Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[CampingJosh]

Thanks, Terry.

[ampaterry]

We are in an age of rocketing technology. My parents told me stories about the first radio sets, and how everyone would come from the whole neighborhood to stare in wonder at the first set in town. They remember the first automobile that came to their town as well; it was a Stanley Steamer, and they said you could hear doors slamming all up and down the street as people ran outside to watch it go past.
From my own youth, I remember the first TV set in our area. My sister bought it, and we would all go to her house to watch this marvel of a radio with pictures.
Here in Tennessee, we have a more recent story from Sybil Hardaway in Spring City. She tells: "When cable television became available in our rural area, I ordered the service almost immediately. My friend wasn't as easily convinced, debating whether she could afford the service. "I could stop the daily newspaper," she thought aloud. "I really take it only for the obituaries and it's not worth it. People I know almost never die.""
Every generation has their own technological shocks to get used to. I just read about a young man who was talking to an older man about how different life is now than it used to be. He said "Old man, you just don't understand what it's like growing up today; why when you grew up, you didn't even HAVE personal computers, cell phones or I-pods. You didn't even have the internet, NONE of those things.
The old man replied:
"You're right; we didn't have any of those things. So we got busy and INVENTED them for YOUR generation to benefit from. What are YOU doing for the NEXT generation?"
Technology is a wonderful thing, and something which NONE of us would actually want to live without. But it is important to remember what REAL knowledge is. The Word of God tells us:
Proverbs 2:3-5 (KJV);
"Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."

Thank you, Lord, for the minds you have blessed us with that can bring such marvels into this world for the benefit of us all.
And be merciful to those that misuse them.
Amen -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !! Thanks Terry.

No longer than a week ago a gentleman and I were having almost this same conversation. I told him that we did not have these fancy things when I was a young'n but while we did not have all those things, we were outside inventing and working with our hands to learn more of what we could do with them.
Like you, I must be a true Tennessean, everything you speak of I fully understand and seems like at some time in my life I have experienced what you are talking about.
It is so good to read your teachings each and every morning.
Job well done Terry.

[ampaterry]

I just read that Harold Camping has predicting that Jesus will return Saturday, day after tomorrow. Harold is a retired Civil Engineer from Oakland, California that founded Family Radio Worldwide, an independent ministry that does broadcast all around the world. Harold predicted this in 1994, but that failure has not detered him nor his followers from believing that THIS time he is right.
There is even a guy in New Hampshire, Bart Centre, selling insurance contracts to Christians who believe the rapture is emminant. for $135 he will take care of your pet for 10 years if you get raptured out, because no dogs go to heaven.

For Harold:
Matthew 24:36 (KJV);
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

No one knows the day of His coming. Harold is wrong.

For Bart:
Revelation 19:11-14 (KJV);
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Armies coming from heaven mounted on horses.
Proof there are animals in heaven.
Bart is wrong, and so are all his clients.

Jesus COULD come today, tomorrow, or Saturday.
But prudent Bible believing Christians will go ahead and make plans for next week.

[jack404]

planning for the next 50 years here , i wont be here but i'm gonna leave all thats needed for those who follow , and again no-one knows but The Lord and He aint saying till the trumpets sound.

as soon as i hear these folks say the end is nigh , i cringe , with all the predictions come many poor and confused folks who suicide and thats sad.. that big group who did themselves in was similar God did not bring the golden space ship so the boss told em all to drink poison , real Christian eh ,

[Woodnut]

AMEN !!
As you say, "No one will know when that day is coming", I read that passage years ago for the first time, and I have never doubted the word of God. I really can't explain why others think they can predict the end of time and the return of Jesus. I will usually walk away from a conversation on this matter, because those people that believe that are so wrapped up in their own beliefs that they forget the word of God, and there is no persuading them. Oh I could babble on and on, but will leave it kinda short.
Still planning on many years here.

[ampaterry]

Jesus clearly said that no man, nor angel, but God alone knows the day.

But Harold actually believes HE has figured it out?

If you look up 'audacity' in the dictionary, it probably has Harold's picture there.

