices - to the dress choices - to the music choices - to the guest list choices - to the bridal registry choices: I was all about the business of wedding prep!
The bride of Christ is purposed to be all about the Father's business - to prep for eternity by making choices to bring Him glory throughout our days; to intentionally worship the Lord through our service. As daughters of God, we are called to connect our believing to our behaving; our convictions to our conversations; our lip-service to our life-service.
The Biblical mandate for each believer is this: put your faith where your action is. "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17).
Hear me out here. Service is not the key to gaining salvation. Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone (Romans 10:9-10). Service is, however, essential for the believer as a response to her salvation. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).
No matter who you are or what your platform is in life, the truth remains that whatever you do and say is being watched. Everyone emanates something. A radiant Christian woman - a radiant bride of Christ - emanates the saltiness and light of Jesus through her life; displayed through the things she does and doesn't do. Through things she says or doesn’t say.
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16, NIV).
Today, I pray that you are spurred on to be a woman of action for Christ - no matter what the circumstances of your life or the complexities of your relationships may be. From your word choices - to your tone choices - to your television choices - to your music choices - to your service choices - to your activity choices … be all about your Father's business. Go in His strength, and put your faith where your action is. Let's Pray Holy Father, I pray that You will help my actions to line up with Your perfect will. Help me to be Your hands and feet to those around me. Shine through my actions so others might be drawn to Your healing hope.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn What does your life radiate? What are your actions saying about your faith? Are you salty for Christ in what you do and say? Spend a few moments reflecting on this and then spend some time in prayer.
How can you serve someone today? Perhaps God is leading you to bless someone in your household ... or someone in your church ... or someone in your neighborhood.
Could you reach out to a single mom, a family member, a widow, or a hurting friend? Ask God to direct you to opportunities to put your faith into action in the lives of others.
More from the Girlfriends Trust me, friend, in no way am I trying to place the burden of "you-must-do-more-things-in-order-to-please-God" on you. I just want to encourage you to make the most of every choice and every action. If you are drained and weary and can't imagine being able to give anyone anything right now, get alone with God. His presence and His Spirit will strengthen you for each moment.
Gateway Worship/Kari Jobe - O The Blood
With Easter approaching I was really touched by this song by Kari Jobe and Gateway Worship. "O what love, no greater love!" Yes, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for us. How can anyone not worship Him? We will never overcome this world on our own, but with Jesus we have victory.
Prophecy in the News: Gary comments on Netanyahu's 03-29-11 Speech
Address by PM Netanyahu at the JNF Conference PMO 28/03/2011 http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/PMSpeaks/speechkkl280311.htm
I want to welcome all of you. My friend Efi Shtentzler, Chairman of the World Keren Hakayemet, JNF, Ms. Yael Shaltieli, the CEO, the board of directors, the JNF presidents worldwide, and distinguished ambassadors who are with us today.
We had a forest fire a few months ago in the Carmel and I knew I could rely on JNF to shoulder its part of the burden, and I'm glad that you raised I think about ten million dollars, is that right? Congratulations, Mazal Tov, for the great project of reforestation. I also saw JNF volunteers during the fire itself, and this is one of the activities that JNF has been doing for so many decades, before the State of Israel and after the State of Israel, before the forest fires, during the forest fires and after the forest fires.
Now, we face other conflagrations and other convulsions. In fact, we're going through a period of turmoil that can only be called historic. It is akin to the great revolutions that have taken place in modern times, but the question is which revolution is it. Is it 1989 in Europe? Or is it 1979 in Tehran? Or is it 2005, the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon?
Remember, there were great hopes. A million people went into the streets of Beirut. A million people. That's equivalent to 20 million Egyptians, it's a fourth of Lebanon's population, and there were great hopes for a modern, progressive, liberal and tolerant state, Lebanese state. Now, five years later, we find Hezbollah and Iran have taken over Lebanon. So which is it to be? Is it going to be 1989, the great revolution that unleashed the forces of liberalism and freedom in Central and Eastern Europe? Or will it be 1979, the revolution that brought the night of darkness, of Iranian militant Islamic darkness over the people of Tehran and then their proxies elsewhere who deny freedom and trample human rights, trample the rights of women and hang gays in public squares. Which is to be? Well, that's not clear yet. We're still in the midst of things, and of course we know which outcome we want, but we can't be sure that we will have it.
We can't be sure that we will have it because the traditions of liberal democracy have not been prevalent, to put it mildly, in the great swath of land from Afghanistan to Morocco. It's only been prevalent there in one place. You know which place that is. Right here, that's right, in Israel. There is no turbulence, there is no instability because we're a free, prosperous democratic country. But we're the only one. And so the turmoiland the convulsion hit everybody else, deprived of political and economic enfranchisement. The 20th century really skipped over the peoples of all these areas, this vast area, and now the 21st century information technology is telling all these people what they've missed out on. But can they cut the time? Can they shortcut the process to modernity and progress and pluralism? We don’t know. We hope so.
