Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[Woodnut]

AMEN !
Thanks Terry
We all have difficult task each and every day, but with God's help we seem to make it through.
May God Bless.

[Just One Shot]

May I share something?

Enjoy!

http://www.baysideonline.com/2011/05/david-garibaldi/

[ampaterry]

My gosh, this is AWESOME!

THANK YOU, Just One Shot!

[ampaterry]

When we find ourselves among sinful people who respect us, we ought to be particularly careful - even nervous. The hatred of the world, when poured on Christians in the form of persecution, is seldom harmful to our spiritual nature. In fact, it may even be useful at times!
I once read about a beautiful young woman who had to spend a lot of time traveling for her job. A friend asked her if she ever encountered unwanted advances from men while she was alone on the road. She said she had, but was able to stop them with five simple words: 'Are you a born-again Christian?'.
For the most part, the world does not want any part of us. But when it DOES, the friendship of the world is always to be suspected. When the servants of the high priest allowed Peter to warm his hands at the fire, had Peter been a wise man, he would have been afraid that evil would come of it. We are disarmed by kindness, but it is never safe to be disarmed in an enemy's country. "Who," says the old proverb, "could live in Rome and yet be at war with the pope?" Who can have much to do with sinners and not have something to do with their sins? All Philistia could not have blinded Samson if Delilah's charms had not deluded him. Our worst foes will be found among our ungodly friends. Those who are false to God are not likely to be true to us.
Proverbs 12:26 (KJV); "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them."
There was a couple that contacted me over the internet asking my help in locating a place to live in this area. They said God had directed them specifically to Bethany Church to help them in this quest. Judy located a place for them, and they moved in quite close to us. In the first three days they were here, they asked to borrow money from us, asked us to cash a post-dated check for them, and finally drove here and asked me to hide the truck which the bank was trying to re-possess since they had stopped making payments on it. When I explained that doing that is theft, he argued with me until I threw him out of our home.
Walk carefully in this world. Not everyone that speaks the name of Jesus is a Christian.

I will talk to you again tomorrow - and may God RICHLY bless you.

[Woodnut]

AMEN !!
Very True Terry. There are people out there that will try and use Christianity to their advantage and have never met Jesus, and they are very hard to spot until you have dealing with them.

[Just One Shot]

Originally Posted by ampaterry

My gosh, this is AWESOME!

THANK YOU, Just One Shot!

You are welcome! I found it very inspiring.

The thought that comes to mind as I reflect on this video is, we can't fully recognize Jesus and see His glory until we turn around (repent of our sins) and look up to Him for salvation.

[Python]

Originally Posted by ampaterry

Walk carefully in this world. Not everyone that speaks the name of Jesus is a Christian.

Matthew 7:21-23..."Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Matthew 5:20..."Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, you shall in no way enter the kingdom of heaven"

John 3:3...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"

[Python]

Originally Posted by Woodnut

AMEN !!
Very True Terry. There are people out there that will try and use Christianity to their advantage and have never met Jesus, and they are very hard to spot until you have dealing with them.

We have to be Fruit Inspectors.

Matthew 7:20.."Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them"

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by Woodnut

AMEN !!
Very True Terry. There are people out there that will try and use Christianity to their advantage and have never met Jesus, and they are very hard to spot until you have dealing with them.

And some who feel it is their duty to cause a Christian to fall, like they view us as a challenge.

Originally Posted by Just One Shot

You are welcome! I found it very inspiring.

The thought that comes to mind as I reflect on this video is, we can't fully recognize Jesus and see His glory until we turn around (repent of our sins) and look up to Him for salvation.

Excellent thought, and very true.

Originally Posted by Python

We have to be Fruit Inspectors.

Matthew 7:20.."Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them"

I must say, I never thought of it in those words - but so true!!


Devotional for today:



I have always been fascinated by the origins of expressions. Often it is hard to find this, however. The expression “flash in the pan”, for instance, has two very realistic sounding origins.
The first one goes back to the days of the gold rush. A gold pan is used to test for gold. If it is found there, the larger mining equipment is set up. Sometimes, after the equipment is in, insufficient gold is found to make it worthwhile, and then it was said that this claim was only a “flash in the pan”, without any real deposits to back it up.
The second one goes back even further, to the days of flintlock firearms. In these arms, the powder and bullet is loaded into the barrel of the weapon, then a small amount of powder was poured into the “pan”, which was located on the outside rear of the barrel. There was a small hole drilled through the barrel from this pan to the inside where the main charge of powder was located. The “hammer” which held the flint was cocked back, and when the trigger was squeezed the hammer fell, striking the flint against a steel plate, and sending a shower of sparks into the pan, igniting the powder in it – and the flash from this went through the hole and into the main powder charge, exploding it and pushing the bullet out of the weapon. Sometimes, the small hole between the pan and the main charge would become clogged, and in those instances the powder in the pan would ignite, but the main charge would not, and the gun would not fire. That was called a “flash in the pan”.
We don't know which of these explanation is the true origin of this expression. There is no such doubt when we listen to Jesus.
The Bible speaks often of the importance of truth:
Psalms 15:1-2 (KJV); "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."
John 8:32 (KJV); "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
We will never know the truth about many things, but we do know the truth when it is spoken by the lips of Jesus Christ! There is no doubt, no ambiguity, no wondering, concerning His words, for he cannot lie!

May God bless each one here, help us to receive the truth, and thereby NONE of us be found to be just a flash in the pan.

[ampaterry]

Today is Rogation Sunday, a day recognized by Roman Catholic, Anglican and some other churches. The recognition of this day dates back to the fifth century, when this was a time for fasting before Ascension Sunday as repentance for sins and supplication for blessing on the crops. Here in the USA this changed very early in the Colonial period. Each Spring on this day, farmers prayed for a good harvest, and the pastor and congregation would walk from the church into the fields to ask God's blessing on the crops planted there. In the evening, each farmer and his family would walk the borders of their property and give thanks for the land. As they walked, a boy in the family would be bumped into the boundary stones, or dunked into the boundary stream, then he was given a small gift. The purpose of this was to make this child remember the boundaries of the land which he would someday inherit. Neighbors would do this at the same time, each on their own side of the property lines.
Scripture is very clear on the importance of boundaries:
Proverbs 22:28 (KJV); Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Deuteronomy 19:14 (KJV); Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
And how does this apply to us, as Jews or Christians in 2011?
Some of us may not own property which requires the boundary markers to be recognized and remembered, but we do all have boundary markers. God set them in place, and they are the clear directives of the Law which is given to us. Today, the world is working to obliterate these markers. Sinners wish to run wild and free across the fields of immorality unfettered by any limitation on their activities; if it feels good, DO IT! As the people of God, we are obligated to remember the boundaries of God's law, to honor them, and to abide within them not as prisoners, but as free agents who choose morality over lasciviousness.

May God bless and have mercy on each of us -

[jack404]

Good teaching Terry , Thank you

Cheers

[Juker]

Amen, amen!

[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 ever born.

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

May God continue to bless us as he has been doing all along - -

[American Leader]

Amen Terry! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[Marlin T]

Terry, thank you very much.

[ampaterry]

We do not have a list of “beliefs” at my church. We have no code of conduct, no dress code, no man-made list of things which you are expected to do. Instead, we rely 100% on the Bible for all our guidance. I have a problem with those lists of man-made do’s and don’ts which are NOT found in scripture. I have noticed one thing in particular about them, though. The do’s will include all those things which the person who wrote the list usually does, and the don’ts usually list all those activities which the writer of the list does not like doing anyway.
The ability to be objective is a rare thing indeed; we almost always filter the world through a pair of glasses that are our own prescription. As a result, the areas in which we expect others to be consistent are those areas in which we have no trouble with being consistent. If certain sins are no problem for us, we cannot understand how in the world they could be a problem for anyone else. Of course, the sins with which we struggle are sins which require the utmost patience and understanding from our brothers and sisters (either that, or we take the easy way out by simply hiding our sins and praying that no one ever finds them out).
The Word of God gives us complete guidance regarding sin and sinners. Just a few of the verses are:
Proverbs 20:9 (KJV); "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"
Romans 14:13 (GWT); "So let's stop criticizing each other. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make other Christians have doubts or lose their faith."
Romans 15:1(KJV); "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
Galatians 6:1(NCV); "Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too."
If we follow the guidance given us in the Word of God, we will find that we don’t need no stinking man made lists!

