Week Ten, 2020

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Amidst all the partisan rancor and hatred spewing from our nation’s capital most Americans are more upbeat about the country and their own prospects.

A recent Gallup poll revealed some fascinating findings. Most encouraging is this: An astounding 84% said they’re satisfied with the overall quality of life,” and “Americans” overall satisfaction with the country’s direction is at its highest point since 2005.

Issues with wide satisfaction include the economy (68%), “the opportunity for a person to get ahead by working hard” (72%), and military strength (81%). All three areas have gained tremendously in the past four years.

It’s no surprise that there’s plenty of dissatisfaction, though. Income distribution, race relations, immigration, healthcare, abortion, poverty and homelessness, and the moral and ethical climate” are all areas where dissatisfaction runs high.

It is heartening though most Americans see clearly the problems we face and at the same time they have a positive view of the greatest nation on earth.

As children, we thought it might be that bag of potato chips we begged our parents for at the store or that new bike, video game, or doll we wanted for Christmas. We thought they would make us happy. But they didn’t. As teenagers, we sought satisfaction in good grades, athletic accomplishments, a car, or in a significant other. But all of it left us discontent. As adults, we think that a bigger house, more (or less) children, or a better job will quench our thirst. But we’re still left wanting more.

At the root of our dissatisfaction is a never-ending thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy. We’ve been duped into a better job, more money, cooler friends, another spouse, or a new life is really what we need. And if we can’t obtain any of these things, or when they leave us dissatisfied, we resort to drug abuse, sexual immorality, or senseless entertainment.

While people gauge happiness and optimism from things of this world, true optimism and satisfaction comes from things above this world. God is the source and sustainer of all good. He and He alone is the abundant fountain of all goods. In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (PS 16:11)

Nothing in this universe is able to produce true goodness, unless the God, the good creator, is its wellspring. This truth puts all of life in perspective for mankind. To state it plainly, if goodness is what we desire, we must go to the source of all goodness: God.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The U.S. government’s budget deficit is projected to reach $1.02 trillion in 2020, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, as the federal government continues to spend much more than it collects in taxes. Why can’t the government learn to live within its own means, just like you and I have to do?

— o —

Nearly 3,400 Hepatitis A cases reported in Florida in 2019

— o —

Rick Warren was right: “The way you store up treasure in heaven is by investing in getting people there.”

How much treasure in heaven will you store up today?

— o —

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us. The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

“You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you“(Matthew 5:43-44).

We need to conquer the fears that cripple our faith. Kelly Knouse

As long as a man has friends, he is not a failure.

It is impossible to praise or thank Jesus too much.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Don’t say God is silent when your Bible is closed.

When we buy things, we get maintenance. When we buy experiences, we get memories.

You can’t enjoy the sight of the beautiful rainbow without rain.

The peace of God requires the power of God. Jim Denison

The Encourager

By John Grant, Week Nine, 2020

“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (Acts: 11:23).

He was born on the island of Cyprus and his name was Joseph and he was later named Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.”. He moved to Jerusalem and became well-educated and relatively wealthy. He became a leading Christian. After traveling on missionary journeys with the Apostle Paul, he returned to Cyprus and formed the orthodox church before being martyred.

I recently stood by his grave on the Island of Cyprus and could only think that while he was never a person of notoriety, his fingerprints are all over the Book of Acts. He was the constant companion, the constant helper. When Paul dismissed John Mark after a disappointing missionary journey, it was Barnabas who persuaded Paul to give him a second chance and he did. Without that encouragement, we might not have even gotten the first Gospel written, the Gospel of Mark.

A reporter once asked the celebrated orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein what is the most difficult instrument to play. Given Bernstein’s experience, and expertise, the reporter was eager to hear the great conductor’s valued opinion. To the reporter’s surprise, Leonard Bernstein replied without any hesitation whatever: “Second fiddle! I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm, or second French horn, or second flute, now that’s a problem. And yet if no one plays second part, we have no harmony.”

Barnabas was a man content to play second fiddle, always the helper, not the leader, but the faithful follower. He was the messenger, the follower, the servant. He supported Paul financially. He was a generous giver and a faithful friend, a committed encourager and a forgiving brother. He was a model of character and integrity.

The world needs more people like Barnabas. He never wrote a book of the Bible, but he made many of them possible. Never trying to be the leader, he was the consummate follower.

We believe what we tell ourselves about ourselves, and if we are influenced by negative people, we will have a negative self-image. If we believe the encourager, we will have a positive self-image. That is why every person is truly blessed if they have a Barnabas in their lives, for Barnabas was an encourager. He always saw the good side of people. He saw past their failures to their potential for good.

