"The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortune, but its fears." A. C. Benson "All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain." Epictetus "We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse." Rudyard Kipling "A man's treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character -- how he makes it and how he spends it." James Moffatt "I criticize by creation, not by finding fault." Cicero "Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." William James "No thoroughly occupied man was ever yet very miserable." L. E. Landon
September 6, 2019 Verse of the Day “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
"Democracy is ever eager for rapid progress, and the only progress which can be rapid is progress down hill." Sir James Jeans "Young man: Be honest; train yourself for useful work; love God." Milton S. Hershey "The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in business. You've got to keep working that talent." Irving Berlin "There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second." Logan Pearsall Smith "Chance favors the prepared mind." Louis Pasteur "Queer thing, but we always think every other man's job is easier than our own. And the better he does it, the easier it looks." Eden Phillpotts "By the street of By-and-By, one arrives at the house of Never." Cervantes
September 7, 2019 Verse of the Day Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 1 Peter 2:16 NIV
Recognize your idols By Pastor Mark Jeske The word idol today has a pleasant connotation. In today’s lingo it means a star, a great performer, someone who can wow and dazzle a crowd, somebody who has hundreds of thousands or maybe millions of Twitter followers. Television pumps out idols by the dozens for us to fawn over and applaud. In biblical times the term referred to an image or statue representing a heathen god or goddess. Satan made sure that the Old Testament Israelites saw much to like in the worship of deities other than the God of Abraham. The prophets’ spoken and written messages for many centuries railed on the people for losing their love for the Lord and trusting in idols, which is to say, trusting in a nonexistent fantasy. Not all paths lead to heaven. Idol worship is spiritual suicide. King David, sacred poet, knew and respected his own sometimes wandering heart. He consciously strove to get rid of his own idols and repledge himself to the Lord: “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips” (Psalm 16:4). So which idols do you chase? Where is your trust? Your own ingenuity? Quick tongue? Stock portfolio? What’s on your life agenda? What excuses do you make for shorting the Lord of honorable worship time and offerings? What do you need most in your life to make you happy?
"Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power." Seneca "From none but self expect applause." Burton "Ambition is a lust that is never quenched, but grows more inflamed and madder by enjoyment." Otway "When prosperity comes, do not use all of it." Confucius "People forget how fast you did a job -- but they remember how well you did it." Howard W. Newton "Set me a task in which I can put something of my very self, and it is a task no longer; it is joy; it is art." Bliss Carman "Genius is eternal patience." Michelangelo
"Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well." Jean Jacques Rousseau "If I had only one sermon to preach it would be a sermon against pride." Gilbert K. Chesterton "Temptation rarely comes in working hours. It is in their leisure time that men are made or marred." W. M. Taylor "Failures are divided into two classes -- those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought." John Charles Salak "Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does." Josh Billings "Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." George Bernard Shaw "There is a divinity that shapes our ends -- but we can help by listening for Its voice." Kathleen Norris
September 8, 2019 Verse of the Day The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
Water Is on Its Way Observation At the command of the Lord, the Israelites camped, but there was no water to drink. You’d think that if God commanded a camping spot, there’d be immediately plenty of water, as well as a buffet line and waiters to bring them coffee and dessert. You’d think that if God had planned it, all the logistics would have been taken into consideration and a catering company would be waiting for the Israelites as they arrived. Application There will be times, even though the Lord leads us, when we will find ourselves with sparse resources. Not enough money. Not enough help. Not enough encouragement. But it doesn’t mean that God is not in the situation. Maybe you’re like me . . . being patient comes hard when I am thirsty after a “long trek.” We can react prematurely, jumping to the wrong conclusions about how God is working. In doing so, we make the desert a hotter place than it needs to be. God is not finished yet. Think about it — God had water stored in a rock! How often, from a source we least expect, God provides. He did for the Israelites, and he will again for you and me today! Prayer Lord, thank you for helping me to understand that just because there is a shortage of resources, it doesn’t mean that you haven’t led me to this place. I will wait on you to provide, knowing that you still have more to come. Remind me of this when I panic or complain. Taken from NIV LifeConnect Study Bible
"Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time." Voltaire "Nothing so obstinately stands in the way of all sorts of progress as pride of opinion; while nothing is so foolish and baseless." J. G. Holland "As a man handles his troubles during the day, he goes to bed at night a General, Captain or Private." Ed. Howe "A small mind is obstinate. A great mind can lead and be led." Alexander Cannon A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools. Spanish Proverb "When you hire people who a smarter than you are, you prove you are smarter than they are." R. H. Grant "Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress." Thomas A. Edison
September 10, 2019 Verse of the Day Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. Psalm 127:1 NIV
Cover this By Jason Nelson The prophet Jeremiah has a reputation for being very unhappy. He was dealt a lousy hand, and his audience regularly played the victim card. But tucked in among Jeremiah’s laments is a challenge for disgruntled believers to get off their backsides and act in accord with their own history. “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). Sometimes Christians gripe about the way we are portrayed in the media. We cringe every time it is reported that a psychopath committed an inexcusable crime because God told him to do it. And we know we bring more to the table than “moments of silence” when something bad happens. But others can only define us if we haven’t clearly defined ourselves. Rather than bicker with the press, let’s invite them to cover this: Cover the historic mercy of Christians who established world class hospitals. Cover the intellect of Christians who founded great universities. Cover the adventurous spirit of Christians who discovered new worlds. Cover the expertise of Christian teachers who are educating disadvantaged students in Christian schools. Cover the compassion of Christians who are using their church facilities to minister to people others leave on the streets. Cover the outpouring of humanitarian aid Christians are offering around the world. Cover the healing work of Christian nurses and doctors. Cover the consistent way Christians serve others in Jesus’ name.
"The best things in life are never rationed. Friendship, loyalty, love do not require coupons." George T. Hewitt All mankind is divided into three classes: Those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. Arabian Proverb "Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people." John D. Rockefeller "This is a world of action, and not for moping and droning in." Dickens "That man is prudent who neither hopes nor fears anything from the uncertain events of the future." Anatole France "A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit." Erasmus "There is no substitute for accurate knowledge. Know yourself, know your business, know your men." Randall Jacobs
September 11, 2019 Verse of the Day The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV
Don’t Give Up When Times Get Tough BY RICK WARREN — SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 2.4K “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT). Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we have to suffer? Why is life so difficult sometimes? As difficult as it is to understand, God can use your pain for his purpose. Don’t be surprised if he is using tough times in your life to test your faithfulness. Faithful people keep on keeping on when other people choose to give up. Faithful people are diligent and determined. They are persistent. They change their perspective and focus on God’s promises in his Word. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul says you need to get the right perspective when you’re going through a problem. If you want to persist, don’t look at the temporary problem. Look at the long-term reward. Don’t look at the temporary pain; look at the long-term gain. Don’t look at it with the short-term view, “What’s happening to me right now?” Instead, look at the character that you are building because you haven’t given up. You’re hanging in there. God is more interested in what you are becoming than what you accomplish. If you are facing difficult times right now, I challenge you to write this verse on a 3×5 card and memorize it: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). I pray it will encourage you to keep going. God is working in you and for you, at just the right time and in just the right ways. You will be rewarded for your faithfulness!
"A fellow doesn't last long on what he has done. He's got to keep on delivering as he goes along." Carl Hubbell "You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips." Goldsmith "Statistics are no substitute for judgment." Henry Clay "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." Winston Churchill "If money is all that a man makes, then he will be poor - poor in happiness, poor in all that makes life worth living." Herbert N. Casson "The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell." Andrew Carnegie "Go outdoors and get rid of nerves." Dr. Frank Crane
September 12, 2019 Verse of the Day May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV
"One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty councils. The thing to do is supply light and not heat." Woodrow Wilson "We win half the battle when we make up our minds to take the world as we find it, including the thorns." Orison S. Marden "If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot." Bunyan "I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor." Lord Nelson "High ethical standards bring about efficient business methods." Watts "I never knew a man escape failures, in either mind or body, who worked seven days in a week." Sir Robert Peel "People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness." John Wanamaker
September 13, 2019 Verse of the Day But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16 NIV
