“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:14-17
“Have you studied Voltaire, Thomas Paine, Ingersol, or any of those fellows?” asked a friend of a Christian steamship captain. “No,” he replied. “Well, you should. You can’t fairly turn down their argument until you have thoroughly investigated for yourself,” argued the friend.
“I’ve been the captain of this ship a long time,” returned the captain. “The chart that was given to me pointed out the deep water that would carry me safely into port. As a young captain, I never considered it advisable to investigate the rocks; the experience I’ve known others to have with them has been sufficient warning for me.
So the Bible I learned at my mother’s knee, in Sunday school, and from my pastor, is my chart for the sea life. It brings me a knowledge of the fathomless sea of God’s love and mercy, which if I cast myself upon, will carry me safely to the heavenly port.”
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Love Notes
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
At an elementary school, each child was asked to make a small valentine, writing on it who they loved the best. A bulletin board was filled with these valentines. Some names recurring there were “Mommy,” “Daddy, “Grandma,” “Pappy,” and so forth. One had in bold letters “ME!” and one had in bold letters “GOD!”
Jesus taught that each one should love the Lord our God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. When doing this, it will be easy to love others. Some use flowery words, telling God how they love Him, but all too often they fail to prove their love in service to Him.
Don’t just say you love God - prove it!
At an elementary school, each child was asked to make a small valentine, writing on it who they loved the best. A bulletin board was filled with these valentines. Some names recurring there were “Mommy,” “Daddy, “Grandma,” “Pappy,” and so forth. One had in bold letters “ME!” and one had in bold letters “GOD!”
Jesus taught that each one should love the Lord our God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. When doing this, it will be easy to love others. Some use flowery words, telling God how they love Him, but all too often they fail to prove their love in service to Him.
Don’t just say you love God - prove it!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Useless Enough to Be Used
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Cor. 1:26-31
When someone asked Francis of Assisi why and how he could accomplish so much, he replied, “This may by why. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the earth and said, ‘Where can I find the weakest, littlest, meanest man on the face of the earth?’ Then He found me and said, ‘Now I’ve found him, and I will work through him. He won’t be proud of it. He’ll see that I’m only using him because of his littleness and insignificance.’”
Here is the question for you to answer - How usable are you really in the hands of God? Someone once asked Vance Havner what they would have to do to be used by God. Havner said, “You get usable, and God will wear you out!”
Are you usable, or are you wanting to set the agenda, make suggestions, or pick and choose what you will do? You get a heart that wants to serve, and watch what God will do with you.
When someone asked Francis of Assisi why and how he could accomplish so much, he replied, “This may by why. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the earth and said, ‘Where can I find the weakest, littlest, meanest man on the face of the earth?’ Then He found me and said, ‘Now I’ve found him, and I will work through him. He won’t be proud of it. He’ll see that I’m only using him because of his littleness and insignificance.’”
Here is the question for you to answer - How usable are you really in the hands of God? Someone once asked Vance Havner what they would have to do to be used by God. Havner said, “You get usable, and God will wear you out!”
Are you usable, or are you wanting to set the agenda, make suggestions, or pick and choose what you will do? You get a heart that wants to serve, and watch what God will do with you.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Just a Little Bit Off
“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.” 2 Peter 1:5-10
Two young masons were building a brick wall - the front side of a high house. One of them, in placing a brick, discovered that it was little thicker on one side than the other. “It will make your wall uneven” the other cautioned. “Pooh!” answered the first, “what difference will such a trifle as that make? You’re too particular.”
“My mother,” replied the second, “taught me that truth is truth, and ever so little an untruth is a lie, and a lie is no trifle.” “Oh,” said the first,” that’s all very well, but I’m not lying and have no intention to.”
“Very true, but you are making your wall tell a lie, and I have read that a lie in one’s work is like a lie in his character - it will show itself sooner or later and bring harm, if not ruin.” “I’ll risk it in this case,” answered the first, and he worked away, laying more brick, carrying the wall up higher until the close of the day, when they gave up and went home.
The next morning, they went to resume their work, and found the lie proclaimed. The wall, getting a little slant from the untrue brick, had gotten more and more uneven as it got higher, and had collapsed in the night.
Just so with every little untruth in your character; it grows more and more untrue if you permit it to remain, until it brings you sorrow and ruin.
Remember - “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23
Two young masons were building a brick wall - the front side of a high house. One of them, in placing a brick, discovered that it was little thicker on one side than the other. “It will make your wall uneven” the other cautioned. “Pooh!” answered the first, “what difference will such a trifle as that make? You’re too particular.”
“My mother,” replied the second, “taught me that truth is truth, and ever so little an untruth is a lie, and a lie is no trifle.” “Oh,” said the first,” that’s all very well, but I’m not lying and have no intention to.”
“Very true, but you are making your wall tell a lie, and I have read that a lie in one’s work is like a lie in his character - it will show itself sooner or later and bring harm, if not ruin.” “I’ll risk it in this case,” answered the first, and he worked away, laying more brick, carrying the wall up higher until the close of the day, when they gave up and went home.
The next morning, they went to resume their work, and found the lie proclaimed. The wall, getting a little slant from the untrue brick, had gotten more and more uneven as it got higher, and had collapsed in the night.
