March 7 - The Original Promise Keeper

The Original Promise Keeper

“God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing His mind.

Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come

through?” (Numbers 23:19)

Some years ago, Bill McCartney, former NCAA Championship Football Coach, led a national men’s campaign called “Promise Keepers.”  Thousands gathered in stadiums and venues across the country with a resolve to fulfill their commitments as men, fathers, husbands and leaders.  Yet the attributes of “Promise Keeping” have always been a characteristic of God Himself. It goes all the way back to the beginning.

There are over 7000, promises in the Bible for you.  Some have said that they are like gift certificates waiting for you to cash, waiting for you to use. Over and over again in the Bible, God says, “If you will do `this’, then I will do `this’…. If you’ll trust Me about this area of your life, I will do this and bless you in this area of your life.” Seven thousand times. 

It’s like an insurance policy.  When you have one and you know what’s covered in that insurance policy, you don’t worry about stuff when an earthquake occurs or your car gets bumped, because you know the policy is going to pay for it.  But if you don’t know what’s covered in your insurance policy, then you start worrying about it.

A promise from God is a statement we can depend upon with absolute confidence.  Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.

God’s presence- “I will never leave you.” Hebrews 13:5

God’s protection- “I am your shield.”  Genesis 15:1

God’s rest- “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 11:28

God’s cleansing- “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

God’s purposes- “I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “Thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11

God’s power- “I will strengthen you.”  Isaiah 41:10

God’s life- “I have come that you would have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

God’s leading- “And when He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them.” John 10:4

God’s faithfulness- “The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake.”  1 Samuel 12:22

God’s guidance- “He will guide His people.”  Psalm 25:9

God’s wise plan- “All things work together for good to them that love God.”  Romans 8:28

The reason why so many people worry today is they don’t know what’s

covered in the contract, in the policy. “God is not man, one given to lies, and

not a son of man changing His mind. Does He speak and not do what He says?

Does He promise and not come through?” Numbers 23:19 It is all covered in

God’s Word…seven thousand times. They are waiting for you to claim.  After

all, He’s never made a promise He hasn’t kept.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   Which promise of the ones listed above will you claim today on your insurance policy?

2)   Pray for someone in your family today that God will show Himself to them.

Consider reading the Word today:

 

Copyright 2014 - Terry Risser

March 6 - The Slice and the Sacrifice

The Slice and the Sacrifice

“Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.” Romans 5:16

Have you ever had one of those days?  Mathieu Boya did.  Everything was going pretty smoothly as this “wanna-be” Tiger Woods was simply hitting chip shots and drives out near his home.  As an aspiring young golfer, young Mathieu was honing his skills out in a pasture next to Africa’s Benin Air Base when his whole life would change.

With one swing of the golf club, Boya set off an unbelievable chain of events.  The shot, described as “a glorious slice,” hit a bird, which in turn dropped onto the windshield of a trainer jet whose pilot was taxiing into position for takeoff.  The pilot lost control of his plane and plowed into four shiny Mirage jets, totally demolishing the entire Air Force of Benin.

Boya was jailed immediately for “hooliganism,” and his attorney said he had no chance of winning a trial.  The country wanted Boya to pay $40 million to replace the jets.  Since Boya made only $275 every YEAR, he figured it would take 145,000 years to pay off his debt to society.

Talk about a “birdie,” I’ll bet they were talking about that shot in the clubhouse for days to follow.  For the compassionate among us, you can’t help but feel for Mathieu.  For those that see the humor in life, you can hardly escape the story without a chuckle if not an all out laugh that comes from life’s painful moments.

It’s hard to believe that something so small could create something so big or that the “domino effect” of one act could bring such magnanimous repercussions.

But such was the case in the Garden of Eden.  One little act of disobedience set into motion a chain of events that resounds nightly on the evening news including the breakdown of homes, resentment that leads to retaliation, crime running rampant, and wars among nations.  Little did Adam and Eve know what their one little act would bring to mankind.  Yet God didn’t let it end there.

