“But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11).

He was considered by many to be one of best evangelical expositors of the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Ravi Zacharias was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist who founded the RZIM. He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than 40 years.

He had spoken in hundreds of churches and at hundreds of conferences around the world. Thousands of people were influenced by his preaching. Even I was when he graced the pulpit in my home church. Many considered him to be the most significant Christian apologist of modern times.

But, after his death from cancer a year ago, it became apparent that there was another Ravi Zacharias. Following his demise, dozens of women came forward to tell of their abuse. His ministry board engaged a law firm to do a complete investigation and the results were astounding. He had been leading a double life.

Mr. Zacharias had been living a lie; engaging in molestation, sexual sin, and even rape- on several continents and with many women. He turned out to be a perverted deviant, and not just lately for a short period, but a long time. In fact, Ravi seemed to have chosen his type of business (spa/massage) for this reason and had seemed to have structured his business operations with the intention of perpetuating then hiding his craven sin. His sexual sins also included other sins of misuse of ministry funds to support his sex partners, and of course, lies and hypocrisy.

How do or should we as Christians respond? Witnessing the fall of someone we greatly admire elicits deep, painful emotions. We feel betrayed by them and embarrassed that we trusted them. The more public our faith in them, the more public our shame and the deeper our anger. We wonder if there is anyone we can truly trust. If they were part of a larger movement, that movement’s reputation is disgraced along with them.

And remember that sin always affects the innocent. Satan loves to use one sin to destroy as many lives as he can. The next time you are tempted with “private” sin, remember the victims of Ravi Zacharias’ sins. The women he abused will never forget their pain, and his family and colleagues are shamed and grieving as well.

The next time you are tempted by “private” sin, see this temptation as bait in a cage. And know that its consequences will be far worse than its rewards for you and everyone who knows you. I will repeat a statement I have made often over the years: sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Always.

Before we judge Zacharias, we much remember if this could happen to Ravi Zacharias, it can happen to any of us. None of us are exempt from Satan’s bait.

Be always on guard, for the trap is set for you.

We can never sin alone. Our sin grows and ultimately affects the whole church. Private sin needs private confession. Public sin requires public confession. —Dana Hardee

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Basic Safety at Home

1. If you have a security system – use it!

2. Never open your door to a stranger.

3. Never tell anyone you are home alone.

4. Keep you home well-lighted at all times – inside and out.

5. Keep windows and doors locked.

6. Keep shrubs around your home well trimmed.

7. New home or apartment? – have ALL locks rekeyed ASAP.

8. Never hide a door key under a mat, flowerpot or mailbox.

9. Lock your doors whenever you are in the yard or garage.

10. Take a cordless phone or your cell phone with you when you work in the yard.

— o —

General Awareness and Mindset

1. Stay alert anytime you are outside your home.

2. Walk with eyes up, looking around you at all times, not looking down at or talking on your cell phone.

3. Maintain your personal space in public.

4. Check behind you periodically.

5. Look for anything in the immediate area that looks out of place, out of context, or “just not right”.

6. Mindset: “I won’t be a victim!”

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C. S. Lewis, from his book, “God in the Dock,” offers this interesting bit of dialogue regarding prayer. “Praying for particular things,” said I, “always seems to me like advising God how to run the world. Wouldn’t it be wiser to assume that He knows best?”

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

We can never sin alone. Our sin grows and ultimately affects the whole church. Private sin needs private confession. Public sin requires public confession. —Dana Hardee

I should live in constant preparedness for eternity. Dan Shock

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. WINSTON CHURCHILL

When you fail to surrender, you’re really saying, “I know better than God.” And only a fool would think that. Dan Shock

In running from God’s will, we run into things we should be afraid of. Ken Whitten

Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? ABRAHAM LINCOLN

If God is the one “who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” then He gets to dictate what we do with financial excess, whether it’s abundance from a paycheck or profit from a business. Jordan Raynor

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. WALTER ELLIOTT

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

We have a Bonsai Tree and it adorns our morning room table. It is a beautiful reminder of how it became what it is. The object is a bonsai tree, all of less than a foot tall. It is a perfectly formed tree, yet its growth beyond a foot is intentional stunted by the clipping of its roots.

It has been a Japanese form of art dating back more than a thousand years. The trees are a miniature replica of a fully grown tree. They look the same as a fully grown tree, only smaller. The secret is when they begin to sprout as a seedling, they are planted in a shallow container and their roots are pruned and trimmed whenever they begin to grow. When they reach dwarf maturity, then are planted in a pot that prohibits their roots from growing.

I had not thought of how that depicts a journey of faith, until one evening during our dinner I looked at the little tree and saw a spiritual parallel.

When we accept Christ, we are permanently saved and our seat in Heaven is reserved for us. It is a one-time event that is total and not partial. However, our earthly Christian maturity is a walk-in faith, as we mature in the faith over time.

Too many people get saved and then get their roots constantly trimmed as they live in a shallow environment. They are influenced by non-believing people who mock their faith, and they hang around the wrong people. New Christians are advised to be daily in the word and at least weekly in a Bible believing and preaching evangelical congregation……. environments where they can grow alongside others on the same journey.

Not all pruning is bad. In nature, pruning is a process done to fruit-bearing plants to facilitate healthy growth. As believers, Jesus compares our spiritual growth to that of a vine plant. In order to bear spiritual fruit (see Galatians 5:19-20) and walk in the purpose God has for you, you have to be pruned. Like a gardener tends to plants, God is overseeing your growth so that you will mature in Christ and live the life he created you for.

Like the farmer, God prunes us to remove what is dead or dying in us, to remove what’s infected or diseased, to remove that are hindering us and to keep us focused and on the right spiritual track.

Has God pruned you?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In a recent article in Christian Headlines, Milton Quintanilla warns about the lack of Bible knowledge in 21st century America. Not just in our country, but in our churches.

Quintanilla quotes Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, the newly elected secretary-general of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), who believes that biblical illiteracy is a growing, troubling trend in the global evangelical church today.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Schirrmacher explained that “beyond all theological differences, financial problems, and political questions”, “our biggest problem is that Bible knowledge is fading away.”

In the Western world, “more and more kids that come from evangelical families are not really rooted in the Bible,” and many end up departing from the faith, he asserted. Young people, even those claiming to be Christians, Schirrmacher said, “only know about the Bible what they learned from their conversion” instead of growing deeper in biblical knowledge.

“The result is that people know much less and are more … much more open to secularism and strange things like the ‘health and wealth’ gospel,” he added. Actually, the challenge to know God and His Word is an age-old problem. Jehovah laments through the Old Testament prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Ken Weliever

— o —

Franklin Graham reports that Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association saw 1.3 million people give their lives to Christ through online ministries in 2019. This year, the number is 1.7 million. Franklin explains that due to the pandemic, “The people’s hearts have been softened a little bit. People who have not listened before are listening now.”

— o —

Liberals Think Dr. Seuss Books are Bad for Kids, But Killing Babies in Abortions is OK

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

If it were not for God’s grace, where would you be today? Ken Whitten

The secret of your strength lies in your commitment to Jesus Christ. Dan Shock

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you must live. JIM ROHN

Now go therefore and make a difference… Be a world changer and glorify God through it all. Marty Stubblefield

The time has come to examine our hearts and minds…Whom will you serve indeed? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Dwight Short

No one is too far away that God will not go after them. Ken Whitten

We are called to be the minister of our own home. Jake English

Whoever is happy will make others happy. ANNE FRANK

Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. Matthew 22:29

Just when everything seems to be going smoothly, life sometimes hits us in the head with a brick: cancer, a heart attack or other life-threatening illness; the loss of a loved one; a business failure or financial crisis; a physical disability, depression or another mental health challenge. Most of us have had our share of brick-like disruptions.

In his new book “Life is in the Transitions” best-selling author Bruce Feiler calls these big disruptions “lifequakes” —disruptions that change the very trajectory of our life.

Though lifequakes happen at every stage of life – typically every 10 years or so, according to Feiler – they are often most pronounced when they happen during the bonus years. That’s when new realities are more frequent, but our physical, financial and spiritual capacity to adapt is often more limited.

Still, for many, even debilitating lifequakes can inspire a new and uplifting trajectory. It also can seem comforting to think that God is controlling events when something horrible happens that is completely outside of our control. Some people find comfort in the idea that God meant for them to suffer in order to serve some greater purpose of his.

I remember the time Beverley and I met with the doctor to learn, totally unexpectedly, that my wife had cancer and had an even a less of a chance of experiencing her fiftieth birthday. That day began a long road of surgeries, chemo, radiation, etc.

It also started a strengthening of our marriage, spiritual renewal and experiencing friendship support almost beyond belief. Beverley won the battle, and we had a whopping big fiftieth birthday bash. It was an experience I would not wish upon my worst enemy, but looking back, it was a growing experience worth more than any amount of money I could receive. I attribute it to the power of God.

Our friends, Dana and Susan Hardee, were enjoying retirement when a lifequake came their way. Susan was diagnosed with a rare and lethal form of cancer and began, and still today continues very painful and physically damaging treatment. Yet, as many have watched how Dana and Susan are dealing with this, we have seen a trust in the power of God and a witness of faith to others. Please continue to pray for them.

We need to be prepared for life’s lifequakes, because in one form or strength they will come. When they do, we need to be prepared to see the power of God as He works through our lifequakes with us.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. Roy T. Bennett

— o —

Maybe God has delayed the answers to some of your prayers. Maybe you have waited so long you feel desperate. If that is where you are, it’s time to begin interceding before the Lord. As you do, God may astound you by the changes He brings in your attitudes as He shapes and moves you to that place of harmony with Him. Don’t be discouraged when God delays the answers to your prayers. Dan Shock

— o —

Spring Decluttering is Better than Spring Cleaning. The Minimalist

— o —

A man was hard of hearing but didn’t want to spend the money for hearing aids. So he put a plug in his ear with a wire that ran down to his shirt pocket. When asked if it worked, he said it didn’t increase the sound, but it made people talk louder.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Here’s to life and embracing each day with gratitude, passion, compassion, empathy, integrity, love, kindness, faith and purpose! Richard Gonzmart

Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

GOD WANTS US TO HAVE VICTORY OVER THE FLESH, AND THAT VICTORY COMES ONLY WHEN WE WALK AFTER AND LIVE AFTER THE SPIRIT. Dan Shock

What you need as a believer is not “new sight” of the angels, but a new “insight” into the heart of God. Ken Whitten

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Our prayer life is an indicator of our spiritual life. Kelly Knouse

Your life will be simplified when you choose inaction when no action is required and choose action when action is required.” —M.M. Ildan

If you’ve got time to worry, then you’ve got time to pray.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

I am reading a book written by Darek Prince entitled Bought With Blood. I highly recommend it. The Cross is the significance of the divine exchange where forgiveness of my sins was exchanged for the blood of Christ. It is the very significance of the Christian faith and without it there is nothing to faith at all. There is no health of the soul, no hope of eternal life, save in the cross.

What God has done is complete, perfect, final. Never will it have to be changed or modified. But our appropriation of it is progressive. It is important to see this especially as we continue to emphasize the perfection of the work.

The real source of strength and wisdom for the Christian lies in the cross. Without the cross we can have good morality, a host of good intention and a lot of nice sermons, but we will have no significant results.

The fact that a man died and rose from the dead and is still alive today is the most important single event in human history. Nothing else can compare with it. When we refer to the cross, we are talking about the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity.

The glory of the cross was not about a wooden beam, or glittering symbol, but about the One who was nailed to it. Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God. The Son of God. Our Lord. Our Savior. And Redeemer. Jesus was forsaken that we might be forgiven. He was wounded that we might be healed. He was humiliated that we might be glorified. He was killed that we might live. He was sacrificed that we might be saved.

While the cross in Jesus’ days symbolized weakness, shame, and humiliation, it became the symbol of strength, liberty, and power. The blood of the cross became the divine agent demonstrating God’s power to cleanse sinners.

We should see the purpose of the cross. To Paul, as it should be to all of us, the cross was personal. It signifies the breaking down of barriers that separate people. It represents a new creation. It symbolizes our redemption, justification, and salvation from sin.

It is the focus of what we as Christians are and ought to be. It is not an adornment to be hung on a wall or worn around our neck. It is the focus of the resurrection power of the risen Christ.

What is the cross to you?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

A Baptist minister named John Harper was on board the Titanic when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean in April 1912. He had a seat on a lifeboat alongside his sister and six-year-old daughter, but gave it up so he could stay on the sinking ship to preach to its doomed passengers. He even gave his life jacket to another passenger, who miraculously survived the disaster.

Rev. Harper continued sharing the gospel on the ship as it sank and then with those in the freezing water before he died. His daughter, Annie Jessie, went on to become the longest-living Scottish Titanic survivor.

Before the Titanic set sail, Pastor Harper wrote a letter to another clergyman, dated April 11, 1912. He thanked his fellow minister for his kindness when they had been together recently and closed his note, “The warriors are with me here and are doing well so far on the journey. With kindest love, your loving auld Pastor, John Harper.”

The letter recently sold at auction for more than $55,000. Its author’s sacrificial service after he wrote it was beyond price. —Jim Denison

— o —

Planned Parenthood Annual Report shows it killed 354,000 babies in abortions, more than ever before.

Before He formed us, He knew us in the womb. He has had a hand in our life before we even knew Him. He has led and guided before we even knew to ask. His grace has been given even before we knew we needed it.

Think about it.

— o —

Hungry? …… There are 4,297 restaurants in Tampa.

— o —

78% of people live from paycheck to paycheck and only 47% of people pay off their credit card balance each month.

— o —

A ten-year-old leukemia patient has designed a sweatshirt to raise money for families impacted by pediatric cancer. Her design includes the words, “Be strong and courageous,” taken from Joshua 1:9.

— o —

The percentage of North Korean citizens who are exposed to the Bible is steadily increasing each year despite extreme persecution. The YouVersion Bible app is now available in fifteen hundred languages.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. …Then the effort that I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought. —ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Many have been around Jesus and may regularly attend church and read their Bible, but have not had a transformation with Jesus. —Ken Whitten

Anything lavished on Jesus is not wasted. —Ken Whitten

If you want to score a home run, you have to swing like you want one. —Bruce Ariens

Do small things with great love. —Mother Teresa

TO GOD, THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE ARE A PLEASANT ODOR. —Dan Shock

If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. —Napoleon Hill

Our deeper problems are theological, not political.

A quote from philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, “Faith sees best in the dark.”

That which is prefaced by prayer, needs to be punctuated by practice.

A goal is a dream with a deadline. —Napoleon Hill

What is the one thing that we can do that is different from the world? We can pray. —Chris Dotson

Do you view prayer as transactional or transformational? —Kelly Knouse

He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone (1 Timothy 2:6).

It was just after midnight when he finished his time on duty and he headed for home to his wife and three children. He was driving his marked patrol car north on the Interstate, probably listening to some of his favorite off duty music. Suddenly, there appeared a southbound vehicle in the northbound lane, weaving and according to witnesses traveling at a speed in excess of a hundred miles per hour, alcohol probably being a factor.

Officer Jesse Madsen, responding instinctively as a trained combat Marine veteran and decorated police officer veered into the oncoming vehicle colliding head on. Both vehicles were instantly reduced to twisted metal and both drivers perished on impact.

Officer Madsen did what he did in order to protect the lives of others on the road. Seven times he had been decorated for saving one or more lives and on this eighth time he had to give his own life in order to save the lives of others. Madsen appeared to intentionally veer into the other car’s path to save those of the community to whom he was sworn to protect. He did not refuse to give his life, but did so voluntarily for others.

His chief called him “an American hero.” Others in the community poured out their hearts to his family. His funeral held at my home church drew several thousand law enforcement officers from all over the country who came to say farewell and to pay their respects to a true American hero, who did not refuse to give his life to save the lives of others.

During this Easter season, may we all pause and thank God that Jesus Christ did not refuse to go to the cross, but gave His life for us. Why did He not escape? The reason is because He knew God had sent Him into the world for one reason: To become the complete and final sacrifice for our sins. This could only be accomplished if He endured the judgment and death we all deserve for our sins — and this is exactly what happened when He went to the cross. He died in my place, your place. He gave his life that we might be forgiven of our sins.

He died that we might live, just like Officer Madsen gave his life that others might live.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

There’s a pretty common phrase thrown around in personal development circles. It goes like this, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” It’s an important principle actually. I don’t disagree with it all that much.

When we spend time with people who are driven and focused, we begin to take on that lifestyle. When we spend time with people who have a passion for a particular hobby, we become interested in it too. When our closest friends all hold a specific political viewpoint or worldview, we begin to see it as important as well.