[ampaterry]

I joined the United States Air Force on October 1st of 1961. In my minds eye, I saw the Navy moving around in ships, the Army marching on the ground, and the Air Force as flying above the clouds in military aircraft. The reality set in when I flew on a commercial craft to Texas for basic training, then five weeks later was sent by train to Colorado for advanced training. In my entire time in the service, I was in an Air Force plane only one time, and it was a cargo plane that was not pressurized, so it had to fly around the mountains rather than over them to keep from killing those of us in the cargo bay. I drove deuce and a half trucks, flatbeds, weapons carriers, and marched many miles, but never did fly up in the clouds in a military craft. I traveled from assignment to assignment in trains, buses, and other commercial transport. And that is pretty common. The defense forces of this country depend on civilian transportation for everything from troop movements to supply deliveries. That realization is why, in 1957, congress set aside the third Friday in May, today, as National Defense Transportation Day.
Scripture speaks of the needed supplies for an armed force:
1 Kings 4:26-28 (KJV); And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

Let us, on this day, remember in our prayers all that work in any part of the transportation industry. Let us be grateful for the 'knights of the road', the truckers like my friend Sam. Let us thank the commercial pilots, the bus drivers, the cabbies, and the guy that sweeps the floor in the subway. Every one, from the most glorious position to the most humble, is a vital part of the network that makes our national defense possible. The best trained men and the latest technological equipment are worthless unless they are in the right place at the right time, and are continually furnished with the food, clothing and supplies they require to do their job.

May God bless each one here today -

[Python]

True, no man knows the day or the hour, of the Rapture. However, if you want to know the exact time of Christ's "RETURN" all you have to do is count ahead 7yrs. after the Tribulation begins, or 3-1/2 yrs. after the anti-Christ desecrates the Temple in Jerusalem. That's if you're still here. As for the End Times and the Last Generation, God makes it crystal clear in His reference to the re-birth of Israel (1948) in that this generation shall not pass away until "ALL" of these things have come to pass. Do the math.

[Woodnut]

Amen !! Thanks Terry, and may God bless you and everyone who is taking part in his role in life.

[ampaterry]

Good morning.
6 PM has come and gone in New Zealand - and the world did not end.
So Harold Camping was wrong today, just as he was wrong in 1994, just as every single person that has claimed they knew the date of any end-time event has been wrong.
What will he do now for an income?
He will claim the world ended, but it was on a spiritual level so no one noticed, and his cult will continue to attract people for him to separate them from their money.
PT Barnum was right, it seems.

Today is Armed Forces Day. This is a day on which we should especially think about, thank and pray for all the members of our armed forces. American History teaches us about all the freedoms that were put into place for the citizens of this nation of ours. The constitution is the law of our land, and guarantees those freedoms.
But if you look at it objectively, the constitution is words written on paper, and has no power to guarantee anything to anyone. High sounding words, true, but just words. No proclamation of any kind has the power to guarantee anything without some force to back it up. The deed to your home and the title to your car are both meaningless without the Judiciary system to certify your ownership of both against those that would claim they are really theirs. But even the certification of the Judiciary means nothing without some force of arms to ensure that this certification is honored. Domestically, this force of arms consists of the various police agencies. Protection of your ownership from those outside of our nation is the purview of the Armed Forces. Every single freedom which we enjoy is only there because of the past and present work of men and women willing to leave their daily lives behind, take up arms, and fight those that would take our freedoms from us. Everything we own, everything we do, everything we love would be at risk without these fine young people standing between us and the forces of evil that run rampant around the world.
Does that mean that you and I, all those that are civilians, can kick back, throw up our feet, and let God handle all those troubles by using the tools of our armed forces?
No.
We have our own duty to perform:
Deuteronomy 23:9 (KJV); When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

The armies alone cannot secure our blessings; each one of us is required to strive for righteousness within themselves, for only then will God continue to bless us as he has done thus far.

I will talk to you again tomorrow - because Harold, like all date-setters - was completely wrong.

