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The Word For Life.

If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing:
but if you meet JESUS CHRIST and forget Him,
you have lost everything.

The World's
Posted:Jun 16, 2014 4:29 am
Last Updated:Jun 16, 2014 4:32 am
16529 Views


Read: James 1:22–2:1

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. €”James 1:27

Bible in a Year:
Nehemiah 4-6; Acts 2:22-47

After a group of high schoolers visited an orphanage during a ministry trip, one student was visibly upset. When asked why, he said it reminded him of his own situation 10 years earlier.

This young man had been living in an orphanage in another country. He said he recalled people coming to visit him and his friends €”just as these students were doing and then going away. Occasionally someone would come back and adopt a . But each time he was left behind he would wonder, What'€™s wrong with me?

When the teenagers would visit an orphanage
€”and then leave €”those old feelings came back to him. So the others in the group prayed for him €”and thanked God that one day a woman
(his new mother) showed up and chose him as her very own . It was a celebration of an act of love that gave one boy hope.

Across the world are who need to know of God'€™s love for them (Matt. 18:4-5; Mark 10:13-16; James 1:27). Clearly, we can'€™t all adopt or visit these €”and indeed we are not expected to. But we can all do something: Support. Encourage. Teach. Pray. When we love the world'€™s , we honor our Father who adopted us into His family (Gal. 4:4-7).
Father, You made each in Your
image. Help us to convey Your love
to them with our hands, our help,
and our hearts.

The more Christ'€™s love grows in us, the more His love flows from us.
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We're Safe
Posted:Jun 13, 2014 5:35 am
Last Updated:Jun 13, 2014 5:36 am
16707 Views



Read: 1 Peter 1:3-5

[God] has begotten us . . . to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1:3-4

Bible in a Year:
Ezra 6-8; John 21

The United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, is a fortified building that stores 5,000 tons of gold bullion and other precious items entrusted to the federal government. Fort Knox is protected by a 22-ton door and layers of physical security: alarms, video cameras, minefields, barbed razor wire, electric fences, armed guards, and unmarked Apache helicopters. Based on the level of security, Fort Knox is considered one of the safest places on earth.

As safe as Fort Knox is, there’s another place that'€™s safer, and it'€™s filled with something more precious than gold: Heaven holds our gift of eternal life. The apostle Peter encouraged believers in Christ to praise God because we have €œa living hope a confident expectation that grows and gains strength the more we learn about Jesus
(1 Peter 1:3). And our hope is based on the resurrected Christ. His gift of eternal life will never come to ruin as a result of hostile forces. It will never lose its glory or freshness, because God has been keeping and will continue to keep it safe in heaven. No matter what harm may come to us in our life on earth, God is guarding our souls. Our inheritance is safe.

Like a safe within a safe, our salvation is protected by God and we'€™re secure.
For Further Thought
What about your salvation brings you the
greatest joy? How does it make you feel knowing
that your salvation is kept safe with God?

An inheritance in heaven is the safest possible place.
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Keep The Calm and Carry On
Posted:Jun 12, 2014 4:02 am
Last Updated:Jun 13, 2014 12:01 pm
16579 Views


Read: Ezra 5.7-17

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. Ezra 5:11

Bible in a Year:
Ezra 3-5; John 20

Keep calm and call mom.€œKeep calm and eat bacon.€œKeep calm and put the kettle on.€ These sayings originate from the phrase: €œKeep Calm and Carry On.€ This message first appeared in Great Britain as World War II began in 1939. British officials printed it on posters designed to offset panic and discouragement during the war.

Having returned to the land of Israel after a time of captivity, the Israelites had to overcome their own fear and enemy interference as they began to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:3). Once they finished the foundation, their opponents €œhired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose€ (4:5). Israel's enemies also wrote accusing letters to government officials and successfully delayed the project (vv.6,24). Despite this, King Darius eventually issued a decree that allowed them to complete the temple (6:12-14).

When we are engaged in God'€™s work and we encounter setbacks, we can calmly carry on because, like the Israelites, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth€ (5:11). Obstacles and delays may discourage us, but we can rest in Jesus’ promise: €œI will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it€ (Matt. 16:18 . It is Godâ€'s power that enables His work, not our own.
Thou art our life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive.
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour.

God’s Spirit gives the power to our witness.
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An Honest Heart
Posted:Jun 11, 2014 3:16 am
Last Updated:Jun 11, 2014 4:36 pm
16599 Views


Read: Psalm 15

I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness.
1 Chronicles 29:17

Bible in a Year:
Ezra 1-2; John 19:23-42

I came across an epitaph on an old gravestone in a cemetery the other day. It read,
€œJ. Holgate: An honest man.

