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Hypocrisy in Missions

Years ago in a church I pastored, we had a faithful member. She was there every time the doors were opened. In a previous church she had been the president of the Women’s Missionary Union. As the leader of that ministry she had often led that church to pray for missions—for the conversion of the heathen and for the church to send missionaries to distant lands. One day a black family joined our church. And she and her husband walked out and never came back again. Can you believe that a lady would pray for the conversion of the people in Africa, but then a person of African descent joining our church would cause her to walk out and never come back again? Can you believe that she would give money and raise money to give to missionaries to preach to them, but didn’t want them to sit in her church? We are masters at building walls that shut people out and I tell you that such attitudes and behavior have no place in the kingdom of God. Our Lord Jesus did not come to build walls; he came to tear them down.

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Paul W. Powell - www.PaulPowellLibrary.com

Today's Devotional

Major on the Basics

Knute Rockne was one of the greatest football coaches ever. In his 13 years at Notre Dame, his teams won 105 games, lost 12, and tied 5. He never had a secret practice. In fact, he sometimes put up a sign for visitors that said, “Secret practice. Come and bring your notebooks.”

On one occasion when an Army scout missed a train connection and didn’t get to the Notre Dame game he was to cover, Rockne obligingly sent him the plays he planned to use against the West Point men. He explained his actions by saying, “It isn’t the play that wins; it’s the execution.”

All great coaches agree: champions are made by majoring on the fundamentals – blocking and tackling. They execute well. Teams seldom win by trick plays or gimmicks.  

The same is true of life. Tricks and gimmicks will seldom get you to the top in any endeavor and can never keep you there. Major on the basics in all of life – work hard, honor God, be honest, kind and helpful to others, and go to church regularly.

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