The people we spend time with affect us in significant ways. They shape our worldview, our self-esteem, our attitude, and our pursuits. And they influence how we spend our money, our time, and our energy.

For that reason, I don’t want friends impressed by fancy stuff. If you need nice things to impress your friends, you have the wrong friends. The Minimalist

— o —

Worldwide government opposition to religious liberty seems to be escalating. Pew Research Center reports the highest level of global government restrictions on religion in a decade. Since 2007, when Pew began its survey, the median level of government restrictions has risen 65 percent and the level for social hostilities has doubled.

This issue came home for American Christians recently when Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stated during a keynote address to the Federalist Society: “It pains me to say this, but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.”

— o —

We are called to…

… Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength

… Love Your neighbor as yourself

… Take up your cross and follow Him

… Go therefore and make disciples, teaching and baptizing them

… Love as you have been loved

… Forgive as you have been forgiven

… Do the work of Him who has sent you as long as it is day. For night is coming when no one can work

— o —

For the first time, life expectancy in America has decreased one full year.

— o —

Black Americans attend church more regularly than Americans overall.

— o —

Almost 40 percent of borrowers with student loan debt didn’t finish their degree.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Jim Denison

IF YOU WANT A POWERFUL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, GO TO THE BEACH AND PICK UP A HANDFUL OF SAND. EVERY GRAIN OF SAND REPRESENTS GOD’S THOUGHTS CONCERNING YOU. Dan Shock

We need to stop dating the church and marry the church. Ken Whitten

You will never be successful if you live your life or career as a negative person. Unless of course you’re talking about your Covid-19 test!

One-time Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

We can’t learn from the problems of our past if we refuse to shine a light on them and acknowledge them. Dineen Wasylik

It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. NAPOLEAN HILL

It is often convenient to not be committed. Ken Whitten

Focus on the hope of tomorrow and not on the problems of today. Chris Dotson

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And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Throughout the Bible, debt forgiveness is not to be taken lightly. In Deuteronomy it calls for debt forgiveness every seven years. In Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes deeper and tells us to forgive those who have come against us. Forgiving a monetary debt is difficult, but forgiving others for their transgressions against us is even more difficult.

Someone steals from us, beats us, cheats on us, harms those we love and profits at our loss are hard to forgive. The list goes on.

Can you forgive that which you cannot forget? Can you move on after someone sins or has an ought against you? Can you make peace with painful memories and create a life that is beautiful again? Can you forgive what you cannot forgive?

You deserve to stop suffering because of what other people have done to you.

Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? You know you can’t go on like this, but you don’t know what to do next. Forgiveness deals with the past while it heals the presence and puts joy in the future. We have to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right or ask you for your forgiveness.

The Bible records many stories about “forgiving”. The Lord Jesus also taught us like this: when we forgive men when they sin against us, our heavenly father will also forgive us.

Jesus taught Peter to forgive seventy-seven times. Joseph forgave his brothers who sold him. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery. Jesus prayed for the people who hurt him. Stephen cried out to the Lord for those who stoned him before death. King David forgave Saul who wanted to kill him. Paul asked Philemon to forgive Onesimus.

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.” They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Who can you forgive today?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

62 Million Babies Have Been Aborted in the U.S. in the 48 Years since Roe v. Wade: How did Abortion become thinkable in American culture? Abortion is the central sacrament of the political left.

— o —

A surge in the number of U.S. residents who have died of a drug overdose — 81,230 in the 12 months ending in May — set a record for the most such deaths in a one-year span, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug overdose deaths jumped by 18 percent from the previous year, with increases recorded in 46 states.

— o —

The Washington National Cathedral recently came under fire for inviting evangelical pastor and author Max Lucado to speak. The reason: his biblical views on marriage.

— o —

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge

— o —

Religious Books Seized and Burned in Communist China,

Believers Given Jail Terms

— o —

When deciding to make a financial purchase or not, the most common filter we use is, “Can I afford it?” Is there enough money in the bank (or room on the credit card) to cover this purchase? If so, we can buy it. From the home we live in, the car we drive, the vacations we take, the technology we upgrade, the clothes we wear, and everything in-between, most of us simply ask, “Can I afford it? What if we stopped to see how the Bible would advise us? If we did would our spending decrease? Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show. The Minimalist

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

If being a Christian is a criminal offense, is there enough evidence to place you in jail or just enough for you to receive a warning ticket for acting like one?

Did you ever wonder what worship might look like if we began singing songs to God instead of just singing about God?

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. Cicero

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34).

When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure”. -Peter Marshall

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SECRET SIN. Dan Shock

Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all. Alexander the Great

A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large. Henry Ford

Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men. John F. Kennedy

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Abraham Lincoln

John Grant, Week Nine, 2021

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. Psalm 19:1-2

Once, when Beverley and I were in South Africa on a game safari, deep in the interior, we chased all sorts of animals in their natural habitat. We saw impala, wildebeest, warthog, Cape buffalo, giraffe and hippopotamus, rhinoceroses, elephant, leopard, and hyena. What a sight it was to see!!!!

Later that night there was a total eclipse. We went out on a dirt runway and laid on our backs. When the eclipse was total, we couldn’t see our hand in front of our face, but what we could see was the heavens as we had never seen them before. Without any other light, we could see thousands of heavenly bodies. All I could think about was Psalm 19 where it says, “the skies display His craftsmanship.”

We don’t have to look deep into the heavens as we did to see the craftsmanship of our Creator. They are all around us. In our busy lives, all too often we miss them. In the normal day we tend not to see them, but when we stop and take a really good look, we see them everywhere…. all around us. The fingerprints of God show His greatness.

▪ We see them when He paints the sky of the setting sun.

▪ We see them in the explosiveness of the rising sun from darkest night.

▪ We can see them in the mountain peaks and in the details of the smallest leaf.

▪ We can see them on the ocean shore and in the details of the smallest shell.

▪ We can see them when we can see forever on a starry night.

▪ We can see them in the beauty of thunderclouds building in the distance or in lightning striking over the water during a late evening storm.

We can see those same fingerprints in the birth of a baby, in the flight of a butterfly, in the eyes of a child and in the life of a saint. Truth is, God’s fingerprints are all around us and all over us. The Master Creator molded and made us and everything.

Let’s stop for a moment and breathe… and take off our worldly goggles and see the world around us and see the creation and fingerprints of God. Let’s stop for a moment and praise Him for His imagination and creativity. Praise Him for being our Great Creator. He is everywhere if only we have the spiritual eyes to see.

Will you look for Him and for His works today?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The direction of our lives is decided more by the daily choices we make than anything else. And these choices are more influential to the person we are becoming than we often realize. Habits become ingrained, automatic, and often slowly creep into your life so subtly that they become routine. So, if you want to change your life, start by changing one thing that you do each day. The Minimalist

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7 Rules of Life

1) Make peace with your past so it won’t mess up the present.

2) What others think of you is none of your business.

3) Time heals almost everything, give it time.

4) Don’t compare your life to others and don’t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

5) Stop thinking too much, it’s alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.

6) No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.

7) Smile!! You don’t own all the problems in the world.

— o —

Disposition is important to our overall wellbeing. Harvard Medical School published a finding that an optimistic attitude contributes positively to one’s physical health. In fact, “humor is good medicine.” They conclude that optimism produces “behavioral advantages” and “biological benefits.”

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Sometimes when there is nothing more to say… God’s Word says it all.

No matter where we may find ourselves in life’s journey.

No matter if we have stumbled and fallen and find ourselves in the valley of life.

No matter if we are climbing the highest of mountains striving to reach the apex of life.

No matter young or old, sick or healthy, poor or wealthy, near or far away.

No matter where we may be or what we may be going through.

God’s Word says it all.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. John C. Maxwell

BACKSLIDDEN HAPPENS WHEN YOU ALLOW ANY OTHER DESIRE, AMBITION, OR PREFERENCE TO TAKE FIRST PLACE IN YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR LIFE. Dan Shock

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. Dale Carnegie

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

With every blessing, there is a testing. Ken Whitten

The reason angels can fly is because they take themselves lightly. G.K. CHESTERTON

Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. NAPOLEAN HILL

WEEK 8, 2021

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Upon turning to the age of 100 recently, a former U.S. Secretary of state had this to say about trust: I’ve learned much over that time, but looking back, I’m struck that there is one lesson I learned early and then relearned over and over: Trust is the coin of the realm. When trust was in the room, whatever room that was — the family room, the schoolroom, the locker room, the office room, the government room or the military room — good things happened. When trust was not in the room, good things did not happen. Everything else is details.

