Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[BlackEagle]

Thanks for the "enlightenment", Terry.
And now we have the light of God's Spirit living in us.

[ampaterry]

and when you think about it, that too is a miracle, BlackEagle -

For today:

As you know, we had a new jail built here in Houston County several years ago. Now I don’t remember the figures exactly, but I do know that the construction of a jail is much more expensive than the construction of normal buildings; It used to be $10,000 per occupant. Imagine! In order to house criminals (not to rehabilitate them), that much money must be spent. A detention building for 100 prisoners twenty years ago would cost about a million dollars! And this is just one of many facets of crime control. We have a Sheriff’s election, another cost. And beyond the inflationary spiral involving personnel, there is equipment and litigation. We all pay higher insurance premiums due to crime, before we even get to the higher prices at the store which they must charge due to the cost of goods shop-lifted there. Then we have the higher taxes - - Crime costs! Such is always the story of sin. From the very beginning of humankind, man's transgression has demanded a price. Far beyond the dollar cost, its penalty is eternal death -- separation from God. No man sins cheaply. Even in the life of the believer, transgressions not confessed bring chastisement and loss of joy.

James 1:13-18 (KJV);
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Luke 14:28 (KJV);
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?"

So – when temptation comes upon you, remember that sin does indeed cost – and you need to stop, and consider the cost VERY carefully before proceeding. If you do this, you will find that it is NEVER worth the price you will pay for it.

May God bless each one of you -

[BlackEagle]

The knock-on effect of sin...not only personal, but to the world at large.

1 Cor. 10:13 says No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Just have to look for God's way out.

Thanks again, Terry. Amen.

[ampaterry]

I appreciate the support, BlackEagle!

As a child, Pastor Allan Emery had an experience which made a deep impression upon him. His father received a call saying a well-known Christian had been found at a certain place drunk on the sidewalk. Immediately his father sent his chauffeured limousine to pick the man up, while his mother prepared the best guest room. The young Emery watched wide-eyed, as the beautiful coverlets were turned down on the exquisite, old, four poster bed, revealing the monogrammed sheets.
"But, mother," he protested, "he's drunk. He might even get sick."
"I know," his mother replied kindly, "but this man has slipped and fallen. When he comes to, he will be so ashamed. He will need all the loving encouragement we can give him."

It was a lesson which Emery never forgot.

Most of us would ignore this guy, or say he deserved to sleep in the street, or perhaps call the police to have him hauled down to jail to sleep it off. How about you? How would you react in this situation? Would you bring this man home and treat him this way? Or would you pretend you did not know the man, or were busy, or your car was in the shop? Our guide in all situations is the Bible, the Word of God. What does our guide book say to us about this situation?

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he tells us:
Galatians 6:1(KJV);
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Isn’t it strange how differently most folks react to situations than the Bible tells them to? Why, exactly, do we call ourselves ‘Christian’ if we do not bother to follow the teachings of Christ?

May God bless each one of you with the guidance - and the strength - to do the right thing.

[tcox4freedom]

Good Lesson Terry.

It reminds me of what happened on the way to church Sunday.
There's a "men's" homeless shelter a few miles from us. It's not uncommon to see some of these men trying to hitch a ride the country road close by after being kicked out for drunkenness or being high on drugs. (Sunday morning was one of those mornings.)

A man saw us coming and stood in the middle of the road trying to get us to stop. I almost had to go on the "opposite" shoulder to avoid hitting him. My son ask me why I didn't stop to give him a ride. I told him that some other time I might. But, he look high of "salts"; besides we didn't have any room in the car unless someone wanted to sit in his lap.

Anyway, I was concerned about the man. So, I reported him to an LEO friend of mine. (I didn't want to call 911 because drunk or high people walking down the road just aren't a high priority.)

My friend called his CO. who was on duty. I found out after church that this man was found unconscious beside the road. He was rushed to the hospital and I haven't heard anything since.

I have had several addicts & ex-cons in my life that I've helped get back on their feet. Some have even lived with us for a short time. We can't help everyone we meet in such a big way. But, I do think most of us can do more than we think; as long as we are willing to step out of our comfort zone and see others through the eyes of Christ.

-

[BlackEagle]

The church all too often shoots its wounded.
But Psalm 147:2-3:
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

And then Isaiah 42:3
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.

God is in the people repairing business. I guess the key is restoring such an one. If he won't restore--repent, change, what then?

Thanks, Terry.

[sub-moa]

Thank you, Terry for the time and effort that you put in here on TFF. Sometimes I get caught up in the discussions here and find myself worked up with feelings that I know GOD would frown on. Sometimes I say things here that (while true) do not portray a true Christian message. I can't help how I feel about issues that are close to my heart, and sometimes emotions run high. Reading your posts helps give me balance, and reminds me that if you boil it all down, we are in a good vs. evil battle. Keep up the good work! Your posts matter. Onward Christian Soldiers.

