Despise Not Small Things

 Despise Not Small Beginnings by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.’” Mark 16:15

Dr. Kennedy’s church (Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida) grew exponentially when they learned how to engage in personal evangelism and train others to do the same. Out of that grew Evangelism Explosion (or EE), which is now all over the world.

Here is an update on that ministry: Dr. John Sorenson, Dr. Kennedy’s handpicked successor as the president of EE, told Dr. Kennedy in 2006: “If things stay on track and we do the things that the EE Vice Presidents think we should do, we’re going to see 100 million people come to Christ in the first fifteen years of the third Millennium.” Dr. Kennedy told John to “hold that thought,” and he went off and came back with some papers that he had been studying. He had calculated that in the first 1,500 years of the Church, 100 million people had come to Christ. Then Dr. Kennedy said, “Now you’re saying that in fifteen years we are going to see that number of people come to Christ through EE?” John went on to say to the folks at a recent EE banquet, “While we don’t take any credit, it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit, the truth is, we’re going to pass that number. It’s not just going to be 100 million, it is going to be 103 or 104 million. Glory to God!”

Whatever you have in your heart to do for the Lord, do it with gladness and with all your heart. Do not despise the day of small beginnings. All great works started very small and humbly.

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You do great things, even with small beginnings. Thank You for the amazing ways You are at work in our world. Lord, give us strength to be world-changers as we share the message of Christ and Him crucified…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN SHARE OUR FAITH WITH OTHERS.

Bill Wilson and Roy Rogers

 

Me and Roy Rogers

Greetings! I was down in the basement going through some old boxes and happened to find my lunch pail from elementary school days. It reminded me of so many adventures. This was no ordinary lunch pail. It was a Roy Rogers Chow Wagon lunch pail. When you run on to something like that, all of a sudden you are transported back to another time. My imagination was brought to life every Saturday morning when the Sons of the Pioneers welcomed me into the world of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Roy, the singing cowboy, and his girl Dale, dog Bullet and sidekick Pat in Nellybelle the Jeep. This show, more than any other on television, shaped my vision of the type of man I wanted to become.  Roy Rogers always stood for what was good and right. He lived by a code of conduct held accountable to God. He loved his country. He loved his wife. He never let the bad guy win no matter how insurmountable the odds. I was infatuated with Roy Rogers. While the pony we had growing up was not a palomino like Roy’s Trigger, Tricker was a black and white pinto. During my very young years, I renamed him Trigger. In fact, I renamed by cousin Steve to be Pat. And for years, he was not allowed to call me by my real name, only Roy. I called him Pat. Everybody thought we were crazy, but we lived the Roy Rogers life—me and my horse, and Steve, I mean Pat, was into cars, so he had Nellybelle the Jeep.

We had so many adventures on the 100-acre farm. Sometimes Steve/Pat would be over at our house on Saturday mornings. We would watch The Roy Rogers Show and then get dressed up in our kerchiefs, cowboy hats, six-guns and head on out to the barn to saddle up Tricker/Trigger. One time, I thought I would really get in trouble after I carved RR into the horn of one of my Dad’s best saddles. He didn’t seem to mind. One year, when I was about 8 years old, I was the Master of Ceremonies for the Paris Elementary School Christmas Program. I wore a gray cowboy hat, a checkered shirt with fringe across the front and back, and new cowboy boots. My confidence was at a high when Mom and Dad said I looked just like Roy.

I nearly wore out that Roy Rogers Chow Wagon lunch pail over the years taking it to school. At night, I had a little Roy Rogers lantern to show me the way when we were camping out in the woods or at Cooks Forrest. Roy Rogers had quite the impression on me and still does. Not that I think about it often, but when I do, I remember the lessons he taught by his example. He and Dale did a lot of good for kids during their lifetimes. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Apart from my wonderful parents, brothers and buddy Sonny, Roy Rogers was one of the few people who kept me on the right path. I’ll end with this: As the Sons of the Pioneers would sing at the end of every episode, Happy trails to you!

Be An Encourager

 Be An Encourager by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“But Barnabas took him, and led him to the apostles.” Acts 9:27

It is a sin to discourage people from using their gifts. Too often, people will pull down others who are trying to use their gifts by a careless word or stinging remark. Such discouragement is a sin.

We should encourage people to use the gifts they have without making unrealistic expectations. What is the point of any accomplishments? The Psalmist gives us the answer to this: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).

We should encourage each other to use our God-given talents for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. Some people feel so beaten down by life that they don’t use their gifts. That is a great tragedy. Perhaps, you know someone like that who could use some real encouragement.

