The Sin of Complaining

 

Numbers 11:1  "And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."       Numbers 11 is a story of complaining.  The Bible says of the Israelites' complaining, "It displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it."  God did not take their complaining lightly; and just as sure as He heard their cries for help, He heard their complaining.  It is interesting to note when they complained.     First, they complained when they wanted what they did not have.  Israel had everything that they needed: direction, protection, and provision from God Himself.  Yet they complained because they did not have meat to eat!  Isn't it easy for us to complain for the same reason?  Can you think of five things right now that you wish you had?  Sure you can!  Though it is not necessarily wrong to want something, allowing that God-given desire to turn into covetousness  is wrong.  Many people are troubled with this very same sin that displeased the Lord many years ago!     Secondly, they complained when they remembered what they had before.  They said, "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely. . . ."  Really?  Nothing was free in Egypt!  They were slaves in bondage, but their memories were skewed about what they had.  How in the world could fish and leeks compare with manna delivered fresh from the hand of God?     I have learned that the older I get, the better things seem to have been.  Things from my childhood seem larger, better, and void of anything negative!  How easily our perspective is warped!  Often looking back causes discontentment because you are not looking to God; you are looking to yourself.  If wanting something takes away your happiness, that is wrong!  If wanting something makes you envious of what others have, that is wrong!     Thirdly, they complained when they minimized what they did have.  Their ingratitude is amazing!  "But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes."  Nothing at all?  Oh, yes, that small detail of the fresh manna from heaven before you!  I don't know exactly what it tasted like, but it was hot and fresh from God's own bakery!  How could it possibly have been any better than straight from God?     The sin of complaining is a sin that God deals with swiftly and severely.  The example recorded for us in Numbers 11 reminds us of the awful, wicked sin of complaining in our own lives.  Don't minimize what God has provided for you, and do not allow discontentment to fester and agitate a complaining spirit.     "And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD."     Prayer Requests: - Ranch evangelists preaching this weekend in St. Petersburg, FL; Buckeye, AZ; and Goodyear, AZ   Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

TRUE EXAMPLES

II THESSALONIANS 3

Rick Jackson

I. AN EXAMPLE OF PRAYER [3:1-2]

Pray For:

1. People [v. 1a]

2. Permeation [v. 1b]

3. Protection [v. 2]

II. EXAMPLES OF OBEDIENCE [3:3-15]

Paul & the Thessalonians did certain things as should we:

1. Withdraw from the Wrong [v. 3-7, 14-15]

2. Work for the Right [v. 8-12]

3. “Well Doing” for the Lord [v. 13]

III. THE EXAMPLE OF GOD [3:3, 5, 16-18]

1. God Works [v. 3]

2. God Directs [v. 5]

3. God Gives [v. 16-18]

Dear Abby

Dear Abby ,

My husband has a long record of money problems.

He runs up huge credit-card bills and at the end of the month, if I try to pay them off, he shouts at me, saying I am stealing his money. He says pay the minimum and let our kids worry about the rest, but already we can hardly keep up with the interest.

Also he has been so arrogant and abusive toward our neighbors that most of them no longer speak to us. The few that do are an odd bunch, to whom he has been giving a lot of expensive gifts, running up our bills even more.

Also, he has gotten religious. One week he hangs out with Catholics, the next with Lutherans, the next with Baptists and the next with people who say the Pope is the Anti-Christ, and the next he's with Muslims.

Finally, the last straw. He's demanding that before anyone can be in the same room with him, they must sign a loyalty oath.

It's just so horribly creepy!

Can you help?


Signed, Lost in DC

------------------------------------------------------

Dear Lost:

Stop whining, Michelle. You can divorce the jerk any time you want. You're getting to live in the White House for free, travel the world, and have others pay for everything for you. The rest of us are stuck with him for two more years!


