Thought for the day...

“The more reverence we have for the Word of God the more joy we shall find in it.” ~Matthew Henry
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- if714

 

May 23, 2019
Verse of the Day
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

 

A NEW HEART

Science has produced many amazing medical advances. Arguably the most spectacular is the ability to transplant human body parts, replacing old with new from donors or with artificial ones. A few decades ago, transplants were rare, but these days everyone seems to know someone with a new hip, knee, kidney, lungs, liver, cornea, or heart.
When Ezekiel recorded this promise from God, he had no knowledge of organ and joint replacements, but he carefully recorded the message of a heart transplant — and we can relate. Although the “heart” in this passage refers to the core of a person’s being — not to a physical, blood-pumping muscle — the image is the same.
The Bible often uses the image of a cold and hard stone to picture a person who is “hardened” — closed to God. Hearts become hardened through repeated sin and living only for self. Sadly, even God’s people can become stonelike, choosing to live their own way rather than submit to the Lord. Some people seem so hardened, wanting nothing to do with anything remotely spiritual, that we can’t imagine anything or anyone breaking through their tough veneers. But God can. In fact, he can replace their hearts of stone with hearts of “flesh” — soft, alive, vital, warm, and filled with his Spirit.
Name your hardened coworker, neighbor, friend, or relative. Ask God to perform spiritual heart surgery, transforming that person into one who loves the Lord and others. And ask God to use you in the process.

Please keep my heart soft, Lord . . .

I was that hard headed person until June 20, 2001...

 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV

 

I just finished day 14 of the @YouVersion plan 'NIV Once-A-Day Bible for Men'. Check it out here:
NIV Once-A-Day Bible for Men

 

“[The rich] have given a tiny part of their surplus, but [the widow], poor as she is, has given everything she has.” May our hearts belong to you alone, O God.
-Luke 21:4
http://www.if714.org/?p=25148

 

May 24, 2019
Verse of the Day
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Galatians 6:7

 

What Happens When You Do What You Know Is Wrong?
By Rick Warren — May 24, 2019


“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9 NIV).

The Bible says in Proverbs 10:9, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out” (NIV). You will be found out! So when making decisions, you need the integrity test.

The test of integrity is that your public life and your private life match—what’s in your heart and what’s in your life are the same thing. You ask yourself, “Would I want everyone to know about this decision that I’m making?” The truth is, when it comes to integrity, even if you can fool everyone else, you can’t fool yourself. And if you violate your own conscience, you have to pay for that.

Sometimes we know we’re about to do the wrong thing. We know we shouldn’t do it, but this thought comes to our mind: “I know I’m doing the wrong thing, but I’m going to go ahead and do it because I know God is a forgiving God.”

Do you think you can do something that God says is wrong and not have consequences in your life? That’s the very reason he doesn’t want you to make that decision—because he loves you, not because he wants to keep you from having fun. God knows there are consequences to every decision. He knows every bad decision leaves scars in your life. And he wants better for you.

Does this mean that God does not forgive us for the wrong things we do? Of course he forgives us. He’s a forgiving and gracious God. But that forgiveness does not free us from the pain and the consequences that come from bad decisions. You can be forgiven and still have regrets. You can be forgiven and still face pain. You can be forgiven and still have a broken relationship.

Romans 14:14 says, “If someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong” (TLB). This verse simply says that when in doubt, don’t. It’s a violation of the integrity test. Whatever is not from faith in our lives is sin

 

May 25, 2019
Verse of the Day
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 18:6

 

May 26, 2019
Verse of the Day
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

 

DELAYS ARE NOT DENIALS

Dads know that children rank the words not yet as nearly the most awful in the English language, second only to the word no. How children hate to hear the answer, “Not yet.” When the all-knowing, all-wise, loving heavenly Father deems it best to say, “Not yet,” what is our mature adult response? Often, if we are honest, we say, “But God, you don’t understand. I want it now.”
Imagine the great urgency with which Mary and Martha, the sisters of dying Lazarus, sent word to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). But Jesus purposely delayed his coming. This was God’s way of saying, “Not yet.” Was he callous about their pain? Hardly. About a week later, Jesus stood at Lazarus’s tomb and wept. He identified with their pain.
Mary and Martha were hurt and frustrated that Jesus had not responded to their request earlier. But Jesus wanted to do something greater than heal a sick man. He wanted to raise a dead man to life.
We catch a glimpse of Jesus’ understanding of prayer in this episode of his life. When we pray according to God’s Word, we are praying what Jesus would have prayed.
When we pray, usually a gap exists between our request and the answer. We must remember that God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials. Timing is very important to God. A request may be in God’s will but not in his timing.
God has reasons for not answering our prayers at the moment. Sometimes the best answer we can receive is, “Not yet.”

Lord, help me to accept this “not yet” in my life . . .

 

So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
John 11:6 NKJV

 

A FAITHFUL FRIEND

Many men enjoy watching a good Western. There’s nothing better than to see the good guy wearing the nice hat and riding the best-looking horse. The background music in Westerns is upbeat and memorable. Everyone in the town knows that times will get better once the good guy arrives. Life is simple — the bad guys are just as easy to spot as the good guys — but there are always some twists behind that next tree or over the next butte.
Remember when you were a kid, yelling at the screen for the hero not to go around that next corner, into that train car, or through that pass? You know what happened: the hero got jumped and tied to a tree or dropped down an abandoned mine shaft. But many heroes were spared death, thanks to having a loyal friend or sidekick.
Sometimes life plays out like an old Western. There’s a circumstance around the next corner from which it seems improbable that you could ever escape, let alone create a good outcome. The last thing you want is to face it alone, and you wish someone could see ahead and shout, “Don’t go there!”
Men, remember we don’t have to go it alone! We always have Christ to look to in times of need, but we can also find another man to partner with in prayer. When you commit to praying with someone, to helping someone through rough patches, you in turn may be helped out of a deserted mine shaft. Thanks to your commitment to prayer, you may be the hero who helps save the day.

Lord, help me avoid trying to go it alone . . .

 

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17 NKJV

 

GIVING YOUR BEST

People living significant lives pursue excellence. They lead their organizations, their families, their businesses, and, in fact, their very lives, striving for their best. Whether they want to win games, make an impact on their children, or win their share of the market, the thread of excellence runs through the fabric of their lives.
Jesus was committed to excellence. The New Testament gospel writer Mark reminds us that God gave his very best — his Son. And his Son gave his very best — his life. His followers should do no less. Less than our best is inadequate when we consider the fact that God has given us his very best. In view of all the Lord has done for us, less than our best is less than adequate.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.” Whatever our role, our position, our organization, or our lot in life, we should strive for the best. The measure of our success should be attached not to our particular career or what we earn, but on our character and what we give.
True champions are more willing to give than to get. They go the extra mile. They move beyond expectations. They strive for higher standards.
Excellence does not mean being the best, but being your best. Understanding that distinction makes all the difference in the world.

Jesus, help me to give my very best today . . .