Love the Overlooked

Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another. - I Peter 5:5 TEV

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:

Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Regardless of your strengths, training, or church tenure, you can...love the overlooked.

Jesus sits in your classroom, wearing the thick glasses, outdated clothing, and a sad face. You’ve seen him. He’s Jesus.

Jesus works in your office. Pregnant again, she shows up to work late and tired. No one knows the father. According to water-cooler rumors, even she doesn’t know the father. You’ve seen her. She’s Jesus.

When you talk to the lonely student, befriend the weary mom, you love Jesus. He dressed in the garb of the overlooked and ignored. “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40 MSG)

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Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times—1999 for "Just Like Jesus," 1997 for "In the Grip of Grace" and 1995 for "When God Whispers Your Name."

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists – a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past dozen years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. He has won eight ECPA Gold Medallion awards. - MaxLucado.com

Go to Max Lucado's Book Selection at Amazon to order now!

Choosing Blogosphere Battles, Internet Missions

There's something about the stream of thoughts on the internet that makes humanity very real...and that includes the exposition of good and evil.

Blogging, forums, discussions, and comment sections bring out the best and worst in people.

I'm going to try and discuss this kind of "spiritual battle" as often as I can here. I wanted to start today with part of this discussion found at BlogCatalog.

If you are new to social networking, just hang in there...there's nothing too complicated. Just follow along.

The group at BlogCatalog is Religious Debate. The Discussion headline: to all blievers. The discussion text: to all believers 2 simple questions do you thing that your religion is the true and the only true religion and if yes then why

BlogCatalog does a great thing...they allow "religious" discussion although, there was a moment when its managers were fed up with the "personal attacks" (a common social networking problem) so, they decided to sequester "religious topics" out of general discussion and into its own discussion group. However, it appears that's no longer the case.

Anyways, my response to the "2 simple questions" is this:

I don't belong to a particular "religion". I am Christian (which is not a religion). It means I am saved through Jesus. Yes, I made a decision to follow Him...but it was by His grace that I can have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus is the door.

My faith is real by the assurance I am given since the time I made that decision.

Now, whether someone follows a certain "religion" and then is able to spend eternity in heaven upon his death or not...is not my call!

Let me say this, I would highly discourage anyone from ignoring the possibility that Jesus is the answer! He has been for me and millions of others. My life has been transformed...and I have never been the same since!

....and I still have "fun"!

So, I'd like you to ponder this...we choose our battles...do you choose the blogosphere as your battleground for what you believe is right? ...and if you are a Christian...do you consider the internet a mission field?

Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

Prayer is Not Rubbing Bottle For a Genie

I want a home on the Big Island of Hawaii, a beach home in Southern California, and a mountain home in Colorado. Oh, and also an RV loaded to the max. Please, Lord, I pray these things for you to bless me with...Amen!

Isn't that how we often pray? "Rubbing" on God as if He was a genie, instead of praying for His will.

Praying is an important part of our life with Christ. Let's pray in earnest, knowing we truly are connected to Him. Let's pray with a desire to get closer to Him.

This from Greg Laurie's daily devotion:

THE PERIL OF PRAYERLESSNESS

If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. - James 1:5

The Bible's first recorded prayer of Jacob's is found in Genesis 32:9–16. Up to this point, seven chapters of Genesis have been devoted to Jacob's life, with no mention of prayer on his part.

It makes me wonder if Jacob had ever prayed up to this point. It is possible, but the Bible doesn't specifically mention it. It may have been Jacob's very lack of prayer and lack of dependence on God that made him feel as though he had to manipulate his circumstances.

It was commendable that Jacob was reaching out to God, and there are even some good things about his prayer. He acknowledged the God of Abraham and Isaac as the true God. He confessed his own unworthiness. He brought his petition to the Lord.

But it would have been better if he had said, "Lord, what should I do now?" Instead, he prayed and made his plans. In other words, he decided what he was going to do and then asked God to bless it.

Is that not like us? We make our plan and then ask God to bless it. But that is not really praying about a matter. Instead, we should pray along the lines of, "Lord, give me wisdom from your Word and from godly people who will guide me scripturally. Help me do the right thing."

But Jacob did not do that. He wanted what was right, but he went about it in the wrong way.