[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys, for those responses - they are greatly encouraging to me!

Tim, good work! here are times when we CAN NOT give first hand help. At those times, you did exactly the right thing; you secured help for him through someone else.

When do we give up on someone, BlackEagle?
Is there a point where Jesus gives up on people?
But I must admit that Jesus has a LOT more patience than I.

Sub-moa, I feel the heat of anger rise up in me quite frequently; it is a constant battle. And you are exactly correct - it IS a good vs evil war that is going on in the world.

For today:

Charles Swindoll wrote this in Strengthening Your Grip: A bone-weary father dragged into his home dog tired late one evening. It had been one of those unbelievable days of pressure, deadlines, and demands. He looked forward to a time of relaxation and quietness. Exhausted, he picked up the evening paper and headed for his favorite easy chair by the fireplace. About the time he got his shoes untied, plop! into his lap dropped his five-year-old son with an excited grin on his face.
"Hi, Dad. Let's play!"
He loved his boy dearly, but his need for a little time all alone to just think was, for the moment, a greater need than time with Junior. But how could he maneuver it?
There had been a recent moon probe and the newspaper carried a huge picture of earth. With a flash of much-needed insight, the dad asked his boy to bring a pair of scissors and some transparent tape. Quickly, he cut the picture of earth into various shapes and sizes, then handed the pile of homemade jigsaw puzzle pieces to him.
"You'll tape it all back together, Danny, then come on back and we'll play, okay?"
Off scampered the child to his room as dad breathed a sigh of relief. But in less than ten minutes the boy bounded back with everything taped perfectly in place. Stunned, the father asked: "How'd you do it so fast, Son?"
"Aw, it was easy, Daddy. You see, there is this picture of a man on the back of the sheet. And when you put the man together, the world comes together."

Out of the mouths of babes, they say –

Romans 5:19 (KJV);
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

May God bless each one of us by helping us get it all together -

[sub-moa]

Good story Terry, Good message.

[BlackEagle]

I like that. Put the man together and the world comes together. Thanks, Terry.

[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys!

For today, something from Great Thoughts, by George Seldes:
Lenin thought that those who believed in God were worse than fools. "Every man who occupies himself with the construction of a god, or merely even agrees to it, prostitutes himself in the worst way," he wrote. "For he occupies himself not with activity, but with self-contemplation and self-reflection, and tries thereby to deify his most unclean, most stupid, and most servile features and pettinesses." Consequently, anyone who believes in God is not simply in error; he is "mentally deranged". This is why believers in the Soviet Union are frequently judged insane and committed to mental institutions.

Psalms 34:8-10 (KJV);
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”

1 Corinthians 15:13-20; This one is difficult in the KJV, so this is TLB;
“For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ must still be dead. And if he is still dead, then all our preaching is useless and your trust in God is empty, worthless, hopeless; and we apostles are all liars because we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, and of course that isn’t true if the dead do not come back to life again. If they don’t, then Christ is still dead, and you are very foolish to keep on trusting God to save you, and you are still under condemnation for your sins; in that case, all Christians who have died are lost! And if being a Christian is of value to us only now in this life, we are the most miserable of creatures. But the fact is that Christ did actually rise from the dead and has become the first of millions who will come back to life again someday.”

We praise God everyday that we live in a country where we still have freedom to worship as God would have us do. We thank God every day that we have the freedom to safely attend the church of our choice. You know what happens to freedoms that are not used, don’t you? Exercise this one while you can, and help preserve it for the future.

May God bless each one of you -

[sub-moa]

Terry, as usual your words made me stop and reflect. Something came to me while I was thinking. When I was a young man I remember going to Cincinnati to both Crosley Field and later Riverfront Stadium to watch the Reds play. I remember before every game all would stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance and then we would bow our heads and pray for our Country and all the players then we would sing the Star Spangled Banner. Guess which of the three is no longer practiced. Wonder which will get the axe next.

[BlackEagle]

God's take on Lenin and his like: Psalm 2, and 1 Cor. 1:18-31

Thanks for the reminders, Terry. Our freedoms: Use them or lose them.

[ampaterry]

It is gut-wrenching to watch God removed from our public life, sub-moa.
It is soothing, however, to consider that this brings us one step closer to Christ's return.

True, BlackEagle.
To us, it is a HUGE thing, but God laughs at them and scorns them.
It is a matter of perspective.

