toila.net

Most people pray. Even if it is saying, "Oh God," when they are surprised or hurt. But such prayers are really not effective. Real prayer is a lot more than using God's name as an exclamation point at the end of a sentence!

"Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies." This definition gives several keys to effective prayer. First of all, you must go to God in the name of Christ. That is, you must trust Christ as the one who has paid for your sins. You approach God wearing the robes of Christ's goodness and righteousness. Don't try to approach God holding up your own good works. The Bible says, "All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" (Isaiah 64:6). You have not earned a place before God. So go before God confessing your sins and trusting in Christ to open the door to God's throne room.

Go before God with thankfulness. We are too quick to place our own wishes before God. We should remember that even the beating of our hearts and the ability to breathe are gifts from God. Don't forget to thank Him. Remember, you are not to ask for things contrary to God's will. So you had better read the Bible enough to learn about God's will. When you do that, you can pray a lot more effectively. The Bible says, "This is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. If we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (I John 5:14-15).

Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com
Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA]
Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #135.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

Do you yearn for a new start in life? The new birth is a new start. Jesus told Nicodemus, a religious teacher, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). Nicodemus should have known God's promise, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you" (Ezekiel 36:26).

Jesus said Nicodemus needed a new start with a new heart. This meant at least three things. First, his attitude toward life needed to be changed. Nicodemus needed a spiritual rebirth that would alter how he thought about God and about himself. Second, his emotions needed to be bridled. Nicodemus needed a spiritual rebirth that would give him a good dose of old fashioned self-control. Third, Nicodemus needed a spiritual rebirth to motivate him to actually turn away from selfishness to a life of service. All of this combined would give Nicodemus a new beginning.

This is spiritual rebirth. God gives you a new heart. You turn away from known evil habits. You turn to Jesus Christ. You serve God through faith in Christ. God gives you a new lease on life. You find your place in life. You find real satisfaction with life. You enjoy a higher quality of life. You enter God's kingdom. "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com
Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA]
Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #362.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

I was searching through the storeroom for a new set of whiteboard markers when I stumbled across a box marked "5 &1\4 Diskettes." I thought, "Surely not, we haven't used that type of diskette in several years." But sure enough, when I opened the box, it was full of brand new, never been used, 5 &1\4 Diskettes. When formatted correctly, they could hold 360KB of information! I laughed as I thought about how the large files I create would quickly fill up these old diskettes. Sometimes old tools and old methods of doing things are no longer adequate for the new tasks we must accomplish.

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)

"... they left their nets..."
The nets that had provided their income, their means of support, their financial security.
The nets they had used since childhood. These nets felt comfortable in their hands. They knew how to use these nets. They knew their touch and feel. They felt at home when they held these nets.
The nets that had defined who they were in their community, "For they were fishermen." They had a role, a status, a purpose: they were fishermen.

But at the call of Jesus, they left their nets, at once. They did not take the time to store the nets, so that they might be available for later use. Something in the voice of Christ told them they would never need the nets again. They did not take the time to sell the nets to help provide for their new ministry. They saw in the eyes of Christ a confidence that assured them: He would be their provision. They did not try to bring the nets along. Something in the call of Christ said their new task would require new tools. It was time to leave the nets behind.

"They left their nets and followed Him."

Christ still calls people today to follow Him. As a believer, Christ has called you. Where are your nets? Have you left them in the sand, or have you decided to bring them along?

Are you lugging around the nets of provision, trusting in your own ability to provide for your daily needs?
Are you dragging along the nets of talents, offering your skills, when Christ wants your heart?
Are you still holding on to the status that your nets once provided, the nets that defined who you were before Christ said, "Come, Follow Me?"

Nets can be heavy, can't they?

It's hard to carry the Bread of Life when your hands are holding old nets.
It's hard to "Go into the all the world," when your feet are tangled in old nets.

"At once they left their nets and followed Him."

Leave your nets. Follow Him.

Contributed by Ellis Bush (All Rights Reserved)
74357.246@compuserve.com

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

Pete came to me with a very unusual request when we were freshmen in college together. He asked me who I thought the five best girls to date were in our class. Just call me Dr. Love. I gave him my top five list - four of whom I had been out with in my mad "date them all" freshman rush. There was one I hadn't dated - a beautiful, perky brunette named Karen. Well, after I gave Pete that list, I began to ask myself an obvious question - why hadn't I dated Karen? So I did . . . and did again . . . and again. By the time we graduated we were engaged to be married . Pete was a New Englander - a man of few words. He wrote only six words next to his picture in our senior yearbook - You believe in your product - Pete." Yes, I did. Karen and I got married one week later.

My friend summed it up pretty well - I REALLY believed in this girl named Karen. Not just intellectually . . . with everything I had. Believe, as in committing your whole life to.

When it comes to God . . . to where we spend the next hundred billion years . . . believe is the deciding action word. It is the life-or-death verb. Not in the official or intellectual sense - like "Pete, I believe this girl is a great catch." No, like "I am trusting my life to her."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Acts 16:30-31, a man asks the great missionary Paul this timeless question - "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is clear and unmistakable - "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." Obviously, saved is a life-or-death word - just ask the people who were saved from that bombed out Federal building in Oklahoma City - or someone who was saved by an emergency medical team. If the rescuer saves you, you live. If he doesn't you die.

The kind of saving the Bible talks about is being rescued from the death penalty we are all under with God. Why? The Bible says, "All of us have wandered away like sheep; we have turned each one to his own way." That's my way instead of God's way - ultimate rebellion against the ultimate authority - the One who gave me my life - to live for Him. The death we suffer in this life is trying to live without God's love, without God's peace, without God's purpose for our days. And if we die still away from Him, the penalty is what Jesus called hell.

But that's where believing in Jesus comes in - because He is the only Rescuer, the only Savior that can keep you from dying spiritually - because HE died on the cross to bear all the guilt and penalty of the sins we've committed. That's how much He loves you. But you have to "believe in the Lord Jesus" if you're going to be saved.

You say, "I believe in Jesus" - with your head . . . or your heart, too? The Bible says in Romans 10:10 - "It is with your heart that you believe and are justified" - that's made right with God. Believe, like committing yourself in total trust to the One who died in your place. Here is a question on which your eternity can hang - has there ever been a time in your life when you told Jesus, "I'm putting all my hopes in You and what you did on that cross to rescue me from my sin." If there's never been a time like that, you are not saved . . . you are in eternal danger.

But that could change in the next few minutes - if you would reach out to this Savior you've known ABOUT, but never really known.

One day I walked into a church not married, and walked out married - because I really believed in someone. You need a day like that - a day to commit yourself to the One who loves you most, Jesus Christ. A day like today.

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular "A Word With You" broadcast (Available in transcripts or RealAudio format.) Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with GCN since February, 1996, providing practical answers to real life issues.

Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

An old proverb says that "The world is a net; the more we stir in it, the more we are entangled."

Max Lucado, a prominent author and minister, tells this story about a prank that occurred years ago:
It seems a couple of prowlers broke into a department store in a large city. They successfully entered the store, stayed long enough to do what they came to do, and escaped unnoticed. What is unusual about the story is what these fellows did. They took nothing. Absolutely nothing. No merchandise was stolen. No items were removed. But what they did do was ridiculous.

Instead of stealing anything, they changed the cost of everything. Price tags were swapped. Values were exchanged. These clever pranksters took the tag off a $395.00 camera and stuck it on a $5.00 box of stationery. The $5.95 sticker on a paperback book was removed and placed on an outboard motor. They repriced everything in the store!

Crazy? You bet. But the craziest part of this story took place the next morning. The store opened as usual. Employees went to work. Customers began to shop. The place functioned as normal for four hours before anyone noticed what had happened.

Four hours! Some people got some great bargains. Others got fleeced. For four solid hours no one noticed that the values had been swapped.

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

As price tags were exchanged, valuable goods became cheap, and the cheap became valuable. This can happen to us. We exchange things that are important for those that, in comparison, are unimportant---

the world honors success and hard work, so we devote ourselves to jobs we can't wait to retire from, while ignoring marriages that we entered in to for a lifetime;
we seek clean, healthy homes, but let them become dumping grounds for the pollution contained in some television programs, movies and popular music; and,
we want our children to have strong character traits like honesty and integrity, but spend far more time taking them to athletic events and other activities than tending to their spiritual and moral needs.

