THE BLANK PAGE

I am sitting here at my computer screen, staring at a blank page. I am here because I wish to write a devotional, but the longer I sit and stare at the screen, the more I realize that I have no idea what I should write!

I hear this happens to writers. I believe they call it "writer's block". But what do you do when you only have a limited amount of time to write, you are required to produce a devotional, and you end up with this affliction?

As I think about all of this, I am reminded of a Bible text: "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." (Luke 12:11-12 NIV). In other words, when we are on mission for the Lord, we don't have to worry about what we will say. All we need to do is to surrender our tongues to the Lord! We need to rely on God's Spirit!

An author friend, one of my Nugget writers, recently wrote about how she, as a teen, surrendered her tongue to the Lord. She told Him that if He would supply the words, she would supply the tongue. And it worked!

Beautiful!

But what about the written word? Does this text apply to my "writer's block" as well?

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I have learned that there are two expressive modalities: The spoken and the written. Could it be that if I surrender my keyboard to Him, the Holy Spirit will supply the words? He will show me what I should write? Even today, on a day where I stare at a blank computer page without a single creative idea?

As I think about all of this, I remember one of my favorite Bible texts: "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joint and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of man's heart." (Heb. 4:12) In other words, there is no Bible text that has only one, narrow meaning. God is able to make each and every part of His Word meaningful for whatever circumstances or mindsets we find ourselves in, if we just open our heart to hear His voice.

And what this text in Luke is speaking to me right now is that the Holy Spirit's ability to supply words isn't limited to the spoken language! It applies to the written as well! Taking this a step further, I can say to the Lord, "I will supply the fingers on the keyboard, if You will supply the words!"

And if He is able to supply words for the written language as well as the spoken, than what about the non-verbal?

Much of the message that we communicate in any situation is not communicated with words at all! It is communicated through our tone of voice, our body language, our expressions, and our actions.

For example, if I say to my teenagers, "Which one of you would like to help me with the dishes?", and one of them replies, with tremendous hesitation, "I will", and then runs upstairs and locks himself in the bathroom, what am I more likely to believe? His words that tell me he wants to do the dishes? Or the fact that he hesitated before responding and then disappeared?

I don't know about you, but I would believe his tone and his actions!

So, is it possible that our text in Luke indicates that if we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, our actions, our expressions, and our body language will speak for the Lord as well?

Taking this a step farther, I can then say to the Lord, "I will supply the body, if You will supply the actions!" And when I do this, my every reaction, my every deed, my every smile will preach a much more powerful sermon than my mouth could ever form!

To summarize, then, these precious words of Luke 12, if we surrender every part of our being to the Holy Spirit, if we, in each and every situation, say to the Lord, "Here is my mouth, fingers, body, mind, soul and spirit. Use it to Your glory!", then everything we do will be a powerful sermon, a potent witness!

Wow. My page is no longer blank. In fact, I'm pushing 800 words at the moment. You see, when I sat down at this computer this morning without even a single devotional idea, I prayed that the Holy Spirit would flow through my fingers to the keyboard, and that His Words would appear on the screen. Now I can rest assured, as I close up this document, that there is someone out there who really needs to hear this message today!

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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SEEING GOD

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27 NLT) [1]

Job said he knew his Redeemer lives. Who is Job talking about?

In the dictionary we find the definition of a redeemer as someone who redeems.

So what does redeem mean?

Below is the definition I found in the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition:

re.deem \ ri-'dem \ transitive verb

1 a : to buy back : repurchase; b: to get or win back; 2: to free from what distresses or harms: as: a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom; b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; c: to release from blame or debt: clear; d: to free from the consequences of sin; 3: to change for the better: reform; 4: repair, restore; 5a: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby; 5b (1): to remove the obligation of by payment: The U.S. Treasury redeems savings bonds on demand; (2): to exchange for something of value: Redeem trading stamps; C: to make good: fulfill; 6a: to atone for: expiate; 6b(1): to offset the bad effect of (2): to make worthwhile: retrieve.

There is only one person who can fulfill most if not all of the definitions of a redeemer, and that person is Jesus Christ. Since Job is considered to be the oldest book in the bible, then this has to be the oldest prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Job knew and trusted God but he must have felt like Paul who wrote:

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12 NRSV) [2]

We all see things dimly with our spiritual eyes. There is not a way we can fathom all that God is, but we will one day. That is the day we will see Him face to face. What a glorious day that will be.

Some of us physically see things dimly or not at all. I tell people that what I see with my eyes is like looking through a piece of opaque or frosted glass. I know that Jesus Christ can heal. We have accounts where he made blind eyes to see. Some were blind from birth and some had lost the sight that they once had. Jesus does not heal everyone here on earth. We don't know why but one reason might be to be a better witness for Him in the condition we are in. I have been blessed to have had sight before and may receive my sight again, but what I will see when I get to heaven will not compare to what I have seen here on earth. So if I may paraphrase Fanny Crosby, the great hymn writer who lost her sight at a very young age, "If the next thing I see is Jesus Christ I'm okay with that!" Just think what it will be like to see Jesus face to face. I, like Job, am overwhelmed!

Today Rae Goines and I sang the duet "I've Just Seen Jesus". When we were finished something that came to my mind was that we have to see Jesus now to be able to see him later. Wouldn't this be a fitting song for my funeral?

Dean W. Masters

dwmasters@earthlink.net Owner of the Masters List: http://shaned.net/mailman/listinfo/masterslist_shaned.net Unedited redistribution approved [1] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

[2] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1989.

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THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN (TONGUE FAITH SPEAKING

I am very blessed to have wonderful childhood memories of Sunday school. A double blessing was the fact that my dad was the Sunday School Superintendent and my mom played the piano. Some of those lessons taught were grounded forever in my heart. Working through the 10 Commandments was a big project, and I have always tried, to never take “The Lord’s name in vain.”

It is so amazing to know that the Creator of the Universe communes with His children and we can hear his voice. He gave me such deeper insight into His name.

We know from Prov.18:21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it."

However, how often throughout the day or week do we say things like, “I am so angry. I am so fed-up. I am so sick. I am so tired.” We have all caught ourselves in such situations haven’t we?

When, God first commissioned Moses to approach Pharaoh, Moses was filled with doubt: "And Moses said to God, 'Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them?' And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!'" (Ex.3:13,14 13)

Our Heavenly Father’s name is I AM. When we slip and say I AM sick, I AM upset, I AM depressed, we are taking the mighty name of the Lord our God in vain! How different when we say, I AM the head and not the tail, I AM the righteous of God through Christ Jesus, I AM blessed, I AM a child of the most High God - Amen!

Oh that we would have further revelation of Who we are and Whose we are in Christ Jesus. Let us honour our God by the words of our mouth! Let us honour the Great I AM.

Mrs. Margaret Kiemele

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INTRODUCING: LESSONS FROM EZEKIEL'S TEMPLE!

The Nugget is happy to announce a new series that will be brought to you in the Saturday Nuggets, beginning in September. This series focuses on the elaborate temple described in the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel, and what it means for Christians today. Join us on Saturdays in September for Lessons From Ezekiel's Temple!

The GREAT INVENTOR

"We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. Acts 24:15b Has not my hand made all these things?" (Acts 7:50)

When you were a child, did you ever wonder how the ocean didn’t slide off the earth? How all the water didn’t spill out and eventually there would be no more water in the oceans? What a great invention! Sometimes even now I think of how amazing is our God about soo many things. Like how the ocean doesn’t.

Psalm 104 majestically tells of God, the great inventor. Who but God could design oceans teeming with unimaginable sea creatures from microscopic algae to gigantic whales and countless colorful marine life in between? Plus grasses and coral and sand and, well the list is infinitesimal.

Years ago, our family did a little snorkeling and some diving. Under the sea it was eerily silent, a whole other world. ‘Beautiful’ doesn’t even come close to describing it.

The fabulous worship song by Nicole C. Mullen (Redeemer) proposes these questions: Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning, Who told the ocean you an only come this far? Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening, Whose words alone can catch a falling star? And the lyrics answer perfectly: Well I know my Redeemer lives, I know my Redeemer lives; All of creation testify, This life within me cries, I know my Redeemer lives.

