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Good morning,
For the one who is working for the Lord, and growing low on energy, please read this old hymn slowly and prayerfully. Then read it again and again. “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase. To added affliction He addeth His mercy; To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. "When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father's full giving is only begun. “His love has no limit; His grace has no measure. His power has no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” Annie Johnson Flint Let’s worship Jesus, the Source of our strength today! "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." Isaiah 40:29 May your blessings today come from the Lord Jesus Himself, and never forget that you are loved!!!
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Sermons have always been one of the greatest blessing I've enjoyed. To hear preaching of the word is my hearts delight, and when I traveled for years in my work, I kept preaching tapes with me. For hours along the Interstates and Turnpikes, the car was filled with those great proclamations of God's word. Today we have access to the internet with sermons at our fingertips, including the sermons from Dogwood.
Is the preaching of God's word a blessing to your heart? On Monday morning, and throughout the week do you reflect back on the sermon you set under the previous Sunday morning? Our last message, the one we just received from Proverbs on Christian giving was very powerful. The point about the Father's gift, and the personal gift of the Son, Jesus Christ Himself given for us, is very motivating to the Christian's giving. We have read of much money being given in ransom demands. Frank Sinatra paid $250,000 to get his son back, another family paid $600,000, but the highest ever paid is said to have been $60,000,000 for two brothers. That is a lot of money, but that is wrong! St. Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote in I Tim. 2:4-6: “God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. Who gave HIMSELF a ransom for all…” Did you get that? Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. All mankind had been taken captive by Satan and sin, but Christ paid the price of our ransom. That price was Himself — His own life, which He gave on Calvary’s cross to pay for our redemption. That is not always something our culture readily comprehends, for today most think in terms of $$$, when considering worth or value. But the greatest value is life itself, and He gave His life that we may have life eternal. When that is understood, the Christian is eager to give of his $$$, as well as his time and service to his Lord, which is life itself. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 Our prayer is that you will have a great Monday, and keep in mind throughout this day that you are loved!!! Hello,
We saw a sign in the window of a business recently that read: "We buy junk and sell antiques". We all want to buy good products, but buy them for as low a cost as possible. Bev and I were traveling in Mississippi several years ago, and we stopped at a small bargain store. I remember purchasing, for three dollars, an old Case knife worth several hundred. What a find! But there's a greater find that is available to everyone. "Truth", it's an amazing bargain, but it's not free or even inexpensive. Every true Christian should understand that the truth costs. If you don’t think so, make it your own, value it, defend it, stand for it, and see if it doesn’t cost. Before you are through it may cost you far more than you had thought — hours of ease and pleasure, friends and money. Salvation is gloriously free but the truth costs — that is, if you want it for yourself. Many who know the truth won’t buy it. They won’t pay what it costs to say: “This is what I believe. This is my conviction.” The truth isn’t worth that much to them. But in Prov. 23:23 God’s Word urges us: “Buy the truth”! Not, “Buy it if you can get it at a bargain; if the price is not too great.” No, “Buy the truth”! Buy it at any price. It is worth far more than anything you can give in exchange for it. And when you have bought it: “sell it not.” How many, sadly, have bought the truth only to sell out again! For a while they valued and defended some God-given light from His Word, but presently they sold it again for something that seemed more valuable. Perhaps it was peace with others, or position, or popularity or some other temporal gain. They still gave mental assent to it but it formed no part of them. It was no longer a conviction. If that is where you are, read again the Spirit’s counsel: “Buy the truth, and sell it not....” He does not say: “Don’t sell it unless you can get a very good price for it.” He says: “Sell it not.” Sell it not at any price. Buy it, no matter what it costs and when it is yours do not sell it for any price or under any consideration. It is because the truth is so little valued in this indifferent age, that many of God’s people have become so spiritually powerless. They hold opinions instead of convictions, because they have given the infallible, unchangeable Word of God little place in their lives. God blesses and uses those who “buy the truth and sell it not.” We enjoyed a great day at Dogwood yesterday. The new SS class dealt with some effective ways to study God's word. From that first lesson, we came to understand it takes much effort, cost, to find the truth, to embrace it, and keep it. Digging into God's word is not for lazy people, and it just so happened that the theme in Anthony's message from Proverbs gave us, picture after picture, of the difference in the life of one with good work ethics and of the one without. Let's apply diligence to our Bible study. "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." Proverbs 23:23 May God bless your Monday as you value and defend the God-given light you've received, and know for sure that you are loved!!! |
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
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