Week Thirty-One, 2025
Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master (Proverbs 25:13).
Does it really snow in Israel? It sure does. There’s the Mount Hermon ski resort in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The ski resort is open only at the peak of winter. It has a top elevation of 6,690 ft. The resort includes a wide range of ski trails for novice, intermediate, and expert levels. It also offers additional winter family activities such as sledding and Nordic skiing.
Surprising? Yes… We usually think of Israel as being parched desert. After winter, the snow begins to melt and form the headwaters of the Jordan River in the Golan Heights. I have been there and tasted the pure water of the melted snow. The Jordan flows south, forming the border between Israel and Jordan. Along the way, the river picks up nutrients that farmers use for irrigation.
Finally, the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea, which is dead because all life is extinguished. There is no exit to the Dead Sea; it chokes on the abundance of its trapped nutrients.
The Dead Sea has no outlet. The only way water exits the sea is by evaporation. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind dissolved minerals, making the water even saltier. I swam there, perched high on the water. One cannot sink in the Dead Sea. So, here is the Biblical application: The Dead Sea takes in all the goodness and gives out none of it. Our lives can be like that. If we merely take in the goodness God gives us in life and we don’t share it with the world, we choke on our goodness. Blessings and positive experiences should be shared to benefit others and create a positive impact for others and for the world.
Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. Goodness isn’t just about doing what’s right. It’s about actively choosing to be kind, generous, and understanding towards others, even when we don’t have to. It’s about going the extra mile to spread positivity and care.
Those who know the Lord are called to bring light into the darkness of human existence. That light is Jesus. Spread the Light!
Have you done that today?
Sometimes True Stories
On Judgment Day, do you think God will accept a Platinum American Express, a Gold MasterCard, or your bank account to determine if you deserve to spend eternity with Jesus? Our wealth may open doors in this life, but it will be ignored in the next. When we build our foundation on earthly things and fail to respect the gifts from our Lord, we are setting ourselves up for destruction. I have been very fortunate to become friends with lots of rich people, and my observation tells me that money does not buy happiness, nor salvation for our souls. Only God can provide salvation for our souls, if we only humble ourselves and accept His Grace. Tony Ferguson
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Nearly thirty million more US adults are following Jesus today than was the case just four years ago, according to Barna. The CEO, David Kinnaman, called this “the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal.” He notes that this movement is being led especially by “younger generations.”
Life seems to go in stages of preparing yourself to gain wealth, getting wealth, and then worrying about how to keep it. The world measures wealth in precious metals or stones, dollars, power, influence or cryptocurrencies. Work toward becoming a billionaire, they say.
However, how does one’s wealth translate to meaning, purpose, health and happiness? You really can’t buy any of these things.
Real wealth is measured in relationships and character. How, then, do you acquire real wealth? You do that by spending time in God’s instruction book for life, the Bible. It will help you learn, gain, and maintain the real wealth we all seek. Be that kind of billionaire. Dig in. Rich Jensen
Quotes You Can Use
When God fulfills His Word concerning the end times and begins to pour out His judgment upon the earth, people will know that He is God. Dan Shock
Taking credit for what God has done is always a dangerous thing. Florida Marketplace Ministries
The devil is the enemy of God, and while he cannot corrupt God, he will settle for you and me. Don’t let the devil win. Tony Ferguson
That which has become habitual, becomes as if it were natural. Aristotle
The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves. William Penn
The unforgivable sin is the continued rejection of the Holy Spirit! Dan Shock
I attribute my success to this—I never gave or took any excuse. Florence Nightingale
The Bible is comprised of 66 separate books written over 1500 years, by 40 different people, in three different languages, on three different continents, all telling the story of God and His only son Jesus. There have been thousands of skeptics but not one has ever disproven a single scripture of the Bible. The Bible teaches us about honesty, integrity, and the consequences of our sinful behavior. Tony Ferguson
When my horse is running well, I don’t stop to give him sugar. Douglas Horton
He is a Creator, Eternal, Infinite, loving and personal God Who loves us and wants us to come to Him with everything, and come with a thankful heart. Don’t just say you will pray about “that”. Stop, drop and pray. Rich Jensen
It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which give happiness. Thomas Jefferson
Fear and faith are mutually exclusive. Dan Shock
Sadly, we often think Christian living requires sacrifice, when it is the one thing the soul cherishes the most. Tony Ferguson
Faith, like love, is an action verb. Faith causes us to draw near to Christ, to strive to know Him more and more, to take up our cross and follow, to become more like Him, to treat others like He would treat them. Faith ultimately causes us to want to live out what we say we believe. It causes us to want to share the good news—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—to a lost and dying world around us. Head knowledge, on the other hand, is stagnant and dead, like the demons who shudder at the mention of His name. Old Lazy Dog
The best way to predict the future is to create it. Peter Drucker
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