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Pastimes : The Promises of GOD -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (597)	1/20/2005 11:50:18 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 621

Also, through trials and tribulations, we are able to mature in our faith. As difficult as this situation may be, there will be many who have the opportunity to come to God or grow in their faith as a result of these devastating tsunamis. James 1:12 tells us that “blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” What an encouragement it is to know that when the dark trials of life are over, Jesus stands ready to present His children with the “crown of life”—eternal life, free of tragedy, heartache, and loss. This is a promise the world needs to hear right now. For those dealing directly with the situation, answers may seem impossible to find and confusion may rule the hour, but God will provide a way out of this tragedy, regardless of the bleakness of the current situation. Second Corinthians 1:4 tells us that He “will comfort us in all our affliction.” As believers, we can rest in knowing that catastrophic tragedy is not beyond the Lord’s scope of comfort. And that is the most encouraging truth you can rest on. God can take the darkest, most devastating event and use it for His glory. (1 Peter 4:12-13) For example, no event seemed darker than Christ’s death on the cross, yet through His sacrifice we are able to gain salvation. In that, the greatest tragedy became the greatest triumph. That is how God works sometimes. For some, though, difficult answers may simply not come. It is then that our faith is truly tested. How much are we willing to lean on God when our human minds can’t comprehend His ways? To this, Oswald Chambers writes: “Will He find the kind of faith that counts on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him now.” May those of you who were in any way affected by this devastating tragedy reach out to the Lord. Place your trust in Him and allow your faith to be strengthened. URL:http://www.intouch.org/highlights/godintragedy2_39421772.html

To: calgal who wrote (597)	1/22/2005 10:25:39 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 621

29 January Endurance in the Race JAMES 1:1-4 The Christian life is an awesome journey that is meant to bring fulfillment and contentment, along with great rewards. Of course, if someone asked me about the Christian life, I would also have to say that it is full of hardship, difficulty, misunderstanding, rejection, doubt, and failure. It is not all pain, suffering, and heartache, but neither is it all happiness. More than likely, someone is going to ask, "Why would I want to be Christian if it's going to hurt?" The simple answer is that we will never be what God intends until we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. No amount of riches, power, or success will satisfy us like an intimate relationship with God. Becoming a Christian does not suddenly dry up all the present or future suffering in our life. The difference is that we now know the loving Father, who has absolute control over everything we endure. He promises to love us through it all and care for us. And He promises to limit every trial so that we can bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) With each trial, we mature in our walk. While none of us likes pain, difficulty produces the character qualities that enable us to stay on the path God chooses. We will not become discouraged to the point of quitting if we respond with endurance. The result of endurance is that we learn to look above the things that distract us—like criticism, rejection, and setbacks—and we increasingly find ourselves able to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=01%2F29%2F2005

To: calgal who wrote (597)	1/22/2005 10:25:49 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 621

30 January Holding On To Our Hope 1 Samuel 1:1-18 Bob was a Christian with a secular job who labored daily beside an atheist. To avoid contention, Bob began witnessing only when the atheist opened the conversation to Bob’s beliefs or to God. But there was an undercurrent in their relationship: Bob’s co-worker was always negative. The atheist launched his criticism constantly–about everybody and everything. Bob held up well against his co-worker’s attitude for a while. But over time Bob began compromising. The co-worker had criticized Bob and his beliefs so often that Bob was losing sight of the legitimate hopes and dreams Christ had placed in his heart. Eventually, Bob became increasingly critical. Finally, it was difficult for their fellow workers to see much difference between Bob and the atheist. Criticism is a hope-stealer. It sometimes comes even from well-meaning believers. Yet we always should keep our focus on God. We should give weight to the opinions of others only rarely–and then only when convinced the person giving counsel is godly and walking closely with Jesus. Hannah’s response to her nagging rival was appropriate and God-honoring. She never lost hope, never gave in to her rival’s ways. Instead, she earnestly prayed to her heavenly Father and trusted in His perfect answer and timing. URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=01%2F30%2F2005

To: calgal who wrote (597)	1/22/2005 10:25:59 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 621

22 January The Ultimate Race HEBREWS 12:1-3 Sports are a significant part of American culture. It dominates many people's thinking, influences their schedules, draws their money, and fuels their pleasure. In fact, sports have been valued by societies since ancient times. New Testament writers integrated sport metaphors into their letters to make a spiritual point, as the author of Hebrews did in today's passage. In the first verse, we find the key to running the race of life successfully: endurance. You may be one of those people who started well—you had lots of dreams and ideas about what you wanted to accomplish. Yet perhaps somewhere along the way, you faced tragedy, setback, or failure and as a result, took your eyes off the running path. When your focus strays from your goals and dreams, it is easy to wander from the path and conclude it is impossible to find your way back. Sadly, that is a choice not to end well. God has a path for each of us. And along that trail are weaknesses, pain, and disappointments. But these things must not defeat us. The difference between people who finish their life race well and others who do not is endurance. Those who end well refuse to give up, in spite of any adversity threatening to blow them off their God-given course. Endurance doesn't mean sitting back, looking for the easy way out of trials. Instead, it means deciding to put our face to the wind and use the energy granted by the Holy Spirit to persevere through the rough patch. To endure is the only way to finish our race successfully. URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=01%2F22%2F2005