tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34922584733335126592024-03-17T20:30:13.070-05:00Kent Crockett's DevotionalsKent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comBlogger307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-45292384785173903152024-03-17T15:56:00.000-05:002024-03-17T15:56:58.976-05:00How Many Sins Were Placed in Jesus' Body?<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCThgTWlTd7Y5qkFBAI5HUk8qQdkdY-BxEe41clO162aPObjt90827nJ6rntO41wgDl1tuPjXfXuKJAEcjaj6Qkq9VI8OwfyfZ-9rq3ilA9z6rvVt7sga90bk3oiqV3JjAxtf8tr_j09po_WrDLfSIl6EvkB99V4EZlBPEmwbBG82knJdv7u7JwCE558U/s645/SINS%20FOR%20ALL%20TIME.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="645" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCThgTWlTd7Y5qkFBAI5HUk8qQdkdY-BxEe41clO162aPObjt90827nJ6rntO41wgDl1tuPjXfXuKJAEcjaj6Qkq9VI8OwfyfZ-9rq3ilA9z6rvVt7sga90bk3oiqV3JjAxtf8tr_j09po_WrDLfSIl6EvkB99V4EZlBPEmwbBG82knJdv7u7JwCE558U/s320/SINS%20FOR%20ALL%20TIME.png" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Have you ever thought about how many sins were
placed in Jesus’ body when He died on the cross? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">First, we must establish that</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Jesus died for
EVERY PERSON</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“He Himself is the
propitiation for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">our sins</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">; and </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">not
for ours only, but also <b>for the whole world</b></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">” (1 John 2:2).
Jesus died for everyone and make forgiveness available to all. “We have fixed
our hope on the living God, who is the </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Savior of all men, </u><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">especially
of believers</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">(1 Tim. 4:10). He is
the savior of all men in the sense that He died for everyone, but He is
especially the savior of believers because they have received His sacrifice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Second, approximately </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">117 BILLION PEOPLE</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
have lived on earth, and that doesn’t count all the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">PEOPLE BORN IN THE
FUTURE</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Jesus died for the sins of
everyone who has lived and who will live in the future. He was the one
sacrifice “</span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">for all time</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">” (Heb. 10:10-14).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Third, we need to estimate how many </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">SINS
THAT EACH PERSON COMMITS</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. That’s impossible for us to know, but if we sin
(thought, word, deed) 40 times a day and live over 70 years, that’s over a
million sins. Now multiply 1,000,000 x 117,000,000,000 = 117,000,000,000,000,000
sins. Only God knows, but this gives us a general idea of what Jesus did for
us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">EVERY SIN </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">of <b>EVERY PERSON</b> for <b>ALL TIME</b>
were placed <b>IN THE BODY</b> of Jesus on the cross. “For He Himself bore our
sins <u>in His body</u> on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). The worst part of the
cross wasn’t the physical torment of being crucified, but <u>when the sins of
the world were placed in the sinless, holy body of Jesus.</u> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Even though Jesus died for your sins, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/How_can_I_be_sure_that_I_am_going_to_heaven.pdf">you
must receive Him into your life</a></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> for your sins to be forgiven. The
salvation is IN Jesus, so to be saved you must receive the Savior in your life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FASCINATING VIDEO: </span></b><a href="https://youtu.be/ZyyFnEekiE4?si=mGUkN2mxL27bLmR_"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shocking Evidence About
Shroud of Turin</span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">NOTE: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The subscription box
will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your
computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.)</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b> </h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-20750584650587187592024-03-10T16:50:00.000-05:002024-03-10T16:50:04.932-05:00View Rejections in a New Way<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaigI9tV86O16Y6UItM-MtZZgO2Vba-Ymo-6y0W0DHLlhJ4JvZqaPwmubt7HDpwIitCLq0qRVWgo2jRgPbZFvqt0rDanlXRWRMMh4vLYNHbOTOrJBh9NJfpvq2ILVJ51JyuoVWVuJUMUEAuQBen1gZSiaKYkmiOIHEXlZ-eIWr660T7p2QEQzPhMxM4aGa/s474/STAMP%20for%20book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="474" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaigI9tV86O16Y6UItM-MtZZgO2Vba-Ymo-6y0W0DHLlhJ4JvZqaPwmubt7HDpwIitCLq0qRVWgo2jRgPbZFvqt0rDanlXRWRMMh4vLYNHbOTOrJBh9NJfpvq2ILVJ51JyuoVWVuJUMUEAuQBen1gZSiaKYkmiOIHEXlZ-eIWr660T7p2QEQzPhMxM4aGa/w200-h96/STAMP%20for%20book.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A young salesman was discouraged because he had
been rejected by so many customers he approached. He asked a more experienced salesman
for some advice. “Why is it, every time I make a call on someone, I get
rejected?”</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“I just don't understand it,” the older
salesman answered. “I’ve been hit on the head, called dirty names, and thrown
out the door, but I’ve never been rejected.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Rejection isn’t what
happens to you, but how you interpret
what happens to you.</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
Instead of being upset, choose to <u>view your rejections in a new way</u>. God
may remove a person from your life <b>to protect you</b> from future
devastation. Rejection can be a closed door <b>to keep you from making a costly
mistake</b>. Man’s rejection can be God’s direction <b>to send you to a new and
better place</b> where you wouldn’t have gone to on your own.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in; tab-stops: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes you won’t
understand why God allowed the rejection until later. A friend of mine told me,
“When I was fired from my job, it plunged me into depression and I wondered why
God would allow such a thing. </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It turned out that getting fired was the best
thing that ever could have happened to me</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in; tab-stops: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“After it happened, the
Lord opened a door for the job that I’ve had for over twenty years, which I
absolutely love. I couldn’t see why He let it happen at the time, but </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">it’s
real clear now as I look back</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. I thank God whenever I think about getting
fired from that job </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">because He had something much better planned for me</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in; tab-stops: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Find your acceptance in
God; not in people’s opinions of you. Remember that rejection cannot thwart
God’s plan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">CREATION VS. EVOLUTION: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Facts_about_Earth.pdf">Facts
About Earth</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">NOTE: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The subscription box
will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your
computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.)</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-66447849516771022312024-03-03T18:05:00.000-06:002024-03-03T18:05:43.381-06:00Casting the First Stone<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEKWguxE_KrIykeOKcLsBWXoHMiRkWDfI4Y3nsuB41crhd17yKFfa7zygFp1xnTZHYtnvUIDFHQ4yW7yILORvFEhZhT-DCrO-QzuIGqC9JleRCTrwLRSaS7ZG7Tq4EmopZjAqiBtoe1Pdlrsw5CFSJeD643iXdRwVfsXtbPyFTdHnUmgjh_48hydGoBw3/s661/casting%20first%20stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="661" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEKWguxE_KrIykeOKcLsBWXoHMiRkWDfI4Y3nsuB41crhd17yKFfa7zygFp1xnTZHYtnvUIDFHQ4yW7yILORvFEhZhT-DCrO-QzuIGqC9JleRCTrwLRSaS7ZG7Tq4EmopZjAqiBtoe1Pdlrsw5CFSJeD643iXdRwVfsXtbPyFTdHnUmgjh_48hydGoBw3/s320/casting%20first%20stone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Some
Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus and asked if she should
be stoned to death. The Law stated both the woman </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">and </u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the man caught in
adultery were to be stoned to death (Lev. 20:10, Dt. 22:22-24), but they only
brought the woman. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Two or three witnesses were required, and they would be <u>the
first </u>to cast stones </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">(Dt. 17:5-7). The rocks used in stoning were very
large, and usually </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the first</u><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">stone killed the person. Jesus said,
“Let the one who has never sinned throw </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the first</u><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">stone” (John 8:7).
