Monthly Archives: February 2014

The Person God Uses

Leave a comment

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”1

In God’s order there is work for everyone to do. He doesn’t call many to be a “Billy Graham or a Mother Teresa,” but he does call all of us to be faithful in using the gifts and abilities he has given to us. In case we don’t feel worthy to be of much use to God, it can help to look at the frailties of many of God’s servants in the Bible.

Somebody has pointed out that: “Moses stuttered. David’s armor didn’t fit. John Mark was rejected by Paul. Hosea’s wife was a prostitute. Amos’s only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning. Jacob was a liar. David had an affair. Solomon was too rich. Abraham was too old. David was too young. Timothy had ulcers. Peter was afraid of death.

“Lazarus was dead. John was self-righteous. Jesus was too poor. Naomi was a widow. Paul was a murderer. So was Moses. Jonah ran from God. Miriam was a gossip. Gideon and Thomas both doubted. Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal. Elijah was burned out. John the Baptist was a loudmouth. Martha was a worry-wart. Samson had long hair. Noah got drunk. Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse? So did Peter as did Paul.”

True, we all have areas of weakness and have experienced failure at some level, but God will still use every one who makes him or herself available to God. So let’s be sure we are serving God by faithfully using the gifts and talents he has given to each of us. It’s a great privilege and a great opportunity—plus it has eternal rewards.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the want-to-be what You want me to be and the want-to-do what You want me to do using the gifts and abilities You have given to me—and help me to love and serve You faithfully all the days of my life. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV)

<:))))><

A True Winner

Leave a comment

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters … in singleness of your heart as unto Christ; Not with eye-service as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”1

Craig Saunders wrote about an experience he witnessed when he attended a Special Olympics for the Handicapped where several people from his church were competing. He shared how in the 220 track race a very fast runner named Andrew was 50 yards ahead of the rest of the runners when he glanced back and saw his best friend fall. The crowd at the finishing post was yelling to Andrew, “Come on, come on, come on!”

But Andrew stopped and went back and took his friend’s hand and lifted him to his feet and they ran together to finish the race.

The entire crowd stood to their feet and applauded. As Saunders said, “It was an amazing sight because that’s what the Special Olympics are about. People don’t consider being ‘Number One.’ The most important thing is that people finish the race.”

Andrew won the Sportsman Award at those Special Olympics because he was more concerned about being “Number One” to his friend than being “Number One” to the crowd.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please grant that I will always want to please You and be there for my friends, and not allow my life or lifestyle be that of wanting the adulation of the crowd. And please help me to finish the race that You have set before me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 6:5-6.

<:))))><

Ob Portu

Leave a comment

“Behold, now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation.”1

“Opportunity,” James Wallace said, “comes to pass—not to pause.”

I have read that in the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for the flood tide to make it into port. The term for this in Latin was called ob portu. That is, a ship wanting to enter port had to wait for the moment when the tide was exactly right to carry it to harbor. The captain and the crew waited for the precise moment when the tide was right because they knew if they missed it, they would have to wait for another tide to come in. Shakespeare used this idea to write one of his famous passages:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our venture.

The English word “opportunity” is derived from the term, ob portu. God gives every one of us many ob portus or flood tides. That is, he gives us many opportunities to serve him, to dedicate our lives more fully to him, to grow and become more like him, and to make something beautiful out of our life for time and eternity. These opportunities rarely come gift wrapped, tied with a bow and ribbon. They come in much more subtle ways.

And best of all he gives each of us the opportunity to accept him as our personal Lord and Savior, to have our sins forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. As God’s Word says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation.” For help be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—Without having to be religious” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian

Remember, “Opportunity comes to pass—not to pause.” So whatever it is God is calling you to be or do, don’t miss your ob portu.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to recognize the opportunities that come every day for me to be what You want me to be and to do what You want me to do. And, no matter how You call, when You have something special for me to do, help me to hear and obey that call no matter how quiet or subtle it may be. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 6:2.

<:))))><

Reflections

Leave a comment

“But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him.”1

Corrie Ten Boom said, “If a bird is flying for pleasure, it flies with the wind, but if it meets danger it turns and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher.”

