Refreshing Daily

in God’s WordEmphasis on

LIFE

April 2014 April 2014

The Life of Little Humans

April 1

Bible Reading: Psalm 51Key Verse: Verse 5 - Behold, I was shapen in

iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.Key Words: in sin did my mother conceive me…

Children, like all of us, come into the world with a sin nature. The Psalmist David said, “In sin did my mother conceive me.” In Scripture we do not find a contrast between “innocent children” and “sinful adults.” Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Children are sinners as well as adults.

I have never seen a child who needed instruction on how to sin; it comes quite naturally. I doubt that any of you sat your child down and taught him how to lie. It just comes naturally.

In his book, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Douglas Wilson writes, “I had to confront my five year-old daughter because of bitterness toward her brother. It seems he had clobbered her earlier in the day; although he was disciplined for his action, she was unwilling to forgive. So I quoted Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses”.

“Looking at me she said, “Who is this Matthew guy, anyway?”

“Now her questioning of the scripture was not due to liberal theology, but it was a result of her unforgiving spirit and her sin nature.”

Our children are sinners and education alone is not the answer. All you get when you educate a sinner is a “clever sinner.” Knowledge by itself does not make people better, but rather it makes them worse. Education is not the answer to our problem; Jesus is! (Romans 3:20, 5:20)

I think all of you would agree with me that we here at the school want your children to receive a Godly education; but if all we do is educate the mind and never attempt to regenerate the heart, we all have failed, both as staff and parents.

What to do: ✞ Make sure your children know God’s plan of salvation.✞ Make sure they understand that Jesus is the key to life. ✞Understand that we all have a sin nature that must be dealt with daily; thus it is imperative that we keep our relationship with God right.

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A Future Life

April 2

Bible Reading: Isaiah 11:1-11Key Verse: Verse 8 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Key Words: to recover the remnant of his people

As prophesied by Isaiah, Jeremiah (16:14-16), Ezekiel (34:11-24), and Jesus Himself (Matthew 24:32-33), the Jewish people are returning to their homeland in mass numbers.

The Jews have defied thousands of years of persecution, bloodbaths, and holocaust. They as well have defied the trend toward absorption into other nations. They have retained their racial purity, and are returning to the promised land as promised before the Lord returns.

Two kinds of Jews are again populating Israel. From the west come the “enlightened” Jews – those who are educators, doctors, lawyers, and industrialists. From the east come the deeply religious orthodox Jews – passionately devoted to rebuilding Zion into an exclusively religious state. Both kinds of Jews will see a promised Messiah in the anti-Christ. The western Jews will hail him because he offers them a peace treaty that assures them security and freedom from war. The eastern Jews will embrace him because he will permit them to rebuild their temple.

Many times in the past people have thought that the return of Christ was at hand. When the Christian era reached its one-thousandth year, many thought that Christ would return. When Islam swept across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, it seemed as though the Lord must return. When the French Revolution steeped a nation in blood and elevated Napoleon to the throne, many cried out that the Lord’s return is imminent. When Hitler came on the scene and the Jews were being massacred by the thousands, again people cried out, “The Lord is coming!”

But one vital factor was missing in each of these situations. Israel had not been re-birthed as a nation.

That is no longer the case, and the fact that Israel is back in its homeland adds more urgency to our message. End-time events can now take their ultimate shape and the Lord’s return is really near.

What to do: ✞ Make your salvation sure.✞ Put your priorities in order: God, family, job,

etc.✞ Pray for Israel.

The Food of Life

April 3

Bible Reading: I Peter 2:1-8Key Verse: Verse 2 - As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:.Key Words: desire

In our text Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us to “desire the sincere milk of the word.” Now this raises an interesting question, why would one not desire the Word of God? Well, the answer to that question is found in the first verse. One fails to desire the Word of God because they are full of malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, and evil speakings. Now when one is full of carnal things, they have no appetite for spiritual things. That is the reason Peter said to lay aside the carnal so one will have an appetite for the spiritual.

If you have ever been to Yellowstone National Park you have read a sign that reads, “Do Not Feed the Bears.” Most tourists probably assume it is there to protect humans because most people think if you are close enough to feed the bears, you are in a position of danger. This may be true but that is not the reason for the sign. The sign is posted for the protection of the bears. Each fall, when the tourists who feed the bears leave, the park service will have to carry away the remains of many dead bears because they have become dependent on the tourists to feed them, and they are no longer willing to gather food for themselves.

I have discovered that many believers are like the bears. We grow dependent on others such as the pastor, Sunday school teacher, and other people to feed us spiritually and we are no longer willing to feed ourselves. Each day we must take the initiative to gather the spiritual food we need from God’s Word, so I challenge you to “desire the milk of God’s Word that you may grow thereby.”

What to do: ✞Have daily devotions.✞Put a CD in your car of Bible reading. (We

have some available.)✞Stay in God’s Word!!✞Be faithful to God’s house.

A Whining LifeApril 4

Bible Reading: Numbers 11:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 1 - And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and

his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the

uttermost parts of the camp. Key Words: the people complained

How quickly we forget the blessings of God! Israel had been led out of Egypt by God. They had crossed the Red Sea safely – on dry ground, I might add. They had watched as the army of the enemy had been consumed by that same sea. God had provided food and water; their clothing and shoes were seemingly everlasting. God had provided for them a land flowing with milk and honey, but yet they whined. They whined for the same reasons we whine. We focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have.

