Wholesome Works

...to Live is Christ ...to Die is Gain

2008-09-02T18:31:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:43

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I read about a man who was on an airplane in a bad storm. Even the flight attendant was nervous, but there was another little lady humming “Blessed Assurance.” She seemed to be at ease. This man said to her, “Lady, aren’t you afraid?” She replied, “Not at all. I’ve given my heart to Jesus Christ. Not so long ago, I had a daughter who died. She was a radiantly beautiful Christian and is now in heaven. I have another daughter who’s in Denver, where this airplane is going. But, I tell you the truth. It really doesn’t make much difference to me which daughter I visit.” Jesus told a man on a bloody cross, “Today you’ll be with Me in paradise.”

A Merciful Delay

2008-08-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever wondered why Jesus has not yet returned? I’ll tell you why — because our Lord is waiting on people to be saved. He’s waiting on your family member, your neighbor, your co-worker, or maybe you. But one of these days soon, and very soon perhaps, Jesus will come. You see, it is the mercy of God that holds back the Second Coming of Jesus, but the justice of God and the judgment of God require that one day He will come. Even now, the raging waters of God’s wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, the dam of God’s mercy will give way to God’s judgment, and the day of the Lord will come. Our Lord is coming!

No One Knows the Day or the Hour

2008-08-25T18:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
Matthew 24:36

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Anybody who sets a date for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ may be crossing the line of blasphemy. The Bible teaches very clearly and very plainly and our Lord taught that no one knows the time — no one. Just before our Lord was taken up into glory the disciples asked Him, “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power” (Acts 1:6-7). No one knows the day when Jesus Christ is coming again, but what a glorious day that will be!

The Just Shall Live by Faith

2008-08-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Is God righteous? Yes, and how is the righteousness of God revealed? It is revealed from faith to faith. God gives you truth. You believe that truth; God gives you more truth. The more you obey the light, the more light you get. The reason that some of us don’t understand the Bible any more than we do is that we have not been living up to the light that God has already given us. It’s time we began taking God at His Word and obeying it. If we begin obeying the small things we understand, God will enlighten our path to help us understand the things we don’t understand.

Clean Before the Lord

2008-08-13T10:28:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a missionary whose wife was very fastidious. They moved into a small hut, and soon she noticed that the floor was filthy. The first thing the wife wanted to do was to scrub that floor, so she scrubbed and scrubbed but to no avail. She began to wonder if she would ever get the floor clean. Finally, somebody told her the problem. It was a dirt floor! The more she scrubbed the more dirt she scrubbed up. In the same way, we can never scrub off our sinful nature. All we do is reveal more of what is there. I hate to tell you this, but we’re rotten to the core. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Made White as Snow

2008-08-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .” Isaiah 1:18a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a man giving his testimony at a Salvation Army meeting. There was a heckler in the crowd shouting, “Would you shut up? You’re just dreaming!” The heckler felt a tug at his coattail and a little girl said, “That’s my daddy up there. He used to be a drunkard and beat up my mommy. We didn’t have enough food to eat. But then he got saved, and my daddy’s life is changed. See that woman over there? See how happy she is? That’s my mommy. Mister, if my daddy’s dreaming, don’t wake him up!” What a Savior who can take a poor lost sinner and wash him, save him, and make him new. Hallelujah!

The Sun of Righteousness

2008-08-06T09:17:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings. . .”
Malachi 4:2a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If Jesus is the S-O-N of God, He is also the S-U-N of righteousness. Let me tell you something about the sunrise. The sunrise never comes ahead of time, and it is never late. Isn’t that right? The sunrise operates according to the power of God and the authority of God. You can’t hurry it up, and you can’t stop it! That’s the way the Second Coming of Jesus is. He is coming at a time known only to God. You can’t hurry it up, and you can’t stop it. One day the Lord Jesus Christ shall come with trumpet sound. He will pull back the shade of the night and pin it with a star. Then He’ll open the door of the glorious morning of His millennial reign and flood the world with light.

The Prosperity Gospel

2008-07-25T20:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a devotion from ACTS International for today.

"I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [tribulation]. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

A Daily Encounter reader from a much poorer country than North America asks, "Can you please write a message on prosperity teachings. [Some American preachers]…say it is a sin to be poor and when you are prosperous (have money) you are blessed."
Amazing isn't it?

If God has gifted me to be a good businessman and to make money, and I can do that honestly, then I'd say it would be my responsibility to make money … not for personal indulgences but so I would be able to give generously in supporting the Lord's work on earth.

I for one, however, don't have that gift or that calling. Neither am I a gifted fundraiser, so financing God's work for me has always been a challenge and probably will be until the day I retire or die … whichever comes first!

However, to some degree I have been gifted with an ability to communicate. Thus it is my responsibility to be trained in this area and communicate God's truth and the gospel to the best of my ability. Not to do so would be a sin for me as the Bible says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

To claim that everybody is gifted to make money or to communicate effectively is not true—and, if claiming this to be true, could lead many to doubt God's blessing on their life. The same goes for those who are led to believe that it is God's will for every Christian to be financially prosperous.

Think of Jesus, for example. Was he prosperous? Not at all. Were the twelve disciples prosperous? Matthew, the tax collector, may have been at one time but through questionable methods. Peter and the other fishermen and disciples probably made just enough to make ends meet. True, Moses came from a well-to-do background, having grown up in Pharaoh's household, but he gave it all up to serve God and lead the people of Israel.

If, however, prosperity is God's will for everyone, then let's take this message to the poverty-stricken parts of the world where untold thousands of people are dying of malnutrition.

For the rest of us less prosperous ordinary folks, let's do the best we can with the gifts God has given to us to help make our world a better place in which to live.

To Be "In Christ Jesus"

2008-07-20T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?” First, think about what it was for Noah to be in the ark. The ark was waterproof. How do we know it was? Well, God told Noah, “put pitch on the inside and on the outside” (Genesis 6:14). The word “pitch” in the Hebrew is “kapar,” and it is exactly the same word translated as "atonement." You see, we are in Jesus as Noah was in that ark. Just as the storms of God’s wrath beat upon that ark, the storms of God’s wrath beat upon the Lord Jesus. But we are on the inside, and not one drop of judgment can come through.

The Law & the Gospel of God's Grace

2008-07-15T18:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.”
Romans 4:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are almost six billion people on the face of this earth. If you extracted from each one the very best character traits and put those things into one man, that one man would still have to bow before God and cry out for mercy to be saved. We’ve got to quit trying to be saved by doing good things or being a moral person or by even keeping the Ten Commandments. The law says “if,” the gospel says “therefore.” The law says you must earn salvation, while the gospel says salvation is a gift. The law demands holiness. The gospel provides holiness. The law says run, but it doesn’t give us legs. The gospel says fly, and it gives us wings of grace.

Driven to the Heart of Our Lord

2008-07-10T07:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
Psalm 32:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The worst thing that could happen to sinful people would be to live in a perfect environment. If God had left Adam in the Garden of Eden, Adam would not have known that he had the fatal infection of sin, and he would not have sought the remedy for sin, which he found in the shedding of blood. Problems are designed, not to crush us, but to crowd us to Christ who provided the remedy for sin by shedding His blood on the cross. The problem of sin is real and terrible, but it brings with it the possibility that we can be forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Remembering Our Spiritual and Political Heritage

2008-07-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for Independence Day.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”
Psalm 78:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
On June 8, 1845, Andrew Jackson said, “The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rests.” Just a few years prior in 1820, another of our forefathers, Daniel Webster, said, “Let us not forget the religious character of our origin.” In the days of our founding fathers, people didn’t quibble about the Bible’s importance. Our forefathers brought hither their high veneration for the Christian religion, being journeyed in its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate, listen to, and infuse its influence through all their institutions: civil, political, and literary.

Valleys & Mountains in the Life of a Christian

2008-06-17T17:44:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you know that it is an impossibility of geography to have a valley without a mountain? They are beautiful complements in God’s grand creation. The valley is the place of vision. It is the place of repose and reflection. The mountain is the place of discovery and a place to become strong. If you find yourself in a valley, it is because you have come down from a mountain. If you’re on a mountain, you came to that place by way of the valley.

A Challenge for Fathers

2008-06-15T12:38:00.006-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

And below is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries
for Father's Day.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sitteth among the elders.”
Proverbs 31:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Once a year, we celebrate fathers. Maybe you are one.
Let me give you a challenge. One father said,

“If I had it to do all over again.
I’d love my wife more in front of my children.
I’d laugh with my children more.
I’d listen more, even to the youngest child.
I’d be more honest about my own weaknesses
and stop pretending perfection.
I would pray differently for my children.
I would be more encouraging and bestow more praise.
And finally, if I had it to do all over again,
I would use every ordinary thing that happened
in every ordinary day to point them to God.”

Praise God for the impact of godly fathers in our lives!

Saints in God's Sight Through Christ

2008-06-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Galatians 4:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Are you saved? If you are, then you are a saint. Now you’re probably saying, “But, I can’t say that. Christ wants me to be humble,” but let me tell you what real humility is. It is accepting what God says about you, and God says you’re a saint. Now, that doesn’t make you sinless; it makes you blameless. In God’s sight (and that’s the only sight that counts) you are a saint. God sees you as perfect because He sees you draped in the righteousness of His Son. Glory to God for His indescribable love to us!

Remembering Those Who Have Sacrificed for Us

2008-05-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place.”
Exodus 13:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Each year, Americans remember those brave-hearted souls who fought and gave their lives so that you and I would have the rights and privileges of living in a free country. Remembering is important. In fact, God instructs His people on many occasions in the Old Testament to remember from whence they came and to remember His providence. It is by the mighty hand of God that we are saved, we are protected, and we are free to live in the Land of the Brave. Never take that freedom for granted, my friend. It is a precious commodity for which the world hungers, and it is a powerful charge for you and I to protect.