Bernard Brunstang believes that “people who have setbacks and trouble often emerge with values and priorities that are higher and nobler, more sensitivity and understanding of the difficulties of others, and a new appreciation of how much people mean to them.”

“Life is like a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends upon what you are made of.”

Stan Buck tells the story about a little girl who, on their way home from church, turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.”

The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?

The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied.

“He also said that God lives within us. Is that true too?”

Again the mother replied, “Yes.”

“Well,” said the girl. “if God is bigger than we are and he lives in us, wouldn’t he show through?”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be as Jesus today to whomever You bring into my life and grant that my life will mirror Your beauty and Your love to them. And grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want him for themselves. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB).

<:))))><

When Men Forget God

Leave a comment

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.”1

At the time Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize he was asked the question, “What made it possible for the Russian Revolution to take place and for Communism to rise to power?”

Solzhenitsyn’s reply was simple and direct: “Men forgot God.”

What tragedies occur when nations forget God! History is replete with such examples. And what tragedies can befall individuals and their families when they, too, forget God.

I have seen men and women who have grown up in the church, profess to be Christians and been active in church work get caught up in the secular world system with its thirst for material gain and seek to climb the ladder of success—and little by little drift away from the church, forsake their Christian heritage, and gradually forget God.

Twenty years later, some have made shipwreck of their lives. Committing our lives to God won’t deliver us from the problems of life, but faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, gives us an anchor to hold on to when the storms of life surround us and the tough times threaten to overwhelm us.

Sometimes life can be heartbreaking. We ask why but cannot find an answer. We search for a light to see us through the night but are overcome by the darkness. But when we have a solid faith in Jesus, as the gospel song says, “When answers aren’t enough, he is there!”

And this may be all we need to know to keep us from forgetting God and making shipwreck of our lives. And would to God that our nation’s leaders would take note of those nations that forgot God.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me never to forget Your goodness to me and Your everlasting love and grant that, no matter how dark the night, I will never turn from You. And graciously grant that our nation will turn to and never forget You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV).

<:))))><

Excuses, Excuses

Leave a comment

“But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”1

Excuses. I guess there is never a shortage of them. The following notes from parents excusing their children from attending school have been around a while but if you haven’t seen them, I’m sure you will get a kick out of them:

“Please excuse Freddie from being away yesterday because he had the fuel.”

“Please accuse Michael from being absent on January 30 because he was aleing.”

“George was absent yesterday because of a sore trout.”

“Please excuse Betsey from being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.”

“Joseph has been absent ‘becuz’ he had two teeth taken off his face.”

“My son is under doctor’s care and should not take fisical education. Please execute him.”

“Please excuse Ralph from school on Friday. He had very loose vowels.”

And how did Adam excuse and justify himself when he sinned and disobeyed God? Many say he blamed Eve. But he really blamed God. “It was the woman you gave me that made me do it,” he said to God! And then the woman blamed the serpent!

I often wonder how many of us blame either God or the devil for the things that have gone wrong in our lives, things which were the direct result of the choices we made all by ourselves. Sometimes, to blame God, the devil, or anybody else for our problems is a handy excuse to hang on to if we don’t want to face reality, accept responsibility, and grow up!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me always to be honest with myself and face reality, and always accept responsibility for the things I say, the things I do, the feelings I feel, and the motives behind all of these. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Luke 10:29.

<:))))><

Working Together

Leave a comment

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.”1

Charles Osgood tells the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Both ladies had suffered serious strokes. Margaret’s left side had been restricted, while Ruth’s right side was affected.

Both ladies had been accomplished pianists but had given up hope of ever playing again.

The director of the center suggested to the two ladies that they try playing the piano together. They did, and succeeded. They played excellent music and, better still, developed a beautiful friendship.

Three thousand years ago Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a friend with whom I can work so that together we can serve You and develop a beautiful friendship and thus be doubly rewarded, and in so doing be a blessing to many others. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV).
2. Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 (NIV).

<:))))><

Never too Old … Part II

Leave a comment

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”1

Some years ago a man in his sixties was offered $200,000 for his roadside motel, restaurant and service station which he had spent his life building. He turned it down because he didn’t want to retire.