Now it seems to me that there are three things that we have to do. The first thing is to advance as quickly as possible – economic progress in the pivotal countries. The two pivotal countries that I think are important are those that have created the anchor of peace in the heart of the Middle East, and that’s Egypt and Jordan.
I think what is required is a Marshall Plan by the concerned international powers, and also the public sector, to assist in the concrete development of these two economies. Their per capita income was small – it’s not high – and their growth rates for such a low per capita income are not high enough. Israel has been growing roughly the same rate that they’re growing, sometimes a little more. We grow at 5% a year, but we’re a $30,000 dollar per capita income economy. Not for long, we’ll get higher and higher. We’re not $2,000 or $3,000 per capita economy. We have to lift these economies to give economic opportunity to the peoples there.
That means not giving out cash handouts. That’s not going to do it. It’s to build roads, electricity, sewage, communications, health clinics. These are the things that build up a society. And that’s the first thing that should be done.
The second thing is to avoid the worst pitfall imaginable. Now, where did this convulsion begin? Can you tell me? In Tunisia? No, it didn’t. It didn’t begin in Tunis; it began a year and a half ago in Tehran. There the
multitudes – just endless number of people – stormed the streets protesting, demanding freedom after a fake election, after the election was stolen from them. They wanted basic human rights; they wanted freedom from tyranny and from corruption. That’s where it began. Then it bounced to Tunis; and then it bounced to Egypt; and then it bounced to other parts: Yemen, Libya, Syria and so on, Bahrain. But it began in Tehran.
What happened in Tehran is that the Ayatollah regime used brutal suppression to squelch the protests. The same is true of its proxies in Lebanon and in Gaza. They use brutal powers to squelch protest, to prevent it from materializing or expanding. So what is happening, what could happen, is that all the other countries are going through this process of turmoil and change, but the one stable power will be the place where it all began, which is meddling in all the other places, because that is what Tehran is doing now.
One of the things that we have to assure is that Iran is not immune to the international pressures for change, and that could be done more effectively by still stronger sanctions, and especially those measures that prevent the worst outcome of all – a turbulent, unstable Middle East, an Iran that exports revolutions and subversion, seeking to form militant Islamic regimes in all these countries, or in as many as they can. That’s what they’re doing. But the worst outcome of all is that Iran would be doing this with a nuclear umbrella, with nuclear weapons.
So the second thing that has to be done is to put maximum pressure on the main engine that drives Islamic militancy in this region, and that is pressure on Iran, and above all, to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. That should be a main goal for all civilized society.
Now, the third thing is the pursuit of peace, which means first of all, strengthening the peace between Israel and its neighbors, the existing peace treaties – the peace treaty with Egypt, the peace treaty with Jordan. The
first order of peace-making is to make sure that the existing peace treaties are safeguarded. I think the international community should be very clear to the new government of Egypt that it expects all future governments to abide by the peace treaty. It’s been the anchor of stability. It’s been the anchor of peace, really, in the Middle East for more than three decades. No people is more grateful for it that the people of Israel. I’m very grateful for it because I remember as a soldier what it was like to fight along the Suez Canal, in fact to fight inside the Suez Canal. They’re still looking for the person who was foolish enough to drag me out the canal in the middle of a firefight. We remember what war was like. I remember it, and it’s not something we want to come back to. But two-thirds of Egypt’s population today is young enough not to have experienced war, not to know the horrors of war and the blessings of peace.
I remember what it was like to fight along the Jordan Valley, on both sides of that divide. I remember very well, and we lost good friends on both sides, on both fronts. Those two war fronts have been converted to two peace fronts, so the first order of the day is to make sure in peace-making to secure, stabilize, cement the two existing peace treaties – the peace treaty with Egypt and the peace treaty with Jordan.
The second order of the day is to advance the peace with the Palestinians. What is it that we must do to advance that peace in light of what is happening? I think the first recognition is to understand that in shifting
sands and moving grounds, we have to ensure security more than ever. This is a prerequisite. You cannot have peace without security at any time in this neighborhood, but especially in these times. You must anchor the peace and security. That means that we have to assure that Iran does not penetrate into areas that we are asked to vacate a third time. It happened to us the first time in Lebanon. It happened to us the second time in Gaza. It cannot happen a third time. We left every square inch of Lebanon – Iran walked in with its proxy Hezbollah and fired thousands of rockets into Israel. We left every square inch of Gaza – Iran walked in with its proxy Hamas and fired thousands of rockets into Israel. We can’t afford to have it happen a third time.