In Romans 5:16, Paul writes, “Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.” (TLB) While the debt was too big for us to pay, it wasn’t too big for Christ to pay…and take away.

With a “glorious sacrifice,” the Son of God reversed the curse of the world’s sins (and our sins) and offered salvation to all that believe in Him.  I guess you can say that this is one “hooligan” who is grateful He took my penalty stroke.

Terry Risser

Reflections

1)    When was last time you truly pondered the depth of your sin and the great grace God has offered you?

2)    Take time to thank Him for His willingness to make the “glorious sacrifice” for you.

Consider reading the Word today:

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser

March 5 - Run Your Race

Run Your Race

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

1 Timothy 4:7,8

The year was 1980.   Bill Brodherst, who hadn’t run in any race since his high school days, decided to begin training for a marathon known as the Pepsi Challenge 10K in Omaha, Nebraska.  Sending in his application, he wasn’t sure they would accept him as a participant, but soon the approval came back and he was a designated part of the running pack.

His major reason for wanting to be in this race was that Bill Rodgers, a nationally known runner was also competing in the challenge and Brodherst wanted to be able to tell others that he had run in a race with the great Bill Rodgers.

The reason that Brodherst had not run in races since his high school days was that he had been cruelly struck down in the prime of his life with an aneurysm that caused doctors to question if he would ever walk, let alone run.  But with determination that only a few may ever understand, Mr. Brodherst continually took on the impossible and met the challenge.  Eventually he did learn to walk…but always with a need to drag one foot behind him as he progressed.  His running was not much different.  One foot ahead, drag the other up…one foot ahead, drag the other up.

At the beginning of the race Brodherst joined the other runners and as the gun went off, the hundreds of competitors trotted off and Bill slowly followed.  For a while he could still see them in the distance, and then the crowds cheered him on for a while.  Eventually, he heard the sounds of their feet fade as they moved further toward the finish line. 

Then the crowds gradually disappeared, and Bill Brodherst ran on alone towards the halfway point.  When he reached that place, he found that everyone had left, assuming there were no other runners.  But Brodherst doggedly half ran, half dragged himself to the marker and placed his hands on it so that there would be no question that he had reached that destination.

Turning and making his way back toward the final marker, he found that he was the forgotten man. The police stayed with him for a while but then they had to leave to return to their duties.  Children came out to taunt and imitate him as he painfully made his way on.  The markers that had laid out the course had been taken down; however Brodherst trudged on to the goal.

Finally, it was in sight…although the crowds had disappeared and all that was left was the line that had been painted on the street.  Bill Brodherst struggled on with no one to watch his victory over his personal obstacles and he crossed the line several hours after he had begun the race.

Then out of the alley came the sound of applause and cheering, and out came several participants of the race…led by Bill Rodgers- who had run the race.  Rushing forward, they took Brodherst up on their shoulders and carried him for a distance and then set him down.  Then Bill Rodgers took the medal that he had won from around his own neck, and placed it on Bill Brodherst saying, “You’re the winner of this race.”

Our time on earth brings many obstacles, challenges, and trials.  However, as we stay determined in our race, we will be rewarded.   Wherever you find yourself in the race, it’s important to remember:

1)   You have been invited to run with purpose:   “Holding forth the word of

      life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,

      neither labored in vain.” Philippians 2:16

2)     You are surrounded by unseen witnesses cheering you on: “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these

      veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Start

      running—and never quit.” Hebrews 12:1

3)     You are called to run “your” race faithfully:  “You’ve all been to the

      stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to

      win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes

      and fades. You’re after one that is gold eternally.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

4)     You will receive honor and a crown from the Savior:  “Well done, thou

       good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21

No matter what you face today, this week, or this month, keep running your race.  As we keep focused on heaven, it will all be worth it in the end.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   On what occasions are you most tempted to quit your race?

2)   Name a way that God uses to encourage you to keep going.

