Are you being unfaithful to God?

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Jesus Is Everything

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.”
Luke 9:18–20
Many years ago in a small town in Virginia, the newspaper printed the upcoming sermon topics for the local churches. A pastor named R. I. Williams phoned the editor to share that his sermon for the upcoming Sunday would be titled “The Lord Is My Shepherd.” The editor asked, “Is that all?” To which the pastor replied, “That’s enough!” When the paper arrived at his home he opened it to find the printed topic: “The Lord Is My Shepherd and that’s Enough.”
Jesus is not just a good teacher, an ancient mystic, or an example for us to follow. He is not merely a man—although He was fully human. He was the very Son of God and the Messiah who had been promised through the centuries. He was sent into the world to be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. The perfectly sinless life that He lived was a demonstration of His divinity, as He lived in complete obedience to the law that no one had ever been able to do.
The wonderful thing is that Jesus is not just our Saviour. God’s plan and purpose for us is to be changed into His likeness. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can become more like our wonderful Saviour.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

In Jesus we have everything that we will ever need both for this world and the next.

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“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”   --Exodus 20:4-6 A lot of people misinterpret the Scripture when it says that God is a jealous God. Because we tend to think of jealousy as an ugly thing. But jealousy can actually be a very beautiful thing.  For example, as a husband, I’m jealous for my wife’s fidelity. And my wife is jealous for my fidelity. We have a holy jealousy for each other because we have been separated unto one another in the sacred covenant relationship of marriage. So we have the right to be jealous! So when you think about God’s jealousy, it’s not that he’s jealous of you. He’s jealous for you. He’s jealous that his glory be revealed in you. He’s jealous that his best would be given for you. He’s jealous that you would experience life as he has promised. So let me ask you an honest question today. When you think about your relationship with God as a covenant love relationship, are there areas of your life where you’re giving him reason to be jealous? Or to put it another way, are there areas of your life where you’re being unfaithful to God? Have you set up idols in your heart that have taken his place? If so, I want to encourage you not to settle for those substitutes! Don’t settle for man-made gods that rob you of the pleasure and excitement of really knowing him. Don’t settle for substitute gods that can’t deliver you, that can’t give you hope, that can’t comfort you, and that can’t take you to heaven. Don’t settle! Instead, focus on truly giving him his rightful place to rule and reign in your life, to rule with no rivals. Then he will be worshipped, your life will be transformed, and your children and your children after them will be blessed. ARE THERE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU’RE BEING UNFAITHFUL TO GOD?

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And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” --Exodus 20:1-3 Some who read today’s verses might think, “This passage doesn’t really apply to me that much because I don’t have other gods. I don’t worship idols. I’m not in some cult or some false religion. I believe in God.” Well, let me remind you that idolatry is when we worship anything or anyone more than God himself. It’s anything that takes our focus and allegiance away from the one true God. What are these idols? Obviously, there are the idols of false religions… including the god of the New Age. And what is the god of the New Age? Look in the mirror! The god of the New Age is you. You’re god! Find the god within you. But the God of the Bible says it’s idolatry to worship yourself. So what about you? Have you let the “me-ism” of the world creep into your way of thinking? If so, what can you do today to put God back on the throne he deserves in your life? IDOLATRY IS ANYTHING THAT TAKES OUR FOCUS AND ALLEGIANCE AWAY FROM THE ONE TRUE GOD. More than Enough by Dr. Paul Chappell “Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.” Luke 9:16–17 Dr. John R. Rice told the story of his oldest daughter, Grace, getting very sick. The doctor came to the house and discovered that she had diphtheria. He gave her medicine and put the house under quarantine. Dr. Rice and his wife decided to pray. They prayed together for just a few minutes, and were confident that God had heard them. That very day Grace began feeling better and by the next morning she was feeling completely better. She could not go out because of the quarantine, but she played happily with her dolls until the doctor came and certified that she was completely free of the disease and lifted the quarantine. God is not limited in any way. He has all power, all authority, and all resources. When we ask for His help, we should not be surprised when He not only answers our prayers but also gives us even more than we ask. God revealed Himself to Abraham by the name El Shaddai—the Almighty God (Genesis 17:1). He has never yet failed one of His children, and He will not fail us now. The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is one of the most important demonstrations of the power of Jesus. Unlike any of the other miracles, except for the resurrection, it is recorded in all four Gospels. Turning the lunch of one little boy into enough food for thousands of people is miraculous, but Jesus went even beyond that. He created so much extra that they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers. God is more than able to meet every need you have—and then some. Today’s Growth Principle:  The God we serve is more than enough for the challenges, needs, and struggles we face.

