Kent Crockett's Devotionals

Are You Angry at God?

2012-01-30T16:35:00.001-06:00

Jonah had gone up and down the streets of Nineveh preaching that God would destroy them in 40 days (Jonah 3:4). When the people of Nineveh repented, God decided that He wouldn't destroy the city because their hearts had changed. How did Jonah respond? "But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry" (Jonah 4:1). The Hebrew word for angry means "furious." Jonah was burning with anger against God because he thought He had made a mistake.

Do you understand why you get angry? We get angry because someone is doing something that we don't want them to do, or they are not doing something we want them to do. Someone is not meeting our expectations! We get angry at God for the same reason. We're mad at God because we think He has made a mistake. We want Him to do something for us, but He isn't obeying our wishes. He hasn't answered our prayers by our deadline. He's not meeting our expectations.

How can we stop being angry at God?
First, realize we don't have all the information that He has. Dt. 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the Lord"... and He's not obligated to tell us. If we knew that He knows, we would sheepishly say, "Oooooohhh, that's why!" When we stand before Him, He will answer all our questions, but until then, we must continue to trust Him.
Second, we've got to stop blaming God. God gets blamed for so many things He doesn't do. Just read Job 1-2 to see how Satan likes to cause destruction and then pin the blame on God.
Third, we must lower our expectations. We get angry because we want God to meet our demands. That's pride, and we know that "God resists the proud but give grace to the humble" (James 4:6). It could be that your anger at God is actually keeping you from being blessed. Humble yourself and ask God's forgiveness. If you will, you'll find that your anger will vanish.
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Mission Impossible

2012-01-23T11:23:00.001-06:00

After the whale vomited Jonah on dry land, God gave him another chance to fulfill his mission. His challenge was almost like Mission Impossible. "Your mission, Jonah, should you decide not to accept it, you will be swallowed by a whale that will bring you back to Israel, and we'll keep doing that until you finally do accept your assignment!"

His "impossible" mission was to be the first foreign missionary to an evil, pagan nation. Jonah saddled his donkey and rode 500 miles to preach to the Assyrians. When he arrives in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, he sees temples, shrines, and idols all over the city. They worshipped the fish god, and when archaeologists excavated Nineveh several decades ago, they found many stone images of a large fish with a man coming out of its mouth. Proof of Jonah, perhaps?

Jonah went up and down the streets of Nineveh preaching a five-word sermon: Forty--Days--More--Nineveh--Destroyed. (Jonah 4:3) He didn't need to learn the entire Assyrian language. He probably just yelled these five words in their language as he walked down the streets. Amazingly, the Ninevites heard his sermon and repented! The king of Nineveh stepped down from his throne, took off his robe, and put on sackcloth as an act of humility (Jonah 3:6). Repentance always begins by stepping off the throne and asking God to take that seat. When God saw that the entire city changed their hearts, He decided to not destroy them. Jeremiah 18:7-8 says that if a nation will repent, He will stop the judgment from happening. God gave the Ninevites another chance because they changed their ways.

God gave Jonah another chance. He gave the Ninevites another chance. And He will give you another chance too. But first you must repent and submit to God's will, just as Jonah and the Ninevites did.
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When You Hit Bottom

2012-01-17T17:07:00.001-06:00

After Jonah was thrown overboard and before he was swallowed by the whale, he "descended to the roots of the mountains" (Jonah 1:6). In other words, he "hit bottom." Maybe you've hit bottom. You're at the end of your rope and don't know what to do. Jonah tells us three things.

1.When you've hit bottom, cry out to God. "Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish and said, 'I called out of my distress to the Lord and He answered me'" (Jonah 2:1-2). God hears our prayers when we are desperate! When things are going well, we aren't too serious about praying. But when we hit bottom and are more desperate than ever before--that's when our cry comes to God's ear. Jonah said God heard his prayer and answered him.

2.When you've hit bottom, put your hope in God. Hope means "to expect something good to happen." Here's Jonah's situation. He's in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. He's inside a whale in complete darkness. He has no idea where the whale is taking him. Yet, Jonah makes an astounding statement of hope, "Nevertheless, I will look again toward your holy temple." Even though he was in a hopeless situation, he had hope that God would somehow, in some way, get him out of his problem. Does your situation seem hopeless? That's the time when you need to put your hope in God. (See Psalm 42:15)

3.When you've hit bottom, make a commitment to do God's will. Jonah goes on to say, "But I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay" (Jonah 2:9). Commitment is a decision to follow through with something you have started. Apparently Jonah had made some promises to God that he hadn't fulfilled. This is another statement that Jonah had hope of getting out of the whale. He told God that once he got out of the whale's belly, he would fulfill his vows. Have you fulfilled what you've promised to God? Jonah would have been much better off if he had obeyed God at the beginning. And that's true for all of us, so obey Him now and you'll avoid having to go into the whale's belly.

The whale took him back to Israel and vomited him on to dry land (Jonah 2:10). Ironically, Jonah ended up right when he started. But he was a lot wiser now.
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Unwelcome Assignments

2012-01-09T10:48:00.000-06:00

God gave the prophet Jonah an unwelcome assignment. He told him to go preach to the people of Nineveh, but instead of accepting his assignment, he ran the other way to Tarshish (Jonah 1:1-3). The Ninevites were extremely wicked and cruel. When they conquered in battle, they would literally skin their enemies alive, or cut off their heads, or cut of their hands, noses, ears, or tongues. It's no wonder that he ran!

Jonah got on board the ship to Tarshish, thinking God would leave him alone. But the Lord caused a great storm, which rocked the boat (Jonah 1:4). God will rock your boat when you try to run away from Him. Jonah admitted to the sailors that he was responsible for the storm. He told them if they would throw him overboard, the sea would become calm. Jonah had gone overboard in rebellion, and now he going overboard in repentance!

The sailors tossed him into the sea, which immediately became calm. God, through His amazing sovereignty, had a whale waiting for him at that exact place at just the right time. The whale swallowed him and then acted like a submarine to transport him back to Israel. It would have been much easier for Jonah if he would have just obeyed God in the first place! The cost of disobedience is always higher than the cost of obedience.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God is going to give you some unwelcome assignments. Learn from Jonah's mistake and tell God "yes," you'll do it. The unwelcome assignment might be being kind to someone who hates you, doing a difficult job, being patient with people who drive you crazy, or taking a stand that will make you unpopular. If God calls you to do it, trust Him to get you through it. And remember that whatever that task may be, it's not as difficult as Jonah's assignment to preach to the wicked people of Nineveh.
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Breaking the Chains of the Past

2012-01-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

The past doesn't exist anymore except in your memory. Although you can only live in the present, your mind can drift to another time and place--and you get stuck there! You may be the only person in the entire world who is thinking about something that happened in your past, but you won't let it go. Three chains can bind a person to the past--guilt, regrets, and hurts.

1.To break the chain of GUILT, you must receive God's forgiveness.
To "receive" means to "take it for yourself." If I buy a gift and offer it to you, it's not yours until you take it. Jesus shed His blood to cleanse you, but you won't experience that cleansing until you receive it for yourself. Acts 10:15 says, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." When God cleanses you, you must change the way you view yourself. You must no longer consider yourself unholy! Guilt is a result of sinning and now that God has cleansed you, you must not condemn yourself any more.

2.To break the chain of REGRETS, you must accept your current situation.
People have regrets because they received the consequences from a past mistake. How does God deal with our consequences? He adopts the consequences from the past into His plan. Adoption is when someone voluntarily chooses to accept a person born outside of the family into the household. It's an act of love. When God saved you, He adopted you into His family (Rom. 8:15, Eph. 1:5). And when He adopted you, He also adopted all that came with you, including the consequences. So you must now accept your current set of circumstances, understanding that God will accept you where you are right now and will lead you.

3.To break the chain of HURTS, you must forgive and let go.
Time doesn't heal wounds. It only makes you bitter. Forgiveness is the miracle cure that will heal your hurts from the past. Forgiveness means to release the anger from your heart. Just like you can hold on to things with your hands, you can hold on to things with your spirit. "Letting go" means to release what you are holding on to with your spirit. Let go of whatever happened in the past on move on.

As you obey the three things mentioned above, you will break the chains from the past and you'll experience joy and freedom! Are you chained or free?
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When You Pray and God is Silent

2011-12-20T11:56:00.002-06:00

Zacharias was performing his priestly service in the Temple when suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared to the right of the altar and said, "Zacharias, your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son" (Luke 1:13). To grasp the significance of this announcement, we must remember that he was "advanced in years" (Luke 1:7) and could very well have been 80 years old. The same Greek phrase "advanced in years" is used in Luke 2:37 of Anna, who was 84.

Elizabeth and Zacharias probably got married around age 20 or earlier and started praying for a child. Every day for 5 years they pray, but no answer.

Ten years pass. "Lord, please answer our prayer." No answer.
Fifteen years. "God, have we done something wrong? Don't you love us?" No answer.

Elizabeth passes the age to give birth. She turns 60, then 70, then 80. They can't understand why God never answered, yet they both continued to walk blamelessly, and refused to blame God or get angry with Him. Then Zacharias is "chosen by lot" to serve in the Temple that day. This position of service was decided by lot, and once he was chosen, this was the only time he could serve in the Temple during his lifetime. It was on this day that Gabriel shows up, calls Zacharias and Elizabeth by name, and tells them their prayer had been answered. Yes, the prayer that they prayed 60 years before!

What can we learn from this? Several things:
1.God hears our prayers, even when it seems like He doesn't.
2.He will answer the prayer in His timing, which usually isn't ours.
3.God's delays are not His denials. Don't give up trusting Him.
4.Angels know our names and where to find us. Gabriel called them by name and later he knew exactly where to find Mary (Luke 1:26-27).

5.We must continue to faithfully serve God, even when we don't understand. Zacharias and Elizabeth continued to faithfully serve God when they didn't receive a child. Many people turn bitter if the answer doesn't come when they expect it, but not Z & E.

6.The longer we have to wait, the better the answer will be. The child of Zacharias and Elizabeth was John the Baptist, whom Jesus said was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. John fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 4:6 and was the one who paved the way for the Messiah. John's ministry made the ministry of Jesus more effective, and that's why He needed a forerunner prophet to prepare the way.

Which brings us back to Zacharias and Elizabeth. They had no idea that their prayer for a child as a young married couple started a chain reaction of events that would change the world. And so if you've been praying for something and God seems silent, just remember your role models, Zacharias and Elizabeth.

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Identity Theft

2011-12-12T14:09:00.002-06:00

More than 9 million people have their identity stolen every year. Crooks want your personal information so they can impersonate you and charge your credit card without your knowledge. Now, more than ever, it's important to protect your identity.

Satan also wants to steal your identity and give you a false one. When Jesus was baptized, His Father spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased" (Matt. 3:17). Immediately after this, Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Satan said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (Matt. 4:3). The devil was trying to get Him to doubt who He was.

You don't see Jesus saying, "Well, I thought I was the Son of God, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I need to check out my magical powers. Pass me one of those rocks." Satan knew if he could get Jesus to doubt His identity, He would also question everything else His Father told Him. Instead of trying to prove who He was by misusing His power, Jesus simply chose to believe what His Father had said.

The devil will try to steal your identity by planting lying thoughts in your mind about who you are. Sometimes he uses people to put false labels on you such as, "You're stupid." "You're ugly." "You're gay." "Can't you do anything right?" Don't listen to every thought the pops into your mind! It could be Satan "phishing" for your identity. He wants you to bite on the lie and believe something that's not true. Your identity comes what from you believe about yourself, even if it's a lie.

Here's what the Heavenly Father says about you. If you have received Jesus Christ into your life, you have a new identity. You are a new person and your old life is gone (2 Cor. 5:17). God says you are now a child of God (1 John 3:2). You're not just a citizen of earth, but now you're also a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20). Do you believe what God says, or are you believing a lie?
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The Parable of the Apple Orchard

2011-12-05T11:54:00.002-06:00

A farmer went into town to get a haircut. He brought an apple with him from his orchard to give to the barber. The barber took a bite and said, "This is the most delicious apple that I've ever eaten. Where did you get it?" The farmer replied, "I grew it in my orchard. You can come out and pick as many apples as want. Just call me first and I'll take you out there."

A couple of weeks later, the barber was driving by the farmer's orchard and remembered his offer to let him pick apples. He pulled his car over, got out, and picked an apple. He took a bite and it was the most bitter apple he had ever tasted. He went to another tree, grabbed an apple, and it too was sour. He tried one more tree with the same results.

When the farmer came back to get a haircut, the barber said, "I stopped by your orchard and picked some apples, but they were all bitter and weren't like the really good tasting one that you brought me."

The farmer said, "Remember, I told you to call me first. I planted bitter apple trees along to road because people kept stopping and stealing my apples. Once they taste my bitter apples, they don't come back. The delicious apples are planted further away from the road."

Satan uses this same tactic to keep people away from God. He plants the most bitter and vocal church members out front for everyone to see and hear. Unbelievers are turned off by them and will say, "If that's what God is like, I don't want any part of Him!" Satan misrepresents God through "church-going" people who might not even be saved and don't act like Christ-like.

David said, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). I can't taste something for you. You must do it for yourself. Just make sure are truly tasting the Lord and not a bitter apple that's pretending to be sweet. Once you've tasted the true God, you will see that He is good!
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The Invisible Fence

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000-06:00

When my friend Joe Hamlet acquired a Golden Retriever, he wanted to make sure that his dog "Gipper" wouldn't get hit by a car, so he installed an "invisible fence" around his property. He buried an electrical wire a few inches deep under the soil, which was connected to a small box that sent out a signal to a receiver in the dog's collar.

Whenever Gipper walked near the property line, the collar chirped, which warned him to back away. If he ignored the warning and started crossing the boundary, he received a shock from the invisible fence, which taught him to stay inside the area. After a few chirps and shocks, his dog started figuring out where he could and couldn't go. If Gipper wandered near the road, he would hear a chirp. He didn't want to get shocked again, so he would move back into the yard.

God has put an "invisible fence" inside everyone called a conscience, which warns us when we're about to do something wrong. Romans 2:15 says, "The law (is) written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit will warn you, like sending out a chirp, to keep you from going to the wrong places. Are you listening to Him? If you ignore the warnings, you may be heading for the shock of your life. That doesn't have to happen. Do what's right and follow the Holy Spirit. God will always bless you when you do the right thing.
[Note: Joe Hamlet has written a book about his dog called "The Gospel According to Gipper." To read a sample chapter, go to www.joehamlet.org ]

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Where's My Pie?

2011-11-21T14:42:00.002-06:00

Carol wanted to do something nice for her neighbor Mrs. Smith, so she baked a pie and carried it next door. When Mrs. Smith opened the door, she was surprised to see her holding a pie. She replied, "For me? Oh, thank you so much! You just don't know how much I appreciate it! You are so thoughtful for doing this! Thank you!"

Because Mrs. Smith liked the pie so much, Carol decided the next week to bake another one. When she took it over, Mrs. Smith opened the door and said, "Thank you so much. You are so kind!"

She took another pie over the following week, and Mrs. Smith simply replied, "Thanks."
Carol took another pie over the next week and Mrs. Smith responded, "You are a day late with that pie."

The following week she baked her another pie. This time her neighbor said, "Try using a little more sugar and don't bake it quite as long. The crust has been a little bit hard lately. And next time, I want cherry filling. Did it ever occur to you that I might be getting tired of apple?"

The next week Carol was so busy, she wasn’t able to cook for her neighbor. When Carol passed walked her house on the way to the store, Mrs. Smith stuck her head out the window, yelled, "Where's MY PIE?!"

It's easy to take our blessings for granted, isn't it? When God keeps sending blessings to us, we start thinking that we deserve them. Instead of being thankful, we start complaining. The process happens so slowly we don't realize that it's happening to us.

Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to thank Him (Luke 17:12-19). If you were to ask the nine lepers who didn't return if they were thankful for being healed, they would probably say, "Of course we're thankful." But we know that they weren't! Most people don't view themselves as ungrateful.

My question to you is, "Are you thankful for what God has done for you?" You will probably say, "Yes." My next question is, "How many times did you thank God yesterday?" Twenty times? Thirty times? None? True thankfulness is always expressed through words, deeds, and gifts. Using those three things, let God know how thankful you are, starting right now. God loves to be thanked!
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Finding Diamonds in the Sewer

2011-11-14T10:42:00.001-06:00

Roy Parrino has a job that you probably wouldn't like. Roy works in a sewer, where he helps clean out 650 miles in the Los Angeles area. Parrino says, "You really have to psych your mind up for it. You're going into the filthiest environment there is. It's like being inside a big toilet." How can a person who works in a sewer get excited about going to work every day?

The first day on the job, Roy climbed out of the sewer holding a 2-carat topaz ring that he had found. But that's not all. Parrino has found gold necklaces, bracelets, and even diamond rings while working in the sewer. When Roy goes down into the sewer, he starts looking for diamonds!