I have a small sign on the bulletin board in the back of my church which reads:
The opinions of the PREACHER in this church are not necessarily those of the MANAGEMENT -
signed
GOD

[ampaterry]

Today, Israel celebrates Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day. In order to understand this day, some history is required.
The UN set the borders of Israel in 1947. Although these formed a very small area, Israel accepted them. The Arab states did not. When Israel declared it's independence in 1948, the surrounding Arab states attacked in less than 24 hours. They captured Jerusalem, and during the rest of this war, Israel was unable to capture the entire city, but had gained ground on other borders when a cease fire was called, and all borders remained as they were, with Jordan occupying the Old City and East Jerusalem. During the following years, Jordan destroyed half of the synagogues, and demolished a Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives so they could use the tombstones as paving stones. In 1967 Israel, ever the peacemakers, sent a message to King Hussein of Jordan telling him there would be no hostilities toward his occupied area of Jerusalem or the West Bank as long as all borders remained quiet. Jordan responded by shelling civilian locations within Israel, and on June 6th Israel started fighting. On June 7th, they recaptured all of Jerusalem. On June 11th, the six-day war ended with Israel once again having gained ground, including all of Jerusalem. The hopeful toast of “Next year, in Jerusalem!” had become reality, and Jerusalem Day was proclaimed on the day the city was re-united in 1948, and made a National Holiday in 1998.
Should we be surprised that Jerusalem was re-united?
Scripture tells us:
Psalms 122:3 (KJV); Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Once in a while, the English of 1611 (actually 1560!) leaves a bit of doubt concerning the meaning. Let us look at a couple of more modern translations to clarify what the KJV means by “compact”:
Psalms 122:3 (GW); Jerusalem is built to be a city where the people are united.
Psalms 122:3 (NLT); Jerusalem is a well-built city, knit together as a single unit.
GIIC, folks: God Is In Control.

[jack404]

[ampaterry]

Today 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 there are many customs and beliefs attached 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 this belief as your own.

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.

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.

What are you doing today, guys?
Are you following the path that Jesus walked?
Are you following the directions that he left us with?
Or are you following something else?

[ampaterry]

Some of this is loosely adapted from the book Orthodoxy by Chesterton:
We must understand that it is mysticism which keeps us sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. The ordinary man has always been sane because the ordinary man has always been a mystic. He has always had one foot on the earth, and the other in - somewhere else. He has always left himself free to doubt his gods; but unlike the Atheist, free also to believe in them. Thus he has always believed that there was such a thing as fate, but such a thing as free will also. Thus he believed that children were indeed the kingdom of heaven, but nevertheless ought to be obedient to the kingdom of earth. He admired youth because it was young and age because it was not. It is exactly this balance of apparent contradictions that has been the whole survival characteristic, the whole SANENESS, of the healthy human being. The whole secret of mysticism is this: that man can understand everything with the help of what he does not understand.
The Word of God tells us much about the mystery which we cannot understand or explain:

Romans 11:33; "God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways."
Ecclesiastes 3:11(GWT); "It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people's minds. Yet, mortals still can't grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end of time."
Proverbs 25:2 (NCV); "God is honored for what he keeps secret. Kings are honored for what they can discover."

So do not waste your time lamenting that you cannot grasp everything which you would like to grasp. It is the MYSTERY that keeps you seeking, instead of just kicking back, relaxing, and stagnating into nothing but a big lump of dead flesh.

God bless you, guys!

[permafrost]

A question for you, Terry:
Today I saw a sign tht read" Praise the Lord, and pass the popcorn" ****Church.TV
My question, Do you think setting at home and getting religion is a very good way to worship or get closer to God? Seems to easy to me. Most things that come easy are not very long lasting, IMO. I know today, it's more difficult to get people in church. Do you believe this has become necessary to reach people? I'm not a regular church goer either, but I have a firm belief in a higher power. I don't really feel I have enough info to make a proper determination. Am I missing something? I don't feel I'm qualified to answer this question. Please enlighten me.