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Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   --Ecclesiastes 12:13 We live in a world today that’s been captured by the theory of relativism, the theory or idea that says you can’t firmly or finally say what is right or wrong. So the very idea of a rule or a “commandment” flies in the face of what most people in our world today believe. But God gave us his commandments not to restrict us, but to protect us. Why? So that we will live well upon the earth. You and I have a loving heavenly Father who wants to protect us from the very things that will harm us and ultimately destroy us. Think about Solomon. God says he was the wisest man who ever lived. Yet he had to learn the importance of this truth the hard way. If you look at Solomon’s life, you find that he was a great king. He had everything going for him, including enormous wealth and power. Yet he took what God gave him and he abused it. As Solomon shares in the book of Ecclesiastes, he threw away his money buying everything he wanted. He had numerous wives so he could have sex any time he desired. Solomon did anything and everything he wanted to do. He didn’t let himself be limited by the commandments of God! Yet where did it get him? When Solomon looked back on his life, he said, “I’m a loser. My life has added up to a big fat zero!” That’s why his parting words at the end of Ecclesiastes are, “Fear God and keep his commandments….” Solomon learned life’s lesson that if you break God’s commands, you will be broken on them. This is a lesson I pray you and I will keep at the front of our minds so we don’t have to learn it the hard way like Solomon did. YOU HAVE A LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER WHO WANTS TO PROTECT YOU FROM THE VERY THINGS THAT WILL HARM YOU. Send Them Away or Give Them to Eat? by Dr. Paul Chappell “And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.” Luke 9:12–14 A Christian businessman named Wallace Speers told of a strange encounter he had on the street one day. A young man who was unshaved and disheveled stopped him and said, “You look like a friendly man. Will you do something for me? There is no one in the world who cares if I live or die. Will you just think about me for a while? If I could believe someone was thinking about me as a human being it would mean more to me than money or anything.” In a moment he melted back into the crowd and was gone. Speers said later, “I’ve been haunted by that man’s loneliness ever since.” All around us there are people in urgent need of help and hope. Yet sometimes, like the disciples who saw the massive crowd, we view people as a source of annoyance and frustration. We want them to just go away rather than having to deal with helping them. But the heart of Jesus was filled with compassion for the needs of the people, and He was willing to do whatever He could to meet those needs. The difference between Jesus and the disciples was not the need, but the way they viewed the people with the need. Today’s Growth Principle:  If we are to be like Jesus, we must care for the needs of others rather than regarding them as frustrations.

I Quote =)

Grateful =)

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Sacrificial Ministry

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.”
Luke 9:10–11
I heard about a church that had a sign out front which read: “We care about you.” Underneath in smaller letters it said: “Sundays 10:00 AM only.” The reality is that caring about people and ministering to them and meeting their needs requires effort and sacrifice on our part. There are no shortcuts to touching lives. If we are not willing to make the investment, even if it means sacrifices on our part, we will never make an impact on others.
At this point in the life and ministry of Jesus, He and the disciples were physically exhausted. The parallel account in Mark’s Gospel gives us a pointed insight into the toll His ministry was taking on Jesus and His disciples. “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31). When you don’t even have time to eat, your ministry schedule is pretty full!
Yet in what was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, the needs of the people prompted Jesus to respond by giving up His free time so that He could teach and heal the people. For Jesus it was a question of priorities. He wanted to rest and needed to rest, but what the people needed mattered more to Him than His own needs. There certainly are times when we need to rest, but if we only minister when it is convenient, we will never accomplish much of value.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

To reach others for Jesus, we must, like Jesus, be willing to sacrificially invest in their lives.

