Adversity

So much of our society here in the United States is focused on having good times.  When adversity comes as it has to many Americans in this economy, we do not view it as helpful.  However, when we belong to God, our times of adversity can become useful and mighty tools in HIS hands.  Below is a sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley that will help you to understand how God uses adversity in the lives of His children for their good.

God's Purpose in Adversity

Earthly Thoughts?

This morning I was able to snag some reading time.  The title of the devotion was "Heaven on Earth".  It said to set our minds on things above rather than things on earth (Col. 3:2).  To go along with that I heard a message on the radio about Heaven.  Lately, I have been telling the Lord that I don't like it down here.  I don't like death, sickness, aging, unkindness, etc.  So the Lord has been speaking to me of Heaven.  I know for myself, I get so fixed on what is going on around me, that heaven seems like a fantasy.  But listening to what the Bible has to say about heaven and believing it is real, well, that is a stress buster!

But there is something special about earth.  Earth is the only place where we can receive salvation.  Each person born on this planet has the opportunity to accept salvation through Jesus, God's greatest most ultimate gift!  Without Him there is no real joy, security, future or peace.  On earth everything is passing away, withering, aging, decaying, etc.  In Heaven that all stops!  I get so excited knowing that someday I will live in a place where there is no pain, no sadness, sickness, etc.  Praise God for His love as shown through His Son.  Because of Jesus, my ultimate destination is Heaven.

Worried about Thanksgiving

"Several Presidents, including George Washington, made one-time Thanksgiving holidays. Although the demand for making it a regular national holiday came in from various quarters, but of little impact. In 1827, Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale began lobbying several Presidents for the proclamation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. It didn't see success until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln

finally made it a national holiday with his 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation."  (as taken from:  How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday)

Thanks to the patient diligence of Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, we have a national day of thanksgiving.  It took her about 40 years to see her hard work become fruitful.  And thanks to Abraham Lincoln for recognizing this was a good idea.  But where is America headed?  It saddens me the direction this great nation is taking.  I see it in how government is run, who is picked for president, etc.  I see it in the holidays we chose to celebrate and ignore.  One such holiday that I see hardly spoken of on TV or on the radio is "Thanksgiving".  It says in 2 Timothy 3, that in the last days it will be difficult to be a Christian.  That children will be disobedient to their parents, that people will be ungrateful and will love only themselves and money.  The list goes on. Yes, this is what concerns me, the spirit of ungratefulness.  It is in the church, it is in the world, it is in people's hearts.  And we see it in the fact that retailers readily accept Halloween and from there jump straight into Christmas.  All for the love of money.

Please, if you are a Christian, do not let the spirit of Thanksgiving die away in your heart, let your praises flow for our Lord's daily care, His great blessings and constant abiding love.   

Jeremiah 17:7-8

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence.  He is like a tree planted along the riverbank, with roots reaching deep into the water - a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought.  Its leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit.

Duties of Great Importance for a Christian

This is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22.

1.  Rejoice evermore! - In our salvation through Jesus Christ!

2.  Pray without ceasing.

3.  In everything give thanks.

4.  Quench not the Spirit.

5.  Despise not the preaching of the word.

6.  Prove all things (by the word), holding fast that which is good.

7.  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Wearing a Mask?

(Matthew 6:1-4) Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Commentary: As Jesus speaks about the inappropriateness of doing deeds just to be seen and applauded by people, He uses a very strong word to describe those who practice these things: hypocrites (v. 2). The Greek term here is hupokrites, which is the word for actor. In ancient Greece, actors wore masks to convey emotion, so the term hupokrites was used to describe those who wear a mask, or who pretend to be something they are not. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament says: "This is the hardest word that Jesus has for any class of people and He employs it for these pious pretenders who pose as perfect. They have received their reward." -Bill Crowder

My thoughts: With Halloween just having gone by this made me think. Wearing a costume one day out of the year is fun, but how many of us continue to wear a spiritual costume? Just like wearing make-up can hide flaws, we can also wear make-up for our soul. Jesus says that doing that is not right.

Lately, I have been thinking how overwhelmed I am by the cares of this life. Reading this, there is no need to pretend that I am not. It is good for me to be open and honest so that my brothers and sisters in Christ might be praying for me. It is good to open to the Lord about it so that I open the door for Him to help me.

I also thought about how I have been thinking that I am doing most of the work around the house getting it ready for sale. At times I loudly proclaim this. Ahh, the flesh! Yes, I need to remain silent and just do the work, and stop acting like I am perfect.