ONE INCREDIBLE PLAN

He humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

When human hands fastened the divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn’t the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady. Those same hands that formed the oceans and built the mountains. Those same hands that designed the dawn and crafted each cloud. Those same hands that blueprinted one incredible plan for you and me.

Take a stroll out to the hill. Out to Calvary. Out to the cross where, with holy blood, the hand that placed you on the planet wrote the promise, “God would give up his only Son before he’d give up on you.”

Six Hours One Friday
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 107

Focus: As we enter Holy Week, let us not lose focus of the tremendous sacrifice God made, the death of His Son Jesus, to carry out His incredible plan for our salvation.

FOOTPRINTS OF DISCIPLESHIP

All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.

John 13:35

Watch a small boy follow his dad through the snow. He stretches to step where his dad stepped. Not an easy task. His small legs extend as far as they can so his feet can fall in his father’s prints.

The father, seeing what the son is doing, smiles and begins taking shorter steps, so the son can follow.

It’s a picture of discipleship.

In our faith we follow in someone’s steps. A parent, a teacher, a hero—none of us are the first to walk the trail. All of us have someone we follow.

In our faith we leave footprints to guide others. A child, a friend, a recent convert. None should be left to walk the trail alone.

It’s the principle of discipleship.

The Inspirational Study Bible
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

Question: Who’s following in your footprints today? Are you walking upright?

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 106

GOD’S CHILD

The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children.

1 John 3:1

Let me tell you who you are. In fact, let me proclaim who you are.

• You are an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).
• You are eternal, like an angel (Luke 20:36).
• You have a crown that will last forever (1st Corinthians 9:25).
• You are a holy priest (1st Peter 2:5), a treasured possession (Exodus 19:5).…

But more than any of the above—more significant than any title or position—is the simple fact that you are God’s child.…

“We really are his children.”

As a result, if something is important to you, it’s important to God.

He Still Moves Stones
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 105

GOD’S PRIOTITY

Depend on the Lord; trust him, and he will take care of you.

Psalm 37:5

God is committed to caring for our needs. Paul tells us that a man who won’t feed his own family is worse than an unbeliever (1st Timothy 5:8). How much more will a holy God care for his children? After all, how can we fulfill his mission unless our needs are met? How can we teach or minister or influence unless we have our basic needs satisfied? Will God enlist us in his army and not provide a commissary? Of course not.

“I pray that the God of peace will give you everything you need so you can do what he wants” (Hebrews 13:20). Hasn’t that prayer been answered in our life? We may not have had a feast, but haven’t we always had food? Perhaps there was no banquet, but at least there was bread. And many times there was a banquet.

The Great House of God
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 104

A GODLY TOUCH

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!”

Matthew 8:3

Oh, the power of a godly touch. Haven’t you known it? The doctor who treated you, or the teacher who dried your tears? Was there a hand holding yours at a funeral? Another on your shoulder during a trial? A handshake of welcome at a new job? …

Can’t we offer the same?

Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.

But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it’s just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be.…

Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake?

Just Like Jesus
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 103

THE CLOAK OF HUMANITY

Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled.

Mark 14:33

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death” (Heb. 5:7).

My, what a portrait! Jesus is in pain. Jesus is on the stage of fear. Jesus is cloaked, not in sainthood, but in humanity.

The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees.

No Wonder They Call Him the Savior
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

Thought: Holy Week is just ahead. As we begin to focus and prepare our spirits for Calvary and the celebration of the resurrection, how awesome is it to realize that the One God sent came as a man. Jesus experienced life as we do with its sadness and troubles, pain, heartaches, trials and tribulations. The One God sent knows how it is to go through whatever you are experiencing right now.

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 100

DARK NIGHTS – GOD’S LIGHT

Pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him.

1st Timothy 2:1

You wonder if it is a blessing or a curse to have a mind that never rests. But you would rather be a cynic than a hypocrite, so you continue to pray with one eye open and wonder:

• about starving children
• about the power of prayer
• about Christians in cancer wards …
  

Tough questions. Throw-in-the-towel questions. Questions the disciples must have asked in the storm.

All they could see were black skies as they bounced in the battered boat.…

[Then] a figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn’t what they expected.… They almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.

