PERCEPTION

Perception is an interesting phenomenon. The Encarta Dictionary says it is, “the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or situation.” Yet, each of us perceives things slightly differently depending on many factors such as how we were raised, our life experiences and many other variables.

See what you think about this story that Nathan, the prophet told David, the king…

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,

“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

² “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

³ “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb

Which he bought and nourished;

And it grew up together with him and his children.

It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,

And was like a daughter to him.

⁴ “Now a traveler came to the rich man,

And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,

To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;

Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

Nathan had told David this story after David had taken another man’s wife, got her pregnant and then had the husband killed in battle. Now read David’s reaction to Nathan’s story…

⁵Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. ⁶“He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

2 Samuel 12:1-6 (NASB)

Nathan then told David that the story was about him. That he had taken what belonged to another even though God had already showered him with many wives, much wealth and victory in battle.

David finally saw what he was talking about and admitted that he had sinned against God.

Many of us are like that…we only see our side of the story instead of trying to look at the big picture from other points of view. Seeing things only from our own perspective is often the cause of many heartaches, disappointments and misunderstandings.

What’s the answer? Seek God’s perspective. Ask Him to help you understand the bigger picture that you may not be able to see. Then thank Him in advance for His guidance and direction. God is faithful. He knows the intentions of your heart and will reward you for your honesty with Him.

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WISE

A wise person thinks a lot about death,

while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 (NLT)

Hmm…why does thinking about death make you wise?

****thinking****

Well, perhaps we may realize how short life is or can be. Yesterday there was a funeral for a twenty-one year old young woman. Last night I learned that an eighteen year old was in a serious accident, was in a coma and had flat-lined several times.

There are no guarantees for the length of life that we live. So that should cause us to consider HOW we live the life that we are given…on a day-to-day basis. That would make us wise.

I wore a t-shirt last night from a Dare2Share event I had taken my youth group to a couple of years ago. Across the front is written in large caps, “LOSER.” Believe me that drew attention. Whenever somebody would read it aloud, I had them read the back, which had Jesus’ words from Matthew 10:39

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (NIV)

Why did I bring that up? Because, “losing our life” (as one girl last night put it) is giving up being selfish and just living for ourselves. In other words, it clarifies the second half of today’s verse…a fool thinks only about having a good time.

If we are to be wise, we will put aside our personal desires and instead plug in God’s desires for our lives. We will ask the wise questions…What does God want me to do with the short time that I have on this earth? What does He want me to do today?

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NOW

Procrastination is putting off what could or should be done now, until a later time. Perhaps a time when we have more energy or are more motivated.

Some things are too important to wait. There may not be another tomorrow…for us or for someone else whose life we can have an effect on…today.

¹And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— ²for He says,

“At the acceptable time I listened to you,

And on the day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— ³giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NASB)

Notice three things…

Working together with Him

He has called us “friend” and here partners in the ministry of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is referred to as the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to “go,” “make disciples,” “baptize” and “teach.”

He helped us on our day of salvation

He sent someone into our life with the Gospel. Someone was obedient in sharing Jesus Christ with us so that we might inherit eternal life.

Give no cause for offense

Now that we have received salvation through Jesus, we are to be obedient to Him (share the message with others). We are to live as He would have us live so as not to bring dishonor to His name.

Is there someone you are to be sharing Jesus with today…either by the way you live your life or by sharing the message of salvation directly…

Today will soon be over…there are so many people to reach...so many children, teens and adults that do not know Jesus…

NOW is the time…

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DISAPPOINTMENT

Down at the SPRING Student Center there is always some “drama” going on about how a boyfriend or a girlfriend disappointed someone. I’m not making light of it, just pointing out that we see a lot of that kind of situation there.

Students are not the only ones disappointed by other people. The amount of devastation that conflict wreaks on our lives is proportional to the amount of confidence, or trust that we have in that individual with whom we experience the problem.

Whenever I come across a situation like that, whether it is best friends, boy/girl friends or whatever, I think of this passage of scripture...

⁸ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in man.

⁹ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in princes.

