My computer is not attached to the printer or scanner. It will be worked on today to correct this problem because the last attempt was unsuccessful. Perhaps the problem will be corrected today, but if not, I will again be unable to post a blog until it's fixed.
Be blessed and know my thoughts and prayers are with you.
"JESUS WILL NEVER FAIL YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU."
In His love always,
S.D.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
God Can Turn...
June 4
God Can Turn the Hopeless Into Hope by Roy Lessin
God can turn—
The darkness into glory…
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them…Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:8-14
The impossible into possible…
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God…For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:34-37
The barren into blessing…
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. Luke 1:36
The common into remarkable… And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast…. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. Luke 2:42-47
The work into worship… As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
The hopeless into hope…
But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:40-43
God bless you and increase your faith to trust Him to transform your greatest challenge to blessing; to turn your biggest stumbling block into a stepping stone to great power and opportunity for good.
God Can Turn the Hopeless Into Hope by Roy Lessin
God can turn—
The darkness into glory…
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them…Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:8-14
The impossible into possible…
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God…For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:34-37
The barren into blessing…
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. Luke 1:36
The common into remarkable… And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast…. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. Luke 2:42-47
The work into worship… As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
The hopeless into hope…
But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:40-43
God bless you and increase your faith to trust Him to transform your greatest challenge to blessing; to turn your biggest stumbling block into a stepping stone to great power and opportunity for good.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The Great Exchange
June 3
The Great Exchange: Studies from Romans 1 by Pastor Brad Reiches
"And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for...corruptible man...They exchanged
the truth of God for a lie...exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural."
Romans 1:23,25,26
Glory for corruption. Truth for lies. Natural for unnatural. When we don't like something we "exchange" it.
1. "And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man..." WHY? Because they decided not to "honor God" any longer. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God" (see verse 21). They did the opposite of what Joseph did:
"How then could I do this great evil and sin against God." Genesis 39:9
2. "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie" (see verse 25). WHY? Because they decided they didn't like the truth. To embrace the truth is to acknowledge moral responsibility. To accept Biblical truth is to admit to the "our part" of Biblical Christianity.
"For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." Romans 2:13
3. "They...exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural" (see verse 26).
It is so very important to understand that the human conscience is something completely different from the "conviction of the Holy Spirit" (see John 16:8-11). The conviction of the Holy Spirit comes from an "unchanging God" (see Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8) grounded in and affirmed by His "unchanging word" (see Psalm 19:7; 89:34; Proverbs 30:5-6). The human conscience however, is culturally defined* and as such, is as changeable as the ocean shores (see Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26).
Pastor Reiches points out some of our most human falabilities regarding the truth of God and his observations are worth applying to our own reasoning, for if we allow ourselves to do so, we will rationalize away the very foundation upon which our salvation is based.
Rather than making our foibles the bedrock of what we believe and how we live our lives, may we instead anchor ourselves for time and eternity to the truth that sets us free. May we hold fast to the salvation that is Christ's "unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15) so we may have the unfathomable privilege to "rule and reign" with Him for eternity.
The Great Exchange: Studies from Romans 1 by Pastor Brad Reiches
"And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for...corruptible man...They exchanged
the truth of God for a lie...exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural."
Romans 1:23,25,26
Glory for corruption. Truth for lies. Natural for unnatural. When we don't like something we "exchange" it.
1. "And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man..." WHY? Because they decided not to "honor God" any longer. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God" (see verse 21). They did the opposite of what Joseph did:
"How then could I do this great evil and sin against God." Genesis 39:9
2. "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie" (see verse 25). WHY? Because they decided they didn't like the truth. To embrace the truth is to acknowledge moral responsibility. To accept Biblical truth is to admit to the "our part" of Biblical Christianity.
"For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." Romans 2:13
3. "They...exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural" (see verse 26).
It is so very important to understand that the human conscience is something completely different from the "conviction of the Holy Spirit" (see John 16:8-11). The conviction of the Holy Spirit comes from an "unchanging God" (see Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8) grounded in and affirmed by His "unchanging word" (see Psalm 19:7; 89:34; Proverbs 30:5-6). The human conscience however, is culturally defined* and as such, is as changeable as the ocean shores (see Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26).
Pastor Reiches points out some of our most human falabilities regarding the truth of God and his observations are worth applying to our own reasoning, for if we allow ourselves to do so, we will rationalize away the very foundation upon which our salvation is based.
