In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.
- John 1:1-5
Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Fellowship Church in Riverside and founder of the Harvest Crusades, recently released Lost Boy: My Story. Anyone interested in not only how Laurie came to be one of the most prolific evangelicals of our time, but a peak at how Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith's preaching affected many during the "Jesus movement," will want to read this book.
If you haven't been to TheScroogeReport yet, now is your opportunity. I've posted a Christmas devotional there by Rick Warren, Christmas is a Time of Salvation.
Now, more than ever, challenged by the tough economic times, our celebration of Christmas is important!
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. - John 1:14 NKJV
This morning I needed to reconnect. I dropped on my knees and prayed. I told God I was sorry for being such a loser...and you know what? He told me it was OK, that He loved me no matter what, and to be strong in Him. I started to cry and after a few good heaves, He told me to get up and start my day.
At work, at my computer, before I started doing my job, I read a blog post from wafererjon at walking with Father. His journal-style blog was titled "Why Do I Write This Blog?" For me, it was encouraging, and yet another way to reconnect with the one who loves me no matter what.
One more attempt at bolstering up my day brought me to a devotion by Max Lucado...and now I think I'm ready to start my day! There's no debating that God loves me...sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't. But, that doesn't matter. He loves me all the time.
I hope and pray you find the encouragement you need to do this day, walking strong, knowing He loves you!
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:
"The Word became flesh," John said. In other words…he was touchable, approachable, reachable. And, what’s more, he was ordinary. If he were here today, you probably wouldn’t notice him as he walked through a shopping mall. He wouldn’t turn heads by the clothes he wore or the jewelry he flashed.
"Just call me Jesus," you can almost hear him say.
He was the kind of fellow you’d invite to watch the Rams-Giants game at your house. He’d wrestle on the floor with your kids, doze on your couch, and cook steaks on your grill. He’d laugh at your jokes and tell a few of his own. And when you spoke, he’d listen to you as if he had all the time in eternity.
And one thing’s for sure, you’d invite him back.
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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
Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near. - Ephesians 2:13
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:
AN OPEN DOOR
Nothing remains between you and God but an open door.
Something happened in the death of Christ that opened the door for you and me. And that something is described by the writer of Hebrews.
"So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus' death. We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain–Christ's body" (Heb. 10:19-20).
To the original readers, those last four words were explosive: "the curtain–Christ's body." According to the writer, the curtain equals Jesus. Hence, whatever happened to the flesh of Jesus happened to the curtain. What happened to his flesh? It was torn. Torn by the whips, torn by the thorns. Torn by the weight of the cross and the point of the nails. But in the horror of his torn flesh, we find the splendor of the open door.
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Reading a Max Lucado book is as comfortable as having coffee and conversation with a close friend. He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart is signature Lucado: warm, conversational storytelling blended with scripture, humor, and vulnerability. Lucado invites us to understand the symbols surrounding Christ's crucifixion and celebrate the significance of the promises they offer. From the sign in different languages tacked to the cross ("I will speak to you in your language") to the burial clothing ("I can turn your tragedy into triumph"), he speaks of each symbol as a "gift of grace" that reveals God's love for mankind... - Amazon
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. — Mark 16:12
Hope you were able to catch the Harvest event this past weekend. I felt that Greg Laurie gave some remarkably powerful messages. Laurie had lost his son, Christopher, only days before the evangelical outreach. His "Heaven is a lot closer now" statement will reverberate for a long time.
This from Greg Laurie's Daily Devotion:
WALKING WITH JESUS
I think it's interesting to note those to whom Jesus chose to appear after His resurrection. We don't read about Him appearing to Caiaphas or Caesar.
Now if it had been me, the first person I would have appeared to would have been Pilate: "Yo, Pilate! Remember me? Can't keep a good man down, can you?" Or I would have appeared to Caiaphas, the high priest who, for the most part, orchestrated the crucifixion.
But it is interesting how Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and joined them on their journey. We don't know who they were, and they are not mentioned again in the Bible.
The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared in another form to them as they went into the country. In other words, He was going incognito. They didn't know that it was Jesus.
