Week Thirteen, 2019
By Florida Senator John Grant (Retired)
“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:13).
Recently over lunch with one of my military hero friends, I listened to him describe what it was like to be shot down by the enemy. He was a helicopter pilot who went into a combat zone to pick up and drop off men. He landed and did the transfer as fast as he could, then lifted off. It was a slow lift since he was loaded down with heavy weapons.
The slow lift gave the enemy a chance and they began firing, hitting the chopper in its turbine and preventing the lift off. He settled down and all exited as fast as possible, taking cover behind a levy. The enemy was advancing and he had little time to protect his men, one of whom had already been shot.
Fortunately, he had an old worn out radio with little power, but enough power and capacity for him to make one call for help. He was successful and soon help arrived and saved them. He said that another couple of minutes and they all would have been shot or captured. He was so thankful for that one last call.
As I listened to him I could not but think about the spiritual side. We are all born sinners, but when we call upon the Lord, we can be saved for eternal life with him. Some have called upon him literally on their death bed and minutes away from dying. Others have done so early in their lives.
It is something that should not be put off. You never know what the next moment in your life will be. There is a danger about waiting because we could be too late, but when we make that call, and believe in our heart, we will be saved.
The Bible has 57 verses about calling on the Lord. The first is in Genesis 4. In Jonah 2:2 “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.
In Acts 7:59-60: They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.
Calling on the name of the Lord is basic for salvation and presupposes faith in the Lord. God promises to save those who, in faith, call upon His name: “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Romans 10:13)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
Which are the “most sinful states” in the US?
A new study has compared America’s fifty states using forty-three indicators of immorality.
The data set ranges from violent crimes to excessive drinking to gambling disorders.
Unsurprisingly, Nevada ranks first, primarily because of “greed” and “lust.”
Florida comes in second because of “jealousy,” “lust,” and “vanity.” The rest of the top (or bottom) ten in order: California, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona.
The least sinful states in order are Vermont, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Idaho.
Sin may be measured collectively, but it is committed personally. And it never stays secret.
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The first Gospel tract was the Gospel of John
Five trillion plastic bags are used each year globally.
“There are more abortions after 20 weeks than gun homicides in the United States, and according to research from the Planned Parenthood-affiliated Guttmacher Institute, ‘data suggest that most women seeking later terminations are not doing so for reasons of fetal anomaly or life endangerment.’“
47% – the percentage of Americans who identified themselves as pro-life, up from 38% in January 2019
If you want to bug someone, when you go to visit tell Alexa to set a wake-up call for 3 AM with lots of loud music.
We send 6,000 tweets a second.
We are the most verbal society in history.
Digital technology is enabling us to “make disciples of all nations” more effectively than ever before in Christian history (Matthew 28:19).
Nine previous Oscar winners later committed suicide
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
The best experience for a Christian is to be saved. The second best experience is to know you are saved. Dr. Bob Pittman
There is a difference between prayer and praying.
The only difference between a madman and myself is that I am not mad. —Salvador Dali
We can’t have it both ways. We cannot refuse to live by God’s word and then fault God for the consequences of our disobedience. We’re like people who drive our car into a tree and blame the company that made the car. —Jim Denison
When you feel like quitting, remember why you started. —Preacher Man
Christianity is a life not a religion. —Ken Whitten, Senior Pastor, Idlewild Baptist Church
Jesus plus nothing equals everything.