Are you Sodium, Chloride, or both?

Story of the day:  Are you Sodium, Chloride, or both?

Chemicals by themselves can be dangerous by themselves.  But when mixed with other chemicals, can be used for our common every day living.  Take Sodium for instance,

Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element.  Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor.  When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride–common table salt–the substance we use to preserve meat and bring out its flavor.

Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine.  Love without truth is flighty, sometimes blind, willing to combine with various doctrines.  On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous.  Spoken without love, it can turn people away from the gospel.

When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we have what Jesus called, “the salt of the earth,” and we’re able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. [Larson, Craig.  2007.  750 Engaging Illustration for preachers, teachers, and writers.  Baker Books Publishing. p.593.]

Quote of the day:  Martin Luther

“Peace, if possible, but the truth at any rate.”

Bible verse of the day:  Matthew 5:13a (NKJV)

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses flavor, how shall it be seasoned?”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray to always use Your truth and love that is dwelling deep within to be the salt of the earth, reaching those that don’t know You as their Lord and Saviour.  Father bless this day as I meet people who I don’t know and witness to those around me, through Your Grace, Love, and Mercy.  Provide me with Your Words of Wisdom that anything that comes from my mouth, honors and blesses Your Holy Name.  Today I pray for those that are needing rest, those that are needing to be lifted because of things that may be happening in their life, and I pray for lives to be saved, changed, and restored all for Your Glory!  I thank You for this blessed day. 

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen

 

 

Seasons change, Truth doesn’t

Story of the day:  Seasons change, Truth doesn’t

“Our challenge is to stay up with the time, to serve our generation, yet in no way alter the truths of His Word.  Styles and methods change and must be kept up to date.  But truth?  It is timeless.  Not subject to change… We are to be willing to leave the familiar without disturbing the essentials.  To minister effectively the church must wake up to what changes…and what doesn’t…The church that sits around frowning at the future, doing little more than polishing yesterday’s apples, will become a church lacking in relevance and excitement.  At the same time, the church that softens its stand theologically and alters Scripture to fit the future’s style, will lose its power.”  Charles Swindoll

Quote of the day:  Dorothy Sayers

“It is not the business of the church to adapt Christ to men, but men to Christ.”

Bible verse of the day:  Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for not changing.  I thank You that Your truth is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  Father, our world is moving so fast and things are constantly changing, it is during these times that I pray for peace and rest in You.  Father, I also pray for unity within the church so that the outreach of the truth is reaching many more.  I pray to always be willing to follow the path that You place before me and not get stuck in my own ways.  I thank You for this blessed day!

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen

Stepping out by faith-June 11th

Story of the day:  Stepping out by faith (Kim’s Collections)

 

Sometimes I am embarrassed of how quickly I can accept a worldly idea and see it as good. Just the other day as my husband and I were listening to the news on the car radio, it said something that for a moment sounded like a great idea and I made the comment, “That’s ingenious!” But as I continued to listen (to the newsman and to God), I began to see how evil this idea really was. God’s word talks about two kinds of wisdoms: Worldly wisdom and spiritual wisdom. 1 Corinthians 3:19 says, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” Unless we know what God’s word says, we may find ourselves easily adopting the ideas of this world.

 

In the book of Ephesians, Paul prays unceasingly for the people to be given this spirit of wisdom. But this wisdom is received, according to Ephesians 1:17, in the knowledge of God through His words. I’ve heard before that in order to be able to recognize counterfeit bills, one must familiarize themselves with the real thing. God never wants us to follow after the ideas of this world, but often the worldly ideas can make more sense to us if we are filtering things through worldly wisdom and not allowing God’s spirit to give us His understanding.

 

A few years ago, My husband and I were at a crossroad and needing to make a decision about his resigning from his job of 20 years to pastor full time. I made the comment that there was a fine line between faith and stupidity. According to worldly wisdom, him walking away from a well-paid position to a financially challenged, small church was foolish. But since we committed to operate in godly wisdom through knowing the truth of His promise of provision the decision was easy and the reward was great! Just as the world’s wisdom is foolish to God, the wisdom of God is foolishness to those who don’t believe (1 Corinthians 1:18). But when God is the one leading and we are following Him, His “Peace that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds” and give us the faith to step out into the unknown confidently. We so often evaluate the ‘walk of faith’ by the degree of difficulty it is for the ‘step of faith’. The decision will be easy, but the step needs to be difficult so that we will be sure it is the walk that God has called us to.

