tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296680032024-03-14T02:26:38.042-06:00Dave SamplesDave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.comBlogger670125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-87240443726050167752018-03-05T09:27:00.002-07:002018-03-05T09:27:43.618-07:00The Chair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5tttYm-Rj4/Wp1v5EOxG0I/AAAAAAAABJU/E0A1gbHpnVAhNUYnEhmFMlsACzSrQM60gCLcBGAs/s1600/emptychairtop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5tttYm-Rj4/Wp1v5EOxG0I/AAAAAAAABJU/E0A1gbHpnVAhNUYnEhmFMlsACzSrQM60gCLcBGAs/s320/emptychairtop.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
Leslie Weatherhead tells the story of an old Scot who was ill. When his minister came to call, he noticed a chair pulled close to the bed and said, "Well Donald, I see I'm not your first visitor of the day."<br />
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The old man looked up, puzzled, then followed his minister's gaze to the chair.<br />
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"Ah," he said. "Let me tell you about that chair. many hyears ago, i was finding it difficult to pray. One day I shared my problem with my pastor, and he told me not to worry about kneeling or placing myself in some pious posture. Instead he said, 'just sit down, put a chair opposite you, and imagine Jesus sitting in it. Just talk to Him as you would a friend.'" Donald concluded, "That's what I've been doing ever since."<br />
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The next day the old man's daughter called their minister to report that her father had died. "I had just gone to lie down for an hour or two, because he seemed to be sleeping comfortably. When I came back, he had passed away." she paused. "he hadn't moved . . . except that his hand was on the empty chair beside his bed."<br />
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The minister smiled to himself. "That isn't so strange," he replied. "I understand."<br />
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--Tim Hansel, Dancin' Toward the Dawn (Quoted from James S. Hewitt, Illustrations Unlimited).Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-51738100849272660772018-01-10T08:22:00.000-07:002018-01-10T08:22:12.706-07:00Finding God . . . <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><b>“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I
will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with
all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” –Jeremiah 29:12-14a<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
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“I will be found by you”, says God! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Many spend their entire lives looking for love, looking for
purpose, looking for the meaning of life, and never quite finding the
fulfillment it brings. God, is in fact,
all of those things: purpose, peace, power, provider, etc. He is everything you are looking for—He is
the source of everything beneficial!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The promises contained in these verses are every bit as
meaningful as the promises of Jeremiah 29:11. God says, “Call to me, pray to
me, seek me, and search for me.” The
wonderful result? God says, “I will listen to you and you will find me.”
Jeremiah 29:11 is released into our lives through Jeremiah 29:12-13.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>Maybe the atheist cannot find
God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman. ~Author Unknown</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-14873558982802853712018-01-09T11:15:00.000-07:002018-01-09T11:20:52.597-07:00Plans . . .<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i><b>“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the
Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah
29:11<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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2 questions: First of all, can you trust GOD? Meaning—can GOD
be trusted? The answer is YES! The second question is the same but different? Can
YOU trust God?—meaning, are you capable of releasing control and letting God
handle things? I can’t answer this one for you but your ability to receive the
promise is contingent upon your trust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jeremiah 29:11 is a wonderful promise that most of us have
become familiar with and look to when we face uncertain days. To benefit from the promise requires trusting
in God. There are four aspects to this great promise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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God has plans for you . . . <o:p></o:p></div>
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#1—Plans for Welfare. The word
translated, “welfare” here is the Hebrew word, “Shalom”, which means peace—the absence
of conflict. Peace comes not just when your problems go away, but when you
trust God with your problems. He promises peace—but the way to get there is
through trusting God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#2—Not Plans for Calamity. “Calamity”
here is from the Hebrew word, “Rah”, which means bad or evil. Literally think
of it as things or situations that are detrimental. You will face hardship, but
if you trust God, then you can recognize that all thing work together for your
benefit and thus they are not detrimental (“Rah”). Calamity is removed by
redefining problems as opportunities. This obviously requires trust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#3—Plans to Give you a Future. The
word, “future”, here literally means, “end”. There will be an end to these
troubles. Your time of exile is limited. You just have to make it one more day…one
more hour…one more minute…one more second. Don’t take on tomorrow’s issues
today—just make it today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#4—Plans to Give you a Hope. I love
this one. “Hope”, in the Hebrew here can mean, “rope”. What? Rope? Yes, rope—a life-line.