The last sight they had of the Lord was His beaten and bloodied body. Surely they wanted to get that image out of their minds.
There they were, walking along, and Jesus was walking with them. It's a reminder to us that at all times, even when we don't realize it, Jesus is walking with us.
Isaiah 43:2 promises, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."
Maybe when you are in church, you feel close to God. But wherever you go, you can know that Jesus is with you there too. When you are going through hard times, even when you cannot feel Him, Jesus is there.
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Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Fellowship Church in Riverside and founder of the Harvest Crusades, recently released Lost Boy: My Story. Anyone interested in not only how Laurie came to be one of the most prolific evangelicals of our time, but a peak at how Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith's preaching affected many during the "Jesus movement," will want to read this book.
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Some of us may be addicted to pleasure. We want the easy way out...the less painful...the less work...the most fun. Let's face it, some of us are pleasure junkies. We may have even kicked our serious addictions, such as alcohol or drugs, but we still seek pleasure at an unhealthy rate. It could be food, sex, TV, gambling...even laying on the couch too much...but we are still seeking escape.
So, what do we do to lead a life of fulfillment, even when we seem to never be satisfied? How do we accept a life that can't always be about pleasure?
The apostle Paul said, "So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time" - Galatians 6:9. Weeds (of pleasure) spring up quickly. Good crops (from hard work) grow more slowly and must be tended steadily, even before we can see anything sprout. It's only in time that we will enjoy the fruit.
Jesus suggested that we expand our perspective even further, with a view toward eternity. "Jesus said to the disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?'" - Matthew 16:24-26.
It is God's will for us to have a rewarding and fulfilled life. It may be easier to live a productive life if we remember that denying ourself immediate pleasures will bring a harvest of rich rewards in this life and in the life to come!
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Parts of this devotion were taken from the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. When I was first reading this version of the Bible with notes it was a total awakening. I view this Bible as the power of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mulitplied by 1,000! Get a copy now!
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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. 
You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 1 John 1:8
This from Greg Laurie's Daily Devotions:
I had to laugh when I heard the story of two men who approached the great British preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, one day and told him, "Spurgeon, we have reached sinless perfection."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," they said, "We are absolutely perfect."
Spurgeon was holding a pitcher of water at the time, and he poured it on their heads. When they began to react like any other sinners would, he found out just how perfect they were.
You see, the people who walk around claiming to have reached sinless perfection are victims of one of the most powerful yet subtle sins: pride. None of us will reach sinless perfection—not in this life.
Granted, before we were Christians, we were under the control and power of sin. We went along with whatever our sinful natures dictated.
But something dramatic happened when we received Christ. We were changed. The Bible says that we became new creations in Christ. Old things passed away and all things became new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
That is not to say we still don't struggle with sin and temptation. The Scripture clearly teaches that we will sin and that we will have lapses.
Although the Bible tells me I will sin, there is a difference between sinning and being sorry for it, and sinning habitually, persistently, and continually. If someone claims to be a Christian and yet continues in sin, my question is whether that person has ever been truly converted.
Some people wonder whether such a Christian ever could lose his or her salvation. I would suggest that another question should be asked instead: Did he or she ever experience salvation to begin with?
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Books by Greg Laurie can be found at Amazon.com.
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. - Luke 8:15
This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:
At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s word (Luke 8:5–18). If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged. If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, you will accept God’s word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions. A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s word from taking hold and producing righteousness. The heart that is like good soil receives a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christlike life.
Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hos. 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart. Meditate on God’s word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind. When you read or hear a word from God, apply it to your life and let God bring His word into reality in your life (Gal. 6:9). Protect your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God. The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it. If it was receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today. Daily prepare your heart for the word God has for you!
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"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 and around us.
Why is it that owning a car can be such a financial drain? First, there's the high purchase price of the car itself, then the high gas ($4.11 per gal at the time of this writing), then the repairs, and so on.
