These are more effective than 911

When -
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is b igger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation’s and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small comp ared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul’s secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

July 1
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
Daniel 2:20-22

How many of us have listened to the global or national news and wondered, What in the world is going on? Without a firm foundation of biblical truth, we can easily be overcome with fear and despair. Despite the upheaval in political and financial realms, Christians can find peace in the knowledge that our God is sovereign over every nation and ruler on earth.

Though the future of a nation appears to be in the hands of its rulers and lawmakers, an omnipotent hand is orchestrating a good and glorious plan: the Lord is the one who “removes kings and establishes kings” (v. 20). Ultimately, every governmental leader is put into office, not by voters, political campaigns, or personal abilities, but by the hand of God.

Nothing that the Lord does is carried out in isolation. He’s working all things according to His divine plan. We tend to think that a ruler has to be righteous for God to use Him, but Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the Lord can direct the heart of any national leader wherever He wishes. In fact, He describes two pagan kings—Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus—as “My servant” (Jer. 25:9) and “My shepherd” (Isa. 44:28). Unbeknownst to them, God guided their paths to fulfill His purposes for Israel.

When the news threatens to dislodge your peace or cause despair, remember who holds the nations in His hand. God’s plans for this world are moving along according to His divine purposes, and no unrighteous ruler can thwart Him. Just keep singing, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

It’s just a small white envelope stuck among the
branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no
identification, no inscription. It has peeked through
the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas
–oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the
commercial aspects of it — the overspending, the
frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie
for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma –
the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t
think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass
the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I
reached for something special just for Mike. The
inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin,
who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior
level at the school he attended.

Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match
against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that
shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them
together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in
their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new
wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed
to see that the other team was wrestling without
headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect
a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team
obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight
class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat,
he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado,
a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, ‘I wish
just one of them could have won,’ he said. ‘They have
a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart
right out of them.’ Mike loved kids — all kids — and he
knew them, having coached little league football, baseball,
and lacrosse.

That’s when the idea for his present came. That
afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and
bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes
and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree,
the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that
this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest
thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding
years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition
–one year sending a group of mentally handicapped
youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a
pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the
ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The
envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was
always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and
our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand
with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the
envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more
practical presents, but the envelope never lost its
allure. The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost
Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled
around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely
got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an
envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined
by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst
to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for
their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will
expand even further with our grandchildren standing
around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation
watching as their fathers take down the envelope.
Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always
be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the
season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and
always.

–author unknown–

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”
(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is don e,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love.
(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)

1. I love Jesus because He loves me.

I John 4:19: We love him, because he first loved us.

2. I love Him because He has answered my prayers.

Psalm 116:1: I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

3. I love Him because He gave His life to save me.

Romans 5:8-9: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

4. I love Him because He is God.

Colossians 2:9: For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

5. I love Him because, even though He is fully God, because He became a man He understands and sympathizes with my weakness and temptations.

Hebrews 2: 17-18: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour [aid, help]them that are tempted.

6. I love Him because in Him we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

I Corinthians 1:30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

7. I love Him because in Him I have redemption.

Romans 3: 24-25: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God…

8. I love Him because He is the way, the truth, and the life, and through Him we can come to the Father.

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

9. I love Him because there is no condemnation to those who are in Him.

Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

10. I love Him because nothing can separate us from His love.

Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

11. I love Him because He causes us to triumph.
II Corinthians 2:14: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

12. I love Him because in Him all things are made new.

II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

13. I love Him because through Him we are reconciled to God.

II Corinthians 5:18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

Ephesians 2:13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14. I love Him because he is my peace.

Ephesians 2:14: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.

15. I love Him because by faith in Him I became a child of God.

Galatians 3:26: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength……… And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom……… And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity………And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage……… And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love……… And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors……… And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted …….. I received everything I needed!

It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

It cannot eat away peace.

It cannot destroy confidence.

It cannot kill friendship.

It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot sicken the spirit—just the body.

It cannot silence courage.

It cannot quench the Spirit.

It cannot overcome Christian joy.

It cannot weaken the promises of God’s Word.

It cannot shorten eternal life by one day!

Listen!  The cancer is dead. The cancer victim–who trusted in Christ–is ALIVE!

John 11:25

Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection and the Life,

he that beleiveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

Brownies With A Difference

Many parents are hard pressed to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home or to listen to or see.

One parent came up with an original idea that is hard to refute. The father listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG because of the suggestion of sex — they never really showed it. The language was pretty good — the Lord’s name was only used in vain three times in the whole movie.

The teens did admit there was a scene where a building and a bunch of people were blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn’t too bad. And, even if there were a few minor things, the special effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed.

However, even with all the justifications the teens made for the PG rating, the father still wouldn’t give in. He didn’t even give his children a satisfactory explanation for saying, “No”, He just said, “No”.

A little later on that evening the father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had baked. He explained that he’d taken the family’s favorite recipe and added a little something new. The children asked what it was.

The father calmly replied that he had added dog poop. However, he quickly assured them, it was only a little bit. All other ingredients were gourmet quality and he had taken great care to bake the brownies at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb.

Even with their father’s promise that the brownies were of almost perfect quality, the teens would not take any. The father acted surprised. After all, it was only one small part that was causing them to be so stubborn. He was certain they would hardly notice it.

Still the teens held firm and would not try the brownies.

The father then told his children how the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Our minds are us into believing that just a little bit of evil won’t matter. But, the truth is even a little bit of poop makes the difference between a great treat and something disgusting and totally unacceptable.

The father went on to explain that even though the movie industry would have us believe that most of today’s movies are acceptable fare for adults and youth, they are not.

Now, when this father’s children want to see something that is of questionable material, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special dog poop brownies. That closes the subject.