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 A rich landowner
named Carl often rode around his vast estate so he could congratulate
himself on his great wealth. One day, while riding around his estate on his
favorite horse, he saw Hans, an old tenant farmer. Hans was sitting under a
tree when Carl rode by. Hans said, "I was just thanking God for my
food."
Carl protested, "If that is all I had to eat I wouldn't feel like
giving thanks."
Hans replied, "God has given me everything I need, and I am
thankful for it." The old farmer added, "It is strange you should
come by today because I had a dream last night. In my dream a voice told
me, 'the richest man in the valley will die tonight.' I don't know what it
means, but I thought I ought to tell you."
Carl snorted, "Dreams are nonsense," and galloped away, but he
could not forget Hans' words: "The richest man in the valley will die
tonight."
He was obviously the richest man in the valley, so he invited his doctor
to his house that evening. Carl told the doctor what Hans had said. After a
thorough examination, the doctor told the wealthy landowner, "Carl,
you are as strong and healthy as a horse. There is no way you are going to
die tonight." Nevertheless, for assurance, the doctor stayed with
Carl, and they played cards through the night. The doctor left the next
morning and Carl apologized for becoming so upset over the old man's dream.
At about nine o'clock, a messenger arrived at Carl's door. "What is
it?" Carl demanded. The messenger explained, "It's about old
Hans. He died last night in his sleep."
Like Hans, believers are the richest people on earth. Paul understood
that when he wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places
in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Be sure to give God thanks for the wealth He has given you - for you are
the richest person in the valley!
Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS,
Volume 8.02. Live for God, on purpose, giving
thanks to Him for He has supplied all your need according to His riches in
glory!
 "Not
Steal"
This Sunday morning, we continue our series on "The Ultimate Top
Ten List - God's Top Ten Important Principles for Living," where we are
looking, week by week, at the Ten Commandments. This week, we consider the
eighth commandment. In our English Bibles, this command is four short words
- "You Shall Not Steal." In the original Hebrew language, it is
even more pointed than that, containing merely two words - "Not
Steal."
You may be saying, "But, Pastor, I would never steal. It's just not
in my character to steal." And that is good. But, the reality is, this
commandment speaks to a far greater larger topic to consider - how we use
what we have.
You see, we all know that God has promised to supply all of our needs
according to His riches in glory. His Word is true - He does supply. So,
why is it that so very often, God's people find themselves in need? Why do
some experience "too much month left over at the end of their
money?"
I believe this is because, although God has given to us all we need, we
either fail to use what we have, or worse yet, use what we have been given
incorrectly. And that, my friend, really is stealing. When we
"misappropriate" what God has abundantly given to us, using it
for things outside of God's plan, then we are stealing.
Be sure to join us this week, and learn how we can "Not
Steal!"
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 Really
Bad Predictions
In an article in The Futurist magazine, writer Laura Lee catalogues some
of the worst predictions of all time:
"Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope
for further developments." -Roman engineer Julius Sextus Frontinus,
A.D. 100
"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from
the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." -John Eric Ericksen,
surgeon to Queen Victoria, 1873
"Law will be simplified [over the next century]. Lawyers will have
diminished, and their fees will have been vastly curtailed."
-journalist Junius Henri Browne, 1893
"It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to
anything." -Albert Einstein's teacher to Einstein's father, 1895
"It would appear we have reached the limits of what it is possible
to achieve with computer technology." -computer scientist John von
Neumann, 1949
"The Japanese don't make anything the people in the U.S. would
want." -Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, 1954
"Nuclear powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within
10 years." -Alex Lewyt, president of the Lewyt Vacuum Cleaner Company,
quoted in the New York Times, June 10, 1955
"Before man reaches the moon, your mail will be delivered within
hours from New York to Australia by guided missiles. We stand on the
threshold of rocket mail." -Arthur Summerfield, U.S. Postmaster
General under Eisenhower, 1959
"By the turn of the century, we will live in a paperless
society." -Roger Smith, chairman of General Motors, 1986
"I predict the internet... will go spectacularly supernova and in
1996 catastrophically collapse." -Bob Metcalfe, InfoWorld, 1995
Aren't you glad your faith does not rest on human words but on the sure
Word of God?
from The Futurist, (September/October, 2000), p. 20-25
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 Daily
Resolution
by Alan Smith
At the beginning of a New Year, a high school principal decided to post
his teachers' New Year's resolutions on the bulletin board.
