• Leave a comment... (0)

Frequently, we who suffer chronic pain cannot “do” a ministry for the church, especially when we can barely do for ourselves. I liked this poem because it opens one’s mind to the vastness of ministry. Ministry is not a job, it is a “being.” 

Ministry Is….

Listening, when you’d rather fix the problem.
Searching for the joy, when it’s easier to say “it’s not fair.”
Helping, when you feel like you’re the one that needs the help.
Telling God, “use me,” when you’d rather ask to be rescued.
Encouraging, even when you don’t understand God’s reasoning.
Hugging when it feels awkward.
Saying, “let’s pray right now,” instead of “I’ll pray for you.”
Serving, when you doubt you have anything left to give.
Comforting, by being the flicker of light in others’ dark caverns.

[author unknown]

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

find more good stuff at www.restministries.org

• Leave a comment... (0)

It doesn’t take a person long to realize that bad things are happening to good people. The economy’s downward plunge has affected many Christians as well as non-Christians. How can that be when we are committed to living godly lives and following Scriptural principles?

The answer, of course, is in God’s Word, the Bible:

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure.

4 And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

 5 And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

Our suffering is not meaningless. And because of this very truth, we Christians have hope. Maybe not hope in an improved economy, or a stimulus package, or a new retirement program, but hope in an unchanging, and therefore trustworthy, God. He has a plan for us, no matter what the condition of our pocketbook, or the deterioration of the rest of the world.

So should we be suffering in our circumstances? What’s the point of the lesson if we do not? We are not measured by our emotions or our feelings; we are not required to hold our heads high and appear undaunted; we are not called to declare Scripture in the hope that we sound as if we’re hanging in there.

Suffering is suffering. It’s a part of our walk. We are not “lesser” Christians because we are hurting, be it physical, emotional, or financial. Our suffering makes us stronger Christians! And this will become apparent once we’ve lived through our current situation.

Our joy, therefore, is found in spite of, not because of, what our circumstances looks like. Our hope is faith-based not situation-based. Prayer, church, and Scripture are our fuel. Jesus is our cornerstone. Be not downcast, oh saints of God. He has a plan for each of us, and we’re in the middle of it now… So hang on for the ride!

5 Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and 6 my God! Psalms 42:5-6 (NLT)

• Leave a comment... (0)

Just last week my chronic pain support group discussed how we might hear God speaking to us. We agreed that spending time in the Bible was obviously a place to start as well as memorizing His Word. And then I received Max Lucados weekly devotional and thought I would share it with you:

Learning to Listen
by Max LucadoEquipped with the right tools, we can learn to listen to God. What are those tools? Here are the ones I have found helpful.

A regular time and place. Select a slot on your schedule and a corner of your world, and claim it for God. For some it may be best to do this in the morning. Others prefer the evening Others prefer many encounters during the day.

Some sit under a tree, others in the kitchen. Maybe your commute to work or your lunch break would be appropriate. Find a time and place that seems right for you.

How much time should you take? As much as you need. Value quality over length. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants. Which leads us to a second tool you need—an open Bible.

God speaks to us through his Word. The first step in reading the Bible is to ask God to help you understand it.

Before reading the Bible, pray. Don’t go to Scripture looking for your own idea; go searching for God’s. Read the Bible prayerfully. Also, read the Bible carefully.

Here is a practical point. Study the Bible a little at a time. God seems to send messages as he did his manna: one day’s portion at a time. Choose depth over quantity. Read until a verse “hits” you, then stop and meditate on it. Copy the verse onto a sheet of paper, or write it in your journal, and reflect on it several times.

Will I learn what God intends? If I listen, I will.

Understanding comes a little at a time over a lifetime.

There is a third tool for having a productive time with God. Not only do we need a regular time and an open Bible, we also need a listening heart. Don’t forget the admonition from James: “The man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness” (James 1:25 PHILLIPS).

We know we are listening to God when what we read in the Bible is what others see in our lives.

Paul urged his readers to put into practice what they had learned from him. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do” (Phil. 4:9 RSV).

If you want to be just like Jesus, let God have you. Spend time listening for him until you receive your lesson for the day—then apply it.

From Just Like Jesus
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado

• Leave a comment... (0)

Relationships, whether husband and wife, friends, or family, can and do get messy at times. Feelings get hurt, grudges are fed, offenses are taken. Dr. Gary Smalley addresses these issues:
Intimacy Can Be a Mess!

