BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Matthew 16:25

Spoken by Jesus: "...whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

 

Thoughts on today's verse

 

The key to life is letting go of ourselves and receiving Jesus. Please don't forget to relinquish your life to the one who gave up his own life. When we lose our life to him, we can have it back forever with him.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, my Savior and King. I long for your life to be made visible in me. To your glory I pray. Amen.

Visit heartlight.org 

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL ROCK OF AGES

Okay we are  on one of our short takes spells.  Don't know how long it will last.  We do hope you will enjoy.  They do give you things to think about, don't they? 

 

 

ROCK OF AGES

 

A rock, so simple, yet strong.  The smallest can shatter a windshield.   The largest can break a diamond drill bit.  We sang Rock of Ages, a song not heard much anymore, a song with power, yeah Power as in our Lord.

 

2 Samuel 22:2 The Lord is my rock and again In verse 32 Blessed be my Rock.

 

We walk over or kick rocks out of our way each day.  Even in big cities of concrete, we find rocks.

 

We have been told that to see a penny is a reminder to us "In God We Trust".  Our new reminder is to see a rock remember  "He is the Rock of my Salvation".  How many reminders will you see today?

 

God Bless

 

recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

A certain private school was faced with a unique problem: A number of junior 
high girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. 
That was fine but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips 
to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.

Every night the janitor would remove them; and the next day the girls would put 
them back. Finally, the principal decided that something had to be done. She 
called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the janitor. She 
explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the janitor 
who had to clean the mirrors every night.

To demonstrate how difficult it was to clean the mirrors, the principal asked 
the janitor to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a 
long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet water, and cleaned the mirror 
with it.
 
Since then there have been no lip prints on the mirrors.   

[forwarded by Trevor Gibson]

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Did you hear about the Christian movie sequel? It's called "Bourne Again."

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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Seek to Find the Good

But the Lord said to Samuel: "Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. I Samuel 16:7 - (NIV)

A retired pastor of one of the larger churches in my community was recently asked, "What are some things you learned in your long and fruitful ministry?"

I will always cherish his words. They expressed my feelings completely. He said, "I have discovered that the vast majority of people are basically good. I have encountered very few evil individuals."

He went on to say, "The Bible tells us 'there is none righteous' and 'all have sinned. The Bible also tells us we do not get into heaven on our goodness. It is only through repentance and claiming the righteousness of Christ."

He went on to tell us that there is an inherent quality found in most people that leans toward sympathy and compassion for their fellowman. Some people say that society condemns those who have within them the urge to show goodness and mercy toward their fellowman. Arrogant, wealthy, and self-sufficient folk may see showing mercy as a weakness. Anyone who has rung the Salvation Army bells at Christmas time knows the people who have the least are usually among the most generous with their loose change.

Maybe our prayers should ask God to help us see others as He sees them and to look upon a person's heart rather than one's outward appearance.

If one aims to see the good in others rather than the evil or seeks to believe in others rather than judge them, we would have a better world. After all, while we are judging, criticizing or tearing others down, they are doing the same to us. Are we being judged fairly on the scales of others?

Think about it, and then try to find the good in a person. There is some good in every one. One has to contain a loving heart and open mind to find it.
…..Ivie Bozeman by way of Eternal Ink (eternal_ink@associate.com) and Christian Voices (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net

THE WORLD OF GOD IS RICH

WRITTEN BY SISTER SHIRLEY RHODES

The world of God is rich, wonderful and filled with promise. When we open our minds and hearts to allow His Spirit to fill us with radiant light, the outward expression will cause others to wonder about this awesome show of love our Heavenly Father so graciously bestows within his children; we are children of the King.

What we need to do is renew our way of thinking, our minds, and our thoughts every day.  Someone may ask the question, “How am I supposed to do that?” The answer is, by entering into the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, to allow your needs to be ministered too. Study the Word of God, consider Jesus as your teacher, soon you will be able to take on and understand how he taught; we become learners. His word becomes our thoughts which are powerful enough to lift us above any circumstance or problem.

The World of God is rich in mercy and grace it allows us to focus our minds and hearts on what is provided and where we are destined to go. We are to stay focused on the prize and run this race with patience. God equips us with whatever we need to fight the raging battle that Satan attempts to use in order to derail us from reaching our assigned destiny, eternal life. Learning of what God’s world is like as we study and meditate, let’s not grow weary in well doing, knowing that grace and mercy will carry us when the load seems heavy or unbearable.

The World of God is Rich in love and by taking time to embrace all that surrounds us it is evident. Jesus fervently stressed the importance of love for each other. When we learn the art of unconditional love, we are able to see the world and people it consists of as ourselves, designed for purpose. As we journey through life God watches over us, he never leaves us hopeless. What he has prepared and shaped is always there; we must humble ourselves and in obedience ask and wait for the promise.

When we are able to allow God to do his work within us, we are able to rest, assured that whatever he has promised will come to past. Embrace him, share your dreams and thoughts with him, because he is the source of all our strength and joy, he is our King.

http://vineandbranchworldministries.com/2013/06/25/the-world-of-god-is-rich/

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

2 Thessalonians 3:3

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

 

Thoughts on today's verse

 

It's amazing to me how Satan knows our "silver bullet sins" -- those sins that can especially wound and disable us from the work of Christ. Commit in your heart to ask God to protect you, your family, and one other person (you'll silently support) from the attacks of the evil one.

 

Prayer:

 

Mighty and Triumphant King, crush your enemies under your feet and liberate me and those I love from the oppressive attacks and the horrible consequences of sin. Not only forgive and cleanse me, but please guard my heart so that I might gain strength to serve you with passion and power. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.'

Visit heartlight.org 

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL PAUL'S WARNING

Galatins 5:16-26

Just before Paul gave us the list of the  Fruit of the Spirit, he gave us a strong warning.  He begins saying 'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.' Then starting in verse 19-21 he lists the works of the flesh

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, out bursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries.

Paul then tells us at the end of verse 21, 'I tell you beforehand as I have told you before, that those that practice these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.'  Harsh but true words, sin cannot enter into heaven.  These are sins.  Scripture does not say these are unpardonable sins.  We can be forgiven if we ask and abstain from these things.

Again in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 Paul list sins again leaving out some and adding others:  fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetousness, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners.  

In verse 11 he says, 'And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of the Lord.'  What Paul is letting us know is that once we have been pardoned/forgiven from these sins and no later live in them, we are clean, and can now enter into the Kingdom of God.

Praise the Lord for forgiveness.

God Bless

recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

Women's Lib

Although many men in our rural area have difficulty accepting women's lib, my husband helps with the housework. One day he took over the vacuuming while I went to the store.

The doorbell rang. It was one of his friends, a burly ranch foreman clad in a battered cowboy hat, faded jeans and worn boots.

“I was just cleaning," my husband said, somewhat abashed, turning off the vacuum.

The rancher looked relieved. "That's all right," he said gruffly, handing my husband a white paper bag. "I'm delivering Avon!"

…..Docs Daily Chuckle (pkaine@roadrunner.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

REMEMBER LOVE

My Italian Grandmother was a wonderful woman. "Nanny" had a loving, vibrant soul that she carried around in a short, heavyset body. She had a passion for life that expressed itself in so many ways. It was in the hugs she gave, the meals she cooked, and the flowers she grew. It was even in the temper she lost from time to time. I think one of the reasons I was never taught Italian by my Dad was he was afraid I might learn the meaning of some of those words Nanny said when she was upset.

Nanny raised four sons and then helped my Mom and Dad raise me and my two brothers as well. I always felt blessed growing up in her home as a boy. She worked hard, laughed loud, and was never afraid of what life threw at her. Life wasn’t that easy on her either. She suffered from health problems all her life and even survived an operation for a brain tumor. When she fell and broke her hip in her eighties, my Dad was forced to admit that he could no longer take care of her at home.

It was with a heavy heart that Dad moved Nanny into a nursing home. She lost weight and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet, even as her body shrunk and withered her spirit stayed strong. The nurses there loved her and her zest for life. Even her Italian temper brought smiles to them as they learned a few "choice" words of Italian from her as well. Our whole family gathered together for her 90^th birthday in the nursing home dining room. It was a wonderful celebration of her life and the love we all had for her.

Shortly after that birthday, however, life gave her the toughest challenge of all as age and illness started to take her mind from her too. The Dementia grew worse and worse over the last few years of her life. At times when I visited her she didn’t know who I was. It was heartbreaking to see her this way. She spoke less and less and stayed in her bed more and more.

Sometimes all I could do was just sit by her bed and hold her hand.

During one of these visits I was holding her hand while she slept and remembering the person she used to be. My soul was in mourning that life could take everything from her like this. At that moment she awoke. Her eyes gazed up at me and I could tell she didn’t recognize me. She looked down at my hand holding hers and instead of pulling hers away, she smiled at me. Then she closed her eyes and went peacefully back to sleep. I could see then that even though her mind didn’t remember me, her spirit still remembered love and that was enough.

In the end this life takes away everything we have except our love. Our love can never be taken away. It can never be destroyed. It can never be forgotten. Our love is eternal. It makes us one with God. It lives in us all through this life and it lives on into the next. It was my Nanny’s love that made her the special soul she was. And it is your love that makes you the special soul you are. Always remember to love then. It is who you are. It is what you are meant for. It is what life is all about.

…..Joseph J. Mazzella (joemazzella@froniter.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net

THE FIRE IN ELIJAH'S LIFE

Every time I start to teach Course D as a Biblical Hebrew teacher, I get very excited. It means that by the time my students reach this level, they have successfully completed three courses with our tremendous teachers. These students have been taught to swim confidently in the river of Hebrew, with an awareness of both the nominal and verbal systems. Another reason to be happy is that we get a chance to speak about Elijah the Prophet once we review the materials from the first three courses and that’s always fun.Elijah, for me, has always been a bit of riddle. On one hand, he was a very committed prophet who wished the spread the word of God to anyone and everyone; on the other, he was zealous about the fact that sometimes the mind could not always accept certain actions. As a prophet that came out of nowhere and just as abruptly left us, only to reappear at Passover and a few other selected days (as can be sourced at the end of the Book of Malachi), it seems that fire is a consistent element in Elijah's life. Today we will try to characterize his life by studying that fire; hopefully we won’t be burned by it.The fire in Elijah's life appears first when he needs to prove to Baal's prophets, and to the Israelites, that there's only one true God, as written:Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fireof the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”(1 Kings 18:37-39) The fire proved to the people that the God is indeed the Lord, but apparently it wasn't enough for Elijah. Elijah went and killed all the prophets of the Baal himself, and would go on use the fire to kill others the future. This occurred even after God explained to Elijah the essence of His being in the next verse -"וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ, לֹא בָאֵשׁ יְהוָה"-"After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire." Elijah continued to use fire in order to fight with God's enemies. When he was commanded to appear before the King, he refused, saying that he was only one able to speak with one ruler, and that ruler is God, as written: "Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.(2 Kings 1:9-10) The beautiful word play in Hebrew between the word man -אִישׁ - and the word fire–אֵשׁ– reveals an element of Elijah’s uglier side here. Only after killing 100 people twice by using the fire of God did the the Angel of God stop him from killing 50 more people. Elijah felt he could listen only to God or to God’s angels, not to mere mortals, with whom he had God’s message to share.As a zealot, he was entirely convinced that his behavior was upright and correct.  Perhaps for that reason, Elijah ended his life summarily, returning only in glimpses of fire, as written: "As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven"(2 Kings 2:11)A fire should burn within every person, but we need to remember that we must not create fires that rage beyond our control, since they have the power to destroy. It’s good to be committed to an idea, to have burning passion;just perhaps, for safety’s sake, not as strongly as Elijah had!Have a blessed week,Eli eTeacherBiblical.com

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Jeremiah 23:24

"Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the Lord.

Thoughts on today's verse

There is no hiding from God, but for those who willingly and joyously seek him, there is comfort, power, and hope in his presence.

Prayer:

El Shaddai, God of the Mountains, be my sources of strength as I seek your presence. I acknowledge your presence in all I do and everywhere I go. Please, don't just keep blessing me, but use me to bless others in your name. Through Jesus. Amen.

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ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL FRUIT OF THE SPIRT [EXPLAINED]

LOVE  Greek agape, Latin caritas.  Agape denotes undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable good will, that always seeks the highest of the other, no matter what he does.  1 Cor 13:  4-8a.  2 John 1:6 defines love.

JOY Greek chara, Latin gaudium.  The Greek word for joy is derived from the word charis, which is the Greek word for grace.   This means 'joy' is not a human-based happiness that comes and goes, but rather true 'joy' is divine in its origin.  Neh 8:10 'The joy of the Lord is your strength.'  can be further understood to properly mean 'the awareness of God's grace, favor; joy.

PEACE Greek eirene, Latin pax.  Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God.  Peace is tranquility, a state of rest, that comes from seeking after God..Eirene is God's gift of wholeness and derives from eiro, to join, tie together into a whole, properly, when all essentially parts are joined together as one or as a whole.  John 14:27

PATIENCE Greek makrothumia, Latin longanimitas.  Makrothumis comes from makros meaning long and thumos meaning tempter.  it denotes lenience, forbearance, fortitude, patience endurance, longsuffering.  It describes a person who is able to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint.  It is also translated  as endurance, constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out, patient endurance.  Describing the ability to bear up under difficult circumstances with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat.  Heb 10:36

KINDNESS Greek chrestotes, Latin benignitas.  Kindness does not necessarily mean being nice.  ble.  Kindness is acting for the good of people regardless of what they do. Chestotes and benignitas denotes kindnesses in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability.  Paul uses this word to describe God's kindness for unsaved people.  Romans 11:22, Eph 2:7, 2 Thess 1:11

GOODNESS Greek agathosune, Latin bonitas.  The state or quality of being good.  Moral excellence; virtue.  Kindly feeling, kindness, generosity, joy in being good.  The best part of anything; Essence; Strength.  General character recognized in quality or conduct.

FAITHFULNESS Greek pistis, Latin fides.  The root of pistis means to persuade or be persuaded which supplies the core-meaning of faith as being divine persuasion, received from God, and never generated by man.  Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith, who for joy set before Him endured the cross, scoring its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

GENTLENESS Greek prautes, Latin modestia.  Praules commonly know as meekness, which is a divinely-balances virtue that can only operate through faith.  1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:22-25  It is disposition that is even tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has passions under control.  Power and strength under control.   A person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.

SELF-CONTROL Greek egkrateia, Latin continentia.  Egkrateia used in Galatins 5:23 means having command or mastery over, or possession of, one's own behavior.  This is accomplished through and by the power of the Lord, proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself.

And you thought you knew the meaning of these words.  They can all be covered by the last sentence,  "Proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself."

God Bless

recj/LJG

MORE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Romans 12:4-8

Evangelism Acts 1:8

Teaching Matt 28:19

Exhortation Heb 3:13, 10:25

Giving 2 Cor 9:7

Leading Eph 4:32

Mercy/Forgiveness Romans 12:8

Service Galatians

Helps 1 Cor 12:28

Administration 1 Cor 12:28

Shepherd john 21:16

Ephesians 4:11

Apostles

Prophets

Evangelist

Pastors

Teachers

Other Gifts

Counseling

Fortitude

Pity

Hospitality

Intercession

To each believer are given gifts that are suited to their life in Christ.  How we use/minster our gifts depends on which spiritual gifts we have received.

God Bless

recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

GRAMMAR OOPS

~ The burglar was about 30 years old, white, 5' 10", with wavy hair weighing 
about 150 pounds.

~ The family lawyer will read the will tomorrow at the residence of Mr. Hannon, 
who died June 19 to accommodate his relatives.

~ Mrs. Shirley Baxter, who went deer hunting with her husband, is very proud 
that she was able to shoot a fine buck as well as her husband.

~ Organ donations from the living reached a record high last year, outnumbering 
donors who are dead for the first time.

~ The dog was hungry and made the mistake of nipping a 2-year-old that was 
trying to force feed it in his ear.

~ We spent most of our time sitting on the back porch watching the cows playing 
Scrabble and reading.

~ Hunting can also be dangerous, as in the case of pygmies hunting elephants 
armed only with spears

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If practice makes perfect, and nobody's perfect, why practice?

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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Confirming What's Already There

Romans 9:17-18
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Don't feel too badly for Pharaoh. Scripture tells us twenty times Pharaoh's heart was hardened: Ten by God and ten by Pharaoh himself. What isn't quite as evident from our passage today is when God hardened Pharaoh's heart, the Lord only confirmed what was already there -- a lack of compassion and willingness to submit to His divinity and power. It didn't matter whether the Word of God was being preached to him, or numerous miracles were being performed around him. Pharaoh still chose to harden his heart.
This really worries me as I look around my own community. No one wants to hear about the Lord. It seems everyone's mind is made up. Their hearts are hardened. When I was younger there was more openness, but no longer. Only in tragedy are eyes sometimes turned toward God. Is it out of desperation? Perhaps. My greatest concern is when heartbreak, trouble, turmoil, stress, or calamity appear in life -- will a heart be too hardened to allow God to ease the suffering? Will the Lord finally harden a heart and by doing so confirm what is already there?

Is it ever too late to turn toward God? Is it too late for your neighbor? What about the guy who sits next to you at work? Only God knows when it's too late, but it is still our responsibility to offer testimony of God's forgiveness and mercy in our own lives. When the Spirit urges, do you speak of your faith or do you believe your words will fall on deaf ears, so why bother? No life is unredeemable or worthless. To whom do you need to speak regarding Jesus?

THE DIFFICULTY OF WAITING ON GOD

Brian Hedges

Waiting on the Lord can be hard for two reasons. Bad theology, the first reason, is what I wrote about previously here at Christianity.com.  The second reason has nothing to do with bad theology though. In fact, you can have very solid and robust beliefs about God, man, sin, etc. and yet still find it tough to wait. That’s because sometimes the waiting doesn’t end.
Life-Long Waiting
Recently, my family of six made a 1,200-mile trek to Texas and back to visit relatives there. We live in Indiana and have four children, so these trips are both exhausting and fun. But there’s also sadness in these trips, because it is the only time we get to see my mom, who at just 63 years old has advancing Alzheimer’s disease and is slowly fading away from us.
We have, of course, prayed for her healing and believe God has the power to heal if he so chooses. But God hasn’t healed her. I don’t believe that’s because of any lack of faith or prayer in those of us who love her. Nor is it because of any lack of power or goodness in God. I believe that God both loves her (and us) and has the power to heal her.
Yet, in his inscrutable wisdom, God has not healed. And this terrible disease continues to take its course with mom’s mind and body, reminding us that we live, as do all human beings, in a world still waiting for redemption.
Every person reading this has probably faced (or will face) a similar situation. Sometimes, God mercifully answers our prayers. We wait, and it’s hard. But it’s only for a season, and then the burden lifts—the answer comes, or we get the guidance we’ve asked for, or he supplies the provision we need—and we feel assured in a fresh way that God is there and that he hears and cares.
But much of our waiting is life-long. We sometimes struggle with unanswered prayers not just for months, but years. We carry burdens over decades. We endure what appears to be the unchecked and unhindered advances of sorrow, sin, and suffering in our lives, in our world.
Though we pray, the answer doesn’t come. The burden doesn’t lift. The cancer, or Alzheimer’s doesn’t go away. Sometimes we just keep on waiting, and waiting, and waiting. What then? What do we say of this?
The Story Isn’t Over
I certainly don’t fathom all the mysteries of God’s providence. But this much I think we can say. We still haven’t reached the end of the story. We’re still waiting. And while this might initially cause us to doubt our faith, if we know our Bibles well, we see that our experience matches up with the reality Scripture portrays.
In fact, the New Testament uses the language of waiting to describe the characteristic mode of living for believers in Jesus.
For example,
We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
God’s grace…[trains us to] wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
Through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. (Galatians 5:5)
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13)
Perhaps the most poignant passage of all is in Romans 8, where Paul talks about how the creation itself longs for its freedom from corruption and decay and how we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. (See Romans 8:19-25.)
Longing. Groaning. Waiting. This is quintessential New Testament faith. This, in fact, is the gospel story writ large on the canvas of the history of the world.
Think of it like this. The gospel tells us that Jesus himself faced suffering and death on the cross and then waited until that first Easter morning to be raised from the dead in his glorified humanity. And he is called the firstfruits of the resurrection. The firstborn from the dead. He’s the first, not the last. The final resurrection hasn’t happened yet. New creation has begun, but it is not yet complete. We’re still waiting for it.
In a way, the whole created world still lives in the shadow of Good Friday and Holy Saturday, as we wait for the final resurrection morning. But unlike the disciples who didn’t know he would rise, we actually know the end of the story! The day is coming when Christ will fully establish His kingdom and make all things new.
Waiting in Hope
And so, we wait; but not as those who have no hope. For even in the midst of the drudgery, death, and decay of our fallen world, we know the story’s grand finale. And like King Théoden in Tolkien’sLord of the Rings, who “rode through the Shadow to the fire, and died in splendor…”
“Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day’s rising
he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
over death, over dread, over doom lifted
out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.”[1]
…so can it be said of all who suffer and even die as they long, groan, and wait for the Lord.
Brian G. Hedges is the lead pastor for Fulkerson Park Baptist Church and the author of Christ Formed in You: The Power of the Gospel for Personal Change and Licensed to Kill: A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin. Brian and his wife Holly have four children and live in South Bend, Indiana. 

---

[1] J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (London, HarperCollins Publishers, 1995)p. 954. This quote is from Book Six, Chapter VI.
http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/spiritual-growth/the-difficulty-of-waiting-on-god.html?p=0

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalms 121:7-8

The Lord will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Thoughts on today's verse

Our lives are not lived alone. The Lord is with us personally. He holds each of futures and our safety in his hands. We live to serve him and go to be with him when we die. The Lord will keep us from all harm!

Prayer:

Mighty Protector, Rock of my salvation. Thank you that my future is secure with you. Make this assurance the convicting power in my life to turn over my future and my life to you. Through Jesus I ask this. Amen.

Visit heartlight.org

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL SPIRITUAL GIFTS MEANINGS

1 Corinthians 12:4-1

WISDOM is to skillful, exceeding wise, have discretion.  To be intelligence, understanding.  To teach and guide others wisely.

KNOWLEDGE is having insight into things.

FAITH is trusting in the dark and against all probabilities.

HEALING'S includes physical, spiritual, physiological and relational.

MIRACLES is the acts of things happening that are beyond human explanation.

PROPHECY can be predictive or encouraging, speaking directly from God into a situation.

DISCERNMENT the ability to discern different spirits, good and evil.

TONGUES ability to praise God and Pray in words inspired by the Spirit.

INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES the ability to know what those tongues indicate or mean.

God Blessings

recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

Two dogs were out for a walk.  One says to the other, wait a minute, I'll be right back." He walks across the street and sniffs this fire 
hydrant for about a minute, then walks back across the street.

The other dog says, "What was that about?"

The dog first dog says, "Oh, I was just checking my messages."

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One advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.

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 MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Who Are You Governed By?

Romans 9:6b-7a
For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

 

 

The word "Israel" means "governed by God." The point Paul makes in our passage today is this: Not all who claim to be Israel are governed by God. The same is true for us -- not all who claim to be Christians are Christians -- nor are their acts the works of God.
Open up the pages of history and you will see atrocity after atrocity, committed around the world, by Christians supposedly who acted in the name of Jesus: the Salem Witch Trials, the Crusades, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, the islands of Tahiti, to name just a few. Attend a college history class and tell everyone you are a Christian. You can almost be certain to be attacked based upon the historical record of crimes against humanity, committed by people calling themselves Christians. Many name the name, but they are not of the true lineage of Christ. They are not born again, and they're certainly not governed by Him. John 16:3: "They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."
Paul says be careful. Not all who are descended from the bloodline of Abraham and Isaac have the same spiritual lineage and truly are governed by God. It is the same question we should ask of anyone who calls themselves a Christian: Who are you governed by? Is it Jesus?

 

 

Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So how do we know if an act by a person who calls themselves a Christian is based upon a spiritual lineage with Jesus Christ? Easy, it will be based in love and nothing else. Do your acts reflect your lineage? Who is your father? Is Christ in you? Who governs what you do?
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WOULD YOU SAVE THE LIFE OF YOUR SON OR A TRAIN LOAD OF STRANGERS?

This is the topic of the movie I was going to share the

other night but I wanted to watch the full version a

2nd time.

 

Here's the synopsis from their website.

 

MOST, the Czech word for "The Bridge," is a fitting

title for this 21st-century parable about a loving

father, his young son, and the fateful day when they

attempt to head off an impending rail disaster.

 

Hundreds of passengers aboard an oncoming steam train

are completely unaware of the danger that looms as they

head toward an open drawbridge.

 

As a desperate young woman witnesses an act of mercy

beyond imagination, her life is changed forever--as are

the lives of all who see this film.

 

Both heart wrenching and glorious, MOST vividly

portrays the greatest offering of love, sacrifice,

hope, and forgiveness known to man.

 

I first watched a 9 minute summary of it and then I had

to find the full version.

 

I really encourage everyone to take out 30 minutes and

view this movie. It does have English subtitles so you

can follow along.

 

This was really was gut and heart wrenching when you

put yourself in this man's shoes.

• What would you do?
• We know what the right answer is but would you?

That was the question I was asking myself. And to be

quite honest, I'm not sure if I would make the same

decision.

 

One thing I have now learned being a parent all of 15

1/2 months and I learned this pretty quickly and that

is... I can  sympathize so much more and feel the pain of

someone who has lost a child.

 

It's not to say I didn't before but now, it's just on

so much of a greater level now that I have a child.

 

My heart just breaks for anyone who has gone through

the loss of a child, especially a younger one. I am not

sure how people without Jesus can even cope with such a

tragedy.

 

Then I reflect back on this movie and realize this guy

had such a profound love for these people that he

didn't even know  that he sacrificed his son so they

would live. Sound familiar, can we say John 3:16.

 

Yes, the movie is an evangelistic movie to help get

people to realize that God sacrificed His Son so we

would have life, an eternal life at that.

 

And we need to have an heavenly perspective when

viewing this.

 

I caught myself thinking too deeply into this and what

I mean is, how would I feel afterwards on whatever

decision I made, how would I cope. See, that to me is

getting off the message.

 

The message was our life on this earth  is so short, as

James 3 says, our life is but a vapor and we can't even

begin to imagine eternity. Heck, I complain when a day

goes by too slow, haha 

 

This reminds me of a story I heard some years ago of a

skydiver instructor over in the UK .. ( I think it was

there)... and when he was in the air with a client, he

realized his parachute was stuck and would not open.

 

He then asked the guy if he was saved and he said, no.

So he switched positions with him and told him, I am, I

know Jesus Christ and when I die, I will be in heaven,

you will not and I can't have you die now without a

chance of salvation so he switched positions so he

would be on the bottom of the fall and hopefully break

and save this gentleman's life.

 

The Christian guy did die but the guy survived and I

believe he got saved:) At least I would hope so after a

stranger sacrificed his own life for him.

 

But I think most would agree that it would be easier

for us to sacrifice our own life for a stranger instead

of sacrificing our child's life for a stranger or mass

of people.

 

I asked my wife, Tina what she would do and her answer

gave a whole new twist to it. She said it depends if

Jordan was saved or not. If he was saved, then I would

save the people.

 

In the movie, the boy seemed about 7 to 9 years old so

he would be considered under age of accountability and

be in heaven with Jesus. But what if the boy was say,

17 years old and not saved. hmmm... yeah, I know, now

what decision would you make? Especially when you

really don't have time to think, literally a minute or

less, that's it.

 

I took some time to let this movie sink in and my

prayer after this was...

 

My Father, help me love people and see people the way

You do.

 

Help me see through your eyes and not mine. And help me

to have an eternal, heavenly perspective on life, help

and empower me to live as Christ and not as of myself.

 

Help me to see the value in all life, not just people's

live I may deem of value. Help me be a light in our

dark world and change me to become like your Son, my

Savior, Jesus.

 

And what would you do if you were in this man's shoes?

 

Here's the link to both the shorter summary and to the

full 30 minute version. 

 

I encourage you to watch the full version but if you can't, 

then please watch the 9 minute version. You will be changed!  :)

 

Loving Christ and People,

 

Chris Bradley

Happy Moments, Praise God

Difficult Moments, Seek God

Quiet Moments, Worship God

Painful Moments, Trust God

Every Moment, Thank God

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