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IF I BELITTLE
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Nov 7, 2006 12:13 am
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By: Amy Carmichael
"CONSIDER WHAT A GREAT FOREST IS SET ON FIRE BY A SMALL SPARK. THE TONGUE ALSO IS A FIRE."
(James 3:5-6 NIV)
[Jesus said}, "ANYONE WHO SAYS [TO HIS BROTHER OR SISTER], "YOU FOOL!" WILL BE IN DANGER OF THE FIRE." (Matthew 5:22 NIV)
If, in any way, I belittle those who I am called to serve...
If I talk pf their weak points in contrast, perhaps, with what I think of as my stronger points...
If I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting to consider the wisdom of the voice that asks me, inwardly, "Who made you different from the one you are criticizing-and waht do you hve that you have nor been given?"
If I can easily discuss the shortcomings of the sins of any man or woman...
If I can speak in an offhanded way, even of a child's wrongdoing...then I know nothing of Calvary love.
MY BC FRIENDS... IF I EVER OFFENDED YOU WITH MY POSTS...MY COMMENTS...MY INPUT...MY WORDS... PLEASE FORGIVE ME! HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT I DO AND SAY! WOULD YOU PLEASE DO THAT FOR ME, MY FRIENDS?
THANK YOU ALL FOR STANDING WITH ME IN PROCLAIMING GOD'S TRUTH!!! MAY OUR LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTLY FOR JESUS!!!! AND MAY OUR WORDS BRING LIFE TO THE WEARY, THE DOWNHEARTED, THE BROKENHEARTED, THE DOWNCASTED AND WHOSE HEARTS ARE WOUNDED AND HURT...
THERE'S TRULY POWER IN OUR WORDS...
My Father, how often Do my words "singe" someone else? (And how much time do I spend thinking critically about another-so that nothing but words that singe come out?)
Tody, Lord, work in me. Change the thought-life in me when I strip others of dignity...or reduce them point by point....in order to build myself up.
And give me your voice, to speak words of value...admiration...encouragement...compassion. ..true kindness.
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THE PARABLE OF THE WAVES
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Nov 6, 2006 11:41 pm
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By: Pamela Reeve
I was standing this time upon a cliff,
not searching,
not expecting,
just standing-looking-
watching the movement of the sea,
thinking back across some years,
perplexed.
My work-perpetual empty motion, it seemed.
The work and service of my friends
was being used and blessed
...mine was not.
No power, no dynamic, only movemnt;
that was my life, my service.
Like the words of the Preacher:
"The sun rises and the sun sets
and breathlessly hurries
to the place where it rises....
All the rivers flow to the sea
but
the sea is not full;
to the place where the rivers flow,
there they flow again."
I was taking on new work in a new city.
People were depending on me.
"Wrong, Lord! Wrong time, wrong person."
"No," the gentle reply. "Right time, right person,
wrong power."
Another reply, not gentle,
exploding on the rocky cliff,
receding,
exploding again.
Every crashing wave the voice
of thunder:
"All power is given
unto Me
in heaven and in earth,
go therefore..."
God must sound it to my heart
again and again
as each wave,
breaking with resonant authority,
pounds the shore.
"The power, the glory is Mine.
You do My bidding and
I will use you as I choose."
Mine were eyes turned inward,
eyes ever looking
where power could never be.
He turned them to the coastline below
to see His power in the
Parable of the Waves.
In the distant cove these twilight waves
were gentle on the sand,
waves serenely molding
a mighty coastline,
shaping the borders
of a nation.
On the beach, great logs had been tossed
by the power of the waves
and strewn life matchsticks.
Off shore, a sunset tableau of huge rocks
had been sculptured by wind
and those same waves.
I climbed down the cliff to walk the beach;
the power of the sea
continued to speak to me.
Sand underfoot gave way in places to
carved rocks, deeply
carved by the ebbing
and flowing tide.
Even gently lapping, ever in and out,
the sea demonstrated unremitting power.
