CHINA'S LAST FLIGHT

It was a sad night. China, my son's pet Lineolated Parakeet lay in my hands, shivering, feathers ruffled, close to death. I had taken her to the vet earlier in the day, and I had learned that she suffered from a rare condition: Her body didn't absorb the iodine that we gave her in her diet and she was dying of a thyroid dysfunction. It was too late to help her. There was nothing to do but comfort her in her last hours.

My son was upstairs, supposedly asleep. But I knew better. I knew he lay in his bed praying: Praying for God to spare his tiny pet; praying that if He didn't, that He would take her to live with Him.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this second prayer. I had been raised to believe that Heaven was for people, not pets; that animals didn't have souls. But I didn't have the energy to sort this out in my mind right then. My own emotions were far too strong for such deep thoughts. I was too busy pleading with God to save the life of this tiny bird, if not for me, then for my son! After all, what better way to prove to him that God is all powerful and that God answers prayers!

But as I continue to watch this usually independent, feisty green girl uncharacteristically snuggle into my hand, I knew that it was not to be, that her remaining time on earth was short.

Then suddenly, it seemed that God was answering our prayers! China sat up in my hand and became very alert, staring intently into the distance! I knew this stance: She was getting ready to take off! Then after a minute in this pose, she did what I knew to be impossible for her in her condition: She began to fly! Her direction? Straight up, straight towards whatever she had been looking at in the distance!

But as her tiny body left my hand, the remaining strength left it, and she fell back in a crumpled heap. China had taken her last flight.

But where was she flying to?

Why had this crumpled pile of feathers suddenly become so alert on something in the distance?

Why had she summonsed all reserves of energy to fly - straight up-as if she were flying towards something? Or someone?

The answer came from that familiar still, small voice in my mind: "She was flying to Me. I was calling her home!"

I shook my head: It was impossible! Animals don't go to Heaven!

But there was no denying the facts. China's actions in the last minutes, even the last seconds of her life, would definitely show that she was, indeed, being called home, and not only was she was answering that call, but she couldn't wait to get there!

The Bible doesn't tell us what happens to animals when they die, but we must remember three important facts:

1. The Bible is written about humans, not animals, and it doesn't tell us what happens to animals when they die. It does, however, tell us there will be animals in Heaven: "'The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,' says the LORD." (Isa 65:25 5 NIV).

2. Jesus was very clear that God looks out for the animals, specifically the "birds of the air" (See Matt. 6:26)!

3. Animals are not the ones who brought sin into the world; rather they are nothing but innocent victims of the destruction mankind has brought about: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned…" (Rom 5:12 NIV). As a result, it wasn't necessary for Jesus to die for animals; it was necessary for Him to die for us!

4. God is love. He loves ALL of His creation!

Friends, I firmly believe that in the last seconds of life, China was seeing her Maker; that her Creator was truly calling her home. And I believe that there will be an inquisitive, independent green lineolated parakeet named China waiting for me when I get to Heaven. In fact, I believe there will be a whole herd of beloved animals to greet me, all of my long lost best friends!

But best of all, there will be Jesus!

Are you as excited to meet Jesus as China was in her last minutes? If you have accepted Jesus' gift of Salvation, then when your time comes, you can be just as eager, just as sure, for the Bible tells us that WE are MORE important than the birds of the air: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than the?" (Matt. 6:26 NIV). This means that when your time on Earth is done, the Father is even MORE anxious to call YOU home than He was my son's pet!

If you haven't accepted Jesus' gift of Salvation, don't wait another minute! Remember, Jesus is the ONLY way to obtain Salvation, the ONLY way to attain Heaven: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6-7 NIV); "Therefore Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth . . . I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.'" (John 10:7-10 NIV)

If you need help coming to Jesus, go to http://www.answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html . Or if you are unsure about your Salvation, contact me at helpmelearnaboutjesus@gmail.com !

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.

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THE TRACK

My morning run today was a bit more challenging this usual. Recent snow covered the paved track at the local college where I like to run, making it impossible to tell where it was.

As I stood staring at the whiteness, I realized I had a number of choices: I could choose to make my own path, I could choose to follow the tracks of others or of the snow mobile that had gone through, or I could search for the real path.

The path of the snow mobile seemed the most solid, so I started there. It didn't take me long to realize however, that this path wasn't the right one. Besides going through the deepest snow, it led towards the middle of the open track area, in front of the baseball diamond, nowhere near the paved path.

I then decided to follow in the tracks of others, but again, I quickly realized that they hadn't necessarily followed the path, either. Instead of going around the field, their tracks led off towards the college campus.

Making my own path was also not a good option. My tendency was to take short cuts, and where the ground underneath was a bit lower, I sank into knee-deep snow.

Finally I decided to search for the true path. I knew that the track ran just to the outside of the 5-6 lights around the course. This was a good place to start! Next I watched for patches of pavement where the snow had melted, and I soon discovered that there were actually quite a few of these. Finally, I watched for signs of grass coming up through the snow, and if I could identify this on both sides but not under my feet, I had a pretty good idea I was on the track, even when there was snow.

I soon found that parts of the track were easier to identify than others. The backside, for example, was easy. It was nearly bare. The front, on the other hand, was covered in about six inches of snow. I definitely had to pay more attention there.

This reminds me of the Christian's walk through the world. We are told to stay on the path: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt 7:13-14 NIV).

This could mean lots of things, but one of the very important applications is to have good, God-given convictions, and to stick to them.

But often, just like my track this morning, the path is hard to find because there is too much "snow"-our own desire-covering it. We want to "fit in", to "be like the crowd". We wish for an "easier path", one that runs into fewer conflicts! These desires can completely obscure our way!

So what do you do?

Just like I had several choices this morning, you too, have several choices.

1. Make your own path-look at what seems logical and socially acceptable to base your convictions upon. This alleviates the problem of not being like the crowd. But the world's wisest man warns against this: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Prov 14:12 NIV)

2. Follow the crowd. If everyone else is doing it, it can't be that bad! But what happens if the crowd's way isn't Jesus' way? If you aren't careful you will soon find yourself on the wrong way! Jesus warns against this option: "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matt. 7:13)

3. Take the "path of the snow mobile"-the "easy road"-the path of least resistance. Paul warns adamantly against this: "… All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street." (Phil 3:18-19 The Message)

And none of these options worked for me this morning. There is one other choice, the one that worked for me today: Search for the true Path, the "small and narrow road" that leads to life: "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt 7:14 NIV).

So how do you find this "small and narrow road"? The same way I found the track this morning:

1. Watch for the lights: Just as my track had a few lights around it, we have been given a light, God's Word. The Bible gives you all the guidance you need, and God's Spirit helps you apply the principles of His Word to your individual situations.

2. Clear away the snow: Allow Jesus to work in your heart to change your desires into Godly one, to learn to hate the things of the world.

3. Watch for the grass: Ask God to show you what compromise looks like and watch for it. Ask Him to show you the moment you step off the path!

Naturally, this is easier to do sometimes than others. But in all times, we can ask God to help us, for "I can do all things in him that strengthens me" (Phil 4:13 NKJV)

Lord, help us to not see the world in shades of gray, but in black and white! Help us to hate even the tiniest tinge of compromise so that like David, we will to be able to say: "I try to walk a straight and narrow path of doing what is right …" (Ps 26:11 TLB)

In His love, Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org

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ORCHESTRATION OF WORLD EVENTS

There are many reasons to praise God. Yes, we need to praise Him for all the blessings He pours into our lives. More importantly (and this pleases Him the MOST) we need to praise and worship Him for what He IS…an embodiment of countless unique traits. IS NOT THE FACT THAT SO MANY UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES REST IN ONE PERSON (TALK OF A NONPAREIL ALL-ROUNDER…) ITSELF ONE SOLID REASON TO AT ONCE GLORIFY HIM OUT OF AWE?

Now, amongst other virtues in His incomparable persona, have we ever praised Him for being a peerless “symphony conductor”? The way He perfectly “orchestrates” World events in order for what He has planned to be brought to fruition, reaching a Divine crescendo, as it were, leaves one speechless. Consider this Scripture portion:

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1) How true! In order for the prophecy (Micah 5:2) of His Son’s birth at Bethlehem (where else would the ‘Bread of life’ ((John 6:58)) be born than the place known as ‘Bread? Bethlehem in the Jewish language means ‘Bread’) be fulfilled, He directed the Roman Emperor to issue a decree for a census, which led to the events described in Luke 2:1-7, culminating in the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem.

