dW 07.24.07

scripture

 

John 12:24, 27-28

 

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

 

Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"

 

quote

 

The real truth is that while He came to preach the gospel, His chief object in coming was that there might be a gospel to preach. – R.W. Dale

 

thought

 

What if when God asked something of us that we did not want to do we responded as did Christ? “Okay. Not my will but yours be done.”

dW 07.23.07

scripture

 

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

 

quote

 

The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable.  If there is not joy in religion, you have got a leak in your religion.

 

Billy Sunday

The Coal Basket Bible

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.

His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in anyway he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.  What good does reading the Bible do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.  This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.

Out of breath, he told his grandfather, "It's impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water.  You can do this.  You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all.  The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his Grandfather the basket was again empty.  Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless."

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.  Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was Clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible.  You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.  That is the work of God in our lives.  To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son."
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Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story.  Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly, Leave The Rest To God.

dW 07.20.07

1 Peter 1:3-9

 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

1.       Trials should not diminish our faith but increase it.

2.       Trials should remind us that this is not our home and that we are destined for a better place.

3.       The way we respond to trails will either bring honor or dishonor to God.

4.       Joy through trials is unexplainable to those who are perishing and is inseparable to they that are saved.

dW 07.18.07

scripture

 

Proverbs 24:17

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.

 

quote

 

Hate is only power to love misused.

Missionary Tidings

 

Forgiveness is not an elective in the curriculum of life.  It is a required course, and the exams are always tough to pass.

Charles Swindoll

dW 07.16.07

thought

 

How often do you tire of this existence? How often do you desire living water which entirely satisfies thirst and living bread that entirely satisfies hunger? Oh what a pitiful existence we experience when it is our momentary present and not our eternal future that is our focus.

 

quote

 

Real happiness is not costly, but what fearful prices men pay for its imitations.

Jerry Fleischman

 

scripture

 

Matthew 6:19-20

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

 

Isaiah 33:2

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

dW 07.12.07

scripture
Genesis 12:1-4
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you..."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him...

thought
Verse 1 is pretty vague. Even in verses 2 and 3 that follow God never tells Abram what land this was. We see later on that Abram becomes Abraham, the father of many nations. What could God do with us if we'd just say, "Okay, I'll do it

quote
No one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to Him. - D. L. Moody

dW 07.11.07 - thoughts from a friend

Here are my thoughts for today:

 

John 16:33 - "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."

 

The Bible doesn't say IF we face trials or trouble in our lives, it says WHEN we face trials or trouble.  The Bible doesn't leave it at that though.  It gives us information about why we face trials, how we should respond to trials, and how God responds to us when we face trials.

 

We face trials as a testing of our faith so that we may persevere and become spiritually mature (James 1:2-4).  We face trials so that we might share in Christ's suffering so we may also share in His glory (1 Peter 4:12-13).  We face trials so that we can comfort others who face trials (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

 

We should respond to trials in our lives with joy (James 1:2), calling upon the Lord (Psalm 50:15), and with the mindset that our troubles are but a fleeting moment in time compared to the glory we will one day receive (2 Corinthians 4:17). 

 

The Lord comforts us during trials (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) and delivers us from our troubles (Psalm 34:19; Psalm 50:15).

 

We WILL face trials - it's not a matter of IF but WHEN.  God tells us that HE will comfort us and deliver us whenever we face trials.  How silly we are!  We complain, wallow, cry, and believe that God doesn't understand.  Whenever we face trials we think that God is far away - we couldn't be more wrong!  It's during these moments - the ones where we are out of options, out of hope, and out of our minds - that God is nearest to us.  And that fact - the idea that God is never closer than when we are in the midst of trials - should comfort us and in a strange sort of way make us rejoice despite the trials we are facing.  We should actually be celebrating the trials we face! (Somehow I don't see myself ever getting to that point in my life).  Without the trials in our lives, we may never know God as well as we do because of the fact that we went through them.  And after that, we are better equipped to encourage someone else going through a trial.  Have you ever had someone who has never really faced tough times try to comfort you during a hard time in your life?  It kind of makes you a little bitter and the comfort they give seems shallow because they don't know what it's like.  I love the fact that the Bible is clear with us about the trials of life.  It tells us why we fact them, what we should do when we face them, and what we can count on God to do.  Amazing!

 

"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.  The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything."

-- Anonymous

 

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day."   -- William Adams

dW 07.10.07

Scripture

Mark 4:21-23
He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Story
I was confronted last week by someone that I had offended someone else. I was told by this individual that speaking about such things might push people away from Jesus instead of to Jesus. I challenged him saying, “Am I supposed to please men or please God?” He responded that more people are won over by how we live and not by what we say. This irritated me because what we say is a sign of how we live and vice versa. I understand his thought but I do not agree that true Christians should remain silent. Then a verse came to mind 2 Corinthians 6:14, “What fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Thought
When light and dark collide there are tensions. If no tensions exist then you've got your dimmer switch engaged.

dW emails

The daily Word will not be sent to your inboxes for a few more weeks. I am offsite and the internet access to our work account does not like to show me who I send these to due to them being sent Blind Copy. I am still posting so don’t worry. Simply visit the website each afternoon and I should have already posted. You have some catching up to do. :P Emails will resume but until I am back in-house.

 

Grace and peace, Kyle