Maybe you think that the job where you work, or some person that you know, is like being in a sewer. God has placed diamonds and every sewer and it's your job to find them! There's good and bad in every situation, and you get to choose what you'll focus on. When the cameraman inside your heart zooms in on your blessings, you will give thanks. When the camera zooms in on your problems, you'll complain.

The Scripture says, "In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18). Many people think that "God's will" is finding the right job, the right house to buy, or the right person to marry, but none of those things can be blessed without having the right attitude. It's God's will for us to have a thankful attitude--every day, all day long. It grieves the Holy Spirit when we complain when we're surrounded by blessings.

God wants you to search for the diamonds in your situation, even it's in a sewer. Seeing the good in your situation and giving thanks to God is what He wants to hear from you. http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

I Love Me, I Love Me Not

2011-11-07T16:02:00.000-06:00

To love self, or not to love self. That is the question. Jesus said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39). He says to love yourself. I love me.

Jesus also said, "If anyone come to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). Here He says to hate yourself. I love me not.

When we read these verses that seem to contradict each other, it makes us wonder, "Should I love me, or love me not?" If God loves me, shouldn't I love me? And here's another question. If Jesus commands us to love everyone, including our enemies, why is He now telling us to hate our next of kin?

In those days, the word "hate" didn't always mean to stop loving someone. The word "hate" is an idiom or expression of preference, where one person is preferred over another. Jesus said no one can serve two masters because he will hate the one and love the other (Luke 16:13), which means to prefer one over the other. Likewise, when the Scripture says to hate self, it means to hate selfishness, not the person that God created you to be. To "die to self" means to stop selfishness, not commit suicide.

A prison chaplain told me that prisoners commit crimes because they hate themselves. He said, "If they don't respect themselves, why would they respect others?" He teaches them that God loves them and so they can love themselves, and in turn love others. Jesus created you and died for you so that you can be with Him forever. It only makes sense that it's right to love yourself as God loves you.

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Choosing Your Chair

2011-10-31T15:08:00.000-05:00

It's interesting what Jesus notices. He noticed how people gave their offerings in the Temple treasury (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus noticed how the invited guests at a wedding feast were picking out the places of honor for themselves (Luke 14:7-11). They were scrambling to get to the most prestigious seats.

At these feasts, the guests sat on a couch that had 3 seats around a table called a "triclinium." Nine people could be seated at a time. The most important seat was in the exact middle, and the 2nd and 3rd most important were to his right and left. Remember, James and John wanted to sit on Jesus' right and left in His kingdom (Mark 10:37). Seats 4-6 were to the right side, and seats 7-9 were on the left. If you looked at the triclinium, you could instantly see who was #1 in importance and who was #9. People would arrive early so they could sit in the seats of honor. They wanted to look more important than others. Their self-esteem and significance was determined by their chairs!

We don't find significance in chairs today. Or do we? Yes, we still have chairs today, although they don't look like chairs. Here are some "modern-day chairs" that people sit in, trying to feel significant: Popularity, the brand of clothes you wear, your number of Facebook friends, the car you drive, the house you live in, your salary, educational degrees, your physical appearance, your success, your job title, and trying to be famous. Although these things aren't wrong in themselves, many people use them to determine their self-esteem.

Jesus told the invited guests, "But when you are invited, go and sit in the last seat." Why would He tell us to do that? It's because He doesn't want our significance determined by a chair. God wants us to find our self-esteem in relationship to Him. We'll talk more about that next week.

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The Prodigal Son's Repentance

2011-10-24T17:05:00.001-05:00

In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-23), we see a process where God brings someone who has rebelled to the place of repentance. Here are some of the steps:

1. Rebellion against the father (v.11-12) The son asked for his inheritance even though his father was still living. He loved the father's money more than he loved the father. We always rebel on the inside before it shows on the outside.

2. Rejection of the father's presence. (v.13) Not many days after this, he gathered his belongings and went on a journey to a foreign country. It doesn't take long for the outward separation of a rebellious heart to manifest itself. His father didn't chase him down the road, begging him to return because he knew nothing he could say would change his rebellious son's mind.

3. Removal of God's provision. (v.14) After the son spent everything he had, a famine hit the land. It always does. God will remove His blessing and provision to bring the person to repentance. Some people don't realize what they have until it is taken away.

4. Realization of his true condition. (v.17) The son got a job feeding pigs, which every Jew despised. This wasn't what he had in mind when he left home. He finally "came to his senses" and realized he had made a big mistake.

5. Repentance in his heart (v.18-19) Repentance always produces a change in heart. People who repent don't point fingers at others and accuse them. The son took the blame and said, "I have sinned against heaven."

6. Returning to his father (v.20) The change in his heart changed his behavior. He decided to go back home to work as a hired man for his father.

7. Reconciliation with his father (v.20). When his father saw him coming down the road, he ran to embrace him. He didn't run after him when he left, but he did run to him when he returned because his heart was drawing toward him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). That's a direction where you're going.

Where are you in your relationship with God? Are you running away from Him or toward Him? If you will change your heart, He will run to embrace you!

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God's Providential Will

2011-10-10T19:42:00.001-05:00

There are three parts to God's will.

1. God’s Perfect Will

This is what God wants to happen. We are in God's perfect will when we obey Him. Romans 12:2 says “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The greatest blessings are when we follow God's perfect will.

2. God’s Permissive Will

This is when God allows us to choose our own path. We are in God's permissive will when we disobey Him. Acts 14:16 says, “He permitted all the nations to go their own ways.” Everyone has a right to make their own decisions, even if it is a wrong decision! God’s permissive will went into effect when Israel chose Saul to be their king. It wasn’t what God wanted, but He allowed them to do it. We always suffer the consequences when we choose our own way over God's.

3. God’s Providential Will

This is when God overrules the permissive will. Eph. 1:11 says, “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but God later promoted him to be a ruler in Egypt. Years later, when Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he told them, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20). The "big hand" and the "little hands" were both working at the same time. It's like a chess game that God is playing with people on earth. God uses evil people as pawns in His hand to accomplish His purposes. It will be hard for you to see this until you totally submit yourself under His hand.

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What does Faithfulness Mean?

2011-10-03T23:32:00.000-05:00

Are you faithful? Jesus said, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much" (Luke 16:10). Here's what faithfulness means.

1. Faithfulness means excellence. Excellence doesn't doing more things, but doing things better. It means doing our very best in every situation because we believe that the Lord is watching us.

2. Faithfulness means integrity. Integrity means being above reproach morally, even when no one is watching. A store owner interviewed a young man for a job and asked, "If I hire you to work for me, will you be honest and truthful?" The young man answered, "I'll be honest and truthful whether you hire me or not."

3. Faithfulness means dependability. Dependable people can be relied upon to fulfill their commitments. When a job is assigned to a dependable worker, the boss never has to worry if the job will get done on time. Your faithfulness is determined by the commitment in your heart, not by outside pressure.

4. Faithfulness means perseverance. Jesus said, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). Faithfulness means you keep running to the finish line. Don't drop out before then, like so many people. The race you're running won't be over until you die. Be faithful until death. He promises great eternal reward if you will.

You are being evaluated in this life so you can be rewarded with something much greater in the next life. But are you being faithful?

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The Big Hand and the Little Hand

2011-09-26T11:26:00.001-05:00

The little hands and the big hand are both involved in what happens on earth. The little hand is the human hand (the free will of man) and the big hand is God's hand (the sovereignty of God). When the little hands are doing their dirty work, it's hard to see God's hand being in charge. Let's look at the little hands and the big hand in Joseph's situation.

After Joseph's brothers used their dirty little hands to throw him into the pit, they look up and see a group of traders coming by. Instead of killing him, which was their original plan, they decided to make some money by selling him as a slave (Gen. 37:25-28).

Here we see God’s big hand at work. What are the odds that a group of traders would come to them at just the right time? If they had come a day before or a day after, they would not have met them. It they had traveled a mile to their right or a mile to their left, they would not have met. But they came down the exact path where the pit was, and at just the right time. Even though the traders didn’t know that God was leading them, His big hand was clearly guiding them.

God was going to exalt Joseph to be a ruler in Egypt, but he had to get there first. His brothers weren’t going to take him there. And so these Midianites come by and guess where they “just happened” to be going? Egypt! What are the odds? This looks like a chance meeting, but it wasn’t. This was a divine appointment so Joseph could get transported to Egypt. Many times what looks like ordinary circumstances to us can be events directed by the big hand of God.

The little hands pulled him out of the pit and took 20 shekels of silver for him. His brothers were evil, but God was using their dirty little hands to accomplish His purposes. God sees the big picture and once all the dots were connected, He would make Joseph a ruler.

What have the dirty little hands done to you? Stop looking at what the little hands are doing and keep your eye on God's big hand. He will work all things together for good. It will make the difference between living in misery and living with joy!

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Pit Stops

2011-09-19T13:55:00.001-05:00

God gave Joseph two dreams that he would become a ruler over his brothers. His brothers were filled with hate and jealousy, and planned to kill him. Instead, they changed their minds and threw him in a pit in the wilderness, trying to keep his dreams from coming to pass (Gen. 37:5-24).

Along life's highway, sooner or later someone will throw you into a pit in an effort to kill your dreams. The dream is the destiny that God has for you. The pit is the obstacle that tries to kill your dreams. Here are three facts about the pit.

1.The pit was planned by God.

The pit was actually an abandoned cistern, which someone had dug to collect water. God had led his brothers to Dothan (although they were unaware of His leading them) because that was where the pit was. Someone had to dig that pit at an earlier time without realizing God would use it as a holding tank to save Joseph's life. So that pit had a divine purpose. If the pit hadn't been there, his brothers would have killed him on the spot.

2.The pit makes us think the dream has died.

When Joseph was at the bottom of his pit, it didn't look like he would be a ruler in Egypt one day. There wasn't even one shred of evidence inside that dark pit that God was with him, or that his dreams would come to pass. But He was with him, and his dreams did become reality. Keep holding on to your dreams in times of darkness!

3.The pit makes us more dependent on God.

His brothers stripped Joseph of the multi-colored coat his father had given him (Gen. 37:23). When we are in the pit, we are stripped of our pride. We come to the point of helplessness. We re-examine our priorities. The pit refines us, which takes us to a new level of spiritual growth.

Eventually Joseph came out of the pit and fulfilled his destiny. So will you.
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Doubt makes us Double-Minded

2011-09-12T14:37:00.000-05:00

Scientists once studied a snake that had two heads. Each head had a mind of its own and wanted to control the body. One moment it would crawl one way, and then the other mind would take over and the snake would crawl in a completely different direction. The double-minded snake is a picture of a person who doubts--he can't make up his mind. One mind tells him yes, while the other mind tells him no, and he wavers between the two. Here is how doubt can affect us.

1.Doubt makes us unstable in all our ways. James 1:8 says, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." The Greek word for unstable means "restless" and "unsettled." It's like being on the waves of the sea that take you up and down. Doubt takes us up and down on an emotional roller-coaster, which makes us unstable.

2.Doubt keeps us from making decisions. I knew a man who would say, "I think I need to do this" and then a little while later, "I think I need to do that." Then he would ask, "What do you think I should do?" He wanted someone else to make his decisions for him because he couldn't decide.

3.Doubt keeps us from making commitments. A doubter won't make a commitment because it means you've got to be sure about what you want to do. Doubt takes away that certainty.

The way to stop doubt is to put a filter on your mind. An open mind is like an open window--it needs a screen on it to keep the bugs out! You must learn to discern God's voice and screen out those voices that contradict it. When you stop the negative thoughts from entering, your doubt will leave.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

No More Than You Can Handle

2011-09-05T23:05:00.004-05:00

I know a man who was helping unload a U-Haul truck of someone who was moving. He was inside the truck, handing out large pieces of furniture for the men to carry into the house. This man’s four-year-old grandson also wanted to help.

The grandfather knew he couldn't give the little boy heavy objects to carry like a dresser. Instead, he handed him little boxes, small appliances, and light objects. He knew the limitations of the four-year-old child, and he wouldn't give him any more than he could handle.

In the same way, our Father in heaven knows our ability and strength, and He’s not going to give us any more than we can handle. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation (Greek-"test") has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (or "tested”) beyond what you are able to handle.” God knows our limits and He’s not going test us with more than we can bear.

However, sometimes He will let the test take you to your limit. Just ask any athlete who's ever been in the weight room. The only way he can get stronger is if he lifts something heavier than he's lifted before. God knows your limit, and while He may allow you to go the edge so you can experience His power, He will never allow you to go over the edge.
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Trusting God Through Storms

2011-08-29T17:24:00.003-05:00

In Mark 4:35-40, the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee when a huge storm hit. Waves were crashing over the sides and filling up their boat. Jesus was sleeping in the stern as the disciples panicked.
Perhaps you are going through a storm and your boat is filling up. What should you do when the storm hits?

1. Remind God of His Promises.
Before they set sail, Jesus told them, “Let us go over to the other side.” He didn’t say, “Let us go under” or “Let us go half way to the other side, and then we’ll sink to the bottom of the sea.” He promised them ahead of time that they would arrive safely. If they would have remembered His Words and trusted Him, they would not have panicked.
We find many places in the Bible where people reminded God of His promises. You can tell Him, “Lord, you told me in Matt. 6:34 to not worry about tomorrow, so I’m going to trust what you said.” “Lord, you told me in Heb. 13:5 that you will never fail me or forsake me.” “Lord, you said in Phil. 4:19 you would provide all my needs.”

2. Put your trust in the Lord.
Psalm 56:3-4 says “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You . . . In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid.” To “put” means to transfer from one place to another. You put gasoline into your car by transferring it from the pump to the gas tank. You put valuables in your safety deposit box by transferring it from your home to the bank. So when you put your trust in the Lord, you transfer it from yourself to Him.

3. Believe that He is in control of your storm.
The disciples went to Jesus and yelled, "Jesus! Wake up!" I can’t imagine Jesus waking up, rubbing His eyes, and saying, “Whoa! I had no idea that this storm was going on!” Of course He was aware of their situation. To calm down the disciples, Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and immediately it became calm. By stopping the storm, it proved that He had control over it. But most people miss the fact that the storm was also under His control when He was sleeping. Jesus knew that His Father was controlling the size of the waves and the amount of water in the boat.
Are you putting your complete trust in God when you're going through a storm, and when everything is fine?
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Walking by Faith, not by Sight

2011-08-22T15:23:00.003-05:00

Second Corinthinans 5:7 says “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Does that mean we should close our eyes whenever we walk or drive down the road? Of course not. It means that as we go through life, we can't base our decisions simply on the things we can see, but we must also take into account what God has said.
Abraham had to walk by faith when God told him to leave his own country and go to an unknown land. We can learn several things from him about how to walk by faith.

1. To walk by faith . . . you must hear God speak to you.
The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you” (Gen. 12:1-2). Notice that his walk by faith began with God speaking to him. This trip wasn't Abraham's idea. It was God's. Abraham didn't leave his country because he was discontented, running from bill collectors, or didn't like the people of Ur. He went on the journey because God told him to.

2.To walk by faith . . . you must obey even when you don’t have much information.
God said, “Go…to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1) What’s surprising about this is how little information God gave him. No map. No compass. We want all our questions answered before we start walking by faith, but then it wouldn’t take faith, would it? But Abraham didn’t know where to go. Once he walked through the front door, he didn’t know what would happen next. But he took that first step by faith, trusting God to lead him. God said "to the land I will show you." He had to get down the road first, and then He would show him.

3.To walk by faith . . . you must believe He is guiding you, even if you have no proof. Heb. 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” He left his house and just started traveling, having no idea where he would end up. He had to trust that God was leading him even though he had no evidence of it. After traveling 450 miles, he arrived in the land of Canaan and God finally spoke again, "To your descendents I will give this land" (Gen. 12:7). The land turned out to be the Promised Land!

When you walk by faith, you have no idea what will happen after you take the first step of faith. Then you take a second step, then a thirdstep, and eventually you end up where God wants you. You don’t know where you are going, but God knows where He’s leading you. Just because you don’t know, doesn’t mean God doesn’t know. But if you will keep walking by faith, He will lead you to your Promised Land.

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Church that Jesus Builds

2011-08-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

After Peter told Jesus that He was the Christ, He replied, "Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven...and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it" (Matt. 16:17-18). This was the first time Jesus ever used the word "church." The disciples were probably thinking, "What's a church?"

The Greek word for "church" means "the called out ones." These are people who are called out of the world to follow Him and His ways. What kind of church is He constructing, and what is it supposed to look like? Here are some things about the church that Jesus builds:

1) It is built on revelation, not speculation. Jesus told Peter that His Father had revealed this truth to him. Reveal means "to pull back the curtain or veil," so that you see things that you've never seen before. Once you actually see who Jesus really is, it will change the way you think and act. It is a life-changing experience.

2) It is built more on followship than leadership. Jesus continually talked about following and said little about leading. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). He was looking for followers who would deny themselves. Leadership becomes easy when you have people who are willing to follow. So where do the leaders come from? The people who faithfully serve Him with godly attitudes become qualified to become the leaders in His Church.