Now, this is no isolated instance of God’s exercising control over World events! There are other occasions in the Bible of the Almighty moving the spirit of an Emperor to fulfill His prophecies, much like the Symphony conductor directing his team member to play a specific note and thus adding to the richness of the music produced.

In order for us to get a clearer picture on the ‘hold of God on World events’ let’s also consider what is described in Ezra 1:1: "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD 'moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing.'" (Jeremiah 29:10)

Now let’s pause for a moment and let the enormity the significance of this all sink in, leading us, as it were, to yet another crucial subject within the greater theme: This great "Divine orchestra conductor" who controls World events, in whose hands the great Emperors, Kings and Presidents are no more than puppets, stoops down to our level and desires a personal, living, intimate relationship with us. He wants to be an integral part of the lives of lowly and ordinary folks, too.

There He is, in all humility, standing at the door of our hearts knocking…"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:10)

No gate-crashing for Him! His humility leaves me stunned, inspiring me to respond to His love! Doesn’t it evoke the same reaction in you? Jesus' coming into the World 2000 years back is merely History, He coming into your life today is SALVATION! Doesn’t this TRUTH “strike a cord” in your heart?

PRAYER: Father, to be in your family is my greatest privilege. Use me to produce “soothing music” in the lives of many. In Jesus name. Amen!

Suresh Manoharan

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THE SQUIRREL

My dog and I were witnesses to the funniest sight the other day: A squirrel, running in place!

We were just recovering from a 15 cm snow fall the day, and it was -20° C. The roads hadn't been cleared yet, and anyone who's run in ankle-deep snow knows that it is equivalent to running on the beach. After two kilometers of slipping and sliding, I had had enough. I decided to take the short cut home.

It was just as we rounded the corner to turn back that we saw the squirrel, sitting calming in the snow. He must have seen us at about the same time, because he instantly dropped what he was eating, pointed his nose straight at the oak tree 10 m away, and began to run-in place!

Quite obviously the deep snow was causing problems for even the small creatures of nature!

I don't know how much energy that poor squirrel used up during those brief seconds, but you could almost read the determination on his face as he slowly and gradually began to advance, centimeter by centimeter, his eyes never leaving that oak tree.

Fortunately for the squirrel my dog was leashed, and he was never in any real danger, but he looked so funny running in place that I did have a good laugh at his expense!

The incident also made me think. The squirrel was in trouble because, although he had his eye fixed on the tree, he was not IN the tree. He had left his safe tower and was walking in snow!

As Christians in our walk through life, we are little different from that squirrel. We are aware of the traps of the enemy, and many of us at least attempt to flee them. And just like that squirrel's eyes never left the tree, we often do, at this stage in temptation, shift our eyes to Jesus! But we aren't IN the "tree"! We haven't ever made Jesus the centre of our lives, of everything we do! And when we try to run back to Him, it often feels like our feet are bound!

The writer of Hebrews describes the feeling very explicitly when he says, "… the sin that so easily entangles us …" (Heb. 12:1b). You see, just as the squirrel couldn't find any footing in the deep snow, our feet are often tangled up in our pet sins, in our worldly ways! We are tangled up in ourselves! And just as the squirrel couldn't make any headway in the snow due to lack of footing, neither can we run from temptation!

Is it any wonder that so many Christians fall into immorality? That the divorce rate among Christians is as high as that of the world? That addictions rampage among fellow believers?

There is only one solution: You can ask Jesus to help you follow the advice of the writer of Hebrews: "… put off EVERYTHING that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith …" (Heb. 12:1-2). You need to make JESUS the centre of your life, friends, the centre of everything you do! You need to allow HIM to be the focus of your world! As you do, you will be made aware of the pet sins that continue to entangle you, and with His strength, you WILL be victorious. You will also begin to despise the old self, the self that is completely filled with you. In fact, you'll reach the point where you won't ever WANT to leave the "tree"-Jesus Christ!

In His love, Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org

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POEM SUBMISSIONS We are proud to announce that we are now accepting submissions for poems of Christian content to be published on Scriptural Nuggets. If you have a poem you would like to see published on Scriptural Nuggets, please submit it to us.