Consider reading the Word today:

 

Copyright 2014 - Terry Risser

March 4 - Here’s the Church…Here’s the People

Here’s the Church…Here’s the People

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Psalm 133:1

In Charles Schultz famous cartoon strip, Peanuts, Lucy stands with her arms folded and a resolute expression on her face, while Charlie Brown pleads, “Lucy, you MUST be more loving. This world really needs love. You have to let yourself love to make this world a better place in which to live!” Lucy whirls around angrily causing Charlie Brown to do a backwards flip and screams at him: “Look, block-head, the WORLD I love. It’s PEOPLE I can’t stand.”  There are moments or days when all of us would agree.  Those frailties occur in families, jobs, neighborhoods, groups, and yes, even the church.

While the Bible says, “He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing,” the same could be said of a church. There are usually certain qualities that denote one that it is a “keeper” including 1) It is scripturally sound, 2) It is reasonably stable and loving, 3) It has godly, moral leadership, 4) It is doing their best to exalt Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and 5) It is making a reasonable effort to minister to you and your family.   If these qualities are exhibited, then hang in there and remain faithful! You don’t know how blessed you are to have a healthy church like that.

In a consumer-minded world, many people are spending more time finding faults than becoming part of the solution.  Early departures bring to mind what might have been had they grown through it together.  After all, there is no perfect church because there are no perfect people.  As Zig Zigler said, “If you find the perfect church, don’t attend because you’ll mess it up!”  However, God loves taking the minuses and turns them into pluses. But there are seven anonymous thoughts to keep in mind that  express an ability to remain strong:

1. Don’t leave a church out of your personal discontent: If discontent is rooted within you, it will follow you wherever you go, regardless of what church you attend.

2. Don’t leave a church because you transferred your own personal frustrations there: Avoid pushing off your feelings of disappointment from other areas of your life onto the church. Sometimes unhappiness toward the church is a derivative from other personal problems such as: Generally speaking, the church is not your problem. Remember that it and its ministers are there because they love you and want to help you -- not hurt you.

3. Don’t leave a church because your feelings got hurt: Hurt feelings are a “violation of self interests” and are usually a result of being too self-sensitive. In any church or gathering of people there may be many offensive things said or done, mostly unintended, but you don’t have to let yourself become offended. Hurt feelings are probably the greatest reason why people leave churches, but deepening your roots in Christ and His word can immunize you against such tenderness. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165 KJV

4. Don’t leave a church over trivial criticisms: People sometimes have a remarkable ability of making a mountain out of a molehill. Of the many excuses that persons use to leave a church, this is among the most shallow. If all you seem to do is criticize and find fault with the church, you have an attitude problem. Regardless of where you go to church, you’ll find similar faults again, because the problem isn’t with the church -- the problem is with you.

5. Avoid leaving a church over its style or individuality: One of the most common explanations people give for switching churches is their “disagreement with certain beliefs.” In reality, it was a dislike of the personality of the church -- its teaching methods, the style of worship, the structure of the services, or the pastor’s preaching style, etc. Many churches actually believe and teach the same things, but each might have a slightly different method, structure, or style which makes up its unique personality.

6. Don’t leave a church when faced with self conflict: Many people do not understand that spiritual growth requires confronting and overcoming conflict with our self-willed nature. James 1:3-4

7. Don’t leave a church until you have contributed in some way to try help make it better: I have always noticed that the most critical people in the church are usually the ones who do the least. Have you prayed for the leaders? Have you made yourself available to serve or help in areas of ministry?

Just as marriages and families are called to unity, so is a church. Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” God is most glorified.  It’s one of the greatest places for God to shape character and form us into His image.  Problems will come, mistakes will be made, wrong things will be said…but He will take us as we grow together.  As a living stone, let Him build us together.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)    Can you mention one of the 5 areas that you appreciate about your church?

2)    Pray that God uses you to be a builder of life and encouragement in your church.

Consider reading the word today:

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser