Have you ever considered...

Have you ever considered how far God will go for us because of His love?
-Mary Heller, Precept Study Leader and President, PWOC Ft. Meade, Maryland

I recently watched an interview with Brian "Head" Welch formerly with the band Korn as he talked to Pat Robertson about giving His life to God's control. He went to a church, heard about God's love, went home to do his drugs and found that God was right there--in the moment--with him.

He does no less for me. God is with me... as I do the very thing I don't want to do. He leaves the 99 to bring home this one. He reaches into the thorn brush I'm stuck in to untangle me, taking wounds He doesn't have to take. He washes off the muck & mire I've wallowed in. He carries me home.

He does that for each of us--more than once I dare say--because of love. It's who He is. He is love. He is love that goes to all lengths to save me from what I can't save myself from. And, as He carries me home I nestle into His arms & hear His heart beat.

The Tales Of Two Sticks

You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs. —Exodus 4:17

Conventional wisdom questions how much can be accomplished with little. We tend to believe that a lot more can be done if we have large financial resources, talented manpower, and innovative ideas. But these things don’t matter to God. Consider just a couple of examples:
In Judges 3:31, a relatively unknown man named Shamgar delivered Israel from the Philistines single-handedly. How? He won a great victory by killing 600 Philistines with nothing more than an oxgoad (a stick sharpened on one end to drive slow-moving animals).
In Exodus, when God asked Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was afraid the people wouldn’t listen to him or follow him. So God said, “What is that in your hand?” (4:2). Moses replied, “A rod.” God went on to use that rod in Moses’ hand to convince the people to follow him, to turn the Nile River into blood, to bring great plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, and to perform miracles in the wilderness.
Moses’ rod and Shamgar’s oxgoad, when dedicated to God, became mighty tools. This helps us see that God can use what little we have, when surrendered to Him, to do great things. God is not looking for people with great abilities, but for those who are dedicated to following and obeying Him.

If you use what little you may have
To serve the Lord with all your heart
You will find that He can do great things
When you begin to do your part. —Sper

Little is much when God is in it.

Like A Flock by David C. McCasland

You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. —Psalm 77:20

During a demonstration of sheep- herding using a Border Collie, the dog trainer explained that because sheep are highly vulnerable to wild animals, their main defense against predators is to stay together in a tightly knit group. “A sheep alone is a dead sheep,” the trainer said. “The dog always keeps the sheep together as it moves them.”
The biblical image of God as our shepherd is a powerful reminder of how much we need each other in the community of faith. When writing about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the psalmist said, “[God] made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; and He led them on safely, so that they did not fear” (Ps. 78:52-53).
As part of God’s flock, we who have trusted Christ are under His guiding, protecting hand while being surrounded by the shielding presence of others. We are part of a larger body of believers in which there is safety and accountability.
While we don’t give up our personal responsibility for thought and action as members of the flock, we are to embrace the concept of “we” rather than “me” in our daily lives. With Christ as our Shepherd and fellow believers around us, we find safety in the flock.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above. —Fawcett

As part of God’s flock, we’re protected by Him and by each other.

Our Daily Bread

I'd like to encourage you all to go to http://odb.org/ and in the audio box for the today's message, click on "Subscribe on iTunes". The Our Daily Bread podcast is free and will be transferred to your iPod for your use at any time. You can save them or listen to them and remove them. Each message brings something interesting to mind that I will chew on for days at a time.

Today's ODB:

What Are You Known For?

In the Roman Empire, pagans would often call on the name of a god or goddess as they placed bets in a game of chance. A favorite deity of the gambler was Aphrodite, the Greek word for Venus, the goddess of love. During the roll of the dice, they would say “epaphroditus!” literally, “by Aphrodite!”
In the book of Philippians we read of a Greek convert to the Christian faith by the name of Epaphroditus. He was a close companion of Paul who served him well in his missionary enterprise. Of his friend, Paul wrote: “Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier” (Phil. 2:25).
Epaphroditus was a spiritual brother in Christ, a faithful worker who shared ministry efforts, a brave soldier of the faith, and the carrier of the inspired letter to the church at Philippi. He modeled brotherhood, a work ethic, spiritual endurance, and service. Certainly, Epaphroditus had a well-deserved reputation that showed he did not live by a pagan deity but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Even more important than our name are the Christian qualities that are seen in our life: dependability, care, encouragement, and wisdom. What words would you like others to use to describe you?

