Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[ampaterry]

Good morning!

Today is Easter Monday, the day after Easter Sunday. It should not be surprising that the most important event of the Christian year is celebrated on more than just one day.
From a Roman Catholic site, I got this description of this day:

Christians celebrated the days immediately following Easter - the most
important holy day in the Christian church -by telling jokes, playing pranks, and feasting on lamb. People would add fragrant oil or perfume to the Easter water they brought home from church, and then use this water to sprinkle and bless their food, pets, gardens, and homes.
Easter Monday morning, men would wake their wives with a spritz of the perfumed Easter water as they whispered, "May you never wither."
On Easter Tuesday, women would return the favor as they awakened their husbands with a bucketful of the scented water!

I don't have a problem with any kind of joyful activity today, because this is a most joyous time. The tomb is EMPTY!! Christ is RISEN!! At Christmas we sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come”. Yesterday, Easter, we sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” Today, Easter Monday, we should be singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is Risen!”
Jesus told us what to do after he had risen from the tomb:
Mark 16:14-20 (KJV); Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

I will talk to you again tomorrow, and may God give a blessing to each one of you.

[Woodnut]

Amen
Thanks Chaplain for another fine reading.

[ampaterry]

The storms blew through here last night with great gusto. There were severe storm warnings, tornado warnings and flash flood warnings all around us and for most of the night. It has been two weeks since a freak straight line wind took down three trees, part of the roof off our back porch, and blew everything off the porch itself except our generator. My new five burner gas grill with a full propane tank was laying out in the yard, and our four aderondak chairs were scattered for fifty yards.
When the storms started last night, I moved the grill into the house; it would not take another trip across the lawn. But this morning when the sun came up, I surveyed the place and everything is fine.
I am reminded of one line in the Hymn "Stand By Me."
"When the storms of life are raging, stand by me!"

And he does.

Whether it is the weather type of storms, or the storms of economic disaster, illness, loss of a loved one, depression, or the myriad of other storms which we face in this life - God is always there, standing by us.

Thank you, Lord!!

[jack404]

Thank You indeed!

[Woodnut]

Originally Posted by jack404

Thank You indeed!

AMEN.

Thanks Terry.

[Woodnut]

Terry, this is something I got in an email some time ago. I keep the link and every so often I look at this guy. I nearly bust a gut every time I watch this video. I hope you and others will enjoy this as much as I have. Good clean fun.

http://www.youtube.com/user/billybobjr705

[ampaterry]

Hey, this guy is GOOD!!
I LOVE to put humor in whenever possible; it gets folks attention, and is the perfect way to get a point across.

Thank you!

[ampaterry]

Today is Administrative Professionals Day, once named Secretary's Day. There was a time when this name was appropriate, but it no longer fits the duties that are handled by these highly skilled and dedicated people.
This day is always on Wednesday in the middle of Administrative Professionals Week, which is always the last full week in April. This week was first recognized in 1952 as Secretary's Week, and the name was changed in 2000. The computer was in large part responsible for the transformation of the old 'secretary' into 'administrative professional. Gone are the days when a secretary sits in the bosses office and takes shorthand dictation, then later types out the correspondence on a typewriter. An administrative professional no longer needs to know shorthand, but they now have to understand a computer, and be very proficient in many different programs on it; a word processor, a spreadsheet, a data-base, a scheduling program and e-mail are almost universal everywhere, but each particular industry will have specific programs for their business which must be learned.
This is not a recognized national holiday in the United States, but instead it falls in the middle of the work week to allow employers to show their appreciation for Administrative Professionals while at work. Some recognitions are quite elaborate, with social gatherings, speeches, presentations, etc. Some other employers simply ignore the day completely, but most supervisors have a better understanding than that, and they will let their people know they are appreciated by taking them out to lunch, or some other way to show that their contributions are valuable to the company.
I wish every Administrative Professional out there a VERY happy day today. Understand that you are making a valuable contribution to your company, even if that company does not appear to recognize it. Take solace in the realization that the success of your boss would not be possible without you!
Scripture says nothing of Administrative professionals, but it addresses workers in general:
1 Timothy 5:18 (KJV); For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Virtually every business has one or more people that fit in this category. Find yours today, and at the very least tell them "Thank you!"

[Woodnut]

Very good advise Terry.

I would like to add that it is an inspiration for me to read this thread each and every morning. I am very proud to have a forum Champlain, and I am sure others feel the same way. I think the Forum made a wise choice by appointing you as our spiritual leader. Keep up the good work.

