Thought of the Day - Page 2

tlc · 02-28-2007, 04:49 AM

** February 27, 2007 **

WE ARE WONDERFULLY MADE
By: Former Florida Senator John Grant

(Psalm 139).

We are wonderfully made. Consider this: The genome is all the DNA in an organism, including its genes. Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, how well its body metabolizes food or fights infection, and sometimes even how it behaves. DNA is made up of four similar chemicals that are repeated millions or billions of times throughout a genome. The human genome, for example, has three billion pairs of bases. Or put in a more basic way, of all the billions of people living on the face of the earth, there is no one exactly like you or me. We are unique and individual.

If you printed out a person's personal genome in standard type on letter sized paper, the stack of papers would be higher than the Washington Monument. If you recited your personal gnome at a conversational pace twenty four hours a day, it would take thirty one years just to recite it. And this personal id is complete and in every cell in your body.

As I listened to Dr. Frances Collins, head of the US Genome Project, I was captivated by his description of the uniqueness of the human body and each ones personal genetic road map. But what really got to me was the personal testimony of his Christian faith. He began his medical practice as an avowed atheist, but when he examined the evidence, he was totally confirmed and conformed in the Christian faith.

He declared that in the search for truth in both the spiritual and scientific realm, the two are not in conflict but each is complimentary to the other. He said that "atheism is the acceptance of a universal negative." How true. All I could think of as he talked was Psalm 139. Indeed, I am wonderfully made.

Why did God make me.... make you? Have you ever pondered that question about yourself? Without a doubt, it is the single-most important question you will ever ask yourself. Because when you understand why God your Creator made you for a unique purpose, it can impact your future like no other factor. When you know your unique purpose, you can make better decisions and stay more focused on fulfilling God's calling on your life through your vocation. Ultimately, knowing your unique purpose prepares you for experiencing the greatest level of satisfaction and success in life.

Scientific research does not divide us from the Christian faith. Indeed, it compliments it. Yes, God made you and me as a scientific marvel, but more importantly, He made each of us each in the image of himself. My, what a wonderful family lineage we have.
(a thought on life from John Grant)

About the Author:

As a former Florida Senator, John Grant has served in federal, state and local government in both the legislative and executive branches, including twenty one years as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate. He is a lawyer by profession, specializing on life resource management and estate planning from a Biblical perspective. As Chairman of the America's Board of the United Bible Society, he oversees the distribution of Bibles through twenty nine national Bible societies and forty different countries in the western hemisphere. Currently he is Chairman of the Florida Capitol Advocate Group, a government consulting firm in Tallahassee and Washington. He and his wife of 40 years live in Tampa, Florida, USA.

tlc · 03-03-2007, 03:07 AM

He Will Take Care of Us
By: Dr. Bill Bright

"He will take care of the helpless and poor when they cry to Him; for they have no one else to defend them" (Psalm 72:12)

Some time ago, a French tourist set out to cross St. Bernard's Pass by himself. When he got caught in the fog near the top, he sat on a rock and waited for one of the famous St. Bernard dogs, which have rescued thousands of lost travelers, to come and attend to him. But none came.

When the fog cleared away, he managed to reach the hospice. There he let it be known that he thought the dog a rather overrated animal.

"There I was," he said, "for at least six hours, and not one came near me." "But why," exclaimed one of the monks, "did you not ring us up on the telephone?"

Then he explained to the astonished tourist that the whole of the pass is provided with shelters at short distances from each other - all in direct phone communication with the hospice. When the bell rings, the monks send off a dog loaded with bread, wine and other comforts.

The dog goes straight to the proper shelter. The system saves the hounds their former duty of patrolling the pass on the chance of a stray traveler being found, and as the pass is under deep snow for about eight months of the year, this entailed hard and often fruitless labor.

Many people in need of spiritual help have not yet realized there is One who will hear and answer directly the troubled cries for help.

(0513)

Bible Reading:
Psalm 72:13-19

Today's Action Point:
Remembering that we "have not because we ask not," I'll remember to call on a kind heavenly Father today and whenever I have a need.

tlc · 03-03-2007, 03:08 AM

The Arithmetic of Prayer
By: Skip Moen, Ph.D

"...so that I may declare all Your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion." (Psalm 9:14).

