Closer To Heaven
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Downey Adventist Church Worship Service, Bible Heroes 4: Abraham – Faith Triumphs, August 20, 2016, downeychurch.org Cast: Downey Church Tags: Downey , Adventist , Church , worship , sermon , SDA , seventh-day , Sabbath , God , religion , christian and Bible
Read more at the source: Bible Heroes 4: Abraham – Faith Triumphs
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Vimeo / Downey Church’s videos.
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While in the Marine Corps, I spent some time in Africa conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. We did the majority of our missions in the Sahara Desert where I noticed the locals were extremely poor. Most lived in tents made from camel hides and were able to move at a moment’s notice. The richer ones lived in stone houses, and there were a few that lived in tin houses.
I’m not exactly sure what they ate, but I assume they had some type of small agricultural system. There were a few goat herders so I suppose goat milk and goat meat was also part of their diet. As far as water goes, I saw one woman pulling it out of a muddy hole in the ground where a river used to flow.
During the first few weeks there, we put our trash in a large dumpster that was rented from the capitol city, located miles away. This turned out to be a problem though. The locals were so short on food they dug through our trash looking for scraps to eat. In the process of doing this, trash was scattered everywhere and disease would soon start spreading. A decision was then made to bury our trash so that wouldn’t be a problem.
One day, on the way out for a patrol, we drove by a small tribe of locals. Some were begging as we passed by and I decided on the way back I would throw them a box of food. Normally, I sit in the passenger’s seat of the Humvee commanding the vehicle. But on the way back, I wanted to be in the turret behind the gun so I could do this. As we neared them, I saw them begging again and that’s when I threw the box of food out. I can still hear that woman’s voice saying, “Merci, Merci!” Helping these people is one of the best feelings I have ever had.
The Golden Rule
Jesus sums up the Old Testament by telling us, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). This is also known as the Golden Rule. If I was standing on the side of the road begging for food I would want someone to give me something to eat. This is why I did what I did.
In order to fully adhere to the Golden Rule we can’t be judgmental of others and their situation. Before Jesus mentions the Golden Rule He asks, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye” (Matthew 7:3)? If I was judging the locals for being poor I would have never given them some of my own food to eat.
I did this as a sinner before I knew Christ and His Word, so you know Jesus expects even more from believers. Are you living by the Golden Rule?
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By David Wolstenholm. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.
Read more at the source: Golden Rule
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.
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| Photo: Lotus Head |
It was Saturday night. I was sitting alone in our family’s car, watching the people walking by. I was six years old, and broke. My parents were migrant workers, and didn’t have money to give away. Our car was parked in front of an old-fashioned ice cream soda shop. As I watched the people coming out with their frozen delights, it was more than I could take. I needed some money. When Dad and Mom said “No,” there had to be some other way.
I saw a man coming up the sidewalk, holding his little girl’s hand. When I asked him for some money, he gave me enough to buy two ice cream cones. That was easy enough. All I did was ask.
The Bible says we can come to God and ask. Ask in the faith of a child. “Ask, and you will receive” (Matthew 7:7, NLT). You don’t have to go on a long trip to get answers. Or pay someone. God knows your heart’s desires before you ask. And God’s just waiting for you to ask for His blessings. But you have to ask. In fact, the Bible says, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2, NKJV).
God says, “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11, NLT).
God Doesn’t Play Favorites
I’m not saying that God is like some heavenly Santa Claus. God loves you too much to give you everything you ask for, or something that wouldn’t be best for you, or cause you problems later on. Your happiness is very important to God.
Some people think that God has favorites and that He doesn’t love everyone the same. No way. The Bible says, “Everyone who asks will receive” (Matthew 7:8, NLT). All you need to do is ask in faith .God says, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?” (Matthew 7:9, NLT). Asking in faith means we trust God to do the right thing.
Of course, there are conditions. We have to ask according to God’s will. “Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, NKJV).
Also, “we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him. (1 John 3:22, NLT).
Is there a longing in your heart for God’s blessings today? Just ask.
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By Bob DuBose. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the New Living Translation © copyright 1996 and NEW KING JAMES VERSION © 1982.