Psalms 118:8-9 (NKJV)

It amounts to having our priorities straight. Our relationship with God MUST be the most important. God will NEVER let us down. We can always trust Him to do what is best for us, even though we may not always agree at first.

People are going to disappoint us. People are not perfect, whether Christian or not. Only God is perfect.

This fits in quite well with my life verse of Matthew 6:33 where my sign-off comes from…

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SCARED

We tend to do things differently when we’re scared. We react instead of thinking through a problem to its possible outcomes. We often climb into a self-protective shell thinking that we can protect ourselves better than…God!

Listen to the following conversation about Jesus from the Gospel of John.

⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? ⁴⁸If we let Him continue in this way, everybody will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation.” John 11:47-48 (HCSB)

They were afraid of losing their place. That word can be looked at in two basic ways: their place in society as the ruling class or the temple where they worshiped. Either way, they took it upon themselves to come up with the solution rather than inquiring of God.

They were afraid of losing their nation. Those talking were the chief priests and ruling class of the Jewish nation. Had they forgotten that God didn’t allow the nation to be wiped out by the Egyptians or the Philistines? Were they saying then that the Romans were more powerful than God was?

Let’s face it...they were just being selfish. Their fear was causing them to act irrationally, totally leaving God out of the picture.

What does God say about fear?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

In First John 4:16-18 we read, “God is love…perfect love casts out fear…he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Do you allow your fears to get in the way of your relationship with God? Confess that to Him and seek Him in all things that you do. He will never let you down. Don’t ever be afraid of “losing your place,” whether it’s a position in the church or your job. God may have something different in mind for you…ask Him!

The chief priests and the ruling class were so overwhelmed by their personal fears that they completely missed knowing God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the Messiah that they had been studying about and waiting for all that time.

Don’t miss out on what God has in store for you because of fear…

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FREED

Do you ever feel as though you’re stuck in a rut, as if nothing you do is getting you anywhere? Sometimes it seems as though we are stuck in time, in a past that we can’t escape. THERE IS A SOLUTION!

Read the following passage and see if you can find it!

³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. ⁶For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Romans 6:3-10 (NIV)

Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus’ own life for your sin is your “ticket” to the future. You are free from the penalty of death and free to live for God, the author and finisher of your salvation. No longer are you stuck in the past and tied to your old ways. You have been freed by the blood of Jesus Christ from ALL guilt and free to live a fantastic life with Jesus at your side.

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PURPOSE

So many people seem to be lacking purpose these days. Perhaps our purpose has become lost in the immediacy of the “now,” living for the moment and how much “fun” can be had in that moment. We often lose the “big picture” of why we are here on this earth.

If you sometimes feel that way, I’m here to tell you what that purpose is…

¹ Praise the LORD!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the LORD.

Praise the name of the LORD!

² Blessed be the name of the LORD

now and forever.

³ Everywhere—from east to west—

praise the name of the LORD.

Psalms 113:1-3 (NLT)

We were created by Him…

Praise the LORD, everything he has created,

everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the LORD.

Psalms 103:22 (NLT)

We were created to bring Him honor…

Bring all who claim me as their God,

for I have made them for my glory.

It was I who created them.’”

Isaiah 43:7 (NLT)

Let this attitude of gratitude become your theme song…

I will praise the LORD at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

Psalms 34:1 (NLT)

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SIDES

Politics can be very tiresome, especially in an election year. However, some issues we cannot afford to dismiss. One of those is how we as a people, as a nation, treat the nation of Israel.

God, in His promise to Abraham makes the following statement…

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

As you continue to follow the story of God’s people, you find instances where God makes good on His promise. Look at the following passage from First Samuel…

This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. ³Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” 1 Samuel 15:2-3 (NIV)

Saul followed the Lord’s instructions (at least most of them!) and destroyed the Amalekites.

As Christians, we need to pray for the nation of Israel and for our country’s stand on dealing with them. God will not forsake His promise to Abraham. Just as He did not forsake His promise to bless all people on earth through the Jews.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

His Son, Jesus Christ, was born a Jew. Salvation has come to all people who will accept Jesus as their Savior.

God also tells us in Revelation 7:4-8 that 12,000 from each tribe will be saved. God will keep His promise to Abraham. Pray for the people of Israel. We don’t have a choice as to which side we are on if we want to be obedient to God.

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ILLUSTRATION

Many things are difficult to understand. The speed of light, how the planets stay in orbit around the sun, the incredible way our bodies heal themselves when cut are just a few of them.

Jesus said some things that were difficult to understand, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable to us today. One of the things He said was,

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:54 (NIV)

He had told His listeners earlier in the chapter that He was the bread that came down from heaven, the bread of life (vs. 35) and in John 4:14 He said,

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Obviously, a literal interpretation cannot be applied. We don’t’ have water shooting out of us and to think of actually eating someone’s flesh, is rather repulsive. So what did Jesus mean?

John had declared to His readers in the opening of chapter one that Jesus was God.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1, 14 (NIV)

To understand that God (The Word: logos in the Greek) sent Jesus to be the Savior of all who would accept Him, we must accept that He came in the “flesh” as a human. (see also Philippians 2:6-8)

“Eating” the flesh of Jesus is equivalent to saying “God came down to earth in the form of man.”

“Drinking” the blood of Jesus is accepting the fact that He was pierced on the cross for our transgressions, that He shed His blood for our sins (Hebrews 9:22), died, was buried and three days later, was raised to life.

The “water” He gives us is the Holy Spirit, our “spring” of eternal life. It is God in us.

Jesus wasn’t trying to confuse anybody by speaking this way. On the contrary, He was using terminology and illustrations that they (along with you and I) could understand if they would just open their hearts to Him.

Have you opened your heart to Him today? If not, today is the day of salvation. Accept Jesus’ sacrifice for you and turn away from sin and toward Him today. If you have, then share these words with someone who does not know Jesus as their Savior.

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PRAY

We often think we need something when we really don’t. The people of Israel thought they needed a king to rule over them when, in fact, they already had the King of kings, the Almighty God as their ruler. The Prophet Samuel pointed this out to them and they realized their guilt. Here is Samuel’s reply to them, which has implications for you and me today…

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²²For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. ²³As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.” 1 Samuel 12:20-25 (NIV)

Vs. 20: All have done evil – The bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). That’s you and me. We share the guilty verdict.

Vs. 21: Don’t turn toward idols – whether they be material possessions like cars, boats, clothes OR perhaps “sacred cows” in our churches (we can only sing hymns, we can only use the King James Version, Women shall not wear pants to church, etc.)

Vs. 22: God will not reject His people – God has chosen Israel as His people as well as the followers of Jesus Christ. He will not reject Israel or His church. He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)

Vs. 24: Fear God

Serve God

Remember all God has done for you

Vs. 25: Keep doing evil – you will perish

WAIT A MINUTE! You left out verse 23.

Well, actually I saved it for last because I wanted to bring it to the forefront of our attention today…

We are to pray for God’s people…whether or not we agree with them…whether or not we think they are acting the way they should…whether or not we feel they are incorrect in their doctrine. We are to pray for them. Not praying for them would be a “sin against the Lord” according to this word from God himself.

Start today. Turn your heart toward God, pray for His people.

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BLIND

Seeing is believing…isn’t it? Many people had a chance to witness the power of God when He fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:9-13). Did they all then become believers in Jesus?

Listen to Jesus’ comments to the people who followed Him the next day…

Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. John 6:26 (NKJV)

They were seeking Jesus, not because of the power of God that was exhibited, but because they wanted something else. They wanted Him to “conjure up” a new coat, a herd of sheep, or perhaps fill their grain bins with a year’s supply of pre-ground flour!

What they missed was the incredible power behind the miracle itself! The saw what the “miracle man” might be able to do for them but they were blind as to who the man doing the miracles really was…the Son of the Almighty God.

We look out at a planet full of miracles. Actually, a universe of miracles, with all of its brilliant splendor brought back to us in “living color” by modern technological equipment. Do we think, “Thank you God for your creation” or “Lord, I want a bigger house”? Do we look at the miracle of childbirth and thank God for the life we have been entrusted with or do we simply think about the inconvenience of sleepless nights and what the child might do for us when it’s finally old enough to work?

