Thu, Jan 31st - 6:50AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! HOME IN NO TIME
A woman was waiting in the checkout line at a shopping center. Her arms were laden with a mop and broom and other cleaning supplies. By her hard glances and deep sighs, it was obvious she was in hurry and not a happy camper about the slowness of the line.
When the cashier called for a price check on a box of soap, the woman remarked indignantly, "Well, I'll be lucky to get out of here and home before Christmas!"
"Don't worry, ma'am," replied the clerk. "With a good tail wind and that brand new broom you have there, you'll be home in no time."
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Thu, Jan 31st - 6:42AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are.* Neil Anderson
*7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NRSV)
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Wed, Jan 30th - 9:46AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! I Won
Bob: "So, you say that you won the conversion with your wife yesterday."
Joe: "Yes, she came crawling on her hands and knees."
Bob: "Really? What did she say?"
Joe: "Come out from under the bed, you coward
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Wed, Jan 30th - 9:31AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward."* -- Charlotte Bronte
*Colossians 3:1 - 2 (NRSV) 1So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
"Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,"
"looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 (NRSV)
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Tue, Jan 29th - 9:05AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Three wives were bemoaning their husbands' attitudes towards leftovers:
"It gets rough," one said. "My husband is a movie producer and he calls them reruns."
"You think you have it bad," was the reply. "Mine is a quality control engineer and he calls them rejects!"
"That's nothing compared to me," said the third lady. "My husband is a mortician. He calls them remains!"
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Tue, Jan 29th - 8:26AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Will Rogers told us not to defend ourselves, for the simple reason that your friends don't need your explanation and your enemies won't believe you anyway. St. Augustine prayed, "Lord, save me from the need always to justify myself." I heard a friend of mine, Dan Layne, pray: “Lord, lead us to pass up every opportunity to be offended.”*
*Psalms 145:8 (NRSV) 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalms 103:8 (NRSV) 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
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Mon, Jan 28th - 8:45AM
FAMOUS QUOTE
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
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Mon, Jan 28th - 8:25AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! MEDICAL FILTER
As a premed student at Washington University in St. Louis, I had to take a difficult class in physics. One day our professor was discussing a particularly complicated concept.
A student rudely interrupted to ask "Why do we have to learn this stuff?"
"To save lives." the professor responded quickly and continued the lecture.
A few minutes later, the same student spoke up again. "So how does physics save lives?" he persisted.
"It keeps the ignoramuses out of medical school," replied the professor.
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Mon, Jan 28th - 8:14AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your feet'*
*17Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. John 7:17 (NRSV)
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Sun, Jan 27th - 7:55AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! DINNER GUESTS
The hostess (with a daughter of marriageable age - of long duration) sent out an invitation to an officer who was supposed to be the prospective suitor of her daughter's hand.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dabney request the pleasure of Captain Black's company at dinner on the 16th of September."
She was somewhat dismayed to receive the enthusiastic reply:
"With the exception of four men on leave, and two sick, Captain Black's company accept with much pleasure your invitation to dinner on the 16th of September."
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Sun, Jan 27th - 7:40AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe."* -- Larry Eisenberg
*1 Timothy 6:14b,16b "...our Lord Jesus Christ, ....he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords."
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Sat, Jan 26th - 7:29AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! GOOBER PATROL
Five Englishmen travelling across Europe in an Audi Quattro arrive at a border crossing.
The Customs agent stops them and says, "It's illegal to put five people in a Quattro."
"What do you mean it's illegal?" ask the Englishmen.
"Quattro means four," replies the border official.
"Quattro is just the name of the automobile," the Englishmen retort disbelievingly. "Look at the papers: this car is designed to carry five persons."
"You can't pull that one on me," replies the Customs agent. "Quattro means four. You have five people in your car and you are therefore breaking the law."
The Englishmen reply angrily, "You Goober! Call your supervisor over. I want to speak to someone with more intelligence!"
"Sorry," responds the official, "he can't come. He's busy with two guys in a Fiat Uno."
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Sat, Jan 26th - 7:22AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.} Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)
"Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." 1 John 3:2 (NRSV)
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Fri, Jan 25th - 7:39AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! BOOT LESSON
A teacher was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on?
He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on.
When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet."
She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off then it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet.
He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.
He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them." She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
She said, "Now, where are your mittens?"