Farther along, the fury of the waves,
booming as they broke,
had hewn a large cave out
of a rock-faced bluff.
I held the sea water in my hand,
It had no energy of its own
to do anything large or small.
The energy was not in the water
but in the waves.
On the horizon, the water-
a placid,
mirrored surface-
hid the turbulence caused by
great wave trains,
pulses of pure energy,
skimming the ocean,
powering orbiting water masses
which crest and break
in the shallows.
Hammering the rocks,
a wave tossed
a spectacular burst of flying spray.
Breaking on the beach,
it gently spread a white edge
of sparkling foam bubbles.
However displayed,
the power of the waves is invincible,
ever changing
the contour of the coast,
the profile of the beach.
As I looked at the water in my hands
and at the waves,
the Lord reminded me,
"Forget what YOU are.
You, like the water,
are without one ounce of power-
not even one.
ALL power is given unto ME."
Once again, would I believe God?
Would I really expect
HIM
to accomplish miracles through
me,
an ordinary person,
and ordinary life,
in ordinary surroundings?
With His power,
He would like to accomplish
great things through me,
using me
to mold others by my influence,
to change the direction
of the coastline in some lives,
to shape surroundings for Him-
gently or firmly,
to lift great logs of guilt
or worry
from shoulders,
to make safe caves for those who need
comfort from storms.
All this, He would do through His power in me in my every day walk.
Even as I stood there,
I found myself limiting Him
by thinking
that with my ordinary abilities
I must not expect TOO much.
Once again, He said, "I couldn't care less
what water this wave is made of.
I am the One who supplies the power.
Will you believe tht
I will do
what I say?"
Again, the question, "Will you, like a child,
simply believe Me?"
The shell
the tidepool
and now the waves...
I had known the Scriptures.
But knowing is never enough.
God asked for something more.
Reaching up, I whispered the words again:
"Lord Jesus, I BELIEVE You."
I left the beach
confidently
Three times the Promiser had spoken...
His pattern for me,
His pulsating life in me,
His power through me.
God's flood tide!
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TRUE JOY!
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Nov 6, 2006 11:00 pm
391 Views
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"YE SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY." (Isaih 55:12)
Fred and Martha are driving home from church. "Fred, did you notice the pastor's sermon was kind of weak today?" Fred answers, "No not really." Martha continues, "Well, did you notice that the choir was flat?" He responds, "No, I didn't." Undaunted, Martha continues , "Well, you must have noticed that young couple and their children right in front of us, with all the noise and commotion they made the whole service!" "Sorry dear, I didn't." In disgust Martha says, "Honestly, Fred, I don't know why you even bother going to church!" Why do so many churchgoers walk around with a grim, expression?
Paul writes, "Come out from them (the world) and be separate" (2 Corinthains 6:17 NIV), because our faith should make us different. But not negatively different - POSITIVELY DIFFERENT! Understand this: unless you commit yourself every single day to walking in the joy of the Lord, you'll find negative ways of distinguishing yourself from non-believers. STOP AND THINK WHO YOU REPRESENT. Jesus is called "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). This word good comes from the Greek word KELOS, meaning WINSOME. Does that describe you? It should! Paul writes, "REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS" (Philippians 4:4 NIV). "Easy for Paul to say, he doesn't have my problems." REALLY? When he wrote those words he was in prison with no chance of getting out. HAPPINESS IS AN EMOTION, BUT JOY IS A DECISION! AND YOUR DECISIONS MUST RULE YOUR EMOTIONS, NOT VICE-VERSA. Every morning you should get up and say, "TODAY I WILL GO OUT WITH JOY, BECAUSE GOD'S WORD DEMANDS IT AND A HURTING WORLD NEEDS IT."
-The Word for You Today Devotional
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CHARACTER...
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Nov 6, 2006 3:36 am
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TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR REPUTATION WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1)
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GOING THROUGH THE STORM?
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Nov 6, 2006 3:31 am
372 Views
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SOMETIMES THE LORD CALMS THE STORM; SOMETIMES HE LETS THE STORM RAGE AND CALMS HIS CHILD.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4 NIV)
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!
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Nov 6, 2006 3:28 am
364 Views
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GOD ALWAYS GIVES HIS BEST TO THOSE WHO LEAVE THE CHOICE WITH HIM.
Blessed be the LORD, who daily loadeth us wtih benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Psalm 68:19
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ATHEIST PROFESSOR
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Nov 5, 2006 10:51 pm
377 Views
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An Atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new Christian student to stand and..
PROFESSOR: You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
STUDENT: Yes, sir.
PROF: So you believe in God?
STUDENT: Absolutely, sir.
PROF: Is God good?
STUDENT: Sure.
PROF: Is God all-powerful?
STUDENT: Yes.
PROF: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
STudent:Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem Science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, megaheat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is not heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
STUDENT: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light...But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
PROF: So what is the point you are making, young man?
STUDENT: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
PROF: Flawed? Can you explain how?
STUDENT: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
PROF: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
STUDENT: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
STUDENT: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is uproar.)
STUDENT: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
STUDENT: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable,)
PROF: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
STUDENT: That is it sir....The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving and alive.
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EXCITING HOPE!
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Nov 5, 2006 7:59 pm
364 Views
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MY MANNA
"And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You." Psalm 39
What are you waiting for?
And how can you be sure that what you're waiting for is going to come?
Biblical hope means complete confidence in God and His Word!
IT'S A CONFIDENCE, BORN OF FAITH IN GOD FOUNDED IN HIS WORD!
Faith, hope and love go together. I Cor 13:13
When we have faith in God, we claim His promises, and they give us hope for the future.
When Jesus Christ is your Savior and your Lord, the future is your friend.
You don't have to worry.
WHY IS THIS HOPE SO IMPORTANT?
When we lose hope, we lose joy in the present because we have no confidence for the future. We live on hope; it springs eternal in the human breast.
But it's more than a feeling down inside; it's a confidence that God is in control, and we have nothing to fear.
WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR OUR HOPE?
It is the character of God. We've been born again unto a living hope. I Pter 1:3
It's not a dead hope that roots and falls apart but a living hope whose roots go deeper and whose fruits grow more wonderful.
You can have encouragement and excitement today if you will remember that you have a living hope.
Make a mental list of His provision on your behalf during the past year-answered prayers, met needs and other blessings.
God's faithfulness in keeping His promises in the past gives you confident hope for the future.
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THE INITIATOR OF LOVE
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Nov 5, 2006 7:11 pm
366 Views
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By: Charles Stanley
From the beginning of time, God has been the Initiator of love (I JOhn 4:10). In his book Lectures in Systematic Theology, Henry Thiessen writes, "He is unlike the gods of the heathen, who hate and are angry, and the god of the philosopher, who is cold and indifferent."
God loves us with a personal and intimate love. Those who have yet to discover the intimacy of God often view Him as being cool and demanding toward His creation. But nothing is farther from the truth. Even in the Old Testament, we find God constantly moving toward mankind in an effort to reveal more of Himself on an intimate basis.
Love motivates Him to do this. In fact, love is the motivating factor of every true relationship. It motivated the heart of God not to destroy man in the Garden of Eden, and it motivated Him to deliver Israel from the Egyptians.
Love brought down the walls of Jericho, and it was the motivation behind the coming of Christ. Love took our place on Calvary's cross and later rose from the grave. And love reaches out to us each day with freshness and hope.
You were created by love to live within its embrace. Many wonder how God could love them so deeply. But He does. He is Love, and HE LOVES YOU AND ME!
WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATING FACTOR IN WHAT YOU DO AND SAY?
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PRAISING GOD CAUSES US TO RISE ABOVE THE SITUATION!!!
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Nov 5, 2006 6:49 pm
363 Views
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One of the bloggers asked me "HOW AM I KEEPING?" Such question made me to ponder and really paused and examined myself...Lord, how am I really doing?
I've been doing a lot of reading, which I love to do. One of the authors that made an impact on my life is Beth Moore...Many of her books so touched my heart and the Lord used them to speak to me and transform me into who I am today.
To answer Faith's question: I would say...PRAISE GOD IN ALL SITUATIONS AND RISE ABOVE THEM!!! THE VICTORY IS ALREADY YOURS!!!
PSALM 63 was the passage that the Lord showed me:
O God, You are my God,
earnestly I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You,
my body longs for You,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
I have seen You in the sanctuary
and beheld Your power and Your glory.
Because Your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in Your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.
On my bed I remember You;
I think of You through the watches of the night.
Because You are my help,
I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
My soul clings to you;
Your right hand upholds me.
They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down on the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
This description is the sacred romance that each one of us is meant to encounter with God. IT DESCRIBES THE PURPOSE OF OUR EXISTENCE! This is a psalm about intimacy and the relationship that we were born to enjoy with God. It is a psalm of prayer abd devotion, prompted by the heart.
"O, GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD." Is that something that you can say? Have you encountered Him in such a way that He has become your refuge and strength? O God of all the universe, who called the worlds into being, YOU ARE MINE."
The heart of this psalm says, "GIVE ME A THIRST AND A HUNGER FOR YOU, GOD. NOT JUST A DISCIPLINE. GIVE ME AN ACHE AND A LONGING TO KNOW YOU, TO BE WITH YOU, TO ABIDE IN YOU ALWAYS."
PSALM 63:3 says, "YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE." Can you say today, by faith and conviction, that HIS LOVE IS BETTER TO YOU THAN LIFE? THERE IS NOTHING IN LIFE THAT CAN TRULY SATISFY OUTSIDE OF HIM.There are wonderful things that affect us, but NOTHING CAN TOUCH US AT THE DEPTH THAT GOD CAN TOUCH US.
PSALM 63 also refers to the TRANSCENDENCE OF GOD, which means that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING COMPARES TO HIM. The most wonderful things on earth fade in the distance in comparison with Him. HE WANTS US TO COME TO A POINT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM WHERE WE CAN SAY, "YOU ARE SO FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY OTHER THING IN MY LIFE, EVERY OTHER LOVE IN MY LIVE, EVERY OTHER EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE, EVERY OTHER PURPOSE OR GOAL IN MY LIFE. YOU ARE MY LIFE!!! Not just the most important thing in my life-YOU ARE MY LIFE! AND YOUR LOVE, GOD, IS BETTER THAN LIFE! In fact, Lord, I lay down my life today to see You face to face because YOU ARE BETTER THAN LIFE." We were meant to utterly devote ourselves to Him.
-Beth Moore
'A Woman and Her God'
MY BC FRIENDS, IF YOU CAN SAY THAT FROM THE VERY CORE OF YOUR HEART, BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT GOD IS YOUR LIFE!...YOU CAN RISE ABOVE THE DIFFICULT SITUATION OR CIRcumSTANCE IN YOUR LIFE...
I DID...AND SO CAN YOU!!! DON'T YOU EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR GOD!!!!!! PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM, MY FRIEND...IT WILL CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON EVERYTHING!!!
PRECIOUS FATHER,
Everywhere I look there You are! Your love surrounds me completely! You are always there to speak to my heart with so much love, causing my heart to sing about everything. Miracles abound everywhere I look! Thank You, Father, for helping me to more fully know the value of Your love. I want to think Your thoughts, to listen always with strength of purpose and with the faith to receive everything You speak to my heart... I SO LOVE YOU, FATHER! I SO LOVE YOU JESUS! I SO LOVE YOU HOLY SPIRIT! LET YOUR LOVE CONSUME MY ENTIRE BEING, AND LET IT OVERFLOWS, THAT I MAY SHARE IT TO EVERYONE WHO CROSS MY PATH!!! AMEN!
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