Pressing On the Upward Way....

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philipians 3:14).

Notice the cooperative partnership in the above verse of scripture — God calls us upward, and we press toward the goal. Both are necessary. If God calls, but no one answers – nothing happens. If man presses, but God's not with him – nothing happens. Nothing good, anyway.

Have you ever taken a volley ball into a swimming pool, pushed it down into the water, and then tried to balance yourself by standing on it? Did you notice that the deeper you pushed the ball into the water, the greater the force it exerted to rise back up to the top? The air inside the ball belongs with the air above the water, and it will press upward to return back to where it belongs. That's the way it is with us as followers of Jesus. There is something inside us that urges us to the summit; it's the upward call.

unfortunately some merely drift along, hoping for a break here or there. But in Life, as in nature, nothing ever drifts upstream. Left to ourselves we will not rise, but retreat. However, God does not leave us to ourselves; He calls us upward. Something deep inside us is hooked to heaven; there's a pull on our hearts which lifts us towards the higher way.

As the old hymn says, "I'm pressing on the upward way; new heights I'm gaining everyday. Still, praying as I onward bound, 'Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!’”

When you hear God calling, press upward. One day heaven will be your home.

Adapted from James Ryle's Daily Devotions.

The Power of Partnership (Part 1)

“It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth.” ~~~(Ecclesiastes 4:9- The Message)

Partnership:

It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.

Jesus illustrated the power of partnership when He "called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits" (Mark.6:7). The Lord understands our need for support, and the inherent difficulties and dangers of being alone in ministry.

In the beginning God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." It is true to this day. In order to have any lasting effectiveness in countering the works of darkness with the power of truth and light we must not only be called by Christ, but also sent forth in partnership with others to do His will.

Solomon wrote, “It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 –The Message).

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego proved the power of partnership when they withstood the threats of Nebuchadnezzar and survived the fiery furnace of Babylon. Eleazar, the son of Dodo, proved the power of partnership when he stood with David and the two defeated an entire Philistine army.

The idea of partnership is championed throughout Scripture. Moses had Aaron, and then Joshua. Joshua had Caleb. Ruth had Naomi; Esther had Mordecai; Aquila had Pricilla; Paul had Barnabas; and James had John.

You see, it takes teamwork to make the dream work.

Culled from James Ryle’s Daily Devotion.

Experience the Power of 1...

"May they all be one, just as You, Father; are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so that the world may believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory that You have given to Me. May they be one just as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so that the world may know You sent Me and that You have loved them just as You loved Me." ~~~John 17: 21-23

“I Know How to Abound.”

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (Philippians 4:12 NKJV)

There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle of success their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian oftentimes disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It could be a “dangerous” thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity.

Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust.

Fullness of bread has often made fullness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry-so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.”

“Let not the gifts thy love bestows

Estrange our hearts from thee.”

*Culled from Charles Spurgeon’s Notes.

Shock! The Bible says: “There is no God.”

Yes, it is true. The sentence “There is no God” appears in the Bible. In fact, the words appear twice. They can be found in Psalms 14:1 and Psalms 53:1.

But (and this is a very big ‘but’), look up these verses and you will find that the complete text reads: ‘The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”’

In other words, it is vital to read Bible verses in context.

When someone quotes a Scripture, the first check as to whether they are using it correctly is to read the immediate context – that is, the words preceding and the words following – and then examine the wider context, asking questions such as: Who was speaking, and to whom, and why? Was God pointing to a truth that would be fulfilled later? And the questions don’t end there.

Scripture deals with matters that affect people’s eternal destiny. It is important to handle the Word of God correctly – 2 Timothy 2:15.

The devil can, and does, quote Scripture.

Matthew 4:5-7 records that the devil tempted Jesus by quoting Scripture. Jesus answered through His knowledge of Scripture, using it correctly and in context. Accurate Bible knowledge was Jesus’ defence.

It is your protection too.

The devil has no need to deceive non-believers by quoting the Bible.

No, the devil sets out to deceive believers by attempting to distort the meaning of Scripture. The attacks are subtle. They come in an unexpected way. They come in a way that appeals to pride and self-interest.

You have powerful protection when you know the Bible, when you know the whole counsel of God. Sad to say, most Christians do not know the Bible. They have heard many sermons. They know certain Bible passages and the doctrines of their denomination. But, frequently, there are gaps in their knowledge.

An important question to ask therefore, is: Does it matter? Does it matter whether you have correct doctrines or not? And, if it does matter, what should Christians do to complete their spiritual protection?

Jesus had a public ministry that lasted about three and a half years, from the age of about 30, until His death and resurrection. What did He do, in His humanity, in the years leading up to the life and sacrifice that is recorded in the gospels?