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Today's Devotional: THE TRUTH ABOUT WISDOM

There is an fascinating passage hidden deep in the centre of Deuteronomy:

"When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, 'Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,' be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses . . . The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, 'You are not to go back that way again.' He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold." (Deut 17:14-17 NIV)

What makes these verses so interesting is that they was written before the Children of Israel entered Canaan, several hundred years before the time of the kings!

We know from the book of 1 Samuel, that it was never God's plan for Israel to have a king (see 1 Samuel 8). In fact, when the people asked for one, God looked at it as a personal rejection: "But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over us.'" (1 Sam 10:19), and the people were even punished for their request (see 1 Samuel 12:17-18). So, if God never wanted them to have a king in the first place, why did He go to the trouble of giving this warning in Deuteronomy?

God did so because He knew in advance that the people would not follow His will, that in their hearts, they would turn against Him. In His loving kindness, He tried to ease the pain of the bad decisions they would make by preparing them ahead of time.

Unfortunately, Biblical history shows that the kings of Israel did not follow God's wilderness advice. In fact, likely the worst contender was Israel's third king, King Solomon. He acquired great numbers of horses; He made covenants with Egypt, even taking the Pharaoh's daughter as his wife; He acquired large amounts of silver and gold, to the extent that 2 Chronicles records the following: ". . . Silver and gold (were) as common in Jerusalem as stones . . ." (2 Chronicles 1:15). Solomon also took hundreds of wives, and the Bible says that it was his wives who turned his heart away from the Lord: "As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." (1 Kings 11:4 NIV)

Isn't it interesting that the one who refused to follow God's advice for kingship was also the world's wisest man?

Isn't it interesting that God, Himself, who said, "he must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold", is the One who gave Solomon all of his wealth? "So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself . . . I will do what you have asked . . . I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.'" (1 Kings 3:11-14 NIV)

Why, then, would God give Solomon wealth, when He warned against wealth in Moses' day?

The answer lies in Deuteronomy: "He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold . . ." (vs. 17). In this warning, God never said that wealth was bad, He just warned against accumulating lots of it. Friends, it isn't a sin to make lots of money. It is a sin to misuse what God has given us! God makes us stewards of our wealth. We aren't asked to horde it, we are asked to use it wisely! And God supplied Solomon with the wisdom to do so: "I will give you a wise and discerning heart . . ." (1 Kings 3:12)

So if Solomon was all that wise, why did he reject the advice God left hundreds of years before?

There is a difference in having wisdom and being wise. Having a "wise and discerning heart" isn't enough. We have to choose to apply that wisdom to everything we do in life.

We, also, have access to utmost wisdom. James tell us the following: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5) There is only one condition attached: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt . . ." (James 1:6). In other words, we need to seek wisdom, and then we need to really believe we will receive it. Only then will we be willing to apply the wisdom we are promised to our lives.

But how often don't we ask for wisdom, and then reject the ideas that are given to us? You know what I'm talking about, that ridiculous thought that comes into your mind after you've asked for wisdom? The one that is so absurd there's no way it could come from God? We've all had thoughts like that! But when we ask for wisdom and then refuse to believe what we are given comes from God, when we refuse to apply that wisdom to our lives, then we are being no better than Solomon of old!

Enough to ponder, friends, but do ponder this: Do not cease to call upon God for the wisdom you lack, ever believing you will receive it. And when God comes through, and He always will, act upon it! Apply it to you life! Only then can you avoid the pitfalls of the world's wisest man!

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .

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GATES IN THE BIBLE!

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WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

Once I heard a woman say she had gone to China on vacation. After returning home she was asked to give a presentation to a club about her experiences there. The meeting was held in an outside pavilion at a ranch. The woman had bought some red silk in China and made a jacket out of it. She wore this jacket as she made her presentation. After a while she noticed some of the people she was talking to start to giggle. She had not said anything funny so didn't pay any attention at first. The giggling kept on so she stopped and asked what was so funny. One of them told her to turn around and look behind her. The pavilion was beside the pasture fence. All the cattle were lined up at the fence looking at that woman in her red silk jacket. Yes, there was a bull.No, he didn't charge. The woman turned back around and finished her presentation then sat down. When another woman came up to continue with the business of the club all the cattle left.