3) It will fight Satan and not other believers. Satan is the enemy, not other Christians. Jesus said, "The gates of hell will not overpower it." Hell is Satan's domain. I've never seen a soldier attack anyone with a gate because it's not an offensive weapon. A gate is designed to keep an invading army from taking it over. The Church is called to plunder the devil's kingdom and set the captives free, and the gates of hell aren't strong enough to keep us out! Satan knows this, so he plants lies through gossip and slander so that Christians will attack other believers instead of him.

4) It is built on submission to authority, not resistance to authority. "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable to you" (Heb. 13:17). Contrary to popular belief, submission is not a curse word. Humility and submission are linked together, just as pride and rebellion are linked together. It's impossible to submit to authority without humility. Humility is having a cooperative spirit.

5) It is built on love, joy, peace and not hate, anger, turmoil. Having a good attitude is a basic building block of His Church. Gal. 5:20-22 tells us the works of the flesh are strife, outbursts of anger, dissensions, and factions, while the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace. James 2:19 says the demons also believe, and tremble. They believe in God, but they still act like demons. If our faith isn't producing the character of Christ in us, then something is wrong with our faith!
www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Casting a Mountain Into the Sea

2011-08-08T07:46:00.002-05:00

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall happen" (Mark 11:23). He was telling the truth because He said, "Truly I say to you..."

Why would anyone want to do that? Jesus wasn't talking about reasons why someone would do that, but the potential of what faith can do. Mountains don't have ears, so they can't hear you speaking. Even if they did, they couldn't understand what you are saying because they don't know languages. So then, who is listening to you speak to the mountain? What is making the mountain move? God is the one who hears your words, and He is the only who can make the mountain move. He is responding to your words spoken by faith.

Why didn't Jesus just demonstrate it for His disciples? He could have spoken to the mountain, pulled it up into the air, floated it over Israel and dropped it into the sea, and then said, "Did you guys see what I just did? That's what possible with faith!" The reason He didn't do it was because He had already demonstrated the power of the spoken word just before this in Mark 11:13-14,20-21 when He cursed the fig tree. After the disciples saw that the fig tree withered, Jesus told them, "What works for fig trees also works for mountains."

Are you speaking words of faith of what God will do, or words of unbelief? Proverbs 16:23 says, "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth." Rather than complaining about your problem (the mountain you face), teach your mouth to speak positively about what God will do to fix it.
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Three Parts of Faith

2011-07-25T13:36:00.007-05:00

Jesus talked about the three parts of faith in Mark 11:22-24.
1)The object of your faith. v.22--He said, "Have faith in God." God is the object of our faith that we look to. It's easy to place faith in our money, our jobs, our own understanding, or something else. Is your faith truly in God, or something else that you think brings security?

2)The potential of your faith. v.23--Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted you." Even though Jesus always told the truth, sometimes He would say "Truly, truly I say to you" because what He was about to say was going to be hard for them to believe. This was probably the most startling illustration He ever used--casting a mountain into the sea by faith! The mountain was the Mount of Olives and the nearest sea was the Dead Sea, which was 15 miles away. Jesus said that telling a mountain to be uprooted and transported 15 miles away actually was possible with faith! The mountain represents your problem and your faith is what can overcome that problem. What is the problem you are facing today?

3)The application of your faith. v.24--"Therefore, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." The word "therefore" means He is connecting what He just said, with something He is about to say. He is saying, "Take what I just said about moving a mountain by faith and apply it to everything you pray for." God doesn't just want us to pray, but to pray with faith, expecting God to answer.

To hear the entire message, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on Faith pt 1 "The Object of Your Faith."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

How Your Attitude Affects Others

2011-07-18T13:58:00.003-05:00

Your attitude doesn't just affect you, but also everyone around you. An Army private was serving apricots in the chow line to the other soldiers. When the first hundred soldiers went through the line, he asked, "You don't want any apricots, do you?" Only 10% said they did.

When the next hundred soldiers came through the line, he changed the question and asked, "Would you like some apricots?" When he asked it this way, 50% of the soldiers wanted them.

He asked the next hundred soldiers who came through the line, "Would you like one bowl of apricots or two?" This time 50% of the soldiers wanted one bowl, and 40% wanted two bowls!

What changed? The apricots didn't change, but the way they were perceived did change. It changed from something they didn't want, to something they did want, to something that was so good they wanted more.

Your attitude and the way you talk about people affects others in the same way--either positively or negatively. God wants His children to be positive and encouraging. The apostle Paul said it like this, "Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable, let your mind dwell on these things" (Phil. 4:8).

To listen to the entire message on optimism and pessimism, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Empty Net Syndrome."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Heavenly City & New Earth

2011-07-11T10:50:00.005-05:00

This is the last in a series I've been teaching on Bible prophecy. Next week I'll have a new topic.

Many Scriptures tell us that this present earth will be destroyed with fire and God will create new heavens and a new earth (See 2 Pet. 3:7-10, Rev. 21:1, Isa. 65:22, Matt. 24:35). Seventy percent of Earth is covered with water, but the New Earth will not have any oceans (Rev. 21:1). The "heavens" that God will create are a new atmospheric heaven and a new universe.

The heavenly city (New Jerusalem) will descend out of heaven and will settle on the New Earth. The city will be in a cube 1,500 miles high, wide, and deep. It's slightly smaller than the moon and could accommodate 100 billion people.

Rev. 21:24 says, "And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it." The city will be so bright that it will illuminate the entire earth. Just like there are nations and kings on the present earth, so there will be on the New Earth. The "kings" of the earth are the people who were the most faithful servants of God in this present life. In the next life, those servants of God will be elevated to the highest positions. The kings of the earth will "bring their glory" into the New Jerusalem. Apparently the "glory" is something that's being produced on the New Earth, and the kings will have the privilege of bringing it into the city as an offering to honor the Lord.

Rev. 22:3 says, "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it (the heavenly city), and His bondservants will serve Him." In the next life we will have job assignments that will be like eternal hobbies. We don't know what these jobs will be because it's beyond our present knowledge, but the best assignments will be granted to those who were the most faithful on the present earth. After we die and stand face-to-face with God, our knowledge will be expanded and then we will understand (1 Cor. 13:12). To hear the entire message on eternity, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on End Times pt. 8--"Eternity"

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Satan Released From Hell?

2011-07-04T08:52:00.005-05:00

Immediately after Jesus returns at the Second Coming, Satan will be bound in the abyss for 1,000 years so that he cannot deceive the nations. When the 1,000 years are completed, the devil is released for a short time (See Rev. 20:1-3, 7). What does this mean, and why will God let Satan out of hell?

First we must understand that a new dispensation, which we call the "Millennium," will begin after Jesus sets up His kingdom on earth. You've probably haven't heard much teaching on this subject, but many Scriptures talk about this time period. (I recommend Mark Hitchcock's book 101 Answers to the Most Asked Questions About the End Times for further study.) Why is the devil released? Here are some facts that you need know:

1. The saved people who are alive at the Second Coming will enter Jesus' kingdom on earth in their natural bodies. (Matt. 25:34, Zech. 14:16)

2. Jesus will be king over the entire earth (Zech. 14:9, Ps. 2:6). This isn't taking place in heaven, but on earth.

3. The people who survived Armageddon will begin repopulating the earth. Isa. 65:20,23 says, "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days...for the youth will die at age one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed...They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord." Satan is bound in hell during this time, but the people born during the Millennium will have a sin nature and will need to be saved. They must place their faith in Christ as their Savior, just as we do today.

4. The people living on earth during that time will be required to go to Jerusalem once a year to worship Jesus (Zech. 14:16). However, some people will refuse to go there and worship Him! (Zech. 14:17-18).

5. By the end of the 1,000 years, the planet will be covered with people. "The number of them is like the sand of the seashore" (Rev. 20:8). These people will have a sin nature but have never been tempted by Satan. So why is the devil released from the abyss? It's to test the people born during the Millennium to determine which side they are on.

"And [Satan] will come out to deceive the nations which are on the four corners of the earth" (Rev. 20:8).

Suddenly, the people on earth are faced with temptations they didn't have before, as the devil and his demons bombard them with rebellious thoughts. They surround Jerusalem in an attempt to overthrow Jesus and His throne. Immediately fire comes down and destroys them (Rev. 20:9). Satan is thrown into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:10). This time he won't get out.

To hear the entire message, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "End Times pt 7: Life in the Millennium"

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

The "End of the World" is not the End of the World

2011-06-27T11:01:00.005-05:00

When Jesus returns at the Second Coming, it will not be "the end of the world." There are two Greek words for "world." One word refers to the planet, while the other word means "the age," which is the way God deals with His people during a certain period of time. God will not destroy the planet when Christ returns, but this age as we know it will end. Then a new time period will begin called "The Millennium," which is the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth (Rev. 20:4). What are some of the things that will happen during the Millennium?
1.Satan will be bound up in the abyss for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:3).
2.The saved people who are alive at the Second Coming will enter the kingdom in their natural bodies (Matt. 25:34).
3.The lost people who are alive at the Second Coming will be cast into hell (Matt. 25:41).
4.Jesus will be king over the entire earth (Zech. 14:9).
5.The curse on the earth as a result of Adam & Eve's sin will be lifted (Zech. 14:11) Thorns, thistles, and weeds will be gone. The earth will become like the Garden of Eden.
6.The animals will be changed back to their original state when they were created. (Isa. 11:6-9). After Adam and Even sinned, many of the animals became predators. They will become peaceful again. The wolf and the lamb will lie down together.
7.Sickness will be removed (Isa. 33:24).
8.The saved people who enter the Millennium will repopulate the earth. (Matt. 19:28) The word "regeneration" in verse 28 means repopulation.
9.The 12 apostles in their resurrection bodies will rule over the 12 tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28).
10.Many children will be born to the saved people who entered the Millennium in their natural bodies (Isa. 65:23). This is one proof that the rapture cannot happen at the Second Coming. Resurrected people cannot reproduce offspring (Matt. 22:30). We know only saved people will enter the Kingdom. But if everyone is raptured at the Second Coming, every saved person would have a resurrected body and no one would be in a natural body.
That's why the rapture must happen some time before the Second Coming. The people entering the Millennium are the people saved after the rapture, and they are the ones in their natural bodies who will repopulate the earth.
11.At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed from the abyss and will deceive the children who were born during the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10).
To hear the entire message, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Millennium."
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Power of Peer Pressure

2011-06-20T13:17:00.008-05:00

A study was done where 10 high school students were brought into a room. They were shown 3 lines of different lengths on cards labeled A, B, and C. The researcher instructed them to raise their hand whenever he pointed to the longest line.
But what one of the students didn't realize was that the other 9 students had been previously told to point to the second longest line. The purpose of the experiment was to test the effects of peer pressure on an individual.
When the 9 teenagers pointed to the wrong line, the lone teenager would get a confused look and then slip up his hand with the rest of the group. He knew it wasn't the longest line, but he didn't want to be the only one who didn't raise his hand. As they kept bring in new teenagers, they kept producing the same results. They found that 75% of teenagers would conform with the group and give the wrong answer!
1 Kings 11:2 says, "You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods."
You can't do anything about peer pressure, but you can do something about your child's peers. As a parent, make sure your children are hanging out with the right friends. They need to be involved with the youth group Bible studies at church. If they don't make friends with the right crowd, they'll be submitting to the peer pressure of the wrong crowd.
To hear the entire message on this subject, go to www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Parenting 101."
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture

2011-06-06T10:24:00.004-05:00

Will the Rapture happen before the 7-year Tribulation Period, where God pours out His judgments on the earth (Rev. 6-19)? I believe so. In Rev. 4, the apostle John is caught up into heaven and what he sees is interesting. Here are some clues that rapture takes place at this time.
1.He is seeing something happening in the future. Jesus tells him "I will show you what must take place after these things" (Rev. 4:1). What he is about to see is something that will take place in the future.
2.A door is open in heaven (Rev. 4:1). John has already seen Jesus in all His glory in heaven in Rev. 1:12-16, so why is it necessary for a door to be open in heaven? Many Bible scholars believe the door opens to let the Church in at the rapture. The next time heaven is opened is Rev. 19:11-14 and His Church is following Him out. Presumably the Church goes in at Rev. 4:1 and comes out in Rev. 19.
3."Come up here" (Rev. 4:1) This phrase is also used in Rev. 11:12 when the two prophets are killed, then resurrected, and ascend into heaven. "Come up here" could mean the Church is being called into heaven in Rev. 4:1.
4.The 24 elders are wearing crowns (Rev. 4:4). After John gets caught up into heaven, he sees 24 elders around the thrones wearing crowns on their heads. Why is this significant? Because Christians will be rewarded at the rapture. The rapture is a resurrection of those who have died in Christ (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Jesus said, "You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (Luke 14:14). Peter said the crowns would be given out at the rapture (1 Pet. 5:4). Paul also said he would receive a crown at the rapture (2 Tim. 4:8). No one in heaven has been rewarded at this time. So if John is looking into the future and sees 24 elders wearing crowns, it must mean the rapture has taken place.
5.The Tribulation doesn't begin until Revelation 6. John sees that the elders have been rewarded in Rev. 4, and then Jesus takes the scroll in Rev. 5, and He breaks the seals on the scroll in Rev. 6, which starts the Tribulation Period. This shows the rapture happens before the tribulation, which means a "Pre-Tribulation" rapture.
To hear the entire message on this subject, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Pre-Tribulation Rapture."
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Rapture is No Joke

2011-05-31T10:58:00.007-05:00

After radio preacher Harold Camping wrongly predicted the rapture on May 21, this billboard appeared along highways. Matthew 24:36 tells us that no one can predict the day or hour. If the Father didn't tell Jesus when it would be, why would He tell Harold Camping?
This false prophecy by Camping has made the rapture a big joke on the Internet and by late night comedians. But the fact is, the rapture IS are real event that's going to happen some day. First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout...the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." The words "caught up" in the Latin Vulgate is "rapturo" which is where we get the word rapture. The Greek word means "to rapidly snatch up."
Jesus will come in the air to receive His Church to Himself and take us to heaven. He will not return to Earth at this time. John 14:3 says, "And if I go [to heaven] and prepare a place for you [in heaven], I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am [in heaven], there you many be also [in heaven]." The rapture is when He takes His Church to heaven, but the Second Coming is when we return with Him at a later time to Earth.
First Corinthians 15:52 says it will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." The Greek word for "moment" is atomos (where we get the word atom) and means "an indivisible unit." It will happen so quickly that it will appear to the unbelievers who have been left behind as if all Christians have disappeared.
To understand five differences between the rapture and second coming, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Rapture vs. Second Coming"
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Who is the Antichrist?

2011-05-23T09:56:00.005-05:00

I hope you weren't duped by the TV preacher who claimed the rapture would happen last Saturday. Jesus said no one can know the day or the hour when He comes (Matt. 24:36). Many people have also tried to figure out who the Antichrist is. You can't figure that out either because "he will be revealed in his time" (2 Thess. 2:6).

The Bible speaks a lot about a man who gets his power from Satan and will rule the world just prior to Christ's Second Coming. He is called by many names: "the prince who shall come" (Dan. 9:26), the "little horn" (Dan. 7:8), the "willful king" (Dan 11:36), the "man of sin" (2 Thess. 2:3), the "beast" (Dan. 7:11, Rev. 11:7, Rev 13:1-8, 19:19-20, 20:10), and "the abomination of desolation" (Matt. 24:15).

In the last days, a ten-nation kingdom will arise out of the ruins of the old Roman Empire, which is depicted by 10 toes (Dan. 2:42,44) and 10 horns (Dan. 7:7,20,24, Rev. 17:7,12). The Antichrist will subdue 3 of these kings and take over the kingdom (Dan. 7:7-8, 24-25). He will then become a world ruler and control all buying and selling with a mark placed on the right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:2-8, 16-18). He will sign a 7-year treaty with Israel, which allows the Jews to rebuild their temple and start sacrificing again. In the middle of the 7 years, he will stop the sacrifices, walk into the temple, and declare himself to be God (Dan. 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:3-4.) This starts "the Great Tribulation" where God pours out most of the judgments on earth in the book of Revelation. The Antichrist will be thrown into hell when Jesus returns to earth (2 Thess. 2:8, Rev. 19:20.) To hear the entire message on this subject, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Antichrist."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

How Can the Bible Predict the Future?

