Fear Not, For I Am With You Always

"This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" - Psalm 118:24

From Fear Not Promise Book by Max Lucado

"This is the day" includes every day. Divorce days, final-exam days, surgery days, tax days. Sending-your-firstborn-off-to-college days.

God made this day, ordained this hard hour, designed the details of this wrenching moment. He isn’t on holiday. He still holds the conductor’s baton, sits in the cockpit, and occupies the universe’s only throne. Each day emerges from God’s drawing room. Including this one.

There's No Debate

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 to order now!

His Open Door Policy

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

God's Poetry: In Different Ways

We are his workmanship. - Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

I've been hearing an awful lot of "those other" Christian churches bashing. What a waste of time! Although it's important to stay sound in God's word, the Holy Spirit works in more ways than we can understand...so it's best to let God do His thing!

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

GOD'S POETRY

Scripture calls the church a poem. “We are His workmanship” (Eph. 2:10). Workmanship descends from the Greek word poeo or poetry. We are God’s poetry! What Longfellow did with pen and paper, our Maker does with us. We express his creativity best.

You aren’t God’s poetry. I’m not God’s poetry. We are God’s poetry. Poetry demands variety. “God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all” (I Cor. 12:6 Phillips). God uses all types to type his message. Logical thinkers. Emotional worshipers. Dynamic leaders. Docile followers. The visionaries who lead, the studious who ponder, the generous who pay the bills...Alone, we are meaningless symbols on a page. But collectively, we inspire.

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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

Until Love is Stirred

Interestingly enough, about a half hour ago, my girlfriend and I decided to start a relationship fast. It's not a decision that just sprouted up, but we were not sure of the timing up until now. We are doing it to make sure we are in God's will. We've been dating for awhile now and it seems like its close to decision time...that time to decide whether marriage is the next step.

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

GOD IS ENOUGH

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you...My soul will be satisfied with the richest of foods. - Psalm 63:3, 5 NIV

When it comes to love: Be careful.

Before you walk down the aisle, take a good long look around. Make sure this is God’s intended place for you. And, if you suspect it isn’t, get out. Don’t force what is wrong to be right...Be careful.

And, until love is stirred, let God’s love be enough for you. There are seasons when God allows us to feel the frailty of human love so we’ll appreciate the strength of his love. Didn’t he do this with David? Saul turned on him. Michal, his wife, betrayed him. Jonathan and Samuel were David’s friends, but they couldn’t follow him into the wilderness. Betrayal and circumstances left David alone. Alone with God. And, as David discovered, God was enough. David wrote these words in the desert: "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you...My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."

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God loves you. Personally. Powerfully. Passionately. Others have promised and failed. But God has promised and succeeded. He loves you with an unfailing love. And His love--if you will let it--can fill you and leave you with a love worth giving. Best-selling author Max Lucado has successfully pricked the hearts and minds of readers for decades. Now, he boldly says that before we can pass love on, we must receive it ourselves--from God. Pointing out that we must "love one another," Lucado issues an impassioned plea to accept God's love in order to truly, unselfishly, wholeheartedly love another. God wants us to drink deeply of His love, soak it up, and marvel at its depth. A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God's Love is available at Amazon.

Lucado: The Intersection of Love

Though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. - 2 Corinthians 13:4 NKJV

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

The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?...

Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.

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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

Looking to Travel Light

When I first truly accepted Jesus Christ as my saviour, I remember that I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. It was instantaneous...right after I had said a sinner's prayer. It was not only an emotional feeling, I physically felt lighter.

The feeling lasted for quite some time, not as dramatically as that day, but I was "on a cloud" like they say. Ten years later, I still feel "lighter," but the burdens of life are starting to weigh me down. Fortunately, I have Jesus to look to and give those burdens to Him. However, I can sense a need to really take a time out for God, not for wordly pursuits.

As I look for a vision for my life, I realize I need to get closer to Him...my first love. The one who makes my burdens light.

Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7

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

God has a great race for you to run. Under his care you will go where you’ve never been and serve in ways you’ve never dreamed. But you have to drop some stuff. How can you share grace if you are full of guilt? How can you offer comfort if you are disheartened? How can you lift someone else’s load if your arms of full with your own?

For the sake of those you love, travel light.

For the sake of the God you serve, travel light.

For the sake of your own joy, travel light.