The Great Inventor and our Redeemer, one. One God. That is good news.

"Praise the Lord , O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small." (Psalm 104)

Sally Ireland Kennedy

© 2009 Irish Thursdays Weekly Devotionals, http://www.sallyikennedy.com Announcements:

Great news!

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THE CARBOHYDRATE DIET

"He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. He gave it to His disciples." (Mark 14:22)

Diets, diets, diets… so many to choose from, so few afford long term success. Should I go with a high protein diet, a fruit and vegetable diet, a carbohydrate diet, or perhaps the Blimpie diet? Each author of his diet book professes his particular diet will do the trick for you, and you will retain lasting results.

I began to think about the high carbohydrate diet as the minister gave his children’s sermon recently. He removed a variety of breads from a grocery sack, discussing each one with the children. There were hamburger buns, Ritz crackers, white bread and graham crackers. He discussed how often we eat these products daily, and tied in the fact that Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life”. Perhaps we should think of Jesus each time we eat these carbs. I began to think further, recalling the variety and types of bread products available. There are white, rye, whole grain, 7 grain, whole wheat, and pumpernickel breads. There are crackers and rolls galore- the grocery isle is full of them. I began to think how Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life". There are so many varieties of bread, so how does this correlate with Jesus’ statement? I believe that Jesus lives in each Christian today, and we are all in His body. The variety of types of breads reminds me of the variety of denominations, the individual manner in which we worship, the diversity skin colors, and ethnic values within this body of Christ. God may use a person from one denomination or another to speak to my heart, to awaken my spirit, or to light my spiritual fire.

God also uses other means to feed us spiritually, and those ways remind me of the buns and crackers I saw this morning. Reading the Bible, attending worship services, going to Bible studies, and praying are a few of these methods.

Jesus’ spiritual carbohydrate diet is the one I know which will give us lasting sustenance. God is the author of this diet, and His Word comes to us in Holy Scripture.

I hope my own personal spiritual carbohydrate diet is filled with a variety of breads, rolls and crackers. I believe it is the way God wants it to be.

I will never look at the bread isle of the grocery store or put a bite in my mouth that I will not remember Jesus’ words… “I am the bread of life.”

I hope you will partake in this thought with me.

Marion Smith

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REAL LIVING JESUS' WAY

Jesus tells us an interesting story, recorded in the book of Luke:

"There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.'" (Luke 16:1-2)

Sounds pretty logical so far, doesn't it? The same thing happens today. When a manager is caught red-handed mishandling the money of his company, he is fired!

But Jesus' story doesn't end here:

"The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . Then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.'" (Luke 16:3-4)

Now our swindling ex-manager is using his warped mind to become a con-man! And just how does this "clever" ex-manager plan to do so?

"Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here - quick now - write fifty.' To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?' He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.' He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.'" (Luke 16:5-7)

So our cheating conman is bitter! He is doing his best to continue to steal money from his former employer! Sounds like grounds for a lawsuit, don't you think?

But this isn't how Jesus' story ends: "Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager!" (Luke 16:8a)

Wait a minute! No one would turn around and praise someone for continuing to rob them of money!

So why did the rich man in Jesus' story do so? "Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits." (Luke 16:8b)

This company executive must have had very open minded!

This leads us to what is perhaps the most important question in regards to this story: Why would Jesus tell it in the first place?

Jesus didn't leave us wondering. He said to His disciples: "I want you to be smart in the same way - but for what is right - using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior." (Luke 16:9 MSG)

What is Jesus trying to tell us here?

Simply, that He wants us to use our minds. Not to swindle our bosses, not to become con-men to survive, but to use our creativity in the face of trouble for what is right, for what is essential.

The con-man in the story suddenly found himself in a tight spot. Where he had been amply employed, where he had food, a home, clothing, everything he needed, he now found himself on the streets. His total focus because survival. Jesus wants us to stop worrying about the nonessentials of life, and to start focussing out attention on the bare necessities, and He is encouraging us to use our creativity to do so.

