June 2020

OBJECTIVE

06-30-2020

Flight 401

It was Flight 401 bound for Miami from New York City with a load of holiday passengers. As the huge aircraft approached the Miami Airport for its landing, a light that indicates proper deployment of the landing gear failed to come on. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked out the light failure. Their question was this, had the landing gear actually not deployed or was it just the light bulb that was defective?

To begin with, the flight engineer fiddled with the bulb. He tried to remove it, but it wouldn't budge. Another member of the crew tried to help out...and then another. By and by, if you can believe it, all eyes were on the little light bulb that refused to be dislodged from its socket. No one noticed that the plane was losing altitude. Finally, it dropped right into a swamp. Many were killed in that plane crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced and seasoned pilots messed around with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, an entire airplane and many of its passengers were lost. The crew momentarily forgot the most basic of all rules of the air -- "Don't forget to fly the airplane!"

The same thing can happen to the local church. The preacher and elders can be so busy fighting petty fires and focusing so much of their attention on insignificant issues that they lose sight of what church is all about. The church can have so many activities, programs, projects, committee meetings, banquets, and community involvements -- so many wheels spinning without really accomplishing anything of eternal significance -- that the congregation forgets its primary objective.

Many churches are like that impressive invention which had hundreds of wheels, coils, gears, pulleys, belts, bells and lights which all went around and around and flashed at the touch of a button. When the inventor was asked about the function of the weird machine, he replied, "What does it do? Oh, it doesn't do anything, but doesn't it run beautifully?"

Let's not be like Flight 401 or the invention that doesn't do anything! Our primary objective is to win this lost world to Jesus Christ.

Charles R. Swindoll, Dropping Your Guard.

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

A GREAT DEAL EASIER!

06-27-20

Dr. B.J. Miller once said, "It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it."

Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.11.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you[c] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Joshua 1:8

Great enjoyment and blessings come to our lives when we do what the Lord wants us to do, regardless how hard it is. Many, who belong to the Lord Jesus, are facing the responsibilities, heartaches, and disappointments for failing to obey Him and His Word. If you are one of them, confess you sin to the Lord, enjoy His forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and get back on the road of obedience!

If you are not one of His, come to Him NOW!

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

One Step Forward In Obedience

06-25-20

I've read that when Edward VI, the king of England in the 16th century, attended a worship service, he stood while the Word of God was read. He took notes during this time and later studied them with great care. Through the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. That's the kind of serious-minded response to truth the apostle James calls for in today's Scripture reading. A single revealed fact cherished in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty ideas about God.

One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.

Chambers, Our Daily Bread, March 4, 1993.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

James 1:22

Are you a born-again believer who is growing spiritually, becoming more like Christ, making great advancements in your walk with Him, producing abundant fruit to His praise and glory? Without unqualified obedience, you will not be able to do so!

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

1 John 5:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

WHO IS YOUR MASTER?

06-23-20

Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master".

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 22.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Romans 10:9

Is Jesus Christ is your Savior, your Lord and Master? If so, you have found true freedom in Him. Freedom from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and, eventually from the presence of sin. You have the freedom to be everything He wants you to be and to live the way He wants you to live? Are you enjoying that freedom?

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

1 John 5:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

FATHER’S DAY 2020

06-21-20

A young man was to be sentenced to the penitentiary. The judge had known him from childhood, for he was well acquainted with his father--a famous legal scholar and the author of an exhaustive study entitled, "The Law of Trusts." "Do you remember your father?" asked the magistrate. "I remember him well, your honor," came the reply. Then trying to probe the offender's conscience, the judge said, "As you are about to be sentenced and as you think of your wonderful dad, what do you remember most clearly about him?" There was a pause. Then the judge received an answer he had not expected. "I remember when I went to him for advice. He looked up at me from the book he was writing and said, 'Run along, boy; I'm busy!' When I went to him for companionship, he turned me away, saying "Run along, son; this book must be finished!' Your honor, you remember him as a great lawyer. I remember him as a lost friend." The magistrate muttered to himself, "Alas! Finished the book, but lost the boy!"

