Wholesome Words

In November 2008, the US Supreme Court debated the constitutional limits on foul language. The Federal Communications Commission cited a national broadcasting company for allowing two entertainers to use two common profanities on the air. The broadcasting company argued that “fleeting” profanity that was not blatantly sexual should not be punished. Others countered that it is our duty to protect children from such language.

Follow The Instructions

One of my boyhood hobbies was building model planes. Every time I opened a new box, the first thing I saw was the instructions, but I didn’t think I needed to follow them. In my mind I knew exactly how to put the model together. Not until I had glued a few pieces together did I realize I had skipped an important step, like putting the pilot in the cockpit.

Seeing God’s Hand

On Jack Borden’s 101st birthday, he awoke at 5 a.m., ate a hearty breakfast, and was at his law office by 6:30 ready to begin his day. When asked the secret of his long life, the practicing attorney smiled and quipped, “Not dying.”

Always There

The radio engineers who work at RBC Ministries were getting ready to broadcast a program via satellite. They had prepared everything, including the satellite link. But just as they were to begin uploading, the signal to the satellite was lost. Confused, the engineers labored to reconnect the link, but nothing worked. Then they got the word—the satellite was gone. Literally. The satellite had suddenly and surprisingly fallen from the sky. It was no longer there.

Botox For The Soul

Got Botox? A lot of people do. Some take Botox treatments for health matters, but many take them be-cause they want to look young again.

Do It Yourself (1)

. . . casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God . . . —2 Corinthians 10:5

Determinedly Demolish Some Things. Deliverance from sin is not the same as deliverance from human nature. There are things in human nature, such as prejudices, that the saint can only destroy through sheer neglect. But there are other things that have to be destroyed through violence, that is, through God’s divine…

Fountains of Blessings

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life —John 4:14

The picture our Lord described here is not that of a simple stream of water, but an overflowing fountain. Continue to “be filled” ( Ephesians 5:18 ) and the sweetness of your vital relationship to Jesus will flow as generously out of you as it has been given to you. If you…

The Far-Reaching Rivers of Life

He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water —John 7:38

A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives…

Watching With Jesus

Stay here and watch with Me —Matthew 26:38

Watch with Me.” Jesus was saying, in effect, “Watch with no private point of view at all, but watch solely and entirely with Me.” In the early stages of our Christian life, we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revealed truth…

His!

They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6

A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion…

He Was Reachable
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John 1:14 NKJV

“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’s 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.

from

God Came Near

http://www.maxlucado.net/_product_30305/God_Came_Near

-=- by Max Lucado -=-

An Uncommon Call
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.”
I Corinthians 2:7 CEV

You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” So much for the excuse, “I don’t have anything to offer.” Did the apostle Paul say, “The Spirit has given some of us…”? Or, “The Spirit has given a few of us…”? No. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” Enough of this self-deprecating “I can’t do anything.”

And enough of it’s arrogant opposite: “I have to do everything.” No, you don’t! You’re not God’s solution to society, but a solution in society. Imitate Paul, who said, “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Clarify your contribution.

Don’t worry about skills you don’t have. Don’t covet strengths others do have. Just extract your uniqueness.

from

Cure for the Common Life

http://www.maxlucado.net/_product_30305/Cure_For_The_Common_Life

-=- by Max Lucado -=-

The Journey to the Cross
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“This was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen.”
Acts 2:23

Jesus died…on purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way he dies. And the way Jesus marched to his death leaves no doubt; he had come to earth for this moment. Read the words of Peter. “Jesus was given to you, and with the help of those who don’t know the law, you put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen” (Acts 2:23 NCV).

No, the journey to the cross didn’t begin on Jericho. It didn’t begin in Galilee. It didn’t begin in Nazareth. It didn’t even begin in Bethlehem.

The journey of the cross began long before. As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.

from

And the Angels Were Silent

http://www.maxlucado.net/_product_30305/And_The_Angels_Were_Silent

-=- by Max Lucado -=-

A Personal Invitation?
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“Come to me…and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

When Jesus says, “Come to me,” he doesn’t say come to religion, come to a system, or come to a certain doctrine. This is a very personal invitation to a God, and invitation to a Savior.

Our God is not aloof—he’s not so far above us that he can’t see and understand our problems. Jesus isn’t a God who stayed on the mountaintop—he’s a Savior who came down and lived and worked with the people. Everywhere he went, the crowds followed, drawn together by the magnet that was—and is—the Savior.

The life of Jesus Christ is a message of hope, a message of mercy, a message of life in a dark world.

from

The Inspirational Study Bible

http://www.maxlucado.net/shopping6.00/shopquery.asp?catalogid=23402

-=- by Max Lucado -=-

Is That All There Is?
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.”
I Corinthians 15:3 NIV

Maybe you’ve gone through the acts of religion and faith and yet found yourself more often than not at a dry well. Prayers seem empty. Goals seem unthinkable. Christianity becomes a warped record full of highs and lows and off-key notes.

Is this all there is? Sunday attendance. Pretty songs. Faithful tithings. Golden crosses. Three-piece suits. Big choirs. Leather Bibles. It is nice and all, but…where is the heart of it?…

Think about these words from Paul in I Corinthians, chapter 15. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures” (NIV).

There it is. Almost too simple. Jesus was killed, buried, and resurrected. Surprised? The part that matters is the cross. No more and no less.

from

No Wonder They Call Him the Savior

http://www.maxlucado.net/_product_30305/No_Wonder_They_Call_Him_The_Savior

-=- by Max Lucado -=-

Tragic Circumstances
Tragic Circumstances - A one minute message from MaxLucado.com.

Handling Change
Handling Change - A one minute message from MaxLucado.com.

Christ's Spirit
Christ's Spirit - A one minute message from MaxLucado.com.

Fear Not
Fear Not - A one minute message from MaxLucado.com.

Healthy Fears
Healthy Fears - A one minute message from MaxLucado.com.