The Journey Toward Unselfishness

by Joyce Meyer - posted March 27, 2016

. . . I die daily [I face death every day and die to self].
—1 Corinthians 15:31
Selfishness is not learned behavior; we are born with it. The Bible refers to it as "sin nature." Adam and Eve sinned against God by doing what He told them not to do, and the sin principle they established was forever passed to every person who would ever be born. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins, and to deliver us from them. He came to undo what Adam did.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He comes to live in our spirit, and if we allow that renewed part of us to rule our decisions, we can overcome the sin nature in our flesh. It doesn't go away, but the greater One Who lives in us helps us overcome it daily (see Galatians 5:16). That does not mean that we never sin, but we can improve and make progress throughout our lives.
I certainly cannot say I have overcome selfishness entirely—none of us can on this side of eternity. But that doesn't mean we don't do everything we can to grow closer to God and die to our selfishness. We can have hope of improving daily. I am on a journey and, although I may not arrive, I have determined that when Jesus comes to take me home He will find me pressing toward this goal (see Philippians 3:12-13).
The apostle Paul made the following statement: . . . It is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Paul meant that he was no longer living for himself and his own will, but for God and His will. I was greatly encouraged when I discovered through study that Paul made this statement approximately twenty years after his conversion. Learning to live unselfishly was a journey for him, just as it is for everyone else.
Paul also said, . . . I die daily . . . (1 Corinthians 15:31). In other words, putting others first was a daily battle and required daily decisions. Each of us must decide how we will live and what we will live for; and there is no better time to do so than right now.
Trust in Him: Are you pressing toward the goal of living for God rather than yourself? Dying to yourself is a process that you can improve daily. Trust God to give you the strength to die to yourself daily.

1 Corinthians 15:6

HOW THE APOSTLES DIED

HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.
1. Matthew
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.
...

2. Mark
Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.

3. Luke
Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

4. John
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.
John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter
He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.
According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James
The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his
enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee,
was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew
 Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew
Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas
Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

11. Jude
Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias
The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul
Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many  epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

 Pass on to encourage other Christians
Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer,
But stay awake through a 3 hour movie?
Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK,
But find it easy to read other books?
Why is it so easy to ignore a msg about God,
Yet we forward the nasty ones?
Why are Prayers getting smaller,
But bars and clubs are expanding
Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity,
But very difficult to engage with God?
Think about it, are you going to forward this?
Are you going to ignore it, cause you think you will get laughed at?
Forward this to all your friends.
80% of you won't forward this.
God said:
If you deny me in front of your
friends, I will deny you on the day of judgment:

Worthy is the Lamb

Then Came The Morning =)

Then Came The Morning =)

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What Happens When We Ignore the Truth

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.”
Luke 9:7–9
There is an old joke about a man who ignored an evacuation order given because of a coming flood. As the water began to rise, a rescue officer in a boat came by his house and told him to get in or he might drown. The man replied, “I’m fine. God will take care of me.” When the water continued to rise, he was eventually forced to the roof of his house. A helicopter flew over and lowered a ladder, but he again refused. “God will take care of me.” After he drowned, he asked God why He hadn’t rescued him. “I sent you a boat and a helicopter,” God responded. “What else did you want?”
Herod is a prime example of what happens when we choose to ignore the truth. Because John the Baptist preached against his sin, the evil king had the fearless prophet beheaded. But then he was very interested in meeting Jesus. Yet when Jesus was brought before Herod just before the crucifixion, their encounter did not turn out the way Herod had planned. “Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing” (Luke 23:9). There are times when we do not listen to what God has said because it convicts us or would require us to do something we do not want to do. Until we obey what we already know, we should not expect further guidance from God.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we ignore what we already know is true, we have no basis for asking God to give us guidance and direction.