I read the following and found it to be a blessing. I trust you will as well. The author is unknown.

Forgive Me When I WhineToday upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid

with golden hair;I envied her – she seemed so gay, and

how I wished I were so fair;When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw

her hobble down the aisle;She had one foot and wore a crutch,

but as she passed, she smiled.Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet – the world is mine.And when I stopped to buy some

sweets, the lad who served me had such charm;

He seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm;

I said, “It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find;”

He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.” And then I saw that he was blind.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes – the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue;

He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do;

I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”

He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears – the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go, with eyes to see the sunset’s glow,

With ears to hear what I would know.I am blessed indeed.

The world is mine – oh, God forgive me when I whine.

Oh Lord, forgive us when we whine!!!

What to do: ✞ Put up an “I will not whine” sign in a

prominent place.✞Write down all the reasons you have to

whine, and then visit the cancer ward of Children’s Hospital. You will stop your whining in a mega-second.

✞ Everyday thank God for your health.

A Life of FaithApril 5

Bible Reading: Genesis 22:1-14Key Verse: Verse 2 - And he said, Take now thy

son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get

thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Key Words: offer him there for a burnt offering

I define faith as “taking God at His Word, in spite of my feelings, circumstances or consequences – I do what God’s Word says.”

Now I readily admit, that is not always easy. I must confess if I were Abraham in this situation, it would not be easy to obey; but Abraham, acting in faith, proceeded to do as God had commanded, knowing that a righteous God would do right.

So let me ask, how are you doing in the battle of living by faith?

Many of us need to be more like the little girl whom the farmer found lost in his meadow. The farmer said to her, “Do not cry; I’ll take you home.”

The little child snuggled up to him, and with a smile, said, “I knew you would; I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” said the man. “What made you think I was coming?”

“I was praying you would,” she said. “Praying? When I first heard you, you were

saying A B C D E F G. What was that for?” She looked up again and said, “I’m just a little

girl. I was praying all the letters of the alphabet and letting God put them together the way He wanted to. He knows I was lost, and He knows how to put them together better than I do.”

When G. Campbell Morgan was a young Christian he used to visit several elderly ladies once a week to read the Bible to them. When he came to the end of Matthew’s gospel, Morgan read, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age.” He added, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise?”

One of the ladies quickly replied, “Young man, that is not a

promise. It is a fact.”

What to do: ✞ Make all of your decisions based on God’s Word – not on your feelings, circumstances or apparent consequences.

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A Life of Priorities

April 6

Bible Reading: Proverbs 23: 1-12Key Verse: Verse 4 - Labour not to be rich:

cease from thine own wisdom.Key Words: Labor not to be rich

The following article was sent to Ann Landers and is quite revealing.

“Once upon a time, there was a bright young man who decided to become rich and successful. So he studied very hard in college, got an M.B.A., and went to work in a prestigious firm.

Since most successful businessmen in the land had beautiful wives, he went out and got himself one. He bought his ‘Christina’ a lovely home in the suburbs. In return for beautiful clothes and elegant jewels, she was a dutiful wife who devoted herself to their children. She never saw much of her rich, successful husband who worked long hours and stayed out late at night, sharing wine and expensive meals with potential clients in order to cultivate good

connections. There were rumors that he was seen dining with attractive women in the business world.

Meanwhile, Christina was growing more lonely and disconnected. One day, after looking at the emptiness of her life, she decided to go back to college and have a career. After watching her husband, she knew she didn’t want to be rich and successful. She was hungry for something much deeper and more meaningful.

Something in Christina awakened as she gained new knowledge. And lo and behold, one day in class, her eyes locked with those of a handsome man who was also looking for something that would give more meaning to his life. He was tired of the demands of the business world, and like our heroine, he wanted something deeper.

After a year of contemplation, Christina divorced her husband (who to this day is baffled but busy) and married the nice man in her class. He became a good stepfather to her children, who were delighted to have a man to spend time with, and he always came home from work in time for a family dinner. They weren’t rich, but they lived happily ever after. The End."

A Faithful Reader in Michigan

Life is not about money, but about Christ and teaching our families that He (Christ) is to be pre-eminent.

What to do: ✞ Evaluate your priorities.

P.S. This devotional is by no means condoning or approving of divorce. This is simply an illustration to reveal to us a proper sense of priorities.

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A Life of TruthApril 7

Bible Reading: Proverbs 13Key Verse: Verse 6 - Righteousness keepeth

him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Key Words: Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way

Chapter thirteen of Proverbs deals with the subject of truth. There is a truth about listening (verse 1), a truth about living (verse 2), a truth about laziness (verse 4), a truth about lying (verse 5), a truth about limits (verse 6), and so it goes throughout the chapter.

It’s the truth about limits I would like for us to look at in today’s devotion.

If you would look again at the word righteousness in our text verse, it is a judicial word meaning to make Godly decisions. Then notice the word upright, it carries the idea of being whole, not divided. I believe the principle is clear – Godly decisions keep you whole.

Every one of us needs to set some limits for our life: things we will not do, places we will not go, words we will not use, clothing we will not wear. Without limits we find ourselves in a constant quandary.