When the Apostle Paul got converted, many Christians were afraid to have fellowship with him because they thought it could be a trap. But Barnabas encouraged him at a crucial time.

Many believers accomplish only a fraction of what they could. Yet God has given us numerous resources to accomplish great things for His glory. Unfortunately, these resources are often short circuited by wrong thinking and doubts, including heavy discouragement from others, sometimes well-meaning Christians.

Together, we can accomplish many things, and let us be ever mindful to give the Lord the credit for it. Go out and be an encourager.

Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for sometimes discouraging others. Forgive us also for listening and heeding those discouraging and destructive voices that come, not from You, but from below. Lord, give me strength for today to encourage others for Your sake…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN ENCOURAGE OTHERS FOR JESUS’ SAKE.

All Things Through Christ

 

All Things Through Christ by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“…boast in Christ Jesus, and place no trust in the flesh.”
— Philippians 3:3

The Apostle Paul said he could endure all circumstances, good or bad, because the Lord strengthened him though it all. Through Christ, he could do all things. I want you to notice what Paul is not talking about—PMA, a modern term for “Positive Mental Attitude,” also described as “positive thinking.” There is a great difference between positive thinking and what Paul is talking about. Note what Paul did not say: “I can do all things through PMA.” One man thought he had seen a sign in an office that said, “I can do all things through coffee and donuts.” Not quite.

Let me point out to you that PMA, positive thinking, has many good things about it. It helps people to do a lot of things, but it only goes so far and then it fails because it is really a sin. That I am sure grabs some of you the wrong way. A sin? Yes. The Bible says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart departs from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5). To paraphrase: “Cursed is he that trusts in self.”

Furthermore, it is really nothing other than trusting in self for your salvation. Paul did not say, “I can do all things because I have complete confidence in myself.” Rather, it was Christ who strengthened him. What counts is not positive thinking— it is Christ-thinking—resting upon His strength and not on our own. Then there is no limit to what that can do.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for trusting in me. Forgive me for short-circuiting Your power in my life through unbelief. Give me strength for today to truly trust in You…

Your Humor For Today

 Your Humor For Today

An old man was driving his Lambo with 100 miles/hour when suddenly he saw the police chasing him. So, he starts speeding up, 140, then 150, then 180.

Suddenly he slows down and thinks: "I'm too old for this."

He pulls over and waits for the police to catch up. The officer gets out of the car and as he's heading to the old man, he says:

"Sir, my shift is ending in 10 minutes. Today's Friday and I'm leaving this weekend with my family. If you give me a very good reason, but seriously, something I never heard before, I'll let you go"

The old man looks at him, thinks very hard and says:

"Years ago, my wife ran away with a policeman and when I saw you chasing me I thought you're bringing her back"

"A good day to you sir" - said the policeman

Remember Who We Are

 Remember Who We Are by Bill Wilson

(And remember WHOSE we are!!!!!)

We are beginning the year 2024 with many great uncertainties. There are wars and rumors of wars. Certainly, Israel is God’s timepiece and our eyes’ focus on the Middle East will lend us discernment of the times. There is turmoil in much of the world that has been generated by the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas against the unarmed men, women and children of Israel. The nations surrounding Israel are also talking of war. Missiles are being shot from Lebanon and Gaza. Syria remains hostile. Iran has its “advisors” on the ground in Lebanon and Gaza. Turkey’s leadership speaks favorably of Hamas. There are riots around the world by those supporting Hamas. The world is becoming even darker.

Here in the United States, there is medical, political and economic disruption. The federal government has joined with big pharma to control you through fear mongering about your health. The political elite are using politically-appointed judges and the administrative/deep state to undermine your vote and choose the leaders they want to rule over you. In addition, there are Marxist forces at every level of government using their positions to attack your rights as citizens and as parents. The public school system is a breeding ground for anti-God, anti-parental rights, and statism. The government and corporate media are conspiring to censor your thoughts and voice. The economy is heavily influenced by leftist theories and social scoring.

Even churches are in a disruptive phase. The forsaking of teaching sound doctrine in deference to feel-good, emotional, political correctness, and self-indulgence has succumbed to a falling away. The cumulative effect is a tremendous exodus of young people who see “church” as feckless and hypocritical. We have fast approached the time, if we are not in it already, prophesied in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For there will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to the own desires, having an itching ear, they will gather around them teachers to suit themselves.” The instability of double-mindedness has become the norm and those who discern well are looked upon with disdain.

These are days of great testing. They are the days when we as disciples of Christ must remember who we are. As Christ said in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shon our home nation, we are royal priests making up a holy nation set apart to do the work of the Father. Nw forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Whilst we live io matter the condition of the world, let us remember who we are.

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Philippians 4:13

 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13