Schultz, now considered to be America’s elder statesman stated a lot of wisdom. He’s one of only two Americans to have held four cabinet posts – State, Treasury, Labor and OMB. America needs leaders of this stature. Our world needs more of this kind of leadership. While Schultz wrote about great wisdom, the Bible writes about even more.

According to King Solomon, wisdom is gained from God, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” Proverbs 2:6. … “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Psalms 111:10

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26. Don’t trust your own mind, but get wisdom from above. It must be an important goal for all Christians, as it appears 367 times in the King James Bible.

It’s been said that knowledge comes from education, but wisdom comes from experience. Wisdom is knowing what you don’t know. Knowledge will bring you to power, but wisdom brings respect. As Malcom Forbes said: The dumbest people I know are the ones who think they know it all. Real knowledge is the ability to know ones ignorance.

Be careful to not think you know anything just because it has been written, this is particularly true in this supersonic, cyber powered world of rapid factual transmission of allegedly false facts and news. Investigate on your own and be sure that the Bible is the best place to begin.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

A Christian pastor in China was recently imprisoned and fined for refusing to join the state-supported church. A mob attacked the homes and shops of Christians in Egypt. Terrorists slit the throats of three Christians in Indonesia and beheaded a fourth.

Pew Research Center reports that government restrictions on religion have risen 65 percent since 2007, when Pew began its survey. The level of social hostility has doubled over this time.

Could that ever happen in America?

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THE PANDEMIC:

Wherever you live in the world, you have likely encountered a global pandemic, social isolation, economic slowdown, and civil unrest. Whether or not you have been personally affected by any of these factors, you almost certainly know someone who has. Mental well-being has suffered as a result.

In the USA, according to the CDC:

• 40% of people have experienced a mental or behavioral health condition related to the coronavirus epidemic.

• 1 in 4 have experienced symptoms of depression—4X higher than previous years.

• 1 in 10 had considered suicide at some point during the last 30 days—an increase of 100% from previous years.

• 13.3% of Americans have begun or increased substance use to cope with stress related to the epidemic.

Our mental well-being suffered greatly during 2020.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Jesus came to save you from yourself. Jake English

Noah was locked in an ark while God was preparing a whole new world. During these days, God is doing the same for each of us.

A world that is different, but one we know little about. Martha Moore

Considering the current state of the World, Truth and Tradition have never been more important.

***

By retired Senator John Grant

Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit. Proverbs 25:28

The concept of the wall is prominent in the Scriptures. The Book of Nehemiah tells of the rebuilding of the wall that surrounds the city of Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation, when describing the new Jerusalem, places great emphasis on the wall that surrounds the holy city and on the twelve foundations of the wall.

There have been walls throughout, the most notable in our time was the wall that separated east and west Berlin. Its dismantling marked the beginning of the end of the “Cold War.”

I walked through the Brandenburg Gate only a few months after the beginning of the dismantling. As I took in the sight of the massive wall, I bent over and picked up a small part of the wall, and today, it sits on my desk as a reminder of how people and nations can become divided and ultimately reconciled.

Another wall needs to be removed as well – the wall between humanity and God. That barrier was built in the Garden of Eden when a man and a woman committed the first act of rebellion against God (Genesis 3). And we all have continued that rebellion ever since. Can you visualize that impenetrable wall? Isaiah 59:2 says: “your sins have cut you off from God.”

Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, has made reconciliation with God possible. All those who accept Christ’s sacrifice for sin will have the barrier of sin torn down and be reconciled to God. He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. (Ephesians 2:14).

What are the walls in your life and how do they separate you from fellowship with God? We need to remove what we think we need and replace it with what we actually need.

God wants us to submit to Him by humbling ourselves and praying, as we seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. Then the wall between us and God comes down and He not only hears us and heals us, but He promises to forgive our sin and heal our land.

Of how our sins both individually and as a nation need to be forgiven and of how our land in these divisive times needs a healing. Remember it all begins with you!

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Some of the world’s greatest men and women have been saddled with disabilities and adversities but have managed to overcome them, observed author and evangelical leader Ted W. Engstrom.