This morning, I had to take my car into the repair shop for a brake job and to fix the air conditioning. I'm not a happy camper. But wait! There is something to be grateful for! My mechanic took me to work and I sit here ready to put in a full day's work...car or no car.
It's often hard for us to be grateful. Sometimes we need to be nudged back into reality...the reality of God over us.
So, this morning in my mostly ungratefulness, even with me being safely at work, I read an email from a friend. It is mostly a cut and paste job from the first few paragraphs of a book.
It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
It's not the first time I read these words from Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. But they came again at a perfect time.
It's not about my brakes, my car, my finances, my job...it's not about me!
I rest in Him...regardless of what is going on with me or around me. You too, can have peace in Him...simply begin with knowing it's not about you.
Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. - Psalm 119:165 (NIV)
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Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life" is one of the top-selling books of all time. The book has been used as study material for Bible and book studies around the world.
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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. - John 5:19-20
This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:
Jesus, realizing that His role was that of a servant, never sought to initiate activity for the Father (Matt. 20:28). The servant never sets the agenda—the master does. The servant must be so alert to what the master is doing that whenever the master begins to move in a direction the servant quickly joins him. Even the Son of God did not assume He knew the best thing to do in a situation. Instead, He looked to see the Father’s activity and then joined Him. Jesus knew His Father so well that He was keenly sensitive to divine activity around Him, immediately recognizing His Father at work.
It is possible for us to be so busy trying to bring God into our activity that we don’t even notice Him at work around us. He seeks to redirect our attention so that we might join Him, but we tend to be self-centered, evaluating everything by how it affects us. We must learn to view events around us from God’s perspective. Then we will see our world very differently. When God brings someone across our path, we will look to see if God is convicting that person of his need for salvation. Perhaps God is comforting someone in her sorrow. God might be encouraging your friend as she faces a challenge. We will then adjust our lives to join God as He works in that person’s life. We ought to live each day with tremendous anticipation as we look to see where God is working around us. As our eyes are opened to His activity, we will marvel at His great works.
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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.
Some of us (me included) have self esteem issues. We say to ourselves things like, "I'm not smart enough" or "I'm not as good looking as he or she" or even just "I'm not good enough."
In a world where it often appears to be a matter of survival of the fittest, how we look at ourselves is crucial. But even though we may want to give up on ourselves, there is help...and hope. We can find self esteem in what some call "God esteem."
May we all find that now!
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 NKJV
Our heavenly Father is kind to us. And since he is so kind to us, can’t we be a little kinder to ourselves? Oh, but you don’t know me, Max. You don’t know my faults and my thoughts. You don’t know the gripes I grumble and the complaints I mumble. No, I don’t, but he does. He knows everything about you, yet he doesn’t hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?
No, he is kind to you. Why don’t you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don’t you do the same? He thinks tomorrow is worth living. Why don’t you agree? He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?
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Find Max Lucado books at Amazon.com!
Sometimes my "blog time" appears to be going nowhere. I have no devotion to write. I don't know if I should be "Digging" or "Googling" or what...ever. I don't have a plan!
This morning was just such a time, when shortly into it I ran across shareyourstorynow.org and found a gem. Now whether you'll get as big a kick out of it as I did is not my call, but I hope you do.
It made my blog time all the worthwhile!
This from Abby's story on shareyourstorynow.org:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:13-14 NIV
The other night I caught myself cleaning the house, and during one of my many breaks, a song by Ginny Owens came on called “True Story.” It’s one of my favorites, but I hardly ever really listened to the lyrics.
The chorus melted my heart. I must admit, it made me say “Oh wow.”
You see my imperfections
Still You say I’m a masterpiece
A marvelous reflection
The image of Yourself in me
You paint with strokes of grace
Undoing my disguise
You say beauty lies in the true story
She nailed it right on! God sees all my imperfections: my stubborn mind, my doubting heart, my constant learning soul. Through it all, He sees His reflection.
He takes every label that I have placed on myself and slowly but surely He peels them apart till they are no more.
As a young child I dealt with self-esteem issues. Daughter of parents who were immigrants, I didn’t speak fluent English until the age of 11, my hair was a frizz ball and my clothes were often hand-me-downs.