Something to hang on to in the midst of the storm. My dad tells a story about
being out in the fields with his father when he was young. They lived near Dalhart,
Texas and in those days, massive dust storms would come up and make it nearly
impossible to see and difficult to even breathe. One of those storms hit suddenly and my
grandfather led my dad back to the house by making his way to the barbed wire
fence and slowly following the fence back to the house while holding on to that
wire. They followed a fence—a rope—a hope!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, I want to challenge you to
trust God. Trust doesn’t mean doing nothing—it means doing the plans that God has
already prepared for you—it means following the fence home.<o:p></o:p></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-45955571851015158682018-01-08T08:44:00.000-07:002018-01-08T08:44:36.324-07:00It's Not Forever . . . <div class="MsoNormal">
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been
completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to
bring you back to this place.’” – Jeremiah 29:10<o:p></o:p></div>
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God had sent his people into exile . . . but . . . the time
in exile was to be limited! This is
great news for all of us who may be traveling through a difficult and trying
experience. Exile is not forever. Israel’s exile was limited to 70 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The number “70” is a symbolic number. It’s “10” times “7”. The
number “10” symbolizes testing in the Bible (10 commandments, 10 plagues in
Egypt, 10% tithe, 10 talents, 10 virgins, 10 lepers, etc). The number “7” is sometimes
called the perfect number. It represents perfection or completion in the Bible
(God’s 7<sup>th</sup> day rest, Joshua’s 7 day march around Jericho, Revelation’s
7 seals, 7 lampstands, and 7 stars). So “70” means (“7” x “10”) a complete or
perfect time of testing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We can infer from this text that God places limitations upon
our times of suffering and exile. Today’s trouble will not last forever. And
let me add that our times of exile are always on purpose. God never wastes a
hurt. The promises of Jeremiah 29:11-14 are just ahead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large
intelligence and a deep heart.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment.<o:p></o:p></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-70222116207786841822018-01-04T08:10:00.000-07:002018-01-04T08:10:38.321-07:00Listen Carefully . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moKdR09IvHI/Wk5DXzyVp9I/AAAAAAAABIc/4lDExY3-jLwGND1ZO6bK_Q1m0o5nzZ3_wCLcBGAs/s1600/shutterstock_106363526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="133" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moKdR09IvHI/Wk5DXzyVp9I/AAAAAAAABIc/4lDExY3-jLwGND1ZO6bK_Q1m0o5nzZ3_wCLcBGAs/s200/shutterstock_106363526.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"><i>“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not
let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do
not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in
My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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Be careful who you listen to because not everyone knows what
they are talking about. Yes, even religious people can get it wrong. My
favorite example is Peter who in one moment is credited with speaking God’s
words and in the very next is the mouthpiece of Satan (See Matthew 16:13-23).
That means that any of us can in one moment be speaking God’s truth and in the
very next be speaking deception. Yes, Dave Samples gets it wrong sometimes!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The solution is to have an unquestionable authority that can
be referred to whenever guidance is needed. God has given us that authority
through His Bible. Our church's doctrinal statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, says
it this way,<i><span style="color: #93c47d;"> “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s
revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. .
. . It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is . . .