Seizing Opportunities to Serve

2008-05-17T10:02:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan in
Luke 10:30-37? He was on a journey, but stopped and helped a bruised and broken man. He didn’t make excuses saying, “It’s none of my business.” It was a golden moment, and he took it. All around you are people who need the compassion of Christ. They need you to see their pain as a golden opportunity to serve them in the name of Jesus. The chief enemy to kindness is busyness. We have our priorities, our jobs, our duties, our responsibilities, and we’re too busy. But if we’re too busy to be kind, we’re too busy.

The Earth is the Lord's

2008-05-11T12:50:00.001-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
Psalm 50:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you remember when it was rare to hear of someone whose job was either threatened, or actually lost, due to changes or cutbacks? Well, that’s hardly news anymore. These days it seems that almost everyone is struggling with financial problems related to job security. You may be struggling and asking, “What good can possibly come from my financial problems?” They are wonderful opportunities to trust your Heavenly Father for your daily bread. I’ve always said that it’s better to have a Father who owns a bakery than to have a warehouse full of bread!

2008-04-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Let me tell you how to experience God. Get your heart pure, and you will see God with the eyes of faith. You see, Jesus is not talking about your physical body. You get your spiritual heart right, and your spiritual eye will see. Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” You get your heart right, and you’ll see the invisible God...in circumstances...in nature...in the face of your spouse, your child, your grandchild. You’ll see Him in the scriptures. God will become a bright, living reality to you.

When Things Go Wrong

2008-04-08T20:31:00.000-05:00

A devotion for today from an anonymous poet.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
So don't give up, though the pace seems slow –
For you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it
seems to a fain and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure, turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Pointless post, Funny Video

2008-04-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I saw this video on friend's blog a while back and thought is was hilarious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What Is the Victorious Life?

2008-03-22T13:52:00.000-05:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
So many people want to know what the victorious life is, but let me first tell you what it is not. It is not a life without ever committing a sin. It is not a life without ever having any failure. It is not a life without ever having any doubt. It is not a life without ever having discouragement. Instead, the victorious life is the life of bringing our failures to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to give us a brand new start. Day after day I tell the Lord that I need a new start, that I need to be anointed with fresh oil today, and that I need forgiveness. I thank God that He is a God of grace, a God of glory, and a God of a second chance. You’re probably more prepared to serve God after failure and restoration, than perhaps at any other time in your life.

Christianity, More Than a Creed or Code

2008-02-09T10:40:00.000-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“...and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Are Christians fools for believing in Jesus? Are we serving a false God? If you go to the tomb of Confucius, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Buddha, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Jesus, you’ll find it empty. He is a risen Savior. Now that’s very important, because, you can take Confucius out of Confucianism and still have Confucianism, and you can take Buddha out of Buddhism and still have Buddhism. But you cannot take Jesus Christ out of Christianity and still have Christianity because Christianity is not a code. It’s not a creed. It’s not a cause. It is Christ Himself.

Nothing Less than God's Optimum for Your Life

2008-01-26T13:45:00.000-06:00

Here is a devotion from Love Worth Finding Ministries for today.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you love Christ? Do you long to please Him with all your heart? Then, remember this: God’s delays are not God’s denials. Many a Christian feels he is out in the wilderness — that all he is doing is being "led about” in circles. Maybe God is grooming you. He is not ready to thrust you into heavy responsibilities yet. He has you in a holding pattern for His holy purpose. Life is a journey that does not end. God is preparing something wonderful for you. He doesn’t want you to settle for less than His optimum for your life and your work

Merry Christmas from Oklahoma

2007-12-22T09:47:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

To keep loading times low, I decided to just narrate each picture with the story of my day and include a link to them.
Hope you enjoy them.

I started at home with a quick picture of our tiny pond and tree.

After breakfast, I decided to visit a friend of mine who lives a few miles away. Here's a picture of the bridge I have to cross to get to my friend's house.

And this is the shoreline as seen from the bridge.

One of the many ponds on the way to my friend's.

Another pond near my friend's driveway.

My friend's driveway.

One more view of the driveway.

After brief chat, I ventured out of my friend's house to take pictures of their beautiful land.

More of that picturesque landscape.

I love the look of these trees.

A nice picture of the big one.

On my way down the big hill.

I thought this tree was very interesting.

My first glimpse of pond #2 which resides on my friend's land.

The rocky hill as seen from the bottom.

My first look at pond #1.

During my trek, I came along this little evergreen growing out from between the rocks. What a tough little tree.

I don't why, but I couldn't pass by this rock without a picture.

East side of pond #2.

A good look at the submerged fence in pond #2.

Pond #2

West side of pond #2.

It may be 15 foot tall, but it is still a great looking Christmas tree.

Another look at that interesting tree.

I "shot" some ducks while I was at pond #1. If you don't see them, keep looking they're hard to see, but there.

Pond #1

Going up the hill.

It amazed me how much the weather had changed by the time I went home.

A different angle on bridge.

Almost home...

I made it home, and what a fun day it had been too.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!