SECURITY
Have you noticed? Homeland Security officials keep changing the level of alertness we are under. In the last short while it has gone from yellow to orange and now back to yellow. There is always the instruction to keep your eyes open and be alert to whatever might be going on around you.
I read this in an e-mail. Homeland Security. Happy moments, Praise God. Difficult moments, Seek God. Quiet moments, Worship God. Every moment, Thank God.
In every situation we can find security in Jesus. A Fanny Crosby song says it in these words. “Safe in the arms of Jesus. Safe on His gentle breast, There by His love o’er – shadowed, Sweetly my soul shall rest.”
Today ------------------- Our loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
GIVING
“Giving is a good way to determine the spiritual health of the giver. How one gives reveals attitudes, motives, and commitment to Christ and His church.”
I’m not sure where the above statement came from. There is much truth in it.
A man once told me (his pastor) that a certain man in the church in the church would give much to help others. Then he would broadcast it so everyone would know that he gave it. He also told me of another man who would give and give, but did it quietly and without fanfare.
I’ve known people in church who dutifully gave their tithes to the church, counted to the very penny. They got a lot of self-satisfaction in this. I’ve known others who joyously and happily always gave the tithe and more to the Lord through their church. They practiced what Paul preached that God loves a cheerful (hilarious) giver.
Do you give grudgingly and of necessity? Or do you give gladly and rejoicingly? Does your giving indicate a healthy, vigorous, cheerful life? Or does it reveal an anemic, weak Christian?
Today -------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for the privilege of being a rejoicing and hilarious giver. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
A NAME
Different circumstances bring to mind the names of different people. In various sports the name of a player or coach will come to mind. In the work place we remember those who offered encouragement and opportunity. We remember the names of great preachers whose message touched and influenced our lives. In the home our relationship with a husband or wife or children or parents bring to mind memories of the past. We are reminded of the influence family has had on our lives.
There is one name that stands above all others. This name fits into every situation or circumstance of our lives to bless and strengthen and comfort.
F. Whitfield wrote the words of this song that has blessed millions of people.
THERE IS A NAME I LOVE TO HEAR
There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth; It sounds like music in mine ear, The sweetest name on earth.
It tells me of a Saviour’s love, Who died to set me free; It tells me of His precious blood, The sinner’s perfect plea.
It tells me what my Father hath In store for every day, And though I tread a darksome path, Yields sunshine all the way.
It tells of One whose loving heart Can feel my deepest woe, Who in each sorrow bears a part, That none can bear below.
Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus. Because He first loved me.
Today ------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord as you join millions of others in singing, “Blessed Be the Name Of The Lord.” Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
EVENTS
Things happen in our lives that give us pause to think. One such happening is the event of death. Everyone knows death is inevitable. It is coming to each of us. Death is God’s provision to move us from this life of mortality into the life of immortality.
This event of death weighs more heavily on our minds as we see family, loved ones and friends come to the end of this life. Christians do not fear death as do those who are not prepared to meet death. We who are Christians are reminded that “we sorrow not as those who have no hope.” (I Thess. 5:1ff)
The favorite Psalm for many is Psalm 23 which assures us of God’s presence even in the event of death. The promise of God in Heb. 13:5 “I will never leave you or forsake you” is a comforting and strengthening promise.
Today ----------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord that He is always with us. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
FRIDAY GEMS
Prov.17:13 “If you repay evil for good, evil will never leave your house.”
Prov. 17:27-28 “A truly wise person uses few words; A person with understanding is even tempered. Even fools are thought to be wise when they are silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.”
Michael Youseff - “Lord let nothing come between You and me, and those I love.”
----------“The truth of what we believe is more determined by how we live than what we say.”
Carl Sandberg - “Nothing happens unless first there is a dream.”
Bob Knisley - “One cardinal rule of the life of God’s person is that God will enable and empower him to do whatever He leads him too, regardless of any limitation.”
John F. Kennedy – “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.”
Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, 1952 - “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Today ------------------ Out loud and on purpose let us give Thanks and Praise to our God who is good all the time. Have a TERRIFIC WEEKEND.
HOPE
Hope, as defined in the dictionary, is a feeling that what is wanted will happen.
We hope everything will turn out right. I heard an older man say of a certain situation, “We hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
Hope is a positive and joyful word. Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope…” Psalm 42:5 (NLT) “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again my saviour and my God.”
