B-I-B-L-E

A father was approached by his small son, who told him proudly, "I know what
the Bible means!"

His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you ‘know' the Bible?"

The son replied, "I do know!"

"Okay," said his father. "So, Son, what does the Bible mean?"

"That's easy, Daddy. It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving
Earth.'"

-- Author Unknown

Power to Overcome Anything Life Hands You

By Robert A. Schuller

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth." – Exodus 9:16

-  God's Perfect Love -  1 John 4:7-9
We were created to be members of God's family and recipients of His perfect love. Through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, He demonstrated just how much He loves us.
When we receive Christ as our Savior, we become His children. We experience His unconditional love. Divine affection for us doesn't vary in quality or quantity. It'll never end or even diminish. No circumstance can cause the Lord to stop loving us.
We see these truths lived out in the lives of three people in the New Testament.
First, consider the Roman soldier who asked Jesus to heal his servant. The soldier's request wasn't ignored because he wasn't one of the Jews, which were God's chosen people. Seeing the man's genuine faith, the Lord granted his request out of love for him.
Jesus also extended His forgiving love to the crucified thief who confessed his guilt and expressed faith in Christ.
And lastly, before his conversion, the apostle Paul was convinced Jesus wasn't the promised Messiah. Paul believed His followers must be stopped. To that end, Paul persecuted the Christian Jews and uttered murderous threats against the church. God's love didn't even skip over one so violently opposed to His children. On the road to Damascus, the Lord appeared to Paul with an offer of salvation and gave him a great work to do. He asked Paul to spread His word to the Gentile world.
The human mind can't fully comprehend divine love. In Christ, thieves, persecutors, and those who may look like outsiders are all equally loved.

 -   Standing Against the World  -  1 John 4:4-6
An example of the antichrist movement is the campaign to remove Christian symbols from public places. Advocates use buzzwords like "religious freedom" to mean freedom from religion. Those listening, even some believers, are fooled into agreeing that worship should be private. The subtle motive often goes unnoticed to push Jesus out of society.
The world finds Christ offensive. Many people today claim we each can design our own belief system. But Jesus said faith in Him is the only way to a relationship with the Father.
Another worldly, antichrist idea is doing what feels right is fine, as long as no one gets hurt. Yet, Jesus taught that sin of any action, thought, or attitude contrary to God's principles has consequences.
Antichrist philosophies will often sound persuasive because Satan designs lies to appeal to human nature. Therefore, believers must know right from wrong. The Lord has provided three guides for safely navigating through life.
First, the Holy Spirit enables us to discern God's facts from Satan's fiction. Next, Scripture explains the truth about the Trinity and the divine plan for mankind. Finally, we have access to righteous people who preach and teach authentic Christianity.
Even if some unbelievers try to erase Jesus Christ's name from society, they can't remove all of His followers. We need to stand firmly rooted in Scripture and proclaim the gospel. God can work through us and win souls for His glory.

-  The Spirit of the Antichrist  -  1 John 4:1-3
When the word "antichrist" is used, the reference is usually to the Antichrist, who will spread rebellion across the earth. But, two additional meanings are found in 1 John 4.
First, the expression alludes to a spirit or attitude opposed to Jesus. Second, it describes men and woman who embody that spirit by contradicting scriptural truth.
An anti-Christ mindset is active in our culture. Newspapers, movies, and books dispute the Lord's deity. They then cast doubt on the truth of His death and resurrection. Instead of embracing Jesus as God's Son and Savior of the world, antichrists seek to recast Him as a wise teacher or good man with high ideals.
Such denials of Christ are not logical. In John 14:6, the Lord said of Himself, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." If Jesus is something other than what He claimed, He must be either a fraud or a lunatic. In which case, the antichrists would be holding up a most undesirable person as a "wise teacher."
Denying Christ's deity is also spiritually unsound. If Jesus were not the Son of God, then His death would have been permanent. Without His resurrection, there could be no such thing as salvation by faith.
Some antichrists, while denying Jesus, nevertheless claim to believe in God and heaven. Yet Matthew 10:33 states their denial will keep them from eternity with the Father.
The Bible insists Jesus is God's Son. He died for our sins and rose again. To combat the spirit of antichrist, we must read Scripture and believe it.

 -  Our Purpose in God's Plan  - 1 Peter 4:9-11
God doesn't need the help of any man or woman to accomplish His purposes. However, He has chosen to spread the gospel by means of His children. As one person tells another the good news of Jesus Christ, the story of hope and love spreads around the globe.
Consider each modern Christian is a spiritual descendant of the original disciples. Those men spent several years with Jesus. After His ascension, they preached what they'd learned from Him to anyone who'd listen. They also offered a helping hand where needed.
The grace and mercy demonstrated in word and action had a ripple effect. It spread outward from those first followers of Christ. It went across distance and time to hundreds, then thousands and even billions of individuals around the world.
But some people still have never heard Jesus loves them and died for their sins. This is why we're called to serve family, friends, and neighbors. Loved ones see God's grace lived out when we offer a helping hand, share the gospel, or lift them up in prayer.
To deny this call is to sin against the Lord. Our purpose is to serve God. The primary way we do that is by caring for those around us.
We can offer God many reasons for not serving Him such as weakness, inadequacy, and fear. But no excuse changes the mandate of Scripture. We are the Lord's feet, hands, and voice on earth. We go where He wills. We help those in need. We tell all about the love of Jesus.

-   Can God Use You?  -  Luke 10:38-42
Martha of Bethany welcomed Jesus into her home. Her act of service may seem small compared to works like the apostle Paul's missionary trips and letters. But she and her family provided a place of rest and refreshment for the Savior. This act must have been a welcome pause in His busy week.
It's true that Jesus once corrected Martha for placing too much emphasis on the details of hospitality. But when He visited her home, He no doubt anticipated food and fellowship with people He loved.
God's plan for every believer is made up of a lifetime of small opportunities. No matter what our career or calling may be. We should each seek ways to serve the Lord daily. We do this by ministering wherever we are to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
The Lord gives His children gifts and talents for fulfilling His purpose. So, we know He wants to use us. The question we should be asking is, "Can God use me?"  That is, have we made ourselves available to follow Him in any circumstance?
The areas of service set aside specifically for us are waiting. No one knows ahead of time exactly what God will require, but we can be sure He'll equip us with the right tools for the task.
Are you ready to say "yes, God can use me?" Tell the Lord that you're available to work for Him in any way He desires. He will respond by placing people and opportunities in your path. Through His strength, you'll do more to further the kingdom than you ever imagined. One day and one small act of service at a time.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - Training Your Children - Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Proverbs 22:6 states, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Training involves purposeful, consistent, and diligent actions. But one research project found, on average, fathers in America spend five minutes or less each day talking with their children.

God has a plan to train children as He intended. Teaching our kids starts with a foundation of love. All people, especially the young, desperately need to feel accepted, loved, and valued. If they don't find validation at home, they'll look elsewhere. Children need to hear their parents say things like, "I love you," "I value you," and "You have what it takes."

A second part of training a child involves the parent's relationship with God. We can't share what we don't have. A person's relationship with Jesus must be real and exciting. Otherwise, it'll be impossible to teach others about how to have intimacy with the Lord.

You can use two effective training tools with children. The first one is your testimony. Share what God is doing in your life. The second tool is your example. A powerful lesson is driven home when a child sees his parent admitting fault, asking for forgiveness, or expressing gratitude for God's mercy. The stakes are high. If we disobey the Lord and fail to teach our little ones correctly, we make them vulnerable to the world's teaching. Not only does this harm our precious children; it also hinders the next generation.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008  -  Saving Faith  - John 1:12-13
Faith in Christianity involves several elements. Knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did must come from confidence. We need to know the facts are true and apply to us. We must start by realizing that I have broken God's law. That makes me a sinner. All of us are born with a rebellious nature against the Lord.
To save faith, we acknowledge none of our efforts can earn His favor. We also agree "Jesus died for me." He paid for all our sins, no matter how terrible they are in the world's eyes.
Next, we believe Jesus' death is sufficient payment for our wrongdoing. Nothing else is needed. We must accept He paid our penalty and endured the Father's wrath in our place.
Finally, we accept by faith that we've been adopted into God's family on the basis of Christ's (sorrowful) atoning death. The invitation is for the world, but not everyone has true conviction. Too many people see these facts as "information" rather than life-altering truths.
Once we're convinced Jesus is our Savior, trust is demonstrated through action.
As "new creatures," we're no longer who we once were. Second Corinthians 5:17 says there are different values and priorities for us to embrace. Jesus, our Lord, has authority over our lives. He alone deserves to be our top priority. He knows what pleases the Father. Jesus has sent His Spirit to live in us and teach us.
Take time to examine yourself for evidence of knowledge, conviction, and trust. If one area is lacking, ask the Father to help you come to true saving faith.

The Rewards of Patience -- Hebrews 6:13-15 
Welcome to the In Touch Devotional. Patience is a hard lesson for us to learn. We don't like patience. We don't have time for patience! Life is fast, time's running out, and we've got to get this show on the road, right?
This is clearly how most of us act, even if we don't express it. Perhaps that's why Scripture includes so many examples of godly patience and reward. Over and over, we see the Father making promises to His children, only to have them wait years, sometimes decades, for the promise to be fulfilled. But the result of that patience is always blessing.
Consider Abraham. At age 75, he was given God's promise of a son. 10 years later, he was still waiting. Fifteen years passed, then 20, and still no son. Finally, when Abraham was 100, a quarter-century after God had made the promise, baby Isaac was born. Surely Abraham had times of doubt during those 25 years. Yet he continued to trust God and kept watching for the fulfillment of His promise.
There are plenty of other examples. As a young man, Jacob met the girl of his dreams, but he worked many years before making her his bride. Joseph had a God-given vision of blessing at age 17 but languished 13 years in slavery and prison before receiving the reward. David was anointed King of Israel as a teenager but spent the next 14 years or so running for his life before taking the throne.
Shortcuts never lead to where God wants us to be. The long road, however, is filled with faithful servants. Are you waiting on the Lord today? Be encouraged. You're in good company.

If Jesus were to do His same ministry on earth today, He would be
wanted by...

..the FDA for turning water into wine without a license,

..the EPA for killing fig trees,

..the AMA for practicing medicine without a license,

..the Dept. of Health for asking people to open graves, for raising the
dead and for feeding 5,000 people in the wilderness,

..the NEA for teaching without a certificate,

..OSHA for walking on water without a life-jacket and for flying
without an airplane,

..the SPCA for driving hogs into the sea,

..the National Board of Psychiatrists for giving advice on how to live
a guilt-free life,

..and by the Zoning Dept. for building mansions without a permit.