He said, "I tuffed them in the toes of my boots..."
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Fri, Jan 25th - 7:31AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"People who don't read a Bible read Christians."* Church Sign: Second Ave. Baptist Church Corsicana TX'
*"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NRSV)
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Wed, Jan 23rd - 10:19PM
Losing Weight
Quote: You can't lose weight by talking about it.
You have to keep your mouth shut. - Anonymous
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Wed, Jan 23rd - 6:54AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Pulling into the crowded parking lot at the shopping center
rolled down the car windows to make sure my puppy had fresh air. She was stretched full out on the back seat and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me? "Stay!
Stay!"
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty young lady, gave me a strange look and said, "Why don't you just put it in park?"
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Wed, Jan 23rd - 6:47AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: effective use of your time, you will not find time to pray!* Provided by Jerry Turner
*17pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NRSV)
James 5:16 (NRSV) 16Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
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Tue, Jan 22nd - 8:54AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A woman was driving her old beat up car on the highway with her 7 yr. old son, Little Johnny.
She tried to keep up with traffic but they were flying by her. After getting caught in a large group of cars flying down the road she looked at her speedometer to see she was doing 15 miles over the speed limit.
Slowing down, she moved over to the side and got out of the clump that soon left her behind. She looked up and saw the flashing lights of a police car. Pulling over she waited for the officer to come up to her car.
As he did he said, "Ma'am do you know why I pulled you over?"
Little Johnny piped up from the back seat, "I do! Because you couldn't catch the other cars!"
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Tue, Jan 22nd - 8:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
God is holy, righteous, just, and wise enough to save by grace through faith without violating His holiness, righteousness, or justice.*
*Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NRSV) "For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he;
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Mon, Jan 21st - 1:45PM
OBSERVANT LOVE
True love is always observant, and the eyes of Jesus never missed the sight of need. Nobody could accuse him of being like the priest and Levite in his parable of the Good Samaritan. Of both it is written, 'he saw him'. Yet each saw him without seeing, for he looked the other way, and so 'passed by on the other side'. Jesus, on the other hand, truly 'saw'. He was not afraid to look human need in the face, in all its ugly reality. And what he saw invariably moved him to compassion, and so to compassionate service. Sometimes, he spoke. But his compassion never dissipated itself in words; it found expression in deeds. He saw, he felt, he acted. The movement was from the eye to the heart, and from the heart to the hand. His compassion was always aroused by the sight of need, and it always led to constructive action. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Jan 21st - 12:42PM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE
Charlie took his girl friend to her first football game. They had really good seats, right above their team's dugout. At the end of the game, Charlie asked her if she liked it. "Yeah, it was great," she said. "I mean, with all the tight pants and stuff. I just don't get why all the fuss about a quarter!" Charlie is confused. "At the beginning of the game," she explained, "I saw the two guys flip a quarter. Then the rest of the game, all they said was: Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback! Hello! It's only 25 cents!"
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Mon, Jan 21st - 12:10PM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are.* Neil Anderson
*7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NRSV)
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Sun, Jan 20th - 10:40PM
The Word Made Flesh: Beyond Our Reach
Jesus renounced the joys of heaven for the sorrows of earth, exchanging an eternal immunity to the approach of sin for painful contact with evil in this world. He was born of a lowly Hebrew mother in a dirty stable in the insignificant village of Bethlehem. He became a refugee baby in Egypt. He was brought up in the obscure hamlet of Nazareth, and toiled at a carpenter's bench to support his mother and the other children in their home. In due time he became an itinerant preacher, with few possessions, small comforts and no home. He made friends with simple fishermen and publicans.
He touched lepers and allowed harlots to touch him. He gave himself away in a ministry of healing, helping, teaching and preaching. He was misunderstood and misrepresented, and became the victim of men's prejudices and vested interests. He was despised and rejected by his own people, and deserted by his own friends. He gave his back to be flogged, his face to be spat upon, his head to be crowned with thorns, his hands and feet to be nailed to a common Roman gallows. And as the cruel spikes were driven home, he kept praying for his tormentors, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' Such a man is altogether beyond our reach. He succeeded just where we invariably fail.
He had complete self-mastery. He never retaliated. He never grew resentful or irritable. He had such control of himself that, whatever men might think or say or do, he would deny himself and abandon himself to the will of God and the welfare of mankind. 'I seek not my own will', he said, and 'I do not seek my own glory'. As Paul wrote, 'For Christ did not please himself.' This utter disregard of self in the service of God and man is what the Bible calls love. John Stott
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Sun, Jan 20th - 9:47AM
The Word Made Flesh
THE WORD MADE FLESH )
Daily Thought Image
44. Altogether beyond our reach Jesus renounced the joys of heaven for the sorrows of earth, exchanging an eternal immunity to the approach of sin for painful contact with evil in this world. He was born of a lowly Hebrew mother in a dirty stable in the insignificant village of Bethlehem. He became a refugee baby in Egypt. He was brought up in the obscure hamlet of Nazareth, and toiled at a carpenter's bench to support his mother and the other children in their home. In due time he became an itinerant preacher, with few possessions, small comforts and no home. He made friends with simple fishermen and publicans.
He touched lepers and allowed harlots to touch him. He gave himself away in a ministry of healing, helping, teaching and preaching. He was misunderstood and misrepresented, and became the victim of men's prejudices and vested interests. He was despised and rejected by his own people, and deserted by his own friends. He gave his back to be flogged, his face to be spat upon, his head to be crowned with thorns, his hands and feet to be nailed to a common Roman gallows. And as the cruel spikes were driven home, he kept praying for his tormentors, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' Such a man is altogether beyond our reach. He succeeded just where we invariably fail.
He had complete self-mastery. He never retaliated. He never grew resentful or irritable. He had such control of himself that, whatever men might think or say or do, he would deny himself and abandon himself to the will of God and the welfare of mankind. 'I seek not my own will', he said, and 'I do not seek my own glory'. As Paul wrote, 'For Christ did not please himself.' This utter disregard of self in the service of God and man is what the Bible calls love. John Stott
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Sun, Jan 20th - 7:59AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
As a new bride, Aunt Edna moved into the small home on her husband's ranch near Snowflake. She put a shoe box on a shelf in her closet and asked her husband never to touch it.
For fifty years Uncle Jack left the box alone, until Aunt Edna was old and dying. One day when he was putting their affairs in order, he found the box again and thought it might hold something important.
Opening it, he found two doilies and $82,500 in cash. He took the box to her and asked about the contents. "My mother gave me that box the day we married," she explained.
"She told me to make a doily to help ease my frustrations every time I got mad at you."
Uncle Jack was very touched that in 50 years she'd only been mad at him twice.
"What's the $82,500 for?" he asked.
"Oh, that's the money I made selling the doilies."
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Sun, Jan 20th - 7:53AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, “Friend, come up even higher.” (Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest March 27.*
*48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48
12All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:12 (NRSV)
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Sat, Jan 19th - 8:42AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Put Women In Their Place--Beside Men!* Audra and Joe Trull
*"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 (NRSV)
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Sat, Jan 19th - 8:39AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A women’s lib speaker was addressing a large group and said, “Where would man be today if it were not for woman?”
She paused a moment and looked around the room. “I repeat, where would man be today if it were not for woman?”
From the back of the room came a voice, “He’d be in the Garden of Eden eating strawberries.”
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Fri, Jan 18th - 8:23AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! CALL ME LEROY
Uncle Leroy got a job down at the broom factory.
On his first day the straw boss (floor supervisor) calls ol' Leroy into his little office and says, "You the new man huh? What is yer name?"
Leroy replied, "Leroy"
The straw boss says "I don't call anyone by first names. It breeds familiarity and that leads to breakdown in my authority. I refer to all employees by last names; now what is your last name!"
Leroy smiles and says, "Its Darling - Leroy Darling!
The straw boss said "Now Leroy the next thing . . . . "
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Fri, Jan 18th - 8:14AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
“One Person who's on your side always, no matter what you do or what the world does to you“... is Jesus Christ.* (Jim Denison, Park Cities Baptist Church)
*What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31 (NRSV)
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Thu, Jan 17th - 7:27AM
Which Jesus?