It is amazing we do not know Barnabas better, for he is one of the most influential men in the New Testament. He played a major role in the early history of the church, and a major role in the lives of the men who wrote the New Testament. Yet he seems to be an obscure person because we do no know very much about him. Barnabas encouraged these men to be all they could be for the cause of spreading the Gospel.

Who will you be a Barnabas to today? Who will you encourage today?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Do you want a great blessing and words of wisdom each day? Go to http://www.thepreachersword.com/ and sign up. It’s free.

WORDS OF SPIRITUAL WISDOM FROM PASTOR KEN WHITTEN:

▪ Discipleship Is Not Just a Church Word, It’s God’s Word.

▪ One of the Ways You Know You Are Living Out God’s Plan Is You’re Investing in Others, Not Yourself.

▪ Apostleship Is not a Vocation, It’s a Conviction.

▪ Hardship in the Christian Life Is Not an Exception for Followers of Christ, It’s an Expectation for Those Who Do.

▪ Are You Risking Anything for Jesus That Might Cost You?

▪ Sometimes God Does Call Us to Dark Places.

▪ Don’t Change the Bible to Accommodate the Listener.

▪ Remember God Is With You When You Are Discouraged.

▪ Just Be Faithful, Give Yourself to the Gospel.

▪ The Sweetest Time in Your Life Can Come After the Darkest Time in Your Life

— o —

Americans are dying of heart disease and strokes at a rising rate in middle age. Normally that period is considered the prime of life. But an analysis of mortality statistics by the WSJ shows the problem is geographically widespread. Death rates from cardiovascular disease among people between the ages of 45 and 64 are rising in cities all across the U.S., including in some of the most unlikely places. The findings suggest that the underlying causes of cardiovascular disease are universal and difficult to address.

— o —

CHOCOLATE IS GOD’S APOLOGY FOR BROCCOLI

— o —

Worldwide Leading Cause of Death in 2019: Abortion

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Grace is the fact that God knows every stupid mistake I’ll make in the ministry and yet he has chosen me anyway…that’s what grace is! Rick Warren.

Life in the Spirit is about letting go. Max Wilkins

Dwight Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly by the Holy Spirit. “Well,” he said, “I need a continual infilling because I leak.”

Harboring bitterness against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die. George Acevedo

It is impossible to praise or thank Jesus too much.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. —1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Wolf Pack

Week Seven, 2020

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1Thess. 5:11).

We all live in the midst of a “me too” generation. It’s all about me, accordingly to an increasingly large population. That’s contrary to what the Bible teaches the opposite. “And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.” (Phil 2:4). We as Christians are a community, but do we even know who are our neighbors today?

We can learn a lot as we study nature. Take for instance the wolf pack.

We can all learn an invaluable Leadership Lesson from this pack of wolves:
▪ The 3 in front are old and sick. They walk in front to set the pace.
▪ The next 5 are the strongest. They protect the front side from an attack.
▪ The middle group is fully protected.
▪ The 5 behind them are also among the strongest. They protect the back side.
▪ The last wolf is the LEADER. He ensures no one is left behind. He keeps the pack tight and on the same path. He is ready to run in any direction to protect his pack.

Being a leader is not about being in front.

Do you care more about others than about yourself? Do you respect and protect your elders? Are you a leader in life’s orchestra or do you just play your own piccolo solo?

Being a leader takes courage, discipline, and determination. While a great leader can bring great success, it also comes at the cost of being judged and overwhelmed. The Bible speaks of so many wonderful leaders and how God blessed them for their work. There are many verses and Scriptures that God spoke to encourage men and women who choose to step up and lead.

The Bible tells us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9).

The Bible tells us not to fear or be dismayed and assures us He is our God and He will strengthen us and help us. (Isaiah 41:10)

The Bible tells us as leaders to be humble and assures us that when we do, He will lift us up. (James 4:10)

The Bible tells us to not focus on our own interests but on the interests of others. (Phil 2:4)

It seems to me that the leader wolf at the back of the pack has been reading his Bible. How about you?

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The book of Revelation describes Jesus as “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world” (13:8 NIV). 1 Peter 1 points to “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (v. 19) and says that “he was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (v. 20).

In other words, before God made the world, his Son was already a sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world.

Romans 5:8 makes this fact plain: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” “While we were still sinners”—before we had done one thing to earn God’s forgiveness, Jesus died for us.

Here’s the point to understand: Jesus chose to die for you before you committed your first sin. He knew your forgiveness would cost him his life, but he chose to create you anyway. And every other person in human history with you.

There is nothing we can do to earn such love because it was decided before we even existed. His redeeming grace is like a house you build for your grandchildren before your children are born. It is like a soldier who dies for a country that does not yet exist, but his death helps create.