And unless we look and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake. God’s lights in our dark nights are as numerous as the stars, if only we’ll look for them.

In the Eye of the Storm
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 99

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS

The Lord hears good people when they cry out to him, and he saves them from all their troubles.

Psalm 34:17

When [a friend] told Jesus of the illness [of Lazarus] he said, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” He doesn’t base his appeal on the imperfect love of the one in need, but on the perfect love of the Savior. He doesn’t say, “The one who loves you is sick.” He says, “The one you love is sick.” The power of the prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer, but on the one who hears the prayer.

We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven, so he won’t miss a word. He hears the prayer.

The Great House of God
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 98

FROM HEAVEN ITSELF

God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all your sins. He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow.

Colossians 2:13–14

All the world religions can be placed in one of two camps: legalism or grace. Humankind does it or God does it. Salvation as a wage based on deeds done—or salvation as a gift based on Christ’s death.

A legalist believes the supreme force behind salvation is you. If you look right, speak right, and belong to the right segment of the right group, you will be saved. The brunt of responsibility doesn’t lie within God; it lies within you.

The result? The outside sparkles. The talk is good and the step is true. But look closely. Listen carefully. Something is missing. What is it? Joy. What’s there? Fear. (That you won’t do enough.) Arrogance. (That you have done enough.) Failure. (That you have made a mistake.) …

Spiritual life is not a human endeavor. It is rooted in and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Every spiritual achievement is created and energized by God.

He Still Moves Stones
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 97

THE BASIN OF GOD’S GRACE

The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.

1 John 1:7

John tells us, “We are being cleansed from every sin by the blood of Jesus.” In other words, we are always being cleansed. The cleansing is not a promise for the future but a reality in the present. Let a speck of dust fall on the soul of a saint, and it is washed away. Let a spot of filth land on the heart of God’s child, and the filth is wiped away.…

Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.” And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin.

But that’s not all he does. Because he lives in us, you and I can do the same. Because he has forgiven us, we can forgive others.

Just Like Jesus
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 96

LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5 niv

Let me state something important. There is never a time during which Jesus is not speaking. Never. There is never a place in which Jesus is not present. Never. There is never a room so dark … a lounge so sensual … an office so sophisticated … that the ever-present, ever-pursuing, relentlessly tender Friend in not there, tapping gently on the doors of our hearts—waiting to be invited in.

Few hear his voice. Fewer still open the door.

But never interpret our numbness as his absence. For amidst the fleeting promises of pleasure is the timeless promise of his presence.

“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).…

There is no chorus so loud that the voice of God cannot be heard … if we will but listen.

In the Eye of the Storm
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 93

THE FIRE WITHIN

Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures.

Luke 24:27

“When [the disciples] saw who he was, he disappeared. They said to each other, ‘It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us’” (Luke 24:31-32).

Don’t you love that verse? They knew they had been with Jesus because of the fire within them. God reveals his will by setting a torch to your soul. He gave Jeremiah a fire for hard hearts. He gave Nehemiah a fire for a forgotten city. He set Abraham on fire for a land he’d never seen. He set Isaiah on fire with a vision he couldn’t resist. Forty years of fruitless preaching didn’t extinguish the fire of Noah.…

Mark it down: Jesus comes to set you on fire! He walks as a torch from heart to heart, warming the cold and thawing the chilled and stirring the ashes.… He comes to purge infection and illuminate your direction.

The Great House of God
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context - "The Walk to Emmaus"

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 92

HEAVEN’S ON YOUR SIDE

The One who died for us … is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.

Romans 8:34 msg

Jesus is praying for us.… Jesus has spoken and Satan has listened. The devil may land a punch or two. He may even win a few rounds, but he never wins the fight. Why? Because Jesus takes up for you.… “He is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them” (Hebrews 7:25).…

Jesus, at this very moment, is protecting you.… Evil must pass through Christ before it can touch you. And God will “never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it” (1st Corinthians 10:13).

When Christ Comes
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 91

Monopoly - Kairos Style

“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 5:36.

Jesus praises those who participate in prison ministry and promises them a reward at the final judgment. Kairos Prison Ministry has opportunities for you to get involved. We need your help! Let me share ways which you can participate.