I know nothing of Holgate€™s life, but because his marker is unusually ornate, he must have struck it rich. But whatever he accomplished in his lifetime, he'€™s remembered for just one thing: He was €œan honest man.

Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, spent a lifetime in search of honesty and finally concluded that an honest man could not be found. Honest people are hard to find in any age, but the trait is one that greatly matters. Honesty is not the best policy; it'€™s the only policy, and one of the marks of a man or woman who lives in God'€™s presence. David writes, €œLord, . . . who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly€ (Ps. 15:1-2).

I ask myself: Am I trustworthy and honorable in all my affairs? Do my words ring true? Do I speak the truth in love or do I fudge and fade the facts now and then, or exaggerate for emphasis? If so, I may turn to God with complete confidence and ask for forgiveness and for a good and honest heart €”to make truthfulness an integral part of my nature. The One who has begun a good work in me is faithful. He will do it.
Lord, help me to be honest
In all I do and say,
And grant me grace and power
To live for You each day.

Live in such a way that when people think of honesty and integrity, they will think of you.
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Crowns Of Honor
Posted:Jun 10, 2014 4:26 am
Last Updated:Jun 10, 2014 4:30 am
16490 Views



Read: John 19:1-8

The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head.
€”John 19:2

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 34-36; John 19:1-22

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are stored securely and protected within the Tower of London under 24-hour guard. Each year, millions visit the display area to €œooh and aah€ over these ornate treasures. The Crown Jewels symbolize the power of the kingdom, as well as the prestige and position of those who use them.

Part of the Crown Jewels are the crowns themselves. There are three different types: the coronation crown, which is worn when an individual is crowned monarch; the state crown (or coronet), which is worn for various functions; and the consort crown worn by the wife of a reigning king. Different crowns serve different purposes.

The King of heaven, who was worthy of the greatest crown and the highest honor, wore a very different crown. In the hours of humiliation and suffering that Christ experienced before He was crucified, €œthe soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe€ (John 19:2). That day, the crown, which is normally a symbol of royalty and honor, was turned into a tool of mockery and hate. Yet our Savior willingly wore that crown for us, bearing our sin and shame.

The One who deserved the best of all crowns took the worst for us.
Crown Him the Lord of life:
Who triumphed o'the grave;
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.

Without the cross, there could be no crown.
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Generous God
Posted:Jun 9, 2014 3:31 am
Last Updated:Jun 11, 2014 4:36 pm
14185 Views


Read: Ephesians 3:14-21

[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. €”Ephesians 3:20

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 32-33; John 18:19-40

When our family lived in Chicago several years ago, we enjoyed many benefits. Near the top of my list were the amazing restaurants that seemed to try to outdo each other, not only in great cuisine but also in portion sizes. At one Italian eatery, my wife and I would order a half portion of our favorite pasta dish and still have enough to bring home for dinner the next night! The generous portions made us feel like we were at Grandma€™s house when she poured on the love through her cooking.

I also feel an outpouring of love when I read that my heavenly Father has lavished on us the riches of His grace (Eph. 1.7-8 and that He is able to do €œexceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think€ (3:20). I'€™m so grateful that our God is not a stingy God who begrudgingly dishes out His blessings in small portions. Rather, He is the God who pours out forgiveness for the prodigal (Luke 15), and He daily crowns us €œwith lovingkindness and tender mercies€ (Ps. 103:4).

At times we think God hasn'€™t provided for us as we would like. But if He never did anything more than forgive our sins and guarantee heaven for us, He has already been abundantly generous! So today, let’s rejoice in our generous God.
Lord, remind me often that You have been
exceedingly generous to me. Help me to extend that
generosity of spirit toward those around me, so that
they may know who You are and rejoice in You.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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D-Day
Posted:Jun 6, 2014 3:56 am
Last Updated:Jun 6, 2014 3:57 am
10300 Views


Read: Joshua 24:2,13-18

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. €”Joshua 24:15

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 25-27; John 16

Recently I asked my older sister, Mary Ann, if she remembered when our family moved into the house where we lived for many years. She replied, You were about 9 months old, and I remember that Mother and Daddy stayed up all night packing boxes and listening to the radio. It was June 6, 1944, and they were listening to live coverage of the Normandy Invasion.

Today marks the 70th anniversary of what has become known as D-Day €”a military term for the day on which a planned operation will begin. Over the years, D-Day has also come to mean a moment of decision or commitment in our personal lives.