the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions
should be tried.” (BF&M, 2000, p7)</span></i>. </div>
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The Bible says of itself, <i><span style="color: #93c47d;">“Every part
of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing
our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through
the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (2
Timothy 3:16-17, The Message).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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So, we have to immerse ourselves in the Word of God. Find a
way to do that. This year I’m reading the “Chronological Bible” every day using
my YouVersion Bible App on my Iphone. The "One Year Bible" (also found on the
App) has been my go-to previously for about seventeen years. Yes, I read the
Bible through EVERY year—and so can you. It doesn’t matter if you read it on
paper or on your computer. You can even listen to a digital version if that’s
easier for you. But we must all read the Word of God! Otherwise, we don’t know
what we’re talking about, and we don’t know what we are doing!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="color: #93c47d;">“When you live by God’s Word, your life works. When you live without God’s Word, life doesn’t
work.” –Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-21445151196026868212018-01-03T08:11:00.001-07:002018-01-03T08:11:57.942-07:00Live Life . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMZVjq0joP0/WkzyayNd4oI/AAAAAAAABIE/dFLtyxrppWg0pFM8Whk6oDNJ2MGAkUuoACLcBGAs/s1600/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAphAAAAJDhjMjJmYTFjLTM1MmUtNGJiZC04YjhiLWQxNzgyOWE4ZGVlYw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1024" height="132" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMZVjq0joP0/WkzyayNd4oI/AAAAAAAABIE/dFLtyxrppWg0pFM8Whk6oDNJ2MGAkUuoACLcBGAs/s200/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAphAAAAJDhjMjJmYTFjLTM1MmUtNGJiZC04YjhiLWQxNzgyOWE4ZGVlYw.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><b>“Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat
their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters . . .
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile . . . “ (Jeremiah
5-7).<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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Here’s the deal about being in
exile. God wants you to get on with your life and really live! Build houses, plant gardens, and start
families. Your life has not ended just
because your plans may have come crashing down around you. There is much to enjoy, even in the midst of great pain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Richard Niebuhr’s famous “Prayer
for Serenity” provides a helpful path towards life in the midst of loss.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, <u>enjoying one moment at a time</u>; accepting
hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it
is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I
surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.”<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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The challenge for today is to
find a way to enjoy one moment at a time—to maybe enjoy just one moment—one small
moment. In the middle of the hurricane, find a breeze of hope—find a small
whiff of peace. And hang on to it with everything you’ve got!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">“In three words I can sum up everything I've
learned about life: it goes on.” </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">–Robert Frost </span></span></i></b>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-81252656601314389122018-01-02T08:20:00.000-07:002018-01-02T08:20:20.525-07:00The God of Exile...<i><b><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles who I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon . . . " (Jeremiah 29:4).</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a tough question: Is it possible that you are in the tough spot that you are in (what I'm calling exile), because God wants you there? I don't know if you want to hear this or not--but the answer is YES! God sometimes sends us into exile. The verse above clearly says that God sent the Israelites into exile. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why does God send us into exile? Because it's in the pain that we gain! <i><b>"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors" (James 1:2-3, The Message). </b></i>I've heard it said this way, "What comes out when you are squeezed is who you really are". Yikes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our journey through exile and ultimately back home, we have the opportunity to come to know God in a fresh way--as the God of Exile. It is challenging, to say the least, to set aside our notions about what God must be like, and to instead experience Him personally, as so many have throughout the pages of Scripture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” </span></i><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1069006.C_S_Lewis" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">C.S. Lewis</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_11138" style="font-size: 14px;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/801500" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">Mere Christianity</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me invite you today to experience the God of Exile. Your great discomfort may just be an indication of the size of the project that God is undertaking through you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" (Isaiah 43:19, </span><span style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">NLT).</span></span></b></i>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-74261357395308675732018-01-01T17:02:00.001-07:002018-01-01T17:02:36.034-07:00Message to the Exiles...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hba6lvWc60k/WkrLlRwRJ7I/AAAAAAAABHI/S82mv4hSZq4RojAKP52ckrFkpPkO47j6gCLcBGAs/s1600/jeremiah-29-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="688" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hba6lvWc60k/WkrLlRwRJ7I/AAAAAAAABHI/S82mv4hSZq4RojAKP52ckrFkpPkO47j6gCLcBGAs/s400/jeremiah-29-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Are you familiar with Jeremiah 29:11? <b><i>"'For I know the plans that I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