Edward Mote wrote this song about the hope we have in Christ.
THE SOLID ROCK
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the vale.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.
Today ---------------------- Out loud and on purpose let us Praise the Lord that we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Heb. 6:19). Have a TERRRIFIC DAY !
DECISIONS
Our middle daughter in her pre-school years had a hard time making decisions about what she wanted. When she finally decided she would say, “I done made up my mind.” Life is filled with situations that call for us to make up our mind, to choose. Some are easy. Some are more difficult. In our family we never had a problem with deciding to go to church on Sunday. We done made up our mind that we go to church.
Parents of today face many choices. Some parents wear themselves out taking children to ball practice or games, to dance lessons, to the pool in summer. They have decided, without intending to, that the children are in control and that what little Johnny or little Susie wants, they get. It is just too much of a hassle to decide to limit their activities.
People face life style decisions, job decisions, spiritual decisions. Its enough to drive a person crazy!
One decision that can be made that will influence all other decisions is to decide who controls your life. Ancient Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” A modern chorus says, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.”
Today ----------------- Out loud and on purpose let us Thank and Praise the Lord that when He is Lord of our lives other things tend to fall into place. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
PRAISE AND LOVE
We blew in on Monday, sailed through Tuesday, hit Wednesday, expect to glide through Thursday and ease out on Friday. Are we doing good or what??
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
I don’t know about you but I can’t think of a better way to keep a strong relationship with our God. The children lead us as they sing: “Praise Him. Praise Him, all you little children. God is love, God is love. Bless Him, Bless Him all you little children. God is love, God is love.” 1 Jn. 5:16 - God is love.
When we have been transformed by the power of God and become children of God, then we, too, should become love. The distinguishing mark of a Christian according to Jesus as written in John 13:35 –“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Today ---------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord that He makes it possible for us to love one another. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
LIFE STYLE
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Do you wish it was not time to get up? Do you grumble or complain that it is time to face another day? Are you aware that you pretty well set the tone for the day by your first action as you wake up? It took many years for me to do it, but I learned that if the first thing I say as I roll over to turn off the alarm clock is, “Praise the Lord for this day and what it holds for me,” I’m off to a good start. The Psalmist said: “Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might” (Psalm 21:13).
The Apostle Paul developed a lifestyle of praising the Lord. Even in prison he wrote, “Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice.” To the Ephesians he wrote (5:20) “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A lifestyle of praising the Lord for everything is the biblical way to live. Michael Youseff prays, “Lord, remind me of your goodness and greatness today when I get discouraged, and help me make praise a regular part of my day.”
Today, out loud and on purpose, thank and praise the Lord for the grace of God that enables us to praise the Lord for everything. Have a terrific day!
FRIDAY GEMS
Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
Michael Youseff - “Lord, reveal the power of praise to me today, helping me to experience the overwhelming hope that comes when I praise You.”
Anon – “Turn your worries over to the Lord when you go to bed; He’s gonna be up all night any way!”
Chinese proverb –“If you want to be happy for a few hours, get drunk. If you want to be happy for a weekend, get married. If you want to be happy all your life, be a gardner.”
“Prayer means you are depending on God; prayerlessness means you are depending on yourself.”
About God’s Word -“We don’t change the message, the message changes us.”
Anon – “It is not easy to change the crook in the oak that grew in the sapling.”
Gen. Douglas MacArthur – “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
Henry Ward Beecher – “It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”
Brenda Lamdin, Breast cancer surivior – “I believe your worst nightmares can lead to your greatest blessings.”
“When Satan reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future!”
D. L. Moody – “Some say if only my fears and doubts will leave then I would get to work. But instead you should get to work and then your fears and doubts will leave.”
Today ---------------------- Out loud and on purpose Praise the Lord for everything. Have a TERRIFIC WEEKEND as you Praise the Lord. !!!
GIVE
The best thing to give your enemy is forgiveness;
To an opponent, tolerance;
To a friend, your heart;
To your child, a good example;
To a father, deference;
To your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you;
To yourself, respect;
To all men, charity.
-Francis Maitland Belfore (1851-1882)
GIVE OF YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER
Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth;
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example; Dauntless was He, young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have…
Give of your best to the Master; Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service, Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you shall be given; God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have…
Give of your best to the Mater; Naught else is worth His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above;
Laid down His life without murmur, You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration, Give Him the best that you have…
Today------------------Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for the joy of giving ourselves first to Him and then to others. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
THE WAY
Some friends were coming to our house recently. They did not know the way from where they were. They called the Global system which is in many of the cars today. The operator told them exactly where they were and gave them specific directions to our house. Within minutes they were pulling into our driveway. They were given the way.
I wonder how much sleep is lost, how many headaches happen because people are mixed up, frustrated and undecided about the way they should go. Which direction will get me to where I want to be? I have recently read books in which the authors have pointed to the emptiness of their lives. They had attained fame, recognition, riches – but their lives were empty. They had lost their way.
Prov. 14:12 (NLT) There is a path (way) before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
In Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV) Jesus speaks about the two ways in life. There is the straight gate and narrow way that leads to life. There is the wide gate and broad way that leads t destruction.
In John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus states: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.”
Each person has to choose (it is mandatory) which to go. There is the way of life in Jesus Christ. There is the way of death for those who choose to leave Jesus Christ out of their lives.
Today ----------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ, the way that leads to eternal life. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
I GOTTA BE ME
Young people who do outlandish things respond to those who question their actions by saying, “I gotta be me.” So, they pierce their bodies and faces to display jewelry and tattoo their bodies and come up with different hairstyles so they can display who they are.
When I was a boy Popeye was one of my favorites in what we called the funny paper. He had a saying that told who he was. “I’m Popeye the sailor man. I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam. I’m Popeye the sailor man.”
As you think of yourself and who you are what do you come up with? The Apostle Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
Having trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and Lord I am a child of God. I have eternal security in Christ. By the grace of God my lifestyle will reveal to others who I am in Christ Jesus.
Today-------------Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for the privilege of living so others may know who I am. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
LOOK AT ME
Every parent has heard their child say, “Look at me!” as the child shows the parent what new thing he has learned to do.
As adults in the work force or serving in a profession or in public service we are aware that people are looking at us to see how we do our job and how we behave ourselves. From their observation people will form an opinion of us. This makes it imperative that we do our work to the best of our ability. In society we are on display, like it or not. People look at us.
I believe most of us desire to be seen as good and honorable persons. As a Christian I have this desire, among others, that I can so live that others see Jesus in me. B.B. Mckinney expresses this desire in a song he wrote.
LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU
While passing thro’ this world of sin, And others your life shall view, Be clean and pure without, within, Let others see Jesus in you.
Your life’s a book before their eyes, They’re reading it thro’ and thro’; Say, does it point them to the skies, Do others see Jesus in you?
What joy ‘twill be at set of sun, In mansions beyond the blue, To find some soul that you have won; Let others see Jesus in you.
Then live for Christ both day and night, Be faithful, be brave and true, And lead the lost to light and life; Let others see Jesus in you.
Chorus
Let others see Jesus in you, . . . Let others see Jesus in you; . . . Keep telling the story, be faithful and true, Let others see Jesus in you.
Today -------------------Out Loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for the joy of living so others see Jesus in you. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
FRIDAY GEMS
Today’s Paper - 12 year old boy killed by gator in Florida. Did not heed the cries of playmates who yelled for him to get out of the water.
Satan strikes like this – unexpectedly, quickly. All have been warned but many do not pay any attention to the warning.
Deon Sanders –“The best way to get loose from sin is to get distracted by righteousness.”
Bonoi – “Whenever you see darkness, there is an extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter.”
Ann Landers – “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.”
Roselyn Carter – “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.”
James Gordon,M.D. – “ It’s not that some people have will power and others don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.”
Maya Angelou – “When it looked like the sun wasn’t going to shine anymore, God put a rainbow in the sky.”
Wendell Johnson – “Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.”
Dorothy Dix – “In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed there must be something for me to do.”
John Wesley – “Use all the ability God gives, and He will give you more.”
Today -------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord that His promise is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Have a TERRIFIC WEEK END.!!!
CHANGING
The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed (changed) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
I came across these words years ago, author unknown; “When a child of God Looks into the Word of God And sees the Son of God He is changed by the Spirit of God Into the image of God For the glory of God.”
I look at myself where I am and I am not satisfied to stay here. I think about where I’ve been and what I was and Praise the Lord I am no longer there. I look forward with eagerness and anticipation to what God has in store for me in the future. An old song says, “I’m pressing on the upward way. New heights I’m gaining every day!”