— o —

Nearly half of Jewish young people in America have been the victims of anti-Semitic acts in the last five years. Think about that fact for a moment. More than a third have experienced such hatred on a college campus or know someone who has.

Today, 88 percent of Jewish Americans think anti-Semitism is a problem in the US; 84 percent believe the problem has gotten worse over the last five years. The Anti-Semitic League reports that anti-Semitic acts in the US rose 57 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year. These are staggering numbers as well.

Writing for The Atlantic, Emma Green documents a frightening list of anti-Semitic reports in recent months. The title of her article: “American Jews Are Terrified”.

— o —

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

---

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

There is no one too unclean or too far away that God will not go after them. Jesus is an equal opportunity Savior. Kelly Knouse

If You Contain a Fire, It Will Die; If You Let It out, It Will Spread. Ken Whitten

You can’t teach that which you don’t know. Bob Sprinkle

But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 2 Timothy‬ ‭2:23‬‬

Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. American author and scientist James Jay Horning.

Takers live better, but givers sleep better. Ken Whitten

Abortion Clinic CEO Compares Abortion to Removing a Mole or Getting a Root Canal.

The higher your Pedestal, the further you fall. Ken Whitten

Week Six, 2020

LOOK DOWN

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,” (Acts 7:55).

It was a cold winter day as the four of us huddled together on a London train platform waiting for the local to go see one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. When we arrived, the outside was nothing outstanding, but when we entered, it was another story.

St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle is famous as the burial place of Henry VIII as well as the location where Prince Harry and Princess Meghan were married. I was amazed by its stunningly beautiful ceiling. But staring up at this exquisite architectural masterpiece is difficult, so a mirror has been placed on the ground.

When we stand before it, we can look down to see up. I couldn’t but think of a spiritual parallel. Jesus came down to earth so we could see the God who lives in heaven. There is one difference between Jesus and the mirror in the castle.

A mirror is not a person, though it reflects one. But Jesus is God, not just his reflection. He is “God made visible.” Colossians 1 states that the Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (v. 15). This is an astounding fact. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

When you watch Jesus in action, you watch God in action. When you hear Jesus teach, you hear God teach. When you come to know what Jesus is like, you know what God is like. You don’t need to be in the dark about God. He has gone beyond parchment and paper.

He has gone beyond tapes and cassettes. He has gone beyond videos and even beyond live drama. He has actually come and pitched His tent in our backyard and beckoned us to watch Him and get to know Him in the person of his Son Jesus.

So, to see the God above, look down and look around to see Jesus in action and God will come into your focus.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my border.

I was reading through 1 Chronicles and came upon the passage made famous by Bruce Wilkinson’s bestseller, The Prayer of Jabez: “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

For God to “enlarge” his “border” meant to increase his territory and influence. Jabez wanted his life to count as fully as possible. But he knew that this was impossible unless the “hand” of God was “with” him to lead, empower, and protect.

Such a prayer may seem audacious, but “God granted what he asked.” It seems that the Lord wants us to seek to be all we can be for His glory and the good of others.

• We are to “work heartily” in all we do (Colossians 3:23). Are you doing so?

• God wants us to “approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10). Are you ready for that day?

• Our Father empowers what he expects: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). Are you seeking such empowerment? Jim Denison

— o —

What would you guess might be the most popular Bible verse, according to You Version’s 400 million users?

Philippians 4:6 is the answer. The verse says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

What does its popularity say about us?

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

We cannot be like Christ without the help of Christ. Jim Denison

The phrase “do not fear” appears more than 300 times in the Bible. Kelly Knouse

Christians spend more time and money in the streets than the followers of other religions spent in their temples. Historian Eberhard Arnold

The church’s greatest need is the Word of God

God uses ordinary people for extraordinary plans. Ken Whitten

People cannot be saved unless Jesus saves them. Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Week Five, 2020

THE BUTTON

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).

Remember way back when as you were on a family vacation and you want to get a photo for the coffee table of the whole family, kids and dog included, with the mountains in the background? After finding the right backdrop and staging the right pose, then you had to find another tourist to snap your vacation memory photo.

You would hand the camera to someone who looked like a good candidate and meticulously show them what to press and then get back in the pose (the dog was the hardest) Ready, aim…. “Now what do I have to push,” says the photographer and you start all over again.

Now things have changed. Cameras are out and phones are in. Want a photo? Just ask anyone and hand them your phone. Snap and it is done. No training required because everyone has the same phone. Picture taking is universal.

There is a spiritual parallel here. There are many religions that profess different ways to access God, but Christianity says there is only one way. This is the universal way, so clearly spelled out in the Bible.

