There is an old story of the West about how cattle act in storms. Sometimes the storms took a heavy toll. They would start with freezing rains. Temperatures would plummet below zero. Then, bitterly cold winds would begin to pile up huge snowdrifts. Most cattle turned their backs to the icy blasts and they would begin to move downwind until they came up against the inevitable barbed wire fence. In the big storms, they would pile up against the fence and die by the scores.
But one breed always survived. Herefords would instinctively head into the wind. They would stand shoulder to shoulder, heads down, facing the icy blasts. As one cowboy put it, “You most always found the Herefords alive and well.” I guess that’s the greatest lesson I learned on the prairie, just face life’s storms.
The apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:19, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” In II Timothy 1:7, he wrote, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In II Corinthians 4:8-9, he also wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
Christians facing life’s storms together, shoulder to shoulder, encouraging one another and praying for one another, recognizing and responding to the power of the Spirit of Jesus in our lives is God’s formula for the abundant life!
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Thursday, January 13, 2011
EVER GROWING
Psalm 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age;
In his book The Fisherman and His Friends, Louis Albert Banks tells about a man who was spending a summer near the shores of Lake Superior. One day he came upon an old pine that had been blown down by a recent storm. Knowing something about trees, he was intrigued by that huge evergreen lying on the ground. He examined it closely and figured that it was at least 250 years old. What impressed him most, however, was what he discovered when he stripped away the bark. It was evident to him that on the day the tree fell it was still growing.
That's the way it should be in the life of a christian. The years pass and our physical strength declines. The outward man perishes, but the inner man should keep on developing--mentally, emotionally, and above all spiritually--until the day we die.
How beautiful are those who grow old gracefully, reflect the loveliness of Christ within their hearts, and keep on being spiritually productive! Such people continue to develop character traits that glorify God and contribute to the blessing and welfare of others.
Like that stately old pine, we too should keep on growing--right to the very end! The new birth takes only a moment; the growth of a saint takes a lifetime.
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In his book The Fisherman and His Friends, Louis Albert Banks tells about a man who was spending a summer near the shores of Lake Superior. One day he came upon an old pine that had been blown down by a recent storm. Knowing something about trees, he was intrigued by that huge evergreen lying on the ground. He examined it closely and figured that it was at least 250 years old. What impressed him most, however, was what he discovered when he stripped away the bark. It was evident to him that on the day the tree fell it was still growing.
That's the way it should be in the life of a christian. The years pass and our physical strength declines. The outward man perishes, but the inner man should keep on developing--mentally, emotionally, and above all spiritually--until the day we die.
How beautiful are those who grow old gracefully, reflect the loveliness of Christ within their hearts, and keep on being spiritually productive! Such people continue to develop character traits that glorify God and contribute to the blessing and welfare of others.
Like that stately old pine, we too should keep on growing--right to the very end! The new birth takes only a moment; the growth of a saint takes a lifetime.
Copied
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Storms
There is an old story of the West about how cattle act in storms. Sometimes the storms took a heavy toll. They would start with freezing rains. Temperatures would plummet below zero. Then, bitterly cold winds would begin to pile up huge snowdrifts. Most cattle turned their backs to the icy blasts and they would begin to move downwind until they came up against the inevitable barbed wire fence. In the big storms, they would pile up against the fence and die by the scores.
But one breed always survived. Herefords would instinctively head into the wind. They would stand shoulder to shoulder, heads down, facing the icy blasts. As one cowboy put it, “You most always found the Herefords alive and well.” I guess that’s the greatest lesson I learned on the prairie, just face life’s storms.
The apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:19, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” In II Timothy 1:7, he wrote, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In II Corinthians 4:8-9, he also wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
Christians facing life’s storms together, shoulder to shoulder, encouraging one another and praying for one another, recognizing and responding to the power of the Spirit of Jesus in our lives is God’s formula for the abundant life!
Copied...
But one breed always survived. Herefords would instinctively head into the wind. They would stand shoulder to shoulder, heads down, facing the icy blasts. As one cowboy put it, “You most always found the Herefords alive and well.” I guess that’s the greatest lesson I learned on the prairie, just face life’s storms.
The apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:19, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” In II Timothy 1:7, he wrote, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In II Corinthians 4:8-9, he also wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
Christians facing life’s storms together, shoulder to shoulder, encouraging one another and praying for one another, recognizing and responding to the power of the Spirit of Jesus in our lives is God’s formula for the abundant life!
Copied...
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Beginning
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Talk about great opening lines! You can't do better than the Bible does. In just 10 words, Genesis 1:1 answers the age-old question of the origin of the universe. But what's even more important, that opening verse introduces us to the majestic One who is behind it all.
As another new year commences, it seems appropriate to turn to the beginning of the Bible and read the account of how the eternal God spoke the world into existence.
Of course, God as Creator is just one of many descriptions of the Almighty that the Bible reveals to us. That's why it might be a good idea to use the new year to study God, to find out more about who He is.
For instance, in this great beginning chapter, we are awestruck by His power as He moves across the face of the earth, fashioning it as He wants, and furnishing it with plants, animals, and humans.
As the year moves along, why not make a special effort to know God more intimately. The best way to do this is to read the Bible every day and ask, "What does this tell me about God?" You know Him as the majestic, Almighty Creator through Genesis 1, but He is so much more. Use this year to get to know God as never before. When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart to His truth.
May each of us use the time which God has given us to get to know Him better, to serve Him more fully and to walk with Him in submissive obedience.
May God bless you in 2011
Have A Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year
Copied from a church site in East Tennessee
Talk about great opening lines! You can't do better than the Bible does. In just 10 words, Genesis 1:1 answers the age-old question of the origin of the universe. But what's even more important, that opening verse introduces us to the majestic One who is behind it all.
As another new year commences, it seems appropriate to turn to the beginning of the Bible and read the account of how the eternal God spoke the world into existence.
Of course, God as Creator is just one of many descriptions of the Almighty that the Bible reveals to us. That's why it might be a good idea to use the new year to study God, to find out more about who He is.
For instance, in this great beginning chapter, we are awestruck by His power as He moves across the face of the earth, fashioning it as He wants, and furnishing it with plants, animals, and humans.
As the year moves along, why not make a special effort to know God more intimately. The best way to do this is to read the Bible every day and ask, "What does this tell me about God?" You know Him as the majestic, Almighty Creator through Genesis 1, but He is so much more. Use this year to get to know God as never before. When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart to His truth.
May each of us use the time which God has given us to get to know Him better, to serve Him more fully and to walk with Him in submissive obedience.
May God bless you in 2011
Have A Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year
Copied from a church site in East Tennessee
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