May 2020

UNANSWERED PRAYER

05-31-20

A boy found a cigar, slipped into an alley, and lit up. It didn't taste good, but it made him feel very grown up. . . until he saw his father coming. Quickly he put the cigar behind his back and tried to act as though nothing was happening. Trying to divert his dad’s attention, he pointed to a pointed to a billboard advertising the circus.

"Can I go, Dad? Please, let's go when it comes to town."

"Son, he answered quietly but firmly, "never make a petition while at the same time trying to hide a smoldering disobedience."

One reason we do not get answers to our prayers is that we are deliberately disobeying our Lord, His will and His Word. Is there some area of your life in which you are disobeying the Lord?

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

AMAZING ANSWER TO PRAYER!

05-30-20

James Gilmour, a missionary to Mongolia, was once asked to treat some wounded soldiers. Although he was not a doctor, he did have some knowledge of first aid, so he felt he could not refuse the request. He dressed the wounds of two of the men, but a third had a badly broken thigh bone. The missionary had no idea what to do for such an injury. Kneeling beside the man, he asked the Lord for help. He didn't know how God would answer his prayers, but he was confident that his need would be supplied. He couldn't find any books on physiology in the primitive hospital, and no doctor arrived. To complicate matters, a crowd of beggars came to him asking for money. He was deeply concerned about his patient, yet his heart went out to those ragged paupers. Hurriedly he gave them a small gift, plus a few kind words of spiritual admonition.

A moment later he stared in amazement at one weary beggar who had remained behind. The half-starved fellow was little more than a living skeleton. The missionary suddenly realized that the Lord had brought him a walking lesson in anatomy! He asked the elderly man if he might examine him. After carefully tracing the femur bone with his fingers to learn how to treat the soldier's broken leg, he returned to the patient and was able to set the fracture. Years afterward, Gilmour often related how God had provided him with a strange yet sufficient response to his earnest prayer. When we raise our petitions, we too can be certain that the Lord will help us -- even though the answer comes by way of those who "have no power."

Our Daily Bread.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 1:5, NKJV

It is amazing how the Lord answers prayer and gives wisdom! He is not limited in doing so!

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

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

THE CONFOUNDED AGNOSTIC!

05-29-20

While crossing the Atlantic on an oceanliner, F.B. Meyer was asked to address the first class passengers. At the captain's request he spoke on "Answered Prayer." An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends, "What did you think of Dr. Meyer's sermon?" He answered, "I didn't believe a word of it." That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the steerage passengers. Many of the listeners at his morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear "what the babbler had to say."

Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her outstretched palms. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the pieces of fruit. "You seem to be enjoying that orange," he remarked with a smile. "Yes, sir," she replied, "My Father is very good to me." "Your father? Surely your father can't be still alive!" "Praise God," she replied, "He is very much alive." "What do you mean?" pressed the agnostic. She explained, "I'll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange but two!" The agnostic was speechless. Later he was converted to Christ. Yes, praying in God's will brings an answer.

Our Daily Bread.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

John 15:7

The Lord in His sovereignty used an agnostic to bless and answer the prayer of an elderly woman and bring about his salvation!

As you daily walk in fellowship with the Lord, totally surrendered to His will, He will and the authority of His Word, He will answer your prayers too!

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!

THE RESULTS OF RAIN!

05-28-20

In his book Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee describes a preaching mission to an island off the South China coast. There were seven in the ministering group, including a sixteen-year-old new convert whom he calls Brother Wu. The island was fairly large, containing about 6,000 homes. Nee had a contact there, an old schoolmate of his who was headmaster of the village school, but he refused to house the group when he discovered they had come to preach the Gospel. Finally, they found lodging with a Chinese herbalist, who became their first convert. Preaching seemed quite fruitless on the island, and Nee discovered it was because of the dedication of the people there to an idol they called Ta-wang. They were convinced of his power because on the day of his festival and parade each year the weather was always near perfect.

"When is the procession this year?" young Wu asked a group that had gathered to hear them preach.

"It is fixed for January 11th at 8 in the morning," was the reply.

"Then," said the new convert, "I promise you that it will certainly rain on the 11th."

At that there was an outburst of cries from the crowd: "That is enough! We don't want to hear any more preaching. If there is rain on the 11th, then your God is God!"

Watchman Nee had been elsewhere in the village when this confrontation had taken place. Upon being informed about it, he saw that the situation was serious and called the group to prayer. On the morning of the 11th, there was not a cloud in the sky, but during grace for breakfast, sprinkles began to fall and these were followed by heavy rain. Worshipers of the idol Ta-wang were so upset that they placed it in a sedan chair and carried it outdoors, hoping this would stop the rain. Then the rain increased. After only a short distance, the carriers of the idol stumbled and fell, dropping the idol and fracturing its jaw and left arm.