</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jesus was the only one without sin qualified to cast <u>the first</u> stone, but He didn’t do it.</b><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">After
saying this, Jesus wrote in the dirt. The same finger that wrote on Moses’
tablets and Belshazzar’s wall wrote a message in the dirt. The Bible doesn’t
record what He wrote, but He might have written individual messages to each,
from oldest to youngest. Since He said “the one without sin,” He could have
written their own specific sins, including adultery. Some scholars speculate He
wrote the names of women with whom they had committed that sin. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Could it be the
Pharisees didn’t accuse <u>the man</u> caught in adultery because he was in
their group?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
possible they were all guilty of adultery, </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">which meant they would have to stone each other</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> They all left one by one, beginning
with the older ones. The older ones had accumulated the most sins and had reputations
to protect. Without an accuser, the woman was free under Jewish Law.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">After
her accusers left, she called Him “Lord” (8:11). Jesus replied, “Neither do I
condemn you.” </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Condemnation is not telling people they are sinners; it’s stoning
them!</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Many people quote this verse saying “don’t cast stones at me” and “Jesus
didn’t condemn her,” but </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">they omit “Go and sin no more”</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (8:11). Jesus forgave
her adultery, but He also told her to never do it again. He says the same to all
who call Jesus their Lord, “I forgive you. Go and sin no more.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">WATCH THE LYRICS SONG</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">: <a href="https://youtu.be/7_6NovLumgc?si=vJzcLNWfdtBSimSS">REBEL by Anne Wilson</a> (Good lyrics—makes you think)</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">NOTE: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The subscription box
will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your
computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.)</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-69831927128617873342024-02-25T17:21:00.000-06:002024-02-25T17:21:48.484-06:00Dying to Selfie<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qjxIRd8276nMr7tCj3TcW8Q9FKds0HeS8lxYAsWQIN4lQgkAoftdByR1-INSZH0YvT0lAMu0h4kL3x4ROyJcxaQu-HtA2lmJsqoQljZFxm6Z8O4cN7SkmGiKW5APyUlJUFT1T5i5si5mtvTUGihPSuW53hk3sluNGLwBT04vAoVCPQ4cTkVgDOJo7m94/s260/selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="260" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qjxIRd8276nMr7tCj3TcW8Q9FKds0HeS8lxYAsWQIN4lQgkAoftdByR1-INSZH0YvT0lAMu0h4kL3x4ROyJcxaQu-HtA2lmJsqoQljZFxm6Z8O4cN7SkmGiKW5APyUlJUFT1T5i5si5mtvTUGihPSuW53hk3sluNGLwBT04vAoVCPQ4cTkVgDOJo7m94/s1600/selfie.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hundreds of people have died in recent years
while taking selfies, <u>usually when they're doing something risky</u>. In case you don’t
know, a selfie is when people take a picture of themselves with their
smartphone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A 38-year-old man living in India, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">died last
week after he jumped the fence at the zoo and tried to take a selfie with a
lion</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">. Apparently, he didn’t know lions don’t like their pictures taken. A couple
on vacation in Portugal fell over the edge of a cliff while taking a selfie. A man
in Washington taking a selfie on a railroad track was struck by a passing </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Amtrak</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> train. Two young men in Russia died after pulling the pin on a live hand
grenade while taking a selfie. The phone with the picture on it remained as
evidence of the incident.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">God doesn’t want us to die taking selfies, but
He does want us to die to self</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31), which
meant he chose to die to selfishness each day. Why does it need to die? Because
“Self” wants to be the center of attention, demands its own way, and fights
against doing God’s will. <span style="background: white;">Dying to selfishness can only be done by submitting to the
Holy Spirit. </span>“I<span style="background: white;">f <i>by the Spirit</i> you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You probably don’t want to do the things listed below because your “Self”
doesn’t want to do them. </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Don’t
listen to him. Here are some ways to die to selfishness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Give at least 10% of your income in
offerings to the Lord. That’s 10% you can’t spend on your Self. No pun
intended. Self dies when you give.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) When someone insults you, you humbly say
something nice to them. “N<span style="background: white;">ot returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a
blessing instead” (1 Pet. 3:9). Self dies when you don’t retaliate.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Forgive the person who hurt you. Every time
you forgive someone, Self dies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) Quit talking about yourself, especially when
you’re seeking to be praised. <b>Self dies when you don’t brag about him.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can probably think of other ways to die to
self. <u>Just don’t let Self talk you out of them</u>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">PRINTED SERMON</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">: <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Fishing_Lessons.pdf">Fishing
Lessons</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at <a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a><b> </b><span style="color: red;">NOTE: </span>The subscription box will NOT usually appear on
your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the
“desktop site” feature on your phone.)</span></p>
<h3 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b> </h3></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-83538123243166814762024-02-11T16:24:00.000-06:002024-02-11T16:24:21.507-06:00When Jesus Cleansed the Temple<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQE4l__hQcW4j8N-E2NBBZvTNXAds225slasiwIR4uvGHHopkB3GgWijV27poolArqzWzF14yPXGyXtVOb9m0lm7f2KUHqGKut7HiD26HXaUf3UShgHL8yjgxJKKc0-dPT0jChtHtUq8w-NYw29gmcpvoVKFPNmxkZ5Ns5YJzF6ciMaTbFcKzsUQyHV99/s1537/Jesus-cleanses-temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1537" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQE4l__hQcW4j8N-E2NBBZvTNXAds225slasiwIR4uvGHHopkB3GgWijV27poolArqzWzF14yPXGyXtVOb9m0lm7f2KUHqGKut7HiD26HXaUf3UShgHL8yjgxJKKc0-dPT0jChtHtUq8w-NYw29gmcpvoVKFPNmxkZ5Ns5YJzF6ciMaTbFcKzsUQyHV99/s320/Jesus-cleanses-temple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A fight broke out at
a salad bar in The Spring Haven Retirement Community in Florida. Mealtime
turned ugly </span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">when an 86-year-old man
got mad at another gentleman who had been picking through the lettuce</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. When name-calling escalated into punching, the police were summoned. No
one was seriously injured, but <u>one of the men was expelled from the home. <o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jesus expelled the
moneychangers from the temple,</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> not for touching the
lettuce, but for turning the temple into a corrupt business. No one likes to
talk about God’s anger, but there are some things that He won’t tolerate. The
Lord is slow to anger (Ps. 103:8), but that doesn’t mean He never gets angry.
God told Jeroboam, “<u>You have done more evil than all who were before you</u>,
and have gone and made for yourself other gods …</span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">to
provoke Me to anger</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (1 Kings 14:9).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jesus was provoked to anger when He walked into
the temple court and watched people haggling over the prices of animals. </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The
animals to be offered as sacrifices were being sold for an outrageous profit</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">,
and the moneychangers gleefully counted stacks of coins with their greedy
little hands. And </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the priests in the temple, who were accustomed to seeing
all this activity, didn’t think anything was wrong!</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> But Jesus was furious.
The same Jesus who kissed babies was about to show them His angry side. He
grabbed some ropes, made a makeshift whip, turned over their tables and drove
the money changers out of the temple (John 2:14-15).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Anger in itself, isn’t sinful. “Be angry, yet
do not sin” (Eph. 4:26). Righteous anger isn’t sinful, otherwise Jesus would
have committed His first sin by doing this. </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cleansing the temple was a
wakeup call and a final warning to bring rebellious people to repentance.</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
Do you think God might be angry about some things happening today?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BIBLE STUDY</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">: <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/How_to_control_your_anger.pdf">How
to Control Your Anger</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at <a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a><b> </b><span style="color: red;">NOTE: </span>The subscription box will NOT usually appear on
your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the
“desktop site” feature on your phone.)</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-20328590301659042512023-11-26T16:59:00.000-06:002023-11-26T16:59:46.040-06:00Overcoming Discouragement<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5pmHorocTm5wnRqopbSEhZhegrww9HKib_cLYXahW_fhpi7lTXviqG8NemDDUTT05Q2H2AzjDRE8Y8utN7CcA-98xAi44oiEbmu3CFLVUW2yYwNMxJ1uUXHkm2h5c8vvUh7jnDZPFcHG8cSq8RkeblKVIHW1v77gUA4T1cOsbSVXcOIApCOrE9vPxUFn/s579/Saul%20throws%20spear-David.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5pmHorocTm5wnRqopbSEhZhegrww9HKib_cLYXahW_fhpi7lTXviqG8NemDDUTT05Q2H2AzjDRE8Y8utN7CcA-98xAi44oiEbmu3CFLVUW2yYwNMxJ1uUXHkm2h5c8vvUh7jnDZPFcHG8cSq8RkeblKVIHW1v77gUA4T1cOsbSVXcOIApCOrE9vPxUFn/s320/Saul%20throws%20spear-David.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><a name="_Hlk151231199"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">It was the best of
times; it was the worst to times. For David, his best times were defeating
Goliath and becoming king. His worst times were many. <b>There was the time</b>
when David was playing the harp and Saul threw a spear at him, but David
escaped (1 Sam. 18:10-11).</span></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then there was another
time</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> when Saul tried to
kill David, and his wife had to let David down through a window so he could
escape (19:11-12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then there was the time</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> when Saul sent his army after David and was about to seize
him. <u>At that moment,</u> a messenger reported to Saul the Philistines had attacked,
so Saul quit pursuing him and David escaped again (23:25-28).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then there was the time</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> when the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, took all the women
and children captive, and burned down the city. <u>David and his men wept until
there was no strength in them</u>. Could it get any worse? Yes. His own army
talked about stoning him. “<u>David strengthened himself in the Lord his God</u>”
and recovered the captives (30:1-19).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then there was the time</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> when, after David became king, his own son Absalom led a
rebellion against him. Absalom took over his throne, forcing David and his
servants to flee Jerusalem. Zadok the priest and the Levites carried the ark of
the covenant with them. David spoke by faith and told Zadok, “Return the ark of
God to the city. <b>If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will
bring me back again</b>” (2 Sam. 15:25). <u>David wept as he walked barefoot</u>
up the Mount of Olives. In his darkest hour, God turned the situation around
and restored him to his throne.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">David </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">overcame every
disappointment</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> because he put his complete trust in God to come through. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He wrote, <b>“I
would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of
the Lord in the land of the living”</b> (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Ps. 27:13).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">No matter what you’re
going through, or how discouraged you may be, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">don’t give up!</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> God is not
finished with you and wants to write a good ending to your story. He did it for
David, and if you’ll trust Him, He’ll do it for you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">PRINTED SERMON:</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/When_God_Intervenes--Paul_and_Silas.pdf">“When
God Intervenes”</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Receive
these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the
right at <a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a><b> </b>(<span style="color: red;">NOTE: </span>The
subscription box will NOT appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on
your computer.)</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-50382798038773496902023-07-02T14:38:00.001-05:002023-07-02T14:38:11.747-05:00How Can a Loving God Allow Evil and Suffering?<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH71n5xQ38O1WvtpZALJivtddqwsMruq6-oe0c5ZXY9ZB7FSIF4sTBkGPUei_yHIydPK_zuLdfB-ogEzEkNnoYuNqhyKlt9XbbJnEyJIqbC02NIeVfRRKrXeKyt8Htr6wiAxLeY6J3RAzFHXsFI-13U49063YfIIBwVC-p3wmkmcNEIy5c2T4IU1u3f3le/s1024/evil%20and%20suffering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH71n5xQ38O1WvtpZALJivtddqwsMruq6-oe0c5ZXY9ZB7FSIF4sTBkGPUei_yHIydPK_zuLdfB-ogEzEkNnoYuNqhyKlt9XbbJnEyJIqbC02NIeVfRRKrXeKyt8Htr6wiAxLeY6J3RAzFHXsFI-13U49063YfIIBwVC-p3wmkmcNEIy5c2T4IU1u3f3le/w200-h150/evil%20and%20suffering.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Many people ask, <b>“How can a loving God allow
evil and suffering?”</b> Jesus could have explained, but He didn’t. Luke 13:1-5
tells us about two disasters where people were killed: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“There were some
present who reported to Him (Jesus) about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had
mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these
Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered
this fate? I <u>tell you, no</u> … Or do you suppose that those eighteen on
whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the
men who live in Jerusalem? <u>I tell you, no’</u>”</span></p>
<p class="textspace" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Pilate ordered some Jewish worshippers<u>
to be murdered</u>, and <u>18 people died when a tower fell on them</u>. Satan
incited Pilate to murder the worshippers. The tower fell due to the law of
gravity, presumably because someone made a mistake during construction. Jesus was
essentially saying, <b>“Don’t blame God for men’s evil actions, or try to give
a spiritual explanation for every natural disaster.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="textspace" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="textspace" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 343.15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jesus healed multitudes
of sick and disabled people, but He never told them, “Let me give a theological
explanation about why you’re in this condition.” <u>Jesus came into a world
filled with evil and suffering</u>, but<b> He never said, “How can a loving God
allow evil and suffering?”</b> After all, He <u>was</u> the
loving God! Rather than explaining why bad things happen, He went about doing
good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). Much of His
teaching tells us to help others, and how to respond when evil people</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"> attack us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.05pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Satan wants you to blame God for evil and
suffering in order to poison your faith</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> and <u>give you a distorted view of God</u>.