At one point in ancient Israel, their leader Joshua, now an old man, challenged the people to another kind of D-Day. After years of struggle to possess their inheritance in the land God had promised them, Joshua urged them to faithfully serve the One who had been so faithful to them (Josh. 24). Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,€ he said. €œBut as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord€ (v.15).

The day we decide to follow the Savior is the greatest turning point in our life. And each day after, we can joyfully renew our commitment to serve Him.
Lord, what a privilege it is to say €œyes€ to You each
day. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me.
Guide me in all my choices today and
help me to serve You faithfully.

Life'€™s biggest decision is what you do with Jesus.
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Reframing The picture
Posted:Jun 5, 2014 3:52 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 10:32 am
7644 Views


Read: Deuteronomy 32.7-12

As an eagle stirs up its nest, . . . spreading out its wings, . . . so the Lord alone led [Jacob]. —Deuteronomy 32:11-12

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15

For 3 months I had a ringside seat— or should I say a bird’s-eye view—of God’s amazing handiwork. Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a family of bald eagles, and online viewers were allowed to watch.

When the eggs hatched, Mama and Papa Eagle were attentive to their offspring, taking turns hunting for food and guarding the nest. But one day when the eaglets still looked like fuzzballs with beaks, both parents disappeared. I worried that harm had come to them.

My concern was unfounded. The webcam operator enlarged the camera angle, and there was Mama Eagle perched on a nearby branch.

As I pondered this “reframed” picture, I thought of times when I have feared that God had abandoned me. The view in the forest heights of Virginia reminded me that my vision is limited. I see only a small part of the entire scene.

Moses used eagle imagery to describe God. As eagles carry their young, God carries His people (Deut. 32:11-12). Despite how it may seem, the Lord “is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). This is true even when we feel abandoned.
Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him—I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me and I am His .
Because the Lord is watching over us, we don’t have to fear the dangers around us.
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Room And Board
Posted:Jun 4, 2014 4:36 am
Last Updated:Jun 4, 2014 4:38 am
7724 Views



Read: John 14:1-11

I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 21-22; John 14

On a recent trip to England, my wife and I visited Anne Hathaway'€™s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon. The house is more than 400 years old, and it was the childhood and family home of William Shakespeare'€™s wife.

The tour guide drew our attention to a table made with wide boards. One side was used for eating meals and the other for chopping food. In English life, different expressions grew from this usage as the word board became associated with food, housing, honesty, and authority. An inn would offer €œroom and board€ €”that is, sleeping and eating accommodations. In taverns where customers played cards, they were told to keep their hands €œabove board€ to make sure they weren€™t cheating. And in the home, the father was given a special chair at the head of the table where he was called €œchairman of the board.€

As I reflected on this, I thought about how Jesus is our €œroom and board.€ He is our source of spiritual nourishment (John 6:35,54); He empowers us to live a life of integrity (14:21); He is our loving Master (Phil. 2:11); and He is even now preparing our eternal home. He promised: €œI go to prepare a place for you†(John 14:2; see also 14:1-4,23). His grace has provided our everlasting room and board.

Christ meets our needs now and for eternity.
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The View From The End
Posted:Jun 3, 2014 4:06 am
Last Updated:Jun 3, 2014 4:06 am
7590 Views


Read: Deuteronomy 8:1-3, 11-16

All things work together for good to those who love God.
—Romans 8:28

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

Over the course of one year, Richard LeMieux€™s lucrative publishing business collapsed. Soon, his wealth disappeared, and he became depressed. Eventually, LeMieux began to abuse alcohol and his family deserted him. At the lowest point in his life, he was homeless, broken, and destitute. However, it was during this time that he turned to God. He later wrote a book about what he learned.

The Israelites learned some valuable spiritual lessons when God allowed them to endure homelessness, uncertainty, and danger. Their hardships humbled them (Deut. 8:1-18.

They learned that God would provide for their needs. When they were hungry, He gave them manna. When they were thirsty, He gave them water from a rock. God taught them that, despite difficult times, He could bless them (v.1). Finally, the Israelites learned that adversity is not a sign of abandonment. Moses reminded them that God had been leading throughout their 40 years in the wilderness (v.2).

When we encounter desperate times, we can look for the spiritual lessons embedded in our difficulties—lessons that can help us rely on the One who causes all things to work together for our good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28.
Dear God, please give me the faith
to believe that You can bring good out of
any situation. Help me to see what You
want to show me during adversity.

The clearest view of everything that happens comes from heaven.
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