Under any arrangement for peace, Israel must retain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. There are other security arrangements that we need – I won’t go into detail here, but I will say this: we need them to protect the peace and we need them to protect Israel if peace unravels. This is something that I said before this convulsion, and people looked at me and they said: “Wait a minute. If you have a peace treaty, if you have a piece of paper, that will protect the peace”. No, it won’t. What protects the peace in this part of the world is security. The only peace that holds is a peace you can defend. A peace you cannot defend will not last two days. We’ll be left without peace and without security. This is, I think, the most important lesson that we can glean from the ongoing events. We cannot stick our head in the sand. We cannot say, let’s just get an agreement at any price, and skip the details. No, we cannot skip the details. The most important detail, the most important principle, the first principle is security. We will never compromise on Israel’s security.
Here’s the second principle for peace with the Palestinians: its recognition, mutual recognition. Yes, we expect the Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state of Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people. After all, we’ve been around here for a long time, close to 4,000 years. We have an intense connection to this land. We’ve been here. We’re not strange interlopers. We’re not Crusaders or neo-crusaders. This is our home. We’re prepared to make peace with our Palestinian neighbors, but we expect them to recognize the fact that we’ve been here for thousands of years, and that every Jew has a right to come to the Jewish state, just as Palestinians could go to the Palestinian state, the demilitarized state.
This is something we expect, rightfully so. This is something the international community should demand, rightfully so. And yet we haven’t seen this readiness to come forward and say something so simple: “Yes, we
recognize the Jewish state”. The Palestinians are loath to do that. I’m not talking about Hamas that openly declares its intention to wipe us off the map. I’m talking about the Palestinian Authority. But here’s something equally troubling: we hear in recent days that that Palestinian Authority is thinking of uniting with Hamas. It’s thinking of effecting peace not with Israel, but with Hamas. Well, I say to them something very simple: you can’t have peace with Israel and Hamas. It’s one or the other, but not both. Choose peace with Israel. Abandon unity with Hamas because Hamas is the antithesis of peace. Hamas doesn’t recognize the State of Israel. Hamas calls for the liquidation of Israel. Hamas is firing rockets as we speak, or at least in the last two weeks, on Israel’s cities. This is criminal, terrorist action.
And they don’t deny what they seek to do: to kill as many Israelis as possible, to get more and more weapons to kill even more Israelis, ultimately to kill the State of Israel itself. The Palestinian Authority must choose: it’s either Israel or Hamas, but you can’t have both. We want a genuine peace. We want peace with security. We want peace with recognition. We think this is the way to go. These are the three things that the international community should subscribe to. It should have a Marshall Plan for the most needy and most important Arab economies; it should do its utmost to make sure that this great revolution does not pass over Iran and, of course, it must do everything in its power to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons; and third, it must support a peace based on security and recognition with Israel. It should call for the PA to enter negotiations with Israel and not with Hamas.
That’s my simple message for tonight. It’s very good to see you all. It’s very good to see your contributions over the years, and especially this year, for the State of Israel. I want to thank you for what you’ve been doing. I want to thank you for what you are doing. I want to thank you for what you will do, and that’s a great deal. Thank you very much on behalf of the State of Israel. Thank you.
Today I want you to think about your interactions with others in terms of filling up a bucket and pouring its contents onto those people. With that in mind, let’s consider two important factors.
First of all, what’s in your bucket? Jesus points out a number of things that we can choose to pour out on others—namely, material possessions, love, good deeds, money, mercy, and pardon. It’s quite an impressive list. And yet, the Lord calls His followers to an even higher standard. He instructs us to give to “takers,” love our enemies, do good to those who mistreat us, lend expecting nothing in return, and grant mercy and pardon to those who don’t deserve it.
Why would He call us to such extreme action? Because as God’s children, we are expected to treat others the way He treats them—for “He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men” (v. 35). The second factor to consider is the size of our bucket. Jesus says that by our standard of measure, it will be measured back to us (v. 38). However, we are also told to expect nothing in return from those we treat with kindness (v. 35).
The ultimate reward for our loving and gracious behavior will come, not from them, but from the Most High God. What are you pouring onto others each day? By showering them with grace, you display the character of your Father and show yourself to be His child. Use a big bucket full of love and kindness, and you’ll discover that the Lord uses an even bigger bucket to lavish His goodness upon us.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
Suppose you’re driving down the road and a police officer stops you for running a red light. And you say to the officer, “I ran a red light, but you have no right to give me a ticket because I stopped at all the other streets and I have obeyed the speed limit.”
