DIVINE RECOMPENSE

January 10, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

— he that watereth shall be watered also himself. (Proverbs 11:25).

If I carefully consider others, God will consider me, and in some way or other He will recompense me. Let me consider the poor, and the LORD will consider me. Let me look after little children, and the LORD will treat me as His child. Let me feed His flock, and He will feed me. Let me water His garden, and He will make a watered garden of my soul. This is the LORD’s own promise; be it mine to fulfill the condition and then to expect its fulfillment.

I may care about myself till I grow morbid; I may watch over my own feelings till I feel nothing; and I may lament my own weakness till I grow almost too weak to lament. It will be far more profitable for me to become unselfish and out of love to my LORD Jesus begin to care for the souls of those around me. My tank is getting very low; no fresh rain comes to fill it; what shall l do? I will pull up the plug and let its contents run out to water the withering plants around me. What do I see? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A secret spring is at work. While all was stagnant, the fresh spring was sealed; but as my stock Rows out to water others the LORD thinketh upon me. Hallelujah! (From Faith’s Checkbook)

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

January 9, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

Jeremiah 31:33 —I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Christian, here is all you require. To make you happy you want something that shall satisfy you, and is not this enough? If you can pour this promise into your cup, will you not say, with David, “My cup overflows.” When this is fulfilled, “I am your God,” are you not possessor of all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but He who fills all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can measure? But the immeasurable wealth of God can more than overflow it. I ask you if you are not complete when God is yours? Do you want anything but God? Is not His all-sufficiency enough to satisfy you if all else should fail? But you want more than quiet satisfaction; you desire rapturous delight.

Come, soul, here is music fit for heaven in this your portion, for God is the Maker of heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments or drawn from living strings can yield such melody as this sweet promise, “I will be their God.” Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight; come, bathe your spirit in it; swim an age, and you shall find no shore; dive throughout eternity, and you shall find no bottom. “I will be their God.” If this does not make your eyes sparkle, and your heart beat fast with bliss, then assuredly your soul is not in a healthy state.

But you want more than present delights–you crave something concerning which you may exercise hope; and what more can you hope for than the fulfillment of this great promise, “I will be their God”? This is the masterpiece of all the promises; its enjoyment makes a heaven below and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of your Lord, and let your soul be always ravished with His love. Get out the marrow and fatness that this portion yields you. Live up to your privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy. (By Charles Spurgeon, revised and edited by Alistair Begg)

FLYING FUNDS

January 8, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

—riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Proverbs 23:5

The Bible warns that money is as transient as a bird on the wing. Proverbs 27:24 says that riches are not forever, and Ecclesiastes 5:14 warns that wealth can easily perish through misfortune. Paul warned us not to trust in wealth, which is so uncertain (1 Timothy 6:17).

If you’ve suffered financial loss, it might help to remember that sometimes monetary pressures are like winds pushing us onto the shores of God’s faithfulness. You can stand on the Solid Rock without a penny in your pocket, without a dollar in your account, without a crumb in your pantry. We can’t effectively insure ourselves against financial ruin–there are no truly safe investments–and who knows what the future will hold?

There is one thing we know for certain–there will never be a run on heaven’s banks. He tells us to be unshaken and unafraid. He’ll provide in His own time and way, and we can trust Him with all our needs. He who spared not His own Son but freely gave Him for us all, how will He not also give us all things we need? (From Turning Point)

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.
Henry Ward Beecher

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

January 7, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

Have you ever approached your day with the thought that it wasn’t worth it? Have you ever though of all the projects, meetings, appointments, and tasks to do in you day that it seemed as if nothing would get done? That can be very frustrating!

Sadly enough, some Christians approach their Christian life this way. They see the difficulty of fighting the devil each day and they see the “ease” of people living in sin and they wonder if living for God is worth it. They opt out of the daily battle and retire to living a life of sin and pleasure. This is the way the devil is attacking many Christians today, and some are giving in.

But friend, there is a reward! As our verse says today, there is an incorruptible crown for those who labor and fight for Christ each day! Christ will reward those who live for Him and seek to honor Him! It simply takes faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It takes faith to believe that we will one day meet Christ and He will reward us for serving Him. It takes faith to live for a God whom we cannot see. If you can trust God to secure for you a home in Heaven, then trust Him enough to live for Him!

General Wainright was left in charge of the American and Filipino forces in the Philippines when General MacArthur was ordered to Australia during World War II. Wainright was captured and placed on the island of Corrigadore in a prison camp. He began to lose hope. MacArthur heard of his predicament and sent the Special Forces to let him know that he would return and soon the battle would be won. A soon as he heard this news, Wainright began to eat again and shined his buttons, and began getting ready at the expectancy of MacArthur’s coming.

Our Lord is coming soon! He is coming to call us home to Heaven for eternity! Friend, don’t get discouraged in your daily battle. Don’t lose faith that Christ is coming again one day. Keep living for Him and trust that He will take care of you! Asking Him to help you remain faithful to Him as you go about you day today! (From Daily in the Word)

HIDING BEHIND YOUR HALO

January 6, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and all uncleanness. —Matthew 23:27

There is no doubt that first impressions can last a long time. Whether you are interviewing for a job, showing up for a class, or moving into the neighborhood, first impressions are hard to live down.

Sociologists have studied the subject of first impressions. One study concluded that a first impression is solidified in the first four minutes of a conversation. They say that if those first four minutes are positive, your acquaintances will most likely view everything about you in a positive light—even things unknown to them. Your professional skills, your morals, and even your intelligence will be held by them in high regard. Why? Simply because you made a good first impression.

Sociologists have even given a name to this phenomenon—the “halo effect.” If you can put your best foot forward and come out looking and sounding impressive, you will create a certain air about you that may last a long time, regardless of whether or not it is true.

This happens all the time in our modern culture; a culture where charisma matters more than character—where image is more important than integrity. We live in a world that is consumed with creating halos and keeping them shiny at every opportunity, while hiding the sordidness of our true identity.

This is certainly not a new development. During the days of Christ, the people who wore the brightest halos were the Pharisees. They arrived at the busiest street corners in the marketplace at exactly 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m., where they prayed on public display. People thought of them as men who loved God more than other people did; men whom God loved most; but Jesus Christ was not deceived by their chicanery. He, being God, looked beyond their smiles and priestly robes and saw what was in their heart. They were hypocrites to the core and Christ was not fooled by their good impressions.

His condemnation of the Pharisees was justified when they crucified Him. How ironic! They were the supposed “Godfearers” of the day, yet at their first chance, they put Christ to death for unmasking their true identity. Though they studied the Scriptures fervently, they did not heed the words of Solomon, who wrote in Proverbs 15:33, “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.”

Fear of man induces hypocrisy—fear of God produces humility.

Are you living a double life in order to gain the approval of others, or living a singular life that recognizes the need for God’s grace and direction each day?

Are you shining your halo or cultivating your humility?

Halos make a good first impression on mankind . . . humility makes a lasting impression on God.

David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Pray this same prayer, knowing that God sees your heart—and ask Him to move you from hypocrisy to humility.

*Note: Scripture references have been changed to the KJV, HDS

DIVINE RECOMPENSE

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

FLYING FUNDS

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

HIDING BEHIND YOUR HALO

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