Yes, the world is a net; the more we stir in it, the more we are entangled. Seeking "happiness" and acceptance, we buy into the world's values and do what is popular. But if the world's values can produce true happiness, why is there a constant effort to create and promote new forms of amusement and entertainment?

Focus your time and attention on what is valuable to you. While doing so, put your spiritual needs at the top of the list. Nothing should come before your relationship with a man named Jesus. Even though he was dead, he is now alive, seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He understands, he knows, he cares. And he nourishes those who seek to be fed.

As Erwin Lutzer observed ...

if you are not nourished by the Bread from heaven, you will stuff yourself with crumbs from the world. Real nourishment comes only from Jesus Christ. You'll be eternally sorry if you exchange real nourishment for crumbs.

Contributed by Rich McLawhorn
email:REM@mail01.scdps.state.sc.us

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

A mother and father were in the process of driving their 11-year-old son to a relative's house in the country. It seems the parents were at their wits ends from having to deal with their uncontrollable child who wanted everything to go his own way. "Me! Me! Me! Mine! Mine! Mine!" seemed to be the boy's life philosophy. If he wanted a particular toy, or wanted pizza for lunch every day, he whined and complained until he got what he wanted. It didn't matter if his tired parents wanted to relax a bit after a long day at work. If the boy wanted to blast the TV and jump on the couch, his desires were paramount.

There was not much talking in the car. When they arrived at Aunt Jane's farm, she was there waiting for the boy. The car door opened, the boy, carrying his suitcase, got out, and without another word the parents drove off. The boy did not seem to mind. Without even so much as a hello to his dear Aunt Jane, the boy ran off to visit with all the farm animals.

When supper time came, Aunt Jane and the boy sat down to eat the feast she had prepared for her special guest. "Yuck! I hate corn on the cob!" shouted the boy as he pushed his plate away. "Well then, why don't you have some fried chicken, mashed potatoes and salad?" Aunt Jane asked the boy in a pleasant voice. The boy gazed at the food and said, "Do you have any pizza? Why don't we order a pizza!" Aunt Jane looked at the boy sternly and said, "This is what we have, and this is what we will eat." "Then I'm not eating!" yelled the boy. "Suit yourself," replied Aunt Jane calmly.

When morning came, the boy was famished. He was so hungry in fact, that he didn't even notice he was eating eggs and bacon, something he usually refused to eat at home. "After breakfast, we have lots of chores to do," stated Aunt Jane. "Chores!" shouted the boy, "I want to play!" "Well," said Aunt Jane, "Out on the farm we have a saying: Those who will not work, will not eat. There will be plenty of time for playing later." The boy grumbled and scowled as he gathered the eggs from the chickens, put fresh hay in the barn for the horses, gave the cows water, and picked a basket of string beans for supper. And, as Aunt Jane had promised, there was time for play.

Every day for the remainder of the summer, the boy did his chores and cherished the time he had to play and visit with the farm animals. The boy developed such an interest in the horses that Aunt Jane taught him how to saddle, horseshoe and ride a horse. The boy was very pleased with himself.

It was the end of summer and it was time for the boy to leave his Aunt's farm. He became sad thinking of how he would miss the farm animals, "his" horse and surprisingly, Aunt Jane.

"What's the matter dear?" asked Aunt Jane as she brushed the boy's hair from his eyes. The boy sniffled and shrugged his shoulders, too embarassed to speak his mind. "I think I know why you feel this way," said Aunt Jane with a wise look about her face. "Your mom and dad are coming soon and you aren't sure if you should be happy or sad about that. You know that you were pretty nasty at home. You think your parents might not want you any more. Isn't that true?"

"I guess so," said the boy quietly.

Aunt Jane lifed the boy's chin gently upward, and then asked, "Do you feel like the same boy as you were before your parents brought you here, or do you feel different?"

The boy stopped to think. "I feel different," he replied.

"Good!" said Aunt Jane, "Because you are different! Remember that!"

Just then, the door swung open and the boy's mother and father excitedly entered. With tears running down her face, the mother grabbed her son and hugged him. "Oh how we missed you!" she cried. Just as the boy looked up, his father put his hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "We have to talk."

For the rest of the evening, Aunt Jane stayed in her bedroom reading as father, mother and son sat in the living room and expressed regrets, cried, laughed and made plans for the future. "We all have made many mistakes," said father, "But thank God that we recognized our mistakes and can go on from there."

Summary: "Thank God" is indeed true. Like the boy and parents in this story who were so self-involved that they ended up hurting those around them, sometimes what we all need is a gentle reminder of what is truly important in life. Thank God our Heavenly Father can lead us to a better way.

Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide", "Son Salutations" and "Daily Contemplations", a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit http://www.melanieschurr.com

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

A recent popcorn commercial does an unfortunate job of reinforcing a prevalent but dangerous stereotype. Perhaps you've seen it. A young woman arrives at the gates of Heaven. She is immediately confronted with her "sin" of gluttony, indulging in buttered popcorn. "No," she protests, "it's low fat." The "Angels" acknowledge their mistake and promptly admit her.

OK, I laugh at the humorous way it's done too, but the stereotype it perpetuates is nothing short of deadly. When asked how to get to heaven, most will list attributes like leading a good life, live and let live, don't kill, don't steal and just generally be nice to people. The prevailing attitude is that "more good than bad" is all that's needed. But what the most influential Person in history reveals is quite different.

The most important Book of all time proves that NO ONE is capable of achieving Heaven alone. Since we all fall short, how will anyone make it? The answer lies in a substitute-someone to pay the debt you owe but cannot pay. And not just for eating buttered popcorn. If you can admit you've done worse than that, you've taken the first step. If you recognize your need for a substitute, you've taken the second. If you realize the aforementioned influential Person paid your debt for you and place your trust in Him you, too will be promptly admitted.

Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom. He operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates, www.warrenkramer.com, which offers visual design & illustration for printed communications & web sites. He also does photographic retouching & restoration (http://kramerimaging.com/) and plays solo jazz & classical-style sacred guitar (http://guitartistic.com/).

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

When a man is trapped in a mine, he cannot save himself. That man must be saved. No small amount of effort is expended to save such a man from the clutches of death. But it must be admitted, both the decision to save and the power to save rest in the hands of others.

The same thing is true in your relationship to God. The Bible says we are all "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). In other words, we are all like dead people because of our sins. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Dead people cannot save themselves. That would be like a dead person getting up out of a grave under his or her own power. It can't be done. In fact, our whole generation is like a mass of walking dead people. We need to be saved from this generation of walking dead. As Peter said so long ago, "Be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2:40).

The point is, you cannot save yourself from the consequences of your sins. Only God can save you! God expended no small amount of effort to bring about salvation for people like you and me. He sent Christ into the world. And the Bible says, "It is He who will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ died on a cross to pay for the sins of others. Christ rose again from the grave. He could do that because He is God. Because Christ paid the penalty for sin and then rose again from the dead, He gives others victory over death and sin. Although you cannot save yourself from sin and death, Christ can save you. "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com
Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA]
Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #153.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

"Let your conscience be your guide." How often we use that saying. We really believe the conscience is the final authority to which any individual can appeal. But unfortunately, although everyone has a conscience, not everyone's conscience is totally reliable.

God speaks of people who have told lies and are "seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron" (1 Timothy 4:2). He urges upon us "faith with a clear conscience" (1 Timothy 3:9). He also exhorts us to "keep a good conscience" (1 Peter 3:16).

The point is, you can have a bad conscience. This means your conscience is not clear. You can even be fooled about this. You see, your conscience should be soft and pliable, pliable before God. When a hot branding iron is placed on a piece of leather, and that leather is burned, it becomes hard and brittle. Your conscience can get that way. You think you are right because your conscience doesn't bother you. But in God's sight you are totally wrong. For example, a lot of married people get caught in an affair. At first they know it's wrong. But after a while, their consciences become seared, and they begin to justify their actions. They know God opposes them. But because a blunted conscience is their guide, they continue in sin!

But there is a way out. "The blood of Christ [will] . . . cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews. 9:14). You need to turn to Christ. He will cleanse your conscience. Then you can begin to train your conscience to say "Yes" when God says "Yes" and "No" when God says "No." Only with such training can you let your conscience be your guide.

Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com
Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA]
Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #148.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

In the back corner of our storeroom, was an old box of 5 &1\4 inch diskettes. Needless to say, these old diskettes were not much use on the systems we use today, but I had an idea. The main problem was that these older, larger diskettes would not fit in the newer, smaller diskette drives. After several hours of contemplation, followed by a few minutes of measuring and cutting, I developed a way to modify these old diskettes so that they would fit nicely into the newer diskette drives.

For today's devotional, in addition to the usual spiritual insight, I would like to pass along a practical tip: when you cut an older, larger diskette to allow it to fit in a newer, smaller diskette drive, make certain that you cut it in such a way that the hole remains exactly in the middle. Otherwise, unpredictable results may occur!

The truth is, that all the cutting in the world isn't going to make these old diskettes work in new drives. Times change. Systems change. Old diskettes are left behind.

"And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "The old is better.'" Luke 5:39

"Old is Better?" Hold on a minute! Since when was something old better than the newer, faster, better replacement? They can't be serious!

But yet this verse says that the old wine is the good wine. Perhaps this is because the old wine has had years of preparation and care. The old wine is saved for special occasions. The old wine is cherished for its flavor, its fullness.

"Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12 "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God..." Leviticus 19:32

She is old. She does not move as quickly as she once did. Her voice is not as loud. She sits quietly as the people around her sing. Not because her heart is not singing, but because her eyes can no longer read the words. The tunes are a little too fast. The music is a little too loud. But though her lips are quiet, her heart still rejoices.

He doesn't say much anymore, and when he does, his speech is slow. But his thoughts are clear and concise. Refined by his years, tested by time. His wisdom is the wisdom that can only come with years, if only we would take the time to listen.

God,

I live in a generation that tells me young is best, youth is to be sought after, old is.... old. But there are those around me that have walked with you for twice as long as I have lived. Their hearts have been molded to your heart, their souls have communed with you more than I can know. And I am ashamed as I see how I have tried to conform them to the "new ways" when I should have been learning from them the value of Old Wine. Father, begin in me the long process of preparing me to become a worthy keeper of the Old Wine. Let me never forget the wisdom, the beauty, and the usefulness of the Old Wineskins.

Contributed by Ellis Bush (All Rights Reserved)
74357.246@compuserve.com

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

In certain parts of the country taking out the garbage is a no brainer. Not where we live in the Metropolitan New York area! We are talking pages of trash regulations including what to do with plastics, different colors of glass, aluminum cans, leaves, branches, tires. Well, my friend Craig isn't used to all these regulations because he just moved here. So he let his garbage pile up for the first few weeks in the area, with odoriferous results, shall we say? Eventually he had his own little land-fill developing by his back door. Finally he found the instructions on handling trash and Craig told me, "It wasn't that I didn't want to get rid of that garbage, I just didn't know how to."

Some of us face a quandary similar to my friend's, only with the emotional and spiritual garbage of our lives. Things we've done that we wish we could undo. Things we hope no one ever finds out about. The guilty memories that keep coming back on the VCR in our brain. Not to mention the pain we carry inside. We want to get rid of our garbage, we just don't know how to . . . and it continues to pile up in our soul, and it's starting to deteriorate.

Well, there is a designated dumping ground for our lifetime of garbage. It's on a skull shaped hill with a rugged cross on the top.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from I Peter 2:24. Speaking of Jesus, it says, "He bore our sins in His own body on the tree so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness." You see, all the guilt of all the sins that you and I have ever done, God's Son absorbed when He was dying on that cross paying our death penalty for our sin. In Isaiah 53, God graphically describes this dumping of all of our sin garbage on His Son. It says, "He carried our sorrows, He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." . . . Every lie we've ever told, every angry, hurting word we've ever spoken, Jesus was absorbing on that cross. Every lustful thought, every immoral act, every adulterous act, every act of violence, every act of selfishness, Jesus the sinless Son of God absorbed into His soul on that cross. Why? In the words of the Bible, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son." And today Jesus invites you to bring the accumulated garbage of your life to the cross where he died to forgive it. Jesus said of those who nailed Him to that tree, "Father forgive them." If He could forgive that, there's nothing you've done that He cannot and will not forgive! But, you have to come to Jesus willing to admit that you're a sinner, willing to tell Him that you are putting all your trust in Him to erase your sin from God's book and to give you life forever. You can trade in guilt for forgiveness, you can trade in pain for healing, you can trade in death for Eternal Life when you ask the One who died for you to be your own Savior.