In my parents attempt to have me in the best schools possible, I was always in schools where little girls had the latest brand-name clothing, had perfect smooth hair and could speak more than English, but also French.
As I grew older and was finally able to tame my wild hair, learn English to the point it became my first language and had a part time job where I was able to buy some clothes for school … I learned that I was never the daughter of immigrants, but the daughter of a mighty King.
It took me a bit to accept that. Geesh, I still deal with it today! It’s something that on a daily basis I have to remind myself of … that I have a God who loves every curl on my head, and then some. Amazing isn’t it?
Be sure to visit shareyourstorynow.org!
The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. — 1 Kings 17:6
It's easy to be discouraged. You don't make enough money. You're not happy with where you work or live. Or your health or that of a loved one is not good. This world can really get us down. However, there is hope.
We just need to reach for it and find it in the one that will meet us right where we are at.
This from Today's Devotion with Greg Laurie:
When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food, it doesn't mean they took his order, flew through the local fast food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They would've brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What's more, the water in the brook from which he drank probably would have been dirty and somewhat polluted. It was not an easy situation.
How easily Elijah could have said, "Well, Lord, I don't really want to be in this crummy little place. I kind of like being in front of people. I like the limelight." But the Lord was preparing Elijah for something beyond his wildest dreams. Not long after this, Elijah would be standing on Mt. Carmel in that great showdown with the false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:20–39).
Sometimes, we don't like where God has put us. We say, "Lord, I don't like this situation. I don't like where I am. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world." Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you?
If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you to do.
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Books by Greg Laurie can be found at Amazon.com.
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).
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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
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.
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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
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!
The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:24
This from Os Hillman's TGIF - Today God Is First:
When I was in my 20's, I participated in a wilderness training course in a desert and mountain area. For our "final exam," we were blindfolded, placed in the back of a pickup truck, and taken to a remote area. We were dropped off and told to meet back at the camp in three days. We did not know where we were. We had to determine our location with our compasses. It was a frightening experience for four young people who had learned to navigate through the use of a compass only a few days earlier. With our food and water on our backs, we began our trek. It had just snowed that morning, so the way was difficult. We walked through valleys, canyons, snow-covered hills, and forests. In all, we walked more than 60 miles in three days. There were times when we did not think we could go another foot. Exhaustion and frostbitten feet were taking their toll. However, we finally made it to our base camp successfully, and to our surprise, we were the first ones among the other patrols to make it back.
At the conclusion of our journey, we were able to stand on top of a ridge, look behind us and see the beautiful terrain that we had just scaled. The pain of what we had just endured seemed to subside. We could not believe we had actually walked through those valleys and snowcapped hills. There was a sense of accomplishment.
Life is very much like this. It is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road a bit that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life as a result. When you begin to realize some of this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.
Are you in the midst of a difficult journey that seems almost impossible to continue? Be assured that God is providing grace even now to equip you for that journey. There will be a time when you can say, "Wow, look at what God has done because of what I gained through that valley." Trust Him with the outcome of where you find yourself today.
In TGIF: Today God Is First, Os Hillman provides a scripture and commentary for each day of the year. The 365 meditations on the principles of Christ in the workplace wonderfully focus the readers attention on how God's way is to employ ordinary men and women leading ordinary lives to achieve extraordinary things and personally experience how even adverse situations can be doors to spiritual opportunity. Highly recommended reading, Hillman's commentaries are not just simple homilies, they are enduring messages of principles and testimony of how God has worked experientially in his own life -- and can work in yours. - Midwest Book Review
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. - Psalms 23:1-2
This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:
Living like a sheep can bring you incredible peace of mind! The biblical shepherd knew everything about his sheep. He understood what foods were best for them and what would harm them. He knew when they should eat and when they needed their thirst quenched. The shepherd was an expert of the terrain and was aware of the best places for food and water. As long as the sheep trusted and followed their shepherd, they would always have their needs met at the right time. Their shepherd would give them the best that he had.