2011-05-16T09:50:00.007-05:00

How can the Bible predict future events when they haven't happened yet? It becomes simple once we understand three things.
1.God knows everything that will happen in the future. Isa. 46:9-10 says, "I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done." Our awesome God can see future events, so He is able to tell us ahead of time what will happen. This also shows He is in control of those events or He would not be able to predict them.
2.God told His prophets what would happen in the future and they recorded His words in the Scriptures. Acts 3:21 says, "God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." He spoke to the prophets, who were His mouthpiece and they recorded the prophecies about the future in manuscripts.
3.The prophetic Scriptures were copied and preserved until the prophecy was fulfilled. The original manuscript was carefully copied by scribes. To ensure accuracy, each letter of the manuscript was counted and rechecked. If they made one mistake, the manuscript was burned and the scribe had to start over! The manuscripts were continually copied and passed on throughout the centuries. The reason you have a Bible today is because of the incredible faithfulness of the scribes who very carefully copied the manuscripts for over two thousand years. I challenge you to copy just one page of your Bible without a single mistake and see how difficult this would be. (By the way, have you read the entire Bible through even one time?)
Now that we have the manuscripts, we can look back and see how hundreds of prophecies by Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zechariah, and others have been fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled 315 Old Testament prophecies concerning His first coming, so we know the prophecies of the Second Coming will also come to pass. This just goes to show that you can trust the accuracy of the Bible, not just concerning future events, but everything else it says as well. http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Limburger in Your Mustache

2011-05-09T09:56:00.004-05:00

A little boy snuck into the bedroom of his grandfather when he was sleeping. He stuck some Limburger cheese on his mustache and then slipped out the room. A little while later, the grandfather woke sniffing. "This bedroom stinks," he muttered. He walked into the living room and said, "This living room stinks." When he entered the kitchen he griped, "This kitchen stinks too!" Finally he walked outside, took a whiff and yelled, "The whole world stinks!"
Some people have Limburger cheese in their attitudes and so wherever they go, it stinks. Discontentment is a restless spirit that can never be satisfied. As a result, it goes on an endless search to find greener grass--that mythical place where everything is perfect. Contentment is just the opposite. It's having a peaceful spirit that has learned to be happy in every situation.
Do you have Limburger in your mustache? Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" (Phil. 4:12). There's good and bad in every situation. Contentment comes by finding whatever is good in your situation, focusing on it, and making it bigger in your mind than your problems. To hear the entire message on this topic, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "A Contented Heart."
www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

A Joyful Heart

2011-05-02T10:59:00.003-05:00

A man walked by a table in a hotel in Las Vegas and noticed three men and a dog playing cards. Amazingly, the dog appeared to be winning. The man said, "That must be a very smart dog." One of the card players replied, "Nah, he ain't so smart. Every time he gets a good hand, he wags his tail!"

If you were a dog, would your tail be wagging today? If you are happy on the inside, it will show on the outside. Proverbs 15:13 says, "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face." If you have anger on your face, it's because you have anger in your heart. And if you have a big smile on your face, it's because you have joy in your heart.

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). The best advertisement for Jesus Christ is a joyful Christian. It has been said that 18th century evangelist George Whitfield had so much joy that people wanted to be saved just by seeing the joy on his face. Do you have that kind of joy? To hear the entire message on this topic, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "A Joyful Heart."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Removing the Sting of Death

2011-04-25T10:18:00.005-05:00

A family was riding in their car when a bee flew in the window. The son in the back seat was allergic to bees and could die if he got stung. As the bee buzzed around the car, the little boy became terrified and was in a state of panic. Just then, his father reached out and snatched the bee out of the air. A few seconds later, the father let the bee go and it started flying around the car again. The son panicked again and asked, "Dad, why did you let it go? If it stings me I'll die!" The father said, "You don't need to be afraid any more. The bee only has one stinger and it stung me in the hand." He held up his hand for his son to see. "Now it can't hurt you because its stinger is gone." When Jesus rose from the dead, He removed the sting of death. Referring to the resurrection of Christ, 1 Cor. 15:55 says, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Just as a bee loses its stinger when it stings someone, death lost it sting when it stung Jesus. For those who love Him, there is no pain in death. Death for the Christian is like going to sleep and waking up in heaven. To hear the entire message on this topic, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Death of Death."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Old Testament Credit Cards

2011-04-18T14:55:00.005-05:00

I'm sure you've gone to a restaurant and paid for the meal using your credit card. You ate the meal and then left without actually paying for it in cash. Your credit card was a guarantee that the bill would be paid sometime in the future. People who lived in the Old Testament used their animals as credit cards. They sinned against God and needed to pay the debt, so they "charged" their sins on spiritual credit cards through animal sacrifices.

They took their VISA cards (Very Important Sacrifice of Animals) to the Temple in Jerusalem where the transaction took place. The priests (the store clerks) sacrificed the animals on the altar (like scanning your credit card) and the client's sins were charged by faith to the future Messiah's account.

Millions of animals were sacrificed over the centuries, but not one drop of that animal blood could ever wash away sins (See Heb. 10:3-4). So why did God have them sacrifice so many animals? It was an object lesson for them. Without the sacrificial system, they would have never understood why Jesus had to die for their sins.

When Jesus died on the cross, He became the sacrificial Lamb and the sins of the world were poured into His body (John 1:29, 1 Pet. 2:24). When He said, "It is finished," He was declaring that the spiritual debt of sins had been paid. He paid for your salvation, but you must receive Him for the transaction to be completed. To hear the entire message, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "What is Finished?"

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

The Worm in the Apple

2011-04-12T10:31:00.020-05:00

Do you know how a worm gets inside an apple? Most people think that it burrows in from the outside, but that's not the case. The fact is, the worm actually comes from the inside. So how is it possible for a worm to be inside an apple without it coming from the outside? Here's how. When the apple blossom is on the tree, an insect comes along and lays an egg in it. As the apple starts growing, the egg hatches inside the heart of the apple. The worm comes out of the egg in the middle of the apple, and then it tunnels its way out. This is a picture of how thoughts get inside our hearts. Satan comes along and lays an egg in our hearts and minds. If we don't immediately reject it, the thought will stay there and grow inside our hearts. Once it's on the inside, it will eventually burrow its way out through our attitudes, words, and actions. Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders" (Matt. 15:19). If you've ever done any of those things, it's because Satan laid an egg and you didn't reject it. As I said in last week's devotional about the Crocodile Hunter, we must guard our hearts. "Guard your heart above all else, for out of it flow the springs of life" (Prov. 4:23). http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Guarding Your Heart

2011-04-04T14:58:00.005-05:00

Steve Irwin was "The Crocodile Hunter" on the TV series by that name. I remember watching one show where he was in a muddy river at night catching crocodiles with his bare hands! On another episode, he caught with his hands the 10 deadliest snakes in the world. I thought for sure he would eventually die from a snake bite, or killed by a crocodile, or be mauled to death by some wild beast. The world was shocked to find out how Steve Irwin died.

In September 2006, Irwin was snorkeling in shallow water above a stingray, when suddenly it threw up its tail and spiked him in his heart. He died seconds later. Experts tell us it was a one-in-a-million chance to happen. The only way a stingray can kill you is to stab you directly in your heart with its barbed spine. And that's what happened. He let his guard down and was attacked at the one place where he was the most vulnerable--his heart.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart above all else for out of it flows the springs of life." "Above all else" means it is the top priority. Your heart-protection is that important! Whether you realize it or not, Satan wants to attack your heart with self-destructive thoughts such as worry, lust, anger, unforgiveness, fear, doubt, and depression. The only way to prevent these "heart attacks" is to station guards around your heart.

A guard on guard duty will say, "Halt! Who goes there?" His job is to stop the enemy from entering. The guard around your heart needs to stop worry before it can enter. Depression wants to enter your heart to destroy your hope and your will to live. You must stop it before it gets in there. Only you can protect your heart. To listen to the entire message on this subject, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Guarding Your Heart."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Using the Right Bait

2011-03-28T11:25:00.008-05:00

Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). If you aren't fishing, you aren't following! We fish for men by telling them about Jesus and that He is the only way to heaven. Bait is what attracts fish. If you want to catch fish, you must choose the right bait. Different kinds of fish don't all bite on the same kind of bait. A good fisherman knows how the particular fish thinks that he's trying to catch, and what kind of bait it will like. If you go deep sea fishing for marlins, you won't catch them using worms. They want a large chunk of bait. If you go trout fishing in a mountain stream, you will use a fly on top of the water. Catfish in a lake swim closer to the bottom and they like stink bait. Bluegills swim closer to the top and like worms and crickets. Just as fish are different, so are people. They all need the Lord, but everyone thinks differently. A person won't get saved until they realize they need to be saved. Not everyone is convinced in the same way, so here are some are the different kinds of bait to use, according to the person's need.

Fear of dying. Most people are terrified of dying because they don't know what lies beyond the grave. You can tell the person that Jesus died for them to take away the fear of death. (See Heb. 2:14-15)

Lack of purpose. Many people are asking, "Why am I here?" Tell them that Jesus came to give them a reason to live. (See John 10:10, 11:25-26)

Life is in turmoil. Tell them that Jesus can give them inner peace, even when going through trials. (See John 14:27)

Confused and need guidance. Tell them that God wants to guide them through life (See John 10:27, 14:6, 16:13)

Something is missing. Tell them that everyone has a God-shaped void inside that only Jesus can fill. (See John 10:10).

After explaining how they can be saved, be sure to lead them in a prayer of salvation. "Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me on the Cross. Come into my life and save me. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank you for saving me. Amen." To hear the entire message on this subject, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Going Fishing." http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Drifting from God

2011-03-14T12:28:00.003-05:00

Every summer when I was a kid, our family would travel from Texas to Florida to go to the beach for a week. Every day I would dash into the water and lay on my inflatable raft. One day, I got on my raft and closed my eyes. I enjoyed the gentle waves rocking me like a baby, and wasn't paying attention to the shore.

When I finally looked up, I was shocked to discover that I drifted a long, long way from land. I hadn't noticed that I was being gradually pulled out to sea! Fortunately, I could still see land and hurriedly paddled back to shore.

I drifted away because I wasn't paying attention. Hebrews 2:1 says, "For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

We drift away from God in the same way. We quit paying attention to Him, and little by little we move away. When we quit spending time with God each day by talking to Him and reading His Word, it's inevitable that we'll drift away from Him. It happens so gradually we don't even realize it. Then something happens and when we finally look up, we see how far away we are.

When I realized I was far from the shore, I didn't get back to the beach by drifting. I had to make an effort to go against the current and paddle my way back. And you must also make an effort to get close to the Lord again. Start talking to Him throughout the day. Meditate on His Word. Get back to doing what you used to do when you were close to Him.

To hear the entire message on this topic, go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Drifting from God."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Healing Hurts from the Past

2011-03-07T22:37:00.007-06:00

A man carrying a big stone, a sledge hammer, and a suitcase walked into a talent agent's office. He said, "I've got an act everyone would love to see. I place this big stone on my head, and then my assistant swings the sledgehammer as hard as he can and breaks the rock on top of my head."

The agent said, "Wow, that does sound like a great act! I see why you have the stone and sledge hammer, but why are you carrying that suitcase?" The man replied, "Oh, that's what I carry my aspirin in!"

Many people are carrying a suitcase through life because they are in a lot of pain. They've been hurt by someone in the past and haven't gotten over it. King David said, "My heart has been wounded within me" (Ps. 109:22). How do you know if you have a wounded spirit?

Symptom #1: If you are easily offended.

People with a wounded spirit have a very low tolerance for pain. If someone makes a innocent comment, it can trigger the hurtful memory, which causes the person to overreact.

Symptom #2: If you are always talking about how you were hurt.

I've known people who are continually talking about how they were hurt years before. They keep replaying the hurt in their minds, and every time they do, they get hurt one more time.

Symptom #3: If you are overly suspicious of others.

People who are wounded view others with suspicion because they imagine everyone is out to hurt them. This causes them to be distrustful and defensive.

Symptom #4: If it's hard for you to love others.

A person with a toothache has a hard time loving people because all of his attention goes to his hurt. He's so consumed with his own pain that it prevents him from seeing others in need.

How can you be healed? First, you must desperately want to be healed. Jesus asked a man who was lame for 38 years, "Do you wish to get well?" (John 5:6) He wasn't joking. Many people really don't want to get over their hurts.

Second, you must forgive and let go. The reason why some people are still hurting after 15 years isn't because of what the other person did, but because they haven't forgiven them. What is forgiveness? It's releasing the anger out of your heart.

To listen to the entire message, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Healing Hurts from the Past."

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

How Does God Heal Today?

2011-02-28T12:23:00.004-06:00

When Jesus was on earth He healed many people. Since Christ is no longer here in a physical body, how does God heal today? He does it in four ways.

1.God has designed your body to heal itself to some degree.

If you have a minor cut, you can stick a Band-Aid on it and your body will heal itself. If God hadn't created our blood to clot, the entire human race would be dead! In His wisdom He gave us white blood cells to fight off diseases.

2.God uses medicine to heal us.

1 Tim 5:23 says, "Take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." Paul told Timothy to drink some wine for medicinal purposes to cure his stomach problems. God has given us the knowledge in our present day to develop medicines to treat all kinds of illnesses.

3.God uses doctors and surgeons to treat us.

Jesus said, "The sick have need of a physician" (Mark 2:17). Luke, who wrote the books of Luke and Acts, was also a physician (Col. 4:14). However, sometimes doctors aren't able to fix everything that's wrong. A woman in the Bible had a hemorrhage for twelve years and the physicians couldn't help her. She touched the cloak of Jesus and was healed. (See Mark 5:25-34). When the first three methods don't fix the problem, don't give up hope. God can heal supernaturally too.

4.God can heal through prayer.

James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." We may be holding unforgiveness or another wrong attitude in our hearts, which blocks the answer to our prayers. That's why we need to bring those hidden things to light by confessing them before we ask others to pray for us. God heals people through His mercy (see Matt. 20:30-31). When He answers your prayer, don't forget to thank Him!

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

The Lies We Believe

2011-02-23T07:37:00.007-06:00

Years ago I worked part-time at UPS. One day a man called the wife of one of the UPS drivers and identified himself as one of the doctors at a hospital. He said, "Mrs. Jones, this is Dr. Johnson. I'm sorry to have to give you this news, but your husband is here at the hospital in critical condition with a life-threatening unknown disease and may die. We believe you may have also contracted this disease and need a hair sample from you to run some tests."

As you can imagine, this woman was stunned to hear the shocking news. He continued, "I need you to get a pair of scissors, cut off all your hair at the roots, and put it in a plastic bag. Please hurry." She rushed to the bathroom, cut off all her hair and put it in a bag. She came back to the phone and said, "Okay, I've got it done. What do I need to do now?"

The man said, "Now you just need to wait for your husband to come home. I made up this entire story." The prankster then hung up the phone. After this, a Wichita, Kansas TV News station reported that four other women had received a similar phone call and had fallen for the same hoax.

These women believed something that wasn't true. It's so easy to believe lies and respond to them as if they were true. We can believe false reports about others. Joseph's brothers gave their father Jacob a false report that Joseph was dead (see Gen. 37:28-34). Jacob mourned Joseph's death as if it were true, and he believed that lie for 13 years until he found out what really happened.

Satan knows that he can manipulate us if we will believe his lies. He'll drop lying thoughts in our minds, hoping that we'll bite on them like a fish taking the bait. He'll create an imagination and tell us it's reality. He'll plant a lying thought in our minds about ourselves, trying to give us a false identity. Once we swallow the lie, we will respond to everything as if it were true, just like Jacob did.

God wants us to use discernment and sort out truth from fiction. Don't be so quick to believe gossip and slander about others. Don't bite on every thought that pops into your mind. 1 Thess. 5:21 says, "Examine everything carefully. Hold fast to that which is good." Eat the meat and spit out the bones.

To listen to the entire message on this topic, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Believing Things That Aren't True"

Kent's Devotionals http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

"Making Today Count for Eternity" is now available as eBook!

2011-02-15T19:06:00.008-06:00

Making Today Count for Eternity
By Kent Crockett

What is the meaning of life? Your time on earth is just a test to determine what you'll be doing in your next life, after you die. In Making Today Count for Eternity you will find the answers to these questions:

How can I know that I'm going to heaven?

What will people be doing in heaven forever?

If God has forgiven all my sins, why will I have to stand before Him to be judged?

Is heaven going to be the same experience for everyone, or will some have it better than others?

Will people have to do "work" in heaven, and if so, will it be fun?

How will our minds and bodies be different in the next life than this life?

Will God repay me for the things I've done for Him during my life?

You can download this book on your Kindle http://www.kindle.com/ , Nook http://www.nook.com/ , iPad, or whatever eReader you may own.

To buy this book in paperback (new or used): www.amazon.com

Being Savers, but Not Misers

2011-02-14T22:04:00.006-06:00

Hetty Green (see picture) is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's greatest miser. In the early 1900's, she had more than $95 million in the bank. But she only owned one dress and wore it for years. She ate cold oatmeal because she didn't want to pay for the gas to heat it. Her son had to have his leg amputated because she took too long to find a free hospital to treat him. She knew how to save money, but she didn't know how to let go of it.

Jesus told a parable about a wealthy man who decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store up his goods. He thought he had many years to live, but that night he died and left it all behind. Jesus concluded, "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). This man lived only to accumulate for himself and never gave anything to God.