O Lord, You see what’s in my heart—
There’s nothing hid from You;
So help me live the kind of life
That’s loving, kind, and true. —D. De Haan

If we take care of our character,
our reputation will take care of itself!

Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. —Philippians 2:25
Read: Philippians 2:25-30

The best fathers not only give us life— they teach us how to live.

Dad’s Hat by Dave Branon
Amid the celebration, there was tragedy. It was the opening ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. One by one the teams entered the stadium and paraded around the track to the cheers of 65,000 people. But in one section of Olympic Stadium, shock and sadness fell as Peter Karnaugh, father of United States swimmer Ron Karnaugh, was stricken with a fatal heart attack.
Five days later, Ron showed up for his race wearing his dad’s hat, which he carefully set aside before his competition began. Why the hat? It was the swimmer’s tribute to his dad, whom he described as “my best friend.” The hat was one his dad had worn when they went fishing and did other things together. Wearing the hat was Ron’s way of honoring his dad for standing beside him, encouraging him, and guiding him. When Ron dove into the water, he did so without his dad’s presence but inspired by his memory.
On this Father’s Day, there are many ways to honor our fathers, as Scripture commands us to do (Eph. 6:2). One way, even if they’re no longer with us, is to show respect for the good values they taught us.
What can you do for your dad today to show him the kind of honor the Bible talks about?

We’re thankful for our fathers, Lord,
They’re special gifts from You;
Help us to show we honor them
By what we say and do. —Sper

Rescued: He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. —Colossians 1:13

In the aftermath of Haiti’s devastating earthquake in January 2010, the scenes of destruction and death were often punctuated by someone being pulled alive from the rubble, even after all hope seemed gone. Relief and tears of joy were followed by deep gratitude toward those who worked around the clock, often risking their own lives to give someone else another chance to live.
How would you feel if it happened to you? Have you ever been rescued?
In Colossians 1, Paul wrote to people who had come to know Jesus Christ and whose lives showed evidence of their faith. After assuring them of his prayers for them to know God’s will and to please Him, Paul used a powerful word picture to describe what God had done for them all: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (vv.13-14).
In Christ, we have been rescued! He has taken us from danger to safety; from one power and destiny to another; from death to life.
It’s worth pondering all that being rescued means to us, as we thank God for His grace and power.


Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. —Newton


Those who’ve been rescued from sin
are best able to help in the rescue of others.

The Real Prize by Joe Stowell

Life is not about the prizes we win, but the people we love.

I’ve been amazed at the impact that my wife, Martie, has had on the lives of our kids. Very few roles demand the kind of unconditional, self-sacrificing perseverance and commitment as that of motherhood. I know for certain that my character and faith have been shaped and molded by my mom, Corabelle. Let’s face it, where would we be without our wives and mothers?
It reminds me of one of my favorite memories in sports history. Phil Mickelson walked up the 18th fairway at the Masters Golf Tournament in 2010 after his final putt to clinch one of golf’s most coveted prizes for the third time. But it wasn’t his victory leap on the green that had an impact on me. It was when he made a beeline through the crowd to his wife, who was battling life-threatening cancer. They embraced, and the camera caught a tear running down Phil’s cheek as he held his wife close for a long time.
Our wives need to experience the kind of sacrificial, selfless love that has been shown to us by the Lover of our souls. As Paul put it, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25). Prizes come and go, but it’s the people you love—and who love you—that matter most.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. —Ephesians 5:25

A man who finds a godly wife
Is blest beyond compare;
She is his greatest prize in life—
A treasure rich and rare. —D. De Haan