Good Morning,
We had another great Sunday at Dogwood. The scripture says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise." From the praise and worship team, to the special by Bruce, to the mediation by Steve, and the sermon by Anthony, it was what we needed. Now it's Monday morning. The economy is not improving, but going down more! The war in the middle-east is not improving, for we just lost a helicopter and thirty-eight troops this week-end! Perhaps your personal finances, or your health, or your relationships are are not good! It is sometimes very difficult for us to look up. I have suffered many times with what we could call the BBB syndrome. Never heard of it? Well it is about three of God creatures; the buzzard, the bumble bee, and the bat. Place a buzzard in a fenced-in area eight feet by six feet with an open top and he is trapped. He needs at least ten feet to run before he can fly. Place a bumble bee in a cylinder with an open top and he will buzz around the bottom trying to find a way out until he dies. Place a bat on the ground and he will not be able to fly. He needs to be elevated on the side of a tree or cliff, for he must jump downward before he can start to fly. Let's not be guilty of always looking laterally but let's you and I look up. It is the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self and surroundings, to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you don't have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." Ever heard that before? I have! All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. The "Comforter", the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all". Jesus says, "I am rest for the weary; I am peace for the storm-tossed; I am strength for the strength less; I am wisdom for the foolish; I am righteousness for the sinful; I am all that the neediest soul on earth can want; I am exceeding abundantly, beyond all you can ask or thing, of blessing, and help, and care." Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 16: "....for He shall not speak of Himself;...." then our Lord went on to say: "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." Let the "Comforter" help you look away from self and circumstances, and look up. Look up to Jesus. Henry
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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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