This is a hopeful verse of promise that many of us have held onto at some point in our lives. What you may not be familiar with is the fact that the context of this great promise is an extended time of exile--a time of great loss for God's chosen people. For a period of about twenty years, the Jewish people were successively exiled into Babylon. This captivity ultimately lasted for seventy long years. Jeremiah's promise occurs in the early days of this Babylonian exile.<br />
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Have you ever been exiled? I don't mean that you've been sent off packing to Babylon. I do mean that all of us, at different points in our lives, have experienced times of great loss--exile. We've lost our place, our power, our privilege, our purpose, and likely our peace. We've lost relationships, jobs, homes, and maybe even the will to live. With that in mind, Jeremiah 29:11 takes on new and essential meaning. In the midst of loss, God still has a plan--a plan for blessing!<br />
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In the verses surrounding Jeremiah 29:11, I've discovered seven strategic steps intended to lead us back from exile.<br />
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#1--Know the Lord - Jeremiah 29:4<br />
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#2--Live your Life - Jeremiah 29:5-7<br />
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#3--Listen Carefully - Jeremiah 29:8-9<br />
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#4--Limited and Purposeful Suffering - Jeremiah 29:10<br />
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#5--Follow God's Leadership - Jeremiah 29:11<br />
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#6--Locate God - Jeremiah 29:12-14<br />
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#7--Liberation - Jeremiah 29:14<br />
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Over the next several days, I will work through these seven steps, putting a little more meat on the bone. If you are like me--a returning exile (or maybe you are just starting a new journey into exile), God has something life-changing to say to us.Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-42215194200370492062017-12-01T08:20:00.000-07:002017-12-01T08:20:42.601-07:00I'm Still Growing . . .It's been quite a while since I've taken the time and effort to write a blog post. I've been reading some of my old posts this morning going all the way back to 2006 and I realize how very important it is to write. #1--It's a record of my life's experiences. #2--It's a storehouse of the insights that I've gleaned from the Word of God.<br />
<br />
It's startling how much I've changed over the years. In 2006, I mentioned in a blog post that I don't cry much. In 2017, I cry all of the time! In 2006, I hadn't yet come to the realization that I was a chronic people-pleaser. In 2017, I have a group of leaders in my church that likely doubt that I was ever a people-pleaser. I'm laughing as I consider this, since we have just come through a very difficult time for all of us when I resisted not one but two committees in order to stand on a biblical conviction. God has healed me of a great many issues--mostly through the creative use of loss and suffering. That said--I'm still growing!Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-20533708095058502142017-01-16T08:59:00.003-07:002017-01-16T09:00:11.115-07:00Six Promises of Heaven<b>SIX PROMISES OF HEAVEN</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">H</span>ealing:</b> <i>"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the HEALING of the nations." --Revelation 22:1-2</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">E</span>ternity:</b> <i>"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." --John 17:3</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A</span>doration:</b> <i>" . . . and day and night they do not cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.'" --Revelation 4:8b</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">V</span>ictory:</b> <i>"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." --1 Corinthians 15:57</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">E</span>xuberant Existance:</b> <i>"I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." --John 10:10</i><br />
<br />
<b>k<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">N</span>owing:</b> <i>"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." --1 Corinthians 13:12</i>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-1489824338728070242017-01-02T09:29:00.000-07:002017-01-02T09:29:52.480-07:00Growling the Word<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">"But they delight
in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees
planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never
wither, and they prosper in all they do." --Psalm 1:2-3 (NLT)<br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">This is an amazing
promise for those who will act on it. Delight in the law of the Lord, meditate
on it day and night, and you will prosper in all that you do. Who wants to
prosper in 2017? Who wants to be like a tree on a riverbank, always green and
always bearing fruit? Well, count me in! <br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Let's focus on the two
conditional elements in these verses: #1 delight on the law, and #2 meditate on
the law. The law of the Lord, of course, is the entire Word of God. What does
it mean to delight in it and to meditate on it?<br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">#1 Delight: We either
delight or we don't. For me, coming to the Word of God each day is like a
treasure hunt. When God's Spirit reveals a truth to me, I get excited--not
unlike finding hidden treasure. If I'm needing to make a decision, and I find
the answer in my daily reading, I delight in it! I approach the Word that way
every day. I'm looking for guidance, for wisdom, for encouragement, and for
changes I need to make. As God reveals, I delight in His words of life.<br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">#2 Meditate: This is an
interesting Hebrew word--"hagah". In addition to meaning meditation
or consideration, it can also mean to speak, to moan, or to growl. So to begin
with, I would suggest that our time in the Word should be spent vocalizing it.