Just so with every little untruth in your character; it grows more and more untrue if you permit it to remain, until it brings you sorrow and ruin.
Remember - “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Not Impressed
“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10
On September 26, 1960, the first televised presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy aired. Each candidate put his best foot forward in attempt to impress the electorate. Today, many historians agree that Kennedy’s charisma in that debate won him the election.
Earlier that same day, Cuban strongman Fidel Castro attempted to impress the whole word with his rhetoric. Fresh from his rise to power through revolution, he proudly address the United Nations. For almost four-and-a-half hours, Castro contemptibly droned on about how awful the West was.
It would be interesting to discover how much time we spend attempting to impress others, for good or bad. For persuasive speech, though, Chuck Swindoll suggests “Make it clear; make it simple; emphasize the essentials. Forget about impressing!”
The lesson is that we should stop attempting to dazzle God with our pompous prayers and supercilious service. He said, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10
God is the only one to whom we should cater, and He is looking for holiness, fidelity, obedience, and love - not anything that we find “impressive.” God is only impressed with Jesus. Why not let Him do the impressing though you?
On September 26, 1960, the first televised presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy aired. Each candidate put his best foot forward in attempt to impress the electorate. Today, many historians agree that Kennedy’s charisma in that debate won him the election.
Earlier that same day, Cuban strongman Fidel Castro attempted to impress the whole word with his rhetoric. Fresh from his rise to power through revolution, he proudly address the United Nations. For almost four-and-a-half hours, Castro contemptibly droned on about how awful the West was.
It would be interesting to discover how much time we spend attempting to impress others, for good or bad. For persuasive speech, though, Chuck Swindoll suggests “Make it clear; make it simple; emphasize the essentials. Forget about impressing!”
The lesson is that we should stop attempting to dazzle God with our pompous prayers and supercilious service. He said, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10
God is the only one to whom we should cater, and He is looking for holiness, fidelity, obedience, and love - not anything that we find “impressive.” God is only impressed with Jesus. Why not let Him do the impressing though you?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Notes and Music
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Col. 1:9-12
The master musician was finally ready to listen to the results of his students’ efforts. He had done all that he could do to teach them to play the music. Now the moment had come for his prize student to play his instrument.
Bill was a very talented fellow. He had mastered every note of the difficult composition and did so with great pride. On cue, he proceeded to show off his talent as the notes flew out of his instrument. When he had finished his piece, he took a deep breath and asked his teacher, “Well, what do you think professor? Did I pass?”
To Bill’s amazement, his professor was not pleased with his performance. Using phrases filled with passion, the master musician said, “you played all of the notes, but you did not play the music!”
It is not good enough merely to know the truth; we must live it!
Remember, the devil knows the Word, but he doesn’t obey it. There are many who read the Bible, but don’t live it out in their lives. We are called to know and do! Live in such a way that you take biblical knowledge and make a joyful melody with your life.
The master musician was finally ready to listen to the results of his students’ efforts. He had done all that he could do to teach them to play the music. Now the moment had come for his prize student to play his instrument.
Bill was a very talented fellow. He had mastered every note of the difficult composition and did so with great pride. On cue, he proceeded to show off his talent as the notes flew out of his instrument. When he had finished his piece, he took a deep breath and asked his teacher, “Well, what do you think professor? Did I pass?”
To Bill’s amazement, his professor was not pleased with his performance. Using phrases filled with passion, the master musician said, “you played all of the notes, but you did not play the music!”
It is not good enough merely to know the truth; we must live it!
Remember, the devil knows the Word, but he doesn’t obey it. There are many who read the Bible, but don’t live it out in their lives. We are called to know and do! Live in such a way that you take biblical knowledge and make a joyful melody with your life.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
That You May Know...
“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.” Eph. 3:17-19
How would you explain the color of green grass to a person blind from birth? Or the taste of green beans to someone who has never eaten them?
Your physical senses are like your emotions in that they are not understandable apart from experience. It is impossible to comprehend what it is to lose a child through death unless you have suffered such a loss. How can you expect to comprehend the love of Jesus Christ until you have experienced it? Personally?
Paul knew this. He prayed “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.” Eph. 3:17-19
Christ’s dwelling in your heart not only roots and grounds you in love, but also makes it possible for you to comprehend His great love. When you abide in Christ and He in you, there comes a marvelous new capacity to know Him.
There is a progression in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (Eph. 3:14-19). He built one petition upon another, each a prerequisite for the one that follows.
The summit of this expedition? To be filled up with all the fullness of God!
How would you explain the color of green grass to a person blind from birth? Or the taste of green beans to someone who has never eaten them?
Your physical senses are like your emotions in that they are not understandable apart from experience. It is impossible to comprehend what it is to lose a child through death unless you have suffered such a loss. How can you expect to comprehend the love of Jesus Christ until you have experienced it? Personally?
Paul knew this. He prayed “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.” Eph. 3:17-19
Christ’s dwelling in your heart not only roots and grounds you in love, but also makes it possible for you to comprehend His great love. When you abide in Christ and He in you, there comes a marvelous new capacity to know Him.
There is a progression in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (Eph. 3:14-19). He built one petition upon another, each a prerequisite for the one that follows.
The summit of this expedition? To be filled up with all the fullness of God!
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