| Thought For The Week July 2003 |
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| 29 June to 5 July 2003 Independence |
| Oh, my back. I haven't made that many bricks in a long time. That man was a true slave driver today. They're requiring us to make more and yet they have cut what we're paid by half. The worse thing is that there are no more good jobs left. To many people in need of good jobs, but not enough positions anymore. I keep being told that better times are coming. God willing, their right, but it just does not seem like it right now. It's been years since things have been right. Sound familiar? Read on and see. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; Exodus 3:7 (KJV) Now, at that time it was the Pharaoh and the higharchy of the Egyptians that suppressed the people to include the lower classes of their own people. Their independence day was when the Pharaoh told Moses to take his people and go. Today, it seems that it is the dollar that has become the slavemaster. Many have forgotten that it is the Lord God that we should serve and, like the Egyptians in Exodus 3:36, the things that are required are given to those in need for their independence and not hoarded away as their own. As we celebrate our nation's independence, we should remember and help those who are enslaved by poverty and unemployment in our own country today. J.L. Sager 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 An I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:16-21 (KJV) |
| 4 July 2003 Independence Day |
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| 6 to 12 July 2003 Man & Law |
| What is Law? Well, Webster's Dictionary gives the following description: Law - a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or ////////enforced by a controlling authority. We like to think all of our laws are man made and that the controlling authority is the government. It's as if we have lost sight of the true authority. The one who set the basic laws on which we base all of our laws on. God, Himself. God set the first law or rule of conduct. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV) And this was the first law violated by man. God gave us other laws, the most important ones being what are called The Ten Commandments. Laws were not established to punish us, but to give us a moral code of conduct and action for our lives. When you break a law, you commit a sin and there is no such thing as a small sin. All sins in the eyes of the Lord are the same. And when we turn ourselves over to God thru Jesus, He will forgive us of our sin. Even the sin of murder. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) So if there is no small sin, then there can be no small law. And even though you can be forgiven of your sins, regardless as to what they are, you still must face the consequences for breaking the law. J.L. Sager 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19 |
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| 13 to 19 July 2003 Faith And The Faithful |
| There was a sergeant I knew in the Army that seemed to be always there. When there was a job to be done, he only needed to tell the men under him and the work was done. If a sergeant in another platoon needed help with a job, he would send one of his soldiers to help and the soldier would do so without complaint. The officers over him always had faith in the sergeant to get the mission accomplished. Like wise, the soldiers under him always had faith in him to take care of them. The sergeant always made sure that the needs of the soldiers under him were taken care of before his own needs. The sergeant reminded me of Jesus and the Roman officer who had a servant that was in need. J.L. Sager Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." Then the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servent will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites - those for whom the Kingdom was prepared - will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go on home. What you have believed has happened." And the young servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:7-13 (NLT) Not only should we all have such faith in Jesus, but we should prove to others that they can have such faith in each of us. |
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| 20 to 26 July 2003 What Kind Of Builder Are You? |
| Remember the story of the 'Three Little Pigs' and the homes that they built? Now the ground was strong and, I would like to think, was of stone to give a good foundation. The first home was built on this foundation with straw. And the Big Bad Wolf was able to blow it down with little effort. The second home was built of twigs upon this foundation and, though it took more effort, it too fell to the Big Bad Wolf. But then he came to the third house. Now, if you remember, this one was built of brick upon the stone foundation. And as hard as he could, The Big Bad Wolf just could not bring down this house. Now my question to you is what kind of builder are you? You have been given the stone foundation to build on. His name is Jesus Christ. Now what will you use to build your house from? The weak straw of non-confrontation in which you simply say that you are a Christian in hope that it will turn Satan away from your door? Or the loose fitting twigs of occasional confrontation? Where you occasionally attend church and occasionally say that you are a Christian, but only to another Christian? And hope that this will turn Satan away from your door? Or will you use brick. Will you declare in a strong voice that you are a follower of Jesus. That you denounce Satan and, instead, seek the redemption of the blood of Christ. And help others to find redemption by building their homes of brick on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. There will be a day of testing in which each of us shall be judged as to what kind of builders we are. How strong a house have you been building? J.L. Sager 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built there upon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (KJV) |
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| 27 July to 2 August 2003 Believe In Him |
| "....and who are you to preach to us about God's Word? You were not trained by us! What kind of credentials do you have?" These are the kind of statements that some of use today when speaking to those who try to testify in the name of Jesus. There are those who believe that you can not speak about your beliefe in Christ, about being saved, unless you follow a specific church doctrine. Is this new? Hardly. Many other Christians faced this very same problem in the very begining of the church. Paul wrote about it in Galatians chapter 2. If you read the Bible, ask questions of those who follow the Bible without trying to add to it, accept the support of other believers, and keep your belief in Christ, He will guide you. J.L. Sager 9And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillers, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10Only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was forward to do. Galatians 2:9-10 (KJV) |