First, several times a year, teams are formed to go into the prisons in Mississippi and share the love of Jesus Christ. We go into Parchman, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) and South Mississippi Correctional Institute (SMCI). We use a renewal weekend format very similar to Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Tres Dias, Chrysalis, the Happening, etc. Both mail and female prison residents participate with some amazing results. Many express that they have never experienced real love in their lives until they experienced Kairos. Also, there is a Kairos Outside weekend for the female family members of those incarcerated.

If you would like to be on one of these teams in Mississippi, get in touch with me by commenting on this blog post.

There are many who confess that they do not feel the call to go into the prisons. There are other ways to help.

None is more important than prayer. During a weekend, we seek those who are willing to provide prayer coverage on the outside while we minister on the inside. A prayer chain is put together by the team with each team member finding nine people willing to pray for 10 minutes during the weekend. It is a 72 hour prayer chain.

Will you pray for 10 minutes?

I am on a team going into CMCF from March 29th thru April 1st. My prayer time slot is Saturday, March 31st from midnight to 1:30 am. If you would be willing to stay up late (or set the alarm to wake you) to pray for 10 minutes, post a blog comment and I will put you on my prayer chain.

There are still other ways you can help.

It costs to put on one of these weekends. On each weekend, there are 42 prison residents participating. Of course, they are not asked to pay a weekend fee, so the cost must be raised on the outside. Each facility we go into is a little different but we have figured the average cost per prison resident or outside family member at about $200 each. This covers the cost of meals, supplies and camp facility in the case of Kairos Outside.

Your tax deductible contribution of any amount would be greatly appreciated!

Make checks out to ‘Kairos of Mississippi’. You can mail them to me at:

Rev. Willie

PO Box 1126

Florence, MS. 39073-1126.

Jesus said “Go”. I’m going. Will you be my ‘Get out of jail free’ card? Help me raise at least $200/sponsor one resident.

Cookies are a big part of a Kairos weekend and another way you can get involved. Over a weekend, several thousand dozen ‘good’ cookies are consumed. Oreos, Fig Newton, chocolate chips and macadamia nuts are some of their favorites. Sugar Free cookies are also needed. If you would like to organize a cookie drive at your church, in your Sunday School class or prayer group, go for it and I can give you the drop-off information. They are needed by March 28th.

However you wish to participate will be a blessing to the prison residents and give glory to God. Isn’t it wonderful that none of us have a monopoly on God’s love. We can give and give and give and still have all the love we would ever need.

A BURST OF LOVE

Seek God’s kingdom, and all the other things you need, will be given to you.

Luke 12:31

Sometimes God is so touched by what he sees that he gives us what we need and not simply that for which we ask.

It’s a good thing. For who would have ever thought to ask God for what he gives? Which of us would have dared to say: “God, would you please hang yourself on a tool of torture as a substitution for every mistake I have ever committed?” And then have the audacity to add: “And after you forgive me, could you prepare me a place in your house to live forever?”

And if that wasn’t enough: “And would you please live within me and protect me and guide me and bless me with more than I could ever deserve?”

Honestly, would we have the chutzpah to ask for that? …

Jesus already knows the cost of grace. He already knows the price of forgiveness. But he offers it anyway. Love burst his heart.

He Still Moves Stones
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 90

SLAVES TO GOODNESS

Now you are free from sin and have become slaves of God. This brings you a life that is only for God, and this gives you life forever.

Romans 6:22

How could we who have been freed from sin return to it? Before Christ our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn’t even know we were slobs until we met him.

Then he moved in. Things began to change. What we threw around we began putting away. What we neglected we cleaned up. What had been clutter became order. Oh, there were and still are occasional lapses of thought and deed, but by and large he got our house in order.

Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding? “In the past you were slaves to sin—sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that you were taught. You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to goodness” (Romans 6:17-18).

In the Grip of Grace
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 89

GOD’S WILL … BE DONE

May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

To pray, “Thy will be done” is to seek the heart of God. The word will means “strong desire.” … [So] what is his heart? His passion? He wants you to know it.