The apostle Paul wrote:

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." (Colossians 3:12-14, KJV) [1]

Some Scripture versions for the above verses say that we are to wear clothes of mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, forgiveness and love. Why are we to wear these things? The apostle John tells us the main reason:

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35, KJV) [2]

Some people wear Christian symbols as jewelry or have Christian bumper stickers but the best way for others to know who you belong to is to wear the right clothing which Paul and John wrote about. Then they will know whose we are. This may attract them to us so that we may lead them to Jesus Christ.

So what are you wearing?

By Dean W. Masters

dwmasters@earthlink.net Owner of the Masters List: http://shaned.net/mailman/listinfo/masterslist_shaned.net

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AN ANDREW THING

As my husband says, ants always seem to find me and, I have a fascination with them. They are pretty interesting insects. I’ve written about them a couple of other times and how I can never seem to be rid of them.

This morning they were in the sink. I could not tell whether they were coming out of the drain, or coming from high in the closet under the door frame. There was a steady stream in both directions. So I put a dot of my handy dandy ant poison liquid near the sink stopper.

In no time there were miniscule ants climbing all over each other to get to the tiny pool. When they had whatever their tiny selves could hold, they were in a major hurry to get it back to wherever they came from .

The mission: take their new treasure and share it with others. Reminds me of Mission Impossible, “Should you choose to accept this mission..........”

It is kind of like an “Andrew thing”. They could just not wait to share with others what they had found. Not that it was a good find. It was not. Yet their enthusiasm and energy was every bit as unflagging as if it were something of value, not something that was going to make them sick and even kill them.

This morning, with the ants, was a good reminder to me to rekindle zeal to practice the ‘Andrew thing, and share the Gospel with others, because…. That is the Good News!

Sally I. Kennedy ©2009 Irish Thursdays Weekly Devotionals http://wwwsallyikennedy.com

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WHY CAN'T I HEAR?

It's amazing how much noise 30 kids, ages 4-12 can make. Especially in a small, block-construction room. As I stared at the person standing three feet away from me, I knew he was speaking because I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying. And as my lip-reading skills aren't yet well developed, I was at a total loss.

I quickly glanced around the room. They call it "Wacky Wednesday", and it's a wonderful program for elementary school-aged children in our region. Our church has been sponsoring this program for the past few years, and is pleased that not only do the children of church go-ers come, but also children from the community. The kids love it, the parents love it, it's a win-win situation. All except for the noise level, that is . . .

I directed my attention back to the person trying to speak to me, but all I could do was shake my head. I'm not deaf and he's not mute. Why couldn't I figure out what he was saying?

It all reminded me of my walk with God. The Bible teaches that when I accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour, it became as if I were seated right next to Him in the Heavenly realm: "… made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus …" (Ephesians 2:5,6)

So since I am seated with Christ, why is it that so often I can't hear His voice? Why can't I always clearly know what His will is for my life? Why don't I always see where He is at work? Why doesn't He always answer my prayers?

As I glanced around that noisy room again, I began to hear individual sounds: The DVD for one, blaring music while some of the kids danced and sang. Then there was the noise of the bouncing balls and the shrieks of laughter in the corner where the kids were playing. And of course there was also the low-drone of 30+ excited voices, all talking at once. I shook my head and shouted out, "I can't hear you over all the noise in here!"

His eye brows scrunched and I could see he was concentrating on my face, but nothing was registering. I tried again, louder this time: "I can't hear!"

But I had to smile, because while I was complaining about not being able to hear him, he couldn't hear me either!

It is no different with communication with God. Sometimes there is so much "noise" in our lives that He simply can't hear us.

But wait a minute. We're talking about the Almighty God, here. What could possibly plug up His ears so that He can't hear?

Isaiah tells us that sin can: "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isa 59:1-2 NIV).

In other words, sometimes we plug God's ears with our sins. Often we come to Him, expecting Him to hear us and answer our prayers, but we aren't willing to let go of the things that are keeping us apart, that are keeping Him from being able to hear us!

And just what are those "things"?

Pretty much any sin will do, but the book of Ezekiel offers further insight: "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?" (Eze 14:3 NIV)

Is there something that you put in a higher place than God? Do your priorities always reflect a "God first" attitude? Is there something you just aren't willing to let go of? If so, then it is causing interference, and God simply can't hear you. If it seems God isn't answering your prayers, search your hearts for pet sins and for "other gods".