Never form your beliefs based on bad things that have happened. Disasters and
tragedies have occurred since the beginning of time and will continue until
Jesus returns. Evil is in the world, but God is always good, which is why we must
“Trust in Him at all times.” (Psalm 62:8).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BIBLE STUDY: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Does_everything_happen_for_a_reason.pdf">Does
Everything Happen for a Reason?</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/">www.makinglifecount.net</a> </span></b></h4>
</div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-32758266355379449132023-04-02T15:34:00.002-05:002023-04-02T16:02:59.040-05:00The Shroud of Turin UPDATE<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa9v5hH1v16V9jlipJcC8slgDnSlURyituld-kpj798Ceny4LTHZV_Gr7tIHq2K4PAIULt9bntVJw9c_13ry8MgjNpjXSGgFOSQzlkVpKuTXC0YfLjUQz8UJj8H6fvzyjmOJzYP5BNzYaU4bM2S1VoZ1ghutX13ybxQM20EadgOPPhoPw4PN7IufRXA/s720/shroud-of-turin.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa9v5hH1v16V9jlipJcC8slgDnSlURyituld-kpj798Ceny4LTHZV_Gr7tIHq2K4PAIULt9bntVJw9c_13ry8MgjNpjXSGgFOSQzlkVpKuTXC0YfLjUQz8UJj8H6fvzyjmOJzYP5BNzYaU4bM2S1VoZ1ghutX13ybxQM20EadgOPPhoPw4PN7IufRXA/s320/shroud-of-turin.webp" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The Shroud of Turin
is a burial cloth containing an image of a scourged and crucified man, which many
believe could be the burial cloth of Jesus. No one can explain </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">how the image
got onto the cloth</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">, but some have speculated that when Jesus was
resurrected, the burse of power transferred the image from His body to the
cloth.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">In 1988,
carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin by three separate laboratories
indicated the relic should only be about 700 years old, meaning it couldn’t be
the burial cloth of Christ. <b>However,</b> some scholars suggested textiles can
easily become contaminated by bacteria and carbon-containing minerals, <u>which would
skew the results</u> and show a younger date.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">In 2022</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">, a </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www2.cbn.com/news/news/new-scientific-test-dates-shroud-turin-time-christs-death"><b><span style="background: white;">new scientific method</span></b></a><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333;">known as “Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering,” or WAXS, was used to examine the relic. WAXS is said to
be <u>more accurate than C-14</u> because it measures the actual aging of flax
cellulose and converts it to time since manufacture. It dated the
Shroud at approximately <b>2,000 years old</b>. The </span><span style="background: white; color: #25282a;">Italian scientist Dr. Liberato de Caro
of Italy’s Institute of Crystallography </span><a href="https://aleteia.org/2022/04/22/new-technology-suggests-shroud-of-turin-is-2000-years-old/"><b><span style="background: white;">compared the Shroud with other historical fabrics</span></b></a><span style="background: white; color: #25282a;"> and it closely matched with a fabric
from the siege of Masada in Israel, in 55-74 AD. The </span>findings suggest the shroud originated around the time of
Christ, which means it could possibly be the burial cloth of Jesus.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://theshroudofturin.blogspot.com/2020/04/coins-over-eyes-32-evidence-is.html" style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>Computer
enhanced images reveal that coins were placed over the man’s eyes</b></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> and the coins were stuck by </span><b style="font-size: 10pt;">Pontius Pilate in AD 29-31!</b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">
For a detailed report </span><a href="https://theshroudofturin.blogspot.com/2020/04/coins-over-eyes-32-evidence-is.html" style="font-size: 10pt;">CLICK
HERE</a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">It was a Jewish
custom to close the eyes of their </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; font-size: 10pt;">deceased and the placement of coins over their
eyelids was a practical way of keeping them shut. These coins prove the Shroud <u>could
not be a forgery</u> created by someone centuries later.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Our faith is based on the
resurrection of Jesus Christ and <u>not</u> the Shroud of Turin. But wouldn’t
it be interesting if God decided to leave ANOTHER piece of evidence that Jesus
rose from the dead? </span><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: red; font-size: 10pt;">Click Here to watch </span></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXpm7OP624E"><span style="background: white;">6 MINUTE VIDEO ABOUT SHROUD OF TURIN</span></a></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/How_can_I_be_sure_that_I_am_going_to_heaven.pdf">Click
Here to find out how to know you’re going to heaven.</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 31.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">********************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Receive these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">You
can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the right at </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">(Your email will not
be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)<span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-left: 31.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Making
Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">P.O.
Box 680174<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Prattville,
Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b> </span></h4>
</div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-63604997441346328062023-03-05T15:15:00.002-06:002023-03-05T15:15:56.780-06:00Copying the Bible Manuscripts<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBrfl_h_05C7_1QYPGCo-bLXCpEfNb4EOIf30fq-0n87DL4OxcsrOXyanRsPMZsZy8GqbVcLAhQpvdXiH1gXc6pBluS7yAtE1SHc1JpGgbpeVcezt-FGnyWk_oYxyASiaCKJ27iKKcH4sACK6sBooN0N55dHE4b22ZADrZ2hHp8bNohVJhAlFxCcycA/s300/copying%20manuscripts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="300" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBrfl_h_05C7_1QYPGCo-bLXCpEfNb4EOIf30fq-0n87DL4OxcsrOXyanRsPMZsZy8GqbVcLAhQpvdXiH1gXc6pBluS7yAtE1SHc1JpGgbpeVcezt-FGnyWk_oYxyASiaCKJ27iKKcH4sACK6sBooN0N55dHE4b22ZADrZ2hHp8bNohVJhAlFxCcycA/s1600/copying%20manuscripts.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">We
wouldn’t have our Bibles today if it weren’t for thousands of people over many
centuries carefully copying the manuscripts. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The copying</span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">was
done by scribes, who patiently copied the Scriptures when the original scrolls
became too worn to use. The material they wrote on only lasted about 40 years,
so the <u>copyists had to keep making new manuscripts to preserve the text from
being destroyed</u>. </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To ensure accuracy, the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">scribes counted
every letter on every page</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> they copied. The word for “scribes”, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">sopherim</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, literally means, “the
counters” because they counted, not only every word, but </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">every letter</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. The
</span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">middle letter</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of the manuscript was marked, as was the </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">middle word</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
of each major section of a book. If the letters of the copy didn’t match up
with the original, they destroyed the page and started over.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">By the time Jesus was born, the most recent Old
Testament book, Malachi, had been copied and recopied more than 400 years. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The
books of Moses had been copied for more than 1,400 years.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Imagine copying
the entire book of Exodus without making a mistake. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Over the last 3,000 years, generation after
generation, thousands of scribes spent their lives carefully copying
manuscripts <u>to preserve the Bible for future generations</u>. You don’t have
to copy the Bible, but have you <u>read the Bible through even one time</u>?
