Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[jack404]

true as .. Cheers Terry

[cycloneman]

I can tell you put some time in that Terry. thanks

[lonewolf204]

Amen, Thanks for another great message Terry!

[ampaterry]

I appreciate your support, guys!

In 280 A.D. A wealthy couple in Patara in Asia Minor had a son whom they named Nicholas. An epidemic took their lives while he was yet a child, but not before they had instilled in him the gift of faith.
Nicholas went to Myra and there he lived a life full of sacrifice and love and the spirit of Jesus.
When the town needed a bishop, it was natural that they chose him.
He was imprisoned for his faith by Emperor Diocletian and released later by Emperor Constantine.
There are many stories of his generosity and compassion: he begged for food for the poor, he gave girls money so that they would have a dowry to get a husband and many other acts which showed his great compassion.

The story most often repeated was about how he would don a disguise and go out and give gifts to poor children. He gave away everything he had, and died at the age of 34. His body was later moved to Italy where his remains are to this day.

But the story of Nicholas has spread around the world. There are more churches in the world named after St. Nicholas than any other person in all the history of the church. His image has changed with time, of course. Clement Moore, the poet, gave him a red nose and eight tiny reindeer. The illustrator Thomas Nast made him big and fat and gave him a fur trimmed red suit. Some know him as Belsnickle, Kris Kringle or Santa Claus. But what singe thing should we remember about St. Nicholas? That he had the mind of Christ. Because of his devotion and love toward all people, he touched the whole world.
This same mind of Christ is what should be in each of us.

Is this the wrong time of year to tell the story of Santa Claus?

I can answer that question with another question.

Is there a season on being Christlike?

The Bible tells us that all we do shall be judged, and we will be rewarded accordingly:
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."

May God bless each one of you -

[jack404]

Cheers Terry!

[lonewolf204]

Amen, Thanks Terry!

[ampaterry]

I look at this historic old building here, and say “That is Bethany Church!” But is it, really? Is this the church at 2 PM on Tuesday? Not really. The church then is in the sales room, in the automobile repair shop, and out on the road in the truck. It is in the laboratory, in the classroom, and in the home. It is in the offices, financial, law firm, and a hundred others. The church is wherever God's people are. They are doing what they ought to be doing. They are honoring God, not just while they worship in a building but out here in the world they live in as they work to support their families, raise their children, build their homes and their neighborhoods, and do their best to help improve their country!

Jesus told us this truth in:
Matthew 16:18 (KJV);
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

So, the buildings called churches are places where Christians meet and worship, and it is these Christians that are the REAL church.

But those buildings called churches are not ALWAYS where Christians gather -

For instance, there is a church named Tattingstone Wonder in Suffolk, England, that has NEVER had Christians gather there to worship. It is not a gathering place for the real church at all. The local squire wanted to see a church from the windows of his country house. Since the real church was out of his sight, he built an imitation, which is named Tattingstone Wonder.

Be sure the building where you attend is not just for show – be sure it is a TRUE place for the body of believers to gather, and to worship him!

The Bible tells us not only what the church is, but who really runs it, and possesses it:
Ephesians 1:22-23 (KJV);
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

May God bless each and every one of you - -

[lonewolf204]

Amen, Thanks Terry!

[ampaterry]

Genia Obal, of Montrose, British Columbia wrote in “Kids of the Kingdom” section in the Christian Reader:

Our 7-year-old daughter had just won $2.00 for her memory work in Sunday school. After the morning service, the pastor's wife congratulated her.
Our daughter proudly announced, "And I put it all in the morning's offering!"
"My, how wonderful!" the pastor's wife exclaimed. "I'm sure God will be pleased."
"Yes," the child replied. "Now maybe God will let me do some of the things I want to do!"

Many people feel like that little girl. They see God as an overly restrictive parent who keeps them from having any fun. This feeling is evidence that the person has NOT entered into the true spirit filled life of a Christian. In a young child, it is expected, for they have not grown into adulthood yet. But in an adult, it shows a failure to grow as they should have. If an adult still thinks that sins are FUN, and the things of a Christian life are not what they want to do, it indicates they have not grown as they should. They are still Babes in Christ, and need some serious growth in the things of God.