The answer is: He lived a quiet life, barely noticed by anyone. He worked with His hands. And He studied the Scriptures.

Culled in part from: http://www.differentspirit.org

That's how a family works...

God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7 NCV)

Because of the way God made us, we are naturally drawn, even at a very early age, to the affection and advocacy of the parent of the opposite gender.

If you had a terrific mother, you're hanging right in there with me with this idea, aren't you? If your wife had a great dad, you're really on board. But what about the men who didn't have such a mother? And what about the women who didn't have a wonderful father? Believe it or not, Paul has something to say to us about this in the text above. Paul says that we have God-given power. Through the Spirit, we can use that power to reverse the affects of negative relationships in our lives. If your wife didn't have a daddy who loved her, then you - with the spirit of love that the Lord promises - love your wife and be willing to give your life for her (Ephesians 5). If you didn't have a mother who poured affirmation on you, then you dig down - with the same promised power - and find the self-discipline to be loving and tender to your daughter.

Allow God to fill the voids that your parents may have left in your life. And claim the Holy Spirit's power as you try to love your wife and kids as much as he does. That's how a family works.

Culled from: Robert Wolgemuth's notes in Dad's Bible

The God Who Makes Things Happen

"You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do — You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph." (Psalm 77:14,15, The Message).

The great epic event of the Old Testament was the Exodus — the day God delivered His people out of bondage in Egypt. They were in the worst kind of trouble, and God brought them out of it.

They were up against the impassable Red Sea, and God brought them through it on dry ground. He made a way where there was no way. The armies of Pharaoh were pressing down upon them, but they escaped — while the horse and the rider were drowned in the sea.

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The things that were written in ancient times are alive and relevant for us today. We are filled with hope in our times of difficulty as we gaze back upon what God has done in the past for His people.

And we know that even unto this very day, He is the God who makes things happen. He will make a way where there seems to be no way possible.

As turmoil increases in our world, a noticeable shift will occur in the global mindset — a shift against the Christian Faith. This shift will be the signal that the spirit of Antichrist is making its move. The world will increasingly turn against the God of Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and against all those who profess Him in any manner.

And as this shift happens, we ourselves will be set up for yet another remarkable, earth-shaking act of God. He will again show the world what He can do; He will pull His people out of the worst kind of trouble, even though it means we will have to be in it first.

So when the trouble comes, then know that Deliverance is also on the way. Rejoice my brothers and sisters — we serve the God who makes things happen!

More U.S. billionaires pledge to give away wealth (NEWS)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – 17 U.S. billionaires, including Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz, have pledged to give away at least half their fortunes in a philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

A total of 57 billionaires now have joined The Giving Pledge, which was launched by Microsoft founder Gates and investor Buffett in June. The campaign announced the new pledges in a statement late on Wednesday.

Gates, his wife Melinda, and Buffett have asked U.S. billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or after their death, and to publicly state their intention with a letter explaining their decision.

The Giving Pledge does not accept money or tell people how to donate their money but asks billionaires to make a moral commitment to give their fortunes to charity.

"People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done?" Zuckerberg, who gave $100 million in September to the beleaguered public schools of Newark, New Jersey, said in a statement.

"With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts," he said.

In addition to Zuckerberg and Moskovitz, the world's youngest billionaires, pledges were made by AOL co-founder Steve Case, financier Carl Icahn and Michael Milken, a former Wall Street executive who went to prison in the early 1990s for securities violations.

"CHANGE LIVES"

Morningstar Chief Executive Joe Mansueto, businessman Nicolas Berggruen and private investor Ted Forstmann also are among the new billionaires to take the pledges.

"In just a few short months we've made good progress," said Buffett, who made his fortune with insurance and investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

"The Giving Pledge has re-energized people thinking about philanthropy and doing things in philanthropy and I look forward to many more conversations with families who are truly fortunate and whose generosity can and will change lives," he said.

Along with speaking to about a quarter of the wealthiest people in the United States about The Giving Pledge,Gates and Buffett hosted a dinner with Chinese billionaires in Beijing in September in a bid to promote a culture of philanthropy in China. The pair plan to visit India in March.

Forbes magazine said the United States is home to more than 400 billionaires, the most of any country.

Individual Americans gave more than $227 billion in 2009, according to the Giving USA report by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, down just 0.4 percent from the previous year despite the U.S. recession.

Buffett pledged in 2006 to give away 99 percent of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and family charities. Bill and Melinda Gates have so far donated more than $28 billion of their fortune to their foundation.

The full list of billionaires and their letters can be seen at www.thegivingpledge.org.

(Editing by Bill Trott)

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - Luke 6:38 (New International Version)