John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
All Hallows Eve, October 31, otherwise known as Halloween, is celebrated throughout most of the world -- however, that doesn't take place in Israel.
When I was younger, I can remember the days of haunted houses in amusement parks in the United States.
These "attractions," houses created to inspire fear, anxiety, and a sense of danger in those who dare to pass through them, with their creaky floors and canned screams and hoots, were really silly to me. The various inhabitants, "monsters," would jump out, crazy strobe lights disorient your vision, hands unexpectedly touching you, and gut-wrenching noises designed to freak you out ... all of it was just a manufactured distortion of reality; and I always just knew it was a show, that no real ghosts or ghouls, whether they existed or not, actually lived there.
Doesn't it seem, though, in this life, sometimes we feel as though we're walking through a haunted house -- with different threats, problems, dangers, and fears designed to knock the wind out of us, shock us with paralyzing fear, disarm us with terrors, and change our perception of reality? Which reality? The reality is that our life is completely in His hands! Even the scariest situations, and the worst, most terrifying of our problems, in the light of Eternity, simply pale and will evaporate in the world to come.
The Lord is good, His goodness is absolute, and His power to work all things together for your good (if you are among those who love Him) is the promise that surrounds every scary threat in your life. So, while it may seem at times like you're walking through a wild and crazy "haunted house," -- in reality, it's the devil's show to make you forget -- your life is safely in His hands!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]J. Oswald Sanders, a Godly man and former director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship, once wrote about a position he desired. As he contemplated lobbying for the position, at one point, while walking through the city of Auckland, New Zealand, a verse of Scripture came to his mind, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not!"
This scripture makes an astounding promise -- God ALWAYS leads us to triumph or victory! But can we ALWAYS count on this amazing word to be true?
A reader asked a pointed question, "How do we claim the promises of God?" Sometimes the most difficult questions are best answered by men of faith, in this case, by a man who made a lifestyle of claiming the promises of God. I learned the answer to this question early in my walk when I read the autobiography of George Mueller.
A friend sent us this story about a young lady named Sally and her experience in a recent seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. This particular day, Sally walked into the class and knew they were in for a fun day.
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had only three hairs on her head. "Great," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today."
So she did...
Living by faith financially can be a wonderful thing. Back in Jesus' day, people didn't have savings and money market accounts, mutual funds, and IRA's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that those things are bad to have. What I'm saying is that those of us who live without them have an opportunity -- an opportunity to see God provide in miraculous ways!
"Before refrigerators, people used ice-houses to preserve their food. Ice-houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut from the frozen waters, hauled to the ice-houses, and covered with sawdust. Often these ice-blocks would last well into the summer.