As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion
started. One of the teachers was complaining. "Why weren't my
resolutions posted?" She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the
principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her
resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk. As he read her resolutions
he was astounded.
This teacher's first resolution was not to let little things upset her
in the New Year.
Maybe this is a good time to see how you're coming on your New Year's
resolutions (if indeed you made any). The above story demonstrates why
making resolutions may not be such a good thing and, in fact, may be
detrimental to our spiritual growth. What happens when we make resolutions?
At some point, the resolution is likely going to be broken. It may be a
matter of days, weeks, or months, but eventually we tend to falter.
If your resolution involves dieting, there will likely come a day when
you'll sneak a piece of fudge. If your resolution is quitting smoking,
there will likely come a day when you'll reach for that cigarette you've
been craving. If your resolution is reading the Bible every day, there will
likely come a day when things are so hectic that you miss your reading.
And once the resolution is broken, it becomes even easier for it to
crumble further. The incentive that kept you going ("I've maintained
my commitment to this point") is now gone. One slip leads to two which
quickly leads to three, and before long we have the attitude, "I've
messed up so much that it's not even worth continuing to try." So what
is there left to do? For most of us, we set our sights on January 1, 2009
and determine when that day rolls around, we'll try it again ("and
NEXT time I'll do it!").
Allow me to suggest an alternative. Instead of yearly resolutions, what
if we made daily resolutions? Begin each day with this prayer:
"Father, today I want to live for you. I want to dedicate to you my
time, my energy, my passion and my resources. Today, I will seek to add one
quality that will make me more like You. Today, I will seek to eliminate
something in my life that doesn't please you. I will seek to be more
conscious of You in my life. I will try to be more appreciative of the
blessings I receive from Your hand, and I will look for opportunities to
show You glory in the way I deal with people and in the way I react to situations
I face."
Make it your resolution to end the day a little bit closer to God than
you began. The goal is spiritual growth...
"...Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ...speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head - Christ." (Ephesians 4:14, 16)
This article by Alan Smith, Senior Pastor of the Helen
Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina. You can visit his
site at http://www.TFTD-online.com
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 Hope
for Banged-Up Lives
by Ron Hutchcraft
It was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and then a major motion
picture - the story of one of the most famous race horses of all time,
Seabiscuit. While many of us may not be excited about horse racing, the
story, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, illustrates some
things pretty inspiring. Seabiscuit was the son of a champion but
definitely not like his father. He had been forced to run with better
horses so they would gain confidence by beating him. When he raced, he did
what he was trained to do - lose. Because of the poor treatment Seabiscuit
received, he became an angry, almost uncontrollable horse. Until he was
given a chance by a trainer that many considered to be too old and a young
man most thought was too big to be a jockey - a man blind in one eye and
bitter from his parents' abandonment.
But Seabiscuit thrived in the care of people who believed in him and
became one of the greatest horses of all time, along with his jockey. The
trainer sees in the horse something that others have missed. He says when
Seabiscuit's eventual owner is deciding whether to buy this apparent loser,
"You don't throw a life away just because it's been banged up a
little." And when the trainer wants to fire his jockey, the owner
reminds him, "You don't throw a life away just because it's been
banged up a little."
Maybe you're one of those "banged-up lives." You've been
treated poorly, you've been made to feel that you never measure up, that
you're a loser, people have undervalued you, passed you by, and maybe
you've ended up pretty hard and angry inside. But there is someone who has
never thrown away a banged up life, who sees beyond what's on the outside
to the wounds on the inside and the potential He built into you when He
made you. Jesus is your hope of a new beginning where the future doesn't
have to be just an extension of a broken past.
In Isaiah 61:1, the Bible says of Jesus, "The Lord... has sent Me
to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and
release from darkness for the prisoners... to provide for those who grieve
in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes - a garment
of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Jesus has done that for
millions of banged up people for two thousand years. He can do it for you
because He died on the cross for every sin ever done by you or against you.
The Bible says of His death on the cross: "He carried our sorrows...
He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities...
and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
With someone who loves you so unconditionally, so completely, you don't
have to ever again trash yourself, trash other people, or trash your
future. You can tear up that name tag that identifies you as
"victim" and replace it with the new identity Jesus gives you,
"child of the King." If you'll surrender the steering wheel of
your life and put the rest of your life in the hands of the man who died
for you.