As a boy growing up in south Alabama, I lived in an area that allowed me the space to run in open fields, but I also was able to hide in the woods. It was certainly a good life for a young boy. One of the things I would do was to catch the field larks that would fly into the fields for their early morning breakfast. I would put a cardboard box out, put a stick under it to hold it up, tie a string around the stick, and then I would take the string and hide. In order to lure the field larks into the box, I would put

one of Mother’s homemade biscuits under it. Sure enough, when they flew in, they couldn’t resist Mom’s biscuit. I would occasionally tag the birds I caught with a little band around their leg. You know, I was continually catching some of the same birds over and over again. You know, the same thing happens to us. Satan constantly puts out his lures and because we have no limits, we continually find ourselves trapped and in distress.

Today I challenge you to live your life with limits. The only other option is to live a life of spiritual defeat.

What to do: ✞Write down your limits and stick to them.✞Pray for God’s power daily to stay within those limits.✞Stay away from compromising situations.

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A Life of Resisting the SpiritApril 8

Bible Reading: Acts 7:51-60Key Verse: Verse 51 - Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always

resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.Key Words: ye do always resist the Holy Ghost

The message of the deacon, Stephen, found in Acts 7 is powerful and straightforward. He reminds the Jewish people of how their fathers wandered in the wilderness because of disobedience, and then

reminds them that they as well were a disobedient people. He called them stiffnecked (stubborn) and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Their heart and ears were covered with old Jewish traditions and ritualism. As a result of this, they resisted the Holy Spirit’s conviction and call to salvation.

I read an interesting story that may explain why Jews and Gentiles both resisted the Holy Spirit.

“For many years Mr. & Mrs. Emmanuel O. Lago were missionaries in Palestine. He was from the north of Ireland but when clad in a Palestinian shepherd’s garb, he could easily pass for an Arabian shepherd.

One day while visiting the area of Beersheba, Mr. Lago encountered some shepherds sitting near the roadside while their sheep grazed on the stony hillside. “How do you call your sheep?” he asked.

In a low voice, a shepherd gave a call to his sheep and the missionary repeated the call quite accurately. Then Mr. Lago borrowed the cloak and staff of the shepherd. Walking among the grazing sheep, he called the sheep repeatedly, but not one sheep even lifted its head from grazing.

Then the “true” shepherd without cloak or staff gave the same call as the missionary. What a difference! Immediately every sheep lifted its head and came trotting to the shepherd.”

It is said that only a sick sheep will fail to respond to the wooing of the shepherd. The moral is only the spiritually sick will fail to heed the wooing of the Holy Spirit and resist His call.

What to do: ✞ Heed today to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.✞Stay sensitive to the conviction and calling of the Spirit.

**This is done in part by living a pure, Godly life and staying in the Word and in prayer.

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A Life of Proving GodApril 9

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-14Key Verse: Verse 13 - And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.Key Words: And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

The Bible teaches us that the existence of God can be proven in three ways.

First of all through creation. We read in Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

Secondly, God can be proven through our conscience. Romans 2:14-15, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.”

Thirdly, God can be proven through revelation. Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.”

But I have found that God does an excellent job of proving Himself when someone is willing to search for Him with all their heart.

I remember when I was in college, we had a pastor from India who came to chapel and gave his testimony of his salvation experience. He said, “I desired to know the true and living God – so I prayed and asked the God Who created the heavens above, and the birds that fly through the air, the God Who made the trees and plants, the God Who made the dirt and grass – I want to know that God.” Later a missionary came by and said, “The God Who created the heavens above and the birds that fly through the air, the God Who created the trees and plants, even the dirt and ground we walk on – He has sent me by to tell you how you can know Him.”

The pastor from India said, “That was no mistake. I found the true and living God because I searched for Him with all my heart.” And so can you!

What to do: ✞Search for God with all your heart, if you are unsaved and unsure He exists.✞As a believer, challenge those who do not

believe in God to pray sincerely the prayer of the pastor from India.

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A Life of Determination

April 10

Bible Reading Psalm 119:153-160Key Verse: Verse 157 - Many are my

persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

Key Words: Many are my persecutors and mine enemies

It is easy to go downhill. Anyone who rides a bike knows that. It is easy to go zipping along on a flat road; that calls for very little effort. But going uphill is another matter. Even a slight incline calls for more determination, and taking on a steep grade calls for all the strength and resolution a person has. But going downhill? Anyone can do that. Many a cyclist, faced with a really steep hill, will simply turn around and coast back the way he came. The reason, of course, is that he was not really going anywhere in the first place. After all, he was just out for a joyride.

Being a believer, however, is no joyride. The psalmist was facing a stiff grade: “Many are my persecutors and mine enemies,” he said. Everywhere he looked he saw unfriendly faces. The temptation was to give up. “Yet I do not decline from Thy testimonies,” he added.

John Phillips tells the following story. “As a boy I was brought up in a town that was avidly devoted to soccer. It was the big game. On Saturday afternoons thousands of people would flock to the stadium to see the weekly match. In those days most people walked, took the occasional bus, or rode a bicycle. Very few people had cars. When the match was over and the crowds poured out of the stadium, the sidewalks would be jammed with people walking back toward town. Anyone could have gone with that crowd. A small person could have picked up his legs and been carried along by the crowd, the people were so tightly packed. But try going against it – that was different. To go against the crowd called for determination. It was a struggle every single step.”

In spite of the struggle, we need the determination of the psalmist, “Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.”

What to do: ✞Be determined to follow the Lord. It will be an uphill struggle, but be determined to stay the course.

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A Life of Wasted TimeApril 11

Bible Reading Psalm 39Key Verse: Verse 5 - Behold, thou hast made

my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Key Words: Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; (the span of the hand)

Life on this earth isn’t long so we should make the very best of it for God’s glory.

How would you like to spend two years making phone calls to people who aren’t home? Sound absurd? According to one time management study, that’s how much time the average person spends trying to return calls to people who never seem to be in. Not only that, we spend six months waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and another eight months reading junk mail. These unusual statistics should cause us to do a time-use evaluation. Once we recognize that simple “life maintenance” can chip away at our time in such huge blocks, we will see how vital it is that we don’t busy ourselves “in vain” (Psalm 39:6).

Psalm 39 gives us some perspective. In David’s complaint to God, he said, “Thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee” (verse 5). He meant that to an eternal God our time on earth is brief. And He doesn’t want us to waste it. When we do, we throw away one of the most precious commodities He gives us. Each minute is an irretrievable gift – an unredeemable slice of eternity. Sure, we have to make the phone calls and we must wait at the light. But what about the rest of our time? Are we using it to advance the cause of Christ and to enhance our relationship with Him? Is our time well spent?

What to do: ✞ Use time wisely, for you can’t get it back.

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A Life of Surrender

April 12

Bible Reading: Romans 7:7-25Key Verse: Verse 24 - O wretched man that I

am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Key Words: O wretched man that I am!

If your child feels inadequate, they are in good company. Paul felt inadequate as well, so did Joshua, and the list could go on and on. If your child has feelings of inadequacy, read on.

The child who battles with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt will usually respond in one of five ways.

One of the most common ways in which one deals with their feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt is by surrendering. The individual who chooses this approach has concluded that he is a failure. Having accepted his worthlessness, he attempts to guard his wounded ego from further damage by drawing into a shell of silence and loneliness. This person never initiates a conversation; he never enters contests or campaigns; he is afraid to ask a young lady out on a “date.” This person will never defend his honor when trampled on by others. He has indeed surrendered.

Every school classroom is populated with children who have admitted defeat to themselves. They quietly sit in silence. Their peers simply think they are shy. The child who lives a life of surrender is usually misjudged in two ways. Since he is quiet and unresponsive, some assume he is “snobbish.” Imagine that! The child who thinks so little of himself is assumed by his peers to think too much of himself. Secondly, because the surrendered child seldom speaks, it is assumed he is not a “thinker,” that he lives in a world of his own, which is not true. The child with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt has found safety in “being quiet.”

When the surrendered child reaches adulthood, he will find his friend in “a bottle” (alcohol). If they do not meet someone of the opposite sex, they become controlling because of the lack of confidence in their ability to “keep them” so they turn to intimidation to keep from losing them.

The answer for the “surrenderer” is found in the words of Paul in II Corinthians 12:10, “for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Pray for our kids, especially our surrenderers.

What to do: ✞ Teach your child to surrender to God, not the flesh.

A Life of Serving One AnotherApril 13

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:1-13Key Verse: Verse 13 - For, brethren, ye have

been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Key Words: but by love serve one another

Nature gives us illustrations of how to live together. The principle is called commensolism. It involves living together, but not at the expense of others. For example, there is a small salt water fish known as the goby. The goby has poor eyesight and is defenseless, thus it is vulnerable to predators. However, the goby is a superb digger. Shrimp, on the other hand, have great eyesight and good defenses but are poor diggers, thus they lack proper shelter. Commensolism results in the goby digging a hole in which the two live together. The shrimp thus serves as the lookout and protector. Neither lives at the expense of the other without providing for the other. This is the way it should work in the church. We all use our strengths and gifts, and in doing so, we work together as a body, and all our weaknesses are diminished.

Charlie Brown once asked Lucy, “Why are we here on earth?” A moment of contemplation was all that was necessary before Lucy answered, “Why, we are here to serve other people.” Charlie Brown’s forlorn look faded with his next question, “Well, then why are other people here on earth?”

In part, we are here to serve one another. We are to live commensally. However, even if others don’t serve us, we should not forfeit our role as servants. The local church is intended to harmoniously live together serving one another – neither at the expense of the other.

What to do: ✞ Serve one another.A Life of Boundaries

April 14

Bible Reading: Joshua 15:1-20Key Verse: Verse 1 - This then was the lot of

the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.

Key Words: even to the border

Chapter 15 describes for us the boundaries for the Israelites. A boundary is a confinement, a limit. Boundaries promote order and security. Without boundaries we couldn’t play ball, drive on the road, nor could we live in peace. Without boundaries there would be chaos. We as believers have boundaries. The Ten Commandments are boundaries. Parents need to provide boundaries for their children. Without them children would be wild, rebellious, and out of control.

The poet Coleridge was visited by a man who had a theory about raising children. He stated, “I believe children should be given a free rein to think and act and thus learn at an early age to make their own decisions. This is the only way they can grow into their full potential.” Coleridge made no comment but simply led the man to his garden. “Come see my flower garden,” he said. The opinionated visitor took one look at the overgrown garden and remarked, “Why, that’s nothing but a yard full of weeds.” The wise poet declared, “It used to be filled with roses, but this year I thought I’d let the garden grow as it willed without tending to it. This is the result.” Children, like gardens, will not automatically flourish. They need daily attention and care. They need boundaries. Amen and amen!!

What to do: ✞ Boundaries given with love are not something you are doing to your child, but for your child.

A Life of Avoiding Compromise

April 15

Bible Reading: Joshua 16Key Verse: Verse 10 - And they drave not out

the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

Key Words: And they drave not out the Canaanites

Believers must realize that they cannot compromise with evil. The tribe of Ephraim failed to

understand that and suffered greatly because of it (Judges 1).

When you compromise with evil, you weaken yourself greatly. The Boy Scouts of America understood this truth. In 1992 the Boy Scouts were under fire in California. The Berkeley, California, schools closed their doors to the Boy Scouts because they refused to admit homosexuals and atheists. A judge in Santa Ana, California, ordered Cub Scout Pack 519 to re-admit atheist twins. The two boys were ousted when they refused to say “God” during their pledge. All across California people began to pull their financial support for the Scouts. In San Francisco alone $849,000 was withdrawn from support of the Scouts because of their exclusion of homosexuals.

Blake Lewis, spokesperson for the Boy Scouts, said, “Mainstream families want moral values for their youth.” He went on to explain that there is no chance that the Boy Scouts will change its policy no matter how much financial support they lose. He closed by saying, “Our values are not for sale.” Because they took a strong stand, people from every corner of the United States began to send in money and, as a result of their stand, the Boy Scouts were much better off financially in the end because they would not compromise.

We must, as believers, come to the place where we understand compromising doesn’t pay. Stay the course, do right. The psalmist David said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his

seed begging bread.”

What to do: ✞ Do right, always, every time.

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A Life of StewardshipApril 16

Bible Reading I Corinthians 4Key Verse: Verse 2 - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.Key Words: Moreover it is required in

stewards, that a man be found faithful.

In I Corinthians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul is “defending” his testimony. The church at Corinth lacked understanding in the area of stewardship. It’s very easy to see from reading verse 4 that they are judging Paul’s stewardship incorrectly. It’s easy to see, from looking at this chapter, somewhat of what they were saying about Paul.

They had called Paul foolish (verse 10). They had called Paul lazy (verse 12). They had defamed Paul (verse 13).

This came about because they used human wisdom in the area of stewardship.

Pastor Bob Dodridge thought taking his two visiting nephews to church would be a great and noble deed. Neither of the boys, aged six and nine, had any church experience, so Bob looked forward to exposing them to spiritual matters. The stark reality of growing up outside of the church showed itself when the boys came down for the children’s sermon. In the middle of Pastor Bob’s homily to the kids, his six-year-old nephew, Eric, raised his hand and blurted out, “How much longer do we have to stay up here?” Pastor Bob pressed on. Eric was still not

impressed with what he had seen. This became most evident when the offering plates were passed. Little Eric watched with keen interest as the plate made its way toward him. When it reached his hands he asked in an audible voice, “You mean we gotta pay for this?”

True stewardship is the realization that I know nothing. I’m simply the servant watching over the Master’s wealth that He has entrusted to me.

So let me ask you: Are you being a good steward?

What to do: ✞ Realize nothing that I have is mine. It all belongs to God to do with as He sees fit, not as I see fit.

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A Life of Abiding in ChristApril 17

Bible Reading: John 15:1-14Key Verse: Verse 7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.Key Words: If ye abide in me

As you read the Scripture reading for today, it becomes clear that the key to bearing spiritual fruit and having answered prayer is abiding in Christ (verses 4 – 7). The fruit and answered prayer are not the results of our striving but our abiding.

Missionary pioneer J. Hudson Taylor of China was working and worrying so frantically that his health

was about to break. Just when his friends feared he was near a breakdown, Taylor received a letter from fellow missionary John McCarthy that told of a discovery McCarthy had made from John 15 – the joy of abiding in Christ. McCarthy’s letter said in part:

“Abiding, not striving or struggling; looking off unto Him; trusting Him for present power...this is not new, and yet `tis new to me.... Christ literally all seems to me now the power, the only power for service; the only ground for unchanging joy.”

As Hudson Taylor read this letter at his mission station in Chin-kiang on Saturday, September 4, 1869, his own eyes were opened. “As I read,” he recalled, “I saw it all. I looked to Jesus, and when I saw, oh how the joy flowed!” Writing to his sister in England, he said:

“As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. The last month or more has been perhaps the happiest of my life, and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul.... When the agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure, but saw the light before I did, wrote (I quote from memory): ‘But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith but by resting on the Faithful One.’”

What to do: ✞ Abide, not strive.

A Life of PurityApril 18

Bible Reading: I Timothy 5:17-25Key Verse: Verse 22 - Lay hands suddenly on

no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

Key Words: keep thyself pure

I read recently about two students who were walking along a street in the White Chapel District of London, a section where both old and new clothes were sold. One suddenly said to the other, “What a fitting illustration all of this makes!” as he pointed to a suit of clothes hanging on the rack by a window. A sign read “Slightly Soiled – Greatly Reduced in Price.” “That’s it!” he continued. “We get soiled by gazing at vulgar pictures, reading a coarse book, or even indulging in dishonest practices, and lustful thoughts; and so, when it comes time for our character to be evaluated, we are greatly reduced in price.”

Slight deviations from the path of righteousness greatly reduce our value to God and our fellow man. In fact, these secret sins can weaken our character so that when we face a moral crisis, we cannot stand the test, and we face spiritual defeat.

After a violent storm, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Close examination showed that it was rotten at the core because thousands of insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the storm; the storm simply revealed the weakness that already existed

deep within the heart of the tree. So it is in our life - storms and trials don’t make us weak, they simply reveal the weakness that is already there because of sin in our lives.

I trust today that you are living a pure and clean life before God. If not, confess your sin (I John 1:9) and begin living for

God today.