Read more at the source: Just Ask
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.
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| Photo: Lynne Lancaster |
“Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:20).
In today’s “information age” when our senses are continuously bombarded with stimuli, silence can be an obscure commodity. We often find ourselves longing for quietness and mental peace amidst the onslaught of turmoil and catastrophe.
If one’s wealth in this world is measured by his thinking, as author and naturalist Sam Campbell believed, then managing our everyday thoughts is of extreme value. A definition of meditation which I like is: Stilling the endless chatter of your mind and listening for the still small voice of God within.
Meditation and prayer are huge subjects and mean many different things to different people. For myself, I have found four things that give consistency and meaning to my personal quest for quiet times of meditation and prayer.
First I must be truly committed to my allotted time. I choose early mornings to minimize interruptions. When I need encouragement to continue this discipline I review mentally what happens when I skip days.
Next I need a special, private place. This can be a specific chair or desk, or if the weather allows, a place outside. Some people like to have two chairs so they can imagine Christ sitting beside them. Since I am a visual person I have a picture that I like of Jesus—rugged, windblown, smiling slightly, kind yet piercing eyes. I know it’s just an artist’s conception, but it helps me stay focused.
Helpful Tips
It also helps to have needed materials together and in a handy place. Many people read from the Bible or other inspirational books. Some listen to uplifting music and write in prayer journals. My weekly prayer journal entries help me concentrate not only on what/whom I am praying about, but also serve as a wonderful source of peace and encouragement as I review page after page of requests followed by the answers God has sent. (I’ve been doing this for 10 years.) My journal also keeps my prayers organized—each day I pray for a certain category—so I never feel like I’m forgetting something really important! I don’t say the same words every day, although I have written and memorized short prayers that express my heart’s desire towards God which I repeat often.
Finally, I find that joining with other like-minded people in discussion or actual prayer time is beneficial. Prayer partners and prayer chains not only give more things to pray about but also more opportunities for sharing thankfulness and praise. Like all other spiritual disciplines, meditation and prayer become more meaningful with practice and experience. And as we grow spiritually we will lavish less of our time in the noisy crush and rush of “life in the fast lane” and devote more energy toward developing a spiritual standard for ourselves and following generations.
Isn’t it fascinating that the most real things in the world are invisible? And becoming aware of the presence of the Unseen is one of the most real and fascinating things of all.
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By Brenda Dickerson. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®.
Read more at the source: Meaningful Meditations
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.
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The top of Mt. Everest is littered with used oxygen tanks and other unnecessaries that climbing aficionados have unloaded before their final ascent to the top of the world.
Space ships dump human waste, garbage and excess fuel into the deep blackness of the galaxy during missions, sending thousands of pounds of trash swirling in the reaches of the universe.
Endless stretches of Belizean beach are cluttered with aluminum cans, plastic diapers, trash bags and other refuse that come from land and ocean alike, marring the perfection of God’s nature.
Highway volunteers flock to clean up stretches of interstate lined with litter from passing vehicles.
Wherever the human race goes—be it land, water or outer space—we leave a trail of trash behind.
Pack It In, Pack It Out
My husband loves to spend his free hours and days biking, hiking and climbing. He knows the number one rule for enjoying nature: leave it better than you found it. That means not only packing out every iota of waste you might personally bring or create, but also cleaning up where others haven’t been as responsible.
Before plastic bottles and bags of trash, sin made a mess of our perfect earth. Strewing death, destruction and hate in its wake, there was only one way to sweep the planet clean from evil—a one-Man clean up crew.
Jesus ventured to earth to reassemble the wreckage Satan made of the human race, bringing hope to a hopeless people. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Better than simply cleansing the earth from sin, God is creating a place better than we can ever imagine. In John 14:2 (b)-3, Jesus comforts his disciples, “ I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also..”
Through his sacrifice, we have future to look forward to. No longer covered in the filth of sin, Christ’s people can shine with the light of his perfect love.
He came to earth and left it better than he found it. And that’s good news for all of us.
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By Lauren Schwarz. Copyright © 2015 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION © 1982.
Read more at the source: A Better Place
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.
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