Declare -- When David declares the praises of God, he uses the Hebrew verb saphar. It implies a great deal more than a simple announcement. Saphar is the verb for "to count." To declare all God's praises is to count everything that praises Him, one by one. This is biblical arithmetic. In fact, the Greek equivalent of saphar is arithmein (that makes it pretty obvious, doesn't it?).
Prayer without arithmetic is like painting without a palette. It all turns out gray. Prayer includes the counting of all God has done, not just for me but also for all of creation. Notice that David does not say, "Count all Your blessings." David is much more spiritually attuned than those who simply look for God's personal benevolence. David is interested in counting all God's praises (tehillim). And what sort of things count as praises? Well, David elaborates in another tehillah, Psalm 111:10. It's a familiar theme in an unfamiliar context. Reverence for God is the beginning of all human wisdom. All who keep His commandments are benefited. And His praise endures forever. In Psalm 111, David helps us see that it is God's very character that deserves praise. If I want to count what counts for praise, I will begin with these two things: 1 -- God is my sovereign. Until I understand, acknowledge and live by that fact, I am foolish; and 2 -- God is good. Therefore, all my discern
ment of the correct pathway depends on living according to His commandments. No wonder David praises God just for Who He is.

Already in this New Year you have undoubtedly had enough time to know that you are not sovereign lord of your life. Not everything has gone your way. Praise God for that. He has something far more significant in mind for those who follow Him. Now when you pray, instead of issuing God a summons to explain your situation, start with arithmetic. Count out His praises. Oh, and by the way, His praises extend to all that He is sovereign over and all that is connected with His goodness. It's a long list. If you're going to declare the praises of God today, you might not have time for any of the other things that were on your petition list. But don't worry. He knows what you need.

tlc · 03-03-2007, 03:09 AM

The Godly Shall Flourish
By: Dr. Bill Bright

"But the godly shall flourish like palm trees, and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted into the Lord's own garden, and are under His personal care. Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green" (Psalm 92:12-14)

John Vredenburgh preached in a Somerville, New York church for many years, often feeling that his ministry was a great failure even though he preached the gospel faithfully. His death came amidst discouragements, and even some of his members wondered about his success and effectiveness as a minister.

Not long after his death, however, spiritual revival came to Somerville. On one Sunday alone, 200 people came to Christ - most of whom dated their spiritual stirrings from the ministry of John Vredenburgh.

Faithfulness and persistence are great virtues in the service of Jesus Christ. "Pay Day, Some Day" was a significant theme and message of that great Southern Baptist pastor, R. G. Lee - and since God's timing is always perfect, it surely will come in good time.

"Even in old age they will still produce fruit." Though the outward man may be pershing, the inward man is renewed day by day. When the outward ear grows deaf, the inward man hears the voice of God. When the eye grows dim, the mind is enlightened with God's Word.

When the flesh becomes weak, we are "strengthened with might in the inner man." Older Christians look toward heaven, where they again shall see family and friends; meanwhile, the share their maturity and good judgment with others, knowing that God still rewards the faithful. Until that dying breath, the supernatural life on earth can continue.

(0515)

Bible Reading:
Psalm 92:7-11

Today's Action Point:
Knowing that even in old(er) age my life can produce fruit, I will persevere and remain faithful to our Lord and His commands.

Boanerges · 03-03-2007, 01:20 PM

I am confused TLC- thougth of the day- do you mean I have to start thinking everyday? LOL- just kidding thanks I have been enjoying your posts!

richyaustin · 03-05-2007, 08:02 AM

A cult is a small unpopular religion
A religion is a large popular cult

tlc · 03-09-2007, 12:54 AM

*** March 8, 2007 ***

Second Thoughts
By: Skip Moen, Ph.D

"to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 16:27)

Glory - What is the doxology of your life? What is the final line that
describes your reason for being? Paul leaves no doubt about his last line.
It is glory to God forever. I wonder if we could say the same thing.

Glory is a big issue this side of eternity. Doxa, the Greek word here, is
primarily about recognition. To give God glory is to honor Him by
recognizing His pre-eminent place in all creation. But the background of
this word gives us another look that we might easily miss. The word
originally described opinion and thought. Its underlying meaning is about
how my opinions line up with reality. When I believe something that is not
true, I am not glorified. When my thoughts are in alignment with the truth,
I am glorified (honored and respected).

Here's the rub. Only God has thoughts that are always true. I make mistakes.
I believe lots of things that later turn out to be false. And my perspective
on truth is severely limited by my human finiteness. Only one Person knows
it all truly - God. So, real glory belongs only to Him. Only He knows
nothing false.

What does that mean for me? First, it goes a long way to deflate my ego.
True glory doesn't belong to any of us. No man knows it all. But there is a
positive turn here too. Insofar as I think God's thoughts after Him, I
express what is really true. He knows. I can only agree. When I embrace
God's thinking about things, I line up with His glory. Then I reflect what
He intends - that the truth will prevail.

To give God glory is to second His thoughts. That means bringing my mind
into alignment, acting according to His opinions. That means setting aside
my own views and accepting the views of the One Who knows. That means
submitting to His will. Then, and only then, will I give Him His due.