Shall God hide from us what he is going to do? Apparently not, for he has gone to great lengths to reveal his will to us. Could he have done more than send his Son to lead us? Could he have done more than give his word to teach us? Could he have done more than orchestrate events to awaken us? Could he have done more than send his Holy Spirit to counsel us?

God is not the God of confusion, and wherever he sees sincere seekers with confused hearts, you can bet your sweet December that he will do whatever it takes to help them see his will.

The Great House of God
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 86

LED BY THE SPIRIT

The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.

Romans 8:14

To hear many of us talk, you’d think we didn’t believe that verse. You’d think we didn’t believe in the Trinity. We talk about the Father and study the Son—but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst. Confused because we’ve never been taught. Frightened because we’ve been taught to be afraid.

May I simplify things a bit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives, carrying on the work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us in three directions—inwardly (by granting us the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-24), upwardly (by praying for us, Romans 8:26) and outwardly (by pouring God’s love into our hearts, Romans 5:5).

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 85

JUST IN TIME

May the God you serve all the time save you!

Daniel 6:16

Look at Jonah in the fish belly—surrounded by gastric juices and sucked-in seaweed.… He prays.… Before he can say amen, the belly convulses, the fish belches, and Jonah lands face first on the beach.

Look at Daniel in the lions’ den; his prospects aren’t much better than Jonah’s. Jonah had been swallowed, and Daniel is about to be.…

Or look at Joseph in the pit, a chalky hole in a hot desert. The lid has been pulled over the top and the wool has been pulled over his eyes.… Like Jonah and Daniel, Joseph is trapped. He is out of options. There is no exit. There is no hope.… Though the road to the palace takes a detour through a prison, it eventually ends up at the throne.…

Such are the stories in the Bible. One near-death experience after another. Just when the neck is on the chopping block, just when the noose is around the neck, Calvary comes.

He Still Moves Stones
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 84

THE COST OF HIS GIFT

Jesus was “not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God.”

1 Peter 3:18

Christ came to earth for one reason: to give his life as a ransom for you, for me, for all of us. He sacrificed himself to give us a second chance. He would have gone to any lengths to do so. And he did. He went to the cross, where man’s utter despair collided with God’s unbending grace. And in that moment when God’s great gift was complete, the compassionate Christ showed the world the cost of his gift.…

He who was perfect gave that perfect record to us, and our imperfect record was given to him.… As a result, God’s holiness is honored and his children are forgiven.

The Applause of Heaven
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 83

SOLE PROVIDER, SOLE COMFORTER

Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

As long as Jesus is one of many options, he is no option.

As long as you can carry your burdens alone, you don’t need a burden bearer. As long as your situation brings you no grief, you will receive no comfort. And as long as you can take him or leave him, you might as well leave him, because he won’t be taken half-heartedly.

But when you mourn, when you get to the point of sorrow for your sins, when you admit that you have no other option but to cast all your cares on him, and when there is truly no other name that you can call, then cast all your cares on him, for he is waiting in the midst of the storm.

The Applause of Heaven
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 82

LIVE A HOLY LIFE

You should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life:

• Be faithful to your spouse.
• Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat.
• Be the neighbor who acts neighborly.
• Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain.
• Pay your bills.
• Do your part and enjoy life.
• Don’t speak one message and live another.

People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.

A Gentle Thunder
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 79

ONLY ONE THING COUNTS

No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9

Think about the day Christ comes. There you are in the great circle of the redeemed.… Though you are one of a throng, it’s as if you and Jesus are all alone.…

I’m speculating now, but I wonder if Christ might say these words to you: “I’m so proud that you let me use you. Because of you, others are here today. Would you like to meet them?” …

At that point Jesus might turn to the crowd and invite them.… One by one, they begin to step out and walk forward.

The first is your neighbor, a crusty old sort who lived next door. To be frank, you didn’t expect to see him. “You never knew I was watching,” he explains, “but I was. And because of you, I am here.” …

It’s not long before you and your Savior are encircled by the delightful collection of souls you’ve touched. Some you know, most you don’t, but for each you feel the same.… You feel what Paul felt … “I’m so proud of your faith” (see 1 Thess. 2:19).

When Christ Comes
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 78

Think About It

Who will be in that circle around you if you are only willing to love a little harder … be a more willing servant … dig deeper when you give … pray without ceasing?