A number of young people turned to Christ as a result of the rain coming in answer to prayer, but the elders of the village made divination and said that the wrong day had been chosen. The proper day of the procession, they said, should have been the 14th. When Nee and his friends heard this, they again went to prayer, asking for rain on the 14th and for clear days for preaching until then. That afternoon the sky cleared and on the good days that followed there were thirty converts. Of the crucial test day, Nee says: The 14th broke, another perfect day, and we had good meetings. As the evening approached we met again at the appointed hour. We quietly brought the matter to the Lord's remembrance. Not a minute late, His answer came with torrential rain and floods as before.

The power of the idol over the islanders was broken; the enemy was defeated. Believing prayer had brought a great victory. Conversions followed. And the impact upon the servants of God who had witnessed His power would continue to enrich their Christian service from that time on.

Roger F. Campbell, You Can Win!, 1985, SP Publications, pp. 35-36.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

When is the last time you really trusted the Lord to do something great when you had a great need? Has your faith weakened or has it been strengthened through the Word of God (Romans 10:17)?

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!

I KNOW WHO IS IN CONTROL!

05-27-20

Dear Lord: Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man. Hank, 7

“Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.”

Psalm 147:8

I like Hank’s prayer!

I know who is in control of everything – my Sovereign Creator, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I am glad that we, who belong to Him and love Him with our entire being, can trust Him with every detail of our lives, knowing He will always work everything out for our good and His glory!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:29

If you are not one of His, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior 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!

MEMORIAL

05-25-20

It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea. But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life.

Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred.

In Captain Eddie's own words, "Cherry," that was the B- 17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, "read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off."

Now this is still Captian Rickenbacker talking..."Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don't know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food...if I could catch it."

And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it.

And now you also know...that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset...on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast...you could see an old man walking...white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls...to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle...like manna in the wilderness.

"The Old Man and the Gulls" from Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, 1977, quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, pp. 79-80.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11

Today is celebration of Memorial Day and all of us need to take time to thank the Lor for those who have given their lives in defense of freedom and the blessings we enjoy. Take time to thank living veterans you know and remembering special acts of courage.

Remember the greatest sacrifice, the death of the Lord Jesus on our behalf and His victorious resurrection so that we can have the forgiveness of our sins, the gift of eternal life and to love and serve Him now and forever!

If you are not one of His, 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!

EARNEST ASKING!

05-24-2020

When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope."

Luther's Tabletalk

“21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” - 1 John 3

Are you living pleasing to the Lord so that He can answer your prayers?

Do you earnestly pray regarding the salvation of lost souls?

Do you earnestly pray for the spiritual growth and needs of fellow believers?

If you do not belong to the Lord Jesus, come to Him NOW!

Receive Him as your Lord and Savior before it is too late!

“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!

FOR WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING?

05-23-2020

In Ivan endures all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he is praying with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner notices him and says with ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster." Opening his eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God."

Our Daily Bread, December 29, 1993

“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

Psalm 40:8

Is it your desire to do the will of God and even delight in doing so, regardless how difficult it may be? This proves how deep our love for Him, His Word and will is! How deep is yours?

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!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO NOT PRAY!

05-20-20

That's precisely what happens to a church when its leaders don't pray -- its ministry becomes powerless and ineffective. E.M. Bounds emphasized the need for a ministry of prayer within the church when he wrote, "It may be laid down as an axiom, that God needs, first of all, leaders in the church, who will be first in prayer, men with whom prayer is habitual and characteristic, men who know the primacy of prayer. But even more than a habit of prayer, and more than prayer being characteristic of them, church leaders are to be men whose lives are made and molded by prayer, whose heart and life are made up of prayer. These are the men -- the only men -- God can use in the furtherance of his kingdom and the implanting of His message in the hearts of men."

Our Daily Bread.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Matthew 6:6

Yes, it is vitally important that church leaders are people of prayer but it does not stop with them. If you are not a church leader and still not a person of prayer, genuine intimate fellowship with your Lord and Savior, don’t ccomplain about the ineffectiveness of your church. Such a relationship is what the Lord wants of all His people! Through that relationship we will receive His wisdom and power for every aspect of our lives and church ministry!

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

PRAISE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR!

05-19-20

John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart. While speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person , filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man's misfortunes. "And what else do you thank God for?" he said with a touch of sarcasm. The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, "I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!" Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.

Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88. Those who gathered around him realized how well he had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn, "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath."

Our Daily Bread.