He responds, “Don’t tell me about all the things that you’ve done good. You’ve broken the law.” If you think you’re going to be saved by keeping the law, then you must keep all of it, because God demands perfection. No amount of obedience can make up for one act of disobedience. If you keep the whole law and yet offend in one point you are guilty of it all. Read Romans 7:1 to 8:4.
Can you relate to Paul’s quandary about keeping the law and the war within his members concerning its requirement of absolute obedience?
For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit http://www.lwf.org/.
Just Another Mountain - Jami Slocum
"Yes, we will have struggles in this world. That's what John 16:33 says. But as this song says, God is in control. And what John 16:33 also says is "Take heart, for I have overcome the world!" My favorite line in this song is "How Your grace fills me with hope." Yes, we will have mountains to climb in this lifetime, but God will help us to reach the mountaintop." - coolram52
Prayer Request Like a woman in labor the tiny island nation of Japan has had over 700+ earthquakes since March 22th. C.S. Lewis writes "The divine art of miracle is not an of suspending the pattern to which events confirm but to feeding new events into the pattern. God shapes the world by prayer. As believers together let us feed new events into this pattern through prayer.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Matthew 5:7
He that demands mercy and shows none ruins the bridge over which he himself is to pass. Thomas Adams
When adverse circumstances suddenly arise My children should immediately get "into faith" [love] rather than "into fear". ...."'In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD".... Isaiah 54:14-17 NASB
...."For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind".... 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
Spiritual truth is discernable only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect. It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart. Oswald Chambers
He (or she) who would be serene and pure needs but one thing--detachment. Meister Eckhart
There cannot be perfect transformation without perfect pureness. St. John of the Cross
Simplicity reaches out after God; purity discovers and ENJOYS him. Thomas a Kempis
Still to the lowly soul He doth Himself impart, And for his cradle and His throne Chooseth the pure in heart. John Keble
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot counternance wrongdoing. Habakkuk 1:13
I am not judged by the light I have, but by the light that I refuse to accept! Oswald Chambers
Source (via mypansyeyes)
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:7
Today’s Truth Hebrews 11:1 “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it” (Hebrews 11:1, ICB).
Friend to Friend I have a love-hate relationship with the movie, “The Last Crusader.” The hero, Indiana Jones, is constantly hovering above some bottomless pit or dodging bullets, flying knives or hoards of sinister enemies and nasty creatures that are trying to kill him and prevent him from completing his mission. It is exhausting to watch! One part of the movie stands out above the rest as terrifying moments go.
As usual, Indiana is on the run and comes to a chasm he must cross in order to obtain the Holy Grail. No bridge. No net. No ropes or hat tricks - just air, and nothing but air.
At this point in the movie, I am looking for a tangible resolution to Indiana’s predicament. Maybe a hidden elevator built into the side of the abyss or an alternate route to the treasure. You know, something you could touch and see and … well, explain.
Instead, the treasure map dictates a ridiculous solution that makes no sense at all but demands a huge step of faith. If Indiana will just step over the edge of that bottomless pit … a bridge, a rock wall will appear. Right! How about that bridge appears and then Indiana traipses across it?
Nope. That is not the plan.
Even though I have seen the movie several times, my stomach still lurches as Indiana closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and cautiously steps out into air and the seemingly bottomless abyss. If the treasure map is wrong and the wall does not appear, Indiana Jones will surely plummet to his death. Fortunately, the clue is correct, the wall does appear and Indiana Jones races across to safety, resuming his quest.
Gideon and Indiana Jones have a lot in common when it comes to faith. “Am I not sending you?” God asked Gideon, as if that fact explained it all. Actually, it does explain it all. In order to experience the power of God, we have to be willing to step out in faith, even when it seems there is no way and no solution to the problem at hand and our strength is gone. God will strengthen us as we go. He is the Way Maker and the only thing that really matters is the fact that God sends us.
The Coast Guard has a motto: “You must go out but you don’t have to come back.” A powerful life is fueled by the kind of faith that steps out in obedience and lets God worry about whether or not we come back. At the center of every challenge is an opportunity for trust in God to work. Every problem contains a concentrated opportunity and offers the option of stepping out in faith.
The highest truths God has to offer are rarely wrapped in a beautifully wrapped or elegantly presented package and handed to us on a silver platter. I am convinced that our Father takes heaven-sent treasures, buries them at the heart of a huge problem, then watches and applauds when we have what it takes to break that problem apart, finding the wealth hidden there in the darkness. The words of Isaiah say it well. “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name” (Isaiah 45:3 NLT). Some things cannot be learned in the light. The greatest treasures are often buried in the deepest pits and require a step of faith to discover.
We all have faith. We go to a doctor we don’t really know and are handed a prescription we cannot read. We then take that prescription to a pharmacist, a total stranger, who presents us with a mysterious bottle filled with pills that we swallow – all in faith. Our problem is not so much a lack of faith but where we place that faith.
Billy Graham said, “Most of us do not understand nuclear fission, but we accept it. I don’t understand television, but I accept it. I don’t understand radio, but every week my voice goes out around the world, and I accept it. Why is it so easy to accept all these man-made miracles and so difficult to accept the miracles of the Bible?”
Hebrews 11:1(ICB) “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.”
Faith is built upon trust. God wants us to trust Him - even when we do not understand what is happening or can explain the circumstances. Even when nothing makes sense and everything seems wrong. It is easy to trust Him when the seas are calm and the skies are clear but the strength of our faith is measured in the midst of a raging storm. A crisis always reveals what is really inside. What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. Faith is a deliberate choice to believe God, to walk through our fear, knowing we can trust Him every step of the way.
Let’s Pray Father, I am tired of living a life that can be explained and understood in human terms. My heart longs to walk by faith, counting on Your strength instead of my own, knowing that You orchestrate every step to illustrate Your power made perfect in my weakness. Today, I choose to trust You instead of demanding an explanation for what is happening in my life. Right now, I choose to walk through my fear and step out in faith.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Matthew 17:20 also tells us that even a tiny amount of faith pleases Him. “I Jesus) tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
A mustard seed is tiny, but once planted, it grows into a huge tree. Jesus said a little faith can have incredible results. We don't need a lot of faith - just as much as a mustard seed to produce great results. Why? Because our God is an awesome God and our faith depends on Him.
What is the greatest storm in your life today?
What step do you need to take to face that trial with faith instead of fear?
What is keeping you from trusting God and stepping out in faith?
God’s blessings to us are not meant to end with us. His desire is that they filter down to others. This principle applies in all areas of our lives, including finances. Did you know that our heavenly Father has plans for your money? God’s children generally want to discover what His will is for their lives, but so often they fail to consult Him about His desires for their paychecks.
The Lord graciously supplies us with incomes so we can provide for our needs and even our desires. But He also wants us to use our money to achieve His plans. And one of His goals is that we share our resources with others. If we purpose in our hearts to participate in His plans, He commits to provide all we need to live and to give.
Just look at His extravagant promise in verse 8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (emphasis added). Now, that’s a verse to claim as your own! Sharing our blessings with others will never lead to deprivation. In fact, the Lord promises to increase the harvest of our righteousness and enrich us in everything in response to our generosity. We can never outgive God.
A hoarded blessing is never enjoyed as richly as a shared one. Using your gift to meet someone else’s need glorifies God by demonstrating His grace at work in your life. Don’t let His generous provisions end with you. Pass them on and discover the joy of a never-ending cycle of blessings.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
Prophecy in the News: A Prophecy for Modern Israel
Friday was my husband's birthday and no birthday celebration is complete without dessert!! I guess I could have added this as my reason #9 that I love Sean- our mutual LOVE for cheesecake {and this cherry cheesecake in particular}. Ok- I may love it a little more than he does. I even make it for myself on my birthday! The recipe comes from my great-grandmother Mimi's kitchen.
Ingredients: 2 1/2 (8oz) packages cream cheese {take out of refrigerator at least 30 min. before to let soften} 3 eggs 1 C sugar 11/2 tsp vanilla
My cheat: 2 cans Comstock More Fruit Cherry Pie Filling for the topping
Directions: Mix all ingredients for the crust in a food processor Press firmly into 10in. spring form pan Refrigerate
In mixing bowl beat cream cheese until soft In separate bowl, beat eggs until fluffy Add sugar gradually to eggs and beat (on high) until smooth and pale yellow Add vanilla Combine egg mixture to the cream cheese and mix thoroughly Pour into crust
Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes (until center is firm)
A few minutes before it is done, mix sour cream, vanilla and sugar together {I add sugar until I think it tastes good...usually 6 Tbs.} Spread over hot cheesecake and return to oven for 5 min.
Remove and allow to cool. Refrigerate for several hours. I have done it the day before, or the day of (in the morning for that evening).
I usually add the cherries before serving, but you can do it as soon as the cheesecake is cool. I spoon them on because you do not want all the syrup, just the cherries!
*Warning* Keep out of reach of small children...may cause sticky fingers!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book. Groucho Marx
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Dennis Watley
Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time. Albert Camus
Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows. Pope Paul VI
Stop For One Minute - Laura Matthews (Beautiful song)
When you consider your own mortality, what typically is your response? Take time to read the passages below about God's promises to believers concerning death and eternity. How do these passages change your thoughts about death and mortality?
EXPLORATION Victory over death-- Psalm 23:4; 116:15; Isaiah 25:8; John 5:24; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Revelation 21:4
Paul’s letters to Timothy are the instructions from a mentor to a young pastor, one of the first ever, and contain advice on what to do and how to do it, as well as what not to do. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect given the relationship.
But for no apparent reason Paul tucked several warnings about the end times into various places in his instructions. These are things Paul knew Timothy wouldn’t have to deal with because he clearly described them as characteristics of the Latter Days. We’ll take them each in turn.
Today is a very special day in the Bradford household! It is Sean's Birthday! Most of the time my blogs are about our babies, or some tasty recipe, or things we do as a family, and even sometimes just my thoughts on things, but today- its all about HIM.
For those of you who don't know our story- here is a little synopsis of our journey together and 8 reasons I love Sean Michael Bradford.
1. The Beginning:
It was 8 (wow) years ago, in the Springtime that I met this boy. I walked into a church office where I was applying for an internship to work in the high school youth group and I was introduced to him in passing. He said, "Hi" and smiled. I thought, "ok. wow." Super tan, blondish, buff, gorgeous smile, GORGEOUS eyes, ok. hmm. first impression: I was impressed. Over the next 5 or 6 months I got to know him and was completely blown away. It was as if God asked me to write down every possible characteristic I would want in a boy and then He promptly rolled them all into one {incredibly handsome} guy named Sean.
2. The Real Deal:
He, first of all, loves the Lord with all his heart and wants nothing more than to please Him and serve Him with his life. He has a beautiful soul. He is so compassionate and loving, patient and unselfish, romantic and intelligent (just to name a few). I fell in love with him with a guitar in his arms, sand in his hair, surrounded by high school kids; now I get to wake up next to him everyday, thankful that the Lord blessed me with this incredible, faithful, devoted, hardworking, man who inspires me to walk ever closer to the Lord, to laugh and not get caught up in the tangely-webly things of life, and to enjoy every precious moment we are given. I'm so glad I get to walk this Road with him by my side! I love him with all my heart!!
ahh so young and in love :-)
3. The "Rocky" part of our Road:
Our road to being "together" however was anything but picture perfect. I knew God has chosen him for me and despite the difficulties we faced early on in our "dating" we held fast to the Lord and to each other and to the truth of the matter which was that we were made for each other {period}.
First Valentine's Day together & Bicycle built for 2!
The River: He makes me do crazy things!
4. The Ring:
We dated for a less than a year and got engaged in July 2004, in hot air balloon right as the sun was setting over the beautiful ocean!
5. The Travels:
The next semester we both transferred to the same university and decided to study abroad in Roma, Italia! We traveled all over Italy together and also visited Spain, Scotland, and France! It was an unforgettable trip of a lifetime and I'm so glad we got to experience it together!
Rome: the Colosseum
Rome: Piazza Novona
Rome
Lake Como, Italy
Venice, Italy
Scotalnd
Paris, France
Sorrento, Italy
6. The Wedding:
We were married on January 21, 2006! What an amazing day it was! I truly was everything I had ever hoped or dreamed it would be, because of the man that stood at the end of the aisle. He is my best friend, an amazing husband, and I'm so thankful we get to walk this road together.
7. & 8. The Babies:
Sean is such an amazing father and I have treasured watching him with Jack and now Claire too. Its so cool to see the person you love in a new capacity. Before we had kids I didn't know him as a father, but now it is one of the things I love most about him. He is just an amazing Daddy and Jack loves him SO much and I know he already has a special bond with Daddy's little girl too :-) These babies are blessed beyond measure to have a true example of what God's love for us as our Heavenly Father looks like. And I am blessed to be able to witness it on a daily basis.
I know this is the longest post ever...but I just really love this man.
Happy Birthday Babe! Here's to many, many more adventures together on Bradford Road.
Declare! When you feel like the children of Israel Pressed against The Red Sea!
This is what the declaration Of your mouth needs to be!
That Jesus Christ Is Lord, over all The Earth And by His mighty hand, your deliverance will be birthed
He is your saviour, your God, your Lord He is your Father, who is watching diligently over His WORD!
He loves you more, than your human heart can understand He has paid the price, with His Blood, so you could inherit HIS Land!
He has given you all things freely That pertain to this life
He has given you Faith and Joy To replace Fear and Strife
There is only one thing that You must be diligent to do
That is to open your mouth BOLDLY And DECLARE HIS WORD TO BE TRUE!
Look at bondage And declare I am free
Look at blindness And declare I can see!
Look at fear And declare I am full of Faith!