Read and Reap

by Joyce Meyer - posted March 26, 2016

[Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.
—Mark 4:22
The Word has tremendous treasures, powerful life-giving secrets that God wants to reveal to us. They are manifested to those who ponder, study, think about, practice mentally, and meditate on the Word of God.
There is no end to what God can show you out of one verse of Scripture. You can study a scripture one time and get one thing, and another time you'll see something else you did not even notice before.
The Lord keeps revealing His secrets to those who are diligent about studying the Word. Don't be the kind of person who always wants to live off of someone else's revelation. Study the Word yourself, and allow the Holy Spirit to bless your life with truth.
Power Thought: Revelation is available to me when I study God's Word.
PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFjVXrRKwsU

Happy Easter! =)

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The Limit of Our Responsibility

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.”
Luke 9:4–6
John Quincy Adams lost his bid for a second term in the White House and then did something no other former President has ever done. He ran for and won a seat in the House of Representatives, where he spent most of the rest of his life working to bring about the abolition of slavery. This position was not widely popular when Adams began his efforts, and often he labored nearly alone. Yet he refused to be discouraged or dissuaded from doing what he believed was right. Once Adams was asked how he kept going in the face of repeated disappointments and setbacks. Adams replied, “Duties are ours. Results are God’s.” Though he did not live to see slavery ended, his faithful work helped bring about the result he worked so long to see.
Many times we take on the responsibility for how people respond to the truth. But the only thing for which God holds us accountable is faithfulness in declaring the message. When Jesus sent the disciples out for their first preaching mission apart from Him, He told them up front that some people would not receive the message. When it seems that work for the Lord is in vain, we simply need to continue to be faithful in doing what He has commanded. Not everyone to whom we witness will get saved. Witness anyway. Not everyone we seek to disciple will continue to walk in the truth. Disciple anyway. Not everyone we love will respond with love in return. Love anyway. This is all that God holds us responsible to accomplish with our lives.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

As long as we are faithful, we can leave the results of our ministry in God’s hands.

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Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures   --1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Doesn’t it seem that bad news is all around us? It’s not only the top story on the news or the main headline in the paper…it seems to fill our day. But as believers, we know the best news we could ever hear…and we celebrate it this week. Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave. This is the event that conquered sin…that conquered death…and that made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God! Perhaps, today, this is the first time you’ve ever heard or understood this Good News. If so, I want to tell you something: Jesus died on the cross for you. He wore a crown of thorns and was nailed to a tree because He loves you.  And He wants to have a personal relationship with you today. If you haven’t already, I pray you will you accept Jesus as your Savior today.  And if you have placed your faith in Christ, I challenge you to share that Good News with someone this week. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Easter! This Easter, share the Good News with someone who needs to hear it!

John 10:27

Zechariah 4:6

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He [Jesus] said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. --Matthew 14:29 There’s nothing quite as scary as taking that first step of faith. Yet at the same time, there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as actually taking that first step of faith! So often in life, we’re averse to any kind of risk… anything that might take us out of our comfort zone. But that’s the great part about the Christian life. It’s risky sometimes! Yet we know that with any step of faith, our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who as the Scripture says, will not let your foot slip. Remember Moses? There he was, minding his business as a shepherd when God spoke to him from the burning bush, and called him to deliver the children of Israel. What was Moses’ response?  “I can’t do it, Lord. I don’t speak very well, and no one will believe me.” Then God asked Moses, “What’s in your hand?” Moses looked down at his shepherd’s rod and said, “A stick.” God eventually used that stick… that ordinary shepherd’s crook… to bring water from a rock, to split the Red Sea, and to deliver an entire nation from the hands of Pharaoh! God used what Moses was already doing… something he was already good at… to do what only God could do. So what about you? What’s in your hand today? Could it be that, like Moses, God could use something you’re already doing, something you’re already good at, to accomplish his purpose? If you sense that God is urging you to take that first step of faith today, I urge you… once and for all… just do it! It may feel risky, but through Christ Jesus, your future is secure. Your course is set. God may be just waiting on you so you can start the rest of your life! So look at what’s in your hand, trust in God’s care and provision for you, and take that first step of faith. Will it be scary? Yeah, maybe. Will it be exhilarating? Absolutely! Jesus said all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed to move a mountain. It’s my prayer that God will give you the courage to take that first step to see the mountains move in your life today. WITH ANY STEP OF FAITH, YOUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT SLIP. Empowered Ministry by Dr. Paul Chappell “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.” Luke 9:1–3 God calls and commands His children to do His work in the world. The plan for reaching the lost and building the church requires God’s people to do the work—but it is a work that can only be done effectively through His power. The final command of Christ that we commonly call the Great Commission is grounded and based on the authority that belongs to Jesus. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:18–19). The authority of Jesus means that we do not face our battles and our work on our own. We can and must rely on the power and work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us for the ministry we are meant to do. We have no other hope of success. A. W. Tozer said, “I’m not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me—he’s got judo I never heard of. But he can’t handle the One to whom I’m joined; he can’t handle the One to whom I’m united; he can’t handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature.” When we operate based on our own strength and resources, we can only accomplish what lies in our ability. But no matter how great those abilities may be, they are not equal to God’s calling. Only in His strength can we fulfill His mission. Today’s Growth Principle:  If we rely on the power given to us rather than our own strength, our ministry for God will be effective.