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Psalm 34:1

If you have been saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), bought with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19), you ought to be praising Him in every situation in your life! You cannot begin to count all the reasons you have for doing so!

What an awesome Lord and Savior we have!

If you are not one of His, 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 & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

WHAT DO PEOPLE NOTICE?

05-18-20

Rubenstien, the great musician said, "If I omit practice one day, I notice it, if two days, my friends notice it, if three days, the public notices it."

Source Unknown.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30

If you miss daily, intimate fellowship with the Lord, people will notice it by your…

• attitudes

• actions

• motives

• reactions to people and situations

• character deficiencies, etc.

If you make sure you do not miss intimate fellowship with the Lord, He will increasingly be revealed in every area of your life! He must continually increase and we must continually decrease!

If you have not trusted Jesus Christ and Him alone to be your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW!

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

John 1:12

Pastor Fred Johnson, Editor of Daily Insights

LOVE & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

I FAIL TO SEE THE PURPOSE OF THE BALL!

05-17-20

One of golf's immortal moments came when a Scotchman demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President's beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, "There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.

Campus Life.

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

2 Corinthians 5:20

The President would have said the same about my golf game! LOL

If you belong to the Lord Jesus, no one should ever question your purpose! Everyone should see the your love for Him and your purpose to bring others to salvation in Him!

If you are not one of His, receive Jesus Christ NOW as your Lord and Savior!

“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!

A RELATIONSHIP THAT MAKES LIFE COMPLETE

05-16-20

There is a relationship which makes life complete. Without that relationship, there is a void, a vacuum in life. Many people, even those who are well-known, can attest to that void.

For example, H.G. Wells, famous historian and philosopher, said at age 61: "I have no peace. All life is at the end of the tether." The poet Byron said, "My days are in yellow leaf, the flowers and fruits of life are gone, the worm and the canker, and the grief are mine alone." The literary genius Thoreau said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation."

Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: "I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day."

Morning Glory, May 29, 1993.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

Supreme satisfaction and purpose in life is only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, intimate fellowship with Him and complete obedience to Him!

Is He your Lord and Savior? If not, come to Him 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!

Something To Be Enthusiastic About!

05-15-20

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.

Charles Kingsley, Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, p. 16.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth (captures)souls is wise.”

Proverbs 11:30

There are many things in life that we can get enthusiastic about but none compare to seeing lost people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What are you doing to reach them with the Gospel of Christ?

Also, are you enthusiastic in participating in the work of discipleship, helping fellow believers to grow in their walk with the Lord? (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

If you are not one of His, 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!

Natural Reaction

05-14-20

Mary Lou Retton: "Here's what it takes to be a complete gymnast. Someone should be able to sneak up and drag you out at midnight, push you out on some strange floor -- and you should be able to do your entire routine sound asleep in your pajamas. Without one mistake. That's the secret. It's got to be a natural reaction."

Best Sports Quote, 1985.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

Do you know God’s Word so thoroughly that you can naturally respond with proper answers to questions and give proper advice? (1 Peter 3:15)

Are you walking so close to the Lord that you just naturally communicate with Him spontaneously throughout the day?

(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Are you so yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit that you naturally manifest the fruit of the Spirit in every situation?

(Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22-23)

How is your walk with the Lord?

If you are not one of His, repent of all your sin (Luke 13:3,5) and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior 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

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRATICE!

05-13-20

When Polish pianist Ignace Jan Paderewsky played before Queen Victoria, he won her enthusiastic approval. "Mr. Paderewsky," she exclaimed, "you are a genius."

Paderewsky shook his head. "Perhaps, Your Majesty, but before that I was a drudge," he replied, alluding to the number of hours he spent practicing every day.

Today in the Word, August 3, 1993.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Galatians 6:9

Our text applies to many things in our Christian life, including improving ourselves in our serve for the Lord.

Do you want to be a better witness for the Lord? PRACTICE!

Do you want to be a better encourager? PRACTICE!

Whatever area of your life you want to be better for the Lord -PRACTICE!

If you do not belong to the Lord Jesus, 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!

Don't let me put too much stock in mere possessions!

05-12-20

Help me not to put too much stock in possessions, Lord. I want things, sure. But life seems to be a continual round of wanting things -- from the first toys we fight over as children to our thrilled unwrapping of wedding presents to those we buy in our old age. Our concern is not primarily love and friends and pride in what we can do, but things.

Sometimes I'm ashamed of how much I want mere possessions -- things for my husband and the house and the children. Yes, and things for myself, too. And this hunger is enhanced every time I turn on the television or walk through a shopping mall. My senses are tormented by the dazzling world of things.

