Do You See What Actually Happened There?

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

The Archbishop of Paris was preaching to a large congregation in Notre Dame cathedral. He told the story of three rebellious young men who wandered into the cathedral one day. Two of the men made a bet with the third man that he would not make a fake confession to the priest. He accepted the bet and went to the priest for confession, making up a story about a sin he had committed.

When he finished, the priest said, “Go to the crucifix over there, kneel down before it, and repeat three times, ‘All this you did for me and I don’t really care.’” The young man knelt before the crucifix, looked up at the face of Jesus on the cross and said, “All this you did for me, and I …”

He choked up and tried again. “All this you did ...” He couldn’t go any further. His heart broke and he started sobbing. For the first time in his life, he understood what Jesus had done for him by sacrificing His life. The archbishop finished his sermon by saying, “You might think I made up this story, but it’s true. I was that young man!”

What should we see when we look at the cross? We see Jesus taking our sins upon Himself. “He Himself bore our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:14). We see Him opening the door into heaven “so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus didn’t have to die for us, but He did, so that we could spend eternity with Him. 

People who look at the cross and walk away unchanged do not see what happened there. Do you see it? Do you see what actually happened at the cross? Most people don’t see it. I hope you do. www.makinglifecount.net www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  

Why Did David Choose 5 Stones to Fight Goliath?

Then he (David) took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine (Goliath). So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. (1 Sam. 17:40-41).

Before David fought Goliath, he went to the brook and chose 5 smooth stones and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. Some people ask, “If David had faith that he would win, why did he pick up 5 stones when one would do?”

David wasn’t afraid to fight Goliath, even though Saul and all the men of Israel were afraid of him (1 Sam. 17:11, 24). David had already killed a bear and even grabbed a lion by its beard and killed it. He told Saul, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (17:34-37).

Why did David choose 5 stones? Most people seem to forget that two people approached David—Goliath and his shield-bearer. David would have to fight Goliath, but he also might have to deal with his shield-bearer (who apparently ran away after Goliath fell). David didn’t know if other soldiers or Goliath’s relatives would try to attack him. David and his men later killed four other giants who were related to Goliath (2 Sam. 21:15-22).

The best explanation for taking 5 stones is that David prepared for the possibility of missing him, or that Goliath’s shield might block the stone being hurled at him. He knew God would deliver him from Goliath, but it might require multiple throws to make it happen. God promised Joshua that Israel would conquer their enemies (Josh. 3:10), but the Lord never told the soldiers to only take one arrow per person.

David’s action shows us the importance of both faith and preparedness. We can trust God to bring success, while at the same time use wisdom to prepare for all possibilities.  www.makinglifecount.net

How to conquer 20 Modern-Day Giants

Read Slaying Your Giants

He Survived Jumping Off the Golden Gate Bridge

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

Kevin Hines was depressed and decided to end his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Miraculously, he survived. Hines said, “The millisecond my hands left the rail and my legs cleared it, I had instantaneous regret for my actions.”

“I fell nearly 250 feet, 25 stories, closing in on 80 mph nearing the speed of terminal velocity in 4 seconds. In those 4 seconds, I said to myself, What have I just done? I don’t want to die! God, please save me! I realized I made the greatest mistake of my life. And then I hit the water.”

He crushed three vertebrae on impact, and then started drowning. He prayed, “I don’t want to die, God, I made a mistake.” A sea lion kept pushing him to the surface until the Coast Guard rescued him. He’s one of 35 people who’ve survived that jump while 1,800 others have died in the San Francisco Bay since the bridge was opened in 1937. Hines’s story is chronicled in a documentary, The Ripple Effect.

In Acts 16:25-31, we find another man who wanted to end his life. Paul and Silas had been arrested and were singing praises to God in jail. The Lord sent an earthquake, which opened all the prison doors. The jailer thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to fall on it. Paul cried out, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!” The jailer, realizing something supernatural just happened, asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

If you’ve thought about ending your life, God says to you, “Do yourself no harm! I have a plan and a purpose for your life.” Psalm 42:5 (NLT) says, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him.” That’s the answer. Put your hope in the Lord and praise Him. He’s the one who can give you a reason to live.

BIBLE STUDY: End Times & Bible Prophecy

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When Failure Was Actually a Success

Dale Bourke was attending a publishing conference when her friend, Bruce, offered to give her a ride to the airport. As they were about to leave, the hotel doorman told them the hotel shuttle bus had broken down and if they could take another passenger to the airport. They said they would and the man jumped in the back seat.

Bruce asked the man where he worked. The back-seat passenger mentioned the name of a Christian publishing house, which was affiliated with a campus organization. Bruce said, “I have fond memories of that campus ministry because I attended a retreat by them in 1972 in New Hampshire. I became a Christian at that retreat.”

Bruce went on to explain that a year later, when he gave his testimony, his entire family came to the Lord. His sister eventually became a Wycliffe missionary and translated Scripture for a people group in Africa.