There are certain weights in life you simply cannot carry. Your Lord is asking you to set them down and trust him.

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From award-winning author Max Lucado comes Traveling Light, refreshing words wrapped around the biblical passages of the 23rd Psalm to reenergize weary spiritual travelers. In his inimitable, pastoral voice that both soothes and exhorts, Lucado gently unpacks the verses of the psalm while helping readers lay down the burdens of doubt, anxiety, perfectionism, and fear. - Amazon.com

What Follows Failure?

Too much to do. It seems like a disease these days...having too much to do in too little time. Arranging meetings, making deadlines, getting that gift for mom...it's Friday and I need another day before the weekend to make things come together.

At least that's what I think I need. But, what I really need is to just hang out with Jesus. He comforts. He strengthens and He shows me the way.

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that I just need to reach out to you...the one who provides!

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

FORGIVENESS FOLLOWS FAILURE

In the past God spoke... many times and in many different ways. But now... God has spoken to us through his Son. - Hebrews 1:1-2

God, motivated by love and directed by divinity, surprised everyone. He became a man. In an untouchable mystery, he disguised himself as a carpenter and lived in a dusty Judaean village. Determined to prove his love for his creation, he walked incognito through his own world. His callused hands touched wounds and his compassionate words touched hearts....

But as beautiful as this act of incarnation was, it was not the zenith. Like a master painter, God reserved his masterpiece until the end. All the earlier acts of love had been leading to this one. The angels hushed and the heavens paused to witness the finale. God unveils the canvas and the ultimate act of creative compassion is revealed.

God on a cross. The Creator being sacrificed for the creation. God convincing man once and for all that forgiveness still follows failure.

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Find Max Lucado books at Amazon.com!

Words of Strength

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me! It's just a childhood chant, but although we can put up a good front about hurtful words not hurting, the truth is they can be damaging at any age.

More importantly, it's the "good" words that hold the true power.

My question is this...why waste time on discouraging words, knowing how powerful encouraging words can be?

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

WORDS OF STRENGTH

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. - Ephesians 4:29

Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger?

You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won’t you do the same for their hearts? Your words are food and water!

Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.

Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!

Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you.

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Find Max Lucado books at Amazon.com!

Agent of Change

I can say, "it's time for a change," until I am blue in the face, but chances are that merely repeating those words over and over again will not bring about change.

You can say you'll stop doing any one of a number of destructive things that you struggle with, but just saying you'll change may not get it done. Ask an addict how many times he's told others and himself, "he'll change for the better, stop using drugs," only to return to using.

It was only when I began understanding that there is someone else other than myself that can bring change in my life that things really began to change. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly things began to change, such as the end of my desire to drink alcohol after 20 years of over indulgence.

About a year after accepting Jesus Christ into my life I was at a weekend conference for the men at my church. On Friday night, the opening night, there I was...standing among more than 500 men, singing worship songs all together as one voice.

I looked at my friend standing next to me and said, "How did I get here? How did I get from being where I was to here, standing with 500 guys singing worship songs on a Friday night? It's like I've been transported from one planet to another."

He looked at me and smiled from ear to ear...and to this day, still tells that story of the transformed life of a former drinker/bartender who was utterly amazed at his own transformation.

We can shout about the need for change, individually and as a nation, for a long time, but it's not until we accept that we can not do it on our own that real change begins.

Then, the next step is to look to Jesus.

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

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Jesus Offers Peace

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

Peace be with you. - John 20:19

The church of Jesus Christ began with a group of frightened men in a second-floor room in Jerusalem.

Though they’d marched with Jesus for three years, they now sat…afraid. They were timid soldiers, reluctant warriors, speechless messengers.

Daring to dream that the master had left them some word, some plan, some direction, they came back.

But little did they know their wildest dream wasn’t wild enough. Just as someone mumbles, “It’s no use,” they hear a noise. They hear a voice: “Peace be with you.”

The one betrayed sought his betrayers. What did he say to them? Not “What a bunch of flops!” Not “I told you so.” No “Where-were-you-when-I-needed-you?” speeches. But simply one phrase, “Peace be with you.” The very thing they didn’t have was the very thing he offered: peace.

Find Max Lucado books at Amazon.com!

Self Esteem Issues

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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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!

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!

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.

You have won!

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 to order now!