The decision-key is simply this: Does it glorify the only One Who knows for
sure? Does it second His thoughts?

tlc · 03-10-2007, 01:40 AM

***March 9, 2007***

First Step to Wisdom
By: Dr. Bill Bright

"How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught" (Proverbs 1:7)

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention was on the verge of total failure. The issue: whether small states should have the same representation as large states.

From the wisdom of his 81 years, Benjamin Franklin recalled the Scriptures which says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Psalm 127:1), and in this hopeless situation, he offered a suggestion.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I have lived a long time and am convinced that God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

"I move that prayer imploring the assistance of heaven be held every morning before we proceed to business." God heard their prayers and the conflict was soon resolved. To this day, all legislative sessions continue to be opened with prayer, with God's blessing.

"Reverence of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" reads the Modern Language translation of this verse - a preamble to wise living a good motto for life.

Someone has said, "The eternal task of religion is the conquest of fear." Men fear many things - bacteria, losing their jobs, being dependent in old age, giving offense to their neighbors, war, failure, death.

Fear (worshipful reverence) of God represents a different kind of fear - the kind a child shows toward wise and loving parents when he shuns acts of disobedience to avoid both grieving those parents whom he loved and suffering the inevitable discipline which follows disobedience. Perhaps if we feared God more, we would fear everything else less.

(0522)

Bible Reading:
Proverbs 1:8-16

Today's Action Point:
My fear and reverence of God is the beginning of supernatural living and will result in worship of Him - by walk as well as by talk.

tlc · 03-14-2007, 10:12 AM

*** March 12, 2007 ***

Prayer and Consequences
By: Skip Moen, Ph.D

"because having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful." (Romans 1:21).

Glorify -- Thankful -- Some ancient Jewish scholars translate Genesis 2:7 about the creation of Man with the words, "and Man became a speaking being", rather than our common, "and Man became a living being." If Paul was aware of this translation, then his comment in Romans takes on a deadly implication. Paul describes those who are not going to be in God's kingdom; the ones who do not share His favor. You might think he is describing real pagans. After all, he goes on to talk about their darkened minds and their immoral behavior. But these two words, glorify and thankful, tell us something frightening. What they imply is that these people, the ones whom God gives up, don't pray!

The Greek roots are doxazo and charizomai. We know doxa in our word doxology. We know charizomai from our word eucharist. And now we see that these words are full of prayer language. Glorifying God and thanking Him belong in the context of prayer. Conversation with God always results in adoration and thanksgiving.

But what about those people who no longer pray? What Paul describes is not the punishment for horrible sins, but rather the automatic, natural consequence of not conversing with the Creator. Instead of being human, they become animals. They slip from an existence as speaking beings that God intended -- speaking with Him -- into creatures whose lives are determined not by their conversation with the Maker but by their fallen instincts of a world infected with disorder. When prayer is not part of my existence, I am falling away from being human. If I fall far enough, God has to give up trying to talk with me.

If you understand that praying makes you human, then every day you do not pray has a terrible consequence. This is the correct view of evolution. We can evolve -- down the chain of existence, toward the bottom of the scale, becoming less and less human and more and more like fallen animals. Prayer is the only antidote to de-volving.

So pray, not just to enter into conversation with your Maker but to prevent the long slide toward the wrong end of life!

tlc · 03-14-2007, 10:14 AM

*** March 13, 2007 ***

Wisdom Brings Peace
By: Dr. Bill Bright

"Wisdom gives a good, long life, riches, honor, pleasure, peace" (Proverbs 3:16,17)

High up in the Andes Mountains stands a bronze statue of Christ - the base of granite, the figure fashioned from old cannons - marking the boundary between Argentina and Chile.

"Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust," reads the Spanish engraving, "than Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer."

Peoples of these two countries had been quarreling about their boundaries for many years, and suffering from the resultant mistrust.

In 1900, with the conflict at its highest, citizens begged King Edward VII of Great Britain to mediate the dispute. On May 28, 1903, the two governments signed a treaty ending the conflict.

During the celebration that followed, Senora de Costa, a noble lady of Argentina who had done much to bring about the peace, conceived the idea of a monument. She had the statue of Christ shaped from the cannons that had been used to strike terror into Chilean hearts.

At the dedication ceremony, the statue was presented to the world as a sign of the victory of good will. "Protect, Oh Lord, our native land," prayed Senora de Costa. "Ever give us faith and hope. May fruitful peace be our first patrimony and good example its greatest glory."

The monument stands today as a reminder that only Christ - the Prince of Peace - can bring real peace to the world. And that refers as much to individual peace as it does to national and international peace.

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