God helps those who can't help themselves. This is what Jacob needed to realize. Let's learn to seek out God's will rather than bypass it.

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Books by Greg Laurie can be found at Amazon.com.

Failure is Part of the Deal

Sometimes, I cry out for God's plan for me. I do OK with the short term stuff...like I know He wants me to show up to work today and do my best. But, it's the long term stuff I wish I had a "heads up" on.

When will it be the right time for marriage? Do I make a career change now or later? What type of ministry do I need to be involved in? What's my purpose?

Whether or not you're asking yourself and God these particular questions, or other important ones, there's one thing for certain...there will be failures.

So, how do we deal with failures? This morning I found a way...a very good way. First, know that failure is part of the deal of living. Second, give it up to God...He already factored failure into your life and has planned a way for you to come out of it...on the victorious side!

This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:

FACING FAILURE

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written..." - Mark 14:27

As you follow Jesus you will face moments of great distress. At times it will seem that events conspire to cause you to stumble in your relationship with Him. You do not initiate them, but they arise from opposition or the intensity of your circumstances. Nevertheless, failure is the end result. The disciples faced such fierce opposition to their Lord that they all failed Him on the night Jesus was crucified.

Peter boasted that he was incapable of forsaking Jesus (Mark 14:29–31). Yet Jesus assured the disciples even before their failure that it was inevitable. The Scriptures had prophesied it. God always knew the disciples would fail His Son; He wasn’t caught by surprise. He had made provision for their shortcomings, knowing He would eventually develop them into apostles who would fearlessly preach the gospel, perform miracles, and teach others. Later, when the risen Christ encountered Peter on the seashore, He did not ask Peter for a confession of his sin, but a confession of his love (John 21:15–17).

You may fear that your failure has caught God by surprise. Perhaps you promised, like Peter, to stand with the Lord, but you failed. God was just as aware that you would fail Him as He was with the original disciples. He has made provision to respond every time you stumble. Don’t think that somehow your failures are bigger or more complex than any God has dealt with. If you are facing challenges that seem overwhelming, don’t be discouraged. God has already foreseen them and prepared for them. (1 Cor. 10:13).

__________


Gold Medallion Award winner "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" is based on Henry Blackaby’s multi-million selling Experiencing God book and Bible study. Find insight and grace in this 365-day devotional focused on the divine presence in each life. This book will help you see what God has instore for you while sustaining the essential habit of turning to God on a daily basis.

Take a look at these top devotionals

Love That Always Protects

The celebration of Easter Sunday has come and gone. I feel like I need to fast for a week after all the food I ate yesterday...but, the joy I felt throughout the day is something I want to linger for a long time.

Let us be strong in Him, not forget Him from moment to moment...and remember His love is unmatchable.

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2:

A CLOAK OF LOVE

Love...always protects. - I Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

When Paul said, “Love always protects,” he might have been thinking of a coat. One scholar thinks he was. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is known for its word study, not its poetry. But the scholar sounds poetic as he explains the meaning of protect as used in I Corinthians 13:7. The word conveys, he says, “the idea of covering with a cloak of love.”

Remember receiving one? You were nervous about the test, but the teacher stayed late to help you. You were far from home and afraid, but your mother phoned to comfort you. You were innocent and accused, so your friend stood to defend you. Covered with tender-hearted care. Covered with protection. Covered with a cloak of love.

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

Lucado: 'Six Hours One Friday'

Today, I really need to live in the power of the cross. My lower back hurts, I need to accomplish about 20 things before tomorrow, and I feel a bit overwhelmed. But, what does that mean to "live in the power of the cross"?

Around the world today, many people are celebrating Good Friday. After reading an excerpt from Max Lucado's Six Hours One Friday: Living in the Power of the Cross this morning, I realize that there is so much more than marking this day with a celebration. I feel that I need to pause and reflect on the day in which Jesus spent His last hours on the cross. You may feel the same way, too.

What an amazing thing to think about...we are forgiven and loved by a Savior who died for us...and as Lucado continues in his book...and an empty tomb proclaims that death does not have the final word.

Wow! Can I hear an amen?

Happy Easter everyone!