In other words, God wants us to use our problems to help us to focus on what really matters, and to help us stimulate creativity, ways of survival that the world wouldn't think of using. God doesn't want us to get bogged down in the nonessentials of our problems. He wants us to see them as a springboard for success!

A few years ago, my son was enrolled in a grade 1 class of a Christian school. A number of problems arose around this time, and in the end, we had to move away- not only away from transportation for this particular school, but away from the bus routes of any Christian school! I really wanted my boys in Christian school, and I was devastated. However, had this not happened, I would have never considered homeschooling my boys, a decision that turned out to be a win-win situation to everyone involved. I was able to seek a creative solution to the problem, and in so doing, I used the problem as a spring-board for success!

We are currently planning our summer vacation. We had the perfect dates picked out and the entire vacation planned around those dates. Then we discovered that the youth mission trip that our youngest son really felt called to participate in was during our planned vacation. We decided to be creative and to think outside of our narrow focus. We shifted our vacation by two weeks to accommodate his participation in the mission trip. I don't know what will happen on our vacation, but I have this feeling that somehow the new dates will be better than the old. Maybe we'll have better weather. Maybe there will be fewer tourists. Maybe we would have been sick for our pre-chosen dates. I don't know. But somehow, I know that using creativity in the face of a problem will spring-board us into something beautiful for all involved!

Friends, when we get rid of all that isn't essential and focus on Christ, then is when "you'll live, really live!" (Luke 16:9)

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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LIGHT

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:16) The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it." (John 1:5)

A quick trip to see some friends out of state. My husband was driving, on our way out to dinner. It was pitch dark, and we weren’t quite sure where we were. We both watched for identifying landmarks to guide us back.

I never saw the big warehouse that night, but next day I did. In the daylight, so easily visible, it was plain to see. Funny, because it was huge. We wondered how we could have missed it!

That got me thinking about when we are “in the light”, and we see things we never saw ‘in the dark’. How many times have I asked myself the question in regards to something in the past, “How was it I didn’t know that? How come I didn’t realize??”

The answer is always the same. I couldn’t see it. Enlightenment is just that; receiving understanding IN the light. Jesus truly is the Light of the world. As we live and walk in the light of the Lord, the Holy Spirit continually bathes us in revelation.

I am wondering, “What am I not seeing today?” Prayer: Lord, please come and shine your Light on anything that is shadowed, or in darkness, in my life. Let me see clearly, through the eyes of Jesus. Amen.

Sally Ireland Kennedy

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

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FROM THE ANCIENT RUINS

Today's Devotional:

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 5:21 NIV)

"Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (Luke 17:32-33 NIV)

During the summer of ’76 and soon after graduating high school, I had the opportunity to travel abroad. Being a young teenager at the time, I did not fully appreciate the significance of many historical places. Of all the interesting sites however, one made a lasting impression – the ancient ruins of Pompeii.

More than likely, you may never have visited Pompeii but seen the unique and fascinating photos of this once flourishing town. Amazingly, from the ancient ruins archaeologists have reconstructed every day lives of the inhabitants of Pompeii. Many artifacts present clues as to what were the most valued and treasured possessions of its people. Frozen in time are the houses, objects, paintings, inscriptions and graffiti of the individuals who once lived there. Recalling one home in particular, food was still preserved on the table as if it were yesterday. And volcanic ash imprints on many of Pompeii’s citizens have forever memorialized their final moments on this earth.

The tale of Pompeii also offers some insight to our Lord’s instruction in today’s Scripture. Jesus reveals where our treasure is our hearts will be also and warns us to remember Lot’s wife. Genesis 19:26 describes this account: “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Some commentators believe she looked back because her heart longed for the treasures left behind. Whatever the reason, Jesus used her as an example to relinquish material things of this world.