If you've never done that and you want to begin your own personal
relationship with Jesus, would you tell Him that right now with all your
heart. Jesus, who's God's one and only Son, sacrificed Himself to become
the ultimate banged-up life for you. However much you have been betrayed,
you can trust Him. However much you have been hurt and rejected, you can
count on His "never leave you" love. And your new beginning can
start this very day.
Copyright © 2008, Ron Hutchcraft. Reprinted with
permission. "A Word With You" is a radio outreach of Ron
Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
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 On the
Threshold
by Jill Carattini
The "doorknob phenomenon" is an occurrence many physicians
know well. Doctors can proceed meticulously through complete examinations
and medical histories, taking care to hear a patient's questions and
concerns, but it is often in the last thirty seconds of the appointment
that the most helpful information is revealed. When a doctor's hand is on
the doorknob, body halfway out the door, vital inquiries seem to be made;
when a patient is nearly outside the office, crucial information is shared
almost in passing. Many have speculated as to the reasons behind the
doorknob phenomenon (which is perhaps not limited to the field of
medicine), though a cure seems unlikely. Until then, words uttered on the
threshold remain a valuable entity to the physician.
If I were to speak on behalf of patients (and perhaps I've been a
perpetrator of the phenomenon myself), I would note that the doorknob marks
our last chance to be heard. Whatever the reason for not speaking up until
that point-fear, discomfort, shame, denial - we know the criticalness of that
moment. In thirty seconds, we will no longer be in the presence of one who
offers healing. At the threshold between doctor's office and daily life,
the right words are imperative; time is of the essence.
I wonder if there is such a threshold as we stand before the Great
Physician. There are times in prayer where it might feel as if we are
moving down sterile lists of conditions and information. Work. Finances.
Mom. Jack. Future. And where bringing to God in prayer our laundry list of
concerns with repeated perseverance is both necessary and helpful, perhaps
there are times when we have silenced the greater diagnosis with the words
we have chosen to leave unspoken. Can a physician heal wounds we will not
show, symptoms we will not mention?
Thankfully, God can and does heal wounds we cannot even articulate. The
scripture writers speak of a God who hears our groanings too deep for
words. On the other hand, choosing to leave out of our prayers certain
toxic symptoms hardly shows our prayer for God's will to be done entirely
sincere. How can God begin the work that needs to be done in our heart when
we refuse to come near the operating table? Is there a cure for those who
do not seek it?
The prophet Jeremiah once cried, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is
there no physician there? No healing for the wound of my people?"
Jeremiah lived during one of the most troublesome periods of Hebrew
history. And he stood on the threshold between a people sick with rebellion
and the great Physician to whom they refused to cry out in honesty.
"I have listened attentively," the LORD declared, "but
they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying,
'What have I done?' Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into
battle" (Jeremiah 8:6). His words are weighted with behavior I
recognize. A patient who complains of a cough while a fatal wound is
bleeding will neither find respite for the cough nor her unspoken pain, and
of course, a good physician would not treat the cough until the bleeding
has been stopped.
In Jeremiah's day as in our own, the promise of a painless remedy was
not left unspoken. Of these prophets of deceit God uttered, "They
dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,'
they say, when there is no peace" (8:11). Their promises are easy to
stand beside but crumble under the weight of us. To stand in honesty before
the Great Physician is more difficult. It is to admit we need to be made
well, however painful the remedy or costly the cure.
The great hymn places before us a powerful resolution:
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessing flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found.
The woundedness of humanity is serious. It cannot be bandaged as
anything less than a mortal wound. So let us not wait until we've reached
the threshold of life and death to address the indications of our illness.
But let us in hope and honesty come into the presence of one who imparts
healing. In the coming of Christ, God offers a cure that extends as far as
the wound has festered.
Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias
International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. To subscribe to this list
send an empty email to: slice-html-subscribe@lists
.rzim.org
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 Slowing
Down for a Moment
by Robin Dugall
God, my shepherd, I don't need a thing. You have
bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True
to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
- Psalm 23:1-3
Did you know that a study was presented to the USA Congress back in the
1960s that said we would become so technologically sophisticated before the
year 2000 that we would have to work only 5 to 6 hours a day. The
"experts" said that the big problem of the 21st century would be
what to do with the extra leisure time. Right! Technology has served to
speed up our pace of living. Today, most of us are busier than ever!
