|
Hello,
Once an ocean liner was engulfed in a dense fog off the coast of Newfoundland. It was Wednesday evening and the captain had been on the bridge for more than 24 hours, when he was startled by someone tapping him on the shoulder. As he turned, he saw the great man of prayer and faith, George Mueller. The concerned Mueller stated, "Captain, I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon." The captain told the preacher, "That's impossible!" The fog was so dense and the progress of the ship so slow that the captain knew they would never make it to shore on time. He mumbled, "I'm helpless!" Being a man of faith, George Mueller suggested, "Let's go down to the chart room and pray." The captain, who could see only his circumstances, replied, "Do you know how dense the fog is?" "No," Mueller said, "My eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life." The captain and Mueller left the bridge and went below where Mueller fell to his knees and prayed. Within a matter of minutes the fog lifted, the ocean liner progressed rapidly, and Mueller was in Quebec before Saturday. We may think, well that is another great story, we know that Mueller's life was filled with such stories, for he prayed in one meal at a time for hundred of orphans in his orphanages, but..... Now are you facing something today, that seems impossible? Have you said "I helpless?" I believe that is when our Lord likes to answer, for it strengthens the faith of His people and the people around them. Can you trust Christ today for your answer? Can we help you in prayer? Please let us know. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" Matthew 7:7 God bless, and always remember that you are loved!!! Henry
0 Comments
Good Morning,
From Psalm 5: In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. David was one who was grateful that God had provided him with a nation that was free. He could pray to his God in the morning, and come into the His house and worship Him. I feel grateful myself this morning, for it was good to be in church at Dogwood yesterday morning with other souls that feel the same. I hope all that receive this were able to take advantage of our freedom. If you were not able to be in church, there is still a promise in this little Psalm for you. Don't overlook the statement: "...in the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice;" God deserves our praise, for He is good! May Christ's blessings be with you this Monday morning, and please never forget that you are loved!!! Henry HELLO,
"KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH RUN IN A RACE RUN ALL, BUT ONE RECEIVETH THE PRIZE? SO RUN, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN." 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24 THE FAMOUS DOG SLED RACE BETWEEN ANCHORAGE AND NOME IS 1130 MILES LONG. THE SLED IS PULLED BY TWELVE HUSKIES THROUGH THE MOST GRUELING, INHUMAN CONDITIONS ONE CAN IMAGINE. SUSAN BUTCHER HAS BEEN AN OFTEN WINNER IN THIS RACE. AFTER READING ABOUT SUSAN AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DOGS, THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE THE MOST VITAL FACTOR IN HER SUCCESS. SHE HAD, NOT JUST 12 DOGS, BUT 150. SHORTLY AFTER EACH PUP'S BIRTH, WHILE IT WAS STILL BLIND, SHE HELD IT IN HER HANDS AND BREATHED HER BREATH INTO ITS NOSE. THAT WAY SHE CLAIMED, EACH ONE COULD ASSOCIATE HER SMELL WITH COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. SHE PERSONALLY FED, TRAINED, MASSAGED, AND ON A ROTATION BASIS SLEPT WITH EACH DOG. WHEN ONE WAS SICK OR INJURED, SHE PERSONALLY NURSED THEM TO HEALTH BY TALKING TO THEM, BELIEVING IN THEM, AND EVEN SINGING TO THEM. THIS CREATED A STRONG BOND. WITH HER DETERMINATION TO WIN, AND THE DOGS LOYALTY TO HER, SHE DID. AS I READ THIS I COULD NOT HELP BUT SEE THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION. WE ARE IN A DESPERATE RACE OURSELVES AND HAVE NOT ARRIVED YET. IF I HAVE ARRIVED, I WISH SOMEONE WOULD INFORM THE DEVIL. WHEN WE ENTERED THIS RACE, THE LORD BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO US, HIS LIFE. FROM THIS WE RECOGNIZE HIS NEARNESS, AND ARE COMFORTED AND ENCOURAGED. SPIRITUALLY, HE PERSONALLY FEEDS AND TRAINS US, AND IS NEAR DAY AND NIGHT. HE CARES FOR US WHEN WE ARE SPIRITUALLY WEAK OR INJURED. HE HAS CREATED A STRONG BOND WITH US. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE CAN WIN THIS RACE. MAY GOD BLESS YOUR SATURDAY, AND REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE LOVED!!! Henry Hi,
"DO NOT JUMP OFF A BRIDGE TO RESCUE A HAT." Many of you are like me, in that we have been on this journey of life for a longer time than what we have left. That is why we want to become more discrete in our decisions in life. But how we spend this gift of time God grants, matters to us all. Jump off a bridge to save a child, you are a hero, but to jump off a bridge to rescue a hat, you are a fool. Translated, do not shed blood over issues that make no difference in the long run. Be willing to give your life for a cause, but make sure it is a worthy cause. Don't bleed over such issues, as who gets what office space at work, or even who gets what parking space. Life is more important than that. Proverbs 3:1-4 1. "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandment; 2. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man." Have a Great Day!!! Henry Good Morning,
If you seem to have so much fighting to do, it may be because you did not have one sharp, decisive battle to begin with. It is far easier to have one great battle than to keep on skirmishing all your life. There have been some of us who spend decades fighting what may be called the besetting sin, and on that one sin has been wasted enough strength to evangelize the world. Does it pay to throw away your lives? Why not have one battle, one victory and then praise God. There is labor to enter in. The height is steep; the way of the cross is not an easy way. It is hard to enter in, but having entered in, there is perfect rest. "and when He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about" (Deuteronomy 12:10). May God help us and give us His perfect rest. However, after saying that, we must realize that the Christian life is not a one-time decision, it is a long-term relationship. Yes, there are crisis points - such as being born again and being cleansed by the fullness of the Holy Spirit. But God does not save us so we can sit. There are journeys to take, relationships to develop, and a soul to grow. This journey is about making progress! What a great adventure this is. but it does start with a decisive battle. Be blessed today, and do not forget that you are loved!!! Henry Good Morning Dear Friends,