Today --------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for His guiding us upward and onward to become what He wants us to be. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
OPEN
It has been said that none are so blind as those who will not see and none are so deaf as those who will not hear.
Our local paper is presenting a series of articles about teens drinking and driving. Some of our schools have had conferences and meetings about this. Still, there are those teens who will not see and who will not hear. In their own thinking, “It won’t happen to me,” sort of over rules the common sense of the warnings.
As a pastor I was involved with Vacation Bible School for many years. One of the songs which was often a part of the VBS curriculum was Chas. H. Scott’s,
OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY SEE
Open my eyes, that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key, That shall un-clasp, and set me free.
Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wave-notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear.
Open my mouth, and let me bear Gladly the warm truth everywhere; Open my heart, and let me prepare Love with Thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, Open my ears, Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Today ------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord for the Spirit who leads us to be open to the truths presented to us. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
CIRCUMSTANCES
“Hey, how ya’ doing?” “OK, I guess, under the circumstances.” “What do you mean, under the circumstances? You’re supposed to be on top of the circumstances.”
Do you remember the little guy in the comic strip, Lil’ Abner? He always had a dark cloud over his head everywhere he went. He was always under this dark cloud.
I’ve known some people like that. The kind of person you avoid because if you get into conversation with them they will talk their head off telling you all about their circumstances, which are never good.
Psalm 100 is a good antidote for circumstances. Read it slowly. Let the joy of the Lord build up in your spirit as you read. Guaranteed to get you on top of your circumstances. Psalm 100 (NIV)
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Today ------------------ Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord that He is the ONE who never leaves nor forsakes us. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
ONCE
When I was a little boy my mother read to me the “once upon a time stories.” Later I learned to read them for myself. Once up a time…way back when…referring to events from another time and another place.
The Bible uses the word “once” in many ways. Strong’s Concordance lists 59 times the word is used. Rom. 6:10 – Christ died unto sin once. 1 Cor. 15:6 –Christ appeared to over 500 at once. Gal. 1:23 is about Paul preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. Heb. 9:27 – it is appointed unto men once to die.
Get personal with this word. Once I was lost. Now I am found. Once I was blind(spiritually). Now I see. In the song, A Child of the King, Hattie E. Buell says, “I once was an out-cast stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth; But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down, An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown. I’m a child of the King.”
Today -------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord that he took me as I once was and is making me into what I am now and what I will be in the future because I’m a child of the King. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!
FRIDAY GEMS
Anon – “I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, my Lord, I love thee, My Saviour, I love Thee my God; I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know; But how much I love Thee my actions will show.”
Joyce Myer – “To receive from God what He has promised in His Word, we must trust and obey Him.”
Jim Bakker – “God can use anybody, no matter what.”
Deon Sanders – “You don’t get yourself together to come to Christ. You come to Christ to get yourself together.”
Pastor David Forbes – “Association breeds assimilation.”
Reggie White – “Sin is an equal opportunity destroyer.”
Michael Youseff – “The truest peace you will ever experience is the peace gained from being in the center of God’s will.”
Beth Moore – “God doesn’t just have an answer; He is the answer.”
Gloria Gaither – “If God could bury our sins in the deepest sea, the least we can do is leave them there,”
G.K. Chesterson – “When people cease to believe in the Biblical God, the problem is not that believe in nothing. It is that they believe in everything.”
“Life has many choices. Eternity has two. What’s yours?”
Jerry W. Batson – “Create in me a glad heart, O Lord, and let it rub off on others.”
Finally – I read that in New England they have a folk saying to the effect that, unless one can improve on silence, he should keep quiet.”
Today, unless you can improve on this------------------ Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise the Lord. Have a TERRIFIC WEEKEND !!!
TIME OF NEED
There are those who go along the road of life care-free, irresponsible, with no concern for anyone other than themselves. They’ve got the world by tail and are having a ball. Until something happens – and it always will – to bring them up short and face to face with responsibility and accountability. What then?
They find out that life is harder than they thought it was. It becomes difficult to handle everything that needs to be handled. At every turn they come up short.
Many of us learned this lesson early in life and we looked for help. I don’t know about others but I found the help I needed in Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 4:16 are these words, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” It has been my experience that Jesus is always there when I need Him most.
Today ----------------------- Out loud and on purpose Thank and Praise and Rejoice in the Lord’s faithfulness to meet our needs. Have a TERRIFIC DAY !!!