[Country101]

Permafrost, if you believe in the bible, it says: "Do not forsake the assembling of the saints as some are accustomed to doing". Terry will have to fill in the book and verse to allow you to double check my memory on the wording there. A do-it-yourself religion is not what God had intended because it is not as effective. I've heard some people say and encourage the conception that church is not social. I disagree. That's a LARGE part of church. First is focused on God, of course, but the interaction between Christians is essential to be strong. Church is a gathering that allows us to make time to come together and be strengthened and supported by those that are around us. We get to know each other more than we would if we didnt have that reason to come together and therefore are able to more effectively meet the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. Knowing each other well enough also helps us confess our problems and sorrows to each other. We are able to share our experiences with those that are going through the same things that we have been.

I dont know if the tv/internet is the best way to bring people to Christ, but if it helps a small number it is worth it. I think it is good too, for those that are shut-in or otherwise unable to come to church. But, bottom line, it's good, but it'sno substitute.

Those are my thoughts on the matter.

[permafrost]

Originally Posted by Country101

Permafrost, if you believe in the bible, it says: "Do not forsake the assembling of the saints as some are accustomed to doing". Terry will have to fill in the book and verse to allow you to double check my memory on the wording there. A do-it-yourself religion is not what God had intended because it is not as effective. I've heard some people say and encourage the conception that church is not social. I disagree. That's a LARGE part of church. First is focused on God, of course, but the interaction between Christians is essential to be strong. Church is a gathering that allows us to make time to come together and be strengthened and supported by those that are around us. We get to know each other more than we would if we didnt have that reason to come together and therefore are able to more effectively meet the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. Knowing each other well enough also helps us confess our problems and sorrows to each other. We are able to share our experiences with those that are going through the same things that we have been.

I dont know if the tv/internet is the best way to bring people to Christ, but if it helps a small number it is worth it. I think it is good too, for those that are shut-in or otherwise unable to come to church. But, bottom line, it's good, but it'sno substitute.

Those are my thoughts on the matter.

Thank you for your response. As I remember from when I used to go the social aspect was important. I was just more concerned , I suppose, to some type of pandering, just to get people's money.

[Country101]

Yeah, it seems that more of those types of minitries are used as scams, but there are some genuine ones out there. You can find that in many forms though, so you just gotta take it for how you see it. If you get took, I think God is still pleased if you are doing the best you know how. Use whatever gets you closer to Him. Jesus told the disciples not to stop a man that was proclaiming Jesus, even though he was not connected with Him in any way. It spread the word, so it was all good, so to speak.

[ampaterry]

Permafrost, I agree with Country101 right down the line on his thoughts. The passage he mentions is:
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV); Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We draw strength from each other. Sitting home watching TV is an isolated experience. If you agree or disagree with something said, there is no one to discuss it with.
I agree that there is a need for a ministry that can reach shut ins. For some folks, if it were not for TV ministry they would never hear the word at all.
But it comes at a cost to the local church. I mean, here I am in the boondox of Tennessee preaching a church that is not large enough to support a pastor. I have always, until retirement, worked full time to support my family and the church also. My family and I do the repairs, do all the maintenance, etc. Then someone comes in on Sunday morning and informs me that they just watched a TV preacher who does not use notes during his sermon as I do. I am tempted to inform them that he, just like our president, reads everything from a telepromptor. But I don't; I just smile and say that is really great for him.
But these guys have a budget of millions, the latest hi-tech video and audio equipment, and the ministry is ALL THEY DO. Can a small neighborhood church compete with that?

Yes, we can, and we do. Because when your wife is hospitalized, I will be there with you, not the TV preacher. When your daughter accepts Jesus, I will rejoice with you and offer to baptize her, not the TV preacher. When a loved one dies, I will cry with you, and conduct the funeral ceremony. When you stumble and fall, I will be there to offer a hand back up again. And on Sunday morning, I will give you a teaching without audio-visual equipment, without world class choir accompaniement, and will I look down at the podium now and then at my notes because there is no teleprompter. But the teaching will be what God has prompted me to give. It is truth, and it is from my heart.
And when it is over, you will talk to your neighbors at the door of the church. You will share how you enjoyed the message and why, or you will complain about it and why. But you will interact with other believers, and grow stronger as a group - as a church family.

It boils down to this:
TV ministry is needed by some, but is detrimental to those that do not actually need it.