Homemade, February, 1989.

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:4

Dad, you cannot obey this instruction without making sacrifices and spending time with you children, who should be more precious to you than work, etc.

If you are not a born-again dad, come to Jesus Christ NOW!

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

John 1:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

ARE PEOPLE SATIFIED REGARDING YOU?

06-18-20

setting out from Hamburg, Germany, one day to give a concert in London, violinist Fritz Kreisler had an hour before his boat sailed. He wandered into a music shop, where the proprietor asked if he could look at the violin Kreisler was carrying. He then vanished and returned with two policemen, one of whom told the violinist, "You are under arrest."

"What for?" asked Kreisler.

"You have Fritz Kreisler's violin."

"I am Fritz Kreisler."

"You can't pull that on us. Come along to the station."

As Kreisler's boat was sailing soon, there was no time for prolonged explanations. Kreisler asked for his violin and played a piece he was well known for. "Now are you satisfied?" he asked. They were!

Today in the Word, December 22, 1992.

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5

Are people satisfied with your profession that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ because they see His character, the Fruit of the Spirit, lived out daily in your life?

If you are not one of His, come to the Lord Jesus NOW!

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

John 1:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

GOD’S PROMISES!

06-16-20

A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.

God's presence -- "I will never leave thee" (Heb. 13:5)

God's protection -- "I am thy shield" (Gen. 15:1)

God's power -- "I will strengthen thee" (Isa. 41:10)

God's provision -- "I will help thee" (Isa. 41:10)

God's leading -- "And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them" (John 10:4)

God's purposes -- "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)

God's rest -- "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)

God's cleansing -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

God's goodness -- "No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)

God's faithfulness -- "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake" (1 Sam. 12:22)

God's guidance -- "The meek will He guide" (Psalm 25:9)

God's wise plan -- "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)

Our Daily Bread, January 1, 1985.

God’s promises ought to invigorate our souls and motivate us to lovingly serve him with all our strength!

If you are not one of His, come to the Lord Jesus NOW!

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

A SONG!

06-14-20

If it weren't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song.

Carl Perkins, Loose Talk (Quick Fox).

“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

Exodus 15:1

Yes, the Lord wants to put a special song in our lives during and as a result of the “rocky” experiences we go through, just as He did for Moses and the children of Israel!

What “rocky” experience are you going through? If you will trust the Lord with it as Moses and the Israelites did, the Lord will fill your life with song to His glory!

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

Dr. Grumble

06-13-19

A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels, "Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we -- not you -- ought to cry out!" Those complain first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped up in a napkin.

Charles Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”

Philippians 2:14

Some born-again Christians work hard and murmuring and grumbling, disputing about many things. I guess you can say that they have earned or are earning their degree in grumbling. Are you one of them?

Grumblers will never attract people to Christ; they will turn them off to the gospel message that unsaved people so desperately need to hear. We, who belong to the Lord Jesus, need to conquer a grumbling spirit and exhibit a positive, Christlike attitude, so that we an effectively serve Him, be a strong witness to the lost and help fellow believers to grow up in Christlikeness.

If you are not one of His, repent of all your sin (Luke 13:3,5) and trust the Lord Jesus and Him alone to be your Lord and Savior before it is too late.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” – Romans 6:23.

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

Fbj1966@gmail.com / 518-538-0917

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

TWO DUCKS AND A FROG!

06-11-20

The story is told of two ducks and a frog who lived happily together in a farm pond. The best of friends, the three would amuse themselves and play together in their waterhole. When the hot summer days came, however, the pond began to dry up, and soon it was evident they would have to move. This was no problem for the ducks, who could easily fly to another pond. But the frog was stuck. So it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck that the frog could hang onto with his mouth as they flew to another pond. The plan worked well--so well, in fact, that as they were flying along a farmer looked up in admiration and mused, "Well, isn't that a clever idea! I wonder who thought of it?" The frog said, "I did..."

Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 34.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Romans 12:3

In our text, Paul instructs the believers at Philippi not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think, meaning that each one of them have been given spiritual gifts, and each one of them are to humbly acknowledge their gifts and use them to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, we emphasize drawing attention to ourselves and we take credit for what the Lord has done, which places us in a very dangerous position, because He will not give His glory to another (cp. Isaiah 42:8). So walk humbly with the Lord, boasting in Him, all that He Is, has done and will do in and through you for His glory!

If He is not your Lord and Savior, come to Jesus NOW!

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

The Way of a Fool

06-09-20

A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crew members was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. Correct coordinates were given to the navigator, who continued to insist that his own calculations could not be that far off. Soon the plane ran low on fuel. The six men decided to abandon the plane and parachute to safety, but because of the -70 degree Farenheit temperature and winds that gusted to 50 mph, they were all frozen within minutes of hitting the ground. A friend of mine was part of the rescue team that discovered and retrieved the bodies 3 days later. As a result of the navigator's pride, 5 other people went to their deaths. Proverbs 12:15 tells us that "the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." The results may not always be so dramatic, but we must all be careful to seek the counsel of God and wise individuals before making decisions of lasting significance.

Dave McPherson, Maranatha Bible Church, New Orleans.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

Proverbs 12:15

Are you acting like a fool and losing your testimony to unsaved people and failing to be a Christlike example to felloe believers?

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE AND LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

GET RID OF THE WEEDS!

06-07-20

Cliff Carstens, on farming:

If the weeds are so big that I can recognize them from the tractor, I know I'm too late. You've got to get them before that.

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4

The weeds of lying, failure to deal properly with anger toward someone, stealing in some way, filthy and suggestive conversation , moldering resentment, unwillingness to forgive, harsh feelings, grouchiness, animosity, hostility, oud outcries of anger, bawling, angry bickering, shouting down of opponents, insulting language, slander, abusive speech, wishing evil on others, spite, meanness must not characterize the life of a believer. The weeds will destroy our testimony, preventing us from producing abundant fruit to the praise of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

PRETENSE

06-05-20

Cleveland Amory tells this story about Judge John Lowell of Boston. One morning the judge was at breakfast, his face hidden behind the morning paper. A frightened maid tiptoed into the room and whispered something to Mrs. Lowell's ear. The lady paled slightly, then squared her shoulders resolutely and said, "John, the cook has burned the oatmeal, and there is no more in the house. I am afraid that this morning, for the first time in seventeen years, you will have to go without your oatmeal."

The judge, without putting down his paper, answered, "It's all right, my dear. Frankly, I never cared much for it anyhow."

Bits & Pieces, March 4, 1993, p. 23.

“Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”

Hebrews 13;18

We can be dishonest in many ways. For instance, are you being honest when you say that you love the Word of God but you go day after day without getting into it and nourishing your soul?

Are you being honest when you say the Lord Jesus with your entire being and yet….

• You are not faithful in attending church and serving Him with your brothers and sisters in Christ?

• You do very little to reach lost people with the Gospel of Christ and lead them to salvation in Him?

• You spend very little time encouraging fellow believers in their walk with the Lord?

If He is not your Lord and Savior, come to the Lord Jesus NOW!

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

PRESERVATION!

06-02-20

A 1990 Subaru car commercial shows a Volvo heading toward a wall, and then, in slow motion, crashing into the wall. The Volvo is built so sturdily that the passengers are not hurt, in spite of the severe nature of the crash. Then a Subaru is shown heading at a high rate of speed toward a wall. At the last possible moment the driver slams on the brakes and the Subaru stops inches from the wall. The announcer then cuts in and asks what you would prefer: to live through wrecks, or not to get in wrecks in the first place?

Source Unknown.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

We need to daily be in the Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit, our Teacher (John 16:13-15) to instruct and guide us so that we will not be fooled by Satan or anyone else regarding what is right for every area of our lives. If we do, we will preserve ourselves from a lot of trouble and heartache!

Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? If not, come to Him NOW!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” -Romans 6:23.

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!