But what if that sincere heart search comes up empty? What if there aren't any pet sins or "other gods" in your life, and you know God hears you? Why, then, can't you hear His voice?

The reason we often can't hear Him is that there is so much interference in our lives. The interference is sometimes caused by worry and sometimes by stress. Sometimes it is caused by our personal desires or the fact that we are focussing on our problems instead of on Jesus. But whatever the cause, He hears us and He answers us, but something keeps us from understanding His voice.

So what is the solution?

We have to do what I did at that Wacky Wednesday: I moved closer to the person I was speaking to. I turned my ear towards his mouth, I cupped my hand around my ear, and I put my full concentration into listening.

What happened?

I understood what he was trying to tell me!

Friends, when you can't hear God's voice, you need to move closer to Him. You need to focus your attention on Him and Him alone. You need to focus your faith on Him, forgetting the problems all around you, ever believing that He will come through with an answer. You need to push aside your personal desires and be willing to let Him lead in your life. Only then will His voice begin to resound, crystal clear.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2)

Try it, friends! It really DOES work!

In His love, Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org

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IT’S YOUR FAULT

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grevious words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 KJV)

Have you ever said “it’s your fault” to someone? I am ashamed to admit it but I have many times. I’m sure you know what happened when I made that statement to the person. It was like putting more coal on a burning fire. The flames of anger, denial and criticism flared up in the person. Instead of helping the situation, I made it worse. It may not have been my fault that the person was upset but it was my fault that I didn’t put out the fire by apologizing to the person.

If ever someone had a right to say to us “it’s your fault”, it’s Jesus. Where would we be today if Jesus had refused to go to the cross and die for our sins? What if He had said to us “it’s your fault”? We would be on our way to hell for all eternity. Thank God for a compassionate forgiving Saviour who loves us unconditionally. I am so thankful that Jesus loves me so much that He took all of my sins on Him and died for me so that I could be saved and live with Him for all eternity.

There is no one like Jesus! No one loves us like He loves us. He sees into the corners of our hearts where we hide things from our families and our friends. He sees the terror, the grief, the loneliness, the desperation and the fears we have hidden in our hearts and His loving compassionate heart is touched. He feels our pain and He hurts for us. Thank You, Jesus, for comforting and encouraging us when it feels like we can’t take another step or give another smile. Thank You that You are there for us in the bad times as well as in the good times.

The next time someone hurts us instead of saying “it’s your fault” to the person let’s swallow our pride and say to the person “I’m sorry that I hurt you”. We may think that we didn’t do anything but the person thinks that we did and the person is upset and hurt so we should apologize. Instead of heaping coals on the fire, let’s put the fire out by loving people unconditionally.

We need to react with love and kindness when they say things and do things to hurt us. It’s impossible for us to do this in our own strength. We must ask Jesus to love through us. Father, please help us to respond with kindness and love even if we feel that it’s not our fault because we didn’t do anything. May we be children that will make You happy. Amen.

Joanne Lowe

January 11, 2009

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.fromtheheartofjesus.blogspot.com

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A DOG IN THE ROAD

"I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Ps. 91:2 NIV) I remember when I first graduated college. I was already married with a baby son. I had an education degree but full time teaching jobs where I lived were scarce. For a few years then I did my best to make ends meet by substituting as much as possible. I would get up early each morning and hope for the phone to ring. A call meant work and every penny counted. On one particularly cold morning I got a call to work at a grade school 15 miles away. Only a light snow coated the roads so I wasn’t worried about the trip. What I didn’t realize, though, was that water from the previous day’s rain had frozen on a patch of the road before the snow covered it. This was on a part of the road that curved around the edge of a mountain. Going off on one side of the road would land you in a ditch but going off the other could send you over the side of the mountain.

As I approached the dangerous spot I was going faster than I should. I wanted to make it to the school before the classes started. Just before I reached it, however, I saw a dog walking in my lane of the road. I braked early to avoid hitting the pooch and then was about to speed up again when I hit the black ice. Thankfully, the angel with paws had made me slow down enough that I was able to steer the car back towards the ditch and away from the edge of the mountain curve. I only needed a tow instead of a trip to the hospital or mortuary. I guess God wasn’t quite ready for me to leave this life yet.