What to do: ✞ Stay away from compromising situations.✞ Decide to live pure and dedicate yourself everyday to purity.✞ Do not befriend impure people.✞ Pray for purity daily; pray for purity for your family.

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A Life of Credibility

April 19

Bible Reading: Mark 9:14-32Key Verse: Verse 18 - And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.Key Words: and they could not

Every adult has a credit rating. That rating is based upon us doing what we say we will do. If we

fail to do what we have promised, our credit rating drops. As a result, others will not extend credit to us because our word is not good. We have no credibility.

Credibility is invaluable to the believer. If people do not believe our message because of a lack of credibility, we become weak in our witness.

There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain something to me.”

“Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.”

“What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready’s answer was this: “This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

Today, I challenge you to be a credible witness for God.

✞ Be credible

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A Life of Prayerlessness

April 20

Bible Reading: Matthew 26:30-40

Key Verse: Verse 40 - And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith

unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Key Words: What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Do you spend time daily in prayer? If not, why not? We say we believe in prayer. If so, why don’t we put our words into action?

In Hugh Price Hughes’ story, the “City of Everywhere,” a man arrived in a city one cold morning. As he got off the train, the station was like any other station with the crowds and redcaps, except that everybody was barefoot. They wore no shoes. He noticed the cabdriver was barefooted. “Pardon me,” he asked the driver. “I was just wondering why you don’t wear shoes. Don’t you believe in shoes?”

“Sure we do,” said the driver.“Why don’t you wear them?”“Ah, that’s the question,” came the reply. “Why

don’t we wear shoes? Why don’t we?”At the hotel it was the same. The clerk, bell boys,

everybody was barefooted. In the coffee shop he noticed a nice-looking fellow at a table opposite him who was barefooted. He said, “I notice you aren’t wearing any shoes. I wonder why. Then why don’t you wear them?”

“Ah, that’s the question. Why don’t we? Why don’t we?”

After breakfast he walked out on the street in the snow but every person he saw was barefooted. He asked another man about it, and pointed out how shoes protect your feet from cold.

The man said, “We know about shoes. See that building yonder? That is a shoe factory. We are proud of that plant and every week we gather there

to hear the man in charge tell about shoes and how wonderful they are.”

“Then why don’t you wear shoes?”“Ah, that’s the question.”Don’t we believe in prayer? Don’t we know what

it could mean in our lives? Then why don’t we pray? Ah, that’s the question...Why don’t we?

Good question, don’t you agree?

What to do: ✞ Stop making excuses and put prayer into action.

A Life of Earnest Giving

April 21

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 8:16-24Key Verse: Verse 16 - But thanks be to God,

which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

Key Words: earnest care

The church at Jerusalem was going through a tough time because of persecution. Paul was led of the Lord to write to other churches, including the church at Corinth, which were not hurting financially. As you can tell from the Scriptures, Titus is in charge of collecting the offering for the church at Jerusalem

from the church at Corinth. Paul encourages the church to be just as earnest in their giving as Titus is in his care for them.

Mark the word earnest. It means to put your money where your mouth is. Earnest giving is putting action with your words.

We all, as believers, should be earnest in our giving. We all should put our money where our mouth is!

In Chile, Missionary Karen Wright experienced a bizarre tradition at the funeral of a Catholic neighbor. During the service an offering was collected. The priest then said, “Thank you for participating in the salvation of this man.” After hearing these words and seeing only small change in the offering plate, Karen thought: If these people really believed their offering would help save this man, wouldn’t they sacrifice and give more? She then made her thoughts more personal: I and many others profess the truth about salvation through faith in Christ, yet if someone really believed in Jesus, wouldn’t they give more than a token financial gift? Wouldn’t they give earnestly – not to be saved, but because they are saved?

Let me encourage you to do some earnest giving to God through your local church.

What to do: ✞ Put your money where your mouth is.

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A Life of Trials & TriumphsApril 22

Bible Reading: Acts 14:1-22

Key Verse: Verse 22 - Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.Key Words: through much tribulation

Roy Laurin in his book on Acts writes: “It could be assumed, because these men were servants of God, that they were immune to abuse, danger, hardship, persecution, and death. But this would be a false assumption because their leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, had said, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). It could be assumed that because many are Christians, who have made great sacrifices, that they are not to be subjected to the same difficulties, diseases and disasters that come to others; but are to enjoy a sort of cosmic immunity to life’s common troubles. This, too, would be a wrong assumption. There is no promise in our Christian faith which gives immunity to the followers of Jesus from the sufferings, adversities, and disabilities of life. In fact, when Paul and Barnabas were returning to their home base at Antioch, at the close of their first missionary thrust into the Gentile world, they stopped at the cities where they had founded churches on their way in. They confirmed these believers in their faith and exhorted them to continue in their newly found faith, saying, ‘that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God’ (verse 22).”

It’s often during these times of trial, tribulation, and difficulty that we are at a loss as to what to do like the old woodsman’s advice about catching a porcupine: ”Watch for the slapping tail as you dash in and drop a large washtub over him. The washtub will give you something to sit on while you ponder your next move.”

I don’t always know what the next move is, but I know what it’s not; it’s not to quit. We keep going through all of our trials, tribulations, and difficulties until we enter into the kingdom of God.

What to do: ✞ Don’t quit. Winners never quit and quitters

never win.

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A Life of DeterminationApril 23

Bible Reading: II Chronicles 2:1-10Key Verse: Verse 1 - And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.Key Words: And Solomon determined to build an house

Determination is defined as having a fixed purpose. I define determination as setting our face like a flint to accomplish a goal.

Solomon was determined to build God a house so he set out to accomplish what he was determined to do. If we are to be successful for God, it will take many things... determination is one of them.

Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. “I get up when I fall down,” said Harvey. The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously poignant moments. American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100-meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier. She

agonizingly pulled herself to her knees and crawled the last five meters, finishing fifth – but finishing.

Even more heart-rending was the 400-meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond tore a hamstring and fell to the track. He struggled to his feet and began to hobble, determined to complete the race. His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but the athlete refused to quit. He leaned on his father, and the two limped to the finish line together, to deafening applause.

People who are not determined are constantly looking for and using every excuse to quit and not complete their task. I challenge you today: be determined to find the course to which God has called you.

What to do: ✞Remember, winners never quit and quitters

never win.

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A Life of Secular Humanism

April 24

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 14:33-40Key Verse: Verse 40 - Let all things be done decently and in order.Key Words: decently and in order

In order to better understand the meaning of the term secular humanism we need to break the term down. First, secular means worldly or that which opposes the spiritual and sacred. Secondly, the word human means a person or people. Thirdly, the suffix ism means how one thinks. So, secular humanism is

the thought process of a person who opposes that which is spiritual or sacred.

Some of the secular humanists beliefs would be hilarious if it wasn’t so serious. For example…

Secular humanists believe that there are no absolutes. If there are no absolutes, how can they say absolutely that there are none?

Another belief of secular humanism is there is no such thing as total truth. If that is the case, then their statement that “there is no such thing as total truth” would be false.

I read sometime back about a pastor who was visiting with a farmer who was a “secular humanist.” The pastor asked, “Can you not look at the trees and flowers and see the creation of God?”

To which the farmer replied, “Those trees and flowers aren’t there. They are just a figment of your imagination.”

Then the pastor said, “What about us? We are standing here talking. Is this all just a figment of our imagination?”

“Yes sir,” replied the humanist. Then the pastor walked away, went over to the old

farmer’s milk cow, tied a rope around her neck, and began to walk away with his cow when the humanist cried out, “Where are you going with my cow?”

“What cow?” replied the pastor, “It’s just a figment of your imagination!”

When absolutes and truth are removed from a society, confusion and anarchy reign!

What to do:✞If Christ rules on the inside, confusion can’t.

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A Life of Putting Up With People

April 25

Bible Reading: James 1:1-8Key Verse: Verse 4 - But let patience have her

perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.Key Words: But let patience have her

perfect work

I guess you heard about the man who prayed, “Lord, please give me patience, and would You please hurry before I hurt someone?”

Putting up with people is not always easy; and it’s often our lack of patience with others that causes many conflicts, and can damage the cause of Christ.

According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man's feet and gave him food and drink.

The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, "Don't you worship God?"

The old traveler replied, "I worship fire only and reverence no other god."

When he heard this, Abraham became incensed, grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out of his tent into the cold night air.

When the old man had departed, God called to his friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, "I forced him out because he did not worship you."

God answered, "I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?"

There is a caution here for us all to put up with people; God does, you know!

What to do: ✞Do unto others as you would have them do

unto you.

A Life of SacrificeApril 26

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 11:23-33Key Verse: Verse 23 - Are they ministers of

Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Key Words: Are they ministers of Christ?

There is no question that the church at Corinth was Paul’s heavenly sandpaper. There is also no doubt that Paul had a great love for them, for he had sacrificed tremendously for them; but it appears that the church at Corinth had very little appreciation for Paul’s sacrifice.

A harried waitress approached the table where a young girl was sitting by herself. She quickly asked the girl what she wanted. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little girl inquired.

The waitress snapped, “A dollar seventy-five.”The girl looked at her fistful of change and then

asked, “How much is a dish of just plain ice cream?”“One fifty,” retorted the waitress.

“Then I’ll take the plain ice cream, please,” said the young customer. The waitress returned with the bowl of ice cream and delivered it with a rude silence.

After the little girl finished her ice cream and left, the waitress went to clear off the table. To her shame, she found two dimes and five pennies. Her tip was the exact amount the little girl needed to get a sundae rather than just plain ice cream. In each of our lives, others have made sacrifices for our well-being. The question is, are we grateful; or do we treat those who have sacrificed for us with a rude, unappreciative spirit?

What to do: ✞ Make a list of those who have sacrificed for

your benefit.✞ Send those you list a word of thanks.✞ Ask God everyday to give you a thankful

spirit for others who have sacrificed that you might have.

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A Life of a Wrong Decision

April 27

Bible Reading: I Kings 12:1-19Key Verse: Verse 15 - Wherefore the king

hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Key Words: Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people

After Solomon’s death, his oldest son, Rehoboam, became king. During his father’s reign he implemented some harsh requirements of the people (See I Samuel 8). The people of Israel requested that the harsh requirement be lessened, so Rehoboam took the matter before two groups of counselors. The older group counseled him to lessen the requirements while the younger group recommended that he make the requirements even more harsh…which he did. It proved to be the wrong decision as the people under Rehoboam’s leadership rebelled, causing a divided kingdom which we know as the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. This is why we need God’s wisdom in our decisions because every decision is potentially a divisive one.