It seems that religious pluralism has become the default setting in our culture. Everyone wants it their way. But, no matter how great the pressure to conform or to compromise, Christians must stand firm and insist that there is only one way of salvation, namely, faith in Jesus Christ. The reason is simple: that’s exactly what Jesus Himself taught.

The message of the New Testament could hardly be clearer: if you’re not saved through Jesus, you’re not saved. The modern-day pluralist may allow Christ to be one among many ways to salvation, but—to borrow a thought from C. S. Lewis—Christ Himself didn’t leave that option open to us. Either He is Lord overall, or He isn’t Lord at all.

If the basic human problem is as the Bible describes it—that we’re sinners standing under the righteous judgment of God, unable even to begin to make an adequate atonement for our own sins—then only Christianity presents a solution that adequately addresses the problem. No other religion offers a perfect mediator between God and man who removes the enmity between us and our Creator by bearing the penalty for our sin in our place.

If the Bible is right about our predicament, then Jesus must be the only way of salvation, and our duty must be to proclaim Him as the only way. Love of God, love of Christ, love of neighbor, and love of truth leave us with no alternative.

There is no other button to press.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

THEY:

As we delve into 2020, we are learning about the latest social trends. Pop culture fads. The person of the year. The most googled word. And each dictionary announces their word of the year.

Merriam-Webster billed as “America’s most trusted dictionary,” recently announced their word of the year is “they.”

They? How could an elementary, third-person plural pronoun be the word of the year?

The answer is simple. Sort of. “They” has changed its meaning. In a statement, the organization explained that “they” is now used by those who identify as gender non-binary. “English famously lacks a gender-neutral singular pronoun,” they explained.

Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, told the Associated Press that searches for the term skyrocketed after a number of celebrity figures announced their gender-neutrality, including model Oslo Grace and Amandla Stenberg. “It’s a word we all know and love,” Sokolowski said. “So many people were talking about this word.”

According to another source, the American Psychological Association approved “they” as a singular third-person pronoun and updated its latest style guide for scholarly writing accordingly.

And so, the confusion and controversy in our culture over gender-identity continues, as evidenced by the simple word of the year, “they.”

Don’t you miss the simple days, when boys were boys and girls were girls? When we knew the difference between single and plural pronouns? When “he” meant a male. “She” meant a female. And “they” referred to a group.

I don’t claim to understand the confusion over gender identity. I’m not a psychologist or psychiatrist. I’m a preacher. So, I will offer a simple Bible explanation.

Gender crisis and confusion exists because people have strayed away from God. They have lost their spiritual identity. And they have denied the Creator and His purpose for their lives.

Our society is on the fast track to becoming like the pagan culture Paul described in Romans chapter one. “…They knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” (Rom. 1:21-25)

The Bible says that in the beginning God created the first pair “male and female.” He pronounced a blessing upon them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Gen 1:27-28). Later when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees a question relating to marriage, he responded this way.

“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh; therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matt 19:4-6)

The Bible does not give us free rein to choose our sexual preferences and gender identity.

Our culture has taken something simple, and obvious and made it so complex and complicated that it goes beyond the absurd. Yet, “enlightened” educators, politicians, journalists and sadly some church leaders, nod with some kind of knowing empathy that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, feelings, behavior and sexual identity or preference.

Our culture has lost its way. The real crisis today is a crisis of values. G. K. Chesterton was right when he wrote, “The danger when men stop believing in God is not that they’ll believe nothing; but that they will believe in anything.”

The solution is not to seek our gender identity, but to seek God. To desire spiritual communion with Him. And to accept who He created us to be.

Parents, preachers, and Bible teachers must now emphasize to a new generation influenced by the confusion of their culture, that God created us. He made us male and female. He gave us distinct gender roles. And that our body does not belong to us, it belongs to the Lord.

In response to those truly disturbed and confused by their gender and sexuality, let us offer God’s grace. Extend mercy. Show love. And care for those emotionally tortured.

May we, like our Heavenly Father, grieve over the brokenness of our culture and the depravity into which the devil has ensnared them.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You can’t enjoy the sight of the beautiful rainbow without rain.

The peace of God requires the power of God. Jim Denison

Would you have a second child if you knew that child would murder your first child? We are God’s second children. And He chose to make us, and His first child chose to die for us, anyway. Jim Denison

No one ever choked from swallowing his pride.

God does his deepest work in the deepest times of your life. Adrian Rogers

The greatest gift we can pass down to the next generation is to instill the value of giving back.