You need to understand that God created intimacy as His plan to build oneness in marriage. The way men and women respond to intimacy is vastly different. Sometimes those differences can complement each other and sometimes it complicates the experience. Those differences can tear apart the very fabric of your mutual fulfillment.

Blessings,
Gary (& Norma) Smalley
Editor, Smalley Relationship Center

Though Dr. Smalley addresses marriage, these concepts can be applied to all relationships.

• Leave a comment... (0)

by Jonnie Wright

published by www.christianityfortoday.com

“Religious people are just weak individuals who can’t deal with life’s problems so need a crutch called God! They don’t want to be responsible for their actions.” Have you ever heard a statement like this before? I have. I used to think and speak this way as I breezily dismissed God, church and the whole religious scene. Then God led me back to Himself, after an eighteen-year hiatus, and began to teach me the cost of following Him.

The first lesson was accountability. Life requires choices for which we are responsible. No Christian can say, “The devil made me do it!” Many of our choices cause us difficulty because they require that we pay a personal price. Jesus told His disciples: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27 NASB) Jesus carried His cross to His death–now that’s enough to make one pause.

Death to self is another hard-to-swallow lesson. The world we live in proclaims the virtues of being our own person, taking what we can get, living with gusto. At any moment, my needs try to eclipse another’s. And so, another choice: “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:27 NASB) Jesus tells us that there is a cost, not a crutch, to follow Him; and sometimes I feel disinclined to pay the price.

What if Jesus had chosen to forgo the cost of our Salvation? Without His death by crucifixion, we would never have tasted freedom from sin’s bondage. Here’s where “the rubber meets the road,” and all Christians must face the question: Can my obedience to Jesus be just as important as my Salvation?

Are Christians who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ weak? Christianity is not for the faint of heart. If we take responsibility for our choices, count the cost of discipleship, and step forward in Jesus’ Name, we are anything but feeble personalities and frail egos. We are saints and warriors of the risen Lord. We are promised: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you”(2Ch 20:17).

Photo Credit: Simona Dumitru, Oxford, England

• Leave a comment... (0)

The Power of Touch

How would you like to lower your husband’s or wife’s blood pressure? Or protect your grade-school children from being involved in an immoral relationship later in life? Would you like to add up to two years to your own life? (Almost sounds like an insurance commercial, doesn’t it?)

Blessings,
Gary (& Norma) Smalley
Editor, Smalley Relationship Center

• Leave a comment... (0)

July 11-12, 2009
Results of Discouragement 
James 1:2-4

Discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective weapons; he knows that if he can destroy our courage, we’ll be ineffective in accomplishing anything for Christ. Let’s explore the downward spiral that is created by this destructive force.

One mark of discouragement is a divided mind. This underlying distraction affects every area and decision. No matter what you’re doing, it feels as if a dark cloud covers your entire thought life.

Discouragement also leads to the “blame game,” where we feel a deep inner need to point a finger at someone else. You may want to find fault with God because He has allowed painful circumstances in your life, or you may accuse others because of the way they treat you. Perhaps you yourself feel guilty for poor choices or past mistakes. My friend, blame is an empty activity. No healing or restoration ever came from trying to pin responsibility on someone else for the hardships in your life.

Anger is another common indication that one is discouraged. When this occurs, bitterness may develop into a spirit of vengeance and finally retaliation. If you let anger grow and fester without resolution, it easily mutates into depression. In this, resentment acts like a cancer that slowly spreads and destroys your entire life.

The traits described above aren’t what one would expect of a Christ-follower, are they? However, they are all too evident in the church. Ask the Father to search your heart for any trace of these destructive seeds, and to short-circuit the work of discouragement in your life. 

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org
and
click here to listen to Dr. Stanley at OnePlace.com.

• Leave a comment... (0)

by Tom Felten, Our Daily Journey

What happens when you take 13 non-Christians and get them to live by the Bible’s instruction for 3 weeks? The UK reality TV series Make Me a Christian attempted to answer that question last year.

The contestants included an atheist biker and a lesbian schoolteacher. They were mentored by four clergy—an Anglican, a Catholic, an Evangelical, and a Pentecostal. Though this is a bizarre idea for presenting Jesus to unbelievers, some of the contestants stated that they were going to “pursue Christianity further.” The apostle Paul had some hard words for the Galatians when they were trying to “make themselves Christians” by works (Galatians 3). He asked four clarifying questions:

read more…

• Leave a comment... (0)

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed “Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality,” or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
 
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
 
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

 
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with: 1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers’ Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes. 
 
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

- GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by ‘Knee mail’.  

author unknown

• Leave a comment... (0)