Some years ago an overpass collapsed during the night in Greenville, Alabama. A passerby, seeing the collapse, attempted to stop oncoming traffic heading for the overpass but to no avail. The first car, thinking the Good Samaritan was drunk, went speeding by crashing over the overpass; and as a result, two people died.

The result of wrong decisions can be great. That’s the reason we need to pray daily that God will give us special wisdom and insight so that we can make the decisions He desires rather than making the decisions we desire.

What to do:✞Ask God to help you make wise decisions, not wrong ones.

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A Life of a PessimistApril 28

Bible Reading: John 11:1-17Key Verse: Verse 16 - Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Key Words: Let us go, that we may die with him

If you were to look up the word pessimist, I believe out beside the word you would find a picture of old Thomas. We read in John 11:16, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” We read in John 20:25b, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Old Thomas, the pessimist!

I once heard about a farmer who was continually optimistic, seldom discouraged or blue. He had a neighbor who was just the opposite. Grim and gloomy, he faced each new morning with a heavy sigh.

The happy, optimistic farmer would see the sun coming up and shout over the roar of the tractor, “Look at the beautiful sun and clear sky!” And with a frown, the negative neighbor would reply, “Yeah–it’ll probably scorch the crops.”

When clouds would gather and much-needed rain would start to fall, our positive friend would smile across the fence, “Ain’t this great–God is giving our corn a drink today!” Again, the same negative response, “Uh huh, but if it doesn’t stop ‘fore long, it’ll flood and wash everything away.”

One day the optimist decided to put his pessimistic neighbor to the maximum test. He

bought the smartest, most expensive bird dog he could find. He trained him to do things no other dog on earth could do–impossible feats that would surely astonish anyone.

He invited the pessimist to go duck hunting with him. They sat in the boat, hidden in the duck blind. In came the ducks. Both men fired and several ducks fell into the water. “Go get ‘em!” ordered the owner with a gleam in his eye. The dog leaped out of the boat, walked on the water, and picked up the birds one by one. “Well, what do you think of that?” Unsmiling, the pessimist answered, “He can’t swim, can he?”

The optimist sees a silver lining behind every cloud. But the pessimist sees a cloud behind every silver lining. Which are you? I am convinced a balance of both is needed to stay level-headed. Let your moderation be known to all men.

What to do:

✞Let your attitude also be one of Godliness. Ask God to help you in this area.

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A Life of Hope Deferred

April 29

Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:1-12Key Verse: Verse 12 - Hope deferred maketh

the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Key Words: Hope deferred

The word deferred means “to delay or to remove.” When one looses hope, they have lost one of the three greatest assets a believer can have (faith, hope, and charity- 1 Corinthians 13:13). To live ones life in such a hopeless state means certain defeat!

In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells of his years trapped in the despicable horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau. He was transported there like a caged animal, given two minutes to strip naked or be whipped, every hair was shaved from his body, and he was condemned to a living death. His father, mother, ---and wife died in the camps or were sent to the gas ovens. His existence was full of cold, fear, starvation, pain, lice and vermin, dehumanization, exhaustion and terror.

Frankl wrote that he was able to survive because he never lost the quality of hope. Those prisoners who lost faith in the future were doomed. When a prisoner lost hope, Frankl said, he let himself decline, becoming subject to mental and physical decay. He would die from the inside out.

Frankl said that this usually happened quite suddenly. One morning a prisoner would just refuse to get up. He wouldn’t get dressed or wash or go outside to the parade grounds. No amount of pleading by his fellow prisoners would help. No threatening by the captors would have any effect. Losing all hope, he had simply given up. He would lay there in his own excrement till he died. American soldiers later told Frankl that this behavior pattern existed also among prisoners of war, and was called “give-up-it is.”

When a prisoner lost hope, said Frankl, “he lost his spiritual hold.”

Do not lose hope!

What to do:

✞Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

A Life of Investing Your Life in Others

April 30

Bible Reading: Romans 16Key Verse: Verse 1 - I commend unto you

Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

Key Words: I commend unto you

As you read Romans 16, you read a seemingly long list of names that mean absolutely nothing to the casual reader; but you have to go beyond the surface and look deeply into the lives of these thirty-six people and see how Paul had invested his life in them, mentored them, prayed for them, watched after them – and now here they are, all serving God because Paul had invested his life in others. There is no greater joy than investing your life into others for the glory of God.

In his autobiography, Breaking Barriers, syndicated columnist Carl Rowan tells about a teacher who greatly influenced his life. Rowan relates: “Miss Thompson reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper containing a quote attributed to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. I listened intently as she read: ‘Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.’ More than thirty years later, I gave a speech in which I said that Frances Thompson had given me a desperately needed belief in myself. A newspaper printed the story, and someone mailed the

clipping to my beloved teacher. She wrote me: ‘For years, I endured my brother’s arguments that I had wasted my life; that I should have married and had a family. When I read that you gave me credit for helping to launch a marvelous career, I put the clipping in front of my brother. After he’d read it, I said, ‘You see, I didn’t really waste my life, did I?’”

You never know who you are having an impact on; so never quit; never give up; always invest your life in others for God’s service.

What to do: ✞ List those who invested their lives in you and

send them a card of appreciation.✞ Make a list of those you want to invest your

life in and list how that can be done.✞ Now do it!!!

I deeply appreciate the help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these people to help, this

devotional would not have been possible.

Dr. Mike Rouse

is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain RoadBirmingham, AL. 35235

(205) 854-2741www.mountainviewbaptist.org