Albert Einstein said, "God doesn’t play dice." This is true for the world and for our lives. As I look back upon that day I can see God’s loving handiwork in it. I think He still had more for me to learn and do in this life. I just pray that I don’t waste a moment of it. I pray that I make everyday I have left a loving gift to my Heavenly Father who made me. May you do the same.

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

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REMOVING THE DROSS

"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith." (Prov 25:4 NIV)

Just as the dross must be removed from the silver before it can be used, our characters need to be shaped in order to be of use for the Kingdom of God. But how do we do this?

As you read through the history of King David, you see very quickly that he knew how to remove the "dross" -- his enemies -- from God's people. In fact, it was during David's--and later Solomon's--reigns that Israel was at its prime. How did David remove all of Israel's enemies? How did he take a war torn nation and bring it into a time of peace? The answer can be found in the following text: "In the course of time, David …also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute." (2 Sam 8:1-2 NIV)

Basically, David believed in annihilating his enemies, and those he allowed to live were required to becoming his subjects!

The Bible tells us that we, too, are in constant battle, only our battlefield is in the mind. (See Eph. 6:12) How can we subdue all of our spiritual enemies? By following David's example. We need to either annihilate them, or bring them into complete submission.

There are things in our lives that God simply cannot use, and these things must be completely annihilated: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices." (Col 3:5-10 NIV). God cannot use our anger. He cannot use lies and gossip. He cannot use our unforgiveness, our greed, or our intemperance. He can't use our hatred, or disrespect for life, or our disrespect for others' property. These things must be completely annihilated.

But there are parts of our character that, though negative, can be shaped to His use. Just like David let 1/3rd of the Moabites and brought them into his submission, so God can subdue and use some of our negative character traits. In fact, that's why He created us with them!

An example: God gave me an element of independence, and He gave me a wandering foot. Is this a good thing? Not necessarily, for as a result, I tend to never be 100% satisfied with what I have. I love to travel, and no matter how much I am able to travel, there are always destinations just beyond my reach, and this makes it difficult for me to even enjoy what I am able to see.

But God knew what He was doing. When I was 18 years of age, I had the opportunity to go to Europe as an exchange student for a year. Now, there wasn't anything at that particular point in my life that sounded more fulfilling to my independent, wandering spirit than this idea, and I pursued it until it became reality.

It was a great year, and though I'm sorry to say it didn't calm my wander-lust, it did one thing for me that I will forever be grateful for. I grew up in an upper-middle-class, white, all-American home in Los Angeles. I went to a private school with other upper middle-class children, and when I saw all those poor ethnic people all around me, I couldn't help feeling superior. Don't get me wrong. This wasn't something I learned from parents or teachers, it was simply something that happened!. The trip to Europe opened my eyes up wide. I learned while I was there that my culture wasn't the only one that was worth anything. I learned that those with different skin colours, those of different socio-economic status, those from different cultures, were JUST AS GOOD, IF NOT BETTER than me. My chip came off my shoulder that year, and I thank God for that.

Would that have happened if God hadn't given me a wandering foot and a lust for adventure? Likely not. God used these negative traits for His glory, to help shape me for His kingdom.

Another example. I am, and have always been, a very stubborn person and a control freak. Negative traits? You bet. I can't count the times these two character traits have gotten me into more trouble than I care to tell, and even worse, I can't count the times these two traits have hurt other people. So why did God make me a stubborn control freak? Because when "stubborn" is submitted to God's will, it becomes "Determination"-it becomes something He can use! When I submit my stubbornness completely to His will, I become determined. I don't give up easily. I am not easily discouraged in the face of adversity.

What about control? Friends, when I submit control completely to Him, my natural inclination to be "in control" translates into some good leadership qualities.

I could give dozens of other examples, but the point is, we are asked to reflect Christ's character. In order to do that, we need to completely do away with most of our negative traits, and the rest of them need to be brought 100% into submission. Only then can we be fully refined, fully usable in His hands!

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .

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OUR WILDERNESS JOURNEY

Walking through the wilderness is hard because we focus upon the hardship, the darkness, hate and death that is in the wilderness. It is there because of the previous rejection of Jehovah; it is there because of the previous generations pushing down the Name of the LORD. We have been given the opportunity to enter into the wilderness to go and pick up that Name that was rejected and pushed down. God has provided in the wilderness light by day and light by night. The Cloud by day and the fire by night. He gave Manna from Heaven, bread of life but it was rejected because of the desire of the man’s heart to taste the Leaks, Garlics and Cucumbers of Egypt. We will do the same if we take our eyes of the Light provided, and the Bread given. The Children of Israel called the wilderness a place of death but in all truth it actually is a place of LIFE. One must cross the wilderness to reach Canaan’s Land. There is no other route for sinful man. The wilderness is required. There is no other way for one to get to Canaan’s Land except through the trials and temptations and hardships of the wilderness journey.

To have victory over the giants in Canaan’s Land, one must learn the faithfulness, the power, and the might of Jehovah God that will be revealed in the wilderness. In the wilderness you will experience all kinds of opposition but we know opposition is what makes one strong. You go to any gym and you will find that the weight lifters are continuously adding weights to push them, to strengthen them to a place, they desired to obtain. So it goes with us spiritually. We can rejoice as our Brother James encouraged the believer in his time.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Let us be determined as Joshua and Caleb were determined, to see the Promise over the Giants in Canaan’s Land. They did not confess the giants were not there, but their faith in the Promise of their inheritance given by Jehovah did not waiver. Let us be as a tree planted by the waters, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED!

Rhonda Rhodes 2008

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THE SOLID ROCK

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7 NIV)

My body groaned as I spit the powdery stuff out of my mouth. What on earth was I doing with snow in my mouth? Why was I lying on such a cold floor? Why was I lying down at all???

I reached up and wiped the snowflakes from my eyes as I gingerly pushed my upper body up from its icy bed. Ouch! For some reason my arm wasn't feeling so good . . . Sore, stiff, maybe a bit bruised . . . Then I saw another shape also pushing itself up from the ground: The black thoroughbred that only minutes before had been cantering down the road with me on his back . .

It was a beautiful day, the first such nice day in weeks. And believe me, after so many successive winter storms, it had been a welcome relief. So when our riding instructor called to ask if we wanted to take the horses out for a hack, we were all for the idea.

We had taken it easy at first, testing the road for ice and testing the horses, who hadn't been out in two months, for excessive energy. But when both potential problems seemed to be nothing but vain worries, we decided to try some trotting. And then some cantering.

It was just the thing for the former race horse who flew down the road under me, and we were both having a great time. But then there came the last thing I could remember before finding myself facedown in the snow . . . The feeling of the massive black steed slipping on what proved to be the only patch of ice on our entire route . . . The feeling of flying through the air . . .

Where had it all gone wrong?

We had a good laugh about it later. After all, leave it to me to find the only patch of ice on our route! I tried to call it my first official "fall" since taking up horseback riding anew, but they wouldn't let me. They informed me that I hadn't fallen, rather my horse had fallen. I had simply done a "quick dismount--really close to the ground"!

Believe me, I was praising God that neither I nor my horse were hurt. And when I realized that my solid bed was really a snow-covered frozen ditch that would normally have been full of icy water, I spent a moment thanking God for ice! Otherwise, the rest of the ride back to the farm might have been just a little bit on the chilly side . . .

As I think back on this incident, it occurs to me that I had been totally dependent upon my trusty steed, and he let me down. Literally! Friends, there are so many things that we try to depend upon in life. Some of us depend upon ourselves, our spouses, our jobs, money, our kids, friends, alcohol, drugs, or a myriad of other things. And as we ride along through life on our "trusty steeds", we can't help but feel just a little bit invincible. But there will be some point in our lives when, like the trusty thoroughbred I was riding, whatever it is you are leaning upon will go down.

The good news is this: When we rely upon Jesus, the Solid Rock, we can rest assured that we will never find ourselves wiping snow from our eyes in an ice-filled ditch! Instead, we will ride right over that patch of ice, for our Deliverer, the One we depend upon, will never slip, will never slumber, will never ever fail us! "He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." (Ps 121:3-4 NIV)

And how can we rely on this "Solid Rock", Jesus Christ?

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matt 7:24-25 NIV)

When you build your life on the solid foundation of God's Word, you will NEVER find yourself doing a "quick dismount really low to the ground"!

Who are you depending upon, friends? A mighty black thoroughbred? Or on the solid rock, Jesus Christ?

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .

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