[jack404]

thanks to day light savings its 9:39 pm here , pancake batter is done and resting for the morning , shoes shined , kids in bed and all is pretty good considering

My very Best wishes on this day to all those out there who have served ,

My prayers as well

cheers Terry

[Woodnut]

AMEN ! Thanks Terry for the inspiration.
God bless all those who are serving and the ones that have served. As I knew it would be, Harold was wrong again. When will he learn. ??????
I checked the thread early this morning and then got busy working on a drawing, that is why I am so late about posting.

[Eddie N]

Sad that some folks actually believe what that person said about the end. Gonna be a lot of disappointed people tomorrow.

[ampaterry]

Today is Lag B-Omer, a day of observance in Judaism. It is a bit complicated, but I will attempt to give an explanation of what this day signifies. First off, “Lag” is not a word, but a number; 33. Hebrew letters are assigned values so they can be used for numbers as well as for words, similar to the way that I could use MIX as the number 1009, utilizing Roman Numerals. It might be even more confusing in that case, because MIX is a perfectly good English word!
So Lag B-Omer actually means the 33rd of Omer. What is Omer?
Leviticus 23:15 (KJV); And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
The Jewish people count these days, from Passover to Shavuot (the day of the giving of the Torah). This is a time of mourning among them, because this is the period during which the Jewish people waited at the base of Mt. Sinai for the return of Moses with the Talmud; a period when they failed to 'keep the faith'. On the second day of Passover, a measure of Barley was cut and brought to the temple as an offering. The name of this unit of measure was “Omer”, and this is the reason they named this period of numbering as Omer. Today is the 33rd day of this numbering.
OK, now WHY do they take note of this day?
Rabbi Akiba was one of the greatest Rabbi's recorded in the Talmud, and he had many students. A plague came to them during the counting of the Omer, and after thousands of them had died, the 33rd day of the Omer was free of further deaths. Some say this day is when Manna was first found in the desert during the Exodus. For whatever reason, today is the only day in the entire counting of the Omer which is free from mourning. Tomorrow, the solemnity returns until the 49 day, the completion of the count.

Let us, each one, pray for the Jewish people today. They are the ROOT from which Christianity has spring. They are the good olive tree, we are just grafted into it! Read Romans chapter 11 -
That is homework. And there just MIGHT be a pop-quiz on it later - -

May God bless each and every one of you -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !!! Thanks Terry.

[ampaterry]

The first job I held after my discharge in Alaska was lumberjacking for Northern Alaska Development Company north of Fairbanks. It was without a doubt the hardest work I have ever done. The turnover there was heavy, with some guys leaving after the first day of this kind of work. One man I remember, though, just loved it. He was young, strong, and seemed to thrive on this grueling labor. One day I asked him what he had done before this. He said he had been in the Merchant Marine, but found the work there so hard that he jumped ship on the Alaskan coast. That is an indication of how hard the life in the Merchant Marine is.
On May 22nd of 1819 the steam ship Savannah left Savannah Georgia for the first successful transoceanic voyage, which brought it to Liverpool, England 29 days later. This event is commemorated each year on this date as National Maritime Day. The Merchant Marine is a vital part of our commerce and our defense; in WWII, they were being fired on before the US even entered the war, so they were the first in battle. At the conclusion of hostilities, they brought troops home from service, so they were the last to return home after the war.
We owe a debt to these Mariners for the very difficult work they do, because our lives would be very different without them. They move war materials that consist of everything from Tanks to Torpedoes, and from Bullets to Beans. During WWII In 1945, the Merchant Marine combined with the Coast Guard delivered military cargo at the rate of seventeen million pounds per hour! They had a death rate of one in thirty, which was higher than any branch of the military. It is for good cause that they are awarded most of the benefits afforded to Veterans today.
Scripture tells the dangers of maritime travel to both cargo and people:
Acts 27:9-10 (KJV); Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

Ecclesiastes tells us there is no new thing under the sun - -

Pray for God to keep these folks safe, and bless them for the work they do.

And may God bless each one here -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !! Terry
A member of my wife's family was a Merchant Marine, and all her family tells of how hard the work was and the long hours at sea. Must have been some dangerous hard life to live. My prayers go out to those who have those jobs even now, and a thanks to those before us who served, sounds like they had it pretty ruff. Thanks to you for pointing these things out to me. I had never connected this occupation with scripture before.

