NOT ASHAMED

You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.

Matthew 5:14-15

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—Jews first and also Gentiles.

Romans 1:16

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 03/31/06

The Afghan Christian convert, Abdul Rahman, could have remained underground – a secret Christian. Doing so, he could have avoided jail, publicity and condemnation from his family and friends. He could have avoided having to flee his country to exile in Italy.

The Bible tells believers to not “hide your light under a basket” … to not be “ashamed of this Good News about Christ.” Abdul Rahman had a choice. Hide or follow God’s Word. By faith, he chose to be obedient to the Word.

Pray for Christian around the world who are not free to publicly proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ. Praise God for your freedom and let your light shine. Never be ashamed of what Jesus Christ did for you on Calvary’s Cross.

WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS

If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
 
Luke 15:4-7
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
In Touch - 03/30/06
 
Have you ever found yourself at a dry time in your spiritual life? Maybe you have gotten lazy about your quiet time with God, erratic in your attendance to worship or not faithful in your giving. Yes, you are wandering in the wilderness. Realizing that you are in a dry time is in itself a blessing. The Holy Spirit will not allow you to have peace about lackadaisical spirituality.
 
Return to your Bible Study, prayer time and worship, with vigor. The Shepherd is always there for His wondering sheep. He will carry you back home. At home with Him you find that fire you are missing.

ABBA FATHER

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
 
Galatians 4:1-7
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
Our Daily Bread - 03/29/06
 
Both a son and a slave have a relationship with the father but that relationship is very different. The son has a familiarity which the slave can never have. The slave may be trusted, even loved but can you envision a playful wrestling match on the floor in front of the TV … the shouts from the stands at the referee who made a bad call … the broad, proud smile on graduation day? There may be situations where a slave and a master became very close but it doesn’t compare to the relationship between a child and his Daddy.
 
That is the picture the Apostle Paul was creating when he wrote, “…the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Do you feel so close to God that your spirit cries out to your Daddy? God desires to have that closeness with you. That is why “God sent his Son ... that we might receive the full rights as sons.”
 
“Abba Father” – Daddy God.

JUST DO IT

Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” But his disciples objected. “Teacher,” they said, “only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light.”
 
John 11:7-10
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
My Utmost for His Highest - 3/28/06
 
Jesus understood the disciples concern about returning to a place where there was obvious danger. He responded to their objection with words of encouragement. Despite the danger, Jesus would not be turned from His mission.
 
When God gives you direction for your life, despite what objections you may come up with, there is only one thing to do. “Just Do It!”
 
Turn to His Word for encouragement. Don’t ponder, debate, reason or doubt yourself away from the mission God has called you to.
 
“Just Do It!”

WONDERFULLY MADE

LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.
 
Isaiah 64:8
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
Upper Room - 3/27/06
 
Every time I read or hear Psalm 139:14, I marvel at how different are the people of the world and yet God’s Word declares all His created beings to be ‘wonderfully made.’  Different heights and weights, different facial features, different colors and textures and yet all are ‘wonderfully made.’
 
The English is bad and the expression is slang. You can search your Bible and you won’t find it, yet it expresses a scriptural truth.
 
GOD DON’T MAKE NO JUNK!

HE LOVES THE WORLD

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
 
John 3:16-17
 
TODAY’S DEVO LINK
 
Youth for Christ - 3/24/06
 
This devo needs no amplification. Read it as your pearl for today.

A BAD TASTE

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
 
Matthew 5:13-16
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
In Touch - 3/23/06
 
Have you ever heard the expression, “That experience left a bad taste in my mouth”? What kind of taste is left in the mouth of others after they have interacted with you?
 
Jesus calls us to be “the salt of the earth.” Salt is used to bring alive the flavor in what we eat. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” When others have an experience with you, do you bring alive Jesus Christ for them? OH, He is alive whether we are being salt or not. They may be blocked from that good taste if you have allowed your salt to lose its flavor and leave a bad taste in their mouth.

THEIR DEFEAT IS SURE

Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
 
Revelation 20:10
 
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
 
Our Daily Bread - 3/22/06
 
We all struggle with temptation and/or sin. That is because we have an enemy who walks around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us (1st Peter 5:8). Believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been given a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to aid us in our everyday struggle with Satan. We must fight this battle daily but one day…
 
John, the revelator, saw a day when “the Devil … was thrown into the lake of fire … forever and ever.”
 
