Thursday, Nov 05, 2009

11-5 Need Security?

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Bribery is dangerous! I held my breath as I pulled up to the house where I pick up Johnny, Ashley and Amberley for Awana. The last few weeks Johnny has not wanted to come because he’s not a running kind of kid and doesn’t want to participate in the games. His niece, Amberley really idolizes him and doesn’t want to do anything Johnny doesn’t. Last week I told them “they needed to participate or no candy on the way home.” That backfired! Amberley left my car crying… YOU HEEL! All week long I prayed about it with concern. To my surprise Amberley not only came, but she came with a good attitude for the first time in weeks and had fun! Whew, thank you Lord, dodged a bullet there!

Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

How much is enough? A multimillionaire was once asked that question… his answer? “A little more!” Really? You would think that after the jackpot got to a million or so, a person would be satisfied and say… “I think I have enough now, I don’t really need more.” But that’s not the way it works! We want more! Why? Greed is one answer. And don’t forget about Covetousness. There are always bigger boats to buy and more expensive toys to acquire. Another BIG reason is security. How much material stuff like gold, silver, property, stocks and bonds does it take to make us feel secure? The more we accumulate, the more security we need in order to pay the bill collectors and replace the stuff we’ve got. We have a bigger income and BIGGER BILLS! They say that there are three things that drive the stock market: Greed, Hope and Fear. Never underestimate fear. Every investor knows that what goes up can come down 100 times faster than it went up! Eternal nervous vigilance is necessary to protect what you have. If we were honest, we would probably rate insecurity and fear among the top reasons for piling on materialism. When is your bank account big enough? Uh… never? Why do you hold on so tight to every greenback? Fear & Insecurity. Let’s face it, wealth is so tentative, especially in these tough economic times that we may driven to work 90 hours a week, hoard all we can get, and protect our little Fort Knox with an arsenal of highly trained ninja warriors. You won’t see a penny from me until you pull my cold, dead fingers off my safety deposit box! Jesus had a different view. Don’t hoard your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, instead lay up your treasures in heaven where, as Peter said, we have an “incorruptible inheritance” that is “undefiled and does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” The real answer to security is where you bank! If you depend on your deposits at the Bank of the World, you have reason to be uneasy. There the value of everything depreciates, the shine on our trinkets corrodes, and Identity Theft threatens to transfer all funds to a foreign account. The antidote to insecurity is to open an account in the Bank of Heaven. There your inheritance is safe and secure. There your riches do not depreciate or disappear. There you have “exceeding riches” as your reward. There you can depend on the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. There you have the riches of His glory which supply all your needs. Those riches strengthen the inner man and his inventory is so high the riches are unsearchable. I pray that the eyes of your understanding would be opened that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Need security? Bank in Heaven.

Today's Reading
2 Chronicles 6; Isaiah 57; Acts 21



Dear Father. I want to find my security in You. I know you are a solid rock that I can depend on. I know that on this earth riches may come and go, but you will never leave me or forsake me. I am depending on a retirement that is out of this world. Help me to place my trust there, not on things that can never bring stability and security.


My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 11:01 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009

11-04 Hope – A Virtue or Vice?

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I love Tuesday nights! Every other Tuesday I meet with our two LTDers (Some call it our Long Term Disabilities class, but it is really our Leadership Training & Discipleship class). I spend three hours in class with Mike & Larry. Long class? It doesn’t seem like it. We cover lots of great material and time just seems to fly! There are some great books to read, verses to memorize and some great interaction. I just love the fact that the lights are coming on and the vision is being caught! And that’s what it’s all about. Passing on the faith to some guys serious about serving the Lord!

Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 5; Isaiah 56; Acts 20
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Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Hope. A man can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but can’t last even 4 seconds without hope! I always thought hope was a virtue! Hope is good, right? Did you know that the Greeks considered hope to be as dangerous as all the world's evils put together! In fact Hope was one of the evils that Pandora let out of the box! Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued that hope, in truth, “is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment." It makes men hang on when there is no rational reason to hang on. If they had only given up sooner their torment would not have lasted so long. Is that twisted or what? I hope that I don’t hope, because if I do hope I’ll end up more hopeless in the end! Seriously… it does make some sense, but only if you are basing your hope on a phantom or on something that won’t come through. So, what are you basing your hope on? The dictionary defines hope as “a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” I hope so! That definition doesn’t do anything to reinforce the idea that hope is good! How many times do things turn out “good” for you? Marriage turns sour. Economy goes bust. People die. Cars break down. You are getting older and more infirm. I’ve got to admit it; hope that the things this life will come through isn’t too promising. I might as well hold out the hope that I’ll win the lottery! Good luck. You could win the jackpot only to be run over by a Semi five minutes later! That’s why the Bible calls the Christian’s hope “a living hope… that does not fade away.” Our hope is not like their hope. Our hope is based on solid footing. We believe that since Jesus was resurrected from the dead that we have a place reserved in heaven! Everything hinges on the resurrection! If Jesus was not raised from the dead we are the most pitiable of all people. If Christ is not risen our faith is worthless, useless, and misplaced and we are still in our sins. We are not forgiven and we are pushing a lie, the biggest lie ever concocted! But if Christ is risen we have more reason to hope than anyone else on the face of the planet. Did he or didn’t he? Only the disciples (and God) know… and they were willing to die for it! Who would die for what they know to be a lie? Listen, if, or should I say SINCE, Christ is risen from the dead, he has given us a LIVING HOPE. This has nothing to do with “I hope so…” nothing to do with an insubstantial phantom of a promise that evaporates like an illusion in the desert. This is hope based on the rock solid fact of the resurrection. Bank on it. No matter what happens in this life, “all things work together for the good of those who love God and… nothing can separate me from the love of God!”

Dear Lord Jesus, I hope in you, and that hope will not be disappointed because you have always come through in the past and always will in the future. I don’t hope in the circumstances of this life, I do hope in the promised future of eternity. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:58 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT