Another Day, Another Job, Another Episode

The Reason For my M.I.A.

I'M BACK!!!

Special Selection - "Praise Is What I Do"

Daily Reading - "Lift Up Your Eyes On High, And See Who Has Created These Things." Isa 40:26 NKJV

This is how it read today...

Mon. April 26

"LIST UP YOUR EYES ON HIGH, AND SEE WHO HAS CREATED THESE THINGS." (ISA 40:26 NKJV)

A Sense Of Awe

G.K. Chesterton wrote: "The world is not lacking in wonders, but in a sense of wonder." It's said that if the earth were as small as the moon its gravitation wouldn't sustain our needs. On the other hand, if it were as large as Jupiter its extreme gravitation would make human movement almost impossible. If we were as close to the sun as Venus the heat would be enbearable; if we were as far away as Mars every region would experience snow and ice nightly. If the oceans were half their size we'd get only 25 percent of our present rainfall; if they were one-eighth larger, annual precipitation would increase 400 percent, turning the earth into a vast uninhabitable swamp. Water solidifies at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But if the oceans were subjected to that law, the amount of thawing in the polar regions wouldn't balance out and we'd all end up encased in ice. To prevent this, God put salt in the sea to alter its freezing point. How's that for a day's work? The Psalmist wrote: "How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all...I will sing praise to my God as long as I live" (Ps 104:24-33 NIV). If God's workmanship wouldn't make you praise Him and want to know Him better, what would? John Stott said, "Our greatest claim to nobility is our created capacity to know God, to be in personal relationship with Him, to love Him and to worship Him. Indeed, we are most truly human when we are on our knees before our creator."

Special Selection - "Sovereign God"

Daily Reading - "I Consider Everything A Loss Compared To The Surpassing Greatness Of Knowing Christ." Php 3:8 NIV

Here is how it read today.

Tues. April 6

"I CONSIDER EVERYTHING A LOSS COMPARED TO THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF KNOWING CHRIST." (PHP 3:8 NIV)

GOD'S APPROVAL

Many of us race from one thing to another, driven by our need to accomplish, yet never feeling fulfilled or stopping long enough to appreciate our worth in God's eyes. Lasting fulfillment doesn't come from reaching another goal or deadline. Paul wrote much of the New Testament, preached to world leaders and built the church, yet his heart's cry was "that I might know [be intimately acquainted with] Him" (v. 10 NKJV)> Until God affirms you, the praises of men will keep falling into a heart that leaks. Once the thrill of the chase is over, there has to be more to your life than just accomplishing another goal. Our challenge is to address our nagging approval addiction (yes, addiction!) by turning to God to find the only approval that can truly satisfy - His approval. Paul worked hard, but he did it for one sole reason: "We labor...that we might be accepted of Him." Ask yourself, "Why am I doing what I do? Who am I doing it for?" Your answers will be revealing. What makes you think you can fulfill God's purpose for your life without taking the time and effort required to build a relationship with Him? Without fresh fire in your soul you will burn out. Another credential and another trophy won't cut it. Only God can restore what all your striving has depleted. God will never ask you to do anything that replaces what His presence alone can do. In His presence crowns lose their luster and human accolades become meaningless (See Rev 4:10-11). There you can let it all go, without losing anything.

Daily Reading - "O Death, Where Is Your Sting?" 1Co 15:55 NKJV

Here is how it read today.

Mon. April 5

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" (1 CO 15:55 NKJV)

The Sting Has Been Removed

The story's told of a boy and his father driving down a country road when a bee flew in the car window. The boy, who was allergic to bee stings, was terrified. The father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it into his hand and then released it. The boy grew frantic as it buzzed by him. Again the father reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to his palm. There, stuck in his flesh, was the stinger of the bee. "Do you see this?" he asked. "You don't need to be afraid any more. I've taken the string for you." The message of Easter is, as a believer you don't need to fear death because Christ has died and risen again. The sting has been removed. Death is not the end, it's just the beginning!

Job, who'd experienced the tragic loss of seven sons and three daughters in a single day, asked, "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14 NKJV). He needed an answer! We all do. Five chapters later he got one: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25027 NKJV). The Psalmist rejoiced in the same hope: "As for me, I will see your face in the righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness" (Ps 17:15 NKJV).

Daily Reading - "And They Crucified Him" Mk 15:24 NIV

This is how it read today...

Fri. April 2

"AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM." (MK 15:24 NIV)

CRUCIFIXION

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In The Expositor's Bible Commentary C. Truman Davis, M.D. writes, "What is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description: 'As he slowly sags down...on the nails in the wrists, excrutiating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain-the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid stretching torment, he places teh full weight on the nail through his feet. Again in agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of the feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath...hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rendering cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over - the loss of tissue fluids reaches critical level - the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues - the tortued lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues...finally he can allow his body to die." The Bible records it in these words: "And they crucified him."

Special Seletion - "Power Praise"

Daily Reading - "You Are The Salt Of The Earth...You Are The Light Of The World." Mt 5:13-14 NKJV

Here is how it read today.

Wed. March 31

"YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH...YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD." (MT 5:13-14 NKJV)

Salt and Light

Christ's critics told the truth when they said, "He stirs up the people." (Lk 23:5 NKJV). The apostles' critics told the truth when they said, "They have turned the world upside down" (See Ac 17:6 NKJV). Jesus and His disciples were "Let's do something about it" people, rather than "Let's not make waves" people. Which are you? Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out...You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see you good works and glorify your Father" (Mt 5:13-16 NKJV). The purpose of light is to illuminate, not just be an accessory. Being shy, or inarticulate, or not knowing the Scriptures well enough to share them is not an acceptable excuse. You are the only Christian some people will ever meet, so a lot is riding on you. Jim Elliott, who died as a missionary and martyr, said: "God makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God, deliver me from the dead asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of your spirit that I may be a flame. Make me your fuel, flame of God." Today, make that your prayer!

Special Selection - "I Wanna Thank You"

Daily Reading - "Lead Me, O Lord...Make You Way Straight Before My Face." Ps 5:8 NKJV

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Tues. March 30

"LEAD ME, O LORD...MAKE YOUR WAY STRAIGHT BEFORE MY FACE." (PS 5:8 NKJV)

Just Drive, And Let God Direct You!

Hanna Whitall Smith, writes: "God's voice will always be in harmony with itself, regardless of how many ways He may speak. The voices may be many, the massage can be but one. If God tells me in one voice to do, or leave undone anything, He cannot possibly tell me the opposite in another voice...therefore my rule for distinguishing the voice of God would be to bring it to the test of harmony." To know that you're being led by God you must: (1) Believe that He has a plan for you life; (2) Spend time in prayer asking Him to reveal it; (3) Step out and obey Him, even though He doesn't tell you all you'd like to know; (4) Be confident that even in difficult times He's still directing your steps. During the making of Ben-Hur, Charlton Heston trained long hours to drive a chariot for the movie's big chariot race. He improved greatly, but he became convinced that the task was more than he could handle. So he approached the legendary movie director Cecil B. DeMille and said, "I've worked hard as mastering this rig, I think I can drive it convincingly in the scene, but I don't think I can win the race." After a moment's silence DeMille smile and said, "You just drive, I'll direct." He did, and the chariot race became on of the movie's most memorable highlights. You don't need all the answers, you only need to know you've fully obeyed the instructions God gave you. One you know that, just drive, and let Him direct you.

Special Selection - "Since Jesus Came"

Daily Reading - "Because You Have Been Trustworthy." Lk 19:17 NIV

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Mon. March 22

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN TRUSTWORTHY." (LK 19:17 NIV)

MONEY

Money will buy you a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, foor but not an appetite, a house but now a home, medicine but not health, luxuries but not happiness, image but not character, and religion but not salvation. you say, "Does that mean God doesn't want me to have money?" No, He will actually trust you with more money when you demonstrate that your trust is not in your money, but in Him alone (See 1 Ti 6:17). The Bible teaches three things about money: (1) When you become a good steward of what you have, God will entrust you with more. "Then he sent for the servants to whome he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came one and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities'" (Lk 19:15-17 NIV). (2) When your focus is on serving others, God will entrust you with more. When Job took the focus off himeself and began to pray for others, "The Lord...gave him twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10 NIV). (3) When you can walk away from material things to do God's will, God will entrust you with more. Abraham left the security of his home to fulfill God's plan, and he ended up one of the world's wealthiest men. On the other hand, the rich young ruler said no to following Christ because the cost was too high (See Mk 10:17-22). You ask, "What was the cost?" Everything!

Daily Reading - "Cease From Anger...It Only Causes Harm." Ps 37:8 NKJV

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Fri. March 19

"CEASE FROM ANGER...IT ONLY CAUSES HARM." (PS 37:8 NKJV)

Lingering Anger

In a 1994 newspaper article, "War's Lethal Leftovers Threaten Europeans," Associated Press reporter Christopher Burns writes: "The bombs of WWII are still killing in Europe. They turn up - and sometimes blow up - at construction sites, in fishing nets, or on beaches fifty years after the guns fell silent. Hundreds of tons of explosives are recovered every year in France alone. Thirteen bombs exploded in France in 1993, killing 12 people and wounding 11. 'I've lost two of my colleagues,' said Yvon Bouvet, who heads a government team in the Champagne-Ardennes region that defuses explosives from both WWI and II. Unexploded bombs become more dangerous with time. With the corrosion inside, the weapon becomes more unstable, and the detonator can be exposed."

What is true of lingering bombs is also true of lingering anger: it explodes when you least expect it. Anger is not something to be proud of, it's something to be prayed over because: it hurts those closest to you; it causes you to lose respect in the eyes of others; it closes doors of opportunity; it puts you on dangerous ground with God. Take a moment and read what God's Word says about your lingering anger: "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret-it only causes harm" (Ps 38:8 NKJV). "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city" (Pr 16:32 NKJV). "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression" (Pr 19:11 NKJV).

Daily Reading - "He Will Order His Angels To Protect You Wherever You Go." Ps 91:11 NLT

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Thurs. March 18

"HE WILL ORDER HIS ANGELS TO PROTECT YOU WHEREVER YOU GO." (PS 91:11 NLT)

Protected By Angels

Every two weeks the missionary went to the city to purchase medical supplies for a small field hospital where he served. On one of his trips he saw two men fighting on the street. One was seriously injured so he stopped, treated his wounds and shared God's love with him. Then he headed home, stopping in the jungle to camp overnight. When he visited the city two weeks later a man approached him - the same one he'd helped on his previous trip. The man said, "I knew you carried money and medicine with you, so our gang followed you to your camp planning to kill you for the money and the drugs. But just as we were about to attack, we saw twenty-six armed guards surrounding you." The missionary replied, "No, that's impossible; I was all alone." The man countered, "But my buddies saw them too. We counted them." Months later when the missionary told this story back at his home church, a guy interrupted, "Exactly what day did this take place?" When the missionary identified the specific day the guy was amazed. He said, "On that exact night in Africa it was morning here, and I felt a strange urge to pray for you. It was so strong that I phone some folks to come to the church and pray with me. Would all of you who prayed with me that day please stand up? One by one the missionary counted them - twenty-six - the exact number of the armed guards. The truth is: "He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go."

Daily Reading - "I Am Filled With Power, With The Spirit Of The Lord." Mic 3:8 NIV

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Tues. March 16

"I AM FILLED WITH POWER, WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD." (MIC 3:8 NIV)

Releasing The Power Within You

Picture this: Huge shovels dig house-sized scoops of coal. Pulverized and loaded onto railroad boxcars, the coal travels to a generating plant in East Texas where it's crushed into powder. Super heated, this powder ignites like gasoline when blowin into giant furnaces that crank three turbines. Whirring at 3600 revolutions per minute these turbines are housed in massive concrete and steel casings. They generate enough electricity for entire cities. You ask the chief engineer, "Where do you store the electricity?" He replies, "We don't store it, we just make it. When a light switch is flipped on in Dallas, a hundred miles west, it places a demand on the sytem; it registers at the generating plan and prompts greater output." Understand this: God's power cannot be stored; it only comes in the measure required, at the moment of need, and as your faith places a demand on it. To release the power of God that is already within you, you must: (1) Decide that material things will never be your first pursuit. Seek first his kingdom...and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt 6:33 NIV). (2) Realize that God cannot move where there is no faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6 NIV). So begin using your faith, even in small things. (3) Keep in mind that God will always use something you already have. So look within yourself, acknowledge what He's given you and "put it out there." (4) Don't forget to give God the glory. When the praise comes, pass it on to Him.

Daily Reading - "Do Not Worry About Tomorrow" Mt 6:34 NKJV

Here is how it read today.

Fri. March 12

"DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW." (MT 6:34 NKJV)

God's Economics For Tough Times (5)

Dr. Jay Adams tells the story of a man who decided to give up worry. When a friend noticed how relaxed he looked and asked how he'd conquered worry, he said, "It's simple; I just hired a guy to do my worrying for me." Asked how much that cost, he replied, "$10,000 a month." Where will you get the money?" his anxious friend queried. He replied calmly, "That's his worry, not mine!" Jesus tells us to hand our worries over to Him! He understands that we're anxious about our finances and worried we won't be able to afford the things we need. So He instructs us, "Do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" (Mt 6:31 NIV). Notice, it's the combination of "worrying" and "saying" that brings on anxiety. Your self-talk, plus your words to others about your fears, are negative reinforcers, distorting your perceptions, magnifying your fear and making you feel helpless and hopeless about your circumstances and your future. Don't do that! Claim the "much more" passages Jesus gave us in Matthew 6. "Look at the birds...your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (v.26). "God clothes the grass of the field...will he not much more clothe you?" (v. 30). Worry belongs to unbelievers, not to kingdom citizens. "For the pagans (unbelievers) run after (exert great effort, pursue apprehensively, are anxiously preoccupied with) all these things" - food, drink and clothing. (v. 32). Make "his kingdom and his righteousness" your focus, not the unpredictable economy, and "all these things will be given to you as well" (v. 33).

Daily Reading - "Do Not Worry About Tomorrow" Mt 6:34 NKJV

Here is how it read.

Thurs. March 11

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW." (MT 6:34 NKJV)

God's Economics For Tough Times (4)

To prosper in tough times: (1) Resist greed. "You shall not covet" (Ex 20:17 NIV). The drive to keep up with the Joneses enslaves us and stresses us out. Jesus identified the law of diminishing returns in coveting. "Be on your guard against...greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Lk 12:15 NIV). The bottom line is: your self-worth cannot be built on your net worth, especially in this economy. John says: "These...desires...to buy everything that appeals to you...are not from God" (1Jn 2:16 TLB). Sharing, not owning things, brings lasting satisfaction and joy! (2) Don't co-sign. "Don't...guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you" (Pr 22:26-27 NLT). This isn't just good advice; it's a divine directive. Your friends who got "burned" by countersigning debts will all say, "Amen!" God isn't saying don't help others. He blesses those who help the needy. But His way of helping is by prayer, giving, lending without expecting a return, offering wise counsel, but not taking on their debt. (3) Work hard. Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich (Pr 10:4 NLT). "Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it" (Pr 13:11 NAS). "A man skilled in his work...will stand before kings...not...before obscure men" (Pr 22:29 NAS). Even in a tough economy God will promote the honest, skilled, hard worker to higher places and greater prosperity!