Where else but in the Christian life can one surrender and become the victor, and for the first time, experience total freedom? Where else but in this Christian life can one give life away and gain it? Mark 8:35 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." This is what our Master said. Give it away, and you will have it. Try giving love and compassion away. The more you give, the more you have. Give forgiveness instead of revenge. Help someone who cannot give you anything in return and see what happens. Your heart bubbles with joy! On the other hand, give away constant murmuring, criticism, and harshness and see what happens. That is who you become. We heard one man say: "The older I get, the more like myself I become." With God's help, that can be a positive statement, I want to identify himself with. May God's richest blessing rest on all today, and remember that you are loved!!! Henry Good morning,
Yesterday morning, as I walked around the campground and tried to pray, my prayer thoughts went like: "Lord, I don't want to spend energy trying to impress people, just You." Then the thought came to me, that He doesn't want me spending energy trying to impress Him. For He seemed to say as much; and then awakened my mind to the fact that what He really does want is obedience from me. Here is a command for all of us to obey. "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you" Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness." Both Old and New Testaments teach us the spiritual principles that you reap what you sow. If you plant wheat, you do not harvest corn. See the beginning and ending of this verse, for if we sow righteousness, then we will receive showers of righteousness. Can you see this as a continuing cycle? Then in the middle of the verse, it says we can,"Reap the fruit of unfailing love." When righteousness has been sown, we will begin to harvest the fruit of unfailing love. God loves everyone, but the fruit, the benefits of that love, come to those who are moving to establish God’s righteousness as the standard for their lives. There are many unclaimed blessings. One of the most neglected is the fruit of unfailing love. It only comes to those who have sown righteousness in their lives. 1 John 3:7 "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous." May His blessings be on you today, and always remember that you are loved!!! Henry Greetings in the Name of Jesus,
It's Monday again already. And though time seems to move faster, and I seem to move slower, I don't plan to miss what God has for me today. My plan is to find out what He is up to, and with His help become part of it. When I accept His yoke, His pace is always perfect. We had a wonderful day at Dogwood yesterday, with a full house. Open Heart, a quartet plus one, came to sing for us, and they did bless all that were there. God's Holy Spirit moved on hearts throughout the service, Bruce had a great meditation, and Anthony preached a powerful sermon in his series, "I Just Met Jesus." The Sunday meal, and then several hours throughout the day were spent with our family and two dear friends; in laughter, godly conversation, and stories of God's love. This morning, I feel that God has given blessings beyond what I deserve, but that is His grace. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you." 2 Corinthians 9:8 Our pastor has made the comment from time to time that we are to: "Enter to Worship! Depart to Serve!" As we face this new week, let's find that place to serve Him, and others today. He has given us so much, let's pass on His love. "It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:24b "In the harvest field now ripened, There's a work for all to do; Hark! the voice of God is calling, To the harvest calling you. Little is much when God is in it, Labor not for wealth or fame; There's crown, and you can win it, If you go in Jesus' name." Be blessed today, and never forget that you are loved!!! Henry Good morning,
A child that loves his parents, wants to bring honor and glory to them by how he lives. It's been declared that man's purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The children of God have a deep desire to do just this. The true way to glorify God is for God to show His glory through us, to shine through us as empty vessels, reflecting His fullness of grace and power. The sun is glorified when it has a chance to show its light through the crystal window, or in reflection from the spotless mirror or the glassy sea. There is nothing that glorifies God so much as for a weak and helpless man or woman to be able to be victorious through Him, through His strength. When this happens in places where, with our very best human qualities, we would fail; but then we carry on in divine power through every form of suffering and trial, He is glorified. A spirit naturally weak, irresolute, selfish, and sinful, transformed into sweetness, purity and power and standing victorious in the middle of circumstances we could not deal with in our natural qualities, brings glory to God. A mind not naturally wise or strong, yet directed by His divine wisdom and then carried down a path that fulfils His great plans, accomplishing good results for God and man-this glorifies God. "Herein is my Father glorified—" John 15:8 Henry GREETINGS IN HIS MATCHLESS NAME,
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN TODAY, YOU ARE THIRSTING FOR MORE OF GOD. IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN SAVED, YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE THIRSTING FOR SOMETHING, BUT MAY NOT KNOW THAT IT IS GOD YOU ARE THIRSTING FOR. FROM PSALM 42 "WHY ART THOU CAST DOWN, O MY SOUL? AND WHY ART THOU DISQUIETED WITHIN ME? HOPE THOU IN GOD; FOR I SHALL YET PRAISE HIM FOR THE HELP OF HIS COUNTENANCE. DEEP CALLETH UNTO DEEP AT THE NOISE OF THY WATERSPOUTS; ALL THY WAVES AND THY BILLOWS ARE GONE OVER ME. AND MY PRAYER UNTO THE GOD OF MY LIFE." "IF ANY MANY THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO ME AND DRINK" JOHN 7:37b GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU TODAY, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED!!! Henry |
Henry DeatonHenry D. is from Southern Indiana and writes these wonderful daily devotionals to encourage those at the Dogwood Community Church located in Paoli, Indiana. Henry has graciously agreed to share these wonderful devotionals here at Without Excuse Ministries to encourage you our valued guest! Archives
January 2013
|
RSS Feed