Two years later when he was sixty-five, a new highway was built that bypassed his business, which subsequently went broke. Most people at his age would have thrown in the towel. Not this man. He knew how to cook chicken so he took off across the country in his battered old car to sell his recipe to other restaurants. It was tough going. I have read that his recipe was rejected by 1,000 restaurants before he found a taker. However, he stuck with his goal and within a few years he had built a restaurant chain across the country and spread it to other lands as well—a chain called Kentucky Fried Chicken. The man’s name? Colonel Sanders.

I don’t know if Colonel Sanders’ purpose was God-given or not, but having a life purpose that is God-given, as the Israelites had, won’t make life easy, but it will make life worthwhile and give you something to live for that is bigger than yourself.

And if it is a God-given purpose, with God’s help, it is possible to achieve if we have the fortitude of a Caleb and a will-to-win like Colonel Sanders. It will also make our lives very worthwhile.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to discover my God-given life purpose and, with Your help, do everything in my power to see Your purpose in and through me fulfilled. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV).

<:))))><

Never Too Old … Part I

Leave a comment

“So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”1

When the Israelites were conquering the Promised Land that God had given to them, Caleb said to Joshua, “Give me this hill country to conquer!” Caleb was eighty-five years of age at the time. (Admittedly, they lived a lot longer back then.)

If God had given the Israelites the Promised Land, how come they had to fight for it? Because God’s giving it to them made it possible for them to conquer it. Had God handed it to them on a silver platter, they never would have learned to trust him nor become responsible and mature individuals.

Caleb achieved his goal because he knew precisely what God’s purpose was for both Israel and himself, and he didn’t allow his age to hold him back.

If we, too, want to achieve something worthwhile with our life, regardless of our age, it is imperative that we, too, know what our God-given life purpose is—and act accordingly.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I’m willing and wanting to be used by You. Help me to fulfill my God-given life purpose. Please make it plain what You want me to be and do. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Joshua 14:10-12 (NIV).

<:))))><

Let the Church …

Leave a comment

“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”1

The story is told about an old fashioned preacher who was preaching up a storm as he proclaimed with great enthusiasm, “Let the church walk!”

An old-timer sitting on the front pew was equally enthusiastic. He blurted out for all to hear, “Amen! Preacher. Let the church walk!”

With even greater enthusiasm the preacher responded, “Let the church run!”

“Amen!” responded the brother on the front pew, “Let the church run!”

Being greatly encouraged, the preacher cried out even more enthusiastically, “Let the church fly!”

“Amen,” hollered back the man on the front pew, “Let the church fly!”

“But,” said the preacher, “It takes money to make the church fly!”

“AMEN,” shouted the old timer again, “Let the church walk!”

People all around us are lost. Vast numbers are headed for a lost eternity, without Jesus and without hope, to the place the Bible calls: “hell.” Whatever and wherever hell is, of one thing we can be sure and that is that hell is forever!

The reality is that it takes money to do God’s work on earth—to rescue people from hell. So many of us, at least in the West, have unbelievable resources compared to so much of the rest of the world and it has been said that less than 5% of us tithe of our income!

God has given us so much. He gave his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us to give us the gift of eternal life. And in the West, at least, he has given us incredible resources. And why has God given us these resources? For selfish ends? No. So we would be equipped to do God’s work around the world.

It has been said that God’s work done in God’s way will not lack God’s provision. However, God’s way is to fund his work through the tithes and offerings of his people. But if the givers don’t give, the doers can’t do, and the laborers in the field can’t sow or reap!

If every Christian tithed there would be sufficient funds to do all of God’s work around the world.

Our check (cheque) book stubs are a pretty good indication of how grateful we are to God for all that he has done for us and an accurate indication of where our hearts are.

God is calling every one of us to give and to give wisely to what God is doing in the world today! “For,” as Jesus said, “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” and “the Lord loves a cheerful giver!”

Suggested prayer. “Dear God please give me a thankful heart for all that You have done for me. Help me to be a generous giver and not just a taker. Forgive me if in any way I have robbed You of your tithes and offerings that You have entrusted to me. I choose today to put You first in my giving. Help me always to remember that ‘the tithe’ (10% at least) is Yours. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Luke 6:38 (NIV).

<:))))><