Lord, cool these fires of wanting. Help me to realize how futile is this passion for possessions. Because -- and this is what strips my values to the bone -- one of my best friends died today in the very midst of her possessions. She was in the beautiful home she and her husband worked so hard to achieve, the home that was finally furnished the way she wanted it with the best of everything. She was surrounded by the Oriental rugs she was so proud of, the formal French sofas, the painting, the china and glass, the handsome silver service...She had been snatched away while silently, almost cruelly, THEY remain. Lord, I grieve for my friend. My heard hurts that she had so little time to enjoy the things that she had earned and that meant so much to her. But let me learn something from this loss; that possessions are meant to enhance life, not to become the main focus of living. Help me remember that we come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing.

Don't let me put too much stock in mere possessions.

Marjorie Holmes.

“And He (Jesus) said unto them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Luke 12:15

It is far better to use our natural talents, spiritual gifts, and possessions to lay up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)!

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

Positive Reinforcement

05-11-20

A city in the Netherlands had a problem with litter. The sanitation department tried doubling the littering fine and even increasing the number of litter agents who patrolled the area, but to no avail. Then someone suggested that instead of punishing those who littered, they could reward people who put garbage in trash cans. A plan to devise a trash can that could dispense coins when litter was inserted was rejected as too expensive. But it led to another idea: the sanitation department developed a trash can that played a recording of a joke when refuse was deposited! Different cans played different kinds of jokes, and the recordings were changed every two weeks. Citizens went out of their way to put garbage in trash cans, and the streets were clean again.

Discipleship Journal, issue #48, p.40.

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Born-again believers OUGHT to be the best at positive reinforcement but sadly fail many times. Think how much better our marriages, homes, relationships with fellow believers in our churches and others would be if we majored on positive reinforcement whether than criticizing and talking negatively to and about each other.

There is no excuse for us not being experts in positive reinforcement because the Lord will give us His strength to do so if we submit to Him (Philiipians 4:13) and to the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22-23).

If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him 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 PSSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

05-10-20

Our minister's wife told of filling out a form in her pediatrician's office. Beside the blank marked "occupation" were these words: "If you devote the greater part of your time to loving, caring and making a home for your family, put a big star in this space."

Bonnie Miller.

“Who can find a virtuous woman (an excellent wife)? for her price is far above rubies.”

Proverbs 31:10

The Lord says that a mom who belongs to Him, loves Him with all her heart is an excellent wife and mom in all areas of her life. Her excellent is detailed in rest of the above chapter and her worth cannot be measured in terms of costly jewels! This woman is used by the Lord to help make her husband and children successful to the praise and glory of the Lord as well to meet their needs. Her life is one of great significance!

I want to wish each godly mom reading this devotional a Happy Mother’s Day and encourage you to keep walking close to the Lord and to faithfully serve Him, fulfilling His purpose for every area of your life.

Mom, if you have broken fellowship with the Lord, come back into fellowhip with Him and love and serve Him with all your heart! Remember, His great promise!

“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

Mom, if He is not your Lord and Savior, come to Him NOW, before it is too late!

“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!

Planning

05-09-20

British sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein was once visited in his studio by the eminent author and fellow Briton, George Bernard Shaw. The visitor noticed a huge block of stone standing in one corner and asked what it was for.

"I don't know yet. I'm still making plans."

Shaw was astounded. "You mean you plan your work. Why, I change my mind several times a day!"

"That's all very well with a four-ounce manuscript," replied the sculptor, "but not with a four-ton block."

Today in the Word, April 5, 1993

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,”

Deuteronomy 10:12

The Lord not only required Israel to serve Him (and they will again in the future), but He requires the same of us. To do so, we must fear Him (Love, honor, glorify Him, yielding all we are and have to Him), walk in His ways, and love Him with our entire being. That will require us to make plans in every area of our lives that conform to His character, Word, and will. Failure to yield to His Lordship and the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and making plans to serve Him in all areas of our lives will cause us to waste our time, talents, spiritual gifts, and fail to achieve the success He desires for His honor and glory.

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

Getting Results

05-07-20

In Illustrations from Literature, Amy L. Person pointed out that in our eagerness to get people to do what we want, we sometimes forget the admonitions of Scripture to be controlled by love. When that happens, we quickly resort to nagging and scolding. This does more harm than good. To drive home her point, the author related an Aesop's fable that tells of the wind and the sun arguing about which one was the stronger. At last the sun said, "Look at that traveler down there. Let's see which of us can get him to take off his coat. I'll let you begin." While the sun hid his face behind a cloud, the wind began to blow; but the harder he blew, the more firmly the poor fellow held his garment about him. Finally the wind gave up. Then the sun came out and shone so warmly that the man soon removed his coat. Amy Person commented, "Many times kindness and gentleness will get results when fussing and scolding can do nothing but fail."

Our Daily Bread.

“…Love is kind…”

1 Corinthians 13:4

Much more would be accomplished in our churches and ministries for the Lord if born-again Christians passionately loved each other as we are commanded by our Lord to do (John 13:34-35). Directions given by intense love for others will result in those individuals responding wholeheartedly and giving passionate love in return. First, we must love the Lord wholeheartedly before we will be able to love others the same.

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

Do Not Consider Giving Up!

05-06-20

Persistence paid off for American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the planet Pluto. After astronomers calculated a probable orbit for this "suspected" heavenly body, Tombaugh took up the search in March 1929. Time magazine recorded the investigation: "He examined scores of telescopic photographs each showing tens of thousands of star images in pairs under the dual microscope. It often took three days to scan a single pair. It was exhausting, eye-cracking work--in his own words, 'brutal, tediousness.' And it went on for months. Star by star, he examined 20 million images. Then on February 18, 1930, as he was blinking at a pair of photographs in the constellation Gemini, 'I suddenly came upon the image of Pluto!" It was the most dramatic astronomic discovery in nearly 100 years.

Today in the Word, November 26, 1991.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

We, who belong to the Lord Jesus, must not consider giving up in reaching lost souls for Christ and the discipleship of fellow believers! When the thought come to you to give up, remember all that the Lord Jesus has done for you!

If you are not one of His, come toHim 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!

PERSUASION

05-04-20

When Benjamin Franklin wished to interest the people of Philadelphia in street lighting, he didn't try to persuade them by just talking about it. He hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front of his home. He kept the glass highly polished. Every evening at the approach of dusk, he carefully lit the wick. People saw the light from a distance and when they walked in its light, found that it helped them to avoid sharp stones on the pavement. Others placed light at their homes, and soon Philadelphia recognized the need for street lighting.

As others learn of the peace and joy you have in your life in Christ, they will recognize their need for Him. Your witness through personal testimony may be just what someone is waiting for!

Source Unknown.

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:…”

Philippians 1:27A

Are you walking so close to the Lord, submissive to His Lordship and the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22-23) so that the Lord Jesus is seen in your attitudes, reactions, and actions?

If you do not belong to Him, 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!

How Do We Please God?

05-03-20

1. By exalting Jesus Christ, His Son (Matt 3:17; Col 1:15-19)

2. By proclaiming the message of the cross (I Cor 1:18-2:5)

3. By believing in God and his promises (Heb 11:6)

4. By asking for wisdom (1 Kings 3:10, Col 1:9-14; James 1:5-8)

5. By staying away from sexual sin (Eph 5:3,4,10; 1 Thes 4:1-8)

6. By sharing the gospel with unbelievers (I Cor 9:14-27, 10:31-33)

7. By giving to others in time of need (Phil 4:10-20; Heb 13:16)

8. By submitting to authority (Rom 8:7-8, Col 3:20; 1 John 3:22)

9. By praising God for all things (Ps 69:30-31; Heb 13:15-16)

David Hocking, Pleasing God.

How are you doing regarding pleasing God?

If you have not trusted Christ and Him alone to be your Lord and Savior, come to Him 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!

Are You Not Better Than They?

05-02-20

“Behold the fowls (birds) of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

Matthew 6:26

Jesus in this text is talking about how much the Father (and He) cares about their own. They love and provide for the birds they created. Since you and I are created in the image of God, possess eternal souls, and have been purchased by the blood of Christ, we should not doubt for a moment that they will fail to take care of us in every way. Remember Romans 8:32: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

If you do not belong to the Lord Jesus, 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 & LIVE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST!

HOW OPTIMISTIC ARE YOU?

05-01-2020

During WWII General Creighton Abrams found himself and his troops surrounded on all sides. With characteristic optimism, he told his officers, "For the first time in the history of this campaign, we are now in a position to attack the enemy in any direction."

Source Unknown.

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Those who are born-again children of God, ought to be the most optimistic people in the entire world. Why? Because the Lord Jesus has called them to salvation in Him and has called them to serve Him! He will be faithful to give them….

• His strength to be what He wants them to be and to do what He wants them to do! (Philippians 4:13)

• The provision of all their needs! (Philippians 4:19)

• Every type of grace needed! (1 Peter 5:10)

• His perfect peace! (Isaiah 26:3-4; Philippians 4:6-7)

• His presence at all times! (Hebrews 13:5)

• Etc.

Are you one of His and walking in close fellowship with Him every day?

If you do not belong to Him, 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!

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