Don’t let their labor be in vain.<b> </b></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MORE STUDY:</span></b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/How_Did_We_Get_the_Bible.pdf">How
Did We Get the Bible?</a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">*************************************************************</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Receive these devotionals (free) by email: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">You
can <u>subscribe in the box</u> on the top right at </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">(Your email will not
be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)<span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making
Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">P.O.
Box 680174<br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Prattville,
Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b> </h3>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-30482451654258392882023-01-22T18:36:00.001-06:002023-01-22T18:36:49.122-06:00If You Could Live Your Life Over<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOOkTuLEU4GeUBhyoxSD2p7DcCAuKJkrsj3SM4-vTmsGg0a0C1jgiOLMtwoHM90UfbR5eV54crBsg6Hyuo7x8-nDFdiuCPQfx-CGkkmPq5xDmRWe1KuYEuNMRW2Oe9ms_uo43ljemBycQLL3-YVc2u_V96bvtQS6fo-cEATLfXGRA5LAE3UFGXe8zTSA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOOkTuLEU4GeUBhyoxSD2p7DcCAuKJkrsj3SM4-vTmsGg0a0C1jgiOLMtwoHM90UfbR5eV54crBsg6Hyuo7x8-nDFdiuCPQfx-CGkkmPq5xDmRWe1KuYEuNMRW2Oe9ms_uo43ljemBycQLL3-YVc2u_V96bvtQS6fo-cEATLfXGRA5LAE3UFGXe8zTSA" width="320" /></a></div></h1></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">An
airline pilot had a peculiar habit. Whenever he took off from his hometown of
Minneapolis, he would ask the copilot to take the controls. Then he would stare
out the window for a few moments. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The copilot asked, “What do you always look at
down there?”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The
pilot said, “See that boy fishing down there by the river? I used to fish at
that same spot when I was a kid. Whenever I saw a plane fly over, </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">I always
looked up and wished I could be a pilot</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">.” He sighed, “Now whenever I fly
over, </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">I always look down and wish I could be fishing</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">.”</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Most
people don’t know how to enjoy their lives <u>right now</u>. A street survey
was taken of 10,000 persons across the nation. Four questions were asked: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">1.
Are you satisfied with your life to date? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">2.
Do you wish you lived somewhere else? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">3.
Do you wish you worked at a different job? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">4.
Do you wish you had married someone else?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">The
answers were 91% dissatisfied with life; 68% wanted to live somewhere else; 79%
wanted to work at a different job; 51% wished they married someone else. We can
conclude two things from their answers. First, the people surveyed <u>didn’t
know how to make wise decisions and later regretted them</u>. Second, they <u>hadn’t
learned how to be content</u> in their current situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Paul
said, “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11).
A contented heart means a God-controlled heart. Paul learned the secret of
contentment by attending the schools of prosperity and adversity. Whether he
lived in abundance or poverty, he experienced the peace that surpasses all
understanding (Phil. 4:7). <b>When you stop placing conditions on your happiness,
you’ve learned the secret of being content.</b> </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">****************************************************************************************</span></p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 27pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span></h2>
<br /><p></p>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-63476359527746942272023-01-01T18:45:00.000-06:002023-01-01T18:45:19.825-06:00Why Some People Can't Find Wisdom<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC__8hhgJad8fKjdJ2CogyDGiNWaYtaKvv0riduzbrk1hVi4S6EIulYo_k26JbXhmusysMcfG08x6pXDMqmGdABnsrki4w6oKThaNcTMyCkwYo0hRhM_d6uYpPmzto-HoQeGnz9Fc3tP15cqg3lAlAro3pvT3vflDwIo6Eon9C49VZKS1zxXxDzFFKBw/s470/diamond%20ring%20found.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="470" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC__8hhgJad8fKjdJ2CogyDGiNWaYtaKvv0riduzbrk1hVi4S6EIulYo_k26JbXhmusysMcfG08x6pXDMqmGdABnsrki4w6oKThaNcTMyCkwYo0hRhM_d6uYpPmzto-HoQeGnz9Fc3tP15cqg3lAlAro3pvT3vflDwIo6Eon9C49VZKS1zxXxDzFFKBw/s320/diamond%20ring%20found.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In 2002, a newly engaged woman named Shaina
accidently flushed her engagement ring down the toilet at her fiancé’s parents’
house. She had put her ring on the counter and sopped up some water with a
paper towel. She accidently wadded up the ring in the paper towel and flushed
it down the toilet.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Suddenly she realized her mistake. <span style="color: #222222;">Understandably frantic, Shaina</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">climbed into the septic
tank to search for her ring</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. She pumped the waste over a window screen into a
55-gallon drum, <b>but never found the ring.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Last week, Shaina and husband Nick opened one
of their Christmas presents and were shocked to see the lost ring inside! Where
did it come from? Nick’s parents recently had to replace their toilet. When the
plumber unhooked the toilet from the floor and dumped out the excess water, the
ring fell out. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It had been there for 20 years</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. The parents wrapped the
ring up in a miniature ceramic toilet and gave it to Shaina and Nick as a
Christmas present.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Shaina
couldn’t find her ring because she looked for it in the wrong place. Prov. 3:13
says, “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Blessed
are <b>those who <u>find</u> wisdom</b>,” </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To find wisdom, you have to
look in the right place. Suppose </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">your
keys</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">fell out of your pocket
when you sat on the couch. You look in the kitchen and they aren’t there. You
try the bedroom. Not there either. You could search everywhere in the world,
but if you don’t look in the couch, </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">you’ll never find your keys because you
didn’t look in the right place</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You’ll never find wisdom if you don’t look for
it in God. “The fear of the Lord is </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the beginning of wisdom</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">” (Prov.
9:10). Because the Lord knows all things, He understands how to guide us
through this life and solve our frustrating situations. He’s also willing to
share that wisdom with us. “I</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">f any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God . . . and it
will be given to him” (James 1:5). But it all begins by looking in the right
place.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BIBLE STUDY: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Did_Matthew_make_a_mistake_in_the_Bible.pdf">Did
Matthew make a mistake in the Bible?</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">****************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h2></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-59662233054625434082022-09-18T17:09:00.000-05:002022-09-18T17:09:17.853-05:00The Sermon the Potter Preached<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlN3oGhrEXnQ5GWXk_36vfRdKTyCIkyHneQO0I4FH73ai6iRpiBC4WUnEvwWtW_CbKrVLKLSbdNLZXMRB5Z7v9zbVFcUtIKzj1PlKs23Eoya5-LB2pDcdT_p__HA-EZBTOqjO-KhpKMrFY_FywBVUDx4D9buVb8S8fs05ecrSJdfMTkKohJtFxnWFiHQ/s991/Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="991" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlN3oGhrEXnQ5GWXk_36vfRdKTyCIkyHneQO0I4FH73ai6iRpiBC4WUnEvwWtW_CbKrVLKLSbdNLZXMRB5Z7v9zbVFcUtIKzj1PlKs23Eoya5-LB2pDcdT_p__HA-EZBTOqjO-KhpKMrFY_FywBVUDx4D9buVb8S8fs05ecrSJdfMTkKohJtFxnWFiHQ/s320/Potter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Go down to the potter’s
house and </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">there I shall announce My words to you</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">” (Jeremiah 18:1). God
could have told him everything at once, but He wanted to reveal information to
him in stages. When we obey what God has told us to do, He will then reveal
more.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">After he got there, the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">potter preached a
sermon to Jeremiah</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> in a visual way concerning the future of Judah (Israel),
but the message applies to us as well. I’m sure the potter had no idea we would
be reading his sermon 2,600 years later! Here are three lessons from the
potter’s sermon:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lesson #1
God is in the process of molding you. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Everyone is in the process of being molded, either
by the Holy Spirit or the pressures of this world. Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t let
the world squeeze you into its mold.” To be molded by God, He says to “humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6). Yield to His touch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lesson #2
God’s plan for you may not be obvious at
first. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jeremiah 18:3 says the
potter was “<u>making something</u>” on the wheel. <u>What he was making wasn’t
obvious at first</u>. The potter had a plan in his mind concerning the vessel
he wanted to make. Romans 9:20 says, “The thing molded will not say to the
potter, ‘Why did you make me like this’ will it?” Trust the Lord to lead and
guide you, even when the plan is unclear and you don’t understand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lesson #3
If you’ve made a mistake, remember that God
isn’t finished with you. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“But the vessel that he
was making of clay was <u>spoiled in the hand</u> of the potter, so he <u>remade
it into another vessel</u>, as it pleased the potter to make” (Jer. 18:4). The
potter detected a flaw in the clay because some gritty substance resisted his
touch. <u>Even though the clay was marred, the potter didn’t throw it away. He made
it into another vessel.</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Perhaps you’ve drifted away from God and
resisted His will for your life. Maybe you think your life is over. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Lord
has not abandoned</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">you</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">still has a plan for your life.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Put
your life in His hands and He will complete the work He wants to do in you.</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BIBLE STUDY:</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Way_of_Cain-Error_of_Balaam-Rebellion_of_Korah.pdf"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lessons from Cain,
Balaam, and Korah</span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">****************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-10729677752316060342022-09-04T22:03:00.002-05:002022-09-04T22:28:35.050-05:00God Can Be With You ... When It Looks Like He's Against You<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeGD54QxjDAIimG9nQxmUkjcK8N3bWMyPtcQKPwnhvZlcYSvTUz7TEBeSW9zXfhFlKBpDudVp2dncEUrXppCnSY-5mTwF1nxLD_7HHgrZTzUyPqTjrQQeUN0F6MUoTWdHLaKCRNS_mmVKnSOQaDuFrUIzxQKmnMBH1eOgC0F_sM_1wmVFQBFDnjuSIg/s300/Joseph%20in%20prison.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeGD54QxjDAIimG9nQxmUkjcK8N3bWMyPtcQKPwnhvZlcYSvTUz7TEBeSW9zXfhFlKBpDudVp2dncEUrXppCnSY-5mTwF1nxLD_7HHgrZTzUyPqTjrQQeUN0F6MUoTWdHLaKCRNS_mmVKnSOQaDuFrUIzxQKmnMBH1eOgC0F_sM_1wmVFQBFDnjuSIg/s1600/Joseph%20in%20prison.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Joseph
was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave to an officer of Pharaoh. Why would God
allow such a thing? </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">And
then we read a phrase that makes us question our theology: </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b>The Lord was with Joseph</b>” (Gen. 39:2-3). It’s enough to
raise an eyebrow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">We read on. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Later
he was falsely accused and unjustly thrown into prison, without a proper trial.
