TODAY'S PROMISE

"Jesus gave his life for our sins,

just as God our Father planned,

in order to rescue us from this

evil world in which we live."

(Galatians 1:4 NLT)

IS YOUR LIFE TOO EASY??

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An easy life is something that we all desire.

I do not know about you, but I get tired of all

the pressures and problems of life.  It is enough

to make a person want to run off and hide 

sometimes.

But, is that good?

Consider this comment.

"An easy life is one of the greatest deterrents to a

man's seeking after God, and one of the biggest

threats to Christian growth."

- Thomas A. Davis

That makes sense to me.

If everything is going well with no problems

or needs, why look for help.  You would be

"lulled" to sleep in the face of reality.  A reality

that most of us do not want to face.

Some years ago after a war had ended in Ethiopia

Mr. Thomas Davis reports that;

"... an Ethiopian Christian wrote a letter in which

he reported that now that the war had ended, Christians

in his country were becoming lax in their living.  He

he prayed that trouble might come again, that faith

might grow strong once more."

If the problems of life does not drive us to seek

after God and a relationship with Him.  We will

loose every thing we have worked for or hoped 

for on this earth.  And worse yet, our soul would

be damed for eternity.

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles

come your way, consider it an opportunity for

great joy.  For you know that when your faith

is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully

developed, you will be perfect and complete,

needing nothing."

(James 2 - 4 NLT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy

and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in

the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called 'the

rejoicing of hope' (Hebrews 3:6)."  

- William Gurnall

TODAY'S PROMISE

"We know how much God loves us;

and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love

live in God, and God lives in them."  

-1 John 4:16 NLT

FAKE CHRISTIANS

We all dislike FAKES.
I recently bought a small used laptop computer
on line for a specific purpose.  It had a "new"
Windows 7 O.S. installed.  That was fine with
me.  Would you believe it, the O.S. that was
installed was a generic Windows 7.  That
would be O.K. with me - if it worked right.
BUT IT DON'T.

We all dislike, and suffer, when a "FAKE" is
involved.  Whether it is fake money, fake
merchandise, or, fake people.

Let me share with you about a fake car that
reminds me of a certain type of fake people.

My best friend bought a cheap used car
knowing that it lacked perfection.  But
he knew that as a retired [That's, real
tired.] Lincoln, Mercury technician I would
do anything I could to help him.

The day he brought it over for me to look
at it I found it said it was a 24 valve
double overhead cam engine.  See, it says
so right on fender.   Great.  I liked them.

But when I opened the hood I found what is called

a OHV engine.  Now thy were fine engines, BUT

that is not what it says on the car.  See the image below.

It simply is not  the engine that the car says is in it.

Some one had put a different engine in the car.

HE HAD A FAKE CAR

and we have not found the end of the troubles

yet, and might never work all the problems

out.

That is how it is with multitudes of so called

"Christians".  They carry the name, but the 

power inside of them comes from a different

 source.

"They claim that they know God,

but their actions deny it.

They are hateful and disobedient,

not fit to do anything good."

(Titus 1:16 GNT)

Being good, nice, helpful, generous and

all those things do not make a person a

Christian either.

The very creator of the universe it's self,

Jesus Christ the Son of the living God

was talking to an extremely "Religious"

man when he said;

"I am telling you the truth:

no one can see the Kingdom

of God without being born

again."

(John 3:3 GNT)

All of us have been born of the flesh.

But only those who have submitted to

Jesus Christ allowing him to become 

our very "BOSS" and have His Spirit

living in and powering us or Christians.

The rest of mankind who do not have

the Spirit of God in them and powering 

them are  only "FAKES" if they claim

the title of "Christian."

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"Whatever you do, wherever you live, if you belong

to Jesus Christ, the call from heaven has come to 

you - to the highest honor a human being can exp-

rience.  The Son of God is spreading His love, His

lifestyle, and His life-saving message across this 

planet - and you know what?  He has summoned

you to join Him in His glorious administration

Don't settle for anything less."

-Ron Hutchcraft

TODAY'S PROMISE

"So also Christ died once for all time

as a sacrifice to take away sins of many

people.  He will come again, not to deal

with our sins, but to bring salvation to 

all who are eagerly waiting for him."  

(Hebrews 9:28 NLT)

THE MAN IN THE GARAGE

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Let me tell you about one of my learning experiences.

May years ago while attending one of the colleges

in the area I lived in at the time, I worked in a combination

service station and garage.  One of our customers was

a man named "Ernie".  Ernie was a nice old man, but,

well different.

You see, Ernie lived in his garage and his wife lived

in the house.  She seemed to be a normal well 

adjusted woman.  But her husband lived out in 

the garage.

Now this is just a guess, but I learned that Ernie

had it all figured out.  He knew just exactly how

much he could earn without paying any income 

tax.  So, Ernie would only work until he would

have to pay tax.  He was not going to work for

the government.  So he would take the rest of 

the year off.

Now that might not be the reason.  But I suspect

that caused his wife to send him to the garage.

What did I learn out of that.

Ernie lived in the garage - BUT,

that did not make a car out of him.

You know, just like setting in a Church

will not make a Christian out of you.

If you do not have a personal relationship

with Jesus Christ - you are only a

pretend Christian at the best.

TODAY'S BIBLE QUOTE

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"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters;

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak,

and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not

produce the righteousness God desires."

(James 1:19,20 NLT)   

RICK WARREN AND CREATION.

"You didn't create yourself,

so there is no way you can tell yourself

what you were created for!"

- Rick Warren

TODAY'S PROMISE

"But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole,

He was whipped so we could be healed."

(Isaiah 53:5 NLT)

HOPE FOR A BROKEN HEART

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Most of us who have lived any length of time

at all have endured a broken heart, or at least

great sorry and /or regret.  Some times; time or

a change in circumstances helps to heal.  But, 

not always.

But what can a person do when they hurt way 

down deep where nobody else can see or reach

or help?

Over a very long life with numbers of great hurts,

sorrows and regrets I have learned the source of 

healing for the broken heart.

No it is not something I have discovered or some

new technique or super food.  But going to the 

one who made your heart to start with - JESUS

CHRIST.

Many of us know that Jesus Christ came to 

earth to die as a sacrifice for our sins.  But

we do not always know all he came to do 

for us.

When thinking on these things one time God

impressed on my mind to look at the prophecy

given about the purpose of the coming of Jesus

Christ to start with.

Notice the second item.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,

for the LORD has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

and to proclaim the captives will be released

and prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn

that the time of the LORD'S favor

has come,

and with it, the day of God's anger

against their enemies."

(Isaiah 61:1,2 NLT)

Did you see that?

"He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted..."

Jesus himself tells us that God knows the very

number of the hairs of our head.  He cares more

about me than I care about myself.

You can see why over the years I have gone to 

Him with hundreds of small insignificant, AND

HUGE, problems.  Because He came to comfort

my broken heart.

"Give all your worries and cares to God,

for he cares about you."

(1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

TAKE THAT BROKEN HEART TO GOD

AND TELL HIM ALL ABOUT IT.

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"I'd rather see a sermon than hear on any day;

I'd rather one should walk with me than merely

tell the way."

-Edgar Guest