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“Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?”   --1 Chronicles 29:5b Today’s verse is a question King David asked his people and it’s a question I want to ask you today. Will you consecrate, will you dedicate yourself, to the Lord when it comes to giving to God’s Kingdom work? “Now, Pastor,” you may say, “I just can’t afford to give to my church. I just can’t afford to support a missionary or Christian organization right now.” Well, you know, I know it may feel this way. It may feel like you’re too strapped to give to God’s work. And I know that there are people who find themselves in an emergency situation financially right now. But if I could, I’d like to make a case as to why now is the time… perhaps more than in recent memory… for you and me to dig deep to contribute towards Kingdom work in our world. Because of the state of our economy, almost every person in this nation and in hundreds of nations around the world has been impacted financially. Some have lost jobs. Some have seen pay cuts. Some have seen their retirement account plummet. Every person I talk to these days seems to be affected in some way by the economy! People are experiencing fear and uncertainty on a level that perhaps they never have before. The upcoming election only increases those feelings. And as a result, people are more open than ever to the gospel. They realized they’ve based their hope on something that’s fleeting… like a job, a stock portfolio, whatever. And they’re looking for something more, something that really lasts! That’s why you and I must be more determined than ever to make sure these people can hear the Good News of the gospel. We can’t cut back now. We can’t scale back, not when there’s a hunger for truth like there is now. So I’ll ask the question again that King David posed to the people of Israel: “Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?” Will you? It’s my prayer that you will see the need in our world today, and willingly say, “Yes!” WE MUST BE MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN HEAR THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL. Death Has No Power by Dr. Paul Chappell “And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” Luke 8:54–56 One of the best statements on eternal life I have ever read came from evangelist D. L. Moody. He said, “Some day you will read in the papers, ‘D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.’ Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal—a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.” Death is a great fear in our world—for many people, the greatest fear that they have. Yet while there is sorrow in the death of a friend or loved one, for a believer, death no longer has the power to harm us. Jesus has all power, even the power over death. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Death did everything in its power to hold Jesus in the grave, but it failed. The power of the tomb has been defeated once and for all, and can live in the authority and power given to us by the One who died and rose again to live forever. Today’s Growth Principle:  For the Christian, death is simply the door that allows us to enter the presence of our loving Saviour.