The Word of God tells us about this necessary spiritual growth, and compares it to the changing dietary requirements as we leave infancy and enter into adulthood:
Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV);
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

May God bless each one of you, guys, with a burning desire for the strong meat that comes after the milk - -

[lonewolf204]

Amen, Thanks Terry!

[ampaterry]

Tomorrow, November 1st, is All Saints Day. Every single day in the Catholic Church Calendar is designated to recognize one particular saint or another, but this day is unique in that it is for the recognition of all Saints, similar to the US having Presidents Day to honor all presidents.

The next day is All Souls Day, a day for special prayers for all the faithful departed. In many cultures the two days share the same customs.

Tonight is All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, which merely meant the eve before All Saints Day.
In spite of many of the Satanic rituals some have claimed were the source for Halloween activity, the true history of it is not evil at all, but is rooted in Church history.
Dressing up in scary costumes was, originally, a way of poking fun at the evil spirits. As Christians, we know they hold no power over us anyway. People dressed up to mock them.

The practice of Trick or Treat originated in the Middle Ages. The poor people would go around offering to pray for departed souls in return for food, the customary one being a small cake called a Soul Cake. This practice was the source of the song of the same name by Peter, Paul and Mary many years ago.

From those harmless beginnings, Halloween has grown into a celebration of unimagined proportions. Kids dress up and canvass the neighborhoods asking for candy, others terrorize neighborhoods playing tricks that range from humorous to real vandalism.

The Witches and Satanists have also gotten into the act. Right here in Houston County TN, a local Coven will meet on top of a cliff-sided bluff in the city, build a bonfire, and conduct their Satanic rituals with complete impunity.

In addition, every year brings a fresh crop of activity that some have engaged in with the intent of injuring or killing the little children that take part in this celebration.

For my part, I ignore this day completely. We will go to bed tonight just like any other night. And tomorrow, All Saints Day, and the next day, All Souls Day, I will not be praying for the saints or any other departed; they are beyond the reach of prayers.

May God bless each one of you, guys -

[reflex1]

Straight, pure and simple - thanks Terry!

[ampaterry]

I follow the legal battles that are going on regarding our public school system, and the many attempts to remove all things Christian from those halls of learning, be it by refusal to admit the many problems with secular explanations for religious matters, such as the various theories of Evolution, or by demands that no Christian words, writings, or actions be allowed within those doors.
Most of these battles are based upon the “establishment clause” of the US constitution, which only prohibits Congress from passing a law promoting one religion over another, or prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
In reality, of course, the religion of secular humanism has a monopoly over our public educational system, and is fighting tooth and nail to maintain it in spite of the MAJORITY of our Citizens who PAY for those schools desiring that it NOT be taught exclusively.

An editorial in the Tampa Tribune addressed the fear under which some school boards operate:
“It's not our position that sectarian prayer has a place in public schools, although a high-school course in comparative religions would seem appropriate in a society that believes in the significance of history. Religion is so interwoven in that history, for both good and ill, that to reject the subject because of "establishment fright" is patently anti-intellectual.”

The Word of God tells us plainly that the teaching of Children should include the things of God:
Exodus 10:2 (KJV);
"And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD."

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV);
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

And it tells us that we should AVOID contrary teachings:
Ecclesiastes 12:12 (NCV);
"So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you tired."

Well, I can’t speak for the students – but I am sure getting tired of it!

May the Lord bless each one of you -

[jack404]

Cheers Terry

[Airdale]

I share your fatique!

[ampaterry]

Guys, your support continues to cheer me onward!

Today is an important date in history: Balfour day. On this date, November 2nd, in 1917, the following letter was written as a formal statement of British policy:
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet: "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country".
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours sincerely

Arthur James Balfour

This became known as the Balfour Declaration.
Thirty years later, this mandate was presented to the UN, and they approved it. The new fledgling state of Israel was subsequently attacked by their Arab neighbors. During that short and decisive war, Israel captured sufficient territory to allow them to defend themselves against future aggression.

It took an additional thirty years before an Arab country recognized Israels right to exist; a peace treaty was signed in 1978 at the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt. The rest of the Arab world responded with anger, and promptly broke ties with Egypt, even moving the Arab League headquarters out of that country.

This land, and MUCH more, was given to the Jews by God:
Genesis 17:8 (KJV);
“And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

There is no controversy over who owns this land. The problem is that the Arabs do not recognize that fact, and actually believe they have the power to change it through force of arms.
I have the firm conviction this will never happen.

