YOU BENEFIT!

If there is one movie that you need to see for sure is 42. It is an inspiring story of the life of Jackie Robinson as he broke through the racial barrier in major league baseball in the USA in the 1940’s. The movie is not just about the game of baseball. It highlights the strength and heroic character of one man who by his actions and ‘guts’ in the face of racism made a way for other black baseball players to be accepted as equals in the major league. But who really BENEFITTED because of Jackie Robinson? Black baseball players of course! But in a sense the BENEFITS from what Robinson accomplished went well beyond opening up the doors for black baseball players. As I watched the movie 42 I couldn’t help but think that the same way one man’s action can BENEFIT so many who came after him, we cannot afford to forget all the BENEFITS that are ours because of what God has done through Christ. With that in mind our FF for today is YOU BENEFIT!

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OUGHT TO!

We’ve heard it said many times that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” At the start of each day there are so many things that we intend to do. And yet each of us come to the end of a day only to realize that sometimes much of what we intended to do somehow did not get done. Whether we have a thorough to-do list at the start of a day, a mental note of what they intend to get done or we simply roll along through the day, it can be very frustrating when we realize that what we OUGHT TO get done, for some reason doesn’t. And when that happens, who’s to blame? Maybe the traffic; or that unexpected telephone call that went longer than expected; or having to sit in the waiting room of the doctor’s longer than usual. What if the real blame is just us? What if we are lacking in the drive that is needed to make our OUGHT TO become a will do or better yet, done. With that in mind our FF for today is OUGHT TO!

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BAD, WORSE & BETTER!

The young leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has for the past few weeks been keeping the world on its edge with the threat of war in that region. He even went as far as requesting that the few foreign diplomats in the country should have been out of the country by April 10. Well today is April 12 and we still are not too sure what if anything will happen. Many believe that he has pinned himself into a corner and in order to save face at home he may move ahead and make good on his threats. Can things get any WORSE than they are already? And although we have heard the threats, we donÂ’t know just how BAD things really are. Not only those who live in that region, but the rest of the world is praying that tensions with North Korea will get BETTER; for their sakes as well as for all of us on this planet. So for our FF for today we reflect on three words: BAD, WORSE & BETTER.

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Time to Trust God!

The Lord is the strength of His people. Psalm 28: 8

Psalm 28 is described as a ‘prayer for help and thanksgiving for it’ by an individual (believed to be David) who is being persecuted in some way by members of the community. The individual also prays that the judgment that God will bring against the community will not affect him or her in any way. There is the feeling that this judgment is not only deserved, but certain to take place, hence the thanksgiving when it does happen. Friends there are times when we as Christians are on the receiving end of persecution by the community we serve. In these last days the church has been the most peaceful in her history, pursuing peaceful ways of witnessing, and being more involved in assisting individuals to get a better quality of life. At the same time, there is a heightened level of persecution by those who would rather have a churchless society. I don’t believe that it is the church that people are against. It is the Christian morals and principles that have become problematic in a world that is driven by self-indulgence and gratification.

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RECEIVE OR REJECT!

Yesterday I was listening to a program on Christian radio in which Janet Parshalls was interviewing Mike Judge of the Christian Institute in the United Kingdom. He shared that recently a survey was done in the UK in which 2000 parents asked their children about the meaning of Easter. Here’s what they found out – 80% of the children didn’t know why Christians celebrate Easter and among that number, 25% of those thought it had to do with the birth of the Easter bunny. Wow! It makes you wonder what is happening with the fundamentals of the Christian Gospel in the UK and elsewhere in Europe where few centuries ago they were on the front line in proclaiming the Good News. But we must also wonder what the results would be if a similar survey were to be done in other countries that could be labeled as ‘Christian.’ Now more than ever the Gospel of Christ must move beyond the confines of the church’s walls and into the market place. When we do one of two things will happen. People will either RECEIVE OR REJECT the truth of the Gospel. That’s our FF for today – RECEIVE OR REJECT!

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His Great Faithfulness

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4


Jeremiah said, in Lamentations, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lam.3:22-23) Here the Psalmist echoes this thought of God’s great faithfulness. He says he is a shield or buckler. These implements protect the body from unwarranted attack from any missile. These all speak of God being merciful, caring and protective. Jeremiah suggested that God honours his commitment in great measure. Indeed, God forever honours his commitment. Elsewhere the Psalmist declares that in his old age he can affirm that God has never forsaken the righteous (Psalm 37:25). Paul confirmed, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.


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