Rather than making our foibles the bedrock of what we believe and how we live our lives, may we instead anchor ourselves for time and eternity to the truth that sets us free. May we hold fast to the salvation that is Christ's "unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15) so we may have the unfathomable privilege to "rule and reign" with Him for eternity.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
What Would Lincoln Say?
May 28
What would Abraham Lincoln say about America? By Jim Denison
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating April 30 as "a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer." Why?
According to the president, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.
“But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"
What would President Lincoln say about America today?
There was a time when religion was central to our society; then it became a marginalized hobby. Now Christianity is widely seen as detrimental and prejudiced, homophobic and irrelevant. You don't need me to chronicle the moral challenges of our day, or the growing irreligiosity of our culture.
Here's the good news: God still hears the prayers of the penitent.
Peter called the crowds who chose Barabbas over Jesus to, "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out," (Acts 3:19). If those who demanded Jesus' crucifixion could be forgiven, whose sin can God not pardon?
Consider this promise: "If a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" (Ezekiel 18:21-23).
God would rather we repent and live than continue in sin and face His judgment. What He said to ancient Israel, He says to America today.
Why is repentance essential to God's forgiveness and favor? Not because we must earn His blessing, but because repentance positions us to receive what grace intends to give. A doctor cannot help a patient who will not admit that he is sick. But our Father will forgive every sin His children confess (1 John 1:9).
Let me urge you to make time today for personal repentance. Ask the Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father, and confess all that comes to your thoughts. Then I encourage you to fast from a meal today and use the time to confess the sins of our culture, specifically and honestly. Ask God to forgive our people and bring the moral and spiritual awakening we need so desperately. I will join you in such fasting and prayer.
President Lincoln warned that, "we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace."
Do you feel the necessity of God's grace in your life? Jesus paid a great price so you can be saved; so you can receive the grace of God. Please receive “His unspeakable GIFT,” II Corinthians 9:15.
What would Abraham Lincoln say about America? By Jim Denison
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating April 30 as "a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer." Why?
According to the president, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.
“But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"
What would President Lincoln say about America today?
There was a time when religion was central to our society; then it became a marginalized hobby. Now Christianity is widely seen as detrimental and prejudiced, homophobic and irrelevant. You don't need me to chronicle the moral challenges of our day, or the growing irreligiosity of our culture.
Here's the good news: God still hears the prayers of the penitent.
Peter called the crowds who chose Barabbas over Jesus to, "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out," (Acts 3:19). If those who demanded Jesus' crucifixion could be forgiven, whose sin can God not pardon?
Consider this promise: "If a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" (Ezekiel 18:21-23).
God would rather we repent and live than continue in sin and face His judgment. What He said to ancient Israel, He says to America today.
Why is repentance essential to God's forgiveness and favor? Not because we must earn His blessing, but because repentance positions us to receive what grace intends to give. A doctor cannot help a patient who will not admit that he is sick. But our Father will forgive every sin His children confess (1 John 1:9).
Let me urge you to make time today for personal repentance. Ask the Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father, and confess all that comes to your thoughts. Then I encourage you to fast from a meal today and use the time to confess the sins of our culture, specifically and honestly. Ask God to forgive our people and bring the moral and spiritual awakening we need so desperately. I will join you in such fasting and prayer.
President Lincoln warned that, "we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace."
Do you feel the necessity of God's grace in your life? Jesus paid a great price so you can be saved; so you can receive the grace of God. Please receive “His unspeakable GIFT,” II Corinthians 9:15.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
When God Seems Far Away
May 27
When God Seems Far Away From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness.
"Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness," Job 30:26.
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.
He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Hebrews 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from them.
When God Seems Far Away From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness.
"Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness," Job 30:26.
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.
He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Hebrews 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from them.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Jesus Christ Our Lord
May 26
Jesus Christ Our Lord
‘…learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart…’—Matthew 11:29
The four Gospels present four rather different pictures of Christ from different perspectives, from different backgrounds, and through different events.
As we read those Gospels, a character rises up from the pages, a character unique and altogether lovely. We begin to see a face and hear a voice, a voice that speaks with a music and a poetry never heard before.
His message? “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
Have you heard and responded to that message?
That voice has reverberated through the centuries. Ah, the skeptics have come with their scissors and their paste, cutting up the Gospels and pasting them back together anyway they’ve wanted. Still that character stands and speaks an everlasting message. The invitation still comes, the music still sounds. “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
Antagonists have attempted to refute Jesus’ claims. Nietzsche condemned Christ, mocking His humility and dubbing Him a slave. Nietzsche died in a madhouse, but the voice of Christ still resounds.
Hitler, following in Nietzsche’s footsteps, declared that he, as a pure pagan, would uproot Christianity from the earth. Hitler became a charred cinder, his name a byword for one who does evil. But the voice of Christ continues to resound throughout the world.
The Communists tried to kill just about every Christian they could get their hands on. But today in those lands more people follow Jesus than follow Karl Marx.
So it goes that Christ, whose message has outlasted all His detractors, criticizes His critics and becomes the final Judge of all His judges, and all the while His voice still exhorts, even today, “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Today let that lasting message reverberate through your heart, encouraging you in all you do.
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does his successive journeys run. —Isaac Watts
Jesus Christ Our Lord
‘…learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart…’—Matthew 11:29
The four Gospels present four rather different pictures of Christ from different perspectives, from different backgrounds, and through different events.
As we read those Gospels, a character rises up from the pages, a character unique and altogether lovely. We begin to see a face and hear a voice, a voice that speaks with a music and a poetry never heard before.
His message? “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
Have you heard and responded to that message?
That voice has reverberated through the centuries. Ah, the skeptics have come with their scissors and their paste, cutting up the Gospels and pasting them back together anyway they’ve wanted. Still that character stands and speaks an everlasting message. The invitation still comes, the music still sounds. “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
Antagonists have attempted to refute Jesus’ claims. Nietzsche condemned Christ, mocking His humility and dubbing Him a slave. Nietzsche died in a madhouse, but the voice of Christ still resounds.
Hitler, following in Nietzsche’s footsteps, declared that he, as a pure pagan, would uproot Christianity from the earth. Hitler became a charred cinder, his name a byword for one who does evil. But the voice of Christ continues to resound throughout the world.
The Communists tried to kill just about every Christian they could get their hands on. But today in those lands more people follow Jesus than follow Karl Marx.
So it goes that Christ, whose message has outlasted all His detractors, criticizes His critics and becomes the final Judge of all His judges, and all the while His voice still exhorts, even today, “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Today let that lasting message reverberate through your heart, encouraging you in all you do.
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does his successive journeys run. —Isaac Watts
Monday, May 25, 2015
Living God's Way
May 25
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted,” John 6:11
Our Opportunity to Serve by Martin G. Collins
Christ performs the miracle, but for both practical and spiritual reasons, His disciples present the food to the people. It was more organized and took less time to distribute the food this way than by doing it Himself.
More importantly, Jesus and His disciples were becoming a team, and it was essential that they share in His work to have firsthand experience. Their involvement in Christ's generous, compassionate, loving act of providence would be a lasting memory to fuel their faith and zeal in their future apostolic work.
Jesus' miracle provided them an opportunity to serve Him, while teaching us lessons in responsible service. Though God does not need us, He gives us the privilege and blessing to be involved in His service. Some people do not wish to be encumbered by a duty to act in His behalf, but this is a wrong perspective of service. God provides opportunities to serve so that we might experience great blessing.
The disciples had a responsibility to give to the people what Christ had given them. When God gives to us, we are to share faithfully with others, not hoard His gifts for ourselves.
Ministers are to preach the whole truth of God and not change the message or withhold parts of it (see Acts 20:27). Church members should look out for the welfare of others, sharing our blessings. If we are “wealthy with every spiritual blessing,” Ephesians 1:3, we should pass them on to others by living God's way of life as a witness.
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted,” John 6:11
Our Opportunity to Serve by Martin G. Collins
Christ performs the miracle, but for both practical and spiritual reasons, His disciples present the food to the people. It was more organized and took less time to distribute the food this way than by doing it Himself.
More importantly, Jesus and His disciples were becoming a team, and it was essential that they share in His work to have firsthand experience. Their involvement in Christ's generous, compassionate, loving act of providence would be a lasting memory to fuel their faith and zeal in their future apostolic work.
Jesus' miracle provided them an opportunity to serve Him, while teaching us lessons in responsible service. Though God does not need us, He gives us the privilege and blessing to be involved in His service. Some people do not wish to be encumbered by a duty to act in His behalf, but this is a wrong perspective of service. God provides opportunities to serve so that we might experience great blessing.
The disciples had a responsibility to give to the people what Christ had given them. When God gives to us, we are to share faithfully with others, not hoard His gifts for ourselves.
Ministers are to preach the whole truth of God and not change the message or withhold parts of it (see Acts 20:27). Church members should look out for the welfare of others, sharing our blessings. If we are “wealthy with every spiritual blessing,” Ephesians 1:3, we should pass them on to others by living God's way of life as a witness.
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