 

Quote of the day:  Samuel Rutherford

  

“You shall find it such a burden as sails are to a ship or wings to a bird. I find that my Lord hath over gilded that black tree, and hath perfumed it, and oiled it with joy and gladness”.

 

Bible verse of the day:  Ephesians 1:17

 

 

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”

 

Prayer:

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of Your mighty strength, which You exerted in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:18-21) 

 

In Jesus Name I pray,

 

Amen

God is forever faithful-June 9th

Story of the day:  God is forever faithful (Kim’s Collections)

  

   I am very excited to have this opportunity to share what God teaches me through His word and life experiences. So much of what He reveals to me is the result of my morning devotions. I may not at the time of sitting, reading and praying receive any life changing revelation, but as I meditate upon His word or just go about my day, He seems to speak to me and give me examples of a truth or principle that I had been reading about that morning.

 

   In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “There is nothing new under the sun.”. I remember the day that this portion of scripture encouraged me greatly. I was trying to come up with something to share with our ladies at a morning “Coffee Share Time.” I remember praying and telling God that I was having a hard time coming up with something different, something that the ladies had not heard. God isn’t persuaded by our current predicament, but He is forever faithful to hear and answer our prayer in His time. I got up from my quiet time with a sense of frustration and disappointment because I had not been able to write down anything to share. As I continued throughout my morning (actually in the shower), He spoke to me in my spirit and told me that I can never exhaust His words. I may teach from the same passage or speak about a topic that may have been heard and God can take the truth from a particular passage and give us a deeper understanding or a new application for the truth.

 

   So my challenge for myself and to you is to remain teachable. This will enable you to receive new revelation of an eternal truth. The writer of the book of Hebrews writes, “The word of God is living and powerful.” I know that I am not yet perfected, and if my guess is correct, neither are you. So as long as I am in the process of being perfected, God’s word will continue to bring fresh insight, new revelation and often painful “piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit” because “it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

 

Quote of the day:  Warren Wiersbe

 

“Wise people listen to wise instruction, especially from the Word of God.”

 

Bible verse of the day:  Ecclesiastes 1:9

“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

 

Today I pray that we will continue to stay open and teachable to all that You have to teach us. Help and teach us to be quiet before You and then listen to You. Help us to recognize Your still, small voice. Help us discern what is from You and what we should take captive. Reveal to us today something that will enable us to become more like You. Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering it according to Your will.

 

In Jesus’ name,

 

Amen.

Choices

Quote of the day:  Choices

    Choices are things that we do.  “The choices we make today”, as my husband has so greatly stated, “will effect tomorrow”, so we must choose wisely.  The choice becomes our decision and once it is made, we must live with it for the rest of our life.

    Some of the words associated with the word, “choice” according to Swindoll, are “can’t and won’t.  Christians need to be very careful which one they choose.  It seems that we prefer to use can’t. 

    “I just can’t get along with my wife.”

    “My husband and I can’t communicate.”

    “I can’t discipline the kids like I should.”

    “I just can’t give up the affair I’m having.”

    “I can’t stop overeating.”

    “I can’t find time to pray.”

    “I can’t quit gossiping.”

    No, any one who takes the Scripture seriously will have to confess the word really should be won’t.  Why?  Because we have been given the power, the ability to overcome.  Literally!

    One of the best books you can read on overcoming depression is a splendid work by two psychiatrists, Frank Minirth and Paul Meier.  The volume is appropriately entitled Happiness is a Choice.  They write: “As psychiatrists we cringe whenever  [Christian] patients use the word can’t…Any good psychiatrist knows that “I can’t” and “I’ve tried” are merely lame excuses.  We insist that our patients be honest with themselves and use language that expresses the reality of the situation.  So we have our patients change their can’t to won’ts…If an individual changes all his can’ts to won’ts, he stops avoiding the truth, quits deceiving himself, and starts living in reality…”

    “I just won’t get along with my wife.”

    “My husband and I won’t communicate.”

    “I won’t discipline the kids like I should.”

    “I just won’t give up the affair I’m having.”

    “I won’t stop overeating.”

    “I won’t find time to pray.”

    “I wont quit gossiping.”

    Non Christians have every right and reason to use can’t, because they really can’t.  They are victims, trapped and bound like slaves in a fierce and endless struggle.  Without Christ and His power, they lack what it takes to changer permanently.  They don’t know because they can’t.  It is a fact…a valid excuse.   

    But people like us?  Hey let’s face it, we don’t because we won’t…we disobey because we want to, not because we have to…because we choose to, not because we’re forced to.  The sooner we are willing to own up realistically to our responsibility and stop playing the blame game at pity parties for ourselves, the more we’ll learn and change and the less we’ll burn and blame.”

Quote of the day:  William Arthur Ward

“Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not to envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.”

Bible verse of the day:  Deuteronomy 30:19

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We all have a choice to make.  The first choice is to accept Your free gift of life, and the second choice is to live a life that is pleasing to You.  Father, I don’t know all the answers to every question that people may have, but the things that You do want us to know are found in Your Word and through praying.  Father, I pray that we as Christians stop using the words can’t and won’t, as they are only excuses that aren’t helpful to Your Kingdom.  Please help me to recognize the times where I want to use these words and redirect my thinking so that I can choose wisely.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen 

The Three Little Pigs

                                                                                                                                                                                               Story of the day:  The Three Little Pigs

    I love the story of The Three Little Pigs.  For those of you that haven’t heard the story, or heard it in a while, here it is in a nutshell.  Three pigs each built their house out of three different materials. Each to his own thought that they were doing a great job, yet two of the three materials couldn’t withstand the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf. One pig built his house out of straw, another out of sticks, and the last out of bricks.  The big bad wolf came and tried to blow down every single one of the pigs homes.  The wolf was successful at blowing down the houses of the straw and sticks, yet no matter how hard he tried, was unsuccessful with the pig that built his house out of brick.  This pig was very wise and had some important instruction that the other pig’s chose to ignore and because they chose to ignore, their house had fallen.

    As I was reading Scripture this morning and praying to God and asking what He would like me to say today, the story of building your house on a rock quickly came to mind and so I began reading this over and over again.  God quickly related Jesus as the one that gave instruction to build your house on brick or rock.  The other pigs or people in general chose to ignore the teachings of this Wise Pig (Jesus) and when the Wolf came or the Devil, the houses could not withstand all the turmoil that came along with what was being tossed it’s way and thus fell.  If you turn to Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus tells us just like the little pig that told his brothers to build their home out of brick or “rock” (Matthew 7:24) that if they had listened to what he had to say, then their house wouldn’t have fallen.  The house, (your house) can withstand, the rain, the floods, and the winds that beat on you if you choose to listen to your Heavenly Father and build it on solid rock.  But if you choose not to listen to what Jesus is saying, then it will be as if you “built your house on sand” (Matthew 7:26), rocks or sticks.   And when the rain descends, the floods come, and the winds blow, your house will “fall, and greatly will it fall” (Matthew 7:27).

    So Jesus’ instruction’s are simple, “whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and it will not fall.” (Matthew 7:24-25) 

Quote of the day:  Ben Johnson

“He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.  Heaven prepares good men with crosses.”

Bible verse of the day: Matthew 7:24

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You tell us that we should listen and do the things that You have shown us through Scripture and prayer.  God when I don’t listen, it is an act of disobedience and the result is that I am building my house on top of sand, which You have clearly shown us, will fall.  God it is so important for my house to be built on solid rock, most importantly Your Solid Rock.  It is the foundation of Truth that helps me withstand all the troubles that may come my way.  I pray for wisdom in knowing the things that You are teaching me, and to ensure that I am following.  God, I pray that no sand gets into the grooves or crevices of my house and if it does, that it is washed away immediately and replaced with more rock.  I thank You for this day!

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen