God is Always There

There was a television news team that was taping at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall. Every day they saw the same elderly man praying, morning, noon, and night beside that famous structure. On their last day they got curious and asked him, "What is it you pray for so fervently?"

The old man thought for a moment and said, "I pray for health, for happiness, and for peace in my land."

"I see," said the reporter. "You don't look that healthy. Are you happy?"

"Not really," said the man.

"And your homeland is in turmoil. Do you really believe your prayers are heard?"

The man nodded and replied, "Sometimes it's like talking to a wall."

Mature Christians can acknowledge that sometimes prayer is like talking to a wall. Sometimes we pray with great pain and anguish. We want an answer. We want it now. But the answer we want does come at least no answer that satisfies us. We may ask, "Where is God? Does He care?"

Of course, God does hear us, and God does answer all of our prayers. God knows what is best for us, so we may not get the answer we want but the answer we need.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

- James 5:16 (New International Version)

Dear Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father, be with us in the pains of life, and thank you for going through them with us and giving us what we really need to get through each and every sitiuation. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Are you Working for Peace?

Winston Churchill used to tell a parable about a zoo in which all the animals decided to disarm. They arranged peace talks to work out the details. The rhinoceros asked for a strict ban against the use of teeth in war. The deer and porcupine agreed, but the lion and tiger defended teeth as being honorable weapons. The bear, however wanted both teeth and horns to be banned, but suggested that all animals be allowed to give each other a good hug when they quarreled. This only served to offend all the other animals, and so they never could agree.

We may never all agree, but we can learn to love each other. Jesus talked about love a lot. He tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and our neighbor. If we could learn and grow in this basic of all Jesus teachings, we could do a lot for the cause of peace.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

- Isaiah 32:17 (New International Version)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, we pray that we will work for peace, and even if we don’t always agree we will act in a loving manner to those around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God's Word

Today I had the priviledge to go with the Students from chruch to Lock Haven Scripture Press and help in the assembling of Bibles. What a great experience to be part of the process of spreading God’s word around the word. Below is the purpose and plan from the ministry’s website.

God has given us a burden to print His Holy Word that salvation, free to all through the Lord Jesus Christ, may be made known to ALL peoples. It is estimated that one half the world's population (nearly three (3) billion souls) have never heard the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Printing the Scriptures in the nine (9) languages now produced in our shop we can reach over one hundred countries with the gospel. We have the opportunity!

Won't you join us in this task of laboring-together to tell a lost world about the living Savior? Join us in sowing the "…good seed…" of the Word of God so that we may rejoice together in the harvest!

Their plan is to share God's Word and assist in establishing indigenous New Testament churches around the world is our plan. Further it is to place God's Word into every nation for the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26), so that ALL people may have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and be saved (Romans 10:17). By publishing fifty "trade languages", this placement of Scripture into ALL nations can be accomplished.

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

- John 4:35 (New International Version)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your word. We pray for the many around the world that don’t have a copy of it. We pray for ministires like Loch Haven Scripture Press that works so hard to help every man here your word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

God's Word

God loves us so much that God doesn't want to punish us, instead God offers us grace, love, and forgiveness. I challenge each one of us to read the Bible from cover to cover. One of the greatest benefits of reading the Bible from cover to cover is knowing the whole story of God. The Bible story is about a God who loves us and will do anything to maintain a relationship with us. God even came to us in the form of Jesus Christ who died for us, so that we would not have to die to sin.

In the morning I have the honor of going and helping put together some Bibles in a foreign language. So others my have the privilidge of reading God’s word something we take for granted.

God has offered us love and grace so that we can have an eternal relationship with God. Take the time to read His word so you can know the whole story.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16 (King James Version)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, as you touch us with your special love, may wetake the time to read your word and allow it to flow through us that we may KNOW You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

How is Your Attitude?

There is a story of a mother who is critically ill. She begged the doctors to help her survive long enough to attend her son's wedding. If she could just get to the wedding, she said, she could die in peace.

So they did everything possible to have her at an optimum level of well-being. The day of the wedding all her intravenous lines and tubes were removed. She was dressed up and she looked beautiful, and off she went to the wedding.

When she returned to the hospital, everyone was expecting her to stagger in, lie down, and peacefully go on to heaven. Instead, she came back and said, "Don't forget, I have another son."

I am striving hard to have the attitude she has. How is yours?

Lord, try me and test me; look closely into my heart and mind.

- Psalm 26:2 (New Century Version)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, help us to have a good attitude, as we share your light during whatever we are going through. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Are You Spending Time With God?

In todays Bible verse, Jesus and His disciples go to the house of two women, Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha are friends of Jesus, and they are so happy to see Him. Martha runs around trying to clean up the house and cook a big meal, and make sure everybody is comfortable.

But Mary, her sister, just sits with Jesus. Well, Martha gets all mad and asks Jesus to tell her sister to help her with her work. But Jesus says, "You don't have to rush around. We just want to spend time with you."

Jesus appreciated all of Martha's work for Him. But He had come to spend time with Martha and Mary, to talk to them and listen to them.

You know, Jesus likes it when we spend time with Him. Whenever we talk to Jesus and pray to Him, whenever we read our Bibles, whenever we come to church and worship Him, whenever we help someone in His name, then we are spending time with Jesus.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

- Luke 10:38-39 (New American Standard Bible)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank for the few moments we spend with you. We pray that we will always take the time to read your word and talk with you. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

How's Your Vigilance?

Gary Richmond, a zookeeper at the Los Angeles Zoo, remembers the strict instructions he was given when he received the master keys to all the animals' cages. His supervisor made it very clear that constant vigilance was necessary for ensuring the safety of the animals and all the people at the zoo. Gary's greatest responsibility would be to guard his keys and to make sure he used them wisely--only opening or closing those doors that absolutely had to be opened or closed.

For the first few months, Gary was the model of vigilance. But one day, Gary was tending to the polar bear when he realized he had made a horrific mistake. The massive polar bear, easily the size of three large men, was the most dangerous animal at the zoo. He hated humans and had tried to maul anyone who passed his cage. He had also killed two female polar bears. Gary had unlocked one door in Ivan's cage in order to let Ivan walk out in the sunshine in his enclosed space. But Gary realized that he had forgotten to close and lock another door at the end of the hallway, one which the bear could easily enter. If it did so, Gary would have no way to escape. And he knew the bear would attack him.

The bear, a creature of habit, was just finishing his morning pacing in the sunshine. The bear always paced for the same amount of time, in the same pattern, every day. In a few seconds, the bear would be finished pacing and would look for a way to get back in its cage. If it noticed the open door, it would surely come in. And the door was at the end of a hallway.

Gary reasoned that, if the bear did not alter its routine one iota, he would have about seventeen seconds in which to run down the hallway, close and lock the door, and pray that the bear didn't notice him.

When the bear turned to make its last amble in the sunshine, Gary sprinted down the hallway. He wasn't sure if the physical effort or the fear was making his heart seemingly burst in his chest. He reached the door only to see the bear nearby looking right at him. He pulled the door shut and scrambled to lock it. As he sank to the floor in a quivering mass of spent adrenaline, he looked up and saw the bear staring down at him through the window.

How's your vigilance? How's your vigilance in keeping God's will?

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

- Proverbs 4:23 (New American Standard Bible)

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, Please help us have vigilance in serving you and striving to answer your call. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.