There is a secret of victorious living which, if people knew it, would make all of life easier for them. It may be stated thus: that as we take up any duty and go forward with it, we shall receive the strength we need to do it. There are several Divine promises that give this assurance.
A Secret of Victorious Living Read More »
Matthew 10:37-39 NKJV
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
What is Your Occupation? Read More »
A poor shoemaker in his dreary little shop in a great city, one day noticed that there was one little place in his dark room, from which he could get a view of green fields, blue skies and faraway hills. He wisely set up his bench at that point, so that at any moment he could lift his eyes from his dull work–and have a glimpse of the great, beautiful world outside.
Sickness is Discouraging But….. Read More »
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your hearts on things above! Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things! Colossians 3:1-2
Paul reminds us that those who believe on Christ–should live a risen life.
We live on the earth at present. We walk on earth’s streets. We live in material houses, built of stones, bricks, or wood. We eat earth’s fruits, gathering our food from earth’s fields, orchards and gardens. We wear clothes woven of earthly fabrics. We adorn our homes with works of art that human hands make. We engage in the business of earth. We find our happiness in the things of this life.
The Worm became a Splendid Butterfly Read More »
What Was a Surrender in Early A.A.?
In the original A.A. “Christian fellowship” program founded in Akron in June 1935, pioneer newcomers had a very clear idea of A.A.’s requirement that they surrender.
The Surrender at Akron City Hospital
First, at the close of the usually-required, initial hospitalization in Akron City Hospital, there was a ceremony that involved only A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob and the newcomer with whom he had been working. It soon involved two events:
(1) The question Dr. Bob asked the newcomer:
(2) Then the requirement that the newcomer get out of bed, get down on his knees, and pray — with Dr. Bob leading the prayer.2
What was Surrender in Early AA? Read More »
When all the fighting and protesting is done, God waits for me to draw near to Him. I think that I make more trouble for myself than my own circumstances ever do. I try to control, to manipulate, to manage. And all that is so painful because I am working in a realm where I have no ability and certainly no talent. When I’m honest (which I’m finding isn’t nearly as often as I’d like it to be), I can admit that I’m really not very good at decisions. Many of the ones I’ve made have been simply horrible with drastic results. But when I wait on God and allow Him to make the decisions, things work out so much better. He’s really so much better at decisions than I am, and rightly so, because He sees the future and knows what’s best for me.
God Waits for Us to Draw Near to Him Read More »
Hebrews 9:11-12
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
I find myself so focused on things that, in the long run, probably don’t matter. John Wesley writes:
Serve Him Today, Release the Problems of Tomorrow Read More »
Steps One through Step Six
We have many times documented the frequent statements by A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson that his friend, Rev. Sam Shoemaker, was the major source of the Big Book ideas and Twelve Steps.1 In 1955, Newsweek named him one of the ten greatest preachers in the United States.2 Shoemaker was known as a great communicator, and was described by his associate, Rev. W. Irving Harris, as a Bible Christian.3
There are many persuasive instances where one can find almost exact parallels between the language Bill Wilson used in the Big Book and the language Shoemaker used in his many Christian books, articles, and pamphlets.
A.A. 12-Step Christian Parallels: Steps 1-6 Read More »
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 NIV
When our bodies are hungry or thirsty we open the refrigerator and eat or drink to our hearts content. When we are spiritually hungry what do we do? Some of us do nothing and we remain starved for nutrients. Some of us don’t go to the correct source for our spiritual food and become vitamin deficient. The only way we can really satisfy our spiritual hunger is by getting to know Jesus Christ and having an ongoing personal relationship with Him. When we feel hungry we just ask. When we feel dehydrated we just ask. Jesus is the only way.
Why Starve when You Have “The Bread of Life?” Read More »
Hebrews 9:27-28 NKJV
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
I read in a book once that the early church didn’t celebrate birthdays because they found life to be so painful, but rather celebrated deaths because death was the transition from this life into heaven. I know that growing up, our church celebrated funerals and called them graduations. These celebrations were filled with joyous songs because we knew that the person who had died was now in the presence of the Lord, a place we all wanted to be.
Heaven or Earth? The Choice is Simple Read More »
