Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[ampaterry]

Indeed, a lot MORE folks need a heart of wisdom, especially today - -

Today is another recognized day.
It is Ascension Day, one of the earliest Christian festivals. It was celebrated at least as early as the year 68, and marks the occasion on which Christ ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives as his disciples watched. This marks the end of the Easter Season.

With this celebration being so very old, it is not surprising that many cultures have attached many customs and beliefs to it that really have nothing to do with the event being celebrated.

In England, it is believed that eggs laid on this day will never go bad, and it brings good luck to place one in the roof.

In former times, they would “beat the bounds, which meant beating the kids with willow branches as they drove them around the borders of the parish, thought to purge them of evil as well as teach them where the borders were.

The Welsh believe it is bad luck to do any work on this day, so if you want to laze off, you can claim to be Welch to cover it.

In Sweden, people go out in the woods at 3 AM to listen to the first birds sing. If they hear a cuckoo, it is considered good luck. Personally, it will take more than a chance at good luck to get me out in the woods at 3 AM. That is a fine quiet time for computer work, but not a good time to be stumbling through the trees.

There are many more, but let's turn from tradition and superstition toward truth. What does this day truly signify?

Mark 16:15-20 (KJV);
"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 pray that any here who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ will come to know Him while there is still time - -

[jack404]

good reminder

cheers Terry

[ampaterry]

Evangelist Paul Rader had often urged a banker in New York State to receive Christ, but the man would not make the decision. One day the preacher sensed that God wanted him to go immediately and speak to him again. So he took a train to the town where the man worked, hurried to the bank, and found his friend standing in the doorway.

"Rader," he said, "I'm glad to see you! I wrote a telegram begging you to come, but later changed my mind and didn't send it."

"That's all right," said the evangelist, "your message came through anyhow by way of heaven."

Under deep conviction of sin, the banker was impressed by Rader's earnestness and his special effort to reach him with the gospel, and within a few minutes he accepted the Lord. In his newfound joy he exclaimed, "Did you ever see the sky so blue or the grass so green!"

"Hallelujah, you're truly converted!" came Rader's response. "It's just like the song says, 'Heaven above is softer blue, earth around is sweeter green, something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen."

Suddenly the banker gave a strange gasp and fell over dead! He had been saved at the very brink of eternity.

What if Paul Rader had ignored that call? That man may have been lost.

Are you in the position of that banker? This could be your last chance to turn your life over to Jesus Christ!

Are you in the position of Paul Rader? Is there a friend, an acquaintance, a family member who has not accepted the Lord? Do not delay to speak to them; this could be their last chance!

2 Corinthians 6:2;
“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

If you have trouble speaking to that loved one about the Lord, bring them to church with you. If you are attending a good solid Bible-preaching church (as you should be!), the preacher will be HAPPY to speak to them for you.

Yesterday is past, and cannot be changed.
Tomorrow may never come.
There is only TODAY.

May God bless each one of you -

[ampaterry]

Some people who believe in the passages in the Bible about heaven, utterly reject the references to hell. Robert Ingersoll, a famous lawyer and atheist in the latter part of the nineteenth century, once delivered a blistering lecture on hell. He called hell the "scarecrow of religion" and told his audience how unscientific it was, and how all intelligent people had decided there was no such place. A drunk in the audience came up to him afterward and said, "Bob, I liked your lecture; I liked what you said about hell. But, Bob, I want you to be sure about it, because I'm depending upon you."

I don’t talk about Hell very much; I want to motivate people to turn to God, but I don’t think scaring them into it is a good way to win healthy citizens to His kingdom. People should turn to God because they love him, not because they fear what might befall them if they do not turn to him. Nevertheless, Hell exists. It is real, and will be the abode of the lost after the judgment. It is not a boogey man story to frighten the weak into doing right. Jesus Christ speaks more about hell than anyone else in the Bible.

For instance, in Matthew 23:33, Jesus says;
“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

And yet, Jesus is kind and loving! How do we correlate the one who speaks of hell with the one who loves every creature on earth? By understanding that it is because he loves them that he speaks of hell to them! He tries other methods first, but if they are not responding, he loves them enough to warn them about where their present line of activity will lead them, in the end.

And I love you enough too; don’t be left behind. Don’t risk an eternity of separation from God for a bit of earthly pleasure! Forsake your present path, and come to Jesus Christ now! He will not refuse you.

