A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job.

“That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “You can start Monday.”

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.”

Startled, the young man replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”

“Normally we do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last place today.”

“But I’m a hard worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”

The foreman, sensing the young man’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your axe?”

The young man replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take time for that!”

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to “sharpen the axe.”

In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn’t want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to “the still small voice of God.”

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don’t take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.

Take time today to sharpen your axe!

By Unknown Author

I suggest that everyone make a poster of this and post it in a place where you will see it daily. It’s a great reminder of the promises of God during difficult times and also a good reminder of our responsibilities during those times.

Numbers 13:33 – And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Matthew 6:25-33 – Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Romans 12:19 – Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Matthew 5:43-45 – You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

By Keith Overturf

There is a striking verse in the New Testament, in which the apostle Paul refers to the Cross of Jesus Christ as foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew. One can readily understand why he would say that. After all, to the Greek mind, sophistication, philosophy, and learning were exalted pursuits. How could one crucified possibly spell knowledge?

To the Jewish mind, on the other hand, there was a cry and a longing to be free. In their history, they had been attacked by numerous powers and often humiliated by occupying forces. Whether it was the Assyrians or the Babylonians or the Romans, Jerusalem had been repeatedly plundered and its people left homeless. What would the Hebrew have wanted more than someone who could take up their cause and altogether repel the enemy? How could a Messiah who was crucified possibly be of any help?

To the Greek, the Cross was foolishness. To the Jew, it was a stumbling block. What is it about the Cross of Christ that so roundly defies everything that power relishes? Crucifixion was humiliating. It was so humiliating that the Romans who specialized in the art of torture assured their own citizenry that a Roman could never be crucified. But not only was it humiliating, it was excruciating. In fact, the very word “excruciating” comes from two Latin words: ex cruciatus, or “out of the cross.” Crucifixion was the defining word for pain.

Does that not give us pause in this season before us? Think of it: humiliation and agony. This was the path Jesus chose with which to reach out for you and for me. You see, this thing we call sin, but which we so tragically minimize, breaks the grandeur for which we were created. It brings indignity to our essence and pain to our existence. It separates us from God.

On the way to the Cross two thousand years ago, Jesus took the ultimate indignity and the ultimate pain to bring us back to the dignity of a relationship with God and the healing of our souls. Will you remember that this was done for you and receive his gift?

You will then discover that it is sin that is foolishness. Our greatest weakness is not an enemy from without but one from within. It is our own weak wills that cause us to stumble. But Jesus Christ frees us from the foolishness of sin and the weakness of our selves.

This is the very reason the apostle Paul went on to say that he preached Jesus Christ as one crucified, which was the power of God and the wisdom of God. Come to the Cross in these days given for our contemplation and find out his power and his wisdom.

By Ravi Zacharias

“Alone in the dark,” is one of the most frightening situations that we can face. We abhor the darkness that gathers around us like a cloak. Harmless objects assume a malevolent face when obscured in darkness. Our vision in the dark is untrustworthy because of these distortions and inherent distrust. Hence, we cannot trust our eyes in the absence of light.

If we find ourselves in the woods at night, we will run with all of our might towards a distant light. Darkness terrifies most of us and we resist it with all that we have.

What is fascinating is that we often do the exact opposite with spiritual darkness. We run away from physical darkness while running to spiritual darkness (Proverbs 1:16; Romans 3:10).

Scripture is very clear that light and darkness are excellent ways to understand sin and righteousness. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5, NKJV). Jesus calls himself the “light of the world” (John 8:12) that is constantly misunder- stood by those in the darkness (John 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Yet, most still embrace the darkness, the abode of Satan, where God has no place.

The righteous walk in the brightness of a sunny day while, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble” (Proverbs 4:18-19).

The light entered the world but mankind “loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). The words “were” and “evil” denote continual action. /1 He continues, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). The word “evil” in 3:19 is a different word than the one in 3:20. The latter word refers to “worthlessness.”/2

The behavior of those in darkness has no redeeming qualities, in the eyes of God. They cannot see the good around them because of the darkness in their eyes. A roach doesn’t know the benefits of cleanliness because it is unnatural to them. Likewise, a person immersed in darkness has so much goodness in the world that they cannot see.

Spiritual darkness obscures hope, peace, unity, faith, love and truth. We become blind to all that is great without the light of the Lord. Evil becomes our default position, leaving the world immeasurably bleak and hopeless.

We must let the Lord’s light bathe our lives in grace and mercy and open our hearts to endless possibilities for joy or we will never see the beauty of God!

By Richard Mansel

“Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” Charles Barkley

Where, after all, is Charles Barkley when the report card comes home? Our children naturally draw inspiration from sports figures, movie stars, and other celebrities, but it is we to whom they look for daily guidance, love, and support. We are their primary role models. Let’s make sure our encouragement is never in short supply, and that our commitment to their physical and emotional welfare never lags. No NBA star, movie star or other celebrity will be our stand-in at that parent-teacher conference; only we can put forth the values and ideals from which our child can draw strength and prosper.

And who is our role model. Our Father which art in heaven! God’s appearance is unknown to us but not his character. His character, likeness, and nature are known to us and it is our obligation to be evidence of his characteristic, likeness and integrity. As our children’s role model, we are to train our children to possess the qualities of our Father. It is our job to nurture our children’s soul in order for them to attain these characteristics. As parents, we must have knowledge of scripture in order to impart that knowledge to our children. We must know the foundation of what we believe and why we believe it. When we give our children instruction, we should also use scripture to back it up. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We must be diligent in teaching our children. (Deut 6:6). We must teach by example. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Scripture tells us if we do not teach scripture to our children we all will perish (Hosea 4:6). The benefit of teaching the word is that you and your family will be blessed with a peace of mind. (Deuteronomy 6:9 and Proverbs 29:17). The recent headlines of the Chris Brown and Rhianna incident has so many people speaking about how disappointed they are because they thought Chris Brown was a good role model. I don’t know Chris Brown or Rhianna like I know my Father. Therefore, although my son is a fan of Chris Brown, knowing our Father is the top priority so that we can be better prepared to handle life’s events. Also important is providing our children with opportunities to put into action what they are learning from scripture. This will pave the way for subconscious Christ-like behavior. If training of the scripture is not done and children are not given the opportunities to put what they have learned into action, all the things that they are being taught will go in one ear and out the other. (James 1:23-24)

Declaration: On this day, I will take five minutes to think about what kind of role model I am for my child, and if it needs improvement, I pledge to do that.

By Michele Quick, SMCC/CSAC, Pastoral Counselor

Our deeds and words, both good and bad constantly ripple out affecting others in ways we may never see. Although one Canadian woman had the opportunity to see exactly what her actions caused.

At a bus stop in Toronto, Paula observed a woman who appeared distraught and was soon crying. Not accustomed to walking up to strangers and injecting herself into their affairs, Paula was caught off balance by her own thoughts. “That woman needs a hug!”

“Something in me just pushed at me”, says Paula, “and so I walked up to her and said, you look like you need a hug.”

Gratefully, the stranger accepted the offer.

The two ladies ended up sitting together and through the conversation Paula asked what was happening in the stranger’s life that was tearing at her so.

The woman spoke of the rough times she was experiencing, mentioning her heartache regarding her children. Her son was not only on drugs but was molesting his younger sister.

Paula comforted and offered advice. One of the things she said was, “I take a paper and place a line down the centre. I put on one side all the things that are troubling me and on the other I place all the things I am grateful for. Often I find there are things I can soon move over to the positive side.”

When the two ladies parted, Paula thought she would never see the stranger again. But life moves in strange ways. Paula was out with a friend and happened to spot the stranger in a crowd. She rushed over to say hello and when she did she was astounded by what she discovered.

The stranger was overjoyed to see Paula and was soon explaining her joy. “That day when you saw me I had intended on going home and killing my son, my daughter and myself. Your hug changed my perspective Paula. I felt hope. I went home and I reported my son to the authorities. He was taken away where he could get help. I just want you to know that because you hugged me, I didn’t kill myself, my son or my daughter. With that first single move of getting help for my son, my life began turning around. Today my son is better and is soon to be married. Thank you so very much Paula!”