Again it says, “<b><u>The Lord was with Joseph</u></b> . . .” </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">But there’s even more,
enough to lift the other eyebrow. “. . . <b><u>and extended kindness toward him</u></b>”
(39:21).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><u>Suppose an opinion poll was taken at that time</u>.
The pollster asks, “</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Joseph was betrayed, sold as a
slave, falsely accused, and unjustly imprisoned. Do you think God is with him?”
</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The man on
the street says, “Obviously God can’t be with him. If the Lord was with Joseph,
those things wouldn’t have happened.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">It’s easy to believe the Lord is with someone
who is on the way up, but not on the way down. Up to this point, Joseph was
only going down. <u>The Lord can be with you when your circumstances tell you He
isn’t.</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Gideon was hiding from the Midianites, when the
angel of the Lord said, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior!” Gideon
responded, “</span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">?”
(Judges 6:12-13).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">When is He with you? He’s with you when you’re
faithfully doing what He calls you to do. He’s with you when you keep the right
attitude when you’re falsely accused. He’s with you when you trust Him, even when
the situation says He has abandoned you. Live today as though He is actually
with you, and the Lord will</span><i style="font-size: 10pt;"> </i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">be with you. </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 10pt;">BIBLE STUDY: </span></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/How_could_a_loving_God_send_people_to_Hell.pdf">How
can a loving God send people to hell?</a></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">****************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/">www.makinglifecount.net</a> </span></b> </span></h4>
</div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-65334702763109760962022-08-28T14:52:00.000-05:002022-08-28T14:52:18.519-05:00Being Humble, or Being Humbled<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWatd2D7WcauahMT-Urs-d85C55wwljUURTmky7gkcO-hF_kEotoVhqzgyh2kYSR-4DqOSbPgnyYrR6DV0_3mrriQNteOUkwLlKzKwos1UYWHEni61VI-_IyZ09fjxmnejBEqRaB_-WMWAoeVncp-BMEV5voLimGevXj8op_edMQEP8enNbwlJL8JBQ/s981/Miss%20Universe%20Mistake.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="981" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWatd2D7WcauahMT-Urs-d85C55wwljUURTmky7gkcO-hF_kEotoVhqzgyh2kYSR-4DqOSbPgnyYrR6DV0_3mrriQNteOUkwLlKzKwos1UYWHEni61VI-_IyZ09fjxmnejBEqRaB_-WMWAoeVncp-BMEV5voLimGevXj8op_edMQEP8enNbwlJL8JBQ/s320/Miss%20Universe%20Mistake.png" width="320" /></a></div><a name="_Hlk86006772"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Steve Harvey, the host of the 2015 Miss Universe
pageant, made a <b>stunning mistake by declaring the wrong person the winner</b>.
</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Harvey accidentally told Miss Colombia, Ariadna
Gutierrez, that she was the winner. As the audience cheered, Gutierrez was
given her sash, along with a bouquet of flowers, and crowned as Miss Universe.</span></div>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>But a few minutes
later,</b> an embarrassed Harvey returned to the stage to explain he had made a mistake.
Miss Colombia was actually the first runner-up, and the real winner was Miss
Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach. The stunned audience watched as <u>the crown was removed
from Miss Colombia and placed on the head of Miss Philippines</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Imagine how you would feel if <u>you were crowned</u> as the winner
before a world-wide television audience, only to have <u>your crown removed</u>
a few minutes later and given to someone else. This reminds us when Jesus said:</span><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“When someone invites
you to a wedding feast, <u>don’t take the most important seat</u>, because
someone more important than you may have been invited. The host, who invited
both of you, will come to you and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ <u>Then
you will be embarrassed and will have to move to the last place</u>. So when
you are invited, go <b>sit in a seat that is not important</b>. When the host
comes to you, he may say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important place’ ... <b>All who make themselves great will be made humble, but those who make
themselves humble will be made great</b>” (Luke 14:8-11 NCV). </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On Judgment Day, God won’t
make a mistake when He evaluates us. Charles Spurgeon said, “</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Every Christian has a
choice between <b>being humble</b> and <b>being humbled</b>.” If we choose to be honored in this life, we will be humbled later. But if we want to be honored in the next life, we will be humble now. Jesus <span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">will either place a crown on our head,
or remove the one we’ve placed there. That’s the difference between being
humble ... and being humbled. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/" style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">LISTEN TO SONG: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://youtu.be/PMEGUx7MfCM">You Keep On Getting Better</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">****************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/">www.makinglifecount.net</a> </span></b></h4>
Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-24686014714063616222022-07-10T18:35:00.000-05:002022-07-10T18:35:16.719-05:00Seeing Only What We Want to See<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRW_I5gPPjWg85WoxIVO1p23o9TZP2TlcQRFEHdeQ8v0bzMZhJfHNpDKVgecwQaSvLYIi-x3CSktSdngud9uWH41biIAxJ2538063w7At8GdGI40piZ_IDPPdWvqKauL3XgyZqkOXLIt3xVJTfLjGkmJrNPi_qsMM22WTrFB3-z_gu1nZV-uOgglH0Q/s1024/magnifying%20glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRW_I5gPPjWg85WoxIVO1p23o9TZP2TlcQRFEHdeQ8v0bzMZhJfHNpDKVgecwQaSvLYIi-x3CSktSdngud9uWH41biIAxJ2538063w7At8GdGI40piZ_IDPPdWvqKauL3XgyZqkOXLIt3xVJTfLjGkmJrNPi_qsMM22WTrFB3-z_gu1nZV-uOgglH0Q/s320/magnifying%20glass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The following comes from <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Stories-Daily-Devotionals-Spiritual/dp/B08VRBQ4P8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1619146857&sr=8-5">Amazing
Stories & Daily Devotionals</a>.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tony
Whittaker wrote about how a thirty-second film shows <u>six people playing
basketball</u>, three in white shirts and three in black. Volunteers were asked to
count <u>how many times the white shirt team passed the ball</u>. At the end of the
film, <u>they were asked if they saw anything unusual</u>. Most didn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The
unusual thing was found halfway through the film. A man wearing a gorilla suit
walked through the players, beat his chest to the camera, and then walked off. When
shown the film again, people were shocked to see the gorilla. Some believed a
different film was substituted for the original one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Whittaker
says, “This film trick illustrates a simple fact that <u>if we are only looking
for one thing, we do not usually see anything different</u>.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jesus
encountered a man with a withered hand. “So they </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background: white;">watched
Him closely</span></u><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they
might accuse Him” (Mark 3:2). <b>T</b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">he Pharisees were only looking
for one thing</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">—to catch Him breaking the Law.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As
they watched, Jesus healed the man’s hand, but they missed seeing the miracle.
Instead of worshiping Him, they plotted to kill Him. They couldn’t see that He
was the Messiah. </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It was as obvious as the gorilla beating his chest in the
midst of the basketball players</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Some people only see what they want to see and miss
what they need to see.</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> John Piper said, <b>“God is always doing 10,000 things in
your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”</b></span><b> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Don’t miss seeing what
God is doing in your situation. You need to see it. </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BIBLE STUDY: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Boiling_a_Young_Goat_in_its_Mother.pdf">Why
did God say to not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk?</a></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h4></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-67934198952340380512022-06-12T19:11:00.000-05:002022-06-12T19:11:43.534-05:00Humility Month<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvaUZ3bud5xDxMJqxaTv8oq0m8dlphJmv7I5cELcMwFc71dWdY1CRmX013p0QHIzC0wtklXIE1VvoDe1Iu3doe2swvgkU2YTOoUq5zVHZ-QU-3vmXBO2L5x-jPUj7PV98uv4DQfmbJsL3Lbv0HaUoFd_2faIj23u207crQ2aN1BxuA8aEX6OhHvUc2w/s690/Humility-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="670" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvaUZ3bud5xDxMJqxaTv8oq0m8dlphJmv7I5cELcMwFc71dWdY1CRmX013p0QHIzC0wtklXIE1VvoDe1Iu3doe2swvgkU2YTOoUq5zVHZ-QU-3vmXBO2L5x-jPUj7PV98uv4DQfmbJsL3Lbv0HaUoFd_2faIj23u207crQ2aN1BxuA8aEX6OhHvUc2w/w194-h200/Humility-1.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I’m declaring this “Humility Month”
in honor of the God who gives grace to all those who humble themselves. “</span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Clothe
yourselves with humility, for God is opposed to the proud but <b>gives grace to
the humble</b></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">” (1 Peter 5:5). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not
thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pride can slither into our lives
without our knowing about it, </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">making us think we are somehow superior to
others</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. We might gloat about our personal appearance, high IQ, or a
university degree. Maybe a job </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">makes us feel more important than others</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>What about fame?</b> That can be a
fertilizer that makes an ego grow. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>How about abilities? </b>You’re an elite
athlete who wows the crowd. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Your voice?</b> Your singing brings
standing ovations. I could go on, but you get the idea.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Of course, outstanding abilities and achievements can be a very good thing. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The problem
arises when we take credit for something God gave us.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Paul wrote the
arrogant Corinthians and asked, “Who says you are better than others? What do
you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag
as if you did not receive it as a gift?” (1 Cor. 4:7).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do you understand that every good thing
you have has been given to you by God?</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">(James 1:17) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“No one can receive anything unless
God gives it from heaven” (John 3:27).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">High IQ? You got it from God. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Beautiful face? The Lord made you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perfect voice? God created your
vocal cords. We have no right to brag about anything. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When we exalt ourselves, we can’t
help but think we’re better than others. </span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only by looking through God’s eyes will
we understand that <u>everyone is valuable</u>, but <u>no one is more valuable </u>than
anyone else. </span></b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The homeless person who lives in a cardboard
box is just as valuable in God’s eyes as the most admired movie star living in
a mansion</span></u><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">So how do we get rid of pride in our
lives? First Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” First
realize God’s hand is bigger and more powerful than ours. And then realize the only one who can humble
yourself is “yourself.” </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h2></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-38591207624622430042022-05-29T18:12:00.005-05:002022-06-01T22:01:33.433-05:00In Search of the Greener Grass<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyJYphzPpWA177nI0YIV7RpaNf8iY1yxA-wFLZVhZ5YiSRXOQPqKh86yMg8LowuN48oL_uIuuKkxR2C6D0V_Iw8ipAvCi6mDygRLlxSE8jfooB53qSILO0Tzz3bUEhFRwEaf6OFZ8FST_oi-ulOA3EhC4g9fnh35mHcTFOGRo145J0IWpn-GSTzkb2w/s488/green%20pastures.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="488" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyJYphzPpWA177nI0YIV7RpaNf8iY1yxA-wFLZVhZ5YiSRXOQPqKh86yMg8LowuN48oL_uIuuKkxR2C6D0V_Iw8ipAvCi6mDygRLlxSE8jfooB53qSILO0Tzz3bUEhFRwEaf6OFZ8FST_oi-ulOA3EhC4g9fnh35mHcTFOGRo145J0IWpn-GSTzkb2w/s320/green%20pastures.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a name="_Hlk103519572"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen argued because their herds became too
large and the land could no longer sustain them. Abram told Lot, “I don’t want
strife between us, so I’ll give you the first choice of the land for your
flocks and herds.” <u>Lot chose the green valley</u> of Sodom because it would
be a good place for his livestock. But the greener grass wasn’t as nice as it
seemed. The people living there were evil, and Abram later had to come rescue
him (Gen. 13:7-13). </span></a><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The “greener grass syndrome” tells you that you can’t be happy
where you are right now.</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> You need to go somewhere else. Do something else. Be with someone
else. The life you’re living is terrible. Everyone else has a better life. If
you could just get a little more, you’d be happy too. </span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;">But it doesn’t matter how much you’ve accumulated
if you can’t enjoy what you have. “God gives some people wealth, possessions
and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire<b>, but God does not
grant them the ability to enjoy them”</b> Eccl. 6:2 (NIV). <u>If you don’t have
the God-given ability to enjoy life, you’ll never by happy no matter where you go or what you
get</u>. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">But there really is green grass available to be found. It’s located
in Psalm 23:1-2. “The Lord is my shepherd . . . <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">He
makes me lie down in <b>green pastures</b>.” Notice <u>it doesn’t say He makes us
run all over the world searching for green pastures</u>. When we follow the
Shepherd, He makes us lie down in it. That’s a restful, relaxed spirit. </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;">The grass is always greenest in the center of
God’s will</span></u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;">. Discontentment always points us to a place where
God isn’t leading, but contentment is always happy wherever He leads. That’s
where you’ll be the most satisfied and fulfilled, and where you’ll be most
pleasing to the Lord. But you’ll never find the greener grass unless you follow
the Shepherd. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b>www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</b></a><b> </b></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: red;">I LOVE THIS SONG:</span> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9n2rHGfwxI" target="_blank">The New 23rd Psalm</a> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries <br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span></h2></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-83655016412921726772022-05-22T18:04:00.001-05:002022-05-22T18:04:56.748-05:00Open and Closed Doors<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXpLvQ9VWCq888qBgBAHBZaxCvxfVn3u00LfcWXlrUWOa07XnQAaAu6p-1gOzSsjikd1VVUQwAOTa0irFITsd3CBD-PURSNnw9EJZz8jzY2riQcoAk7NDxSeykFjrfCJy9UPxOzlv0cwv8vv4QoDnfUVUhhRB1uT7c0qKe_4s4MLR0Y7K1fOSvRBSCA/s628/door-open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXpLvQ9VWCq888qBgBAHBZaxCvxfVn3u00LfcWXlrUWOa07XnQAaAu6p-1gOzSsjikd1VVUQwAOTa0irFITsd3CBD-PURSNnw9EJZz8jzY2riQcoAk7NDxSeykFjrfCJy9UPxOzlv0cwv8vv4QoDnfUVUhhRB1uT7c0qKe_4s4MLR0Y7K1fOSvRBSCA/s320/door-open.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><a name="_Hlk103519572"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">You drive up to iron gate at a subdivision to visit
a friend. The gate is closed the keep people out, but you can open it if you
have a remote, or if you punch in the right code.</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><b>One of the ways God guides
us is through open and closed doors. </b>God has the ability to open doors that no
one can shut, and shut doors that no one can open (Rev. 3:7). An open door is
when an opportunity opens up for us, such as being offered a better job. He can
also prevent us from making a wrong decision by keeping the door closed. <b>When
God opens a door it’s for <u>our advantage</u>, and when He closes a door it’s for <u>our
protection</u>.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">Just because a door is
closed doesn’t meant that it’s not<i> </i>God’s will. Sometimes the Lord wants
to develop our faith by having us knock on the door until it opens. Jesus told
a parable about a man who went to a friend’s house at midnight and knocked on
his door, asking for bread (Luke 11:5-8). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">His neighbor denied his request and
wanted him to go away. But the man kept pounding on the door, knowing his friend
wouldn’t get any sleep until he opened it and gave him some bread. Jesus said,
“</span><span class="woj" style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend,
yet <u>because of</u></span></span><u style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> his persistence</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"> he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke
11:8).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">And just because a door
is open doesn’t mean that it is God’s will to walk through it. Sometimes an
opportunity looks too good to pass up, but the open door will actually hurt us if
we go down that road. So how do we know which open door to go through? <b>By
asking God for wisdom and discernment.</b> The Holy Spirit will guide us into all
truth, which includes choosing the right doors (John 16:13). </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://makinglifecount.net/bible-studies/104-answers-to-questions">104
Answers to Bible Questions</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></h2></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-39320380363903192522022-04-17T20:19:00.003-05:002022-04-19T17:08:15.192-05:00When Caterpillars Become Butterflies<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK4b9pM5SFb2dnc0jc89vDEd5lNed__6rW6U8qV1-JyB1jnl1rEYyiFuS-9aPsZsmXgRhPRoLsVVb1ZNNL0Y9QojjH0VWavfiN44DMvVgSV1yFB4wOpAegImbUM0bMk6GNNl-ILxP_6_GxJ5uqRXRBb2C53ExD18unyOoXxjUIp-aXudLxFIn-W0gSA/s637/butterfly.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="637" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK4b9pM5SFb2dnc0jc89vDEd5lNed__6rW6U8qV1-JyB1jnl1rEYyiFuS-9aPsZsmXgRhPRoLsVVb1ZNNL0Y9QojjH0VWavfiN44DMvVgSV1yFB4wOpAegImbUM0bMk6GNNl-ILxP_6_GxJ5uqRXRBb2C53ExD18unyOoXxjUIp-aXudLxFIn-W0gSA/s320/butterfly.gif" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Two
caterpillars were crawling across a hot sidewalk when a butterfly flew over
them. One caterpillar told the other, “I wouldn’t get up in that thing for a
million dollars.” </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">It’s
hard for a caterpillar to imagine that it will one day become a butterfly. </span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The
caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly is picture of the resurrection
body. When Jesus’ beaten, dead body was placed in the tomb, three days later it
came back to life and was transformed into a glorious, powerful resurrection
body. It was </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">the same body because the holes were still in His hands</u><span style="font-size: 10pt;">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Jesus
was <u>the first</u> to receive a resurrection body, and <u>every believer</u> in Him will
also receive one. </span><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Our
bodies will be transformed from our current “caterpillar” form into our future
“butterfly” status</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">.
John tells us, “N<span style="background: white;">ow we are children of God, and <b>we have not yet been shown what we
will be in the future</b>. But we know that when Christ comes again, <b>we will
be like Him</b></span>” (1 John 3:2).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Our
resurrection bodies will literally radiate brightness, just like Jesus after He
was glorified (Rev. 1:14,16). “The righteous will </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">shine forth as the sun</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> in the kingdom of their Father”
(Matt. 13:43). Our resurrection bodies will have supernatural abilities (1 Cor.
15::40-43), and we’ll never get tired or need sleep. </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">God will expand our
knowledge</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> so we’ll understand concepts that are impossible to grasp with
our present knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Why
will it be necessary to have supernatural strength and knowledge? It’s because
we will be serving God throughout eternity (Rev. 22:3). Those eternal assignments
will require us to be advanced in every way. We won’t know what our duties will
be until we get there. Until that day comes, be faithful in serving the Lord
here on earth. </span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">******************************************************************************************</span></span></p>
<h2 style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span></h2>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-63794158708949507232022-04-10T18:14:00.001-05:002022-04-13T09:13:52.393-05:00Why Did Jesus Ask for Two Donkeys?<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dCEtiMdsLZNFvezndPqkpDUFdtVbZA60s0Z1_KOW1n4M3UcemKqicZCF-5XBa3eRzg6lETn7FOSPrg7w1JEnvXxsrMRfig3qoxdN1oXYYyTF66D3R8N8QOBIw6-_TLNlABkU23T2qZHVuAEhvLednJ7ml_1ZNwvtRvLfgYHEM9wlUlAODvDtTUcJlw/s479/Jesus%20on%20donkey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dCEtiMdsLZNFvezndPqkpDUFdtVbZA60s0Z1_KOW1n4M3UcemKqicZCF-5XBa3eRzg6lETn7FOSPrg7w1JEnvXxsrMRfig3qoxdN1oXYYyTF66D3R8N8QOBIw6-_TLNlABkU23T2qZHVuAEhvLednJ7ml_1ZNwvtRvLfgYHEM9wlUlAODvDtTUcJlw/s320/Jesus%20on%20donkey.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Jesus
told two of His disciples, </span><span class="woj"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">“Go into the village opposite you, and
immediately you will find <b>a donkey tied there and a colt with her</b>; untie
them and <u>bring them to Me</u>” (Matt. 21:2). Wait a minute. Why did Jesus need
<b><u>two</u></b> donkeys? He intended to ride the young colt into Jerusalem.
The colt had never been ridden on (Luke 19:30), and <u>the mother donkey would come
along to keep her offspring calm</u>.</span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">When He
rode into Jerusalem, it was to announce He was their long-awaited Messiah and to
fulfill a prophecy given 500 years earlier: “Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—</span><b style="font-size: 10pt;">riding on a donkey’s colt</b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">” (Zech. 9:9).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
rode on the young colt</span></u></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">, and the mother donkey
may have walked next to them. He didn’t come riding on a white horse, like a
king coming to conquer. <u>To signify He was coming in peace</u>, the Prince of
Peace humbly rode on a small donkey. <b>That would be like the President of the
United States riding on a tricycle in his Inaugural Parade.</b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The
multitudes spread garments and palm branches on the road, while crying out, “Hosanna
. . . Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 21:9). Jesus was
their King, but He explained, “</span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">My kingdom is not of this world</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">” (John
18:36). He wasn’t going to overthrow Rome and sit on an earthly throne, but would
be dying for the sins of the world.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">In a
few days, the same crowd that cried “Hosanna!” (which means “Save now!”) would
be yelling “Crucify Him!” </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The next time He comes, He won’t ride on a donkey. He will
be on a white horse to judge the world (Rev. 19:11).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="margin-right: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b> </span></div></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-40518880460276169082022-04-03T17:50:00.001-05:002022-04-03T17:50:57.080-05:00God's Tear Bottle<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAz2pMar2wb8I1Dc5Mj8ouUWUfpmXeo9IVeMNKSRmH-8keJe1ar1vaQORXbv8R7Lj4frhwKuj1J0oZSa_HLjaNbgZxF_9otoWu6Akew6FOrQJLzSbvXADUREkhtAdtNvDyhVvvjy__Awq61dEq2eAmKnO0oIS2GZlGPjIVtNqRKI5IiwpJbjS9Ei5Uw/s320/tear-bottle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAz2pMar2wb8I1Dc5Mj8ouUWUfpmXeo9IVeMNKSRmH-8keJe1ar1vaQORXbv8R7Lj4frhwKuj1J0oZSa_HLjaNbgZxF_9otoWu6Akew6FOrQJLzSbvXADUREkhtAdtNvDyhVvvjy__Awq61dEq2eAmKnO0oIS2GZlGPjIVtNqRKI5IiwpJbjS9Ei5Uw/s1600/tear-bottle.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">David prays, “</span><span class="text"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">You
have taken account of my wanderings; <u>Put my tears in Your bottle</u>. Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8) David
is referring to the custom of collecting tears in a tear bottle. <b>Tear
bottles were vessels used to catch and preserve the owner’s tears during times
of grief and sorrow</b>. When ancient tombs have been opened, tear bottles have
been found in large numbers.</span></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Each member of the
family owned a tear bottle, which was considered one of the most cherished
possessions because </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">it represented all the heartaches and sorrows of the
individual</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. When a person died, his tear bottle was buried with him.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">On one occasion, Jesus
was in the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-40). A woman came into the
house and </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">washed His feet with her tears</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. It’s unlikely she would have
been able to cry enough tears to wash His feet, so it’s possible that she </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">took
her tear bottle with her and poured her tears on His dusty feet</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. Those
tears could not be replaced, so she might have been buried without a bottle of
tears next to her in the tomb.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">David’s prayer reminds
us that <b>God also has a “tear bottle” where He counts each pain and suffering,
</b>and </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">remembers every tear that His children shed</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. If you are going through a difficult time right now and crying tears of pain and sorrow,
God promises a better tomorrow to His children who trust in Him:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Psalm 30:5 “<u>Weeping</u></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> may endure for a night (now), but <u>joy</u> comes in the morning (future).”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in <u>tears</u> (now) shall reap with <u>joyful
shouting</u> (future).” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Jeremiah 31:13 “For I will turn their <u>mourning</u> (now) into <u>joy </u>(future)” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Matthew 5:4 “Blessed</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> are those who <u>mourn</u> (now), for they shall be <u>comforted</u> (future).”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 27pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Revelation 21:4 “He shall wipe away <u>every tear</u> from
their eyes…there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain (future).” <b><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a></b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">***********************************************************************************<br /><o:p></o:p></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/">www.makinglifecount.net</a> </span></b></span></h2>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-14576887684793922292022-02-27T18:09:00.000-06:002022-02-27T18:09:03.419-06:00Making the First Move in Peacemaking<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3cLUY3JiplE8nHFnHd2IMZEp-E_yOl8GYdb1S-dnZ2wgJgoyJQXdaT_hAZJx4B7lg5sPMf2RNyMb4X2IpLZ-xzR9ThpwIXRmeEcVE9SlqAcguvqU-TEecuhTIVkCYsrBb9BSiZ7p4p1RJFcM5drQ4sHRyhEioegfaamh8B9sVw5AW4VQ2gdkeD6rBrw=s380" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="380" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3cLUY3JiplE8nHFnHd2IMZEp-E_yOl8GYdb1S-dnZ2wgJgoyJQXdaT_hAZJx4B7lg5sPMf2RNyMb4X2IpLZ-xzR9ThpwIXRmeEcVE9SlqAcguvqU-TEecuhTIVkCYsrBb9BSiZ7p4p1RJFcM5drQ4sHRyhEioegfaamh8B9sVw5AW4VQ2gdkeD6rBrw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A bully approached a little boy. The boy was
scared he was about to get beaten up, so he quickly drew a line in the sand. He
told the bully, “Step across that line.” The bully stepped over it. With a grin
on his face the little boy said, “Now we’re both on the same side!”</span><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jesus said, “</span><span class="woj" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><u>Make friends
quickly with your opponent</u> at law, while you are with him on the way, so
that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge …and you be thrown in
prison” (Matt. 5:25). We</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> are usually too slow in resolving conflict,
which allows strained relationships to fester and creates painful consequences.