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Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”   --Luke 21:1-4 In times like this, it’s easy to want to hunker down and hold on to everything we have. It’s especially hard for those who are out of work or those who’ve been forced to take a reduction in pay. I really do understand that it’s harder to give when there’s not as much there to give as there once was! Yet at the same time, think about the poor widow in today’s passage who gave everything she had to give to God’s work. While her gift wasn’t worth much monetarily, it was worth much… it was sacred… because she sacrificed to give it. In the same way, your gifts to the Lord’s work and my gifts to the Lord’s work are made sacred when they come from a sacrificial heart. Yet how many of us really give this way? How many really make a sacrifice in some area of life, how many are willing to give up a comfort, so that we can contribute to God’s work? Far too few, I’m afraid. That’s why today, my question is simple. When it comes to the church and God’s Kingdom work in the world today, are you a giver… or a taker? And if you’d admit that maybe you tip the scale to the side of being more of a taker, what’s one way you could start giving more to God’s work today? Maybe it’s as simple as getting your family on a budget so that you can be better stewards of the income God’s given you. Maybe it means cutting out cable television for a while. Maybe it means delaying that purchase, or going out to eat less so that you can give more to your church and God’s work around the world today. I don’t know what your particular situation is, but I do know that as Christians living in America, we’ve grown accustomed to certain comforts and privileges. I just wonder how many more lives could be reached if every Christian sacrificed one thing so that they could give more to God’s work? WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHURCH AND GOD’S KINGDOM WORK IN THE WORLD TODAY, ARE YOU A GIVER… OR A TAKER? When We Know Better than God by Dr. Paul Chappell “And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.” Luke 8:51–53 Someone said there are two foundational facts of life: 1) there is a God, and 2) you are not Him. There is a lot of truth in those statements. Though we would not publicly declare that we know better than God and could arrange to make things work better than He is doing, in our hearts we sometimes think that is the case. When we do not understand how He is working, and then decide to go our own way instead, we are really falling prey to the temptation Satan first used in the Garden of Eden—that we would be happier if we chose for ourselves rather than following God. “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). The reason that the devil keeps using this same temptation is that it works so well. We do not like to acknowledge our failings and limitations. We like to think that we have the knowledge and wisdom to make good decisions apart from the guidance of the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Yet each time we go our own way in defiance of God, we place ourselves on the road to ruin. Jeremiah observed, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). In humility and faith we need to yield our lives to the direction and control of the God who always knows best. Today’s Growth Principle:  Faith in God rests on the acceptance that He is always right and what He says can be trusted.

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Faith in the Impossible

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.”
Luke 8:49–50
Charles Spurgeon told of an elderly lady in his church who was confronted by a skeptic over the story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. When he attempted to scientifically prove to her that it was impossible for such a thing to happen, her faith remained unshaken. Finally she replied, “Not only do I believe that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish just as the Bible says, but if the Bible said Jonah swallowed the fish, I would believe that too!”
There are too many times when we only believe what we can see and understand and explain rather than taking God at His word that He is not limited by the things that are within our grasp. Instead He is able to do everything that He has promised, no matter how far beyond our ability and understanding it may be. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
The Christian who lives as if God is not able to meet his needs is insulting his Heavenly Father. Through God’s grace we have been given the right and privilege to enter His presence and present our needs to Him. Yet too often we do not believe that God will actually do for us what He has promised to do. As a result, we fail to please Him with our lives. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The God we serve is the God of the impossible, and we should claim His power for our daily lives.

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.   --Proverbs 3:5-6 As you think about your paths today… about God’s will for your life… remember that knowing the will of God is not so much a life map as it is a lifestyle. It’s not so much a road map as it is a relationship. What this means is this: The will of God isn’t accomplished in your life by you figuring out a confusing formula or going through some kind of convoluted process. It’s found as you walk with God one day at a time, one step at a time, trusting him in all your ways. That’s when his will will be made apparent in your life! But it’s important to note that when you’re seeking the will of God for your life, you first have to concentrate on your character. Because God is more interested in who you are than in what you do. So today, let me ask you, are there any character issues in your life about which you need to talk to God? Really think about that for a moment. What about the words you speak? The places you visit on the internet? The people you let influence you? What about the decisions you make at work? It’s been said that our character is the sum total of the decisions we make. So if that’s the case, what do your decisions say about your character? Now, I want to dispel the myth that doing God’s will is doing the one thing that will make you the most miserable. That’s not the case at all! God has chosen a good way and a perfect will for your life. And what’s great is that he often uses your talents and interests to accomplish his plan. So don’t be afraid of God’s will. Commit your character to him and look forward with anticipation to what he has in store for you! WHEN YOU’RE SEEKING THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE, YOU FIRST HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON YOUR CHARACTER.