There is no reason to deal with the garbage of your life again. Not when Jesus Christ has shown you what to do with it. Bring all of that garbage up skull hill where it was already dealt with by Jesus, and leave it there.

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular "A Word With You" broadcast (Available in transcripts or RealAudio format.) Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with GCN since February, 1996, providing practical answers to real life issues.

Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

A Persian proverb: Do little things now; so shall big things come to thee by and by asking to be done.

One stormy night many years ago an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk explained that because there were three conventions in town, the hotel was filled.
The clerk, who lived in the hotel, said, "But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at 1 o'clock in the morning." "Would you be willing to sleep in my room?" The couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he told the clerk, "You're the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you." The clerk smiled, amused by the older man's "little joke."

A few years passed. Then one day the clerk received a letter from the elderly man recalling that stormy night and asking him to come to New York for a visit. A round-trip ticket was enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where a grand new building stood.

"That," explained the elderly man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage." "You must be joking," the clerk said. "I most assuredly am not," came the reply. "Who--who are you?" stammered the clerk. The man answered, "My name is William Waldorf Astor."

That hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria, one of the most magnificent hotels in New York. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt.

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

The clerk did a little thing that stormy night. As the proverb says, a big thing came to him by and by.
Often we get so caught up in our work and in a world that idolizes highly successful and glamorous people that we ignore little things. As a result, we neglect something if it does not have a dollar value or a direct relationship to our success at work.

Do you ignore little things--things like dropping someone an encouraging note, or extending them a deserving "Thank you"? How frequently do you take time out of a workday to help someone, or to help faithful people reach and serve others?

Whether it is in your personal relationships or in your daily activities, "little" can actually be "big." As Saint John Chrysostom said in the Third Century, "faithfulness in little things is a big thing." Even in 1996 that truth has not changed. Giant trees still grow from small seeds.

Yes, the hotel clerk did a little thing--and was rewarded greatly. You may not be able to reach millions of people all over the world by satellite, but in your own part of the world you can faithfully do little things to point people toward Jesus. Great will be your reward if you do.

Contributed by Rich McLawhorn
email:REM@mail01.scdps.state.sc.us

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

W.R. Thompson, one-time director of the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, in Ottawa, Canada, wrote concerning evolution: "As we know, there is a great divergence of opinion among biologists, not only about the causes of evolution, but even about the actual process."

If, as the scientific community has revealed, real science is observable, testable and repeatable, then why does the theory of evolution seem to be so widely accepted as well-documented scientific fact when it has failed time-honored standards set by those in the scientific arena? Certainly, disbelief in the one true God is the main reason this godless theory appeals to those who reject the awesome abilities of our Creator, but another contributing factor in the staying power of man's presumed evolution from monkey is the manner in which Darwin's theory is taught.

In American laboratory magazine, one biochemist offered his views on this issue: "The child is not presented with evolution as a theory. Subtle statements are made in science texts as early as the second grade. Evolution is presented as reality, not as a concept that can be questioned. The authority of the educational system then compels belief."

When a young scientist reaches college, he is subtly indoctrinated with evolutionary thought. If he desires to work with "the great men of science" he must put aside his religious views and adhere to the 'gospel' of Darwin. Still, the division which evolution has caused in the scientific arena is undeniable. Physicist H. S. Lipson had this to say: "The only acceptable explanation is creation. I know this is anathema to physicists, as indeed it is to me, but we must not reject a theory that we do not like if the experimental evidence supports it." Astronomer Robert Jastrow also stated: "Scientists have no proof that life was not the result of an act of creation."

Take the Grand Canyon for example. Evolutionists support the notion that the massive canyon began millions of years ago as a tiny stream which eventually eroded its way deep into rock. The fairly recent eruption of Mt. St. Helen's has caused many scientists to rethink this evolution-based theory since the eruption proved that various land formations as valleys and canyons can be formed in a matter of minutes or hours, not the millions of years evolutionists insist are always necessary to create these wonders of nature.

Throughout the Scriptures we are warned about teachings that will undermine the foundation of our faith in God and His word (Colossians 2:8, II Corinthians 12:3-4). The implication of man's evolution, from monkey, with no cause or purpose, leaves one feeling that life has no real meaning; therefore, it should be lived for the moment... pleasing only the desires of the flesh with no thought of moral consequence.

Satan is a deceiver... just as he tricked Eve with a lie in the garden of Eden, he will also use his subtle methods to fool us into taking our minds off God (II Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 6:12). Based on the evidence, it certainly seems Satan is utilizing the theory of evolution to deceive many.

Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide", "Son Salutations" and "Daily Contemplations", a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit http://www.melanieschurr.com

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

We should establish an honest, genuine relationship before I discuss with you what I'm about to discuss. But it's a catch 22. You and I, Netcruiser, may never meet. The older we get, the more urgent it becomes to discuss this subject. So I can't afford to mince words.

So I'm going to assume that you, dear reader, don't believe the things I do and I'm going to tell you about my Lord. I just couldn't face my Master unless I tried. Someday I will face Him and I couldn't stand it if He said, "You say you cared about people, yet you didn't even try to tell them about My sacrifice for their sake?"

The thing is, someday you'll face Him, too. And you won't be able to point to my poor presentation of this message, my pushiness, or any other way in which I may have been a bad example. I'll answer to Him for those things. At some point, you'll have to humble yourself, examine your own heart and admit your need of a Savior regardless of my bad example. Or some Televangelist's or anyone else's.

Someday it'll be just you and Him and He'll say, "That messenger on the Internet? Oh yes, his interview is next week. The Televangelist? He may be a hypocrite but that's not your concern. He will answer to me if he was. Now I'm asking you why you rejected My sacrifice."

The bottom line is, a changed life can be yours if you want it. You say you want the one you have? Consider yourself fortunate for the time being. But it won't last forever. When you face the Master, you can do it with confidence.

Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom. He operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates, www.warrenkramer.com, which offers visual design & illustration for printed communications & web sites. He also does photographic retouching & restoration (http://kramerimaging.com/) and plays solo jazz & classical-style sacred guitar (http://guitartistic.com/).

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

Tổng thống Pakistan Pervez Musharraf, người đang phải đối diện với nguy cơ bị quốc hội luận tội, nói ông sẽ từ chức

Why don't more intelligent, thinking people like you embrace the faith of the Bible and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world? It would seem that the rational person, when confronted with the evidence, would choose Christ. But this does not seem to be the case. Why?

The Bible tells us very clearly. The apostle Paul describes unbelievers as those who walk "in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding" (Ephesians 4:17-18). In other words, the Bible says that the thinking of unbelievers is darkened! When they are presented the evidence which shows that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, they reject that evidence. To their way of thinking, the evidence proves nothing! And so, after all the arguments are presented, the unbeliever will not accept Christ. As the apostle Paul says, "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Now the Lord Jesus understood the problem. After Christ spent three years with His disciples, they still did not understand the Old Testament Scriptures which had been written about Him. So after the resurrection, Christ met with the disciples. He reminded them, "I spoke to you while I was with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44). Because Jesus knew that the disciples did not understand, He did a wonderful thing. "He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Yes, the problem was an inability to think properly. And so Jesus opened their minds!

Perhaps you have the same problem. Jesus needs to open your mind.

Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com
Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA]
Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #179.

"Today's devotional is taken from DailyWisdom, a ministry of Gospelcom.net"

NASA nói tàu Orion, được thiết kế nhằm thay thế tàu con thoi, sẽ không được phóng lên trước năm 2014

The phar extension provides a way to put entire PHP applications into a single file called a "phar" (PHP Archive) for easy distribution and installation. In addition to providing this service, the phar extension also provides a file-format abstraction method for creating and manipulating tar and zip files through the PharData class, much as PDO provides a unified interface for accessing different databases. Unlike PDO, which cannot convert between different databases, Phar also can convert between tar, zip and phar file formats with a single line of code. see Phar::convertToExecutable() for one example.

Thống đốc tiểu bang California ra lệnh áp dụng các biện pháp quyết liệt để đối phó với tình trạng thâm thủng ngân sách trên 15 tỷ đô la

Prophecy News Watch Newsletter
For The Week Of August 1, 2008

Biblical Prophecy In The News
http://www.prophecynewswatch.com

Keeping You Informed of World Events From A Biblical Perspective