Not Letting Go

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.  He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother, in the house, was looking out the window, and saw the two as they got closer and closer together.  In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.  Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.  It was too late.  Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.  From the dock, the mother grabbed her son by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.  That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.  The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy, asked if he would show him his scars.  The boy lifted his pant legs.  With obvious pride, though, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms.  I have great scars on my arms, too.  I have them because my mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy.  We have scars, too.  No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic.  But, the scars of a painful past.  Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.  But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

God loves you.  If you have God in your life, you have become a child of God.  He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations.  The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.  That's when the tug-o-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not - and will not - let you go.

Judge Not

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp—
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, ‘they’re all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT.

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a

Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...

Every sinner has a FUTURE!

The Land Of Hope

Today's Scripture

"I've pitched my tent in the Land of Hope" (Acts 2:26 Message).

Today's Word

Where have you pitched your tent today? What are you expecting to happen in your life? What kind of attitude do you have? If you're focused on what's wrong, or what's not working, it's time to dig up your tent stakes! It's time to pack up your belongings and move out of the land of discouragement. Move out of the "Not-going-to-happen" sub-division. Move out of "Can't-do-it-ville." It's time to leave "Self-pity Estates." Get out of those areas and move into the land of hope, faith, and expectation. Maybe you don't quite know how to get there, but now's the time to start looking for that new place. Open your heart to the Lord and ask Him to direct your thoughts and expectations. The Bible says that those who hope in the Lord will never be put to shame. You can trust God to order your steps. You can trust Him to move you from the land of disappointment to the land of hope today!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for ordering and directing my steps. Thank You for taking me to the land of hope! I release all my past hurts and disappointments to You today and ask that You fill me with Your faith and expectancy for a bright future! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

This Is Good

The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"

To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of.

Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off. And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad of me to do this."

"No" his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean, "This is good?" How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear.  If we love Him and live our lives according to His precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit.

A Prayer Principle

Jesus modeled and taught a praying lifestyle.            

In Luke 11, Jesus responds to the disciples request to "teach us how to pray." To go the Jesus way, it is imperative that you learn His powerful prayer lessons and live them out each day.

The essence of Jesus' prayer perspective is rooted in His comparison of our Heavenly Father to a good earthly father. The Lord teaches in Luke 11: 11, "Which of you fathers, if your son asked for a fish would give him a snake instead? If then, you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

When God hears our prayers, He responds like a good Dad. But our Heavenly Father has the advantage of being all knowing and totally wise. Additionally, He loves His child and wants the ultimate best for them, not temporary entertainment. Therefore, no matter how good our cause, we cannot change God's mind or prompt Him to act outside of His plan. Let me give you a simple example.

Imagine that my daughter Alex, who is 15, comes to me and requests $300 to buy a 9mm pistol because she wants to take it to school as a protective measure. Regardless of her pleas for purchasing the pistol, I will say no to this request because it is inappropriate and could be harmful to her. Let's extend the analogy another step. Imagine Alex said, "Dad, I need $300 to buy some college textbooks. Even though I am only in 10th grade, I want to start preparing for my college career by studying molecular chemistry and quantum physics." I would lovingly express appreciation for Alex's thirst for knowledge, but explain to her that she is a 10th grader and it is important for her to enjoy her high school days. Therefore, I will not grant her request to provide money to purchase college textbooks. Lastly, imagine that Alex comes to me and says, "Dad, we're going on a youth

retreat and I need $300 for my fees and to bring an un-churched friend. Could you help me out?" With a sense of joy and delight, I would provide the cash because Alex has made a worthy request that needs fulfilling.

My friend, you may be assured that prayer is a powerful tool. We see unbelievers saved, the sick healed, and evil defeated. The Lord changes things everyday through our prayers. Furthermore, we have an opportunity to participate through His work as we talk with Him and obediently choose to serve His purposes.

Let me urge you to become a person of consistent prayer who trusts your Heavenly Father to wisely fill your requests in a way that helps you, expands His kingdom and glorifies His holy name.

 

A Good Day

"What Kind of Day Shall I Have?"

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the day ends.

I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or ...

I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or

I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan

my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or

I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me

when I was growing up or  ...

I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or  ...

I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or  ...

I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or  ...

I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or  ...

I can eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or ...

I can feel honored because Life has provided shelter for my mind, body, and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the

sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me

Have a GREAT DAY  ... unless you have other plans

 

The Cross At The Pool

In 1967 while taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray   who also was a student at the school and training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high diver.

Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church, so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him.

He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally, the day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he realized his own need of a redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Savior. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. But his reply was a strong "no” In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call and it was Charles.

He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses that I had given him about salvation. I gave him the reference to several messages and asked if I could meet with him. He declined my offer and thanked me for the Scripture. I could tell that he was greatly troubled, but I did not know where he was or how to help him.

Because he was training for the Olympic games, Charles had special privileges at the University pool facilities. Some time between 10:30 and 11:00 that evening he decided to go swim and practice a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was big and bright. The University pool   was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area. Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the Scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about. All the Scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind.  He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms  to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon.  It was the shape of a cross.  He could bear the burden of his sin no longer.  His heart broke and he sat down on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him.  He trusted Jesus Christ twenty some feet in the air.

Suddenly, the lights in the pool area came on.  The attendant had come in to check the pool.  As Charles looked down from his platform he saw an empty pool which had been drained for repairs.  He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross had stopped him from disaster.

1 cor 1:18 : "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God"