One reason the Lord wants His people to be generous is to keep us from becoming misers. Psalm 37:21 says, "The righteous is gracious and gives." Stingy people aren't gracious and they don't give. Yes, the Lord does want us to save part of our income to be ready in case of an emergency, but He doesn't want us to be so dependent on our money that we trust in it rather than God (see 1 Tim. 6:17).
To listen to the entire message on this topic, go to
http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/ and click on
Financial Freedom Pt. 3 "The Saving Factor"

Getting Out of the Boat

2011-02-07T19:16:00.004-06:00

When Jesus came to the disciples walking on water, Peter said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." Jesus told him, "Come." Peter was about to do something he had never done before. He got out of the boat and walked on water (Matt. 14:28-29).

Why did Peter ask Him to say, "Come"? Because to do something that scary, he had to hear a word from God. When Peter heard Jesus say "come" it produced faith in his heart (Rom. 10:17) and he knew it was God's will. He got out of the boat to get into God's will.

This incident is recorded in Scripture as an example for us. God is calling us out of our boats to do things that we've never done before. The principles are the same as Peter's experience. To get out of the boat, we must ask God to speak to us. We must overcome our fear of the unknown. We must place our complete trust in Him. We must decide to leave our comfort zones. And we must commit ourselves to step over the rim with both feet.

Unbelief keeps both feet in the boat. Doubt takes one step out of the boat and keeps one foot in. Faith steps completely out of the boat.

What is God calling you to do? Take a step of faith and trust God. It will be much more fulfilling for you to walk on water than to stay inside your boat.
http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com
http://www.kentcrockett.com

Three Things to Believe

2011-01-31T21:21:00.009-06:00

A little boy threw a quarter into a wishing well and said, "I wish I had my quarter back." Some people give to God with that same attitude. When we give our offerings to God, we need to believe three things about Him.

1.You must believe that God sees what you give.

God saw what Cain and Abel offered Him (Gen. 4:4-5). In Malachi 1:7-8, God could see the sacrifices the people were offering. And whenever you give to God, He sees it. If your offering means nothing to you, it means nothing to God.

2.You must believe that God knows about your financial situation.

A widow once put her last two coins into the temple treasury. Jesus told the disciples that she had put in all that she had to live on. How could He say that? Because He knew about her financial situation. You don't see Jesus running over to her saying, "Stop! Don't you realize that you will starve to death if you give away all that you have?" He didn't stop her because He knew the Father would supernaturally bless her for her sacrificial gift.

3.You must believe that God will reward your giving.

Prov. 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord from your wealth and the first of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine." When we give to God with a cheerful attitude, it releases the blessing of God on us. God can make the barns filled and the vats overflow. He promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing (Mal. 3:10).

To listen to the entire message on this subject, go to

www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

Financial Freedom, pt. 1 "The God Factor"

Getting Your Priorities Straight

2011-01-24T20:27:00.005-06:00

A man decided to build a wagon for his horse to pull so he could show it off at the county fair. It took him several days to draw up the plans and several more days shopping around the various lumber yards trying to find the finest wood. He chose the best lumber and spent a couple more weeks cutting the boards, assembling them together, sanding, and painting. After putting on the finishing touches, the wagon looked absolutely beautiful. He knew it would be envied by everyone in the county.

On the day of the fair, he was ready to hook up his horse to the wagon. He went into the barn, walked into the horse's stall and was stunned to discover that his horse was dead. He had been so busy building his wagon that he forgot to feed his horse. It was a case of putting the cart before the horse.

You might not be building a wagon for the county fair, but are you putting the cart before the horse? Your priorities are the things that are most important to you. To some people, entertainment is the thing that's most important to them. For others it's a hobby or a sport. It's their greatest passion. They spend huge amounts of money and time on it. Why? Because that's what they love the most. Matt. 6:33 says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." If you were put on trial, what evidence could be presented to prove that the Lord is your highest priority?

To listen to the entire sermon on this topic, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on
Fulfilling Your Destiny, pt. 4 "Priorities"

The Power of Persistence

2011-01-17T10:32:00.004-06:00

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the power of persistence. A one-ton ball was suspended from the ceiling. A cork was suspended next to it. An electrical mechanism kept the cork swinging back and forth, hitting against the iron ball.

For many days it appeared that the cork wasn't making any effect, but then they measured the iron ball moving ever so slightly. As the cork continued to strike against it, the iron ball continued to swing even more, until finally it was swinging in a wide arc back and forth. It happened because a little bitty cork kept being persistent and wouldn't stop.

God calls us to be persistent in our faith and not give up the moment we run into an obstacle. The Canaanite woman received healing for her daughter because she continued to pursue Jesus even when circumstances appeared to tell her to quit (Matt. 15:22-28). Jesus said to keep praying, even when you don't see immediate results (Luke 18:1-8). Paul says to keep being persistent and you will reap if you don't give up (Gal. 6:9).

Don't quit. Keep being faithful, plugging away. If you will keep doing a little bit over a long time, you will accomplish a lot! To listen to the entire message on persistence, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on Fulfilling Your Destiny, pt. 3, "Be Persistent"

Root Bound Christians

2011-01-09T16:12:00.005-06:00

When my wife and I bought our house in Florida, the previous owners had planted some azalea bushes in the backyard. The bushes looked rather scrawny and didn't bloom like they were supposed to. We watered them and put fertilizer around them, but they still didn't bloom. The next year the same thing happened. Watered. Fertilized. No blooms. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them.

The following Spring all the azalea bushes died. As I dug them up, I discovered the problem. Their roots were in the exact shape of the container that they were in when the previous owners bought them! The bushes struggled and eventually died because they were root bound.

How did the plants become root bound? When they were in the container, the roots hit the side of the pot and then turned around and grew inward. Some of the plants had roots growing in circles because they followed the curvature of the plastic container.

If you want a bush to grow in a healthy way, you've got to take a screw driver, stick it in the root ball, pull all the roots apart so they can grow outward, and then plant it in the ground. But when the previous owners pulled the azaleas out of the pots to plant them, they just stuck them in the ground and skipped breaking up the roots. As a result, the roots stayed in the shape of the container and never grew out into the dirt. The plants couldn't get the nutrition they needed and eventually died.

Is it possible that you are root bound? Perhaps you're stuck inside a comfort zone, doing the same things over and over again. You do the same religious rituals without even thinking about it. You're afraid to try something new and different. Your spiritual life is dull and boring because you're like the root bound azalea bush. Surely there is more to the Christian life than that!

God is calling you to spread your roots. He wants you to take a step of faith out of your comfort zone. It may be just a few small changes, or it might be a major change. Ask Him what He wants you to do differently and then do it. Take the screw driver to the roots. If you don't, you'll shrivel up like those azalea bushes and never bloom. To hear the entire message on "Breaking Out of Comfort Zones" go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Fulfilling Your Destiny, part 2"

Who Are You?

2011-01-03T18:06:00.004-06:00

A boy found a brown egg in the woods and brought it home to the barnyard. He placed it in the goose's nest with the other eggs she had laid. When the goose's eggs hatched, the little birds all emerged with yellow feathers and webbed feet. But when the brown egg hatched, out came a strange looking creature with brown, greasy feathers and twisted feet.

As the months passed and the hatchlings grew, the brown bird just didn't fit in. When the others went swimming in the pond, he followed them and almost drowned. Instead of honking like the other geese, the brown bird let out a shriek. He told himself, "I can't do anything right. I'm just a failure."

One day the birds were in the barnyard when the shadow of a huge bird passed over them. The geese went running for cover, but the brown bird looked up and suddenly realized he wasn't a goose, but an eagle. He started flapping his wings and before he knew it, he was up in the air flying with the other eagles.

He had been an eagle all along, but he thought he was a goose. He had to realize who he was, his true identity, before he could fulfill his destiny.

In the same way, you cannot fulfill your destiny until you realize your true identity as a child of God. 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."

When you are born again, God gives you a new identity. The only way you can fully grasp this new life is by listening to what God says about you. You can't base your identity on what others think about you. You can't even base it on what you think about yourself. It only comes from what God says. Do you know who you are?

Insulated but Not Isolated

2010-12-27T09:18:00.005-06:00

Jesus prayed to His Father, "I do not ask you to take them (His disciples) out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." The "world" He's referring to are all the people who don't know God, along with all their attitudes that are hostile and ungodly. Our first response is to run away and isolate ourselves. That's why monks went to monasteries in the wilderness, where no one else would go. They were trying to escape from "the world" so they wouldn't be tempted by it. But how could they be "the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14) if they were not in it?

Jesus wants us to go into the world, but He doesn't want the world to get into us. A submarine can't fulfill its purpose if it is out of the water. It must be submerged into the ocean before it can be effective. Even though the sub is surrounded by water, the water can't get inside because it is insulated. The submarine was prepared ahead of time, before it went into the sea, to have all possible areas sealed where leaks could occur.

In the same way, we are to be insulated from the world but not isolated from it. We need to be prepared ahead of time, before we go into the world, to seal off all possible areas where the world can leak in. The Lord wants us to influence the world--but not for the world to influence us. To hear the entire message on this topic go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Living in a Changing World"

Someone Who Understands

2010-12-20T23:04:00.005-06:00

A farmer made a sign advertising puppies for sale. As he was nailing the sign to a post in his yard, he felt a tug on his overalls. A little boy looked up at him and said, "Mister, I want to buy one of your puppies."

The farmer said, "These puppies cost a lot of money, probably more than you can afford." The little boy opened his hand and said, "I've got 39 cents. Is that enough to take a look?" "Sure," the farmer said, "You can take a look." He whistled and called, "Come here, Dolly."

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp came Dolly, followed by four little puppies. A few seconds later, a fifth dog came out, slipping down the ramp and lagging behind. It hobbled because it had two badly deformed legs.

The little boy pointed to the frail dog and said, "I'll take that one!" The farmer knelt down and explained, "Son, you don't want that one. He'll never be able to run and play like the other dogs."

The boy reached down and rolled up the leg of his pants, revealing he had an artificial leg. He said, "Mister, I'll never be able to run and play like the other boys either, so that little puppy is going to need someone who understands."

One of the reasons God became a man 2,000 years ago was to experience everything we go through as humans. He felt the sting of rejection, the pull of temptation, the pressure of stress, the ache of loneliness, and the pains of going hungry. Hebrews 2:17-18 says, "He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest...(so) He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Hebrews 4:15 adds, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses." That means Jesus feels your pain as you are experiencing it. He knows what you are going through.

Are you overwhelmed with stress? Going through a difficult time? Feel like a failure? He purchased you with His blood because He knew you would need someone who understands. Everything that you're going through, He's already been through in some way.

To hear the entire message on this subject, go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Why Did God Become Man?"

Using the Wrong Method

2010-12-14T10:00:00.003-06:00

A lady had a pet dog that was sick. Every day she tried to force a tablespoon of medicine down its throat, but the dog would always resist and pull away. One day she accidentally knocked over the bottle and the medicine spilled all over the floor. To her surprise, the dog went over to the puddle and started lapping it up! The dog hadn't been resisting the medicine. It was resisting the method that its owner had used--forcing it down its throat.

As Christians, we have the only medicine that is able to save a person's soul and put that person's life back together. Jesus came to bring life and light to people who have no hope. But so often we use the wrong method to get the message across. We try to force it down people's throats instead of presenting it in such a way that they will willingly receive it.

Jesus said, "Let your let shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). We can shine our light in the right way or the wrong way. "In such a way" means that we use the right method to present the gospel so that they will be converted. They will see the light in us and say, "I want what you've got!" When we do it the right way, they will "glorify your Father." That means they will receive the message, be converted, and their lives will change so that they will be glorifying God.

To hear the entire message on this subject, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on:

"Shining Your Light"

Learning From Kudzu Vines

2010-12-07T17:25:00.005-06:00

If you've ever driven along the Interstate in the South, there's a good chance that you've seen miles and miles of Kudzu vines covering trees and bushes along the road. Have you ever wondered how they got there? No one planted them, at least not along the road. They spread there from somewhere else.

Kudzu wasn't native to America. It was imported from Japan. It all started about 1935, when farmers were encouraged to plant it to reduce soil erosion during the "dust bowl" years. It looked like a great idea at first, but they didn't think about the problems it would cause in the future. They had no idea it would spread so quickly that it would become uncontrollable.

The vines can grow a foot a day and up to 100 feet long. It creeps up trees and over bushes, cutting off light and eventually smothering the life out of them. If you pull up a vine, you had better make sure you destroy it because it can root itself and start over again! No one has found an effective way to stop it and that's why you see it along the Interstate highways.

This menacing plant is an object lesson for us. When making a decision, don't just look at the immediate results, but think down the road about how it will affect your future. Too many people want instant gratification and ignore the disastrous consequences that are sure to come. This is why so many people are in financial trouble due to credit card debt. They bought what they wanted but the interest has compounded like Kudzu. Wise people will make their decisions by thinking long-term. That means saying no when everyone else is saying yes.

To hear the entire sermon on this message, go to:
http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on
"Increasing Your Wisdom"

Finding Wisdom

2010-11-30T16:11:00.003-06:00

Sherlock Holmes and his faithful assistant Watson were on a camping expedition. Holmes could always solve mysteries through his powers of observation and he would continually try to teach Watson how to do it.

After eating supper, they got into their sleeping bags and turned in for the night. Several hours later, Holmes work up his friend and said, "Watson, wake up right now and tell me what you see." After rubbing his eyes, Watson said, "I see thousands of stars."

"And what does that tell you?" Holmes quizzed. Watson answered, "It opens the possibility that there are thousands of planets out there."

"Very good, Watson. What else do you observe?"

Watson said, "The position of the moon tells me it is approximately 3 a.m."

"Very good. What else?"

Scratching his head, Watson replied, "I'm drawing a blank. What should I be observing? What am I not seeing?"

Holmes said, "Watson, old boy, it tells me that someone has stolen our tents!"

Some people can't see the obvious. Common sense can see the obvious, but wisdom sees beyond the obvious. Wisdom is the ability to make right decisions. Wisdom is the insight into how to solve problems. None of these come from our own natural abilities because Prov. 2:6 says, "The Lord gives wisdom." If we are going to be wise, we must get it from Him. Here are four things required of us:

1. Have the highest respect for God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). Do you fear the Lord above all else?

2. Have a teachable spirit. You can have the greatest teacher in the world but if the student doesn't want to learn, he won't! Are you willing to do whatever He says?

3. Ask God for it. James 1:5 says, "If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." What's funny about this is that EVERYONE lacks wisdom. They just don't know it. For those who realize they need it, they must ask. God doesn't automatically make everyone wise. We must ask. We must ask desperately and God says, "it will be given him."

4. We must receive it. James 1:6-7 says if we doubt that God will give it, we will not receive it. Have you ever tried to give a gift to someone who won't receive it? Even though you've bought the gift and are offering it, it's all in vain if the person won't receive it.

God will speak His wisdom to you through thoughts that pop into your mind, through desires in your heart, and through godly counselors. To hear the entire audio message on this subject, go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Finding Wisdom, part 1"

The Secret to Being Thankful

2010-11-22T20:44:00.007-06:00

Bill Gates, the CEO of Microsoft, once spoke at a convention in Seattle. At the time Gates was the richest man in America with a personal worth of $35 billion. At the end of his speech, he allowed the audience to ask him questions. One man asked, "Mr. Gates, if you were blind, would you trade all your money to have you sight restored?" Gates replied, "If I were blind, yes, I would give up all my money to receive my sight." He put a $35 billion price tag on his eyesight!

What price have you placed on your blessings? Everything you own has a price tag on it. It's a price tag in your mind and the value can change whenever you decide. The value of something is determined by how much it is appreciated. When an item means a lot to you, it appreciates in value. But when it isn't important to you anymore, it depreciates in value.

When you buy an expensive piece of furniture, you are excited about it and are thankful. But over time you might quit noticing it and decide to sell it in a garage sale for $5. In your mind, it has lost its value so you stop being thankful for it. When a bride and groom stand at the altar exchanging vows, they tell each other that they are the most valuable person in the world. But as time goes on and conflict occurs, they may stop appreciating each other. They don't value each other like they did on their wedding day.

The key to being thankful is to increase the perceived value of what you own by raising the price on each item. Make a decision to appreciate everything that God has given you by giving genuine thanks to Him. Eph. 5:20 says, "Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God." Why would He tell us to do this? Because God really, really likes to hear us give thanks to Him--all the time. Unfortunately, much of what He hears is just complaining.

To listen to the entire message on this topic, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Thankful ALL the Time."

Overcoming Temptation

2010-11-15T19:38:00.004-06:00

God created Adam & Eve with a hunger drive, and then He gave them food to fulfill that drive. They could eat from any tree in the garden except for one--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17). If Adam & Eve had been eating the food that God had provided for them, they would not have been hungry for the forbidden fruit. If they had been filling up on legitimate fruit, their hunger drive would have been fulfilled and the temptation to eat forbidden fruit would have gone away.

Suppose you went to your Aunt Margie's for Thanksgiving dinner and she has just baked your favorite dessert, homemade apple pie. You are about to indulge yourself when Aunt Margie interrupts and says, "You can't have that now. Lunch is ready. You can have it for dessert."

She serves you turkey and dressing with all the trimmings and you stuff yourself like it's your last meal. You go back for seconds and when you're done, you have too loosen your belt. Then Aunt Margie comes out with a large piece of apple pie and places it in front of you. You tell her, "Ohhhh, take that away. I can't eat another bite. I'm stuffed!"

Thirty minutes ago you were craving the pie and now you can't stand to even look at it. What changed? Your hunger drive has been been fulfilled, so the temptation is no longer there!

The same thing that works for your hunger drive also applies to every other desire and drive in your life. If you fulfill your drives in God's way, you won't be hungry for forbidden fruit. To listen to the entire message about the 6 keys to overcoming temptation, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Overcoming Temptations"

Entering Into Temptation

2010-11-08T21:04:00.007-06:00

Temptation is an area that can be entered into. Matt. 6:13 says, "Do not lead us into temptation." Matt. 26:41 says, "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation." The Greek word "into" means to go from the outside to the inside. You go from the outside of a house through a door to get inside.

Adam & Eve entered into temptation when they decided to go to the middle of the Garden of Eden to inspect the forbidden fruit. In the picture above, the circle represents the area of temptation. When Adam and Eve were outside of the area, they weren't being tempted by the forbidden fruit. It had no power over them. But the moment they decided to inspect the fruit and took the first step toward the tree, they entered into temptation. They went through the door of temptation and now they were "under the influence" because the lure was pulling them toward the forbidden fruit.

They could have broken the spell of the influence if they had turned around and run away from the tree (see picture below). Most people try to resist the temptation, but the flesh isn't strong enough to win the battle. "The flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). That's why we need to turn around and flee out of the area. 2 Tim. 2:22 says "Flee from lusts." Joseph didn't try to resist Potiphar's wife but ran away from her. If you are being tempted, you need to run away from the forbidden fruit. God will make a way of escape for you (1 Cor. 10:13) so look for the EXIT sign. To listen to the entire message on this subject, go to www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Analyzing Temptation."

Life in Heaven

2010-11-01T21:02:00.004-05:00

Two caterpillars were crawling across a hot sidewalk when a butterfly flew over them. One caterpillar said to the other, "I wouldn't get up there in that thing for a million dollars!"

Just like it's hard for a caterpillar to envision what it's like being a butterfly, it's also hard for us to envision what the next life will be like. Even so, the Bible does give us some clues. If you are a Christian, here are some facts about your future life in heaven:

1.You will have full knowledge. "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known" (1 Cor. 13:12). When you stand face-to-face with Jesus, all your questions will be answered. All the pieces of the puzzle will finally come together.

2.You will have a powerful, glorified body. You will have a resurrected body that is imperishable, radiant, and powerful (1 Cor. 15:43-44). Your future eternal body will equip you to live forever in the next world.

3.You will have an eternal dwelling. Just as we live in houses on earth, we will have something similar in heaven called "eternal dwellings" (see Luke 16:9, John 14:2).

4.You will have job assignments. "And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him" (Rev. 22:3). "Serve Him" means that we will have assignments that He wants us to do. These will be fun jobs like hobbies. No one will be cleaning out white horse stables. There is no stress, sorrow, or pain in heaven. Heaven will be an exciting place to be because "In Thy presence is the fullness of joy" (Ps. 16:11).

To hear the entire message on this subject, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "Life in Heaven"

Where is Your Treasure?

2010-10-25T23:20:00.004-05:00

Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:20-21). Our hearts and our treasure are tied together. Notice that He did not say, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." That would seem to make more sense. Instead, He reversed it and said "where your treasure is, there your heart will be." Why did He emphasize the treasure?

Here's why. Some people say that they love God, but they never worship Him by giving their money in offerings. They are deceiving themselves. Although we can't see inside a person's heart, we can see where his money goes. To show us where a person's heart is, Jesus points us to where his treasure is invested. Look for the treasure and you will find the heart. Follow the money. People always invest their money in what they love the most. A person who loves golf has no problem spending his cash on golf clubs, golf carts, and country club fees.

My uncle graduated from Georgia Tech. He had Georgia Tech window stickers, rugs, mugs, and a host of other items with the school emblem. He even showed me a plaque that he received from Tech in recognition of his giving $50,000 to the school. How do I know he loved Tech? He gave 50 Grand to the institution. His treasure went to Georgia Tech, and that's where his heart was.

When we cheerfully give our offerings to the Lord, we are laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. If our treasure is there, our hearts will be also. How much are you investing in eternity? To hear the entire message on how to lay up treasure in heaven, go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Pay Day in Heaven"

The Final Exam

2010-10-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

When author Rick Howard was attending college, he walked into his classroom after skipping class for nearly 2 weeks. He was ten minutes early for class, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw every student seated with books open, cramming for a test. He nervously asked his friend, "What's happening here today, Jim?" Jim said, "On, nothing special, Rick. Just the mid-semester exam, that's all."

"You've got to be kidding!" Rick responded with a look of horror on his face. "Oh, no," Jim replied. "You ought to come around here more often." Rick knew he wasn't prepared, so he approached his instructor and asked if he would consider postponing the test for him.

His professor said, "Mr. Howard, I can't punish you for missing class for 2 weeks, but you are responsible for everything that goes on here. You must take the exam or you'll receive an automatic failure on the test." Rick's heart sank to his stomach as he stared at the exam, not knowing how to answer the questions.

Are you ready for your "Final Exam"? Judgment Day is not an unannounced test. It is coming. "For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). Do you realize you are reading about yourself in this verse? What will this exam be like?

If you are a Christian, God has already taken care of your sins through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This judgment will be a GOOD judgment, to examine your life to determine your rewards in heaven. The bad things we have done will be burned up, but everything we have done to please the Lord will be rewarded with something magnificent, better than we can even imagine (see 1 Cor. 3:10-15 for more on this judgment).
To hear the entire message on this subject, go to
http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and
click on "The Final Exam"

Life After Death

2010-10-11T19:33:00.004-05:00

One day your heart will stop beating. At that moment, your soul will leave your body (James 2:26) and you will spend the rest of your never-ending existence in the next world. What happens to you in the next life will have already been determined in this life. The decisions you make during your life on Earth will determine two things in the next world: Your eternal destination and your eternal occupation (if you are saved).

Your eternal DESTINATION. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, your eternal destination will be heaven. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God" (John 1:12).

Your eternal OCCUPATION. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one thinks about what we will be doing there for millions and millions of years. Your faithfulness in serving God after you have been saved will determine your POSITION in heaven, your REWARDS in heaven, and your JOB ASSIGNMENTS in heaven.

We will "serve Him" forever (Rev. 7:15, 22:3), which means we will have job assignments. These will be privileges, like eternal hobbies, and not like work on Earth.

We will have different ranks in heaven because "many who are first shall be last, and the last, first" (Matt. 19:30). Some who are generals in this life will be privates in the next life. Some who are privates in this life will be generals in the next life. These positions will be determined by humility and faithful service. Which will you be?

If we are faithful in handling our money on Earth, we will be put in charge of something called "true riches" in heaven (Luke 16:11). This isn't figurative language. There really is treasure in heaven and the most faithful stewards on Earth will get to manage it in eternity.

How can you make your life count for eternity? By living to please the Lord in all that you do. To hear the entire message on this subject, go to:

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on "The Next World"

Near Death Experience--testimony of a man who died and went to heaven

2010-10-05T07:28:00.009-05:00

In 1982, Ian McCormack was an atheist who didn't believe in the afterlife. He was stung by 5 deadly box jellyfish while scuba diving, and as he was being taken to the hospital, he called out to Jesus to save him in the ambulance. He passed away in the hospital and was dead for 15 minutes. What he saw on the other side is one of the most amazing testimonies you will ever hear! Ian was sent back into his body and is currently serving the Lord as a pastor in England.

Ian's testimony is in 10 short videoclips. I highly recommend that you listen to parts 1-4, which tells how he got stung and how he desperately tried to get to the hospital. Parts 5-10 tells what happens after he died.

Click here to start with part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgF_iwUNqFU

Click here to start with part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-AXSHLZCPg

The Animal School

2010-09-27T18:41:00.005-05:00

A group of animals started a training school to increase their abilities. They offered courses in swimming, running, climbing, and flying.

The duck always wanted to run fast like the rabbit, so he signed up for running. He got frustrated because he kept tripping over his big webbed feet.
The rabbit wanted to fly like the hawk but nearly broke his leg when he jumped off the ledge.

The hawk wanted to climb like the squirrel but kept falling because he couldn't hold on to tree with his wings.

The squirrel wanted to swim like the duck but almost drowned because she couldn't kick with her little feet.

They all failed because they were trying to do things that God had not created them to do.

The Lord has things for you to do in this life, and He will give you the ability to fulfill your calling. When you are effectively operating in your spiritual gift, it will become "supernaturally natural" for you, like a duck swimming or squirrel climbing. But if you are trying to do something that God has not called or gifted you to do, you will feel as awkward as a rabbit trying to fly!

To hear the entire message on this subject, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Discovering Your Spiritual Gift"

Keep looking up!
Kent

The Speck Inspectors

2010-09-20T20:27:00.006-05:00

A man and wife pulled into a full service gas station to refuel their car. As the tank was being filled, the station attendant washed the windshield. When he finished, the driver stuck his head out the window and said, "It's still dirty. Wash it again."

"Yes, sir," the attendant replied. After he cleaned it a second time, the driver said, "Don't you know how to wash a windshield? It's still filthy. Now do it again!"

The attendant scrubbed the windshield a third time, carefully looking for any messy spots he might have missed. By now the driver was fuming. "I can't believe you are so incompetent that you can't even do a simple job like cleaning a windshield! I'm going to report you to your boss!"

Just then, his wife reached over and removed his glasses. She wiped them clean with a tissue, then put them back on his face. And it was amazing how clean the windshield was!

A person with a critical spirit is a speck inspector. Jesus said, "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own?" (Matt. 7:2) A critical person always finds things wrong with others because he's looking through the dirty glasses on his heart. God wants us to remove that mean-spirited attitude that picks others apart. But how?

By increasing our love for others. When our compassion decreases, our criticisms will increase. But the reverse is also true. When our compassion increases, our criticisms will decrease.

To hear the entire message on this subject, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Destructive Attitudes pt 5: Criticism"

Keep looking through a clean heart!

Kent

Don't Lose Your Perspective

2010-09-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

In 1 Kings 19:1-4, the prophet Elijah received a message that King Ahab's wife Jezebel would kill him within 24 hours. Immediately he fled to the wilderness and asked God to take his life. By shifting all of his attention to his problem, Elijah's perspective was thrown totally out of whack. He got spiritual amnesia and forgot about all the miracles that the Lord had done through him, including raising a boy from the dead and calling down fire from heaven. In Elijah's mind, Jezebel now looked bigger than God!

During the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee had a shortage of soldiers and knew his army would be devastated if the Union forces discovered this weakness. Since he couldn't increase his number of soldiers, he decided to make his army larger than it actually was. He loaded his troops on trains and transported them to different places. At every train station, the same Confederate soldiers were unloaded from the trains. The Union spies believed that thousands of new troops were being added to the Rebel army. General Lee didn't make his army any larger, but was just using a psychological tactic to deceive the Union army. And it worked.

In the same way, Satan tries to make our problems appear larger than they really are. He puts them under a microscope and magnifies them, so that we can't see anything else. He does this so that we'll lose perspective and leave God out of the picture. And like Elijah, we quickly forget about God's faithfulness and all the good things He has done for us.

What makes you lose your perspective? When your favorite team loses? (I know that this is hard to believe, but it's only a game!) Do you lose your perspective by worrying about the future? Just remember that God exists in the future, is waiting for you there, and has good plans for His children.

So what happened to Elijah? Jezebel didn't kill him, so his fears were simply a lie to torment him. In fact, it was Jezebel and not Elijah who died the violent death (2 Kings 9:30-37). It's ironic that Elijah, who was afraid of being killed, never died. He was caught up into heaven alive (2 Kings 2:1, 9-11). If Elijah would have just remembered God's faithfulness in the past, and trusted in God's good plans for the future, he never would have lost his perspective.

To hear the entire message on this, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"The Elijah Complex."

Keep looking up!

Kent

Anger Management

2010-09-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

In the 1800's, a ship in the Atlantic encountered a bad storm. The crew heard crashing sounds below and hurried down to discover that a cannon had broken loose. As the ship went up and down over the waves, the cannon was rolling back and forth, ramming into the sides of the ship. The sailors were able to secure the cannon and get it under control.

It's not the storms on the outside that destroys us, but the storms on the inside. When our anger gets out of control, it becomes like the loose cannon that tears us up inside. If we don't get it under control, it will sink us. So how can we manage our anger?

1.We must find the cause of our anger. God asked Cain, "Why are you angry?" (Gen. 4:6) A mechanic has to figure out what's causing the car problem before he can fix it. You must find out what's causing you to be mad by looking deep within. The problem may not be with the other guy, but your unrealistic expectations of others.

2.We must choose to respond in the right way. God then told Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" (Gen 4:7). We can choose to respond in the right way or the wrong way. Cain could have responded correctly, but he ignored God's advice and murdered his brother Abel instead.

3.We must divorce ourselves from anger. Eph. 4:31 says, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger. . . be put away from you, along with all malice." Maybe if more people divorced themselves from their anger, there would be less divorces. Paul tells us to separate ourselves from "all" wrath, anger, and malice. By cooperating with the Holy Spirit you can let go of your hostility, which is robbing you of your happiness.

To hear the entire message on managing your anger, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Anger Management."

Keep looking up,

Kent

Thou Shalt Not Fear

2010-08-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

When Pastor Max Wilkins was a boy, he went to visit his great Aunt Ruth's house to spend the night. It was a large, spooky old three-story house where the floors creaked when you walked on them, like a haunted house you'd see in the movies.

That night he went to his bedroom on the third floor and climbed into bed. He was about to close his eyes when he saw something that startled him. There was enough light coming through the window that he could see a man standing in the corner of the room!

Max was terrified. He figured the man must have been hiding in the closet when he came into the room. Max decided to lay there and pretend to be asleep, but ready to run if the intruder approached him. All night long he nervously laid in bed with one eye open, watching to see when the man in the corner would make his move.

Max remained still for hours until the sun came up, and as it got brighter in the room he could see that the man in the corner . . . was just a coat rack with a hat on it! He spent all night in torment because he chose to believe his fears.

Fear torments us by making our imaginations run wild. Fear is actually negative faith--a perversion of faith that believes the worst will happen to us. Placing our trust in God is the only way to conquer fear. David said, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee. In God I will put my trust. I shall not be afraid."

What is it that you fear the most? If you'll trust, you won't worry. But if you worry, you won't trust. It's your choice. If you want to be free from fear, choose to believe that God will provide for you and protect you. Trusting God will make life a whole lot easier.

To listen to the entire message on fear, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Thou Shalt Not Fear"

Keep looking up!

Kent

The Envy Trap

2010-08-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

Several years ago a friend told me how much his brother made, which was over four times my salary. As soon as he said it, something rose up within me that made me a little bit angry at his brother. And I didn't even know the guy!

I thought, It doesn't seem right that he should make that much! Why can't I have a salary like that? Just then, God spoke to me and said, "What's the matter? Don't you trust Me to provide for you?" Immediately I was convicted and asked Him to forgive me for being envious.

Do you have a problem with envying others? Here are three characteristics of envy.

1. Envy COMPARES. Envy always looks at what others have and compares it with what we have. We compare salaries and houses and cars and bank accounts and status--and this comparison starts affecting our attitudes in a negative way.

2. Envy COVETS. It begins by comparing and then we start coveting what they have. We have to have what they have! God warns us about coveting in the 10th Commandment, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife . . . or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Ex. 20:17). And who is your neighbor? Anyone outside of you.

3. Envy COMPLAINS. In the parable of the vineyard workers, the laborers complained because they were envious of what the other workers were paid (Matthew 20:11). Envy makes us upset when others are blessed, and we complain that we didn't get what they got.

How can we get rid of envy? We must get our eyes off what others have and look to God alone for provision. Then we must be content with our wages (Luke 3:14) and thankful for what we have. It's only then that we'll live a life of peace and contentment.

To listen to the entire message on this subject, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"The Envy Trap"

Keep looking up (and not at what others have!)

Kent

What Do Some People Change and Others Don't?

2010-08-15T20:25:00.000-05:00

Why do some people make changes in their lives while others need to change but don't? For change to occur, four things are required.

Step 1. We must REALIZE we need to change.

The first step is the self-realization that something is wrong in my life. The idea that I need to change has be to my idea. It may begin by someone else pointing out what is wrong in my life, but until it becomes my idea, the change will never take place. Sometimes people have to hit rock bottom before this realization occurs, like the Prodigal Son who "came to his senses" after he lost everything (Luke 15:17). The light bulb came on inside his mind.

Step 2. We must WANT to change.

It's not enough to realize we need to change. Many people know they need to change but it never happens because they don't want to change. A change of mind (realization) must be followed with a change of heart (desire). The desire to change must become greater than the desire to remain the same. To increase this desire, we must see the benefit of making the change. For example, to lose weight your desire to be skinnier must become greater than your desire to eat high calorie foods and desserts.

Step 3. We must DECIDE to change.

This decision is called repentance, where we choose to walk in a different direction. There is a moment in time when this decision takes place. All change begins at a point in time. One reason why people never change is because they never let that point in time begin. Some people say, "I'm trying to change." Jesus never told anyone to "try" to do something. He just said to do it. If you're trying to do it, you're not doing it. Make the decision and declare, "I'm doing it."

Step 4. We must REPLACE old behavior with new behavior.

The Holy Spirit will not only give you the desire to change, but also the power to change. Eph. 4:28 says, "Let him who steals steal no longer, but let him labor...that he may have something to give." A thief must replace his old behavior with working and giving. Zaccheus was a tax collector who had cheated many people out of their money. After he met Jesus he said, "Lord, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor and if I've defrauded anyone I will give back four times as much." (Luke 19:8). Zaccheus made a verbal declaration about what he intended to do. If you've made a decision to change something, you need to say out loud what you intend to do, and then follow it up with action.

Here are some examples of verbal declarations:

"I'm going to get out of debt by stopping wasteful spending and paying extra to my creditors."

"I'm going to start giving to the Lord ten percent of my paycheck by writing the first check after I get paid to my church."

"I'm going to lose weight by cutting out desserts and monitoring my weight every day by getting on the scale each morning."

To listen to the entire message on this subject, go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"What Makes A Person Change?"

Keep looking up!

Kent

Building a Better Nest

2010-08-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

A buzzard and swan fell in love. Mr. Vulture, also known as Buzz, had never seen a bird as beautiful and as graceful as Swannie. And Swannie hadn't ever met any bird as rugged as Buzz. After a whirlwind courting relationship, Buzz and Swannie joined wings together and committed themselves to a lifetime of bliss.

They got into their first argument when they tried to build their new nest. Buzz was raised in a nest made with sticks high up in a tree, and that's how he wanted to build the nest. Swannie had grown up in a nest made of grass on the ground by the lake, and that's how she wanted to build the nest. When dinnertime drew near, Buzz flew over highways looking for roadkill, just like his father had raised him. His favorite meal was fillet of skunk. But Swannie loved fresh fish for supper, just like her mother had taught her. Their different tastes created even more arguments.

Buzz and Swannie decided to see a marriage counselor, so they visited with Mr. Owl, who was the wisest bird in the forest. Owl said, "The answer to your problem is obvious. The nests you grew up in each have something good to offer. Choose the best ideas from both nests and you will build a better nest than the one you grew up in."

Do you have conflicts in your marriage because you were each raised differently? You can build a better nest if you will sit down together and choose the best points of each nest. You might need to come to the realization that the way you were raised wasn't the best way to do things. Be humble and honest, and the Lord will help you build a better nest.

To hear the entire sermon on this topic go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Relationships, Part 4, The Marriage Repair Shop."

You can also download the PowerPoint slides for this message.

Kent

Deposits and Withdrawals

2010-07-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

Willard Harley in his book His Needs, Her Needs says that relationships work just like a bank account where you make deposits and withdrawals. Deposits are pleasant and friendly interactions with others, like smiling and speaking words of encouragement. Withdrawals are angry and hurtful encounters with others, such as frowning, criticizing, and arguing. If you are making more deposits than withdrawals with an individual, you'll have an enjoyable relationship. But if you are making more withdrawals, your relationship with that person will eventually go bankrupt.

Jesus talked about deposits and withdrawals in Luke 6:27-28:

When people hate you (withdrawal), do good to them (deposit).

When people curse you (withdrawal), bless them (deposit).

When people mistreat you (withdrawal), pray for them (deposit).

In other words, respond in the opposite spirit.

To make a valid deposit in another person's account, it must be in a currency that's acceptable to the other person's bank. What you like to receive may not be what they like to receive. My wife's "relationship bank" likes to receive flowers as deposits. My bank, however, doesn't accept flowers. Since I'm a Texas A&M fan, my bank likes to receive Aggie sports paraphernalia as deposits. You get the idea. If you want to bless someone and build the relationship, give them something that they would like to receive.

You can turn a bad marriage into a good marriage by building up the account balance. Stop making so many withdrawals (fighting and arguing) and start making lots of deposits in your spouse's relationship bank (dating and having fun together).

To listen to the entire message on this topic go to http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Relationships, Part 3, Do the Opposite."

Keep looking up!

Kent

Who is in Your Dungeon?

2010-07-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

Jesus told a parable about a king who forgave a slave of a $50 million debt (in today's dollars). It would take 4,500 lifetimes to pay off the debt, yet the merciful king let him off the hook! You would think that slave would be so grateful that he would forgive all his debtors as well. Not so with this guy. He went a fellow slave who owed him $15 in today's money. When the fellow slave could not repay the debt, the slave threw him into the dungeon (Matt. 18:23-30).

The $50 million debt represents our sin debt to God. When we plead for mercy, the Lord forgives the entire debt! But after we have been forgiven, the Lord expects us to forgive all our debtors as well. If we don't forgive others, we are like the slave who threw the fellow slave into the dungeon, except our dungeon is inside our souls. Everyone that you refuse to forgive is locked up in the dungeon of your soul.

Whenever you think about how they hurt you, you make a trip down the stairs into your dungeon. You pull out your whip and you start lashing the people chained to your walls, trying to make them pay for what they did to you. But every time you whip someone in your dungeon, you feel a sharp pain in your stomach. It's almost as if, instead of whipping them, you are whipping yourself on the inside.

The only way to get free of the torment is to release your prisoners. You need to make one more trip down the stairs. This time, instead of carrying a whip, you carry the key of forgiveness. You unlock their chains and watch them leave your dungeon. It's empty now. You can't explain it, but the sharp pain in your stomach is gone. And then you realize that it wasn't them you set free. It was you!

To hear the entire message on this topic, go to

www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"Relationships, Part 2, Who is in Your Dungeon?"

Keep setting others free,

Kent

Lessons from Mountain Climbers

2010-07-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

In October 2009, a 41-year-old man from Ireland fell to his death while scaling a mountain. Although it was risky to go off by himself, he apparently thought he wouldn't need help from anyone. He was wrong. He broke the number one rule of mountain climbing: "Don't go climbing alone."

In contrast, when a group of tourists went mountain climbing in Switzerland they all fastened themselves together to a line. As they were ascending one of climbers slipped. He would have fallen to his death on the rocks below but was saved because he was connected to a lifeline. The other people pulled him to safety.

After reading about these mountain climbers, it occurred to me that some Christians are like the man who went off by himself. They might watch evangelists on TV and listen to Christian radio, but they aren't connected to other believers through a relationship with them. Sooner or later they will fall and no one will be there to catch them.

However, other believers are like the team that was connected together with a lifeline. They spend time together in prayer and fellowship so that they know what's going on in each other's lives. If one of them falls, the others are there to hold the person up. That's why Hebrews 10:25 says to "not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some."

Sure, it's easier to just withdraw and not get involved in other's lives. But God didn't design you, or call you, to be independent. We are a part of Christ's body. We need each other. Which kind of mountain climber are you?

Start a Chain Reaction

2010-07-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

Paul and Silas had been beaten with rods and thrown into prison (Acts 16:22-26). Even though they were bruised and bleeding, they decided to praise God instead of throwing a pity party. As soon as they started praising, God sent an earthquake that opened the prison doors and unfastened everyone's chains. It's amazing what praising can do!

Their praise started a chain reaction. When we start praising God, our chains react by falling off. Do you think God would have sent the supernatural earthquake to unlock their chains if they had been whining and complaining about their situation instead of praising Him? I think not. But when the Lord heard them praise Him in the midst of their desperate situation, it moved Him to do something about it.

Most of us choose to complain instead of praise and that's why our chains never fall off. However, you can follow the example of Paul and Silas and start your own chain reaction!

Are you wearing the CHAINS OF SELF-PITY by feeling sorry for yourself? Start praising God and your chains will fall off as you turn your eyes off yourself and on to Him.

Are you wearing the CHAINS OF WORRY? Start praising God and you will find that your worry will flee because it can't stand being around praise.

Are you wearing the CHAINS OF DEPRESSION? Start praising God and that dark cloud will dissipate as the sun breaks through.

The key to your freedom is in your heart and in your mouth (Heb 10:8), but it's up to you to turn on the praise and start the reaction.

To hear the entire message on this topic, go to

http://www.churchoflivingwater.net/node/23 and click on

"It's Amazing What Praising Can Do"

Keep on praising,

Kent

How Much is a Diamond Worth?

2010-06-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

One day my wife, Cindy, called me in tears from the bank where she worked. "The diamond has fallen out of my wedding ring," she sobbed, "and I don't know where it is." My mind flashed back to when I was a poor seminary student surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had saved up $750 to buy the most beautiful diamond ring in the world for my future wife. Of course, no jeweler would tell you that, but it was to Cindy and me. She had been wearing it for 19 years and now it was gone.

The chances of finding the diamond were slim to none. She could have lost it somewhere in our house, or in the restaurant where she had lunch, or somewhere in the bank. I prayed, "Lord, you know where Cindy lost her diamond. Please show me where it is." Immediately I felt prompted to go to the bank parking lot. After driving into the lot, the first place I looked was inside our minivan, searching in the seat and on the floor. Nothing there.

When I got out of the van, I scanned the parking lot and saw something glisten. As I drew closer, I couldn't believe my eyes. Cindy's diamond was laying in a crack in the pavement! I snatched it up and ran into the bank yelling, "I found it! I found the diamond!" Bank customers turned around, wondering why I was causing such a commotion. Cindy burst into tears and came running out from behind her teller window. As we embraced in the middle of the lobby, it looked like the ending of a romantic movie.

We called our friends and told them how our lost diamond had been found, and that evening we went out to celebrate. Suddenly I understood the excitement of the woman in the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9). We had to lose the diamond and get it back to realize how much it was worth.

Did the diamond increase in value? No.

What changed? Our perception of its worth.

I learned one of the great secrets of thankfulness through this experience: the value of something isn't determined by how much it appreciates, but by how much it is appreciated.

Keep looking for diamonds,

Kent

What is Your Motive?

2010-06-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

When detectives are trying to solve a murder case the first question they ask is, "Who has a motive for doing this?" People typically kill for a reason. Something evil inside their hearts drives them to do the unthinkable. Was it someone who would inherit a fortune? (greed) Was it a person who wanted to keep the victim quiet? (felt threatened) Or was it someone trying to get revenge? (hate) Figure out the motive and you'll narrow down the list of suspects.

We can also pray for the wrong reasons. James 4:2-3, "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with the wrong motives." An X-ray machine can look at a person's heart, but it can't look at the motives in a person's heart. Only God is able to look into our hearts and see why we're asking for something. Prov. 16:2 says, "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight but the Lord weighs the motives." If we're asking for something selfish or it will hurt us in some way, God in His mercy will deny our requests.

Jesus told us to examine our motives when we give our offerings, fast, and pray (See Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18). We are not to give grudgingly (against our will) or under compulsion (out of guilt if we don't) because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). The Lord is looking past the outward deed of giving to see why we are doing it. On the day of judgment, He will reveal the motives of everything we do (1 Cor. 4:5), so we need to do it right the first time.

What is your motive for the things you do? As you go about your business today, make sure your heart is right first, then follow through with the action.

Faxing Two Things to Heaven

2010-06-14T22:47:00.000-05:00

In Acts 10:1-4, an angel appeared to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and said, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as memorial before God." How would you like an angel to appear to you every time you prayed to assure you that your prayer had been heard?

If you fax a message from Los Angeles to New York, it is sent from one side of the country and it's immediately received on the other side of the country. Cornelius "faxed" his prayers and offerings from earth and they were immediately received in heaven. And you can also fax those same two things to the Lord.

1.Your offerings. Always remember that the Lord is on the receiving end of your offerings! Although you can't see it with your natural eyes, in the spiritual realm God is immediately receiving your gift and turning it into "treasure in heaven" (Matt. 6:20). Every Christian who gives cheerfully to the Lord will be rewarded throughout all eternity with something much, much better than anything this world can offer.

2.Your prayers. The Lord is also on the receiving end of your prayers. You are not praying into the air. You are not praying to nothingness. You are talking to a Supreme Being who hears what you are saying. Although your prayers are instantly heard, the answer may not come for a while. God's timing is different than ours, so continue to pray until the answer comes.

Keep on faxing,

Kent

Willing & Able

2010-06-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

A farmer had two mules. One was named Willing and the other was named Able. Willing was a frail and puny mule. He was willing to work but wasn't able. On the other hand, Able was a big, strong stubborn mule. Although he had the ability to pull the plow, he wasn't willing.

Willing was willing, but not able. And Able was able, but not willing. The farmer never got any work done because he needed mules that were both willing and able.

For us to get our prayers answered we must believe two things. We must believe that He is able to answer our prayers, and we must also believe that He is willing to do it. We just can't believe one or the other. We must believe both.

King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace unless they bowed down to the golden image he had made. In Dan. 3:17 they responded, "Our God who we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king." They believed He was both willing and able.

In Matthew 9:27-28 a couple of blind men asked Jesus to heal them. Jesus asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" Why did He ask that? Because whatever we are asking for, we must believe that God is able to do it. In Matthew 8:2-3 a leper said to Jesus, "Lord, if You are willing you can make me clean." He believed He was able to do it, but wasn't sure if He was willing. Jesus said He was willing, so the leper was healed.

What are you praying for? Do you believe He is able to do it? Do you believe that He is willing?

Keep looking up!

Kent

Giving Your Problems to God

2010-05-31T13:25:00.000-05:00

Joe was about to go camping and strapped a backpack on his back. Just then he ran into Lou, who started talking about all the problems in his life.

Joe said, "Why don't you pray and give your problems to God?"

"I already did that," Lou responded, "but I'm still worried and burdened down. How will I know when I've given them to Him?"

Immediately Joe released the backpack off his back. "How do I know if the pack is not on my back anymore? I haven't turned around to see if it's off my back."

"Because it isn't weighing you down any more," Lou answered.

"And that's how you'll know when you've transferred your problems to God," Joe replied. "They won't be weighing you down any more."

When we pray correctly, we transfer our problems into God's hands. If you are still burdened down after you have prayed, then you never let go of your problems to begin with.

Have you turned your problems over to the Lord? Phil. 4:6-7 says, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything . . . and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." You'll know that you've given your problems over to God when His peace fills your heart and mind. You're not worried anymore because you're trusting God to take care of them.

Keep looking up!

Kent

The God of Another Chance

2010-05-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

In golf there's an unwritten rule called a Mulligan. If you hit a bad shot off the tee, you can take a Mulligan, which says the first shot doesn't count and you get another chance to hit a new ball. It's a picture of grace because you don't deserve a second chance. There's no rule in golf that says you can forget about the first shot and get another chance to hit the ball. So where did the Mulligan come from?

It came from a man named David Mulligan, who was a manager of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. While playing golf one day in the 1920's, he hit a bad shot off the tee and decided to hit a "correction shot." His friends liked the idea so much they named the correction shot after him. Other golfers decided they needed another chance too when they messed up, so they also started taking Mulligans. And so have golfers for the next nine decades!

Did you know that God is offering you a Mulligan? If you've messed up your life, He wants to give you another chance to get it right this time. No, you don't deserve it. It's only by God's grace. He wants you to get your life back on track again.

But here's the deal. God will give you another chance, but you must do it differently than the first time. If you hit the ball the same way, you'll get the same result as the first time. This time, by God grace, you must do it His way. And then you'll wind up on the green rather than in the rough.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Radio Signals

2010-05-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

When you're driving your car and listening to a radio station, you will get the clearest signal when you're close to the radio tower. But if you're driving out of town and going away from the tower, guess what happens? The signal gets weaker and starts breaking up. And that's when you start picking up radio signals from other stations.

That's what happens in the spiritual realm. When you are spiritually close to God you will be able to hear Him clearly. But if you start drifting away or if you're deliberately running away from God, the signal gets weaker and it becomes hard to hear His voice. Then you'll start picking up voices that are not from God, which tell you to keep going in the wrong direction.

How can you start hearing God clearly again? All you need to do is turn the car around and start driving toward the tower again. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." You draw near to Him in your heart. Talk to Him. Read His Word. Joyfully serve Him. When your motivation is to be pleasing to Him above everything else, you're heading in the right direction. And then He'll draw near to you because He is attracted to those who are seeking Him.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Making Decisions--Open & Closed Doors

2010-05-10T17:49:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 16:9 says, "The mind of the man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." One of the ways God directs our steps is through opening and closing doors. A Sunday school teacher asked her class if she had ever seen God miraculously open a door. One little boy raised his hand and said, "I see God open doors every week." She replied, "Every week?" He said, "Yes, every week when Mommy takes me to the grocery store, I see God open the doors!"