Engstrom offered these illustrations to prove his point.

• “Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott.”

• “Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan.”

• “Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington.”

• “Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln.”

• “Subject him to bitter religious prejudice, and you have a Benjamin Disraeli.”

• “Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes a Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

• “Burn him so severely in a schoolhouse fire that the doctors say he will never walk again, and you have a Glenn Cunningham, who set a world’s record in 1934 for running a mile in 4 minutes, 6.7 seconds.”

• “Deafen a genius composer, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.”

• “Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Harriet Tubman, a Marian Anderson, or a George Washington Carver.”

• “Make him the first child to survive in a poor Italian family of eighteen children, and you have an Enrico Caruso.”

• “Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyze him from the waist down when he is four, and you have an incomparable concert violinist, Itzhak Perlman.”

• “Call him a slow learner, ‘retarded,’ and write him off as uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein.

All of these examples speak to the power of persistence and the quality of determination. It’s a trait we see in the apostle Paul, who overcame a “thorn in the flesh,” misrepresentation by false teachers, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, and numerous hardships in his missionary travels. We get a glimpse of his indomitable spirit from Philippians 3:13-14.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. Abraham Lincoln

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

Let’s not make changes, let’s make only improvements. Wally Byam

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. Aristotle

At night we tie the dog up and let the kids run loose. Ken Whitten

***

John Grant, Week Six, 2021

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:37

These past few months have been difficult for all of us, one way or another. Some have had health problems and even death in their families. Others have lost employment or even the business they had worked so hard to build up.

Difficulties hound all of us throughout our lives and they have since Eve bit into the apple. As I have looked around and talked with people recently, I have noticed they face their difficulties in a myriad of ways.

How to face our difficulties is illustrated multiple times in the Bible, but no better example there is better than the story of David and Goliath.

David and Goliath

The Israelites and the Philistines were at war with one another. The Philistines greatest weapon was not mechanical. It was human… a great big giant named Goliath. He could kill anyone.

Here’s what we learn from this story:

▪ The battle is the Lord’s and He will provide.

▪ David ran into the battle and not from it.

▪ David used what he had and did not lament over what he did not have.

I can’t help but to think how David victoriously faced Goliath. Fighting this overwhelming giant in the name of the Lord. Fighting and winning for God’s glory. Fighting and winning in God’s strength.

As we face our giants, as we face our fears and our concerns, as we face what life throws our way, let’s try to stand as David stood. Stand with strength and confidence in the Lord. I know that it is far easier said than done. We can see that in the fear and trepidation of all the other warriors who heard and saw Goliath. But David stood strong. Strong in the Lord. An example of how we can and should face our Goliath, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Remember to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

As you face your Goliath, give Jesus your burdens and your fears, concerns, issues, illnesses… Trust in Him and He can and will give you peace beyond understanding and confidence, courage and strength to face your Goliath, with stones and sling in hand… “For the battle is the Lord’s.”

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In America’s Expiration Date, Cal Thomas makes this prophetic statement: “Given the history of other empires and great nations, the decadence that now is tightening its grip on America almost guarantees our demise, or at the very least a radical decline that will leave the country devoid of the liberties we now enjoy, but are rapidly exchanging for a license to do whatever we wish.”

God destroyed the nation of Israel because of its sins (Amos 9:8). The less we fear divine judgment, the more we should (cf. v. 10). If a tiny virus can bring the world’s greatest superpower to its knees, what about the judgment of an omnipotent and holy God?

But as we discern and grieve for the sins of our nation, we must remember that it is always too soon to give up on God. And never too late to intercede for a mighty movement of His Spirit.

Methodist minister Samuel Chadwick wrote, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”

Will you make Satan tremble today?

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Live by faith, not by fear. Ken Whitten

Waiting is like putting your gear in neutral when you feel like stripping your gears. Howard Hendrix

God doesn’t call a machine or artificial intelligence to do His work, He just calls people like you and me if we are truly His disciples. Dwight Short

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages. George Washington

While we were wishing for a return to the old normal, God wants to create a clean heart and a new normal. Why not let Him? Dwight Short

When the prayer police come through your neighborhood, will you be arrested for spending too much time on your knees?

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. Winston Churchill