You may pop into the church office one afternoon and catch me pacing the
hallway, reading my scriptures out loud--even shouting on occasion. The Bible
is meant to be spoken and I can tell you from experience that I get a lot more
out of it when I speak it. The moaning has to do with expressions of pleasure.
What I really find interesting is the idea of "growling" the Word.
What is that all about? I have a dog named Gavin who can make this idea
perfectly clear. When Gavin is enjoying a bone, he doesn't wish to be disturbed.
He will growl if you make a move towards him because he doesn't want to lose
his bone. We should take the attitude of Gavin when we are in the Word. Enjoy
it and don't let anyone or anything take it away from you.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">So today and
throughout all of 2017, Delight in the Word, Meditate on it, and get ready to
prosper.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-57898981271504876442016-03-29T10:54:00.000-06:002016-03-29T10:54:26.778-06:00Observations from the Storm<i><b>"The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger" (Luke 8:23b). </b></i><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My boat has been filling up with water for several months--seven to be exact. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ph7C2iSJ1g/VvqyuRil3TI/AAAAAAAABAo/5acxGv0dq64E0uZLq37heJRyKksTVlGEg/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ph7C2iSJ1g/VvqyuRil3TI/AAAAAAAABAo/5acxGv0dq64E0uZLq37heJRyKksTVlGEg/s320/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>We were just about ready to leave for church on a typical Sunday morning last August. Tina was finishing up in the bathroom, brushing hair one last time and considering which ear rings looked the best. She had already complained about not feeling well and I was doing my best to encourage her out the door, believing that she would feel better as the morning progressed. As the story would develop, she didn't start feeling better, and we didn't make it to church. Instead, Tina spent the next ten days in excruciating pain, suffering a massive heart attack, that went misdiagnosed for a week and a half.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More than half a year later, having suffered devastating damage to her heart, Tina is on the verge of a heart transplant. We are hopeful--yet terrified. Our boat is full of water!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My One Year Bible reading today includes the portion of Luke 8 where Jesus calms the storm. Allow me to share a few observations.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>#1--"The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!'" (v24a) </i></b> Their fear was real. They believed death was almost certain. Notice they address Jesus as "Master". He is the boss, the leader, the one in charge, and the one with all of the answers. He is responsible! Like the disciples, my boat is full of water and there is nothing that I can do about it. Bailing water won't help! Swimming lessons won't help! Shouting at the wind won't help! However, shouting "Master, Master!" will always help! "Master" implies that I know who is in control. "Master" says that I know who is making the decisions.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>#2--"When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves." (v24b) </b></i> I imagine that the disciples woke Jesus up with urgency. I doubt they whispered. They were shouting! Yelling! Screaming! That's how I need to learn to pray--loud and impolitely! Wake up! Help! Master!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>#3--"Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm." (v24c)</b></i> I like this part. Their cry brought His calm. Their shout brought His stillness. As the song says, sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<b><i>#4--"Then He asked them, 'Where is your faith?'" (v25a)</i></b> This is the million-dollar question of the day. Where is my faith? What am I trusting? There are those wonderful, if not brief, moments when I trust God in between my doubt and despair. May those moments become minutes, and the minutes become mountain-moving measures of extraordinary faith!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>"No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm."</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i> --Charles Kettering</i></b></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-1507707177661723792015-09-14T07:41:00.001-06:002015-09-14T07:41:32.009-06:00Covenant<i><b><span style="color: #93c47d;">"But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of
Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds so
they will understand them, and I will write them on their hearts so they
will obey them. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
(Hebrews 8:10, NLT)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
I heard a message regarding this passage in 1984. I was serving on a
Baptist Student Union mission team in Detroit, Michigan. I can't tell
you the name of the church, but I remember clearly my BSU Director,
Scott Brewer, bringing this message. I've preached it myself a few
times over the years. To have God's law in our minds means that we know
what to do. To have God's law in our hearts means that we want to do
it. Scott called it, "The know-so and the want-to". The Spirit of God
will guide us to know what to do and better yet, will give us the desire
to do it. Over the years, I've found this to be true. I've
experienced it--though I've also, at times, rebelled against it.<br />
<br />
Today, let's be open to the Spirit's directives. Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-21248607190606335162015-09-09T07:32:00.002-06:002015-09-09T07:33:29.476-06:00Character<span style="color: #ffe599;"><i><b>"Until the time came to fulfill his word, the Lord tested Joseph's
character. Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the
nation opened his prison door. Joseph was put in charge of all the
king's possessions." --Psalm 105:19-21)</b></i></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
I love this description of Joseph that we find tucked away in Psalm
105. Here we find a revealing of purpose--the reason for Joseph's dry
season. Joseph had languished in prison, serving time for a crime that
he did not commit. Why would God allow such a thing? Where is
justice? <br />
<br />
Don't we ask the same questions when we suffer? Why wasn't the heart
attack diagnosed earlier? Why would God allow ten days of suffering?