Look at depression And declare strength for the race
Then look away from the problem And to His Glorious Throne
For in Truth and in Spirit That is your true Home
And say
I am not weak But strengthened with ALL MIGHT
According To His POWER I AM WAGING AND WINNING THE GOOD FIGHT!
I AM NOT SICK BUT THE HEALED OF THE LORD
THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL I HAVE FULL FAITH IN HIS WORD!
I AM NOT FULL OF SIN BUT WASHED CLEAN BY THE BLOOD
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MY HELPER EVEN AS THE ENEMY IS COMING LIKE A FLOOD
So say with me, with a shout from your heart Say it boldly, say it loud, tear the enemy's lies apart!
I am a child of Light A new creature in Christ!
I am Born Again, Blood Bought And full of Power and Might!
I am the head and not the tail Above only and not beneath
I have on His Mighty Armour His all powerful SWORD in my sheath
In Him, I stand strong In Him, I stand Tall
For He who keeps me IS LORD OF ALL
I AM FREE I AM FREE I AM FREE
AND IN HIM WILL FOREVER BE!
--Randy S Furco
Robbie Seay Band - Beautiful, Scandalous Night
Go on up to the mountain of mercy To the crimson perpetual tide Kneel down on the shore Be thirsty no more Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the holy mountain Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall Cleanse your heart and soul In the fountain that flows For you and for me and for all
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree On that beautiful, scandalous night You and me were atoned by His blood And forever washed white On that beautiful, scandalous night
On the hillside you will be delivered At the foot of the cross, justified And your spirit restored By the river that pours From our blessed Savior's side
This is the first, day of the rest of your life Cause even in the dark you can still see the light...
Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living! Amanda Bradley
People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
Elizabeth Kubler Ross
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.
Mary Anne Radmacher
Everyone remembers the children's song "This Little Light Of Mine." This is Addison Road's variation of that song. What a fantastic composition! It's from their album "Stories." I love the lines "May you live each day with no regret, make the most of every chance you get." And remember what Matthew 5:16 says: "Let your light shine before others."
TAKE AWAY POINTS TO CONSIDER
Then God commanded, "Let there be light--and light appeared. Genesis 1:3
The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:2
There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it. Edith Newbolt Wharton The Lord does not shine upon us, expect when we take His WORD as our light! John Calvin
Christ came to reveal what righteousness really is, for nothing will do expect righteousness, and no other conception of righteouness will do except Christ's conception of it -- his method and secret. Matthew Arnold
Today’s Truth “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”(Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV).
Friend to Friend As Christian believers, we’re called to live set-apart lives. To be holy as God is holy. To be in the world, but not of the world. God is the source of all holiness, and in order to live a set-apart life, we must spend time with Him so we can be fueled by His Holy Spirit.
I don’t know what your days look like, but mine are pretty full. They start early and end late. Once the sun rises, it seems that coffee isn’t the onlything brewing in my house. An invisible competition brews daily that vies for my time and attention. The competitors are often “good things” that end up to be “time-robbing things” that keep me from God’s best and God’s presence.
Today I’d like to put our computer lives under a spiritual microscope. I’m an e-girl. I love my MacBook Pro computer, my iPhone, email, instant messaging, and the World Wide Web. Though I’m admittedly fully immersed in the e-life, I’m also cognizant of the fact that the e-world has become a dangerous addiction and spiritual deterrent to many. I struggle with this personally. These electronic forums host a new and efficient opportunity for us to connect with other people 24/7. While much of the social networking, online surfing, and emailing is innocent, encouraging, and fun, they clearly present us with opportunities to sin and be distracted from set-apart living.
Over the past several years, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, instant messaging, and chat rooms have replaced many face-to-face conversations and, for some, devotion time. They have become a new source of temptation for us, an opportunity to live a fantasy or a momentary escape from the daily grind.
A friend of mine recently said, “My computer whispers to me.” Yikes! Mine does, too! Though it’s embarrassing to admit, I sometimes don’t manage my time efficiently because I’ve given in to the lure of e-life by responding to the audio alert that indicates “I’ve got mail” or the notification that someone has left me a message on a social networking page of mine. As a result, I’ve robbed myself of productive time. Time I have wasted and spent unwisely.
We are warned against this in Scripture. “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV).
Now, hear me clearly on this. I’m not saying that electronic forums or computers are bad or evil in and of themselves. (For goodness sakes, you’re reading this devotion because of the amazing electronic world!) I’m simply suggesting that it would be wise for each of us to pray about the amount of time and energy we devote to these things.