There are many miracles to ponder…but only One, True and Living God. The only way to have communion with Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We must look behind the miracles to the power that caused them to occur.

As you read the admonition below to God’s people, remember that you, if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, are one of His children and that the words apply to you as well. Don’t be blinded by what He can do for you, but dwell on Who it is that has already done so much for you. Thank Him and ask, “How can I ever thank you enough”.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ⁵You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ( NKJV )

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POSITIVE

Positive or negative? How do you approach situations that come into your path? Look at Philip’s choice in this passage from the Gospel of John…

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” ⁶He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

⁷Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” John 6:5-7 (NLT)

Philip saw only the negative…

There are no grocery stores around here.

My debit card is maxed out.

I don’t have time to plan dinner for that many.

Maybe that sounds familiar to you. What about changing perspectives and answering differently. Check out this possible response to Jesus’ question. Philip could have replied…

“Lord, you know the need and only you have the power to meet those needs. You know that we can’t buy enough bread to feed all of these, but we know that you can provide it.”

Before looking at the negative side of a given situation, take a look at what the Lord, your God, your Creator, Provider and Savior is able to do. Trust Him with it and give Him the glory for meeting the needs of that situation.

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OWNERSHIP

We often think of praying as asking God for things that we want or even possibly need. We hope to get these things provided to us with little or no effort on our part other than making our request made known to the Provider.

When we receive that which we request, does it belong to us or to the One who provided it? How tightly do we hold on to that which we receive?

There was a young woman named Hannah in the Bible who had no children. She requested God’s intervention on her behalf…

Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11 (NKJV)

When Hannah gave birth to her son, she kept her word. She took him to the priest, gave him over to the Lord’s service and then returned home.

When you receive something that you ask God for, do you hold on tightly to it or do you allow it to be used for God and His work? Something to think about J

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AGAIN

We are often tempted to give up when we fail at something. We convince ourselves that we tried our best but it was just not meant to be. Perhaps we’re stopping just short of a victory that God wants to bring about in our lives.

Judges, chapter nineteen, tells the story of a man from the Israeli tribe of Levi whose wife was raped and murdered by men from the tribe of Benjamin, also Israeli.

In the next chapter, we find all the remaining tribes of Israel prepared to take action against the offending parties. The Benjamites refused to turn over the men who had committed the offense and prepared to fight against their brothers.

So all the Israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town. Judges 20:11 (NLT)

But first…they consulted God…

Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?”

The LORD answered, “Judah is to go first.” Judges 20:18 (NLT)

The men from the tribe of Benjamin killed 22,000 Israelis in that battle. Again, they consulted God…

But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day. ²³For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. They had asked the LORD, “Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?”

And the LORD had said, “Go out and fight against them.” Judges 20:22-23 (NLT)

18,000 Israelis were killed in that battle and again, they consulted God

…The Israelites asked the LORD, “Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again, or should we stop?”

The LORD said, “Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.” Judges 20:28 (NLT)

The Israelites defeated the men of the tribe of Benjamin, leaving only 600 men alive. God had been true to His word. The Israelites had sought His advice and followed His instructions.

So, when you are tempted to give up on something that you know God has told you to do, despite attacks and possibly temporary setbacks caused by your fellow tribesmen (other Christians!)…

Ask God again for advice and help and stay the course. He will give you victory. He may just want to see how serious you are about what He has asked you to do. Try, try, again.

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WORSHIP

What do you think of when you hear the word “spirit”? You might think of that time before a football or basketball game when they have “spirit assemblies” to boost the morale of the team and make the audience root louder for the whole team. Perhaps you think of a bodiless ectoplasm floating around the room…you know, like Casper the friendly ghost!

I challenge you to apply either of those two interpretations to the word spirit in the following verse…

”God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 (NIV)

Yeah, I know, they don’t work very well…so…let’s look briefly at the Greek word that is translated “spirit.”

The word is pneuma. Here is the definition from Strong’s Greek Dictionary.

a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit:—ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind.