[ampaterry]

We all know the story of Moses climbing up on Mt. Sinai to receive the Law from God:
Exodus 24:12 (KJV);
And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

We all know that story, but we do little to remember the time or the place of it. The Jewish people, on the other hand, commemorate the date of this occurrence every year as the second of their three major festivals of both historic and agricultural significance; Shavuot. The other two such festivals are Passover and Sukkot. The date of Shavuot moves around on our calendar, but it is fixed on the Hebrew calendar to the 6th of Sivan, which is today.
Shavuot is not only the day which celebrates the historic event of the giving of the Torah, but it also commemorates the time when the first fruits are harvested and brought to the temple.
In celebration of this day, no work is performed. The Jewish people stay awake all night reading the Torah to begin this festival, and they follow that with prayers as early as possible when morning comes.

In contrast to this, many Christians can hardly stand an hour of church a week, would not loose sleep over anything religious without a personal appearance of Jesus Christ demanding it of them, have not read the Bible in months – if ever, and pray only when they need something.

The Jews are radical.

They love God, and aren't ashamed to say it and live it.

Too bad we don't have more Christians that do that.

Have a blessed Shavuot, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I pray that God will bless you for your many remembrances of Him and His word.

And may God bless each one here -

[BlackEagle]

Have you ever thought of the 10 Commandments as 10 great freedoms? God starts Exodus 20 with the proclamation I am the God that set you free. I brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. These laws will help you stay free...
Just a seed thought. You can make it one sermon or 12...

[BlackEagle]

Somewhere in India, 1975. Dad, mom, and my younger brother were on a mission trip to see just what God was doing in His church in various places around the world. Dad had been alerted to one church. They got there Saturday and the elders interviewed Dad fairly extensively to see whether he was fit to preach. They decided he was and invited him to preach the next day. People had been walking in from the surrounding villages to spend the night and get an early start on the worship the next day. Dad asked in passing when the service began.

The conversation went something like this: "After breakfast we have an hour or two of prayer". "Then how long should I preach? An hour?" " Oh, we have walked a long way to hear God's Word. We don't normally finish untill 3 or 4 in the afternoon, to give the people time to walk back to their villages."

Dad preached through the book of John that day.

Everyone sat on the ground under the roof, no walls in the church. The women sat on one side, the men on the other. During the prayer time one of the elders would comment from time to time. When dad wondered what they were saying, he was told that the women were praying too much; the men needed to speak up more.

[ampaterry]

BlackEagle, there was a time in the US when church services went on for hours and hours.
But no more.

[BlackEagle]

People are worried their pot roast might burn.

[ampaterry]

Today is memorial day.

I love memorial day because it brings to mind the great privilege we have of living in a country where so many were willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of their family, neighbors, and country. I love it because it makes my chest swell with pride. I love it because when a country can produce such fine young people, I know that country is one of the best on the planet. I love it because it clearly shows that our freedom can never be taken from us as long as such people exist here. I love it because the signs of patriotism all around me in the flags and parades show me that America is still young and strong. I love it because it was so honored by my father-in-law Chuck Lewis, one of the finest Americans to be born in this country.

I hate memorial day because it brings to mind the lives of so many fine young people that were much shorter than they should have been. I hate to think that my freedom has cost others so very much. I hate to think that the world is such an evil place that men and women have to die to keep the rest of us safe from being subjected to the whims of an evil dictator. I hate it because so many see it as only a three day weekend. I hate it because so many businesses use it for nothing but their own profit. I hate it because it reminds me of the torture, medical experiments and starvation which Chuck was put through in WWII, which finally took his life after years of suffering.
I find that I am hot on Memorial day and cold on Memorial day at the same time.
One thing is for sure, though.
I will never be indifferent towards it.

Lord, I beseech you that you would comfort all the families and friends of every service member who gave their life for this nation.
I ask that you would bless each one, and let them know that their loss is grieved by all of us.
I ask for your blessing and protection on each member of our armed forces; keep them safe, Lord, as they do their duty for our nation.
And I ask for a blessing for each veteran of the armed forces. Let them know that their service is appreciated.

And I ask these things in the Holy name of Jesus the Christ, the Lion of Judah.
Amen -

[cutter]

Amen, Thanks Terry

[Krogen]

Well said, Terry. The day and what it means are bittersweet. I am so weary of being wished a "Happy Memorial Day." I know people mean well, but they completely miss the meaning of what they say.

Krogen

[BlackEagle]

Thanks.
I agree Terry; As with all holidays, people tend to loose sight of the original reason for the day.
We don't celebrate Memorial Day here in the UK. However, we are looking forward to Armed Forces Day on 30 June, which is set aside to remember those serving and who have served in the armed forces in defence of our country. (I have two, no three countries/citizenships--US, UK, and the Kingdom of Heaven)

We also have Rememberance Day (Poppy Day), which is more like Memorial Day in the US. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year the nation comes to a stop for one minute of silence in memory of those military personnel who have died in service to their country. That is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

Bottom line: I have the same memorials twice during the year. It's a good thing.

[ampaterry]

Guys, I appreciate that support!!

For today:

An Atheist farmer often ridiculed people who believed in God. He wrote the following letter to the editor of a local newspaper: "I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled in my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service."

The editor printed the man's letter and then added this remark: "God doesn't always settle His accounts in October."

That editor was right! Sometimes even dedicated Christians are tempted to complain because of what they see in the world around them. Perplexed by the success and prosperity of the wicked, oftentimes at the expense of the righteous, they ask, why doesn't the Lord do something about it? Why doesn't He reward those who fear Him, and judge those who disregard Him? Be patient. He will! True, He doesn't always "settle His accounts in October," but He does settle His accounts!
So if you're trying to do the will of God and you become discouraged because unjust people are getting ahead, don't be shortsighted.

Remember what the psalmist David advised:
Psalm 37:1-2 (KJV);
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb."
He went on to say;
Psalm 37:8;
"For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth."

Everyone will receive the recompense they have earned; some earlier, some later. What we need to be concerned about is what are WE doing FOR the Lord, and be less concerned about what someone ELSE is NOT doing for him.

May God bless each one of you -

[RunningOnMT]

Amen! At one time or another we've all been disappointed with the apparent unfairness of this life, as if this life was all there was. But in eternity, it's barely the blink of an eye. Rest assured in God's good time there will be justice for all.

[tcox4freedom]

The 1st scripture that came to my mind while reading your devotional today was:

Matthew 16:26-27 (Darby)
26 For what does a man profit, if he should gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to each according to his doings.

[graehaven]

Originally Posted by BlackEagle

Somewhere in India, 1975. Dad, mom, and my younger brother were on a mission trip to see just what God was doing in His church in various places around the world. Dad had been alerted to one church. They got there Saturday and the elders interviewed Dad fairly extensively to see whether he was fit to preach. They decided he was and invited him to preach the next day. People had been walking in from the surrounding villages to spend the night and get an early start on the worship the next day. Dad asked in passing when the service began.

The conversation went something like this: "After breakfast we have an hour or two of prayer". "Then how long should I preach? An hour?" " Oh, we have walked a long way to hear God's Word. We don't normally finish untill 3 or 4 in the afternoon, to give the people time to walk back to their villages."

Dad preached through the book of John that day.

Everyone sat on the ground under the roof, no walls in the church. The women sat on one side, the men on the other. During the prayer time one of the elders would comment from time to time. When dad wondered what they were saying, he was told that the women were praying too much; the men needed to speak up more.

Services in Zambia, Africa are much the same. People come from a long way, and the church services can last hours.

[BlackEagle]

Amen, Terry;
I really like Psalm 37; Psalm 73 carries a similar message.
God tells us to treasure up for ourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, rather than on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break through and steal, Matt. 6:19-20.

Graehaven, I guess the more things we have around us, the more we tend to get distracted from what's really important. Zambia, India, both dirt poor, but spiritually rich. Hmmmm....food for thought.

Paul learned to abase and abound.

[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys, for the support!!

For today, I found a story that has a valuable lesson for all of us:

Horatio G. Spafford, a successful Chicago Lawyer, lost most of his wealth in the great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the financial crisis that followed. He sent his wife and four daughters on a trip to France, but on their way, their ship was struck by another, and sank. Of the 225 passengers on that ship, only 87 survived.
Mrs. Spafford was among the survivors, but all four of their daughters perished. As soon as she reached land, she telegraphed this message to her husband: "Saved alone. Children lost. What shall I do?"
Spafford left for France to join his wife and return her to Chicago. On the way there, as his ship passed over the spot where his daughters had perished, he wrote his only hymn: It is Well With My Soul. Perhaps the words of the first stanza will take on new meaning for you, as you ponder them:
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
"When sorrows like sea billows roll;
"Whatever my lot,
"Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

Psalm 42:9-11;
“I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

When you feel the bottom falling out, reach up – you will be rescued from the abyss of despair! The Holy Spirit has been given to us to accompany us in all of our ways – We never walk alone!