How can we be set apart in our e-life? How can we establish healthy e-boundaries that will protect our purity and our time with God? Perhaps we could start by taking an honest look at the amount of time we commit to our social e-lives versus the amount of time we commit to spending in God’s Word and in His presence each day. (Did that sting? Rest assured it stings me, too.)
The good news is that we can turn to God for direction and wisdom in all of this. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”(James 1:5, NIV). Our gracious Lord longs for each of us to choose His best and live each day in His strength.
“God, make a fresh start in me. Shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!” Psalm 51:10-12, MSG
Let’s Pray Today I thought it would be fitting to pray directly from Scripture.“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:10-12, NIV).
Father, we ask this in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn Let’s get practical today:
· Spend some time in thought and prayer about this subject.
· Ask God to reveal to you any e-habits that are sinful, indulgent, or inappropriate.
· Check your on-line notification settings and consider eliminating unnecessary email alerts.
· Remember that God longs for your time and attention. Be certain that you don’t choose mundane activities instead of spending time with Him.
· Read Ephesians 5:1-20.
More from the Girlfriends Hey, girlfriend! Last year it occurred to me that one of the biggest time-sucking e-temptations for me came from the homepage I had chosen on my internet browser. I used to have my favorite cable news network set as my home page. Every time I logged on to the internet, the headlines begged me to click their links. So I went into the settings of my internet browser and chose a blank page for my homepage. Though it’s not overly exciting to have a blank homepage, it has helped me to be wiser with my time. Hope this spurs you on to similar responses!
Set-Apart Living Part 2 Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear”(Ephesians 4:29, ESV).
Friend to Friend Yesterday, we began to talk about living a set-apart life. We looked at our e-lives, the time we spend on computers, and were challenged to establish healthy boundaries to protect and strengthen our faiths. It was noted that God is the source of all holiness. In order to live a set-apart life, we must spend time with Him and then be fueled by His Holy Spirit. Today, we are going to consider how we can be set-apart (holy) with our words.
My ten year old son, Hunter, recently came to me with a humble confession. He said that, “because he hasn’t been spending much time with God lately, he has been grumpier and grumpier.” He quietly admitted that he has been mean to his siblings and has said some unkind things. With amazing insight, he connected the amount of time that he spent with God and in God’s Word with his behaviors ... recognizing that there was a direct correlation in his life.
Boy, could I relate to that! Tears welled up in my eyes as we spoke about this. I told Hunter that I experience the exact same thing in my life. That when I don’t carve out time in my day to spend with the Lord, I often say things I shouldn’t. For that matter, even when I doread my Bible and pray, I still say and do sinful things.
There was a time in my life when I really struggled with profanity. My tongue was a loose cannon. My church friends would never have known, but when I was angry, profanity was often present ... even if only under my breath. It was a deeply rooted sin and a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior. Thankfully, God has delivered me from that ugly habit, but it took almost ten years of prayer. In those ten years, I failed repeatedly and struggled to believe that God could change my ways. It was a long-term process for me to be purified in my language, and I can assure you that it is only by the grace and strength of God that I can stub my toe now without needing to wash my mouth out with soap.
The Bible has so much to say on this topic. Here are just a few examples:
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."(Proverbs 12:18, NIV)
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”(James 1:19-20, NIV)
“When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.” (Proverbs 31:26, NLT)
“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”(Proverbs 13:3, NIV)
This is hard stuff. Living set-apart with our words is simply beyond us, but be encouraged, because all things are possible with God. We need to constantly fall before the Lord and ask Him to filter our words through the Holy Spirit. It’s important that we keep short accounts with God. When we do, He equips us to disarm the loose cannon of our tongues.
At the end my conversation with Hunter, I told my son that one of the most amazing things about our Heavenly Father is the mercy that He greets us with when we come before Him to confess our behavior. I said to him, and I say to you, God loves us so perfectly, that every time we turn to Him with a repentant heart, He offers us His grace. Go in His grace and live a set-apart life in the power of His Spirit today.
Let’s Pray Holy Father, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14, NLT)
I ask this in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
· Meditate on Hebrews 4:14,16:
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
· Now, grab your journal and throw yourself into this devotion. What are your greatest areas of temptation and weakness regarding your words? Confess those to God and ask Him to grant you the mercy and strength to help you live a set-apart life.
Everyone remembers the children's song "This Little Light Of Mine." This is Addison Road's variation of that song. What a fantastic composition! It's from their album "Stories." I love the lines "May you live each day with no regret, make the most of every chance you get." And remember what Matthew 5:16 says: "Let your light shine before others."
Then God commanded, "Let there be light--and light appeared. Genesis 1:3
The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:2
There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it. Edith Newbolt Wharton
The Lord does not shine upon us, expect when we take His WORD as our light! John Calvin