Ok, so the bodiless thing is in there, but it goes beyond floating ghosties! The thing I would like us to zero in on is the “rational soul” part. Perhaps something that will help is to compare it with another word in the Greek for breath…psuche. Here is the Strong’s Dictionary definition of that word…

1. breath 2. the soul 2a) the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)

See the difference? The word used for spirit in John 4:24 is rational as opposed to the other Greek word, which deals with feelings.

We are to worship God rationally, not based on how we “feel.” If we worshiped God by how we feel, we might not get up on Sunday to go to church because we we’re tired or because we’re mad at someone or…you get the point.

We must make a rational decision to bow down and worship our Creator…regardless of how we feel. He is the maker of our Universe, of the heavens and the earth. He is all-powerful and the author of our salvation. To God be the glory forever and ever.

Decide today to worship Him based on who He is…not how you feel.

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GO

Sitting here in the airport getting ready to leave for Ecuador, South America for two weeks, I think back to what lead me here. It was a phone call from a pastor I had met a couple of years ago at a retreat. He told me that a group had cancelled there scheduled work trip and he was trying to put together a team. He asked if I would be willing to help.

⁸Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

We don’t have to hear a big booming voice from heaven to hear from God. He uses people to communicate to us. We simply have to listen to the response of the Holy Spirit within us. I’m grateful He still speaks to us. Keep listening for His voice and don’t be surprised if He uses someone you know to speak to you!

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GIVING

There’s some talk going around about whether “tithing” is scriptural as it applies to New Testament believers or if that was just under the law. Those of us who grew up in the church were taught that you should give ten percent of your income to the church.

I guess the question would be whether the argument was intended to let someone “off the hook” for giving that ten percent or if it was allowing him or her freedom to give more.

Look at this example of giving in the Gospel of Luke…

¹While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. ²Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

³“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. ⁴For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke 21:1-4 (NLT)

There is an individual in our town that lives very modestly, drives old cars and is unable to work in the traditional sense. The individual does do a LOT of ministry in our town, helping widows and the elderly.

Every couple of weeks, sometimes more often, we receive a check made out to the SPRING Student Center from this individual. That check is like the widows coins.

It is a LOT of money for them, but they want to give it to God to allow Him to use it in the lives of teenagers in our town.

God looks at the heart of the giver, not the percentage.

⁶But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NKJV)

By the way, did I mention that this particular person that gives so generously to the SPRING is ALWAYS full of JOY…!

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PRESENCE

What do you think you would act like if you were to be in the presence of God? I don’t know about you, but I’d probably just fall down dead. Of course, my spirit would immediately be in the presence of God so it’s all good!

Would you act differently (if you didn’t fall down dead) or would life just go on? Here’s the account of one man and his reaction to being in the presence of Jesus…

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:5-10 (NIV)

Zacchaeus’ life was changed by simply being in the presence of Jesus. It may not seem real to you, but imagine yourself giving up half of everything you own; half of your house, half of your car, your bank account, etc. Then, to make up for all the wrong you had done, you pay back the wronged party four times the original injury to them.

Well if you claim Jesus Christ as your Savior, you ARE in His presence, right now because the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the HOLY SPIRIT lives in you! You are in the presence of God as you read this. That realization should result in a changed life, a righteous life, a humble and grateful life.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

FIRST

A survey was taken a few years ago that asked a group of people what the most important things (people, jobs, etc.) in their life were. Quite a few named family as number one. Others named their position at their place of employment. Some even said that a car or truck that they had always wanted was number one.

There are some that believe that all you have to do is be kind and not too selfish and that will get them a ticket to heaven. A young ruler was asking Jesus how he could “get eternal life” and told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. Here’s Jesus’ reply to him…

So, when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²³But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. Luke 18:22-23 (NKJV)

The man’s response indicated that his wealth and possessions here on this earth were of more importance than being with Jesus in heaven. You might be thinking well obviously possessions shouldn’t be number one, but family should, right?

So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30 (NKJV)

God wants to be Number One in your life, not number two, three or four. If you place Him in the Number One position, He will not disappoint you. He is more than able to meet all of your needs.

As my life-verse says…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)