Another "I GET IT" Moment...

I was reading a passage from the last book of the Bible, the Book of the Revelation.  Chapter 1, verse 15, John describes the One he saw in this revelation.  The verse states "His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;"  I find it interesting that John's revelation was not just visual, but had full audio too!  

I immediately remembered back to a trip years ago to Ft. Worth, TX.  They have this marvelous fountain downtown that starts at street level and you walk down a path that takes you deeper and deeper into a 360 degree cascade!  As you start out you hear some water trickling along with the normal sounds of a downtown city.  The deeper you walk into the fountain, the less you hear of the city and the more the water's sound begins to grow.  By the time you've reached the bottom, all you can hear is the water!  It was hard for us to even talk.
 
This verse speaks of Jesus' voice as One with majesty and great power!  Dr. Adrian Rogers said the voice of Jesus was like Niagara Falls.  Can you imagine trying to argue with Niagara Falls? There will be no talking back to the regal, majestic and all-powerful Christ!

I stayed at the base of the fountain in Ft. Worth, TX for about an hour...just listening.  In heaven, I imagine that's what we'll do too.  Just stand in silence, listening to the majestic and powerful voice of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Well, that's all for now, but check back soon for another installment of REDD-INK!

File this under, "NOW I GET IT!"

You know those times when the light bulb in your head goes off and you finally understand something?

It happens to me from time-to-time...probably not as often as I'd like it to!  Anyway, today as I was reading my Bible, some things that Adrian Rogers said years ago came back to me!

I was reading about the wrath and judgment of God on sin and sinful mankind.  He was explaining about how the devout Jews of the Old Testament would bring a spotless lamb to the priest.  The lamb would be sacrificed on the altar as a sin offering...God would accept the blood of a spotless lamb offered to take away their sin.  Then came the 'light bulb' moment.  I remembered what Pastor Rogers said.  It was something like this, "The fires of God's judgment would burn out on the sacrifices made on the altar."

For the believer in Jesus Christ, we have this blessed gift:  The fire of God's judgment is burned out on the altar of Jesus' sacrifice.  Think about what that One, Precious, All-sufficient sacrifice has offered to those who will trust in Him.

Did your 'light bulb' come on?  Then join me in praising, thanking and worshiping Jesus Christ, our Savior!

That's all for now, but check back soon for more REDD-INK!

Stewards of Our Job

  
Hello again Friend, it's good to have you back!  I was thinking about my current, primary job, and wondered if I was being a good steward?  Please take a few minutes and take the poll at the top of the blog.  I appreciate your honest and anonymous feedback!  Well, back to the post....
  
If all we have is from God, and it is!  

And, all that God gives us we are to exercise stewardship over, which we are to do!

Then it certainly falls true that I should exercise stewardship over the job that God has given me!


So, how do I do that?!  Here's a few Biblical guidelines for us:

> Do your job 'heartily, as unto the Lord' - Colossians 3:23

The encouragement here is this, your boss should never perceive you as being a 'sloth' when it comes to the work you are being paid to perform.  The word 'heartily' means to work 'with good will' and not out of some sense of necessity.  Have you ever said to yourself, or worse out loud to others, "the only reason I'm doing this job is because I have to"?  Your attitude toward your job will directly influence and impact your performance in that job.  Friend, look at your job as a God-given job.  Do every part of your work as unto Him.  Treat your job as if God were your boss!  After all, the money you get from your job really doesn't come from your earthly employer.

> Knowing your payment is 'from the Lord' - Colossians 3:24

These truths help me understand better how to be a good steward of the job God has given me.  I trust they will help you too!

That's all for now but check back soon for more REDD-INK!
 

Stepping Closer To The Savior - A Great, Practical Book

The greatest challenge most of us have is connecting with God and deepening our relationship with Him.  We feel the need to know Him, but then the waves and roar and crash of life pull us into pitching tides, and before we know it, the time we'd set aside is gone.  But deep beneath the frenetic pace and pull, is a place of quiet peace.


Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages and Love as A Way of Life recommends the book, Stepping Closer To The Savior, "We all recognize that conversation is the life-blood of relationships.  Melanie Redd applies this reality to our relationship with God.  God speaks and we respond.  Melanie encourages the reader to keep the conversation going...."


These excerpts were taken from the back cover of Melanie's new book.  I have read it several times now and can personally testify that this practical study will live up to it's title!  You can order the book by clicking on the link in the left column of my blog.

Read it and be blessed!

That's all for now, but check back soon for more REDD-INK!

Understanding The Bible, God's Word

   

Q: Are you a new Christian trying to understand the Bible?

Q: Do you have trouble understanding what the Bible would say to you today in a more contemporary culture?

Here is what Dr. Adrian Rogers used to tell us:

"Start in the Gospel of John.  It is easy to read.  There will be some things that you understand and some things that you wont understand.  If you will obey the things you do understand, it wont be long before you will begin to understand those things that you didn't understand before.  Understand?"  (I can hear him saying that!)


He was right!  God will continue to reveal more and more from His word to your life as you commit more and more of your life to His Word!  Be a good steward of the life God has given to you!  Be a good steward of His Word, the Bible!


That's all for now but check back soon for more REDD-INK!
  

INSPIRED GIVING - Herschel H. Hobbs

This is a story that is one of Herschel Hobbs favorite illustrations.  I hope you enjoy it!

A pastor wrote the president of a seminary to inform him about a man in his church who was capable of giving the school $50,000. The president invited the man to visit the campus. After showing his guest around the campus, relating what the seminary was doing, and feeding him a sumptuous meal, the president took the man to his office to attempt to sell the man on the idea of giving a donation.



On the way they met a professor of preaching who was a personal friend of the potential donor. After a brief chat the man asked the professor what he would do if he was able to make a gift to the seminary. The professor said he would give $500,000 to endow a chair of preaching.


The president cringed, fearing the professor had ruined everything he had been trying to do. He was right! The man did not donate $50,000. Instead, he gave the seminary $500,000. He had been inspired to give.

• Q: Have you ever been inspired to give like that? 

Maybe not that amount, but inspired nonetheless!  Friend, be inspired to give back to God from all that God has given you!  Start with your local church first, then as God enables, support other Biblical, evangelical ministries!  Not just money, but give of your time too!

That's all for now, but check back for more REDD-INK!

Why Should I Be A Good Steward...of Creation?

Since we are God’s stewards over His creation, what should be our motivation?

Q: Are we good stewards for pragmatic reasons or for moral reasons?

A1: The pragmatic view would suggest that we should be good stewards over God’s world because our survival depends on it. For example, if we start killing snakes to the point of extinction, we could cause an overpopulation of rats and other vermin that snakes have as their normal diet. 

A2: The moral view would suggest that we should exercise good stewardship over the physical world because to do so demonstrates honor and respect for God and His created order.

The Bible endorses A2  for good stewardship.  Having God’s perspective, we would not destroy snakes to the point of extinction, but we exercise discernment in protection of ourselves and our families from the danger that some snakes impose. Francis Schaeffer said, 'We show honor to the physical world with which God has a covenant relationship. Christians should exercise God-given wisdom as we exercise dominion over His created world.'
Whether money or life, we are to be good stewards because it honors God.  I've seen Him bless such obedience.

That's all for now, but check back soon for more REDD-INK!