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A Better Place

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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.

Party Line

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When I was six years old, my parents had a telephone installed in our home for the first time. We resided in a very rural area, so a telephone was a luxury that we had never experienced before. Because private telephone lines were expensive, my parents opted for an option that kept us on the same cable as four other families.

The option was called a “party line,” and it was anything but a party! In order to make a phone call, the line had to be clear of other callers, and there was only one way that we knew of to check; pick up the receiver and listen in. If we heard talking, we simply hung up, waited a few minutes, and checked again.

It was the common practice of many people in those days to listen in on the telephone conversations of other neighbors, and thus learn more about their lives. It started many rumors in our area, and on more than one occasion I can recall a neighbor sharing a juicy tidbit that they had heard on the “party-line” while listening in, and whoever chose to listen, got an “ear full!”

Watch Your Tongue

Party lines are a thing of the past, but sadly, the issue of gossip is not. We have choices to make when it comes to sharing and receiving tales about other’s lives, and the scriptures call us to choose wisely.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies” (Psalm 34:13, NIV).

“The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble, the conversation of good people keeps them out of it” (Proverbs 12:13, Message/Remix).

God calls us to choose to speak only good words about others, and when we encounter someone who is trashing another person’s character, motives, or qualities, we have the same option of doing what we did when we were on the party line; “disconnecting” and choosing not to listen. With God’s help, we can maintain a “private line.”

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By Michael Temple. Copyright © 2015 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® and THE MESSAGE / REMIX ®.

Read more at the source: Party Line

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.

How to Turn Mingle into Mission

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How to Turn Mingle into Mission

https://pmcdata.s3.amazonaws.com/pmc-audio/2015-09-05_0.mp3

Read more at the source: How to Turn Mingle into Mission

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from New Perceptions Television Audio Podcast.

Growing in Faith

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Before my car accident this past December I loved to stay busy. I had a full time job plus I had a couple side jobs that I made some money on here and there. I depended on myself to make money, pay the bills, put money away in savings, and have a little extra for spending. My whole world changed when I learned I wouldn’t be able to go back to work until the middle of April. That would mean I would be without a job and income for four months!

The first few weeks were stressful and I was full of anxiety. I didn’t know how I would make it through this. I prayed and prayed and I heard God tell me to trust in him. From then on I knew that God would take care of me and my wife so I didn’t worry about my financial situation any more.

I came to realize that my faith in the Lord was not as strong as it should be and that God allowed me to face a situation where my faith could grow stronger. And my faith has grown tremendously in these last few weeks. God is opening up new doors for me.

Unexpected Wake-Up Call

You may think you are doing things right and walking the way Christians are supposed to walk. Then one day you get a wake up call. It might not be pleasant, but God uses these situations to mold us into stronger Christians.

Jesus had the perfect personality. Though we will never be perfect like Him, we can strive to be like Him. Sometimes we will find ourselves in situations that are out of our comfort zone. But what we do in these situations is what will enable us to become more mature in our Christian walk.

Look to God for guidance in everything you do. Paul tells us that “my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Do not despair. You will make it through the hard times and become stronger and more faithful. Keep your trust in Jesus.

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By David Wolstenholm. Copyright © 2015 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: Growing in Faith

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Family First.

How to Turn Mission into Possible

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How to Turn Mission into Possible

https://pmcdata.s3.amazonaws.com/pmc-audio/2015-08-29_0.mp3

Read more at the source: How to Turn Mission into Possible

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from New Perceptions Television Audio Podcast.

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