May God bless each one of you -

[ampaterry]

I am into breadbaking. When I first read a recipe' for Peasant Bread, I was surprised to learn that true peasant bread does NOT require all the kneading that regular bread does. I thought this sounded like a fine idea, as the kneading and spanking is a major part of the work of breadbaking. So I made a batch of Peasant Bread following the recipe' exactly. The result was a very course bread that was almost impossible to put butter, jam or peanut butter on because the interior was riddled with huge bubbles that made holes clear through the slices. I still use the Peasant Bread recipe', but I insert a good deal of kneading to mix the ingredients well, and spanking to remove the bubbles from the sponge.

You will notice the same thing if you watch a potter working with their clay. They may pound and pound the raw clay with the effect of bringing the tiny bubbles to the surface where they will break. If they did not do this, those bubles could cause a flaw in the finished pot which would make a weak place in the wall of the vessel.

Not restricted to breadbaking or pottery, you will see the same kind of thing if we watch a blacksmith, hammering and hammering a piece of steel; stretching it out, folding it back, and hammering some more. The Smithy is forging the steel to make it less brittle, tougher and stronger. You know how brittle Cast Iron is? The forging takes care of that –

When you feel that you are being hammered, remember this. You cannot have a strong vessel if the air bubbles have not been hammered out of the clay first. You cannot have a strong sword, knife, or similar steel tool unless the brittle cast iron has been hammered and hammered to make it tough. God knows what is best for us; he lets us get hammered now and then to remove our weak spots and to toughen us for the battles ahead.

Isaiah 64:8 (KJV);
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

May God bless each one of you -

[BlackEagle]

Thanks for the reminder, Terry;
God does have a way of putting us through rough times to "burn out our impurities" to make us stronger. I don't relish the times while going through them, but the end result is a more Christlike me, better able to do God's work. Countless passages come to mind.

[ampaterry]

Some time ago, this Reuters item appeared:
“BEIJING - China published sweeping new regulations on Internet companies on Monday that limit foreign investment, require strict surveillance against ``subversive'' content and threaten to close down any unlicensed firms. The rules, passed by China's cabinet two weeks ago and published in the official Xinhua Daily Telegraph on Monday, are sure to send shock waves through the country's fledgling Internet industry, which is heavily dependent on foreign capital. By holding companies responsible for blocking vast categories of illegal content on their Web sites and chat rooms, the rules also illustrate Beijing's determination to contain the spread of ideas deemed dangerous to Communist Party rule.”

In the years since that article, China has become a major Internet presence – but the battle continues for the hearts and minds of the Chinese people, as their repressive government continues to attempt to control their citizen’s access to the TRUTH!

John 14:6;
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me!”

John 16:13;
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

John 8:32;
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Truth is VERY important to the Christian, because truth is very important to Jesus Christ! As long as there is anywhere on earth that restricts the Truth, we must not rest until the blessed light of the Gospel, the greatest truth of all time, is freely shone into that darkness!

May God bless each one of you -

[ampaterry]

"Wouldn't you hate to wear glasses all the time?" asked a small boy of his playmate.

"No-o-o," the other boy answered slowly, "not if I had the kind grandma wears. She sees how to fix a lot of things, and she sees lots of nice things to do on rainy days, and she sees when folks are tired and sorry, and what will make them feel better, and she always sees what you meant to do even if you haven't got things just right. I asked her one day how she could see that way all the time, and she said it was the way she learned to look at things as she grew older. So it must be her glasses."

Prov 16:31 (NCV);“Gray hair is like a crown of honor; it is earned by living a good life.”

There is wisdom in age, and that is often ignored in our society of the virtual worship of youth and the body beautiful. You have heard it said that there are none so blind as those who WILL not see.

What do you think is meant in this passage?
Isaiah 29:18;
“And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness”

Do you think the prophet is speaking of physical blindness here? Jesus healed the blind on many occasions, and we tend to think of blindness as an affliction of the eyes; I think here we are being taught about the blindness of the spirit, and the way the Lord will heal that blindness, and restore vision to the blind of heart. The capacity to love, to show compassion, to feel your neighbors hurts as if they were your own; The ability to know who needs help, and the desire to reach out to them. Lord, heal us ALL from our blindness and our deafness and our insensativity of all kinds!

May God bless each one of you with perfect vision -

[jack404]

Amen

[BlackEagle]

Thanks again, Terry;

I was reading John 9 the other day; the last verses ring a bell (39-41)
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Things have been a bit busy around here, I make it a point to read the daily devotionals but I can't always respond the way I'd like to.