For today:

Just about two miles North of Bethany Church, there is an ancient cemetery on the bank of Yellow Creek, not far from Salmon Branch. One of the graves in that cemetery is reputed to be the grave of Mr. Salmon, who is supposed to be the first white settler in this entire area. His grave can be recognized by it’s construction; it is made of limestone blocks that formed a large above-ground crypt. It was done as a sign of respect, and the plan was to ensure that his last resting place would not become forgotten, but it gives the appearance that these folks wanted to ensure he stayed in the ground. Several years ago, I went into the woods there and found this grave. Seedlings have sprouted among the limestone blocks and have, as they grew, separated the blocks to the point that the original cubical crypt is almost unrecognizable. If one did not know exactly where to look, this massive crypt would be passed over as just another pile of rocks.

The dynamic life force contained in those little seeds is a faint reflection of the tremendous power of God's creative word that someday will call to life the bodies of all who are in their graves. He will also bring back every person drowned at sea, cremated, or destroyed in some other way. This is no problem to the One who made something out of nothing when He spoke the universe into existence. There is NO force which can deter the resurrection. Faith in the risen Christ opens the door to blessings that His resurrection guarantees -- a glorious new spiritual body and a home in heaven. In new bodies we will be reunited with saved loved ones to live with Jesus throughout all eternity.

The Word of God tells us:

John 5:28-29 (KJV);
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

May God bless each one of you -

[BlackEagle]

I've thought about that a few times.
Rev. 20:13 says "And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done."

God watches over His children; nobody of His goes unclaimed. He will resurrect His own from wherever they may be--ashes, food for the fishes, or food for the worms or whatever. We will have His eternal reward based on our relationship with Him.

Thanks, and Amen.

[ampaterry]

On December 15th of 1789, the Bill of Rights was ratified by three fourths of the states and went into effect. 150 years later, president Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that December 15th of each year was to be recognized as Bill of Rights day.

Today, the government is hard at work infringing upon those rights. Yesterday, there was a horrible tragedy at an elementary school. A murderer, like the one in the Colorado theater, chose a target where the law guaranteed he would have no opposition. He went there in complete safety, guaranteed by the Federal Government, and slaughtered school children and some adults as well. And today, the debate rages again over the second of our bill of rights. It is the governments infringement upon this right that has allowed these tragedies to happen, and their solution is to infringe on it even further.
Gross galloping stupidity.

If a murderer wants to kill school kids, he can walk in with a can of gas, spread it around, and ignite it. He does not need a firearm to do this.
But if a teacher, an administrator, the janitor, a coach, ANY adult at that school had been allowed to cary a firearm, this could have been avoided regardless of what tool the perpetrator chose to use.

Our safety is ensured by MORE freedom, not by less.

Jesus taught us what true freedom is reached through avoiding sin and following Him:
John 8:34-36 (KJV);
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

And he taught us that knowledge of the truth is the path to freedom:
John 8:32 (KJV);
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

But we should not 'push the envelope', as the saying goes, when exercising our freedom. Just because we are allowed to do something does not mean that we should do it. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians explained this:
1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV);
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

May God bless each one of us by helping our leaders to find TRUE solutions to our problems that do not infringe upon our fundamental rights.

[BlackEagle]

My heart and prayers go out to the families affected by the school killings.
Crime runs rampant when the people are deprived of God's absolute standards of right and wrong. They have taken God's Law out of the schools and forbidden teaching right from wrong. Now they cry when lawlessness invades schools among other areas of society.

0's tears are crocodile tears.

[ampaterry]

amen, BlackEagle - to everything you said.


For today -

Someone asked an ex-paratrooper how many times he had jumped out of an airplane with a parachute strapped to his back. He said, "None! I was pushed out 18 times!"

If someone asks you how many times you have gone out to help evangelize the world, is your answer something like that? Do you go only when your spouse, a friend, your pastor, or someone else drags you along? Do you fear what people’s reaction might be if you mention the name of Jesus to them? Aren’t you glad that person who first mentioned Jesus to you was not afraid of your reaction?

Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (KJV);
“And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Psalm 61:1-2 (TLB);
“O God, listen to me! Hear my prayer! For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety.”

And then there is my favorite verse in the entire Bible. This one is good for ALL situations that tire you. For those times that wear you down, for those times when your back starts to bend under the load, when you don’t know how to get the strength to go on.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV);
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

May God bless each one of you -

[tcox4freedom]

I sure don't get out like I want to.

[BlackEagle]

We don't always have to "go out". God can bring oportunities to us, and we just need to be ready...

1 Peter 3:15..."But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

Thanks again, Terry;
Amen.

[ampaterry]

Tim, I don't either. But BlackEagle is right; God will avail us of opportunities no matter where we are!

Today is a doubly special day. Pan American Aviation Day. This day is set aside to recognize the advances in aviation in improving communication among the nations of the West. Today is also Wright Brothers Day, a day to honor these pioneers in flight. Congress, by a joint resolution, approved on December 17, 1963 the designation of December 17 of each year as "Wright Brothers Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
At the time of the Wright Brothers work, there were some objections to what they were doing which were based upon religious beliefs. Some said “If God intended us to fly, we would have been born with wings!”
Now, I personally will never board a commercial airline again – but this has nothing to do with my Christian belief! It is a result of one specific incident at the Nashville Airport when one of the major airlines lost a plane. For HOURS, they had no idea where it was. And that plane was the one my wife was on, returning from Florida where she had been spending time with her father as he neared the end of his life. My only thought was that the plane had crashed, and it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. Hey, for a major airline to lose your luggage is bad enough, but when they lose the whole darned aircraft, my flying days are through.
But putting that aside, I love to fly. There are few sensations as great as feeling yourself lift off from the earth and enter the domain of birds and angels. I fly in small, private craft whenever the opportunity presents itself!
Religious objections to flight? You might as well have religious objections to traveling on the water (God did not give us fins), electronic communication (God did not give us cell phones), or any other modern advancements. God, in his wisdom, gave us a BRAIN, and it is up to us how we utilize that organ. We can invent wondrous things, or terrible things, it is up to us. It is all part of that 'free will' thing – which God DID give us. Today, let us think of the advantages we enjoy from aviation, and the specific debt we owe the Wright Brothers for this. And let us thank God for giving us the ability to achieve such things.

May God bless each one of you -

[BlackEagle]

Genesis 1:28...And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

I think that was God's mandate to man to explore the earth, to develop, investigate, to discover...to be scientists.

Within a few generations (Gen. 4:20-22) agriculture, music and metalurgy were being developed.

So fly on, Wright brothers!! They are just continuing to carry out God's mandate to subdue the earth.

[ampaterry]

Exactly, BlackEagle! God did not create us with a brain simply to hold our ears apart.

For today:

The originator of a new religion came to the great French diplomat- statesman Charles Talleyrand-Perigord and complained that he could not make any converts. "What would you suggest I do?" he asked.
It is fitting that he would come to Talleyrand-Perigord, because he was a well educated and influential person. He had a seminary degree, and had been an ordained priest. He later separated himself from the church, was instrumental in bringing Napoleon into power, and served as his foreign minister. During his life, he had served the governments of France, England, and the US at various times. He was a VERY influential, learned, and important person, and could answer such a question if anyone could!
"I should recommend," said Talleyrand, "that you get yourself crucified, and then die, but be sure to rise again the third day."
Christianity stands on the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (KJV);
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

And THAT is the difference, my friends! Buddha rots in his grave. Mohammid is dead. Krishna no longer speaks to his followers. The founder and leader of EVERY other religion on earth is either dead, or soon will be – but Jesus Christ LIVES! He is the same – yesterday – today – and forever! He is not only God of the living rather than the dead; he is the living God rather than just another dead god!

May God bless each one of you -

[BlackEagle]

That is the Gospel in all it's simplicity. Too many other "religious" types try to tart it up with various add-ons.
There are various denominations; that's OK because I have my perferences; you have yours. So long as the churches/denominations stick to God's Word as their standard they are on track.

I've heard it said that the major difference between Christianity and the world's religions is that Christianity proclaims what God has done for us--Salvation is a free gift; the religions all demand that you have to do things to earn salvation.

[ampaterry]

Different people do, indeed, have different needs.
Some feel close to God with the solemn tones of a pipe organ playing.
Others feel close only when they stand up, raise their hands, and shout!

And God does not choose one over the other based upon only this.

For today:

In our relationships with others, often what passes for love is little more than a neat business transaction. People are kind to us, so we repay them with equal consideration. When they treat us unjustly, our negative response is really what they asked for. Everything is so balanced, so fair, so logical with this eye-for-an- eye and tooth-for-a-tooth kind of justice. But Christian love never settles for only what's reasonable. It insists on giving mercy as well as justice. It breaks the chain of logical reactions.
General Robert E. Lee was asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate Army who had made some derogatory remarks about him. Lee rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the question seemed perplexed.
"General," he said, "I guess you don't know what he's been saying about you."
"I know," answered Lee. "But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me!"

Romans 12:21 (KJV);
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

1 Peter 2:21-23 (KJV);
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

If we all decide to retaliate every time someone treats us badly, what will happen when just ONE person mistreats another? The mistreatment goes on and on; it becomes a chain that NEVER ends, until the entire world is steeped in hatred. Now, if we all decide to repay evil with good, what happens? If one person treats one of us badly, it ends right there! It does NOT propagate, it is one small isolated incident that dies as soon as it begins.

May God richly bless each one of you with the ability to turn off the natural flow of anger -