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Looking for Laborers

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into t...

It's Not Over Until It's...

38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. Introduction In the 1982 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the...

Because He Lives

1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment...

The Wisdom We Need

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had g...

The Second Chance

34 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. 36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. Intro...

No Room for Jesus

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Of all the words that Luke wrote none have captured the hearts and minds of people quite like verse 7, chapter 2, when he said, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, a...

The Spirit of Thanksgivin...

Ours is not a religion of payback. It is of grace. However, out of gratitude we do owe the Lord something. This psalmist understood that spirit of thanksgiving.   Psalm 116 is a peculiarly personal song. It is personal testimony of one man who was seriously ill and almost died. The Lord heard his prayer and delivered him. He now writes this psalm of gratefu...

Christmas Turns Hearts Ho...

In addition to a balking media, Christmas has long been under attack among Protestants as it has not been since the Puritans outlawed its observance in both England and America in the 17th century. Religious radicals as well as a growing number of responsible church leaders have advocated dropping Christmas from the Christian calendar. One of the most frequently made...

New Year’s Resolutions

With the New Year coming up, most everybody is getting in on the act of making a few New Year’s resolutions of their own. Here are some of my own sideline suggestions for New Year’s resolutions. Be it resolved: To Get More Out of Church: That you won’t try to call playing golf on Sunday your “church time” any more than you would call...

Today's Devotional

Senseless Tragedies

Once we buried a young lady who was only 21 years old. She was killed in a head-on collision while on her way to church. The night before the funeral, my daughter asked why God allows things like this to happen.

I wish I knew. Things like this have puzzled saints, wise men, and philosophers since the world began.

There is simply no one easy answer as to why tragedies like this happen. The answer may lie in the fact that God made us free. He created us with the ability to make our own choices, and choices always involve consequences. If we are careless or foolish in our choices, or if others are, we may suffer because of them. If God did not allow us freedom, we’d be less than people. We’d be robots.

This may be the only explanation we will ever have for some suffering. However, we do not have to know why things happen in order to be victorious over them. On the cross Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) But the heavens were as brass. God was silent. He didn’t even answer his own Son. Jesus might have despaired and become bitter against God. But instead he said, “Father, into thy hands I commend [entrust, hand over] my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

This kind of faith is far more important than any answer we might receive. In our lives, as in the life of Jesus, it is faith that makes the difference between victory and defeat.

So keep believing in God no matter what. Commit your life to him and regardless of what happens, God will help you.

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