Happy Balfour day, my Jewish brothers and sisters.
May God bless each one of you, and influence our leaders to continue to support your nation.

[jack404]

this document is also the basis of palistinian claims ..

sadly they forget the facts

use any pre WW2 map palistine is a state area , the capital was damscus ( syria )

syria agreed and signed the transfer and where well paid ( 120 Million pounds Sterling from the Brits alone )

the boundaries where based on a group study and to fit into other national boundaries ,

before mohamed this had always been a hebrew area , even as far back as 3000bc it was marked on maps as land of the hebrew ( people where known by their languages then )

it was and always will be Israel

til God says otherwise ..


cheers for this Terry a good reminder

[ampaterry]

120 million pounds sterling back then?
Man, that is a piece of change!!

I had not heard this before, Jack - thank you!

[lonewolf204]

Amen, Thanks Terry!

[ampaterry]

A soap manufacturer and a pastor were walking together down a street in a large city. The soap manufacturer casually said, "The gospel you preach hasn't done much good, has it? Just observe. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and a lot of wicked people, too!" The pastor made no reply until they passed a dirty little child making mud pies in the gutter. Seizing the opportunity, the pastor said, "I see that soap hasn't done much good in the world; for there is much dirt, and many dirty people around." The soap manufacturer replied, "Oh, well, soap is only useful when it is applied." And the pastor said, "Exactly, so it is with the gospel."

The Word of God shows this to be true; until we ourselves take action with the promises of the gospel, they do us no good. It is a fact that we must make a decision for Christ, and thereby experience a spiritual re-birth, just as explained to us by Jesus himself:

John 3:5 (KJV);
But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom."

In this statement, the water birth is the physical birth which we already experienced; Jesus tells us that we must then experience a second birth, the spiritual one. One should not confuse the water birth in this statement with baptism - that is an act of obedience only, not a salvation thing.

The requirements for salvation are to confess faith in Jesus Christ, and to believe in him completely:

Romans 10:9-11 (KJV);
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

May the Lord bless and keep each one of you, guys -

[reflex1]

Thanks again Terry for your words - hope you don't mind if I borrow one now and then - too good not to let others see!

[Juker]

AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN!

And again I say, AMEN!

[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys -

Reflex, of course! Nothing I ever put in a devotional is confidential; use as desired!

[ampaterry]

Alexander Woolcott related this story about a hospital in New York many years ago. A grief-stricken mother sat in the lounge in stunned silence, tears running down her cheeks. She had just lost her only child and she was gazing blindly into space while the head nurse talked to her, simply because it was the duty of the head nurse to talk in such circumstances.

"Did you notice the shabby little boy sitting in the hall just next to your daughter's room?"
No, she had not noticed him.

"There," continued the head nurse, "there is a case. That little boy's mother is a young French woman who was brought in a week ago by ambulance from their tiny one-room apartment where they lived since they came to this country scarcely three months ago. They had lost all their people in the old country and knew nobody here. The two had only each other. Every day that lad has come and sat there from sunup to sundown in the vain hope that she would awaken and speak to him. Now, he has no home at all!"
The bereaved mother was listening now. So the nurse went on, "Fifteen minutes ago that little mother died, dropped off like a pebble in the boundless ocean, and now it is my duty to go out and tell that little fellow that, at the age of seven, he is all alone in the world." The head nurse paused, then turned plaintively to the lady. "I don't suppose," she said hesitantly, "I don't suppose that you would go out and tell him for me?"

What happened in the next few moments is something that you remember forever. Mrs. Norris stood up, dried her tears, went out and put her arms around the lad and led that homeless child off to her childless home, and in the darkness they both knew they had become lights to each other!

Did the first part of that story disturb you? Did the second part comfort you? I hope so, because it has been said that the true function of a preacher is to disturb the comfortable and to comfort the disturbed. But beyond that, take something from this story; no matter how bad off you are, there is someone worse off; give them your comfort and support, and you will find your own burdens easier to bear.

May God bless each one of you, guys - -

[cutter]

How very true Terry!!! At times I will feel sorry for myself and then hear about someone else and it will wake you up!! Thank you for all of your words!! They do help and are apprecated (sp).