[Warith]

Excellent stuff Terry. Thanks for being our Chaplain.

[jim summers]

I just checked this out, i found it to be most refreshing Praise the Lord for this particular forum. I look forward to reading what the Servant of the Lord has to share with us from the Word of God.

[ampaterry]

I sure appreciate the support, guys, and am very happy to continue this daily.

The Word of God tells us;
2nd Samuel 7:18 (KJV):"Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?"

David communed with God. He sat before him, and asked him questions, fully expecting to receive answers. We ask questions of God also, but do we receive answers?
God speaks to us today just as surely as he always has spoken to his people. If we do not hear him, the fault lies with us, not with him.
The Vine association has an excellent piece which explains why we don't hear God speaking to us more often. It is titled The Discipline of Stillness:

“Here are three reasons we don't hear God speaking to us more often:
(1) We don't know how to handle His silence. When God seems to be silent we think, "Did I ask the wrong question? Was I foolish to expect an answer?" Don't be upset. God's a living being, not an answering machine; He speaks when He has something to say to you.
(2) We don't listen for God's voice. In addition to carving out blocks of quiet time to listen to God, you must learn to keep your ears tuned to Him all the time. One Christian author writes: "A friend of mine has a company car equipped with AM/FM radio, a CD player, a phone and mobile communication unit which he consistently monitors at a low decibel level. Often we've been riding together, talking and listening to music, when all of a sudden he'll reach down, pick up the microphone and say, 'I'm here, what's up?' With all the other noise in the car I never hear the signal, but he has tuned his ear to it. He's able to carry on a conversation and listen to music without ever missing an incoming call." And it's possible for you to develop that same sensitivity to God's voice.
(3) We don't plan to do anything about it. When God speaks we listen, nod and say, "How interesting!" If we don't follow up on His leadings, God may see no reason to continue speaking. When He speaks to us it's usually toward one end - obedience!”

May God richly bless each one here, and keep them safe in these troubled times -

[Woodnut]

AMEN

Another great reading Terry, Thanks, you bring the word to us and that is a good thing.
I know I really appreciated it, and I'm sure you have a lot of followers in theis fourm.

[jim summers]

Thank you Terry, it is good to start the day with with a few words of instruction to help us communicate better with the God.

[Woodnut]

I believe the Chaplain slept in this morning.

[ampaterry]

Actually, I did sleep in!
And then, I deleted a SPAMMER that Jack had caught.

But I am here now, guys!

Today is National Arbor Day. Started in January of 1872 by J. Sterling Morton who was then the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, the first celebration was on April 10th of that year, and it is estimated that Nebraska planted more than one million trees that year.
As time passed, the date for Arbor day has become different for different states to suit their local climate, but the last Friday in April is the most common one, so has been picked as the day for the National Arbor Day.
Morton once said “Each generation takes the earth as trustee's.”
How exactly right he was. It behooves all of us to utilize our natural resources wisely, so future generations can benefit from them as well as ourselves. Planting trees is an excellent way to do this. We must ensure that we always plant as many as we harvest, or we are reaping benefit that will be paid for by our children's children.
Arbor Day is nothing new to a Christian. We call it Stewardship, which is something that extends far beyond obeying God's directions in regard to our money. Stewardship extends into every avenue of our lives, from personal time and resources to group time and resources.

We are to have dominion over and the use of the Earth:

Genesis 1:27-29 (KJV); So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 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. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

And we are to care for it:

Genesis 2:15 (KJV); And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Let us all be good stewards today of ALL living things which God has blessed us with. All were created for our use and for enjoyment - but NONE were created for our misuse or for us to thoughtlessly waste.

God bless all of you -

[Woodnut]

AMEN

Thanks Terry and Jack for keeping the forum clean of spammers. I know it's hard to catch each and every one, but ya'll are doing a great job.
I hope I didn't sound to impatient, I had just checked the thread a couple times and was wondering where you were.
Good reading, and a great way to start the day.

[Double D]

Its really nice having jack around at night while the rest of us sleep!

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by Woodnut

AMEN

Thanks Terry and Jack for keeping the forum clean of spammers. I know it's hard to catch each and every one, but ya'll are doing a great job.
I hope I didn't sound to impatient, I had just checked the thread a couple times and was wondering where you were.
Good reading, and a great way to start the day.

I thought of it as concern rather than impatience. And with the storms and flooding all around us, I APPRECIATE that!

Just worked REALLY hard yesterday to get our drive back in shape after the flood; I can now get out with the wifes 4X4, and today hope to get it good enough to get my car out.
Hard work -
Caused SOUND sleep right up until 6 AM, which is VERY weird for me!!

[jack404]

yes

I liked the Aboriginal outlook , the land was a similar status as mother , the lands bounty not to abused or wasted . and they learned to fit in with it

In His greatness He has provided all we need , of that i am sure, we just have to realize it

and yeah the timezone works out well for the spammers

[Woodnut]

Terry,
Here's a video that I thought was aperpo for this thread. It was really moving for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

[ampaterry]

Carl, that is beautiful. Thank you!


I read a story several years ago about an incident that happened in Russia. Under Stalin, all bibles had been confiscated in the 30's, and with the dissolution of the USSR, a team from CoMission had arrived in Stavropol for ministry work. Their shipment of bibles had been held up, and they were told that a warehouse outside of town still contained confiscated Bibles from all those years ago, where they had unexplainable been stored instead of being destroyed as was Stalin's intent. Remarkably, the team was granted permission to open the warehouse and distribute them! They hired several local Russian workers to help with this work, they began to load their trucks.
One young man, a hostile non-believer, came only for the day's wages. On seeing the Bibles, he thought he would steal one for himself, since they were rare and valuable. The team soon noticed the young man was missing, not helping with the work of loading the trucks. When they searched for him, they found him in the corner of the warehouse, weeping, a Bible in his hands. He had stolen it, then flipped it open to the title page. There, he had found his Grandmothers signature. He had picked his own Grandmothers bible, confiscated from her many decades previously.
Today, that young Russian is in the process of being transformed by the very Bible that his grandmother was persecuted for, but still held dear.
Coincidence?
I don’t think so!
The Word of God speaks often of the power of the Bible:

Jeremiah 23:29 (KJV); "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

Romans 1:16 (KJV); "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV); "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

There are many countries where the Bible is illegal to own, where people never get the chance to read one. And here we are, with perfect freedom to own and read the words of the creator of the universe, and most people won't bother with it; if they own one at all, it is a dusty book on the shelf. Do whatever you can to change that. Start inside your own home, and move outward from there.

May God bless each and every one of you.

[Woodnut]

AMEN !

"Coincidence?
I don’t think so!"

I agree, this was not a coincidence, but the hand of God that directed this young man. Very moving story. Thanks Terry.

[jbmid1]

The word is quick and powerful...and now available online in almost every language.

[ampaterry]

Today is Loyalty Day and Law Day in the United States. And this year, sundown begins Yom Hashoah, a Jewish holiday. I find it fitting that these three days would coincide today.

In 1930, ten thousand VFW members staged a rally in Times Square, NY, to promote patriotism on this day. The observances continued and grew until Congress officially designated this day as Loyalty Day in 1958, and set it aside to foster loyalty and love of the United States.

Law day is dedicated to appreciate our liberties, especially with regard to equality and justice. It also aims to cultivate respect for the law, which is vital to our way of life. It began in 1958 when Eisenhower established this day by proclamation at the urging of the American Bar Association.

And this year, today is Yom Hoshoah. The Jewish calendar is lunar, so specific dates in their calendar will, from year to year, move around on our calendar just as Easter does. The full name of todays special day is Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah, which means the "Day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism". This day is dedicated to remembering the six million Jewish people who were slaughtered by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. Something which it is vital for us to understand, and the reason that I find it so meaningful that these three holidays coincide today is this:
The Nazi's were patriotic. They loved their country, and sacrificed for it.
And they had respect for their laws, and conducted the Holocaust in accordance with the law of the land. Yet, in spite of patriotic people carrying it out in accordance with their laws, it is one of the darkest events of human history.

What is the lesson here for us? It is explained in this passage:
Mark 12:13-17 (KJV); And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Every one of us in this group loves our country. But we must be sure that this love of country is second to our love of God.

Almost all of us here also strive to obey the laws of the land. But our obligation to do that does NOT extend to the point of following those laws when they conflict with the laws of God.

And as for the Holocaust, I join with my Jewish brothers and sisters when I say: “Never Again!!”

I am not trying to be a rabble-rouser (Or, considering my location, perhaps that is Rebel Rouser!), but I am attempting to show that, important as both are, love of country and obedience of the law are not always paramount for us.