When was the last time you cherished a moment? When was the last time - you
had the time - to simply focus on how you were going to be obedient and
responsive to the will and heart of your God? When was the last time you
spent time with God as a natural response to the moment - without any
outside encouragement or guilt to motivate you?
Right now, I encourage you to tell the Lord your God that you so desire
the fullness of His presence in these moments. Here is a guide to help you
fill these moments with His presence and the enjoyment of your relationship
with Him:
Say, "The Lord is my Shepherd."
Thank your Lord that He knows you by name and wants to spend these moments
with you. Talk to Him about cultivating an ever-increasing intimacy with
Him.
Say, "In Him, I shall lack nothing. The Lord is my provider."
Thank your God that He provides all your needs. Ask Him to carry your
worries, burdens, and cares.
Say, "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside
quiet waters. The Lord is my peace."
Thank your God for His attention to the details of life. Tell Him you want
to see Him more clearly in the details of your life. Ask your Lord to give
you His peace.
Say, "He restores my soul. The Lord is my healer."
Thank your God that He understands everything you are experiencing in life.
Thank Him for being your healer and restorer. Recall in these moments the
times where His restoration gave you life.
Say, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
The Lord is my righteousness."
Thank your Lord for His guidance in your life. Thank Him for the complete
acceptance that He has given you as a gift of His mercy and grace. Ask Him
for His righteousness to be revealed in your life.
Say, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for you are with me. You are God who is here."
Thank the Lord for His presence that calms every fear. As the book of
Hebrews reads, "I will never leave you are forsake you".
Say, "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Thank the Lord for His authority in your life to discipline, correct and
give you. Thank your God that you can never mess up so bad that you would
fear punishment by Him.
Say, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
The Lord is my banner of victory."
Thank the Lord for His strength and protection in your life!
Say, "You anoint me head with oil. My cup overflows."
Thank your God for His grace, mercy and favor. Ask Him for the enjoyment of
His presence during these moments of quiet.
as seen in "Today's HomeWord," a daily devotional
with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com
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 A
Business Problem Leads to a Call
by Os Hillman
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were
lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with
you and go and look for the donkeys." - 1 Samuel 9:3
The people of Israel wanted a king. God finally agreed. Samuel was the
prophet of Israel who was to anoint the man God had chosen. God selected a
young man to be the first king of Israel-his name was Saul.
It is interesting to look at the circumstances in which God called Saul
into his new vocation. It seems that Saul's father had a business that used
donkeys. During these times, donkeys were often used for commerce. It was
obviously important to the father to find these lost donkeys, so he sent
Saul and his servant out to find them.
They went from region to region, unable to find the donkeys. Finally,
Saul told his servant that they should go back. He thought that his father
would be worried.
But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God;
he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there
now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take" (1 Samuel 9:6).
Saul took his advice. Near the town they met some young girls who told
them that Samuel had just come to their town that day.
When they arrived, they met Samuel who told them that the donkeys were
safe and he would also tell Saul the next morning all that was in his
heart. He then informed Saul of his new calling to be the next king of
Israel.
Can you see what circumstances led to Saul's receiving his call? It
started with a business problem - lost donkeys. It led to connecting Saul
with Samuel through a number of divine appointments and circumstances. God
still does this today.
God will provide the necessary circumstances to accomplish His purposes
in your life. You must realize that a business problem may lead to a new
calling for your life. Saul had no idea lost donkeys would be the
instrument used to change his life. So, too, we must realize God's ways are
not our ways.
© 2000 by Os Hillman/Marketplace Leaders. Posted at
"Today God Is First". To subscribe to "Today God Is First"
or to read the archives, go to www.todaygodisfirst.com
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 The
Last Impression
After the visiting preacher finished, a woman came up and said,
"You were much better than the preacher we had last Sunday. He spoke
for an hour and said nothing."
"Thank you," the visiting preacher replied.
"Yes," she continued. "You did it in fifteen
minutes."
Although it is winter, the weather around here seems more like spring!
As we have been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures, as well as
spring-like showers, it reminds me that no matter what the season is
outside, we can look forward to what the Lord has in store for us in the
future. It may be winter, but springtime is coming!
Whatever season of life you are in, know that the Lord has a new season
around the corner for you! And, we are sure that as our world goes through
the events of this day, we can look to the future, confident that Christ is
coming back again!
Look up, my friend! Your redemption draweth nigh!
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