</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jesus<span class="woj"> said </span>to make peace with your enemy<span class="woj"> “quickly” to prevent something worse that could happen to you.</span></b><span class="woj" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You might be reluctant to make the first move
to reconcile, but </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">God will bless the one
who makes the first move in peacemaking</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. You step over the line—not to
fight, but to make peace. “If possible, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">so far as it depends upon you,</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">be at peace with all men”</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
(Rom. 12:18). Many times reconciliation is not possible, but God says </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">to
make an attempt</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If your attempt fails, you can still have peace
of mind because you obeyed God, even if your enemy won’t accept you. Sometimes your
attempt to make peace will break down the wall of enmity. You may never be
reconciled with someone refuses to work out differences. However, your attempt
can ease the tensions of a strained relationship, and </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">might even soften your
enemy’s heart</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Imagine if you were “both on the same side.” It
might even bring a grin to your face.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<h2 style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************</span></p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b> </h2>
</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-67490580715353953242022-02-13T20:30:00.001-06:002022-02-14T18:52:35.253-06:00Dog Thoughts vs. Human Thoughts<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiy_aF7RuvdbsqmAhS1a2z9YUHQkrM_R0p1npLbp9zfO0xl6OQOjaVq1Gk7iNofo2Y2oWp6C1PpkUNmbncJNcc28GbvKUChmBTgexUQbhLMDeCu01QXev8UcFrMJyB9GzvAULoKEMSrVwoM1WTP_oy9epZpoMD3pEKB9nVPWMqSJEZ63std7-YDAxU9A=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiy_aF7RuvdbsqmAhS1a2z9YUHQkrM_R0p1npLbp9zfO0xl6OQOjaVq1Gk7iNofo2Y2oWp6C1PpkUNmbncJNcc28GbvKUChmBTgexUQbhLMDeCu01QXev8UcFrMJyB9GzvAULoKEMSrVwoM1WTP_oy9epZpoMD3pEKB9nVPWMqSJEZ63std7-YDAxU9A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">Years ago, I had a dog
with an IQ 1, maybe 2. Sometimes he would look at me and tilt his head as if he
were trying to figure out what I was thinking. But there’s no way that he could
read my mind because human thoughts are higher than dog thoughts.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">If I read my dog Bandit every book in my
library, it would have been a waste of time. If I opened the hood of my car and
explained to him how to repair the engine, </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">he would comprehend nothing</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">.
Humans have a much higher level of knowledge and understanding than dogs, and </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">sending
him to Harvard wouldn’t do anything to increase his IQ</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Just as people are much smarter than dogs, God
is infinitely wiser and more intelligent than any human on earth.</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> “For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8-9)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">How does God guide two people, who don’t know
they are being led, to meet at a certain place and eventually get married? How
does God answer our prayers at just the right time? We aren’t capable of
understanding how He does this any more than Bandit understands how to read a
book or repair a car.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p>
<div style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">God is able to do far beyond all that we are
able to ask or even think</span></u><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">(Eph. 3:20). Stop
trying to figure out how God will answer your prayer or meet your needs. You
won’t be able to do it. Instead, just trust that He knows and is able to make
it happen.<br /></span><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.makinglifecount.net<br /></span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span><br /></div>
</div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-90155440966433966212022-02-06T18:03:00.000-06:002022-02-06T18:03:06.094-06:00What Are You Offering to God?<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzrvph0-EnwH01xCCn7OnhRLBNSK0NcuhcOxvKILsPKC4MnQoxM6zbQ-RrIWHN4Wdj0p_uMMjnk8IN22MQSdKmSkBDkW8Wr0_LC6evVBml0c5VGbECg2lxBrN8656vt-z-ATnqUYDMvZ0vGoOKFNya1QebMivRjsT1eoOgxbHcLlCvs4Q19eJL-_vOyw=s500" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzrvph0-EnwH01xCCn7OnhRLBNSK0NcuhcOxvKILsPKC4MnQoxM6zbQ-RrIWHN4Wdj0p_uMMjnk8IN22MQSdKmSkBDkW8Wr0_LC6evVBml0c5VGbECg2lxBrN8656vt-z-ATnqUYDMvZ0vGoOKFNya1QebMivRjsT1eoOgxbHcLlCvs4Q19eJL-_vOyw=w200-h160" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When my son Scott was four years old, I was
sitting in the living room when he walked up behind me. He said, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Dad, I
want to share my cupcake with you.”</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> I proudly patted myself on the back. I
thought, “</span><em style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I’ve
taught him well. My son is only four years old and he has already learned to be
a gracious giver.”</span></em><em style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When I turned around, he gave me his cupcake. <b>He had already eaten
all the icing off the top and was offering me the part he didn’t want!</b></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What Scott did with the cupcake is what we
often do with God. We don’t honor Him with our best offering, but whatever is left
over. The prophet Malachi rebuked Israel for doing that very thing. The Lord
wanted them to offer the very best of their flocks to Him as sacrifices.
Instead, they brought their sickly and diseased animals to the altar—the ones
they didn’t want and were about to die anyway. <b>They thought God wouldn’t notice
the difference.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 13.5pt;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Lord told them, “When you bring blind animals as sacrifices, that is
wrong. When you bring crippled and sick animals, that is wrong.” (Mal. 1:8). </span><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">They forgot God could
see their offerings</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.
He told them, “I am not pleased with you, nor will I accept an offering from
you” (Mal. 1:10).</span></p>
<div style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Remember <b>God is on the receiving end of our
worship</b>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Both Cain and Abel gave offerings to
God, but He didn’t view them in the same way. “</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Lord looked with
favor on Abel and his offering,</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span class="text">but on Cain and his offering
He did not look with favor</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">”
(Gen. 4:4-5). God rejected two things—Cain <u>and </u>his offering. </span></div><div style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Apparently,
Cain didn’t give his offering as an act of worship. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">God is pleased when we
give Him our best with a thankful heart, but He has no use for the bottom half
of the cupcake. He’s already received enough of those.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/">www.makinglifecount.net<br /></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b>www.makinglifecount.net</b></a><b> </b></span></div></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492258473333512659.post-74037245413895782962022-01-30T14:58:00.001-06:002022-02-01T08:51:41.442-06:00Making a Name for Yourself<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4_5Pzu8yPiuasYHt0eb8u7jA_Y_pOvQNQVmRIHW_VkeC2dzEChw8f428NayHkB5RFzYTnpdfL2kHLxewQAd4Srvz1-K9ODX0VasdeXoBHUDEIHi4bh-w3DI-2woFw39K_EH59zFzlIMYJBNWlFeCUsKN1a2CW3cTFxGzheR1HHtZ4dnZbAZNHoHdhIg=s2203" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="2203" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4_5Pzu8yPiuasYHt0eb8u7jA_Y_pOvQNQVmRIHW_VkeC2dzEChw8f428NayHkB5RFzYTnpdfL2kHLxewQAd4Srvz1-K9ODX0VasdeXoBHUDEIHi4bh-w3DI-2woFw39K_EH59zFzlIMYJBNWlFeCUsKN1a2CW3cTFxGzheR1HHtZ4dnZbAZNHoHdhIg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">After
graduating from high school, James Dobson arrived on the campus of Point Loma
College for his freshman year. He walked into the administration building and
saw a large trophy case, with a two-foot-high t<u>ennis trophy </u></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><u>prominently displayed </u></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><u>in the center. Engraved on the shaft were the names of all
the collegiate tennis champions back to 1947</u>.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">As he
stood before the historic trophy, he said to himself, </span><b style="font-size: 10pt;">“Someday I’m going to
add my name to the list of legends.”</b><i style="font-size: 10pt;"> </i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Becoming the college tennis
champ was his highest goal in life at that time. Nothing mattered to him more
than that. Dobson lettered in tennis all four years, and </span><u style="font-size: 10pt;">just as he dreamed,
his name was inscribed on the big trophy</u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. He was happy to know that future
generations of students would stand at that display case and read his name on
it.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Fifteen
years later, he received a phone call from a friend who had visited the
college. By chance he found the tennis trophy that had Dobson’s name engraved
on it in the dumpster! </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">The
athletic department decided to get rid of the less significant trophies to make
room for their new displays. That trophy, which meant so much to him, was now
just a piece of junk no one wanted. Dr. Dobson concluded, “If you live long
enough, life will trash your trophies.” (James Dobson, <i>Life on the Edge,</i>
59-61) </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
people want to make a name for themselves so they’ll always be remembered</span></u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">. But the fact is, not long after you die, no one will even
remember that you lived on this planet. “</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; font-size: 10pt;">For there is <b><i>no lasting remembrance</i></b> of the wise man as
with the fool, inasmuch as <b><i>in the coming days all will be forgotten</i>”</b>
(Eccl. 2:16). Instead of living to glorify your name, live to glorify God’s
name. “The world<b> </b>is passing away…but the one who does the will of God
lives forever” (1 John 2:17).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;">No one will remember you after you die, but if you’ll live to please the
Lord, He will remember your name throughout eternity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.makinglifecount.net</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">******************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BIBLE STUDY:</span></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Why_Do_the_Lists_of_Disciples_Have_Different_Names.pdf">Why
do the gospels list different names for the disciples?</a></span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<h3 style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Making Life Count Ministries<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">P.O. Box 680174<br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174<br /></span><a href="http://www.makinglifecount.net/"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">www.makinglifecount.net</span></b></a><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span></h3></div>Kent Crocketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599379776376201825noreply@blogger.com