One Day At A Time
ONE DAY at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.
ONE DAY at a time to be patient and strong;
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong;
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease;
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bring peace.
ONE DAY at a time–but the day is so long,
And the heart is not brave, and the soul is not strong,
O Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou near all the way;
Give courage and patience and strength for the day.
Swift cometh His answer, so clear and so sweet;
“Yea, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet;
I will not forget thee, nor fail thee, nor grieve;
I will not forsake thee; I never will leave.”
Not yesterday’s load we are called on to bear,
Nor the morrow’s uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.
ONE DAY at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.
–Annie Johnson Flint
SHARING
A Channel Of Blessing
“And one of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.” John 1:40-42a
This example reveals the heart and soul of the Lord’s work, the spreading of the gospel through personal contact. For a variety of reasons, this has fallen by the wayside far more than should be allowed.
There is no greater joy or reward or blessing, than to be the instrument God uses to link a person to coming to the knowledge of the truth and being saved. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
We should never count ourselves too small, or our efforts as too insignificant. Rather, we are to just put to use what God has given us, and leave it all in the hands of the Lord: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
The real you is what God uses: “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” Mark 5:19 People relate to people. If you try to make a presentation beyond what you are by the grace of God, then your presentation is lacking what it needs to substantiate itself. Pray for God to use YOU.
Our job is not to seek to “make the sale” ourselves, but to be the link and set before people “the open door” whereby they can come to hear and see for themselves: “Philip findeth Nathaneal, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaneal said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” John 1:45-46 We must not try to substitute human coercion for the miraculous work of God: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” John 6:44-45
Personal growth, blessings, and rewards come by being a doer.
SHARINGThe Mystery Of Iniquity Working
2 Thessalonians 2:7
The Bible prophesies of the coming age of anti-christ, which originates with Satan, rather than some other cause. Satan’s accomplishments on every level contributes to this, whether it be individual unbelief, or worldly principalities and powers.
There is no question that people in general are abandoning the respect for Biblical principles. And we see society as a whole moving from “In God We Trust,” unto “we don’t trust those who trust in God.”
Fundamental Bible believers are being labeled as right wing extremists, who pose a potential threat to society. As society radicalizes itself in promoting abortion and sodomy, it counts all to be offenders who will not alter their views to go along with society’s corrupt changes.
We must also understand that where there is no fear of God, the natural enmity of sin in human nature will abound against those who are of God.
Religion itself does not arrest enmity against the truth; rather it may very well be speaking evil of the way of truth (2 Peter 2:1-3). This can be clearly seen by the way religion attacked Christ and secured His crucifixion.
The religions of men, that are not of the truth of God, are major players in fostering attitudes that will be used of the anti-christ to oppose those who believe and stand for the truth.
The fact is, religious people need to repent and be converted to the truth the same as non-religious persons. All who do not will just be deceived in their religion.
America’s love affair with unscriptural religion opened the door for the working of the mystery of iniquity here. It is unscriptural religion that first gives society reason to believe that religion does nothing more than blind the thinking of people, as unscriptural religion is what spiritual blindness is all about.
SHARINGAnother Definition For ‘Planned Parenthood’
–By William K. Lewis, Lebanon
Lately we hear so much about “Planned Parenthood,” but isn’t this really a misnomer? What is usually referred to as planned parenthood seems to be the result of an unplanned parenthood, resulting in frustration, chaos, financial distress, heartbreak and guilt. However, an intentionally “planned parenthood” works. It has for years. A planned parenthood begins early in life and requires several stages:
1. When you are young, consider school an opportunity rather than a punishment. There are many in this world who long for just such an opportunity. Apply yourself for the serious challenges of life.
2. Seek meaningful employment. Develop a strong work ethic. Do not consider “work” just another four-letter word. Take pride in doing a job well. Begin to develop some financial security.
3. Consider sharing your life with someone with similar values, one with whom you are willing to make a life-long commitment. And with the blessings and witness of our Creator, make that commitment.
4. Work together to establish an emotionally stable home, where you will be able to financially care for children without depending on the government for assistance, nor from Grandma–she’s done her duty and deserves a rest.
5. Then, begin to build your family. That’s planned parenthood–a plan designed for success and happiness. Try it!
SHARINGWe Make It, We Must Bear It
“WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS”
We’ve all heard the above saying, and how true it is to life! As humans, we are prone to try everything else before we turn to and trust in the truth.
God’s Word is our instructions for life. It shows us where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. God’s commandments show us how to build our lives, how to live life, and how to outlive all the problems of this life by faith, unto gaining eternal rewards.
However, due to the flesh lusting against the Spirit of God, there is much living that abides not with the instructions of God’s Word. As is the case in other things, life not put together according to the instructions, develops many functional problems. As Dr. Phil says, even accidents can be attributed to factors not taken into proper consideration, which in turn, contributed to the circumstances that led up to the accident.
When the prodigal son (Luke 15) finally made his decision to cast aside the laws of his father to take his life into his own hands, at that moment he felt like the battle was over, having declared his independence from his father’s way. People may wrestle with the difference between what they want and what God’s Word says, unto finally coming out in the open with their decision to do what they want instead of the way God’s Word teaches. When they do this, they get the feeling that the battle is over, that now they can finally get on with living their life their way.
But rather than the battle be over when the prodigal son declared his position to his father, his battle had just begun! He had thrown aside the privileges, opportunities, and blessings that he could have had for living his life according to his father’s will, unto beginning to bear the burden of his life of sin.
God’s instructions do not prevent our having a good life. They rather prevent us from messing up our lives. Once we put our lives together contrary to God’s instructions, then we are left with the many and often unsolvable functional problems of life, that we will bear the burden of the rest of our lives.
Think about the importance of God’s instructions for life, before you make any decisions to put your life together contrary to His instructions.
“For every man shall bear his own burden.” Galatians 6:5
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
SHARING