We don’t need a platform or a position to share the Good News. Kelly Knouse

Week Four, 2020

THE PLAYBOOK

By Florida Senator John Grant, retired

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It’s the biggest sports event of the year. Millions watch it and thousands pay big bucks to be able to attend and view it in person. Athletes train year-round and compete throughout the fall just for the opportunity to participate and hopefully win “the ring.” Not only do they physically train and compete, they are in a mental game which requires much understanding and mental comprehension. They have a playbook and what they read on each page has to be precisely executed on the field of play. The event is called the Superbowl.

The playbook is one of the common elements in all levels of football from peewee to pro. It contains the game plan each team uses to try to overcome its opponent. Without the playbook teams and players would be in a state of confusion, not knowing what to do or where to go. On the other hand, no matter how good the playbook is, it’s absolutely useless if the players don’t study and apply it.

Life is like that and there is no better playbook than the Word of God. It contains everything we need to defeat the opposition (the Devil).

Although we may recognize that God has a plan for our lives, we often do not acknowledge that the Devil has a game plan too. It is completely opposite of God’s plan. The Devil’s plan is to “steal and kill and destroy” our lives, while God’s plan is to give us a full and abundant life.

In order for us to consistently overcome our adversary, we must know what God’s “playbook” says by reading and studying it and apply what it says to our lives. If we don’t, we are feeding right into the plans of our enemy. God has placed us all in another game. It is called the Superbowl of Life.

Here are some of the plays in God’s playbook for our lives.

So, then, how can we know God’s plan for our lives? Over the past twenty-five years that I have been in ministry, I have discovered eight vital keys to knowing God’s will and plan for your life. Here they are:

1) Walk with God.

2) Surrender your will to God’s.

3) Obey what you already know to be God’s Will.

4) Seek godly input.

5) Pay attention to how God has wired you.

6) Listen to God’s Spirit.

7) Listen to your heart.

8) Take a look at your circumstances.

The next time you begin to ponder God’s plan for your life, mull over the above eight keys. Use these principles to help you to focus on the plays in His plan. And when you seek His will earnestly, you will find it!

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Fruits of God’s Kingdom:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Gentleness
• Faithfulness
• Self-control
• Rest
• Acceptance
• Fruits of Satan’s Kingdom:
• Hatred
• Depression
• Anxiety/Angst
• Impatience/Irritability
• Mean-spiritedness
• Evilness
• Harshness/rough
• Faithless/hopeless
• Out of Control
• Striving with exhaustion
• Rejection

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The of kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in you” (Luke 17:20).

— o —

CASH NO LONGER KING:

When Oliver Hicks finished helping his family with yard work last summer, his dad handed him $50 in cash. Oliver didn’t want it. He asked his dad to send him the money through an app on his phone.

“He was like, ‘What do you mean? There’s $50 in cash right in front of you. Why don’t you want it right now?’” recalls Oliver, a 20-year-old sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

Oliver is like many young adults and teens in that he prefers the convenience of a digital wallet to physical cash—even if it means waiting a while to receive payment. People often use mobile payment services like Venmo and Cash App to reimburse friends for office gifts or dinner. But with young people snubbing cash altogether, parents and grandparents now are being forced to join in if they want to compensate them for chores or babysitting.

— o —

The average American household now has almost $16,000 in credit card debt.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You may be the captain of the ship, but God is the ruler of the seas. Steve Scott

We don’t always believe things because they are true, but because they are expedient. Elle Sheen’s Diary

Sometimes we need darkness to reveal our light.

Our disappointments are often God’s appointments. Ken Whitten

Take time every day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in the ordinary events of your life. Cesar Milla

Comedian Will Rogers said it well: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.”

Are you walking in your calling? Sol Pitchon

It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t have a choice.

Week Three, 2020

What is weighing you down?

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

When I studied pre-flight aeronautics, I learned what I had to do to check my airplane before departing. One important item was weight and balance. In order to fly, an aircraft has to be within weight limitations and weight has to be distributed in the right place. Too much weight or wrongfully distributed weight will keep the plane from lifting off the runway or if it does, if it is nose or tail heavy, it will come back to earth quickly, often with disastrous consequences.

Life is like that. We cannot move forward when we are held back by carrying too much of the past. All too often our priorities are in the wrong place.

Often, we can be oblivious to the number and cumulative impact of the initiatives we have in progress at the same time. Too often we lack the mechanisms to manage the demands that having too much on our plate places on us.

Worse than having too much to manage, is having the wrong priorities. What needs to get done now doesn’t get done, because what can be done later is speaking more loudly. Often our choices are not items that are right or wrong, but rather important or more important.

Sadly, too often our spiritual life gets unprioritized and pushed to the back burner. Often this happens to me and I get disconnected from God

What’s a good way to tell that you’re disconnected from God? When you feel like an emotional mess. Every time you feel angry, sad, resentful, unworthy, depressed, you name it, you are being given a sure sign that you’re putting God last. I have been that way all too often and ashamed of it.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.