With that, two sets of eyes filled with moisture and another hug was called for!

As told to Ellie Braun-Haley ellie@evrcanada.com

From Sermon Illustrator edited by Rob Chaffart

A friend of mine has served on his local school board for many years. And the more demands that have been placed on schools in recent years, the more complicated the work of school boards and school officials has become. The other day one of those frustrations surfaced in our conversation. My friend said, “You know, our state keeps passing on mandates to us for things our school system has to do, but lots of times they give us the mandate without any money. They decide what we have to do, and we have to figure out how to pay for it.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Manageable Mandates.”

Mandates without resources – that’s got to be frustrating. Thankfully, God never gives a mandate without providing the resources to carry it out! That’s important for you to know right now, especially if you sense that He’s leading you to do something where you have no clue where the resources are going to come from.

Over and over our many years of serving Him, we’ve made 1 Thessalonians 5:24 our bottom line, and we have never been disappointed. It’s our word for today from the Word of God. It simply makes this promise: “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” To put it simply, God will never abandon you in the middle of something that He’s told you to do.

Right now your Lord may be leading you toward some uncharted territory. You’re being asked to shoulder a responsibility, a burden, or a challenge that you’re not sure you can handle. Good. That sounds like one of those exciting times when it will be just a little bit of you and a whole lot of God. Your promise is that if He is calling you to do something, He will actually do it through you. Your job is to stay pure and show up!

God’s plan will not take you where His grace will not keep you. Maybe you can’t see where the money would possibly come from to carry out what God is mandating, but God’s Word teaches us that what God orders, God pays for! Or as one missionary pioneer said, “If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill!”

Or you may just feel personally inadequate for what God is leading you to do. Good. That gets you out of the way and it insures that God will get all the glory. The great Apostle Paul put it this way: “Not that we are competent in ourselves… but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent” (2 Corinthians 3:5). God is glorified when people who don’t have what it takes are the ones He uses. We’re talking like a divine takeover of you, filling you with His strength, His ideas, His words, His wisdom, His love.

He will provide the emotional resources you need, the human resources, and the financial resources. Remember, God’s promise is “my God will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Not according to your measly resources, but according to His unlimited resources!

So really, isn’t that all you need to know as you’re facing a challenge that’s bigger than you are, or maybe you’re even considering giving up on a calling that God has given to you. What you need to know is that your Lord will never abandon you in the middle of what He’s told you to do. What God mandates, God provides for!

By Ron Hutchcraft

Today’s humorous story actually comes in the form of a quiz. How many of these do you remember?

1. Bazooka chewing gum

2. Little wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside

3. Television broadcasts ending at night and not coming on until late morning

4. Soda pop machines that dispensed bottles

5. Hamburger joints with table side jukeboxes

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers

7. Telephone “party lines”

8. Newsreels shown before the movie

9. Butch wax

10. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (Olive-6933)

11. Peashooters

12. The Howdy Doody Show

13. 45 RPM records (and record players)

14. S&H Green Stamps

15. Television test patterns

16. Metal ice trays with levers

17. Mimeograph paper

18. Blue flashbulbs

19. The Amos and Andy show (radio or TV!)

20. Roller skate keys

21. Cork popguns

22. Drive-in theaters

23. Studebakers (they were automobiles)

24. Wash tub wringers

25. The television day beginning and ending with The Star Spangled Banner

If you remembered 0-7, you’re still young (ish)

If you remembered 8-14, you’re getting older

If you remembered 15-20, don’t tell your age

If you remembered 21-25, you’re older than dirt!

I remember the first time I started feeling really old. My wife and I were playing a game with some college students and Johnny Carson’s name came up. One of the students asked, “Who’s that?” Suddenly, I realized that I was a member of “another generation”!

The things on the list above are things I don’t expect my children to be familiar with. They’re too young. They weren’t around back then. In fact, I wasn’t even around for some of those things!

There once was a conversation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in John 8. Jesus made a reference to Abraham, and the Jews were amazed. They said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57). He was too young to know such things — over a thousand years too young.