Abby

[sent in an email]

Spiritual Hygiene

 

Numbers 5:3  "Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell."     "Wash your hands!"  Did your mother ever say this to you?   Do you find yourself saying this a dozen times each day to your own kids?  As weird as it may sound, people can die from neglecting areas of basic hygiene.  During the Civil War, some soldiers who were not mortally wounded did not survive because a doctor did not wash his hands after treating another patient.   Numbers 5 is about hygiene, but it carries more significance than just the washing of hands.  The purpose of Old Testament regulations about hygiene was to signify that God's people were separated and special to God.  They were to quarantine a leper or defiled person so that the basic health of everyone else was not harmed.  Isolating a person sounds a bit harsh, but this was a matter of basic health and hygiene!  Without isolation and separation, the whole nation of Israel would be at risk.   The matter of hygiene begs a question.  Which is more significant to God: a dreadful plague or a hidden sin?  Is your physical hygiene more important than your spiritual hygiene?  Certainly not!  God is certainly not more concerned with a terrible disease than He is about sin.  God was concerned both with their health ("that they defile not their camps") and His holiness ("in the midst whereof I dwell").   God is just as concerned with your spiritual "hygiene" as He was with the hygiene of the nation of Israel.  In the New Testament, we are commanded to "come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Corinthians 6:17-18)  As a believer, you are the "temple of the living God."  That makes what you do today mightily important!   If you are not careful, you will be more concerned about washing your hands and your own basic hygiene than you would be about isolating a wicked "virus" in your heart.  The only thing more viral than a cold or the flu is sin in the heart!  Basic hygiene is important, but nothing is more important than your spiritual well-being.  The next time you wash your hands, take a deeper look into your spiritual life and see if some "scrubbing" is needed!   Prayer Requests: - Recruiting of college summer staff this week (Mon-Thurs)    Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE OF A BELIEVER

EPHESIANS 2:1-10

Pastor Rick Jackson


I. THE BELIEVER’S PAST [v. 1-3]

1. Worldly Zombies [v. 1a]

2. Satanically Energized [v. 1b-2]

3. Children of Wrath [v. 3]

II. THE BELIEVER’S PRESENT [v. 4-6, 8-10]

1. Recipients of God’s Mercy [v. 4-5a]

2. Recipients of God’s Grace [v. 5b]

3. Positioned in Christ [v. 6, 8-10]

III. THE BELIEVER’S FUTURE [v. 7]

1. The Purpose

2. The Providence

3. The Person

It’s not about us. It’s not about you! It’s all about Him! [1:6, 12]

Question of the Week: How do plate tectonics fit with a young earth?

answersingenesis.org newsletter archives contact us February 12, 2011 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: How do plate tectonics fit with a young earth? Video On Demand: Nuclear Strength Apologetics, Part 1 (Sidebar) Ken's Blog (Sidebar) News to Note Quick Look Biblical Authority Devotionals Answers ... with Ken Ham After Eden Network with Us! Job Opportunities at Answers in Genesis (Sidebar) Q: How do plate tectonics fit with a young earth? A: The motion of the earth's crust is accepted by uniformitarian and creationist scientists alike. The difference lies in the time frame over which the movement has happened. Current seafloor spreading, magnetic reversals recorded in the seafloor crust, similar rocks and fossils across ocean basins, and the puzzle-like fit of continents are evidences that appear to be explainable in slow-and-uniform terms over billions of years. However, these evidences can be better explained by the rapid and catastrophic movement of the plates during the Flood. Computer modeling has shown that the continents could have separated in a matter of weeks—millions of years are not required. The key is the runaway catastrophic rate of sinking of the pre-Flood ocean floor crust after it broke up. Additionally, the catastrophic plate tectonics model provides a mechanism for the rainfall during the Flood and the presence of fossilized marine creatures atop mountains and rock layers spread across the continents. Continue reading to see how the study of plate tectonics confirms young-earth creation. News to Note Quick Look Lucy on the ground with high heels: "Lucy," the name for partial australopithecine remains found in Ethiopia in 1974, may seem like old news. But new research suggests that "if Lucy were alive today, she could fit in high heels or march for miles without breaking her feet"—evidence, researchers claim, that Lucy was an experienced upright walker. Read more. The dilemma that isn't: Do the potential benefits of embryonic stem cell research justify the destruction of tiny, unborn human lives? Or is there a viable alternative? Read more. Also: Outsmarting ourselves The partially legless snake strikes again Bill Nye to creationists: no Internet, flu shots for you And Don't Miss . . . Biblical Authority Devotionals What Is Worship? What Is Worship Not? Where is Wisdom in Unity? Is Unity Something Built or Something Maintained? How Should We View Jesus for Unity's Sake? Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program A sad day . . . and it's happening this Sunday! Galapagos iguanas—Darwin got it wrong! The dinosaur tree—problems Down Under! Dinosaurs—are they proof of evolution? Terrific pterosaurs . . . designed to fly! After Eden Network with Us! Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Creation Museum Ark Encounter Ark Encounter Answers Magazine Note: Facebook and Twitter are both social networking sites with user-contributed content. Children should not visit the sites without parental supervision. Free app for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad	This Week . . . Feedback: Missing the Obvious (Feb 11) Chapter 9: Plate Tectonics (Feb 10) Measurable 14C in Fossilized Organic Materials: Confirming the Young Earth Creation-Flood Model (Feb 9) Apologetics: Introduction (Feb 8) InSite, February 2011 (Feb 7) God Rules: Even over the Details (Feb 6) Video On Demand Nuclear Strength Apologetics, Part 1 Watch Video Ken's Blog Fleas with More Genes Than Humans Using Snow and a Peg to Make a Difference Congratulations Bill Nye "The Science Guy" Doesn't Really Understand Science Does Elizabethton Presbyterian Church in Tennessee Teach Heresy? Previous entries Prayer Requests View the current prayer requests to keep track of and pray for current ministry needs. Resources Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs Answers Magazine Subscription: United States Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Gold Rush VBS: Super Starter Kit More current bestsellers Upcoming Events Tennessee Answers in Genesis Conference, February 12 Tennessee Sunday Morning Service, February 13 Tennessee Answers in Genesis Conference, February 13–14 Tennessee Sunday Speaking, February 13 Tennessee Home Educators Conference, March 3–5 More events Job Opportunities Constituent Data Administrator (CDA) Public Safety Console Operator Senior Database Administrator (Senior DBA) Web Developerâ€"Python Zoo Keeper
This information provided by Answers in Genesis 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 Customer service: 1-800-778-3390