Why? Psalm 105 answers with one clear word--CHARACTER! It's of note
that Tina's heart attack went undiagnosed for ten days. Ten is the
number of testing. I shared with the men that I meet with on Tuesday
night that this experience has redirected my focus. I'm much more
attentive to Tina than I was before. I'm committed to making sure that
every day is special, a day of love and laughter and not taken for
granted.<br />
<br />
What about you? How will your times of suffering grow your character? As Tina is fond of saying, "God never wastes a hurt!"Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-38271230122096181102015-09-08T10:00:00.003-06:002015-09-08T10:01:42.373-06:00Patience<i><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">"Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised." (Hebrews 6:15)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
The New Testament uses the word "patient" to carry the meaning of,
"persevering patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and
troubles". Like Abraham, we are to persevere difficult circumstances
while awaiting God's promise. It's usually not easy to patiently wait
on God's deliverance but it's the preferred way. Instead of stepping
forward to solve a problem in your own strength, find out what God
intends to do and wait for Him to do it. How do you get a promise from
God? Read the Bible, asking God for insight into your situation. Look
for corrections that you need to make. Look for revelations of God's
character. Finally, look for promises. What does God say He will do? <br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The anchor of hope (Heb. 6:19) actually keep us afloat; the anchor of self-pity, self-righteousness, or self-anything, will drown us." --Scotty Smith</span></b></i>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-31299361826215383042015-09-02T08:59:00.003-06:002015-09-02T09:00:52.416-06:00Warn<i><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">"You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called
'today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened
against God." (Hebrews 3:13, NLT)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
Sin is deceptive. The scriptures speak of it as a trap, a lure, and an
enticement. That's why we need to "warn" each other. Otherwise, we may
fall prey to the addictive nature of the desires of our flesh.<br />
<br />
The word, "warn", in the text is the Greek word <i><b>paracaleo</b></i>.
the King James Version translates it "exhort". The New American
Standard Version translates it as "encourage". The literal translation
of paracaleo is, "to call to one's side". Included in the meaning is
the purpose of admonishing, begging, consoling, strengthening,
comforting, and teaching. The way we warn each other every day is by
coming alongside each other and speaking truth and love. <br />
<br />
Let's think about it this way:<br />
<br />
Today I will . . . <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">W</span></b>alk with you. I will come alongside.<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">A</span></b>ffirm you. I will remind you of how God sees you.<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">R</span></b>escue you. Your problems are my problems.<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">N</span></b>ag you. I will speak the truth in love over and over again.Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-69016878195855606222015-09-01T08:29:00.001-06:002015-09-01T08:29:51.436-06:00Grace<i><b><span style="color: magenta;">"He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me
from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. He fills my
life with good things." (Psalm 103:3-5)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
I like the verbs in these verses: forgives, heals, ransoms, surrounds,
and fills. It's almost like there is an outline of the progression of
grace. <br />
<br />
He forgives sin.<br />
He heals disease.<br />
He ransoms from death.<br />
He surrounds with love and mercy.<br />
He fills with good things.<br />
<br />
He moves us from our sin and it's consequence (disease and death) to
what we don't deserve (love, mercy, and good things). This is the
Gospel and the unmerited favor that Jesus lavishes upon all who will
call upon His name. Sin deserves death but through God's great love and
mercy, we receive "good things". Praise The Lord!<br />
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-19079953022480293082015-08-31T08:52:00.001-06:002015-08-31T08:52:05.175-06:00No Fear!<i><b><span style="color: cyan;">"Because God's children are human beings--made of flesh and
blood--Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form.
