October 20th, 2001
“Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.”
Can you trust God? How much can you trust him?
With some of your problems? All of your problems?
Some of your finanaces? All of your finances?
Some of your cares? All of your cares?
Some of your fears? All of your fears?
With some of your heart? Or, all of your heart?
Can you trust God?
October 18th, 2001
Living in Lasting Peace from InTouch Ministires
“His name shall be called . . . The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
The original Greek word for peace means “to bind together,” offering us a fascinating insight into the only sure source of peace.
Romans 5:1 states that when we are justified by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. This means we have been bound together with a totally holy God after having been separated from Him because of sin.
Therefore, the key element in true, lasting peace is the presence of God in our lives. Paul states in Ephesians 2:14 that Christ is our peace, which means that His presence is the presence of peace within us. Jesus says in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace.”
What is this peace? It is an inner sense of contentment and quietness regardless of life’s circumstances. It is steadfast confidence in our ever-faithful, immutable heavenly Father. It is the presence of joy in the midst of unhappiness.
True peace is not merely painting our pain with a pretty color. A person who has genuine godly peace will endure an avalanche of hardship and difficulty and still abide within a peace that surpasses all human understanding. Why? Because it is not based on our circumstances, events, or what others may do to us. It is based simply on the fact that the Spirit of a holy and omnipotent God lives within us, and there is absolutely no shadow of turning in Him.
October 16th, 2001
“My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.”
This is how I feel sometimes–plans shattered, dreams thwarted, hopes dashed. I can relate to Job.
October 5th, 2001
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” (Psalm 103:1-6).
What a great reminder for all those confused, discouraging and despairing. The Lord has good “benefits” for all those who love him and trust him. These are good benefits. They are blessed benefits. Are you ready to trust God? Can you trust God? Ask him to help you.
September 24th, 2001
“Remember what Christ taught and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with Him into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks.”
These words from Colossians are just so full of life! Read over them. Dwell on them. Ponder them. Let them soak deep into your soul.
September 1st, 2001
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
August 29th, 2001
For many years Barbara Erichson taught pre-K autistic children. Frequently during class, the children scratched her, pinched her, even bit her and carried on in all sorts of ways that were injurious to her and detrimental to her work. She was not offended.
She knew the children were autistic, profoundly handicapped, caught up in their own little worlds with all their needs for structure, the longing to communicate and the inability to do so. With this disability came frustration, anxiety, fear, anger and so on.
Barbara envisions God as a pre-K teacher and all of us humans as autistic, profoundly handicapped. And so we live in our own little world shaped by our DNA and all the programming enjoined by our particular culture. Sensing our own uniqueness, we have tremendous difficulty communicating with those around us. Out of sheer frustration, anxiety, fear and anger we end up acting in inappropriate ways which, we were taught, offend God. Barbara suggests we do not offend God; we simply act inappropriately, going against the right order of things, hurting ourselves and others.
August 29th, 2001
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.”
August 22nd, 2001
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn
