“From Our Home to Yours” January 26, 2014 Checoukan Ministries Dennis Johnson 2200 NE 10th Street Columbus, Kansas 66725 _____________________________________________________________ “Up Words” By Max Lucado “True Courage” Are you timid? Cautious? Could you use some courage? Scripture says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). If you’re in Christ, these promises are not only a source of joy, they are the foundations of true courage! When God looks at you, he doesn’t see you; He sees the One who surrounds you. Failure’s not a concern for you; your victory is secure. How could you not be courageous? In Hebrews 10:22, the writer says, “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus—let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” The point is clear. The Father of Truth will win, and the followers of Truth will be saved. The prize is yours. Applaud the victory! From The Applause of Heaven RBC Ministries “Jesus] is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless”. —Jude 1:24 What a blessing that Jesus promises to take our stumbling, disheveled lives and present us faultless to the Father! May we increasingly look like children of the King as we reflect His loving care and attention. —Joe Stowell “To reflect the presence of the Father, we must rely on the Son”. Taken from Our Daily Bread, © 2014 by RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. “In Touch Ministries” Why is it wise to wait on God? By Dr. Charles Stanley It is always wise to wait on God. Why? First, it is wise to wait because God gives clear direction only when we are willing to wait. Remember, we don’t operate like the world operates. Instant gratification of need defines society. But we, as believers, live differently. We don’t take our cues from the world. We take them from God. He will give us clear direction, whether it is guidance for making a move or changing a career or choosing a mate. However, much to the distress of many, He seldom does it quickly. We must wait until He is ready to give direction. God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Ps. 32:8). We must wait until He is ready to give counsel to us. I know it’s hard. No one ever said it would be easy. However, it is absolutely worth it. Second, it is wise to wait because God uses that waiting time to get us in step with His timing. Being in step with the Father’s timing gives us a sense of peace. However, when we run ahead of Him, we will constantly be trying to figure out how to make our decisions work. Instead of peace, we will feel the chaos of our choices. Third, it is always wise to wait because God uses the time of waiting to prepare us for the answer. As earthly parents, we don’t give our children everything they ask for. Sometimes we know that the timing isn’t right. How much more our heavenly Father knows this for His children. He waits until we are able to handle the blessing with grace and trust. Fourth, it is always wise to wait because waiting strengthens our faith. We might want to say, “Okay, God. I’ve learned as much faith as I care to. You can act now.” But when we realize that God is more interested in our character than in our comfort, waiting is a lot more palatable. Fifth, it is always wise to wait because God gets our attention and sifts our motives. While waiting and praying for the promotion at work, we have time to think through our motives. Why do we really want that promotion? Do we want it to get more money or so others will think we are powerful? Could it be we want the promotion so we have a greater platform to serve the Lord? If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will surface—good or bad. It is amazing what we learn about ourselves through this waiting period. So it is wise to wait because: 1. He gives clear direction. 2. He gets us in step with Himself. 3. He prepares us for what He has in store for us. 4. He strengthens our faith. 5. He gets our attention and sifts our motives. Waiting is one of the more difficult things in the Christian life. However, it is never wasted time. God teaches us His path, changes our circumstances, keeps us in step with Himself, prepares us for His answers, and uses times of waiting to sift our motives and strengthen our faith. The question comes: With all the advantages of waiting, why do we rush ahead as if we don’t have a trustworthy Father? We need to hit the pause button in our lives and take our lives out of the fast forward mode. God will amaze us with what He is doing while we wait on Him and watch Him work. Adapted from “Charles Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living,” 1996.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 11:30:54 +0000
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