For only as a human being could he die, and only be dying could he break
the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. <u>Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.</u>" (Hebrews 2:14-15)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
Did you know that we're not supposed to be afraid of dying? Jesus'
death and resurrection delivers us from the fear of dying. Because
Jesus rose again from the grave--we can have confidence that we too will
rise again. <br />
<br />
For the past two weeks, Tina and I, have experienced a raging storm that
has brought us face to face with the frailty of physical life. Even
now, back in the office, I find myself distracted by Tina's condition.
Is she alright? Does she need me to come home? [2 minute break while I
call home . . . ok, she is fine] Fear is the real enemy! It will rob
us of peace, contentment, and the miracle of living in the present. For
Tina and I, we're focusing on making today the best today that it can
possibly be. We're trying not to worry about yesterday or tomorrow.
We're living right now! <br />
<br />
Let me invite you to join us in practicing the Serenity Prayer, "Living
one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time". Let's get started!
Live!Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-86324288379833084742015-08-24T07:45:00.003-06:002015-08-24T07:45:53.595-06:00Mercy<b><i><span style="color: lime;">"He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5)</span></i></b><b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
Praise God for His mercy! The Greek Lexicon defines mercy as, <i><b>"kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them". </b></i>
God sees us in our misery and affliction and wants to help us. That's
Good News! Even better than God wanting to help, is the fact that God
is able to help. That's Great News! <br />
<br />
Now today, as mercy recipients, let's show that very same mercy. Look
for the miserable and the afflicted and help them. I'm sure we will all
encounter at least one person today who needs a miracle. Be the
miracle!Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-68244348260430281832015-08-19T07:11:00.001-06:002015-08-19T07:11:16.705-06:00Focus<i><b><span style="color: yellow;">"Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor." (Proverbs 21:21)</span></b></i><br />
<br />
What are you pursuing today? What is your day going to be about? You
don't have to be a victim to your circumstances. You get to choose the
focus of your day. We often bounce around from moment to moment
reacting to people and problems without taking the time to actually
live. It's as if someone else is living our life for us. We're on
autopilot and our thoughts and emotions come spilling out without much
consideration. <br />
<br />
The Proverb today suggests an alternative to merely trudging through the
day. Live on purpose! Pursue godliness and unfailing love! Go deeper
with God and make a difference in someone's life today. Live! Laugh!
Love!<br />
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-5609285927988243062015-08-17T13:34:00.001-06:002015-08-17T13:34:33.016-06:00Promises<i><b><span style="color: red;">"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to each us what is
true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens
us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing
us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to
do." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)</span></b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i><br />
Read back through the verse above and you will see a wonderful
collection of benefits available to anyone willing to spend some time in
God's Word. We would all benefit from the any one item in the list and
yet all are promised. Don't miss out on God's wisdom! Don't try to
live in your own understanding! Get in the Word!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: orange;">“We
must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to
undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and
behavior.” --John R. W. Stott</span></span>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-63845958467288960672015-08-14T07:17:00.002-06:002015-08-14T07:17:31.434-06:00Patience<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i><b>"Beg the Lord your God to show us what to do and where to go." (Jeremiah 42:3)</b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i><i><b>"Ten days later, the Lord gave his reply to Jeremiah." (Jeremiah 42:7).</b></i></span><br />
<br />
The people asked the prophet Jeremiah to seek the Lord on their behalf
that they might know what to do. They had a grave situation in front of
them and their lives hung in the balance. "Beg the Lord your God to
show us what to do and where to go." What I find interesting is that
the answer to their prayer did not arrive for ten days. How often do we
pray and then wait ten days (or however long is necessary) to get an
answer from God? I'm afraid that we give up long before we get a
response. We might not wait two days, much less 10, for a response
before we guess and do what is best in our judgment. I wonder how many
mistakes I have made simply because I was not willing to patiently wait
for God's answer to my prayer. <br />
<br />
Today if you need God's intervention or God's guidance, give Him time. He is at work and His time is the right time.Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-23477679015848754532015-08-13T07:50:00.001-06:002015-08-13T07:50:03.677-06:00Make it Count<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)</span></i></b><br />
<br />
The verse literally says to let our days be counted. It means that
every day is a gift and every day matters. The instruction is to make
sure that we don't waste even one of these precious days that God has
provided. I suppose that is wisdom--to make each day count.<br />
<br />
Several years ago I taped the Prayer for Serenity into the front cover
of my preaching Bible. I often read it before I step up to teach the
Word. It reminds me of God's activity and my need to simply submit to
what He is already doing. I'll share it with the hope that it might
help you number your day.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><i>God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,</i><i><br />
</i><i>the courage to change the things I can,</i><i><br />
</i><i>and the wisdom to know the difference.</i><i><br />
</i><i>Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;</i><i><br />
</i><i>accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;</i><i><br />
</i><i>taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;</i><i><br />
</i><i>trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;</i><i><br />
</i><i>so that I may be reasonably happy in this life</i><i><br />
</i><i>and supremely happy with You forever in the next.</i><i><br />
</i><i>Amen.</i></span>Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-70143524592780748762015-08-12T08:12:00.000-06:002015-08-12T08:12:30.047-06:00A Heritage of Faith<i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">"You have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois." (2 Timothy 1:5)</span></i><br />
<br />
I have two thoughts when I read this verse. #1--Am I living out the
faith of my parents and grandparents? #2--Am I passing along the faith
that I've been given to my children?<br />
<br />
I've been given a great faith. My dad was a pastor and if I'm not
mistaken my dad's grandfather was a pastor. My mom and dad invested
many years in serving God through established churches as well as
starting new missions. In addition I have a couple of books on my shelf
that describe faith experiences of my ancestors. Allow me to share from
one of those books, <u>One Corner of Heaven</u>, which is a history of Floyd County, Texas.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">"A few years after Carr's Chapel was built, the L.A. Williams family
moved into our midst. True to custom, several families soon called on
them and invited them to Sunday School and church. Though not affiliated
with any denomination, they began church attendance. When the revival
was held that summer, their third child, Aaron, about nine years old,
surprised us on Sunday morning when he walked down the aisle alone and
made his decision for Christ. Truly a little child led them, for his
father soon followed, then his mother and the other children, Raymond,
Lois, Larue, Chloma, and Aldine. It was a glorious sight as the entire
family stood at the altar rail, accepting Christ and joining the
church."</span></i><br />
<br />
One of those children who accepted Christ that Sunday morning in 1909
happens to be my mom's father, and my grandfather (Raymond). I've had
the honor of standing at the altar rail of Carr's Chapel in the very
place where my grandfather and great-grandfather found Jesus. I'm
grateful for my heritage of faith and for a community of believers that
cared enough to invite a new family to church. I'm here because of them.Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29668003.post-41641400884490638052015-08-11T09:21:00.003-06:002015-08-11T09:25:48.176-06:00Giving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p55Pgkj5Nt0/VcoT5d7V7mI/AAAAAAAAA_0/UU2IIz6nAig/s1600/article-1234177-0784A234000005DC-395_964x520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p55Pgkj5Nt0/VcoT5d7V7mI/AAAAAAAAA_0/UU2IIz6nAig/s320/article-1234177-0784A234000005DC-395_964x520.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><i>"Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust
in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in
the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell
them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works
and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share
with others whatever God has given them." (1 Timothy 6:17-18)</i></span><br />
<big><big></big></big><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<big><big><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: small;">Once upon a time there was a
wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of
walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the
shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.
He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he
began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young
man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the
shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he
got closer he called out,"Good morning! What are you doing?" The
young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the
ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish
in the ocean?" "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I
don't throw them in they'll die." "But, young man, don't you realize
that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't
possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then bent
down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking
waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></big></big></div>
Dave Sampleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01763885971864022696noreply@blogger.com0