The authentic Jesus
Which Jesus are we talking about? Even Paul in his day recognized the possibility of teachers proclaiming 'another Jesus' than the Jesus he preached (2 Cor. 11:4). And there are many Jesuses abroad today. There is Jesus the Bultmannian myth and Jesus the revolutionary firebrand, Jesus the failed superstar and Jesus the circus clown. It is over against these human reinterpretations that we need urgently to recover and reinstate the authentic Jesus, the Jesus of history who is the Jesus of Scripture. John Stott
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Thu, Jan 17th - 7:18AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
There once was an old man who was about to die. He told his wife to put a bag of money in the attic "When I die I'll get it on my way up." chuckled the old man. Well when the old man died the wife went up to the attic and found that the bag of money was still there. "I knew I should have put that money in the cellar!" said the old woman.
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Thu, Jan 17th - 7:13AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
“....eternal obligation of Righteousness.... ....Now that "the fullness of time has come" it is at once our duty and our blessedness to accept complete emancipation and to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free."* R. W. Dale
*5:1For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NRSV)
22But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Romans 6:22 (NRSV)
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Wed, Jan 16th - 7:06AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! MONEY AND KIDS
A woman called the dean of the college that her freshman son was going to ans said, "I'm worried. I don't know who my son can hang out with. He doesn't have the kind of money all the other students have."
The dean replied, "He can hang out with the faculty."
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Wed, Jan 16th - 7:02AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
When God turned us from sin, He did not leave us with nothing to do; empty, bored, to wait out our time; but we are left the privilege and responsibility of being co-laborers with God, ambassadors for Christ, participators in God’s redemptive program, plan, and purpose with His power, His enabling grace.* W. T. Conner
*14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! Hebrews 9:14 (NRSV)
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Tue, Jan 15th - 11:18AM
Hole Lotta Trouble
My husband was home with our three-year-old son, Ben, when the plumber arrived to fix our leaky pipe. As the plumber cut a large hole in our family room ceiling, Ben watched solemnly, then informed him, "My mommy is going to be very upset with you."
—Laura Christianson, Washington. Today's Christian Woman, "Small Talk."
Visit PreachingToday.com for more illustrations and preaching resources.
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Tue, Jan 15th - 8:40AM
DIVINE WISDOM
In our search for wisdom we cannot stay in the Old Testament, or even in the wisdom literature. We have to move on to its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. For he is made unto us wisdom, and in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are to be found. Especially the cross, which is foolishness to the proud, is the wisdom and the power of God. For the two chief blessings of Jesus' death and resurrection are the knowledge of God and deliverance from evil. And so we are back where we started: the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Jan 15th - 8:28AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! CHEAP AID
Morris realized he needed to purchase a hearing aid, but he felt unwilling to spend much money.
"How much do they cost?" he asked the salesperson.
"That depends," he said. "They run from $2.00 to $2,000."
"Let's see the $2.00 model," said Morris the miser.
The salesperson put the device around Morris' neck. "You just stick this button in your ear and run this little string down to your pocket," he instructed.
"How does it work?" asked Morris.
"For $2.00 it doesn't work," the salesperson replied. "But when people see it on you, they'll talk louder!"
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Tue, Jan 15th - 8:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The only good work we can ever do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him Who sent Him!*
*9Jesus answered them, “This is
the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 (NRSV)
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Mon, Jan 14th - 3:59PM
ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
Genesis 1:1-2 (NRSV) 1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Some time ago these two verses caught my attention and I have focused on a lot in the recent past. The condition of the heavens and earth after God created them has intrigued me. The Bible says it was “a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.” My translation says that “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” The King James puts it this way: “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” It was this movement of the Spirit over the face of the earth that brought order out of chaos. The translation of this phrase in the Today's Living Bible is “the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors.” The Word 'brooding” is my favorite translation of this. I can just see the Holy Spirit brooding over this chaos and putting everything in to order. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Another verse that suggest that God is a God of order and not confusion is 1 Corinthians 14:40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
When God created the heavens and the earth it was not finished but was a continuous progress by the brooding of the Holy Spirit until He brought order out of chaos. We don't know how many years verse 2 covers. It may have been millions of years for the Holy Spirit to brood over the chaos before He brought order out of it.
Now the same is true of your salvation, your new birth, the new creation that was begun the moment you repented and believed on the Lord Jesus. Just like your physical birth, your new life had to learn everything. The Holy Spirit broods, so to speak, over your chaotic mind bring about decency and order out of that chaos
I am trying to tell you, if you are born again something powerful is going on inside of you by the Holy Spirit. He is bringing decency and order into your life and when He is finished you will be like Jesus. Now that will be heaven enough for me. 1 John 3:2 (NRSV) Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
Another important verse for Christians to hang on to is Philippians 1:6 (NRSV) I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is faithfully performing the good work, the new creation that He began in you the moment you believed.
Let us understand that God became a man in Jesus Christ. Christ lived life like God expects us to. Since Jesus is not here in the flesh for us to see, ear, feel, etc. we have to let the Holy Spirit mold us into the image of Christ by the Word of God, the Bible.
One of the best pictures of Jesus for us to look at is the Sermon on the Mount. That will be the guide for this sermon and several sermons to follow.
First, let us consider Matthew 5:1-3 (NRSV) 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
It appears to me that when Jesus saw the crowds He wanted to teach them. The best way He could teach them so that they could see and hear Him best was to go up into the mountain. He sat down which is the custom of teachers with their disciples. Now, the crowds could look up to Jesus and see and hear Him. It says He was speaking to His disciples. Disciple means learner. The people listening to Him were His learners. We are His disciples and are learning from Him. The more we learn to better we can become like Jesus which is the goal of sanctification—to become like Jesus. The best way to learn is to want to learn and be passionately interested in what you want to learn. If we resist learning, it will be more difficult if not impossible to learn. Let us be passionately interested in what Jesus teaches. Of course, we find that in the Bible, the Word of God.
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
To be born again and become a new creature in Christ, we must first realize how poor in spirit we are. We are bankrupt spiritually. We need a new start, a new life, a new birth, a new creation. When we realize how poor we are, then we can call upon the Name of the Lord and become citizens of the Kingdom of God. Recognizing that we are poor in Spirit is repentance and receiving the Kingdom of God, the rule and reign of Jesus in our heart.
Let us consider a few verses to confirm what we are saying: Romans 10:8-13 (NRSV)
But what does it say? "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
The moment you ask Jesus to save you, He begins to perform the good work of the new creation and will keep on performing the good work in you until the day of Jesus Christ. He is faithfully performing that good work in you and will do it faithfully until the day of Jesus Christ. Christianity is an inside job.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 (NRSV)
When we are convicted of sin, we morn over our condition, we repent of our condition, and this beatitude says when we mourn over our sin, we are sorry for our sin and we turn from our sin, we will be comforted. I will never forget how I was comforted the moment I believed Jesus had forgiven my sin. What a relief!
The next beatitude says: Matthew 5:5 (NRSV) 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Now, 'meek' is not weak. For example the Bible says in Numbers 12:3 (NRSV) Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.
The word 'meek' means humble. And humility is not weakness or self demeaning. Actually, humility is submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Humility is denying that I am Lord and King of my life and recognizing that Jesus is Lord and King of my life. Have you become meek and humble by submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If so, our beatitude applies to you; "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Our reward for submission to Jesus Christ as Lord is great...we shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:6 (NRSV) 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Thirsting for righteousness is passionately desiring to be like Jesus. The Bible says in Matthew 5:20 (NRSV) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is hard to imagine anyone trying harder to be righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees. To make sure no one worked on the Sabbath, they made many rules that they must keep. They could not wear their false teeth because that was bearing a burden and working. They added ridiculous rules to each of the commandments to avoid doing anything unrighteous. But Jesus said our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and the Pharasees. Like Nicodemus, I want to ask, “How can these things be?”
I believe it is because Jesus is doing an inside job in us making us like Himself. In fact, the Bible says Jesus has become our righteousness: 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NRSV) “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,”
It is my desire that what we are focusing upon this morning will create a passionate hunger and thirst after righteousness, that is, to become like Jesus. That will be heaven for me.
Matthew 5:7 (NRSV) "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
I found some comments on mercy in a book titled Surpassing Righteousness by W. Clyde Tilley that I want to share with you:
The commendable treatment of mercy in the teaching of Jesus may be commonplace to us but not to those who originally heard it. They had all kinds of "hang ups" about this advocacy of mercy as a virtue.
Orthodox Jews had a "hang up" because for them God's economy of distribution for both misery and wealth had an innate justice about it. Those who prospered deserved to do so, and those who did not did not deserve to do so. Ministries of mercy could actually fly into the face of divine justice. It would seem that even the giving of alms was done primarily as a ritual duty integral to worship rather than as an expression of mercy. Thus Jesus' teaching about alms-giving is in the worship section of the Sermon (6:2-4). The surprise from the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) may just as easily have been that mercy is commended as that a Samaritan is the hero.
In the non-Jewish world mercy was not an accepted teaching either. The Romans tended to look upon mercy and compassion as signs of weakness. The Stoic philosophers viewed mercy as simply an emotion to be suppressed. But Jesus championed it as a virtue to be blessed.
The mercy that Jesus commends is not just pity to be felt or compassion that expresses itself only in extended sympathy. Mercy is something you do! Jesus' compassion moved him to action (Mark 6:24) and the life of blessedness will similarly be moved to involvement in the needs of others.
Although this is more than therapy to be recommended or practiced, a principle is being given here for which its power of healing is grossly underestimated. Psychiatrist Karl Menninger has said that the best way to prevent a nervous breakdown is to put on your coat, turn the door knob, go across the tracks and find some person to whom you may minister.
Jesus said the merciful will have mercy shown to them. Jesus was merciful and He expects us to be merciful.
Matthew 5:8 (NRSV) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
To be pure in heart is to be holy and holiness is to be set apart for God's use. When we are saved we are set apart for God's use. It says in Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” To be pure in heart is to be single minded—focused on the will of God.
Purity of heart has to do with motivation. We are bent on doing God's will, of being like Jesus.
We are new creatures since we are born again. We are feeding on the word of God: 1 Peter 2:2 (NRSV) “Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—” That sincere milk is the Word of God. As the KJV puts it:... “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
Have you come to the point in your life that you realize that you are poor in spirit, that you are bankrupt spiritually? Have you let Jesus into your heart to recreate you? Are you growing and becoming more like Jesus. I exhort you to recommit yourself to feasting on the Word and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Mon, Jan 14th - 9:27AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! IT SURE IS!
An elderly couple was just settling in to bed one night when the phone rang.
The husband got out of bed and went into the living room (parlor) to answer the phone.
His wife could hear him say, "Hello?" Then he said, "Sure is." He hung up the receiver (remember those) and went back to bed.
A minute later the phone rang again. The husband got out of bed and went into the other room and his wife could hear him say, "Hello?" again and then he said, "Sure is." again. He hung up the receiver and went back to bed.
The wife asked who it was. The man said he didn't know.
A minute later the phone rang again. The husband got out of bed and went into the other room and his wife could hear him say, "Hello?" Then he said, "Sure is." He hung up the receiver and went back to bed.
The wife asked again about the caller. The man said he didn't know who it was.
The wife then asked, "Well, what did the person say?
He said, "It's odd, a woman just keeps saying, "Long distance from Chicago."
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Mon, Jan 14th - 9:15AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Ability is no guarantee of morality.* Jim Denison, Pastor Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas
*Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: Isaiah 10:12-13 (KJV)
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Sun, Jan 13th - 10:51AM
Jesus of Nazareth
If you find it hard to believe in God, I strongly advise you to begin your search not with philosophical questions about the existence and being of God, but with Jesus of Nazareth. Most people, like myself, feel on more solid ground when we are thinking and talking about Jesus Christ. The concept of God as he is in himself is beyond us. But with Jesus of Nazareth we are dealing with a historical person. Besides, we believe that this was God's purpose. God himself is infinite in his being and altogether beyond our reach and comprehension. That is why he has taken the initiative to reveal himself -- for we could never come to know him otherwise. And the climax of his self-revelation was the coming of his Son in human flesh. God means us to approach him through Jesus Christ, not the other way round. So if you can't believe in God, let me urge you to read the four gospels which tell the story of Jesus. I'm astonished how many intelligent people haven't read the gospels since they were kids at school. But if you read again the story of Jesus, and read it as an honest and humble seeker, Jesus Christ is able to reveal himself to you, and thus make God the Father real to you. John Stott
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Sun, Jan 13th - 8:30AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A Doctor was addressing a large audience in Tampa.. 'The
material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us
sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your
stomach lining.. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can
be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the
germs in our drinking water. However, there is one thing that is the
most dangerous of all and we all have eaten, or will eat it. Can anyone
here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering
for years after eating it?' After several seconds of quiet, a
75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said,
'Wedding Cake.'
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Sun, Jan 13th - 8:24AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Today I live in the quiet, joyous expectation of good." *-- Ernest Holmen
*"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?" Romans 8:24 (NRSV)
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 (NRSV)
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Sat, Jan 12th - 8:29AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The girl came running in tears to her father. "Dad, you gave me some terrible financial advice!" she cried.