--Alexander
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This from Max Lucado's Six Hours One Friday:

THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead…This is the Good News I preach. - 2 Timothy 2:8

In a letter written within earshot of the sharpening blade that would sever his head, Paul urged Timothy to remember. You can almost picture the old warrior smiling as he wrote the words. "Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead…This is the Good News I preach." ...

When times get hard, remember Jesus. When people don’t listen, remember Jesus. When tears come, remember Jesus.

When disappointment is your bed partner, remember Jesus. Remember holiness in tandem with humanity. Remember the sick who were healed with callused hands. Remember the dead called from the grace with a Galilean accent. Remember the eyes of God that wept human tears.

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Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times—1999 for "Just Like Jesus," 1997 for "In the Grip of Grace" and 1995 for "When God Whispers Your Name."

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists – a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past dozen years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. He has won eight ECPA Gold Medallion awards. - MaxLucado.com

Go to Max Lucado's Book Selection at Amazon to order now!

Asking For Wings

No one guarantees that life transforms into a rose garden when one becomes a Christian. I know that for me, accepting Jesus eight years ago was thrilling, somewhat scary, and a high like I have never felt. However, the years since He first entered my heart, have not been lived in a continual state of euphoria...nor should it be...(aw, shucks). For a feel-good junkie like myself, this concept is a difficult one to accept.

Today was a rough day...oh, nothing extraordinary happened, but I feel tired and weary. Fortunately, at 7 pm, I went to the Word...and as I go over a devotion by Billy Graham, I am refreshed in a quiet way...knowing that it doesn't matter what mood I'm in...God still loves me! I just need to ask Him for my wings.

This from Billy Graham's Hope for Each Day:

SOARING IN VICTORY

Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. - John 3:3

In the third chapter of John, Jesus teaches that the new birth is something God does for us, as we yield ourselves to Him and put our faith and trust in Christ. We do not have within ourselves the seed of the new life; this must come from God.

One day an ugly caterpillar climbs into a tree and spins a silky robe about itself. It goes to sleep, and in a few weeks emerges a beautiful butterfly.

So we...discouraged, unhappy, hounded by guilt, confused, depressed, vainly looking for and escape...can come by faith to Christ and emerge a new person. We can be born again! It sounds incredible, even impossible...and yet it is precisely what happens. We become members of God's family, looking forward to our eternal home in Heaven.

Do you feel you are in a cocoon? Turn to Christ and ask Him to give you your beautiful wings so that you might soar above your problems and be victorious over them.

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In 'Hope for Each Day,' Billy Graham offers spiritual comfort to guide us through our daily lives. Graham is considered a national treasure and has counseled numerous political leaders and provided comfort in times of public crisis.

Barely Holding On

Four dollars per gallon at the pump...foreclosure crisis...the tightening of the credit policies...the strain on business... If we are honest about ourselves, even without considering these current issues, chances are many of us are just barely holding on in one or two areas of our life...but we don't tend to talk about them. - Barry Minkow, during the introduction of his message last Sunday at Community Bible Church of San Diego.

Finishing out my work this evening I plugged into Pastor Barry Minkow's message titled "Broken." He reviews the story of eight people who came in Christ's path shortly before he died on the cross...and what state of mind or emotions they must have been in...most likely just barely holding on.

You can listen to his audio here (Broken 3/16/08).

It made my evening...and I hope you find it impactful as well.

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CLEANING UP

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Before he was even old enough to drink, he had bank accounts, a Ferrari, a mansion, a multi-million dollar corporation, and a desperate little secret . . . it was all a lie. Most of us can't imagine life getting much worse than it got for Barry Minkow, the one-time Wall Street wiz kid who catapulted his company to stardom and success only to see it exposed as a $300-million fraud. Most of us can't imagine spending more than seven years in federal prison and coming out owing victims $26 million. Most of us can't imagine our careers changing from FBI target to FBI trainer, from CEO to senior pastor, from con man to con catcher. Or can we? We've all slipped up. We've all failed. Cleaning Up is Barry Minkow's comeback story-a powerful a tale of redemption and inspiration, of second chances and setting things right. More than a decade from defrauding investors, today, as cofounder of the Fraud Discovery Institute, he's uncovered over a billion dollars worth of investment scams...and pastors a church in San Diego.

Peace Beyond Understanding

It's Monday, the work week has just started, and I'm already stressed. Thankfully, I can pause, read God's Word for a bit and move on with a sigh of relief...and yes, even peace.

I pray your day is one of peace!

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment: Volume 2:

PEACE THROUGH PRAYER

God’s peace…will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7

The worrisome heart pays a high price for doing so. Worry come from the Greek word that means “to divide the mind.” Anxiety splits us right down the middle, creating a double-minded thinker. Rather than take away tomorrow’s trouble, worry voids today’s strength. Perception is divided, wasting your energy. Who can afford to lose power?

But how can we stop doing so? Paul offers a two-pronged answer: God’s part and our part. Our part includes prayer and gratitude. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Phil. 4:6 NLT, emphasis mine).

God’s part? “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Phil. 4:7 NLT).

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

Celebrating the Case for Easter

The Easter season is upon us and maybe it's time we reflect on what this celebration really is all about. I've selected some tools here to maybe help us along.

It's not enough to just say, "Well, Jesus was this great guy who lived a long time ago." There's more to it than that. Simply put, He died and rose from the dead for our sins. It's His resurrection that's more than just a big deal. It is our hope and our salvation.

So, to sum it up, this is just a blog post you're reading...but, right there, while you're staring at your computer screen, you can pray that He enters you life.

May you find Him now!

Happy Easter!

- Alexander

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Did Jesus of Nazareth really rise from the dead?
Of the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity.

But a dead man coming back to life? In our sophisticated age, when myth has given way to science, who can take such a claim seriously? Some argue that Jesus never died on the cross. Conflicting accounts make the empty tomb seem suspect. And post-crucifixion sightings of Jesus have been explained in psychological terms.

How credible is the evidence for-and against-the resurrection? Focusing his award-winning skills as a legal journalist on history's most compelling enigma, Lee Strobel retraces the startling findings that led him from atheism to belief. Drawing on expert testimony first shared in his blockbuster book The Case for Christ, Strobel examines:

The Medical Evidence-Was Jesus' death a sham and his resurrection a hoax?

The Evidence of the Missing Body-Was Jesus' body really absent from his tomb?

The Evidence of Appearances-Was Jesus seen alive after his death on the cross?

Written in a hard-hitting journalistic style, The Case for Easter probes the core issues of the resurrection. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead: superstitious myth or life-changing reality? The evidence is in. The verdict is up to you.


Also, consider The Case for Easter Book & DVD Set.

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

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Don't pay attention to the critics on this one. The Passion of the Christ is a classic. Mel Gibson's movie focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

Adams: Constitution Made For Moral and Religious

The drumbeat from non-believers in the U.S. is deafening...we are not a Christian nation, we were not founded on Christian principles, the Constitution is for separation of church and state...and so on.

I beg to differ.

This from PresidentialPrayerTeam.org:

PRESIDENTIAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

— John Adams, October 11, 1798
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Consider picking up a copy of Lee Strobel's The Case for Easter Book & DVD Set. Doing so just may change someone's life!

Commandment of Love

Last night, I felt that I did not love God enough. I haven't been talking (praying) to Him enough, praising Him enough, or simply acknowledging Him enough. So, I prayed, asking Him to help me love Him.

You know when you have those moments that are kind of twilight zone-ish...the ones like when you were just thinking about someone and the phone rings and it's that someone you were just thinking about. Or, when you were singing a worship song in the shower Sunday morning, you arrive at church only to here the same song being sung by the choir.

Well, something like that happened this morning.

I opened up one of my devotionals, and the one for today is about loving God...and how we are commanded to do so!

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

COMMANDMENT OF LOVE

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, will all your soul, and with all your mind. - Matthew 22:37

Loving God is a commandment in God's Word because, like following all the commandments, loving God brings good into our lives. It is not a commandment because God fears that we will not love Him unless He commands us to do so. Rather, it is a commandment because God alone is worthy to be loved. It is the only appropriate response to make toward One who loves as He loves. There is no other acceptable or honorable response we can make. It's as if we are being told, "There's only one right thing to do, so do it."
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Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

Expect Great and Mighty Things

Reading excerpts of Henry T. Blackaby's book Experiencing God and his subsequent Day by Day devotional has always been an eye-opener for me. It's incredible to think about the fact that God is so much more than simply the God of the Bible. He is more than someone or something you put on a shelf and pull out every so often. He is as real today as He ever was...and we can see Him work in and around us with just a little bit of faith.

It is an ever maturing faith that I long for so that I can become more aware of His presence...and those "God moments" come more an more often.

This from Blackaby's Day by Day:

RAISING OUR EXPECTATIONS

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. - Jeremiah 33:3

Too often we settle for much less than what God wants to do through us. We read in Jeremiah 32:27: “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for Me?” and we answer, “No Lord.” Yet, when we face difficult situations we begin to qualify our belief in God and lower our expectations of what God will do. It is one thing to believe God could perform a miracle in the Bible, or a thousand years ago, or even in the life of a friend; it is quite another matter to wholeheartedly believe God can do anything He chooses to do in our lives!

When almighty God speaks to us, what we do next proves what we believe about Him, regardless of what we say. God revealed to Moses His plan to orchestrate the greatest exodus in human history, and He wanted to use Moses to accomplish it. Moses responded by arguing with God! Moses was overwhelmed by what he heard and began to make excuses for why he could not participate_in God’s activity. Moses would have readily acknowledged his belief in God’s power, he simply did not believe God could do His miraculous work through his life. Moses’ argument with God limited his ministry for the rest of his life (Exod. 4:13–16).

Do you sense there may be far more that God wants to do through your life than what you have been experiencing? Ask God to show you what it is, then be prepared to respond in faith and obedience to what He tells you.

Gold Medallion Award winner "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" is based on Henry Blackaby’s multi-million selling Experiencing God book and Bible study. Find insight and grace in this 365-day devotional focused on the divine presence in each life. This book will help you see what God has instore for you while sustaining the essential habit of turning to God on a daily basis.

Take a look at these top devotionals

Seeking Uninterrupted Awareness

If it's Monday, it must be time for some Max Lucado. At least that's what I've been trying to post on this site on Mondays...a devotion from one of his books. As for the rest of the week, this site, both a blog and a place to find the right devotional books for you, posts from some top Christian authors. You may even find some of my own words. If these devotionals are a blessing to you, please drop me a comment and consider getting a copy of any of the devotionals featured here.

As we start this week, let us remember how valuable prayer is to ourselves! God already knows what's up...we just need to keep trying to align ourselves with Him...the one who has all the answers.

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2:

REDEFINING PRAYER

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. - Colossians 4:2 NKJV

Early Christians were urged to

“pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17 NASB);
“always be prayerful” (Rom. 12:12 NLT);
“pray at all times and on every occasion” (Eph. 6:18 NLT).

Sound burdensome? Are you wondering, my business needs attention, my children need dinner, my bills need paying. How can I stay in a place of prayer?

Do this. Change your definition of prayer. Think of prayer less as an activity for God and more as an awareness of God. Seek to live in uninterrupted awareness. Acknowledge his presence everywhere you go. As you stand in line to register your car, think, Thank you, Lord, for being here. In the grocery as you shop, Your presence, my King, I welcome. As you wash the dishes, worship your Maker.

____________________

Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times—1999 for "Just Like Jesus," 1997 for "In the Grip of Grace" and 1995 for "When God Whispers Your Name."

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists – a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past dozen years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. He has won eight ECPA Gold Medallion awards. - MaxLucado.com

Go to Max Lucado's Book Selection at Amazon to order now!

Just One Thing

I want a lot. But maybe I should not want so much and do just one thing - love God. This is my prayer: to love God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. Do I need encouragement? Yes, I do daily...and I found a good dose right here...

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. - 1 Peter 3:12

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

God's plan for your life is that you might be in close fellowship with Him. The means of having that close fellowship is accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. In accepting Jesus Christ, you are receving God's forgiveness and opening yourself up to His love.

That's your number one reason for living on this earth--to love God in return. That is the foremost aspect of the destiny God has for you!

Once you have received God's forgiveness...then you are ready to fulfill the rest of God's plan for your life, which is this: to follow the Lord wherever He leads you. Your destiny will unfold before you as you obey the daily prompting and leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.


Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

Wisdom from the Psalms: Blessings

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. - Psalm 23:5

This from Dan R. Dick's Wisdom from the Psalms:

Some people never find satisfaction in the things they do have, but spend their entire lives wishing for things they don't have. They are never happy with where their lives are going, they feel empty in their relationships, and therefore they find it impossible to give thanks for the many blessings they have been given.

As Christians, we are people of praise. Every prayer we offer unto God should acknowledge the many wonderful things that He has done for us. Only a blind person can deny the beauty and splendor of this world. God gives good things to His children, and we should be thankful for all that we have.

Prayer

Lord, I cannot believe how much I have been given. Help open my eyes to the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me. Make me thankful, Lord. Amen.

Testimonial: My mother recommended this book to me. Before I got this book I had good days and bad days but since I started reading this book every morning before the start of my day and it has made my days go great. Wisdom from the Psalms has helped me put things into perspective and inspires me to appreciate my life as it is. If you feel lost, lack inspiration, and need to feel better about your life this book is a must. It not only strengthens your spirit but it reaffirms even the shakiest bond with God. I have shared this book with a friend who is dealing with the passing of one of her children and it has made a world of a difference for her. You owe it to yourself to check this book out. - James C

Get Wisdom from the Psalms: Daily Thoughts and Meditations now!

Getting to the End of Yourself

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2 Peter 3:18

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

Spiritual growth is a process. There is an order. Lessons must be learned before other lessons can be assimilated....

I don't know where you are in the process, but God does. He is engineering your circumstances with a definite result in mind. Part of His plan is to bring you to the end of yourself, to a point of desperation where you get so sick of yourself and your inability to change that you throw up your hands in surrender. When that happens, you are closer than you have ever been to knowing the joy of the Spirit-filled life.


Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

Is This All There Is?

Something is awry—we feel disconnected. We connect with a career, find meaning in family, yet long for something more.

From Max Lucado's 3:16, The Numbers of Hope

We feel the frustration I felt on Christmas morning, 1964. I assembled a nine-year-old’s dream gift: a genuine Santa Fe Railroad miniature train set, complete with battery-powered engine and flashing crossing lights. I placed the locomotive on the tracks and watched in sheer glee as three pounds of pure steel wound its way across my bedroom floor. Around and around and around and . . . around . . . and around . . . After some time I picked it up and turned it the other direction. It went around and around and around . . .

“Mom, what else did you get me for Christmas?”
Similarly, our lives chug in long ovals, one lap after another.

First job. Promotion. Wedding day. Nursery beds. Kids. Grandkids. Around and around . . . Is there anything else? Our dissatisfaction mates with disappointment and gives birth to some unruly children: drunkenness, power plays, eighty-hour workweeks, nosedives into sexual perversions—all nothing more than poorly disguised longings for Eden. We long to restore what Adam lost. As someone once said, “The man who knocks on the door of a brothel is seeking God.”

Where and when the brothel fails, Jesus steps forth with a reconnection invitation. Though we be “dead in [our] transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1) and separated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18), whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (I John 5:1). Reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.” (John 1:13.)

Don’t miss the invisible, inward miracle triggered by belief. God reinstates us to Garden-of-Eden status. What Adam and Eve did, we now do! The flagship family walked with God; we can too. They heard his voice; so can we. They were naked and unashamed; we can be transparent and unafraid. No more running or hiding.

Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! - 1 Pet. 1:3–4 MSG


If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

Strength in Weakness?

Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:10

It's not easy admitting to being weak when we really want to be strong. We live in a performance driven, success orientated world. Who wants to be weak? Yet, when we find ourselves overwhelmed...wanting financial success, better health, a happier relationship, and so on...we can find hope when there seems to be none.

So, why is it a good idea to admit we are weak...make that a great idea? Because in doing so, we aknowledge God, not ourselves as the creator of our life, our destiny, and our purpose.

Like anybody else, I want success in life. But it doesn't always seem to come my way the way I'd like it to. I was bumming out (old school expression) on the fact that my money situation should be better, my weight should be lower, and my work should be more satisfying. Then, I looked up "strength" in the index part of my Bible...I felt I needed some. That's when I found the verse, 2 Corinthians 12:10, and I was no longer "bumming out."

...For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What a wonderful thing to know! Admit to God that you are weak and He is the one you can lean on for strength, not your own. Just the thought alone should give you strength...and something to remember always.

Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.