God said it and that settles it. The defeat of antichrist, the false prophet and Satan is sure. God wins in the end and we believers in His Son Jesus will live throughout eternity without having to battle temptation and sin any longer.

GRACE MEANS EVERYTHING

I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.
 
Galatians 2:19b-21
 
I have to trust in God’s grace. All too often, when I have messed up, it is because of some self-motivated, self-centered effort of my own. When I come to my senses (Luke 15:17), it is another time for confession … another time of repentance … another time to remember that “the grace of God” is not “meaningless”!
 
I have to “live my life” every day,”trusting in the Son of God.”

SEED SOWN IN VAIN

Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain: The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.
 
Matthew 13:18-22
 
What you and I do with the Good News of Jesus Christ makes a difference. We are commanded to share the gospel (The Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20). Let us combine that command with the parable of the sower to avoid the seed we sow being sown in vain.
 
Seed sown on the hard path can be thought of as sharing the Good News with someone who is trapped in hard circumstances. Those who have had the opportunity to work in the mission field learn early that meeting the needs opens the door for the gospel. Deal with the hard circumstance first (hunger, health, homelessness, bitterness, etc.) and then sow your seed of the gospel.
 
A seed sown in rocky soil speaks to the need to help a person who has received the gospel message in their heart to go deeper. The new believer needs to be discipled so they can grow in their faith. Every new believer needs an environment where they can learn more and more about their new faith and God’s Word. Then they will bloom where they are planted.
 
Dealing with the thorns of the world may be the most difficult area of sowing seed. God’s Word tells us we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). If the thorny ground (addictions, lusts, attachment to material things) of the world is not dealt with in the life of the new believer, they will be in danger of falling back under the control of their old master when pricked by his thorns.
 
Evaluate the soil and don’t let your good seed be sown in vain.

THE BLOOD

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever…Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9:11-12, 22b

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

OUR DAILY BREAD, 3-17-06

Yesterday I made the statement that our sins, no matter how big or little, are not beyond the reach of God’s grace. That is because of the finished work of Christ at Calvary. That is where “He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.”

Jesus Christ shed blood to pay the penalty for our sin. Through His blood we can have our sins forgiven. Grace is amazing!

HONOR MARRIAGE

Continue to love each other with true Christian love. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Don’t forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies. Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
 
Hebrews 13:1-5
 
Hebrews is an epistle written to Jewish Christians. The recipients of this letter had grown up under the Jewish Law. At some point they had ‘crossed over’ (that is the meaning of the word Hebrew) from Judaism (the Law) to Christianity (belief in Jesus Christ and God’s grace). Some of these Jewish Christians were considering returning to their Jewish practices, traditions and beliefs. After presenting the arguments for remaining faithful to Christianity … Jesus Christ is better than Moses, angels or the Levitical priesthood … the Hebrew author concludes with words of encouragement regarding their every day life. Isn’t it interesting that in the early church, just as today, there was a need to defend the institution of marriage?
 
Marriage is the foundation of the family. The disintegration of the family we see in society today is because we have gotten soft on this foundational principle. One man … one woman … united in holy matrimony before God. Anything else is sin and all sin requires the blood covering of Jesus Christ. Premarital sex … teen pregnancy … living together … unfaithfulness … STDs … divorce … homosexuality. These are all sin and/or the consequences of sin yet none are beyond the reach of God’s grace. Therefore I encourage you, as the Hebrew writer did. Don’t cross over to the ways of the world.
 
“Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another…”

KINGDOM THINKING

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
 
Romans 12:2-5
 
We all grow up in families which form our thought patterns. Those patterns are as diverse as the number of folks reading this devotion. No two are exactly alike. As we grow, mature and are exposed to new things, we develop new ways of thinking. The process starts all over as we lead our own families. We plant thought patterns into our children.
 
God commands us to be transformed … to change the way we think. There may be some thought patterns which were planted in you which do not line up with God’s way of thinking. I have chosen to call God’s way of thinking, Kingdom thinking.  It includes all that He teaches us in His Word, not just the parts we like or are comfortable with.
 
Does Kingdom thinking challenge some of those thought patterns planted in you?
 
“We are all parts of his one body… we are all one body in Christ… we belong to each other… each of us needs all the others.”
 
Are the thought patterns you are planting in your children in line with Kingdom thinking?
 
An article to consider … I would have titled it: Changing the Tape.

YIELDING IS CHOOSING

So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you. Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
 
Romans 6:15-18
 
The hymn poet says, “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.”
 
Are you making choices in life which are sin? You don’t have to answer that question because God’s Word has already given the answer. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” –Romans 3:23. We all have made wrong choices. I know I have. The more critical question is whether you have allowed God to break the chains of sin that enslave you? Have you made the choice to obey God and let Him be your Master? Have you chosen righteousness with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
 
“…if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15.

UPCOMING KAIROS WEEKENDS

Please pray for the following Kairos Prison Ministry weekends:

• Kairos Outside #3, Camp Wesley Pines, March 17th-19th


• Kairos #18 Women, Central MS Correctional Facility, April 5th-8th


• Kairos #14 Men, Central MS Correctional Facility, April 27th-30th


• Kairos #19 Men, Parchman Unit 29, April 27th-30th


• Kairos #1 Men, South MS Correctional Institute, April 27th-30th

If you would like to be included in the prayer chain and pray at a specific time for one of these weekends, you may send a comment to this post with your name, email address and city of residence. Only your name and city will be on the prayer chain. Your email will be used to communicate to you the time when you are asked to pray.

Donations are always welcome to help provide this ministry opportunity. It costs about $150 per inmate to conduct a Kairos weekend. These five weekends will cost about $30,000. Click on the PayPal button on the right panel and donate any amount God impresses on your heart to give. All donations are tax deductible.

If you would prefer to donate directly to Kairos of Mississippi, send me a comment with your email and I will forward you instructions.

RESISTING TEMPTATION

I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
 
Psalm 119:101
 
When you spend time each day with God, reading His Word, that Word will be with you and in you when the enemy tempts you to follow an “evil way.” You will “hold back” your feet from walking paths which are not pleasing to God because the memory of His commandments will be fresh in your spirit.
 
My pastor reminded us yesterday that even though it is Spring Break, it is not a time to take a break from reading God’s Word. Resist the temptation to take a break from your daily quiet time and absolutely be committed to keeping His Word this week and every week.
 
Prayer Request: Safety, rest and rejuvenation for all who will be enjoying Spring Break this week.

WHERE'S THE PUNCH LINE?

Yet these false teachers, who claim authority from their dreams, live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at the power of the glorious ones… But these people mock and curse the things they do not understand. Like animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and they bring about their own destruction… But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God’s Spirit living in them. But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
 
Jude 8, 10, 17-20
 
They burned the churches as a joke. It started out that way. Then they burned some more to cover up what they had done.
 
I’m sorry but I missed the joke. It wouldn’t be the first time that the punch line of a joke escaped me or was just over my head. I just don’t get it.
 
What I do get is that the Bible teaches us that in the last days, these type things would happen. “…in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable.” This joke is just another indication among many that we are living in the last days. That is why it is so important that each day, we are sharing our faith.
 
Tomorrow is not promised.  Know Jesus and share Him with others today.

FEAR NOT

But now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3a

Is there something going on in your life about which you are anxious? All of us go through things in this life … a loved one who is ill … a relationship which is not what we or God would want it to be … a financial crisis … a new opportunity which looks wonderful but has no guarantees. To these God says ‘Fear Not’.

The prophet Isaiah spoke these words of encouragement to Israel. The hymn poet, Jodi Page Clark, took these words and put the into a praise melody:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name.
I have called you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
The flames will not consume you.

Because you are precious and I love you;
You whom I formed for my glory.
You whom I call called by my name;
I will gather together.

The rivers that flow in the desert
Give drink to my chosen people;
To quench their thirst and to strengthen them,
That they might show forth my praise.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name.
I have called you by name; you are mine.

Let these words of praise encourage you!

AN HONEST ANSWER

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t be afraid and don’t worry. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
 
1st Peter 3:13-17
 
It is said that it is very difficult to con a convict. They ask questions. They observe everything going on around them. They are on the lookout for a con. As they closely inspect you, dissecting everything you say, if you are found to be anything other than real, you have lost all credibility.
 
Such is the life in prison. Trust is a very uncommon occurrence. Prisoners live in an environment where they expect to be lied to, cheated or abused. This is why it is so important to always give an honest answer. Never get caught in a lie.
 
What is the answer you have “about your Christian hope”? Are you “ready to explain it … in a gentle and respectful way”? When sharing this answer in prison, the inmates are looking for the con. The only good answer is an honest answer.
 
Guess what? That is true whenever or wherever you share your faith!

NO! NOT ANYTHING

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Romans 8:35-39
 
(For some, the mention of prison ministry is a huge obstacle. Give me a couple days and I promise, if it is the Lord’s will, to move on.)
 
You meet some really bad guys when you spend time in the prison. Most who are there deserve the punishment they are receiving. Some deny that reality and occasionally one might be telling the truth. Yesterday’s news told us of a man released after twelve years imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. But for the most part, they are doing the time for some very serious bad behavior.
 
The purpose behind the Kairos Prison Ministry is not to set these guys free physically. It is to deal with them spiritually and let them know that in spite of their crime, God loves them. Not even the terrible things they have done can separate them from the love of God through Christ Jesus. While they do their time, they can be part of a Christian community, experience God’s love, grow in their faith and give their lives to Christ … right where they are. It is a tough place to experience God but Kairos gives them that opportunity.
 
Please pray for the men and women who have already experienced their Kairos weekend and are trying to live for Christ within the prison system. Pray also for those who have had this seed planted within them and it has not yet taken root (don’t we see this in the free world too?). More watering is required.

TO VISIT WITH A PURPOSE

Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
 
Matthew 25:34-36
 
For every good action which the King recalls, a specific need is identified and met. The hungry were fed … the thirsty were given a drink … the stranger was provided shelter … the naked were given clothing … the sick were provided medical care.
 
What about the prisoner? What is the need and how is it met?
 
When I first met the young man, he was skeptical. He was very reserved and yet I could detect the searching in his eyes. He was checking me out. I have learned from many years of prison ministry that this is not uncommon. The incarcerated have been visited and forgotten so many times in the past. They want to know if this is just another visit without any substance.
 
I believe the King is recalling a visit with a purpose. Clothing, food and medical care are provided by the state. What the prisoner needs is to see the love of the King. What the prisoner needs to experience is God’s love in action. What the prisoner needs is the community of faith to bring the gospel message of salvation and to live that message of love with them on a consistent basis.
 
I believe the King is recalling more than just a once a year visit (and now that’s checked off my list). He is recalling a visit with a purpose … the sharing of the love of Jesus Christ in a very real way … a way that overcomes the prisoner’s skepticism, doubt, fear, bitterness, loneliness or self hate.
 
Please pray for the men and women who God is calling to this spring’s series of four Mississippi Kairos Prison Ministry weekends between now and the end of April. 168 residents will be visited with a purpose. Pray for the team members, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live up to that purpose.

THE DOCTRINE OF SPIT

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!
 
Revelation 3:15-16
 
If I were a major league baseball team manager, I would start a no spitting campaign. This is a very disgusting habit and a very bad example for youth. All tobacco chewing and dipping would be banned and fines (contributions to the American Cancer Society) would be levied for all spitting incidents. You’re probably thinking I wouldn’t be very popular or last long as a manager. That wouldn’t matter because that’s just how strongly I feel about the subject.
 
God expressed how strongly he felt about a lukewarm church. He is disgusted by a Christian who is neither hot not cold. The Christian who is sitting on the fence is doing nothing to build God’s kingdom … do nothing to serve others … do nothing which makes a difference in their own lives or the lives of those whose paths they cross. For them, there is the doctrine of spit. “I will spit you out of my mouth”, says the LORD.
 
Get off the fence! Get in the game! Get fired up for the LORD! Find your place and do something to advance the kingdom of God.

STRUGGLING WITH SIN

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
 
Romans 7:21-25
 
These words close the seventh Chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Romans. I am so glad that they are not the end of the story. There is the hint that there is more to come. “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
 
Having described the struggle he has with ‘the life in the flesh’, Paul turns the page a gives us the picture of living ‘the life in the Spirit’.
 
So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (Romans 8:12-14).
 
Read Romans 7:7 - 8:39 for the full blessing of this thought.

SECURELY IN GOD'S HAND

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

John 10:25-30

When you ‘finally believe’ (from yesterday’s Gospel Pearl) a miracle occurs. It’s not like the changing water to wine … the walking on water … the feeding the five thousand. The miracle is the wonderful change that takes place in you. You become one of the sheep and the LORD becomes your Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). The enemy (Satan) still wants to snatch you away from the flock but because you believe … because you have started to listen and learned the sound of His voice … because you have decided to follow the Shepherd … He say’s you are securely in His hand.

What a wonderful miracle it is to have no doubt about my future! My eternity is secure. ‘The LORD is my shepherd’ and ‘no one can snatch’ me out of His hand!