But he wasn’t finished explaining the domino effect of the retreat. Bruce’s parents became publishers of Christian books and published some of the most popular Christian books over several decades. Bruce later became a publisher of a major Christian publishing house that has printed and distributed books in numerous countries. The impact of that one retreat had reverberated throughout the world!

The man in the back seat was stunned. Then, he timidly admitted, “I led that retreat. It was my first time as a conference leader and I felt like a total failure. Until this moment, I’ve always believed it was one of the biggest failures in my life.”  (Dale Hanson Bourke, Second Calling, Integrity Publishers 2006, 208-209).

The conference leader felt like a total failure because he was looking at his own inadequacy instead of God’s ability to cause the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). One apple seed can produce an apple tree, which can produce an apple orchard.

We can learn a valuable lesson through this. We usually can’t see how God will use our obedience to reach people we don’t even know. If you’ll serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2) and leave the results to Him, you’ll never feel like a failure.  

RECEIVE THESE DEVOTIONALS FREE by EMAIL: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  NOTE: The subscription box will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.) www.makinglifecount.net  

Which is the Greatest Commandment?

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

A Pharisee asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matt. 22:36). The Pharisees counted 613 commandments in the Law. They also added another 1,500 man-made laws for the Jewish people keep. Out of all those commandments, it was only natural to wonder which was the most important.

Some Jews believed the greatest was the 3rd commandment, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). That’s why they wouldn’t even mention His name. Others thought the greatest was the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8). That’s why the Pharisees created 39 categories of work that were prohibited on the Sabbath, and they always accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.

One rabbi even taught the man-made laws of the Pharisees were more important than God’s commandments in the Scriptures. They believed that eating with unwashed hands was as great of a crime as murder, and that rubbing ears of corn together on the Sabbath day was the same sin as committing adultery.

These differences in opinions created a lot of confusion about which law was the greatest of all the commandments. You’d think Jesus would have answered him by quoting the 1st commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3). He didn’t. Instead, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).

So what is most important to God? He wants you to love Him with all your heart; that’s passion. All your soul; that’s commitment. All your mind; that’s what you think about.

It’s impossible to love God until you first believe He loves you, and you’ve received His love into your heart. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NKJV). Live to please God. It’s that simple.

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When You Need More Strength

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

We can do just about anything if we’re desperate. A 120-pound computer specialist picked up a 250-pound bomb on the U.S.S. Forrestal that was about to explode and heaved it overboard. A frightened 5-foot farm wife lifted a 2,000-pound tractor to free her husband who was pinned underneath. Later it took three husky men to lift the tractor. A 12-year-old boy lifted a fallen log off the legs of his father. Four men could barely move it later on.

If people can do these incredible feats through adrenalin, think what God can do through you with His unlimited power and strength. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). He did not say, “I can do all things through me who strengthens me.” His strength came from God.

You probably won’t need power to lift a tractor off someone pinned underneath. But you will need God’s strength to get through difficult times. You’ll need His holy power to overcome temptation. You’ll need God’s supernatural strength to keep going when you feel like quitting.

When the comic character Popeye ate his spinach, he instantly became stronger. Even so, Popeye didn’t eat his spinach until he absolutely had to. And that’s the only time some people turn to God for strength—when they’re in trouble. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

The good news is God’s strength is available at all times, and not just when we’re in trouble. “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isa. 40:29). How do we receive it? By calling out to Him and receiving it by faith. He will give you what you need to get through whatever you’re going through.  

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The Copy Cats

This comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

President Calvin Coolidge once invited some friends to dinner at the White House. The guests didn’t know how to behave with the proper table manners, so they decided to just copy whatever the President did. 

When the coffee was served, Coolidge poured his into a saucer. The guests pulled out their saucers and did the same. Coolidge poured some cream and sugar in the saucer, so the guests added cream and sugar to theirs. Then Coolidge bent over, placed his saucer on the floor, and called for his cat.

If you choose to be a copycat, make sure you’re copying the right cat. Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Some people spend their lives trying to become like the celebrities and movie stars they worship.

When Kay Kent of London was eighteen, she wanted to look exactly like Marilyn Monroe. She bleached her hair platinum blond, had plastic surgery, and hired makeup artists to fix her face like Marilyn. With the growth of her obsession, she learned to talk like Marilyn, walk like Marilyn, and dress like Marilyn. She turned herself into a carbon copy of Monroe. The Lookalikes Agency in London gave her a contract in 1982 and she was soon making $100,000 per year. She later became depressed and turned to liquor and pills. On June 12, 1989, she died of an overdose, just like Marilyn Monroe. She chose the wrong cat to copy.

Paul copied Jesus. He said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Paul followed Him. He acted like Him. Suffered like Him. And we’re also to follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). Don’t copy the wrong cats. There’s only one cat worth copying and that’s the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5).

BIBLE STUDY: Frequently Asked Bible Questions

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