“ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”–Acts 1:8

A young woman excited about her salvation developed a deep desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. She felt called to missions, so she asked her pastor where she might go to serve to be most effective. He told her to come back the following day and he would have an answer for her then.

The next day, when she returned to his office, the pastor was waiting for her with an answer. He handed her a folded slip of paper and said, “I’m suggesting that you begin with someone who needs Christ right now more than anyone else in the entire world.”

The young woman quickly left the pastor’s office, eager to find out where her mission field was. She carefully opened the note and was surprised to discover two words: “Your father.”

She had been so passionate about reaching the lost in foreign lands that she had neglected to share the Gospel with someone so close to home.

Are there people in your life who don’t know Jesus? Maybe it’s a parent, a sibling, a grandchild, a close friend, an acquaintance, one of your children, or even your spouse. Many people make the mistake of thinking the only mission field is overseas.

But God has called you to share the Good News of His Word right where you are—in your city, neighborhood, and among your circle of friends. If you know someone who is living with no hope and without a relationship with Jesus, then take the time today to share truth that will change their lives forever.

Ask God to reveal people in your life that need to know the Lord so you can share Christ with them. Pray that He would open up the right opportunity at the right time for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives through you.( Senior Living)

“ Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ” Psalm 103:2-5

What an enumeration of divine blessings this is! Any one of them is worth more than all earth’s treasures combined!

If we are not forgiven—we must rest forever under the burden of sin, a weight greater than all the Alps! But God forgives—and forgives all our sins—and forgives freely, fully and forever!

If we are not healed—we must be sick forever, sick with the plague and leprosy of sin! But God heals—and heals all our evils, and heals completely!

If we are not saved from the dangers of this ensnaring world—we never can reach heaven! But God keeps, rescues, and saves our life from all impending destructions!

Earth’s crowns are made of thorns, and at the best are only what the children call, ‘play-crowns’, for they are but of leaves that wither, or of gold and gems that will not last. But God crowns His people with crowns of love and compassion, which are real and radiant, which shall never fade—but shall shine forever, becoming crowns of eternal life and glory in heaven!

This world cannot satisfy a heart’s deepest cravings. Its possessions only make the hunger more intense! But God satisfies the souls of His people, and meets all their cravings and hungers with truly good and eternal realities!–J R Miller

“ Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved ” Psalm 55:22
We don’t know nearly as much about God as we think we do. This misunderstanding of the Lord can lead to some very serious problems in our lives. So we need to learn as much as we can about Him, which comes from rightly dividing the Word, but then we must simply trust Him–knowing that He does all things well.

J. R. Miller gave this wise counsel:“There are some mistaken notions current concerning the ways in which God would help us. People think that whenever they have a little trouble, a bit of hard path to go over, a load to carry, a sorrow to endure—all they have to do is to call upon God, and He will at once take away their sorrow, or free them from the trouble. But this is not the way God helps us! His purpose of love concerning us is—not to make all things easy for us—but to make something of us!

When we ask God to save us from our trouble, to take the struggles out of our life, to make the paths mossy, to lift off every heavy load—He will not do it! It would be most unloving in Him to accommodate us. We must carry the burden ourselves! All God promises is, to sustain us—as we carry it! He wants us to learn life’s lessons, and to do this—we must be left to work out the problems for ourselves.

There are rich blessings which can be gotten, only in sorrow. It would be short-sighted love indeed—which would heed our cries, and spare us from sorrow—and thus deprive us of the wonderful blessings which can be gotten only in sorrow! God is too good to us to answer our prayers—which would save us from pain, cost, and sacrifice today—at the price of holier, better, truer life in the end. He would not rob us of the blessing that is in the burden—which we can get only by carrying it!“

“But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end .” – Psalms 102:27

Have you ever taken a trip back to the old home place where you were raised and noticed how much things have changed over the years? It can be a shocking and sometimes sad experience. But if you are anywhere near my age you don’t need to take a trip to be impressed by the changes. The whole world has changed since our childhood days, and not all for the better. However, in the midst of this ever changing world we can find blessed assurance and perfect peace in knowing that our God never changes. We need to remember that! I carry in my Bible a copy of the following article by James Smith. Although the world is much different than it was when he wrote this in 1840, the truth of what he says is still the same:

“Everything below is liable to change; health may give place to sickness, pleasure to pain, plenty to poverty, love to enmity, honour to disgrace, strength to weakness, and life to death.

Remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. But though all our circumstances and friends should change, there is One who never changes. He is in one mind, and none can turn Him. With Him is no variableness. He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever; and He is our best Friend, our nearest relation, our gracious Saviour.

Yesterday, His name was Jesus; His nature was love; His purpose was to do us good with His whole heart and soul: today, He is the same; we cannot expect too much from Him, or be too confident in Him, if we are walking humbly with Him. He will be our God, and we shall be His people.

Let us cultivate intimacy with Him, dependance upon Him, concern to please Him, fear to offend Him, zeal to glorify Him; and it must be well with us in health and sickness, plenty and poverty, life and death; for He is the same, and will never turn away from doing us good, but remain the Fountain of love and holiness for ever. Praise ye the Lord.”

This God is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend;
Whose love is as great as His power,
And neither knows measure nor end.