"I did? What did I tell you?" said the dad.
"You told me to put my money in that big bank, and now that big bank is in trouble."
"What are you talking about? That's one of the largest banks in the world," he said. "Surely there must be some mistake."
"I don't think so," she sniffed. "They just returned one of my checks with a note saying, 'Insufficient Funds'."
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Sat, Jan 12th - 8:17AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: In all of us, even in good men, there is a lawless wild-beast nature, which peers out in sleep.* -Socrates, philosopher (469?-399 BCE)
*"For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin." Romans 7:14-25 (NRSV)
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Fri, Jan 11th - 8:28AM
CHRISTIAN PROPITIATION
Christian propitiation
Of course the wrath of God is not like human wrath, nor is the propitiation of Christ like heathen propitiations. But once all unworthy elements have been eliminated, namely the concept of the arbitrary wrath of a vengeful deity being placated by the paltry offerings of men, we are left with the Christian propitiation in which God's own love sent his own dear Son to appease his own holy wrath against sin (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10). John Statt
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Fri, Jan 11th - 8:22AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! NAME THE STATES
The old pastor made it a practice to visit the parish school one day a week.
He walked into the 4th grade class, where the children were studying the states, and asked them how many states they could name.
They came up with about 40 names.
He jokingly told them that in his day students knew the names of all the states.
One lad raised his hand and said, "Yes, but in those days there were only 13."
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Fri, Jan 11th - 8:15AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.* -Tennessee Williams, dramatist (1911-1983)
*"Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NRSV)
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Thu, Jan 10th - 7:49AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! CHEAP RHYMES WITH JEEP
A guy bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas.
A friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those pretty 4-Wheel drive vehicles."
"She did," he replied, "But where in the world was I going to find a fake jeep!!"
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Thu, Jan 10th - 7:42AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.* -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)
*“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)
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Wed, Jan 9th - 6:49AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
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Wed, Jan 9th - 6:39AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
God’s Grace is accessed through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.*
*21as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:21 (NRSV)
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Tue, Jan 8th - 9:16AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
One day, a cowboy rode into a Wild, Wild West town. The people in the town love to play jokes on visitors. After tying his horse to the pole outside a bar, the cowboy went in. "A cup of milk please." he said to the bartender. After drinking, he went out, only to find his horse missing. Knowing that the villagers did it, he went back into the bar and said to everybody," I am going to have another drink and when I finish it, I want to see my horse outside! Or else, I will have to do what I did in Texas - HERE!" The people were very frightened. When he finished his drink, he went outside and saw his horse. The villagers had put it back. Curious, the bartender asked the cowboy,” What did you do in Texas?"
The Cowboy replied," Well, I had to walk home
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Tue, Jan 8th - 9:09AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The last dejected effort often becomes the winning stroke."* -- W.J. Cameron *"So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 (NRSV)
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Mon, Jan 7th - 9:05AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Betty was soon to be married.More than anything, she wanted to wear the wedding dress her mother was married in. Betty's mother was beaming with pride as she gave her consent. Later in the evening, the family gathered in the living room to wait while Betty tried on the dress. When Betty entered the room, there was a chorus of approval. The dress fit perfectly and looked wonderful on her. Tears ran down the face of Betty's mother. Seeing this, Betty said, "Don't worry Mom, you're not losing a daughter, your gaining a son." "Forget about that!" she said with a sob. "I used to fit into that dress!"
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Mon, Jan 7th - 8:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The optimist says we live in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist fears this is true"* -- Source Unknown" *"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." Genesis 1:31 (NRSV) ""He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:...." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (KJV)
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Sun, Jan 6th - 8:09AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! TEXAS EXPRESSIONS
Texas Expressions: For fun, try to use at least two of these in at work today. *A guide to a few of the more colorful Texan expressions:* 1. The engine's runnin' but ain't nobody driving = Not overly-intelligent. 2. As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party (self-explanatory). 3. Tighter than bark on a tree = Not very generous. 4. Big hat, no cattle = All talk and no action. 5. We've howdied but we ain't shook yet = We've made a brief acquaintance, but not been formally introduced. 6. He thinks the sun come up just to hear him crow = He has a pretty high opinion of himself. 7. She's got tongue enough for 10 rows of teeth = That woman can talk 8. It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs = We really could use a little rain around here. 9. This ain't my first rodeo = I've been around awhile. 10. He looks like the dog's been keepin' him under the porch = Not the most handsome of men . 11. As full of wind as a corn-eating horse = Rather prone to boasting. 12. You can put your boots in the oven, but that doesn't make them biscuits = You can say whatever you want about something, but that doesn't change what it is.
