“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13   Shortly after trusting Christ as my Savior I discovered this wonderful verse and clung to it like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. I knew from the very beginning that I was weak and could never live as a Christian should without divine help. As I struggled to overcome various sins I quoted this verse over and over again–I still do today!   This glorious truth has helped many others as well. But some folks have misunderstood. The assurance that God will give us the strength to do His will does not mean it will be quick or easy or fun. Often times the path to victory is through blood, sweat and tears. Don’t assume that, because you are struggling, God isn’t helping you. Sometimes the difficulty is by divine design. God could make it easier, but He doesn’t. Here’s why—you are working on one thing God is working on two, your problem and you! God uses the process to develop your character, conforming you to the image of His dear Son. He knows “easy” isn’t always best.   Sometimes God delays the answer to our prayers and withholds His help because He knows we need the struggle. We long for a quick and easy way out, but God knows we need the opposite. Just as you cannot liberate the butterfly from the cocoon without killing it, we need the struggle to make us strong. Do not be discouraged when your efforts seem futile. Regardless of what you are going through, God is able to meet your need. He brought you to it and He will bring you through it. If you live in the sunshine of His bright promise it will help you to have hope when all seems doom and gloom. Claim it today!

“And let us not be weary in well doing—“ Galatians 6:9   Weary and worn from his ten year fight against the slave trade in England, a discouraged William Wilberforce opened his Bible in search of inspiration. As he leafed through it a small note fell to the floor. It was a letter written from John Wesley just before he died. The note said: “Unless the divine power has raised you up–I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the oppostion of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.”   That was just what Wilberforce needed to renew his vigor. We need that reminder as well. Every great enterprise has its difficulties. If we truly give ourselves to the pursuit of God’s will we can expect opposition and obstacles, but we must keep going. We might grow weary in the work, but we should not grow weary of the work. We all go through difficult and discouraging days. It is essential that we keep our focus on God and draw from the resources He provides, never fogetting that “in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”   It is always too soon to quit.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 3:14   “He died climbing” is inscribed on a monument erected to an Alpine guide, who perished when attempting to reach the top of a mountain. In that tribute we see a reminder of what our attitude should be. We should be looking upward, pressing onward, and climbing higher. We should always press on in the pathway of duty.   “He died climbing” could be said of numerous Christians who refused to quit, who pressed on in the face of great difficulties and danger. Rather than give up many became martyrs for Christ sake. We read their stories and marvel, but we ought to do more than that—we need to follow their example.   Let us not be one of those who became content and stopped pressing on, as though we had gone as far as we needed to go. Neither let us be in the camp of those who became fearful and ceased to go on because of the danger. Our life is in God’s hands whether we be sitting on the plain or inching our way up the steep mountain side, hanging on by our finger tips. If our cause is nobel and our motive pure we have nothing to fear. All is well.   Fear belongs to those who quit climbing. Indeed, the way may be rough and tough, even painful, but we are never at liberty to stop. Press on dear pilgrim! The prize will be worth the pain. One day you will stand on the summit and look back on your journey and realize that had you stopped you would have missed the best. Keep climbing until that day when it can be said of you,”He died climbing.” It will be worth it all!   “I’m pressing on the upward way”

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Corinthians 15:55

A young boy was seen cutting across a cemetery lot just around dark and was later asked by an observer, “Aren’t you scared?” “No,” said the boy. “I only cut through here to get home.”

The boy didn’t see any reason to fear the cemetery; the only thing he focused on was how quickly he was going to get home.

In the same way, we have no reason to fear death; it is merely a shortcut to our heavenly home. The Bible tells us that the instant we are absent from this life and this body, we are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). In other words, we are literally carried from this life to the next in the arms of the One who created us . . . we are never alone, even for a moment. What a comforting thought!

Friends, if we have accepted the Lord as our personal Savior, we have an eternity yet to live with Him! We should rejoice in that fact and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ until we so long for heaven that, like the little boy, we see no reason to fear the shortcut home. (From Turning Point)

Death for you as a child of God is to fall asleep in His arms and awake in the other world, alive forever beyond the power of pain, safe forever from all sickness and suffering.
Winkie Pratney

“—-they are without excuse.”–Romans 1:20 (read vs.18-24)   Do you remember the song that says “Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day.”? We sure do! Several years ago a famous actor filed for bankruptcy. After making millions he was flat broke. He blamed it on “fast women and slow horses.” Another “entertainer” became famous for saying,”The devil made me do it.”   The excuses go on and on. This isn’t anything new. Man has been making excuses since the first man. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. And so the story goes. We just keep blaming others and ,sadly, most people don’t see the need to stop. Making excuses seems to be in our system.   Excuses are foolish–we are each responsible for our actions. Excuses get easier and easier–we end up deceiving ourself. Excuses are dangerous–they keep us from dealing with the real problem. Even God can’t help the person who keeps making excuses. Until we see ourself as God sees us we don’t stand a chance of getting things right. We simply have to get honest about our condition and stop making excuses.   Man’s ultimate folly is that, although he knows there is a God, he refuses to recognize Him as such. The creature denies his Creator. That explains why the world is in its present sinful condition. Instead of embracing the truth he suppresses it and makes excuses. But God says,”they are without excuse.”   Maybe it’s time you got honest about your life and stopped making excuses. Things won’t get any better until you do.   “An excuse is the skin of reason stuffed with a lie”