Just as God can open the doors at the grocery store at just the right time, He can open a door for you at just the right time. An open door is an opportunity. Sometimes we must knock on the door before it will open. Jesus said, "Keep on knocking and the door will be opened for you" (Matt. 7:7). If you've lost your job, "knocking on doors" means filling out job applications and sending out your resume. You might need to apply to 100 businesses, not because you need 100 jobs, but because you don't know which door He will open.

Rev. 3:7 tells us that God can open doors that no one can shut, and can shut doors that no one can open. The Lord will close doors to protect us from make a mistake and to divert us in a new direction. Sometimes the door will be closed until the timing is right, and then it will open.

As you seek God's direction for your life look for the open doors, and don't get mad at Him if a door closes. He's just trying to protect you.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Making Decisions--Choosing Your Advisors

2010-05-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

Two men, who were broke and destitute, were sitting on a park bench. One guy bragged, "No one is going to tell me what to do! I've never followed anyone's advice." The other man stuck out his hand and said, "Shake, old buddy. I'm a man who followed everyone's advice."

The two biggest mistakes people make are 1) not following anyone's advice and 2) following everyone's advice. Both extremes will lead to failure. Instead, we must be selective in the advice we listen to. Proverbs 24:6 says, "In the abundance of counselors there is victory." That doesn't mean we must take a poll and ask everyone's opinion. Before making a major decision, we must first qualify our counselors and then we let them advise us.

1. Choose godly counselors. Ps. 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." The first qualification is that the person must love God and have the track record in their lifestyle to prove it.

2. Choose experienced counselors. Prov. 24:6 says, "For by wise guidance you will wage war." If you are going to war, you need to gain wisdom from someone in the military who has already fought battles and has won. Choose someone who is experienced in the area where you need advice and has been successful. If it didn't work for them, it won't work for you. If someone doesn't know how to swim, they can't teach you how to swim.

3. Choose caring counselors. Prov. 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." Some people are envious and don't want others to succeed, so they will deceptively give you bad advice, hoping you will fail. Your counselor should genuinely care about what will happen to you.

4. Choose several counselors. Prov. 24:6 says, "In the abundance of counselors there is victory." Select a group of counselors after they have been qualified. They will be able to point out things concerning the decision that you hadn't thought about. After listening to their counsel, remember that the final decision is your responsibility, not theirs.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Making Decisions--Following Your Heart

2010-04-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

How do you know when God is guiding you? He will lead you through the desires in your heart (Psalm 37:4) and the peace in your heart. Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The Greek word for "rule" means "to act as an umpire." In sporting events, the umpire is the one who makes decisions on the playing field.

Suppose you're watching a baseball game and the count is three balls and two strikes. The batter doesn't swing at the next pitch because he thinks it's ball four, while the catcher thinks it's strike three. They both look at the umpire, who makes the decision whether he's out or goes to first base. The umpire is the one who decides.

The peace in our hearts or lack of peace is the umpire that lets us know if we're going down the right path or the wrong one. It can also be compared to a traffic light:

A red light is when you have turmoil inside. God is telling you to stop going down that road.

A yellow light is when you're unsettled inside. He's telling you to slow down. It's in-between the red light and green light, so He might lead you either way.

A green light is when you have peace inside, which means to keep going forward.

Let the Lord direct your heart through His peace. He will always make the right call.

Keep looking up!

Kent

The Sword First, then the Hand

2010-04-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

Admiral Horatio Nelson was an English navy hero who twice defeated Napoleon's army. Whenever he won in battle, he always treated the enemy prisoners with dignity. After one of his victories, the defeated commander was brought on board Nelson's flagship for a formal ceremony where he would surrender his sword.

The man quickly walked across the deck and stuck out his hand for the Admiral to shake. Nelson held his hand to his side and refused to shake his hand. Then he said, "Hand over your sword first and then I'll shake your hand."

If we want to be at peace with God, we must first surrender our swords. When the commander surrendered to Admiral Nelson, he didn't keep fighting against him. He handed over the sword and was at his mercy. When we surrender to God, we quit fighting against Him and we do what He says. If He wants us to get rid of our anger or forgive someone, and if we say "no," we haven't completely surrendered. We must come to God on His terms. We must lay down the sword that we use against others.

Do you want God's hand of blessing on you? Hand over your sword.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Getting to Know God's Voice

2010-04-12T19:44:00.000-05:00

I always enjoyed watching Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor talk to his neighbor Wilson in the TV sitcom "Home Improvement." If you watched the show, you know that the TV producers played a gag on the viewing audience because they never showed us Wilson's face. We never saw his lips move. His face was always partially covered up by the fence between the yards, as seen in this picture. If Wilson was in Tim's house, we couldn't see his whole face because a lamp or some other object always blocked our view.

Although we couldn't see his face, we got to know Wilson through his voice. Whenever Tim didn't know what to do and needed advice, Wilson was always there to offer words of wisdom.

In some ways, that's how we hear from God. Although we can't see His face, we can get to know Him through His voice. Jesus said in John 10:17, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." He also said, "But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:13).

How does His voice sound? He speaks to us through thoughts in our minds and impressions in our hearts, always offering words of wisdom. If you are a child of God, He wants to guide you down the right paths. The only prerequisite is you must be willing to follow wherever He leads.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Did the Titanic Really Sink?

2010-04-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

The Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, but how do we really know for sure? No one alive today was there when it sank. So does that mean it never happened?

Approximately 1,500 passengers drowned in the sea but 700 people survived the tragedy. Those survivors were eyewitnesses to the accident, and newspapers at that time recorded their comments about what they saw. No one living today questions whether or not the Titanic sank because we have a record of the eyewitness reports.

How do we know that Jesus rose from the dead? Just like we know about the Titanic, through the eyewitness reports. First Corinthians 15:6-8 says, "He was raised the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time. . .then He also appeared to James and all the apostles. . .and He appeared to me also."

But here's the real proof. These eyewitnesses were so convinced that Jesus rose from the dead that they were willing to die for Him. And most of them did. When they were threatened with death and offered their release if they would deny Christ, they would not renounce Him. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down. Thomas will killed with a spear. James was executed with a sword. Phillip was crucified. These were eyewitnesses who were absolutely convinced by what they saw.

Yes, Jesus did rise from the dead. Can you believe it?

The Thief on the Cross

2010-03-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

The thief dying on the cross next to Jesus said, "Jesus, remember me in your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Do you know what is amazing about that statement? He was trusting a dying man to save him! Jesus was covered with blood, with nails in His hands and feet, and looked totally helpless. The religious leaders and soldiers had asked Him to come down from the cross, but apparently Jesus didn't even have the power to do that. Can you imagine trusting a bloody, helpless man to save you?

The thief could have said, "Jesus, you're dying on a cross, and I'm dying on a cross." Why don't you pay for 80% of my sins on your cross, and I'll pay for the other 20% on my cross." That's what some people say. "Lord, you do your part, and I'll do my part. I'll pay for my part by going to church, by feeling guilty, and by trying my best." But it doesn't work that way. There can't be 2 Saviors--both you and Jesus. You must trust Jesus to pay for all of your sins. That's 100%. God can't save us until we stop trying to save ourselves.

A boy was drowning in a lake. His mother couldn't swim, but stood on the shore and cried out for someone to help. A man stood nearby but made no effort to save him. As the boy was going down for the last time, the man dove into the water, rescued him, and brought him to shore. The mother asked, "Why did you wait to save him?" The man replied, "As long as he was trying to save himself, he would have dragged me down with him. But when he stopped trying to save himself, then I could save him."

God wants to use the thief on the cross as a role model for us:

1) He knew he didn't deserve salvation

2) He knew he couldn't save himself

3) He placed his faith in a dying Savior

4) He called out to Jesus to be saved.

If you'll follow the example of the thief on the cross, Jesus will remember you in His kingdom as well.

Full of Yourself or God?

2010-03-22T07:06:00.000-05:00

A Bible student went to a wise man and said, "Will you teach me what you've learned about God?" The man invited him into his house and replied, "I'll be glad to, but first let me pour you a cup of coffee." The young man held out his cup as the man poured it until it was full, but kept pouring until it was overflowing.

The student said, "Stop! The coffee is spilling out. The cup can't hold any more." The wise man said, "This is your first lesson. When you are full of yourself, there is no room for God. If you want God to fill you up, you must first empty yourself."

How do you know if you're full of yourself? Here are a few signs: You frequently argue with others. You get offended when you don't get your way. You disrespect your boss. You're unwilling to do the things God has asked you to do. You pray about everything you want but forget to pray for others.

We empty ourselves by becoming humble and submissive. First Peter 2:13 says, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake" to earthly authorities. No one can make you submit. The only one who can make you submit is "yourself." First Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time." The only one who can make you humble is "yourself." We make a decision to empty ourselves. We get out of the way so God can fill us up. We trust God to take care of our situations rather than trying to control and manipulate them ourselves. When we humble ourselves, we will find favor with God and He will exalt us at the proper time.

Kent

The Movies in Your Mind

2010-03-14T15:10:00.000-05:00

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world "in a moment of time" (Luke 4:5). It's not possible to see every kingdom in the world all at once, so how did Satan do this? The devil got out his movie projector and showed it on the screen of His mind. If Satan could show "movies" to Jesus, he can do it to us as well.

When you go to a movie and watch the actor in the film get an incurable disease, it doesn't bother you. If he loses his job and goes bankrupt, it's no big deal to you. You're too busy eating popcorn and slurping on a Coke to feel his pain! But when you watch the imaginary "movies in your mind" you are the one in the movie. You watch yourself get the incurable disease. You see yourself losing your job and going bankrupt. Have you ever noticed how the "movies in your mind" never have a happy ending?

God has told us in 2 Cor. 10:5 how to stop the movies from playing in our minds. "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." We REMOVE the fearful thoughts of the future by casting them down in Jesus' name, and then we REPLACE them with encouraging thoughts that God wants us to dwell upon.

It's a simple two-step process, but you must carry out both actions--remove and replace. And if you'll do that, you'll start seeing happy endings when you think of the future.

Kent

We Will Reap IN DUE TIME

2010-03-07T17:14:00.000-06:00

Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." What does "in due time" mean? It means that God has the day circled on His calendar as to when He will bring your harvest.

When you make your house payment, the billing statement will specify a "due date." Your mortgage company doesn't say, "Oh, just pay it whenever you want." No, they tell you the exact date so that there's no question in your mind about it. When UPS delivers a Next Day Air package, they promise to deliver it "in due time." It is scheduled to arrive by 10:30 the next morning or the shipper doesn't have the pay the shipping costs.

In the same way, your harvest has a specific arrival time on God's schedule. Even though we might not know when it's coming, we can place our confidence in God's promise to bring the harvest in His perfect timing. God has never been late on His deliveries! If we will keep that fact in mind, we will not get discouraged in doing good knowing that the Lord has promised to reward us for our labor. The harvest IS coming!

Keep sowing good seeds,

Kent

We Reap WHAT We Sow

2010-03-01T19:36:00.000-06:00

Reader's Digest told a story about a company that glued a tiny seed to a brochure that was advertising their product. The brochure said, "If you have the faith as a mustard seed in our product, it will produce profound results for you." Several months later, a customer wrote back saying, "You will be very interested to know that I planted your mustard seed and now I have a beautiful plant covered with tomatoes!" Obviously, it was a tomato seed, not a mustard seed.

Galatians 6:7 says, "Don't be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." If a farmer plants corn, he is not going to reap okra. If you plant watermelon seeds, you will reap watermelons, not asparagus. I can look at a field of wheat and tell you exactly what kind of seed was sown, even though I wasn't there to watch the farmer plant it. We will always reap the kind of seed we plant.

So why does the Scripture say, "Don't be deceived"? It's because so many people have deceived themselves, thinking they can make incredibly dumb decisions and not suffer the consequences. Then, after they become adults, they regret the wild oats they sowed when they were teenagers.

So take a close look at the kind of seeds you're planting. If you're wise, you'll foresee the future harvest you want to enjoy, and then you'll start planting good seeds to make it happen.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Plant the Seed!

2010-02-23T15:58:00.000-06:00

Years ago archaeologists discovered some wheat inside of a pyramid. The seeds laid dormant inside the Egyptian tomb for between 3,000 and 4,000 years. They wondered if the wheat would still grow, so they decided to plant them. And to their amazement, the seeds sprouted! The life within the seed remained inactive for thousands of years, but once it was planted in the ground it was able to release its power and produce even more seeds.

The Bible frequently talks about the principles of sowing and reaping. The Apostle Paul said, "He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall reap bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6). He told the Galatians, "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (Gal. 6:9). Paul isn't really talking about farming, but he's speaking metaphorically. Everyone has seeds, but unless you plant them you will never enjoy reaping the harvest.

The "seeds" are all the resources God has given you that need to be shared with others--all your abilities, all your money and possessions, all the things you intend to do, your words and actions toward others, and the good news of salvation. If you keep these things to yourself, these "seeds" will lay dormant and non-productive, just like the seeds laying inside the pyramid.

You must make a decision to plant the seed. When you use your abilities to serve God and others, you've just planted a seed. When you give your money as an offering, you've planted seeds in God's kingdom. When you turn intentions into actions, you're planting seeds. When you show kindness to those who are rude to you, you're planting seeds. And when you share God's plan of salvation with others, you're planting seeds in people's hearts that could change their eternal destiny.

I'll share more principles about sowing and reaping in the next devotional.

Kent

Brokenness

2010-02-14T22:54:00.000-06:00

"A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). For years whenever I read that verse, I pictured in my mind a pot that had been broken into little pieces. It didn't make much sense to me. Then it dawned on me that a cracked pot wasn't the right idea at all. Instead, brokenness is like a cowboy breaking a horse.

When a horse isn't broken, it tries to throw the rider off. But when it reaches the place of brokenness, the horse surrenders to the cowboy and quits fighting against him. It's only then that the horse can be guided wherever the rider wishes to lead it.

In the same way, when we quit fighting against God and surrender to Him, we can be guided wherever the Lord wants to lead us. Willing to be led by God makes a lot more sense than being a crackpot!
Have you come to the place of brokenness?
Kent

May I Change Seats, Please?

2010-02-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

On a flight to Chicago, Dr. Jack Hyles was seated on the plane next to a very rude man. Dr. Hyles thought, "I'm going to have to sit next to this old crab for the next 4 hours, and I'm not going to let him ruin my trip." He called the flight attendant and asked, "Ma'am, may I change seats, please?" She answered, "I'm sorry, but the plane is full. You must stay in your assigned seat."

All of us are on a plane heading for a destination and it's important for us to understand a couple of things. First, God has assigned you a seat in life. Second, you are probably going to be seated next to a crab! That crab is probably an obnoxious person or difficult situation you're going through, so you cry out to God, "May I change seats, please?" God answers, "No, I've assigned you that seat, so buckle your seat belt and enjoy the trip!"

The apostle Paul said, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (Phil. 4:11). He knew how to be happy, even then things weren't going his way. Read 2 Cor. 11:23-28 for a list of the crabs that Paul was seated next to.

What is the secret to being happy all the time? Simply this. Every situation contains both good and bad. If you will focus on the good instead of the bad, and if you'll thank God for the good instead of complaining about the bad, you will be amazed at how quickly you'll learn the secret of happiness. Even if you're seated next to a crab.

Keep looking for the good,

Kent

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The Junk Box

2010-01-26T22:12:00.000-06:00

Years ago, a store owner put a sign in his window, "Help Wanted." A boy named Crawford Hill came in an applied for the job. The owner told him, "Go up into the attic and you'll find a long, deep box up there. I want you to sort through all the junk in the box and separate the things that need to be saved from the things we need to throw away."

Crawford went up the stairs into the hot attic and began sorting through the box. For the next few hours, he separated bent nails from the good ones, and kept everything that was worth salvaging. When he got to the bottom of the box, he noticed a $20 bill laying on the bottom.

He scooped it up and ran downstairs, holding it in the air and shouting, "Look what I found in the box!" Then he handed it to the store owner. The owner smiled because he knew he had found a boy to work in his store.

You see, the old junk box was just a test. He had filled the box with nails, screws, and other items to test his faithfulness--to see if he would work in the hot attic without complaining, even though he didn't understand the purpose for the job. He planted the $20 bill at the bottom of the box to test his honesty. If he didn't report finding the money, he knew he couldn't be trusted with the cash register. Crawford passed the test.

Do you realize that you are sorting through a junk box whenever you are faced with a trial? God is watching to see if you'll be faithful and honest in spite of your difficulty, especially when you don't understand why you are going through it. Remember, it's a test. It's only a test.

I hope you'll hear your Master say, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master." (Matt. 25:21)

Kent

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