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Sun, Jan 6th - 7:56AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand."* - Augustine *24So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 (NRSV) “If any Man will do His will, he shall know....” John 7:17
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Sat, Jan 5th - 11:46AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "The safest place in all the world to be is the center of the will of God." Are you safe today?*Dr. Baker James Cauthen quoted by Dr. Jim Denison, Pastor Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas TX. *14And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 (NRSV)
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Fri, Jan 4th - 6:53AM
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING?
Consistent omnipotence
The idea that there may be something which God 'cannot' do is entirely foreign to some people. Can he not do anything and everything? Are not all things possible to him? Is he not omnipotent? Yes, but God's omnipotence needs to be understood. God is not a totalitarian tyrant that he should exercise his power arbitrarily and do absolutely anything whatsoever. God's omnipotence is the freedom and the power to do absolutely anything he chooses to do. But he chooses only to do good, only to work according to the perfection of his character and will. God can do everything consistent with being himself. The one and only thing he cannot do, because he will not, is to deny himself or act contrary to himself. So God remains for ever himself, the same God of mercy and of justice, fulfilling his promises (whether of blessing or of judgment), giving us life if we die with Christ and a kingdom if we endure, but denying us if we deny him, just as he warned, because he cannot deny himself. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Jan 4th - 6:41AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. . . . As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others."* -- Audrey Hepburn *"Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 (NRSV) "If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." James 2:15-17 (NRSV)
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Thu, Jan 3rd - 8:32AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE; SHY LITTLE 4 YR OLD
A shy little 4-year-old came in to the dentist for his first cleaning and check-up. The hygienist tried to strike up a conversation but no response. After the cleaning, the dentist was called in to do the final check. The dentist tried to strike up a conversation as well. "How old are you?" No response. The dentist then asked, "Don't you know how old you are?" Immediately four tiny fingers went up. "Oh," replied the dentist, "and do you know how old that is?" Four little fingers went up once again. Continuing the effort to get a response, the dentist asked, "Can you talk?" The solemn little patient looked at him and asked, "Can you count?"
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Thu, Jan 3rd - 8:12AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Honoring God...We live overflowing lives because the Source of life brings us contentment, instead of the gifts (people, places, possessions, and position). How? By leading us to the well that never runs dry*.- From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley *"and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38 (NRSV) "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken." Psalm 62:2 (NRSV) "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him." Psalm 62:5 (NRSV)
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Wed, Jan 2nd - 7:12AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! DOUBLE VISION
Peter says. Doctor, I see double!
Sit on the chair please the doctor says.
Which one? Peter replied.
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Wed, Jan 2nd - 6:52AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
“....Christ's Death—though they know neither how nor why—has done more than either His teaching or His life to constrain and enable them to trust in the mercy of God for the pardon of sin; and because Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of the world, God has responded to their trust, and they are eternally saved. For it is not the doctrine of the Death of Christ that atones for human sin, but the Death itself;”* R. W. Dale
17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:17 - 18 (NRSV)
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Tue, Jan 1st - 8:55PM
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Lord, we know that freedom will prevail because you are already victorious. Help us never lose hope, never stop celebrating your victory, and never stop walking alongside those who struggle to see this freedom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
- From Common Prayer (posted in Verse and Voice (Sojourners) 12.31.12
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Tue, Jan 1st - 9:14AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! AIRCONDITIONER?
A patron at a restaurant was continually bothering the waiter about the air conditioning: first he would ask for the air conditioning to be turned up because it was too hot, then he would ask it be turned down because it was to cold, this went on for about a half an hour. To the surprise of the rest of the customers, the waiter was very patient, walking aback and forth and very pleasant. So finally a customer asked; why don’t you just throw out the pest? “Oh, I don’t care,” said the waiter with a grin, we don’t even have an air conditioner.”
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Tue, Jan 1st - 8:51AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.* -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784) *“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