But, though they could not understand it, Jesus had indeed seen Abraham. “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58).

What the Jews failed to realize (and what we must acknowledge) is that Jesus was not just a man. He was God and had been in existence for all eternity. In fact, he is the only person who ever lived who you could honestly say was “older than dirt”! All praise be to the God who took on flesh and blood for our sakes!

By Alan Smith

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas.

Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, ‘You’d better give the quarter back.’

It would be wrong to keep it.’ Then he thought, ‘Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter.

Who would worry about this little amount?

Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.’

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, ‘Here, you gave me too much change.’

The driver, with a smile, replied, ‘Aren’t you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I’ll see you at church on Sunday.’

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, ‘Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.’

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.

This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test!

Always be on guard — and remember — You carry the name of Christ on your Shoulders when you call yourself ‘Christian.’

Watch your thoughts; they become words

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I’m glad a friend forwarded to me as a reminder. God bless you; I hope you are having a wonderful day!

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not PROTECT you…

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL.

By Keith Overturf

Responding to Troubled Times

Last week my mind flashed back 40 years to the first time I walked into the office of Dr. Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade for Christ. As I looked on his desk and walls, I was fascinated to see what he valued. Of course, there were pictures of his wife and family, awards he’d received, and mementos from around the world. But on his desk there was an engraved brass plate with the most unusual phrase I’ve ever seen in an executive office:

“I’m No Grasshopper.”

I asked what it meant. Bill chuckled and started telling me the Old Testament story about the Israelites returning to their homeland after centuries of slavery in Egypt. Their leader, Moses, sent a dozen spies into the land of Canaan. This land was inhabited by others but God said He would give it to the Israelites.

Ten of the twelve came back reporting that it was impossible for the Israelites to conquer the land. “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us,” they said. “We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31, 33).

Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, said the land could be taken. Joshua said there would be nothing to fear because his trust was in the Lord. But the people would not listen. As a result, the Israelites did not attempt to conquer the land God said He was giving them, and they spent 40 years wandering around in the wilderness because of unbelief.

After recounting this story, Bill turned to me and said, “Dennis, when I arrive in heaven, I don’t want my life here on earth to have been characterized by viewing myself as a grasshopper. My God is so big, I want to expect and believe Him for great things.”

This financial crisis leaves us with the same choice. Will we respond to bad news like grasshoppers, or will we respond with trust in our God, who is in control of our fate today just as He was in the days of Moses and Joshua?

Timeless Truths

We need to remember that God is still in control, even in times of uncertainty and chaos. Romans 8:28 is still in force: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” So is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which tells us, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I am also reminded of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” He said. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).

And then Jesus goes on to say (in Matthew 6:25-33): For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?… But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

These are the timeless truths we need to focus on – the words we should read together as husband and wife, and the words we should be reading to our children. They tell us that God will provide for our needs. His provision may come in different forms than we expect, but His promise to meet our needs has not expired in the 21st century.

Jesus’ words also remind us that there is more to life than meeting our daily material needs. When we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we operate according to His priorities—we’re concerned about building our family relationships, and connecting the hearts of our children to God’s heart, and impacting future generations by proclaiming Christ. That’s what life is really about.

What is God up to?

In recent days I’ve been saying to our staff here in Little Rock and to friends of this ministry that America as a nation can survive a financial crisis, even a Depression. It’s already done that. But you know what America cannot survive? It cannot survive the spiritual demise and the destruction of its most basic unit, the family.

It’s time to return to the basics, embracing what we believe and those who matter most— our spouses and family.

It’s time for men to take their wives hands and pray together and for one another. Not just today, but every day.

It’s time for parents to rally their families together around the dinner table and read how Jesus said we are to respond to fear and then take one another’s hands and pray. Every day.

It’s time for families to huddle up, tell each other we love one another and hug one another. Every day.

It’s time to be a man or woman of faith and not a grasshopper.

For years many of us have said that it may take a financial crisis like the Depression to get our nation’s spiritual attention. Well, my friend, what if we are on our way right now? What is God up to right now in your life? What’s He up to in your marriage and in your family?

Don’t be a family of spiritual grasshoppers.

By Dennis Rainey