Do you have absolute trust in your Good Shepherd? Do you value the nourishment that comes from Him more than any you might obtain from the world? Do you ever worry that God might be withholding from you something that you need? The Psalmist was convinced that he would “want” for nothing. By His very nature, the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep and would lay down His life for them (John 10:11).
Have you allowed your focus to shift from the Shepherd to what the Shepherd gives you? If you find yourself “wanting,” it is not that your Shepherd is unable or unwilling to perfectly meet your needs. It may be that you lack the faith to receive all that He has to give. Could it be that you have become dissatisfied with what your Shepherd has been providing? Are you missing the joy that comes from having a Shepherd who cares for you? Return to Him and trust Him to meet the needs in your life that only He can.
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 This Week's Top Devotionals
This week's picks for top devotionals include books by Henry Blackaby, Max Lucado, and Greg Laurie. These are some of the best Christian authors of our time. I highly recommend these books and think you will enjoy the different styles they offer - Blackaby for his visibly clear divine inspiration, Lucado for his perfection in simplicity, and Laurie for his casual but convicting messages.
You can't go wrong with picking up a copy of any of these books of daily guidance.
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.
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Though maintaining a consistent devotional life is not always easy, Max Lucado's 
best-selling Grace for the Moment, Volume 1 proved to 2,500,000 readers that they could have a daily quiet time! Now comes Grace for the Moment, Volume 2. This yearlong book features captivating daily devotionals that offer enough inspiration, power, and hope to carry you through the busiest of days. America's leading inspirational author again fills each day's reading with touching word pictures that offer guidelines for grace-filled living. Plus, striking full-color photos add to the beauty of this latest collection.
Grace for the Moment, Volume 2 is yet another great way to encourage anyone to celebrate daily time with God. All it takes is a moment. - Amazon.com
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The Experience God Has for You Is Beyond Anything You Could Imagine...
In his down-to-earth style, 
Greg Laurie helps you reinforce your commitment to God and develop the habit of responding to His voice every day. Beyond: A Devotional guides you into Scripture reflection, prayer, and application with daily devotions that take only ten minutes a day. Discover a greater intensity and intimacy with God as your desire to trust and obey Him keeps growing. Are you ready to move beyond your present spiritual limitations?
Don’t let anything stop you from strengthening the most important relationship of your life. Drawing closer to God starts right here–with warm, clear, Bible-based devotionals on the core issues of your faith.
This is the victory that conquers the world — our faith. - I John 5:4
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2:
What is unique about the kingdom of God is that you are assured of victory. You have won! You are assured that you will someday stand before the face of God and see the King of kings. You are assured that someday you will enter a world where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow.
If you have no faith in the future, then you have no power in the present. If you have no faith in life beyond this life, then your present life is going to be powerless. But if you believe in the future and are assured of victory, then there should be a dance in your step and a smile on your face.
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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
He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love. - Song of Solomon 2:4
Before coming to know the Lord, I often sought comfort in my favorite piece of the Pacific Ocean. In Laguna Beach, California, there are benches on a winding boardwalk facing the sea and nestled in between the hills and the sand. World travelers often call it the most beautiful spot they've ever visited.
Although I wasn't consciously seeking God, I would sometimes sit on a bench, stare out at the ocean and surroundings, and seek answers about my life. One late afternoon, I sat there alone when a young man sitting on a bench a few feet away greeted me and asked how I was doing.
"I don't know why I'm talking to you, but I feel led to," he said. I cautiously exchanged a few words and listened. "Do you know Jesus?" he asked. "Yes, I do," I answered. However, I only said that in an attempt to keep him quiet. By now, I was afraid he was going to "invade my space," as once was popular to say.
He didn't stay quiet. Instead, he said, "Did you know that the Bible is God's love letter to you?" I was ready to get up and walk away. He must have known that I didn't really "know Jesus." I answered by saying, "Oh, really?" as I began to leave. The conversation was over.
The Bible is God's love letter to me? I thought about the man's statement for a little bit and then filed it away in my brain. It wasn't until years later that I knew exactly what he meant. A seed had been planted.
Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