James 4:14 states, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for awhile and then vanishes” (NIV). Imagine ourselves as inhabitants of Pompeii going about our daily routines; then suddenly we vanish. Think for a moment. If archaeologists could reconstruct our lives, what kind of story would it tell? What things do we treasure the most? What examples would we be for future generations to reflect upon the lives we now live?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to store treasures in heaven which can never be destroyed. Allow our lives be a living testimony to the incomparable riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and the knowledge of God. In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Lori Ciccanti

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THE PATIENCE OF ISAAC

Today's Devotional:

We don't tend to hear very many sermons or object lessons on Isaac. Abraham, yes, and Jacob, but I can count the number of lessons based on Isaac that I have heard or read in my lifetime on one hand, and still have a finger or two left over. But this doesn't mean that we can't learn a thing or two from his life!

Genesis 26 tells an interesting story about Isaac: "Then Abimelech said to Isaac, 'Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.' So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there." (Gen. 25:16-17)

The story starts out with Isaac being thrown out of the land he had settled in. If you go back to Gen. 26: 2,3, we find that God even TOLD Isaac to stay in this land: "The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you.'" (Gen. 26:2,3 NIV)

Now, I don't know about you, but if God had told me to settle somewhere and someone came along and told me to get out, it wouldn't have settled very well with me. In fact, I would have been four plus MAD! But not Isaac. The Bible simply says that he "moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar"

So what can we learn from Isaac? We can learn about conflict resolution! We can learn that God's way is usually non-confrontational. God's way is a way of peace.

Another example of Isaac's non-confrontational personality is found a few verses later: "Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, 'The water is ours!' So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it." (Gen 26:16-22 NIV)

After leaving Abimelech's land, Isaac tried to reopen the wells his father Abraham had dug, but each time, the people of the land quarreled with him, claiming the well as their own. This happened three different times!

And each time, Isaac's response was the same: He went on his way and dug another well!

Gen. 26 goes on to report something else very interesting: "Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, 'Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away' They answered, 'We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, "There ought to be a sworn agreement between us" - between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you'" (Gen 26:26-29 NIV)

Because of all of this, Abimelech, a heathen king, was brought face to face with the power of God. Would Abimelech have ever recognized God's hand on Isaac if Isaac had quarreled with him when he was thrown out of the country? Likely not! Why not? Because Isaac would have been reacting in a human way, in a "normal", "ordinary" way. But because Isaac chose to react differently, Abimelech noticed.

Is this not why Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek? Let's take a look at Jesus' exact words:

"But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt 5:39-48 NIV)

Why? Peter gives us the answer: "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." (1 Peter 2:15 NIV)

The apostle Paul gives us yet another reason: "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe …" (Phil 2:14-16 NIV)

Friends, when we refuse to be confrontational, when we choose to follow Jesus' advice and turn the other cheek, we, by our good example, can change those around us! We can set their feet on the right road, the road that leads to life!

The next time something doesn't go your way, the next time someone misuses you, remember Isaac and follow Jesus' advice: Just move on! You never know when this non-confrontational attitude will serve to silence the foolishness of those around you, will make you stand out like stars!

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, http://www.scripturalnuggets.org/ , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, http://www.answers2prayer.org/ .

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DEALING WITH GRIEF!

If you missed any of the recent series on Dealing with Grief, please find the series published online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder6/dealing_with_grief.htm Or email me at lyn@sermonillustrator.org and I can send them to you via email.

THE VARIABLES AND A CONSTANT

Today's Devotional:

Both in tangible and intangible matters, one is bound to find differences’ amongst Christians. Now let’s consider the matters of health and wealth. Well, all Christians may not be healthy or wealthy. There may be differences’ in their IQ level too. Now these are some tangibles, health, wealth and IQ. Similarly when it comes to the intangible spiritual realm, there too one is bound to find differences’ amongst Christians. All would be at different levels of spiritual growth (read maturity). They may even belong to different denominations due to several reasons.

In the matter of different denominations, I would like to recite an insightful account. It has to do with a dream that GREAT Christian reformer Charles Wesley had. In his dream, the story goes, he found himself at the gates of hell. On the other side he heard mourning and weeping. Over the din of all this wailing, he is said to have shouted out a few questions. “Are there any Lutherans IN THERE”, was the first one. The answer was a resounding YES! He is said to have continued… are there any Presbyterians, Baptists …the answers continued to be YES and even for the final question are there any Wesleyans’, the answer was an emphatic YES? A bit disappointed on hearing the reply especially to the final poser from the hell residents, this Saint found soon himself at the gates of Heaven. On the other side predictably, the air reverberated with joyous exultation. Here too he is said to have repeated the same questions. Are there any Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists and Wesleyans’ IN THERE…and for all the questions the answer was a firm NO! A bit exasperated, he is said to have asked “Then, who are you IN THERE?” The answer was spontaneous “WE ARE ALL CHRISTIANS”! If anything this story underscores the fact that a nominal Church membership doesn’t take one to Heaven, only a living relationship with the Redeemer borne out of a born-again experience DOES!

The fact of the matter is while there may be variables amongst Christians, THE VITAL CONSTANT IS ALL OF THEM ARE SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOUR! Remarked a wise soul “Our strengths create competition, only our weaknesses’ create a community”. Well, two thousand years back realization of a weakness, “WE ARE UNHOLY BY OURSELVES” gave birth to the UNIVERSAL CHURCH!

“We Christians glory in what Christ Jesus has done for us and realize that we are HELPLESS to save ourselves.” – Philippians 3:3 (TLB).

Prayer: Father, we thank thee for accepting us as Your children, the moment we placed our faith on the Saviour, Whom You in Your sovereign wisdom had appointed for this world. We praise Thee, once again Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Suresh Manoharan

www.jandsmministries.com

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BOOKS

Today's Devotional:

My dear friend and neighbor gave me some new books recently. As I looked through them I decided to follow the advice of one of my favorite authors, Leo Buscaglia. Taking Leo’s lead then I ignored the covers, skipped the introductions, and dived right into the middle of them. Opening each book halfway through I started to read. I have found that this is often the best way to see if a book can grab your mind, speak to your heart, and touch your soul. In the best books a few lines can say more to you than a chapter and a single page can enlighten you more than a dozen volumes. Both of my friend’s books did just this and I look forward to reading them from end to end.

Whether we know it or not each of us is writing a book right now. It is called our life story and we pen it every day we live and with every choice we make. Some people spend a lot of time working on their covers. They throw all their efforts into making them as attractive as possible. Other people spend their time writing and rewriting their introductions. They hope that a great introduction will lead to a great life. What all of these people don’t realize is that life is the pages that follow. Life is the thoughts we think, the love we share, and the good we do everyday. Life is the joyous times we create as well as the pains and trials we learn from. Life is work, play, kindness, laughter, family, and friendships. Life is living.

When it comes to your life story then don’t spend too much time on the cover and let the introduction write itself. Concentrate instead on filling the rest of your pages with living, loving, and learning and always let God be your co-writer. If you do your book will grab a lot of minds, speak to a lot of hearts, and touch a lot of souls with its wisdom and light. It may just end up being a classic both on Earth and in Heaven.

"As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 14-15 NIV)

Joseph J. Mazzella

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POEMS!

Do you appreciate poetry? Why not check out the Poem page on Scriptural Nuggets? Just click on the following link, and enjoy! http://www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/Poems . Or go to the Scriptural Nuggets home page ( http://www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/ ) and check out the new poems that are published each week!

GOD'S WAYS ARE UNSEARCHABLE

Today's Devotional:

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has ever first given to Him, and has to be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Rom. 11:33)

Why do bad things happen in life?

Why did your mortgage fall through? Why did those tornados rip through your town? Why did your husband get sick?

At my house, the questions went like this: Why did my father-in-law die when he did? Couldn't he have lived another year so that he could meet my second son? Why did my nephew have the accident that cut off his hand? Why did my dad have to die?

The Jewish nation must have had the opportunity to ask some hard "Why did" questions throughout their history as well. Especially as the time of the Babylonian captivity drew near . .
Our story today begins in 2 Kings 21:19-23. The Israelites had been split into two fractions: The northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom, Judah. By this stage, after hundreds of years of idolatry, God had already passed judgment on the northern kingdom. It had been taken captive by the Assyrians and Israel had ceased to exist. Although the southern kingdom had also been heavy into idol worship, their history sported distinct periods when the people did turn back to God.

Take Hezekiah for example. He was a good king, and the land was blessed throughout his reign. He returned the people to the ways of the Lord (See 2 Kings 18:1-3). But then Manassah, his son, came to the throne and he did what was "evil in the eyes of the Lord . . ." (2 Kings 21:2):

And God's response? "I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah . . . I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down." (2 Kings 21:12-14)

We'll pause here to ask an important question: Doesn't the punishment seem a bit harsh? And while we're asking, didn't annihilation seem a bit cruel for the kingdom of Israel to the north? Isn't God a loving and forgiving God? Doesn't it seem vindictive to simply "wipe" them "out"?
To answer this question, we have to remember that Israel was a chosen nation, one that God handpicked as His own; one that would one day bring forth His beloved Son as a resolution to the problem of sin. God needed them to stay true to Him, and they had been well-warned through the years, even as early on as Moses:

"However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands . . The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth." (Deut. 28:15-18, 25)

In allowing the annihilation of Israel, God was not only fulfilling the warning given hundreds of years earlier, but he was also giving a new warning to the Southern Kingdom: God is true to His Word!

After Manassah, Amon was king. He was also an evil king (See 2 Kings 21:19-23), but upon his murder, Josiah, who was probably the Godliest king Judah had lived under since David, became king. Josiah cleansed not only Judah, but the land that had once been Israel, of idolatry; he repaired the temple; and he reinstated the feasts. He did everything in his power to turn the people back to God (See 2 Kings 22).

Despite his reforms, however, history records that Josiah was only 38 years old when he was killed in battle against Egypt. Just a few years later, Jerusalem was destroyed and the nation was taken captive to Babylon.

The story raises a couple of interesting questions: First of all, why would the people still be punished, despite all the reformation the Josiah brought about?

The answer lies in the story of Josiah's son, Jehoahaz. "Jehoahaz . . . Did evil in the eyes of the LORD . . ." (2 Kings 23:31-32)

Friends, if the hearts of the people had really been turned back to God during Josiah's reign, they wouldn't have slipped so quickly back into idolatry! You can reinstate religion. You can make the bad things illegal. But if the hearts of the people aren't turned back to the Lord, repentance hasn't happened! God wanted more than just a king turning back to Him. He wanted the hearts of the people! Judgment had to happen so that the people's hearts would be turned back to Him!

But my second question "why?": Why did Josiah die so young? If he had lived a few more years, wouldn't he have brought about more reforms? Maybe he would have succeeded in bringing the hearts of the people to the Lord!

Perhaps, from the human perspective, it does seem like a waste; but we, as humans, can't always see the big picture. You see, this was all some big orchestrated plan. The people had turned so far from God that even good king Josiah couldn't get their attention. God's plan would bring the people back to Him included disaster, and that plan was already rolling. But God recognized Josiah's efforts, and prior to His death, He made the following promise: "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD . . . I will gather you to your fathers . . . Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place." (2 Kings 22:19,20)

And in order for the promise to be kept, God simply took him home.

Friends, God is in control of history. When he allows what we label "bad things" to happen, it is so that all the pieces fit together. We think it's bad, yes. But is it really?

A few months after my father-in-law died, his oldest son was thrown into prison for unspeakable crimes. My father-in-law would have been devastated. He would have disinherited his son. My mother-in-law would have taken the side of her son, the family would have been ripped apart, and the one who would have suffered the most would have been my own husband. God always knows what He is doing!

The hand accident also turned out to be a blessing. He was allowed to spend the summer at home, getting to know his kids, getting the rest his body so desperately needed after so many years of farming. This time also helped him realize that God has something better in mind for him than being a dairy farmer.

What about my dad?

Friends, I don't have all the answers. When I look at these stories, however, I realize that I don't need to understand. Why? Because there is Someone who DOES have the answers, and that Someone is God. God's "judgments" are "unsearchable", and His "ways past finding out" (Rom. 11:33)!

Can we trust Him enough to know that when "bad" things happen, He can turn it around for the good?

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Eccl 3:11a)

In His love,

LynLyn 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, http://www.scripturalnuggets.org/ , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, http://www.answers2prayer.org/ .

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