Jesus said that the most important thing in our lives is to first seek the kingdom of God. And, oh by the way, He continues to add that when we do this, everything in our life falls into its proper and manageable place.

What is the most important priority in your life today?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The temptation of being good:

As I read about our veterans, thought about my father’s sacrifice, I was inspired to make Jabez’s prayer my own. If millions of men and women could give their best to serve our nation, I can give my best to serve my Lord.

Here’s the problem: it is tempting to settle for less than our best when our good seems better than others. If we have not yielded to cultural pressure on abortion, homosexual relations, euthanasia, etc., we can conclude that we are more moral than those who have. But heterosexual sexual sin is sin as well. God cares for the poor as well as the unborn. He wants the best medical care for the indigent as well as the terminally ill.

And He wants us to champion all that He champions. I have noticed that it is easier to preach against sins I am not tempted to commit personally. Jim Denison

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$123 billion: The value of the cancer-drugs market which is expected to double by 2024.

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The Warren Buffet Foundation Spent $77 Million on Abortion, enough to Kill 220,000 Babies in Abortions.

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Where are you heading? What are you running after? We’re all running after something. Too often we find we’re running after stuff, and money, things, trophies and awards. Maybe we’re running after our image, reputation or some recognition, hoping to find fulfillment, satisfaction and purpose. But whatever it is, we’re all running after something. What are you running after? Pastor Scott Whitaker

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Why is it that people with the smallest minds have the largest mouths? Elle Sheen’s Diary

By limiting our compassion to those we know, we miss the opportunity to serve those we do not. Jim Denison

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers to all problems people face. Ronald Reagan

Start the day with eating the big frog first and nothing worse will happen all day.

We only die once. We live every day. Snoopy

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Lao Tzu

Whenever it feels uncomfortable to tell the truth, that’s often the most important time to tell it.” Jennifer Lopez

There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talent, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age. Sophia Loren

Week Forty-Eight, 2019

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15

While Mahatma Gandhi was a practicing Hindu, Christianity intrigued him. In his reading of the Gospels, Gandhi was impressed by Jesus whom Christians worshipped and followed. He wanted to know more about this Jesus that Christians referred to as “the Christ, the Messiah.”

One Sunday morning Gandhi decided that he would visit one of the Christian churches in Calcutta. Upon seeking entrance to the church sanctuary, he was stopped at the door by the ushers.

He was told he was not welcome, nor would he be permitted to attend this particular church as it was for high-caste Indians and whites only. He was neither high caste, nor was he white. Because of the rejection, Mahatma turned his back on Christianity.

With this act, Gandhi rejected the Christian faith, never again to consider the claims of Christ. He was turned off by the sin of segregation that was practiced by the church. It was due to this experience that Gandhi later declared, “I’d be a Christian if it were not for the Christians.”

Do Christian churches practice selective admission? Are some people more welcome than others? We are called to be racially and culturally inclusive.

As a young boy, I attended a rural southern church that had a policy on how to handle a black person who might seek admission to worship. The ushers were to immediately escort someone of another race out of the church and then the preaching of the Gospel would continue.

Are churches much better today? If someone dressed like they were homeless and who smelled like it sat down in a pew next to you, would you shake their hand and invite them to attend your Sunday School class? While churches have gone past selective admission, don’t we too often practice selective inclusion?

God has no partiality. He saves anyone who believes the Gospel, no matter where they are from, how they are dressed or the color of their skin. God will not reject anyone who comes to Him. The Gospel is for everyone. If we repent of our sin and believe in Christ, we will be saved. That is the message of the Gospel.

The Gospel is not just for the unsaved… we all need it every day and it is not just for people like us. It is for all whom God has created. The Gospel is the message God has given us. Only the Gospel can save us.

Sadly, there are people today who, like Gandhi who can say they “would be a Christian if it weren’t for the Christians.”

Remember, whether it is Little League or in the pros, the dimensions of second base are always the same.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The Church was never meant to be a building. It is a movement of God’s people. You have a sphere of influence no one else has. Be bold and join the movement. Idlewild Baptist Church

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A Thoughts on Life note from a reader in Kenya:

Let us always thank God for what He has done to us day by day. May God bless the message that I have read, Thanks and may God bless you boundedly. Pray for me to have the Heart of giving and helping the needy people.

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Albert Einstein confessed to Time magazine: Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth. I had never any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once, despised, I now praise unreservedly.

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The human eye has more than 2 million working parts and is capable of focusing at 50+ different things in any given second. Muscles responsible for controlling the eyes are the most active muscles in the entire human body.

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According to a YouGov survey, 45 percent of Americans believe ghosts exist. Forty-three percent think ghosts can come back to haunt people or places.

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Nearly 20% of all medical doctors have a problem with alcohol and substance abuse.

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The World Health Organization estimates there are over 200 million alcoholics worldwide. An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes every year in the United States. Over 10,00 people die every year on US highways due to crashes that involve alcohol-impaired drivers. The misuse of alcohol costs the US over $249 billion annually.

Solomon was right when he wrote, “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise (Prov 20:2) Is it worth the risk?

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

There’s more grace and mercy in Christ than there is sin in us. Edgar Aponte

If we approach each day with the knowledge that the Lord can use us in ways we might not expect, and the willingness to allow him to do so, then we open the doors to endless possibilities. Ryan Denison

Rather than thinking about the world in the categories of simply good and evil, a biblical worldview helps us think in categories of good and redeemable. Lecrae Moore

Avoiding bitterness is key to a healthy and joyful life. Bitterness is the poison we drink to kill someone else — how crazy is that! In our culture of microaggressions, safe spaces, and trigger warnings; bitterness has grown to epidemic proportions with many carrying a “Spirit of Offense” into every life encounter. God’s primary antidotes for bitterness are forgiveness and gratitude. Resilient Warrior

If you worship money you will never have enough. Pastor John Onwuchekwa

Love is not an emotion. It is an action to be demonstrated. Pastor Andrew Evans

Jonathan Edwards noted: The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.

Pastor Jim Cymbala: We need the power of God more than prosperity. The word of God can only be carried on by the power of God. The church is a spiritual organism fighting spiritual battles: only spiritual power can make it perform as God ordained.

Week Forty-Seven, 2019
GIVING THANKS

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. Jeremiah 30.19

We were slightly hesitant as we drove to an economically lesser part of a strange country. We were there on mission to help refugees who fled from their neighboring homeland. They appreciated our work to help them and one family invited us to their less than modest small apartment for dinner with the family.

Their home was impeccably clean, and they so welcomed us. While the husband was cooking over charcoal on a grill on the balcony, we visited with the wife and two ever so polite teenage sons. As we ate, they told us their story, how they fled their homeland on foot, each with a small child in one arm and a bag of belongings on the other. They left everything, but they gained freedom in a new land. They exuded thankfulness for what they had.

I listened with tears in my eyes, as I thought of all I had back home and thought of what it would be like to leave it all in order to be free. I have so much, and they have so little, but they had and were thankful for that which mattered…. Faith, family and freedom.

This week, all across America, families and groups will join to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is my most favorite holiday. No commercialism, no last minute shopping….. just family time together to stop and give thanks.

As Christians we should give thanks in all things, and at all times to God the father through Christ Jesus. He has given us all we have and saved us from our sin. Giving thanks is the least we can do.

Psalm 107:1 (NIV) -“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) – “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Colossians 4:2 (NIV) – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

What will you thank God for this Thanksgiving?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Howard Hendricks tells a great story when he was on an American Airline flight after a very long delay. A man who had too much to drink was being rude to the other passengers. He was demanding with the flight attendants. And in a word just plain obnoxious!

Hendricks watched this flight attendant treat this unpleasant man with class, dignity and professionalism. She was unruffled. When he was rude, she was polite. When he was uncaring, she was kind.

Howard was so impressed that he walked back to the plane to commend the flight attendant. He told her what a good job she did. How impressed he was. And that he was going to write a letter of commendation to American Airlines.

In response, she said, “Thank you sir, but I don’t work for American Airlines.” Hendricks was briefly baffled until she added, “I work for Jesus Christ.”

Who do you work for?

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Because Jesus humbled Himself for us, it is our duty, obligation, and joy to humble ourselves as well. But to adjust ourselves into a radically humble lifestyle to escape the clutches of that other god, the question we must ask ourselves is this: Have we lived so long worshipping our own egos that we’ve lost our ability—perhaps even our desire—to humble ourselves as Christ did?”

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• French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.

• What storms have you allowed to rob you of God’s peace and assurance? What storms have caused you to forget—that no matter what is going on around you—God is still with you? Don’t let what is around you control you. Scott Whitaker

• What does it mean to be a “culture-changing Christian”?

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

We know how to organize warfare, but do we know how to act when confronted with peace? Jacques Cousteau

Ships are safe in port, but that’s not what ships were built for. Brig Sorber

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. Ronald Reagan

Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy cows and cows produce milk and milk makes ice cream and ice cream brings happiness.

Never leave home without a kiss, a hug and an I love you. Then remove the dog hair from your mouth as you walk to your car.

We are not cisterns made for hoarding, but channels made for sharing.
Billy Graham

Buying things isn’t bad or wrong, but shopping to feel a certain way, or to prove yourself to others or because you think something will make you feel happier or more successful doesn’t work.

We are all called to do, not extraordinary things, but very ordinary things, with an extraordinary love that flows from the heart of God.—Jeane Vanier

If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.—Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army.

Week Forty-Six, 2019
A PLACE TO STAND

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land – from Gilead to Dan. Deuteronomy 34:1

Moses did it and it was on my bucket list as well. Well, I finally did it a few weeks ago. I climbed to the top of Mt. Nebo and stared into the Promised Land. I use the word climb loosely. Actually, I walked up the path from the parking lot, but none-the-less I reached the pinnacle, elevation 2300 feet and looked to the West and saw what Moses saw.

The Dead Sea (elevation -1300) and the River Jordan were stretched out below to my left and to my right I looked up towards Jerusalem in the distance. I was awed by just being there. It was Moses’ last stand. God called him there. After years of leading God’s people in the wilderness, his mission was over, and God forbade him to cross into Canaan.
desert

Taking a stand is important. Archimedes credited with discovering leverage said: “Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the earth. Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world. Give me a firm spot on which to stand, and I shall move the earth.”

There are commands to take a stand in Scripture that are repeated many times. The call to ‘stand firm’ is one of those commands. It appears all throughout the Bible. “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

Like God called Moses to a place to stand, so too does He call us to take a stand… a stand for our faith. There is no doubt our great nation is at a crossroads, and the church of Jesus Christ needs to take a stand, individually and collectively. Being a Christian means taking a stand for Christ. Although undoubtedly sometimes difficult, the decision to stand up for Jesus is absolutely necessary, and any serious Christ-follower should make it.

Where would our culture be today if the Church and individual Christians stood up and stood firm for a Biblical world view? Does our walk match our talk? Do we take a stand for our faith when it is convenient and then waffle when it might cause us social or economic pain?

Are you willing to stand firm for Christ even if it hurts?
stand-firm

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Why do optimistic people live longer?

You and I can neither predict nor control the future, but we can control how we respond to its unpredictability. Our response, in turn, plays a pivotal role in our personal future.

A new study suggests that people who tend to be optimistic are likelier than others to live to be eighty-five years old or more. Researchers from Boston University and Harvard found that the most optimistic men and women demonstrated, on average, an 11–15 percent longer lifespan.

How can we become more optimistic? A clinical health psychologist explained that she works with patients to “uncover systems of beliefs and assumptions people are making about themselves in their lives” so they can “begin to change those.”

When we begin making optimistic assumptions, our attitudes toward our experiences become more positive, our stress levels respond, and our physical health can improve as well. In other words, when we choose to view life positively, life often responds in kind. Jim Denison

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New Jersey has rapidly caught up with Nevada in the race to be the nation’s biggest sports-betting market. Online gamblers now account for about 80% of all legal wagers on games in New Jersey, which surpassed Nevada for the first time in May in monthly sports bets. But as other states have waded into sports gambling, some are restricting it to physical locations like casinos, hesitating on mobile betting. More states will be launching sports betting in the coming months, as the NFL season gets underway and baseball playoffs approach. The trend toward mobile betting, following in the footsteps of popular mobile betting in Europe, is clear.

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• Researchers predict that cancer will become the leading cause of death in the US by next year.

• Google, YouTube fined a record $171 million for violating children’s privacy.

• Hold up, diet soda drinkers. Regular consumption of soft drinks – both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened – was associated with a greater risk of all causes of death, according to new research published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Participants who drank two or more glasses of soft drinks per day had a higher risk of mortality than those who consumed less than one glass per month.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Overcoming consumerism is an essential step in living a simplified life. Even more, it is an important step in living a focused, intentional life—one that is lived to our greatest potential. The Millenalist

Nothing we do impresses God except when we allow Him to be God in our life. Dr. Jim Smith

All you need to do is look at what we have in the world and look at it carefully, and you’ll see that there must be a God who is infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, personal, emotional, volitional, moral, spiritual, aesthetic, holy, just, loving, and living. It’s all there. And you pick up the Bible, and the Bible substantiates every bit of that. GOD IS!” John MacArthur

The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet—that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church. But He did say that the church should go to the whole world. Pastor Greg Laurie

The hallmark of a healthy society has always been measured by how it cares for the disadvantaged. Author and Ministry Leader Joni Eareckson Tada

The ideas that shape politics and a culture are rarely advanced by argument. Rather, they are advanced by the stories that shape our imaginations. Warren Cole Smith and John Stonestreet, Restoring All Things.

R. C. Sproul has written, “God can use the smallest words that we speak, the smallest service that we give, and bring a kingdom out of it.

Albert Einstein once said, “Nothing happens until something moves.”