Bearing Burdens

Numbers 4:15b "After that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation." The rebellion of Korah is well-known and documented for us in Numbers 16. To fully understand Korah's rebellion and God's judgment, you must go back to chapter 4, where the Bible says, "These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath. . . ." Korah was a "son of Kohath," so his God-given responsibility was to be the "moving van" for the most sacred parts of the tabernacle. In Korah's mind, what God had put in his charge was not big enough! (16:9) Korah became so busy with others' "burdens" that he would not take care of the burden he was entrusted with by God. Don't bear the burden of the world on your shoulders. Simply lift the burden that God gives you. What God has given you is more than enough! Sometimes I read about decisions people, primarily in leadership, had to make. After reading about some of the decisions the President of the United States has to make, I wonder why in the world people are eager to run for election! It is easy to think, "I could do better than that!" Perhaps at times I could do better, but that is not my burden to bear. God has not given me the weight of a country, but He has given me a specific burden to bear. Lift the burden God gives you, not the burden He gives someone else! Don't let your days be filled with worry and frustration about someone else's burden. Just bear the burden God gives you! It may not always be wrong to seek another position or a new responsibility at work or at church, and I am not implying that appealing to authority is wrong. The point is, do not live your life weighed down by a burden that God never gave you. If you will carry the burden God has given you, it will help everyone else carry their own burdens! Moses, Aaron, and Korah were all just servants with different God-given responsibilities. Korah got into trouble when he became obsessed with bearing someone else's burden. We should all be shooting for the same goal, but we all have individual responsibilities. Are you bearing a burden today that God did not give you? Thank God for the burden He has entrusted to you, and do your best to serve Him and bear that burden today! Prayer Requests: 1. Service tonight in Silver Springs, FL 2. Sign Language School this week in Lafayette, IN 3. Ranch evangelists preaching this weekend in Owensboro, KY; Camden, TN; Mountain City, TN; Ocala, FL; Bradenton, FL; Phoenix, AZ; and Peoria, AZ Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road Murfreesboro TN 37128

Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!

An octogenarian friend sent me these so I am blogging them as is!

01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

02. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

04. People call at 9 PM and ask,"did I wake you?"

05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

07. Things you buy now won't wear out.

08. You can eat supper at 4 PM.

09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.

13. You sing along with elevator music.

14. Your eyes won't get much worse.

15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

19. You can't remember who sent you this list.

20. And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

Forward this to every one you can remember right now!

DOES JESUS?

MARK 5:21-43

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. DOES JESUS CARE? [v. 21-24]

Does Jesus Care? - Lyrics ~ Frank E. Graeff, Music ~ J. Lincoln Hall

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song;
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief I find no relief,
Tho my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I've said goodbye
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks ­
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Chorus:
O yes, He cares- I know He cares!
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary,
The long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares. (He cares.)


II. DOES JESUS KNOW? [v. 25-34]

He Maketh No Mistake
by A. M. O.

My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad I know
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.

Tho' night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break,
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him;
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight's far too dim;
But come what may, I'll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift,
And plain it all He'll make.
Through all the way, tho' dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

III. DOES JESUS HAVE THE POWER? [V. 35-43]

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died,
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay,
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for thee.

Allegories in Scripture

Allegories in Scripture   February 9, 2011     "Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar." (Galatians 4:24)     This verse is often used as a justifying proof text for allegorizing biblical narratives. Here Paul is saying that the ancient conflict between Abraham's wives, Hagar and Sarah (the mothers of Ishmael and Isaac, respectively), was a spiritual allegory, depicting the conflict between law and grace.     Many of the early church fathers indulged in such an allegorical approach to Scripture, attempting to harmonize Christianity with Greek philosophy. Modern theological liberals often do the same thing whenever modern scientific philosophy seems to conflict with a biblical narrative. The most important example is the story of creation in the very first chapter of the Bible. The allegorical interpretation of this record denies its historicity, but tries to retain its supposed "spiritual" message by finding a devotional application in its narratives. Similarly, the record of the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 is explained away as an allegory of the yielding of "every man" to temptation.     However, the only narrative actually called an allegory in Scripture is the one mentioned in our text. In fact, this is the only time the word for "allegory" (Greek, allegoreo) is used in the Bible at all. It is significant that Paul's use of the word does not suggest in any way that the story of Hagar and Sarah was not real history. There are numerous other references to Abraham, and at least three to Sarah, in the New Testament, and all clearly treat them as real persons.     This biblical example, therefore, tells us that if we draw allegorical applications from its historical records, it can only be on the basis that the events themselves really happened. HMM     Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

QUOTES OF THE WEEK!

Man was lost by hearing Satan. He can only be saved by hearing God. - J. Wilbur Chapman

No, you don't have to put up with a preacher that believes the Bible and preaches the Truth. You can go down somewhere, churches are a dime a dozen, and they'll pat you on the back and tickle your ear and make you feel good but I'm telling you- you'll lead your kids into Hell, you'll wreck your home, and ruin your family. Why do you think a preacher preaches the Truth for? 'Cause he doesn't like you? It'd be a lot easier to preach a compromising message. ...But neighbor the reason we preach it is because we do care for you, and we do love you, and we don't want to see you shipwrecked! - Evangelist Tim Lee

Listen to me friend, you're in danger, you're in trouble when you begin to criticize the man of God. ...You say but Brother Lee what if he makes a mistake? That ain't none of your business. That's God's business. You leave him alone. - Lee

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Quotes from Evangelist Wil Rice

Both Joshua's despair and Achan's smugness were unfounded.

You may think you have all the facts but you don't.

If you feel smug- you don't have all the facts.

Don't be smug but don't be discouraged- because God sees!

God is not fickle.

When you feel like God doesn't know what is going on- it is precisely because you don't. Nothing hidden from you is hidden to God.

Trusting God with all your heart doesn't mean serving Him with half of it.

If they had known what God knew they would not have done what they did.

Arrogance is fully unfounded and pretty dumb. God can use a crow.

A one word definition of motivation is dissatisfaction.

If you are struggling at 6 o'clock with what to do the Lord is not the greatest in your life. He is not even the greatest of your 6 o'clock.

Our problem is not- we're not profound enough. Our problem is we're not simple
enough.

I often ask God to give me a confidence based on humility.

Peter was never at a lack for words though he sometimes had a lack of thought.

If He has His place it won't matter about mine.

Would you rather announce God's grace or your success?

As long as you own any strength- that is the strength you will settle for. Friend, you will live in your weakness as long as you own your strength.

God's power will never be complete until you give Him some weakness to work with.

Are you resting in your strength or is Christ's strength resting on you?

Spurgeon said, "Our weakness is our best argument in prayer."

The LORD Liveth

Psalm 18:46 "The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of salvation be exalted." "The LORD liveth." When we read of people in the Bible, like Moses or the psalmist David, our lives may be affected, but only in an historical way. That is even true of people in recent history. In other words, there are people that you have never met that have affected your life in ways you do not realize. Your life is affected because of the "domino effect"-one life touches another which touches another . . . and eventually touches you. Most of the campers who came to the Bill Rice Ranch last summer have never heard of Jim Stoutenborough or Paul Levin. Dr. Jim and Dr. Paul had a profound impact on the Bill Rice Ranch, and their ministry here in the summers affected young people and adults for decades. You may not know these men who are now in Heaven, but I can assure you that your life has been affected by them! I am sure you could tell of people who have had an impact on your life by the "domino effect." However, the impact of Dr. Jim, Paul Levin, or people in your own life is far different than God's working! "The LORD liveth"! Moses, David, Jim Stoutenborough, and Paul Levin all lived at one time, and their impact can still be felt by extension. But God is alive and His dealings in our lives are direct! He lives, and He is my Rock and my salvation! Since "the LORD liveth," let me ask you a question. Is God as real, powerful, and alive in your life as He was in David's life? "Brother Wil," you may say, "you don't know my situation!" And you are correct; but I do know that God lives and He is able. Did you know that David had real problems and real enemies? Psalm 18 is full of trouble and turmoil! David's solution was to give his problems and enemies over to God. He said in verse 47, "It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me." Is the fact that "the LORD liveth" making a direct difference in your life today? I thank God for every person who has had an impact on my life and on the lives of those who come to the Bill Rice Ranch. As wonderful as their influence is, nothing can replace the dealing of God directly in my life! He lives and is able to work directly in our lives. The question is, are you allowing Him to work? Prayer Requests: 1. Service tonight in Silver Springs, FL 2. Sign Language School this week in Lafayette, IN Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road Murfreesboro TN 37128

No More Fears

No More Fears "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." (Psalm 56:3) "The only thing to fear is fear itself." This is a nice platitude, but it is altogether pointless without trust. There is no antidote to fear except trust in One who is able to deliver us from the thing we fear. The first mention of fear in the Bible is significant. Adam said to God, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid" (Genesis 3:10). Indeed, one should be afraid when he has ignored or rejected God's Word, for "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). The same warning to sinners of all the ages is given in the Bible's final reference to fear. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, . . . shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). In contrast, note the last mention of fear in the Old Testament and the first in the New, both speaking of the entrance of the Son of God into the world. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2). "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife . . . she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:20-21). Thus the remedy for the fear of man or anything else is the true fear of the Lord. "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). He has already endured everything we could ever fear, even death itself, that through His victory He might "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15). Therefore, since "the LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). HMM Print this article More Days of Praise articles Institute for Creation Research 1806 Royal Lane Dallas TX 75229

Question of the Week- Why does "Noah's flood" have to be a Worldwide Flood

The Worldwide Flood   February 5, 2011     "And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9:11)     Those Christians who accept the concept of the "geological ages" commonly have to explain away the great deluge by assuming it was not really a global flood. They realize that any flood that would rise until "all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered" and in which "every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground" (Genesis 7:19, 23) would undoubtedly eliminate any evidence of the supposed geological ages. Therefore, they have suggested modifying the Bible record to mean an overflow of the Euphrates River or some such phenomenon which would destroy just the peoples of the "known" world at that time.     There are numerous problems with this "local flood" notion, however. Appendix 6 of The New Defender's Study Bible, for instance, lists 100 reasons why the biblical Flood must be understood as worldwide and cataclysmic.     But probably the best argument is that such an argument makes God out to be a liar! God promised Noah that this kind of flood would never be sent on the earth again. There have been innumerable river floods, tsunamis, torrential regional rains, etc., in the more than four millennia since Noah's day. If God's promise referred only to some such flood as one of these, then He has not kept His Word!     But God does not lie, and He has kept His promise. There has never been another such Flood. "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar" (1 John 5:10). Theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, and all others who believe the geological ages instead of God's Word should, it would seem, seriously rethink their position. HMM     Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

Is Change Good?

http://pastorjax.blogspot.com     For a dose of Starke Reality stop by for a visit!

 

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Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:00:05 -0500
From: firstlight@billriceranch.org
To: jacksoncompound@hotmail.com
Subject: Daily Devotional for January 26, 2011

Hebrews 1:12b  "But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."     Who is the first U.S. President you can remember?  I (barely) remember going to the polls with Mom and Dad when Ford and Carter were on the ballot.  What is the first car you can remember your parents driving?  My dad loves cars, and he can remember every car my grandparents had, every car he has had, and about half of the cars he has seen!  Do you remember what the world was like twenty years ago?  If you do, you would agree that our world has changed at an amazingly rapid rate!   The truth is, things are changing all the time!  Some folks seem to like change, just for the sake of change; others have an aversion to any kind of change.  In a world of change, the only Person who does not change is God's Son.  The one Person who was "in the beginning" is the only Person who has not changed!   If you need an example of change in our world, just look at fashion.  Fashion is so fickle!  (Based on some of the fashions I've seen over the years, change is not a bad thing!)  When styles change at some point, you fold the clothes up, put them in a box, and either give them away or wait fifteen years and pull them back out!  For example, paisley ties like I had in Bible college nearly twenty years ago are back in fashion.  People my age think my tie is "retro" while teenagers think I am cool and cutting edge!   At some point, any person you know, garment you wear, or car you drive will change.  But unlike fashion, which always changes, the Lord Jesus Christ never does.  He is better than the prophets that foretold Him and better than the angels that announced His birth.  He cannot get any better than He is right now.  The bottom line is this: The only change that is good in our lives is change that makes us more like the unchanging Son of God. Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

TRUE EXPECTATION

II THESSALONIANS 2

Rick Jackson

When tragedies occur a natural question for people to ask is “Why?”. Ken Ham says, “The answer is in Genesis.” Which, of course, is true. God created a perfect world without sin and it’s consequences but God gave man free will. When Adam & Eve sinned they brought the curse of sin into the universe. Since that time, tragedies and sin has abounded, not as the failure of God, but as the failure of man.
If you want to know what will happen until Jesus returns one good place to discover the answer is the book of II Thessalonians. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reveals what will happen ‘til Jesus comes.

I. THE WEAK WILL NEEDLESSLY WORRY [v. 1-5]

1. They Falter - needing assurance since they’re easily shaken [v. 1-2, Jn 14, Ephesians 4:14]

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

2. They Fear - even though the one they fear can’t get to them [v. 3-4, Matthew 10:28]

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

3. They Forget - though the infallible Word is available [v. 5, I Th. 4:13-18]

II. THE WICKED WILL CONTINUOUSLY WORK [v. 6-12]

1. Present Activities [v. 6-7a]

2. Prophesied Antichrist [v. 7b-10]

3. Pathetic Apathy [v. 11-12]

III. THE WISE WILL SCRIPTURALLY WALK [v. 13-17]

1. Still in the World [v. 13-14]

2. Standing by the Word [v. 15-16]

3. Stablished in the Work [v. 17]

February 2 - Prophets from the Beginning

Prophets from the Beginning   February 2, 2011     "That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation." (Luke 11:50-51)     God's true prophets have been persecuted from the beginning. Abel, son of Adam and Eve, was the first, according to Jesus, for his blood was shed by Cain "from the foundation of the world." A "prophet" in biblical terms was a man who proclaimed inspired words from God (not necessarily predictions of the future, but words inspired by the Holy Spirit--note 1 Peter 1:10-11; 2 Peter 1:19-21).     Evidently Abel was speaking God's own words to Cain when the latter slew him in jealous wrath. The Zacharias mentioned is probably "Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest," who was stoned when he prophesied against the people under King Joash (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), for he was the last prophet actually mentioned in the Old Testament as having been slain for his testimony.     Thus the period encompassed by the Lord's statement was the entire Old Testament period, "from the foundation of the world" to the coming of Christ. The same experience awaited most of the prophets used by God to pen the New Testament Scriptures. Thus does the world react to God's inspired Word!     There is another important truth in this passage. The blood of God's prophets began to be shed "from the foundation of the world," not just beginning almost five billion years after the foundation of the world, as modern evolutionists allege! This is striking confirmation that the world was made from start to finish in six literal days. See also Mark 10:6, Acts 3:21, etc., for similar incidental confirmations of this truth. HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

Quotes of the Week

It has been said if we paid more attention to the high chair we would have less use for the electric chair. - Evangelist Tim Lee

We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't even like! - Lee

Mom and Dad, if you continually take up for your children over authority you are raising a rebel! - Lee

I always judge a church by the way they love their pastor. If he stands for the Word of God, one can pretty well judge the attitude of the people by the way they love their pastor. - J. Vernon McGee

You may be whatever you resolve to be. - Stonewall Jackson

Never take counsel of your fears. - Stonewall Jackson

Please don't assume that when you get to Heaven you are on the last chapter. No! Earth was only the title page. - Joni Eareckson Tada quoting C.S. Lewis

If you cannot understand how this could (be)... then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are. - Martin Luther