[ampaterry]

I read that the end-of-the-world preacher has granted us a five month reprieve.
Another math mistake, I guess -
What part of "No man knows the day or the hour" doesn't he understand?
When November comes, his face will be even redder than it is now -
Ah well -
To the thought for today:

Every one of us should do some self searching now and then. It is a good way to discover hidden faults, because even your best friends are unlikely to tell you about them. One important question for a person to ask themselves as they review their past life is; Have I built castles in the sand? Will my life-work endure over the years after I have departed this earthly life? Has there been anything immortal in it, which will survive the usual ravages of time? The children build castles in the sand at the beach, and in a few hours the tide removes every trace of them. Will it be so with my work, or will the works that I have carved outlast even the stone records of history?
The Word of God tells us:
Matthew 25:31, 34-40 (KJV);
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: . . . Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
1 Corinthians 3:12-14 (KJV);
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."

Am I building stone fortresses, or sand castles?

God bless each of you -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !!
Thanks Terry.
My castle's won't be built of sand.

[ampaterry]

Spot on, as Jack would say, Carl!

I just read a story from the Middle Ages about a young woman who was expelled from heaven and told that she would be readmitted if she would bring back the one gift God valued the most. She brought back drops of blood from a dying patriot. She collected coins given by a destitute widow for the poor. She brought back a remnant of a Bible used by an eminent preacher. She even brought back the dust from the shoes of missionaries who served many years in a distant land. Although she brought back these things and more, she was turned back repeatedly.

One day as she watched a small boy playing by a fountain, she saw a man ride up on horseback and dismount to take a drink. When he saw the boy playing, he thought of his own childhood innocence. But he looked into the water of the fountain and saw a reflection of his hardened face. He was overcome by the sin in his life, and in that moment, he wept tears of repentance. The young woman took one of those tears back to heaven, where she was received with joy.

The Word of God tells us the call for repentance is true, in three ways; first, it is true for countries:

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV); "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."




Second, it is true for one individual:

Isaiah 55:7; "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."




Third, it is true for all, and it is HEARD!

2 Kings 22:19; "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD."

The world did not end last week -
But it could end at any time -
And there really is a point where it is too late to turn your life around - -

God Bless every one of you -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !!! Terry, very true words as all of the Bible.
Thanks for the morning inspiration.

[Python]

Originally Posted by ampaterry

The world did not end last week -
But it could end at any time -
And there really is a point where it is too late to turn your life around - -

Yes, the world as we know it could end at any time. It would be wise to remind ourselves that "The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah". But God's patience did not last forever. The flood came. "Today is the day of salvation."

It's beautiful that "God holds our tears in jars". When we cry, God will comfort. I believe this one little verse in the Bible is a powerful statement about eternal life. God saves our tears, forever. God will comfort, forever.

[ampaterry]

Excellent, Python -
Honestly, I have never meditated on Psalm 56:8 -

[ampaterry]

Many people are perplexed when they look at the Pyramids; how could those massive structures have been built by pre-industrial man?
In more modern examples, I have stood in awe at Mt. Rushmore, and could not imagine how a work of art on such a grand scale could have been made. I have ridden to the top of the St. Louis Arch, and looked out the windows straight down to the ground, with no support in the center of the vast span of metal. If I were asked if such a structure could be built, I would have said no. Judy and I have driven the road through Polychrome Pass in what used to be Mt. McKinley Park, a narrow road that was cut into the face of a vertical cliff for MANY miles. I tried to imagine how that road had been carved in the first place, and I failed.
I know you have had similar experiences, where you have looked at things that had been built and were in awe of the ones that had actually done the work on them!
All of these things should be to us a cheering memory when our task is more than usually difficult. If anything ought to be done it shall be done. As Spurgeon said, “With God in front, we shall soon leave difficulties in the rear, transformed into memorials of victory.”

Zechariah 4:6 (KJV); "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

Luke 18:27 (KJV); "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

1 John 5:4 (KJV); "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

No matter what your task today, brother – no matter what the difficulty of it, sister – with God on your side, you WILL NOT fail!

May God bless each of you as you face difficult things.