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03/03/2024

Choose God's Will

March 03, 2024
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Job 42:10–17
Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. (Job 42:16–17)
A major goal of wholesome, healthy Christians is the hope of reaching maturity before death overtakes us. I will tell you without hesitation that one of my major goals in life is to grow up as I grow older. A commendable etching on a gravestone would be: "Here lies a man who kept growing as he kept aging." Growing up and growing old need to walk hand in hand. Never doubt it: maturing is a slow, arduous process. Job accomplished it; he reached that goal. Small wonder we read that he died an old man and full of days. He lived the rest of his 140 years full of enthusiasm and passion. What an enviable way to finish life.

When trouble comes we have two options. We can view it as an intrusion, an outrage, or we can see it as an opportunity to respond in specific obedience to God's will—that rugged virtue James calls "endurance."

Endurance is not jaw-clenched resignation, nor is it passive acquiescence. It's "a long obedience in the same direction." It's staying on the path of obedience despite counter-indications. It's a dogged determination to pursue holiness when the conditions of holiness are not favorable. It's a choice in the midst of our suffering to do what God has asked us to do, whatever it is, and for as long as He asks us to do it. As Oswald Chambers wrote, "To choose suffering makes no sense at all; to choose God's will in the midst of our suffering makes all the sense in the world."

Where are you today? Where is your journey leading you? More important, which option have you chosen? Are you viewing your trial as an outrage or an opportunity? Try hard not to forget the lessons Job teaches us about ourselves. It will make an enormous difference. As you grow older, keep growing up. And, instead of simply reading about the life of Job, begin living that kind of life.

That makes all the sense in the world, doesn't it?

03/02/2024

Staying Young

March 02, 2024
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Job 42:10–17
Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. (Job 42:16–17)
I‘d like to offer several tips on how to stay young.

Number one: Your mind isn't old, keep developing it. Watch less television and read more. Spend time with people who talk about events and ideas rather than sitting around a shop talking about people and how sorry this young generation has become. Nobody wants to be around a crotchety old person who sees only the clouds and talks only about bad weather.

Number two: Your humor isn't over, keep enjoying it. I love being around older people who still see the sunny side of life. They see funny things happening. They can tell a great story. They enjoy a loud belly laugh. You look fabulous when you laugh. And it takes years off your face.

Number three: Your strength isn't gone, keep using it. Don't let yourself get out of shape. Stay active. Eat right. Watch your weight. Guard against becoming isolated and immobile. And while I'm at it, quit addressing every ache and pain. Quit talking about how weak you're getting and how others will have to do this or that for you. Jump in there. You keep doing it.

Here's a fourth: Your opportunities haven't vanished, keep pursuing them. There are people all around you who could use an encouraging word, an affirming note, a phone call that says, "I love you and believe in you, and I'm praying for you." So go there. Opportunities to help others have not vanished.

The fifth is obvious: Your God is not dead, keep serving and seeking Him. The living God is ageless. The Lord Jesus Christ is timeless and ever relevant. Continue to enjoy some time alone with your Lord. It's so important!

You have lived long enough to know that there is no one more trustworthy than the Lord Himself. Continue cultivating a meaningful relationship with Him. Seek Him diligently and often.

I wish for you a full life, like Job's, marked not by living happily ever after (an impossibility), but by being truly satisfied, fulfilled, challenged, useful, godly, balanced, and joyful.

Yes, for sure, joyful! And don't forget—reasonably sweet.

12/17/2023

A Silent Interlude

December 17, 2023
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Esther 4:12–17
Between chapters four and five of this ancient book of Esther, there's a break in time. It's a space of suspense when we don't know what is happening. Nothing is recorded for us to read. At the end of chapter four, we left Esther just as she had sent word to Mordecai that she was going to enter the king's presence uninvited, which could mean her instant death. Then there is a grand pause, and we pick up the story again in chapter five, three days later, when Esther is preparing to walk into the presence of the king, not knowing what the future holds. She literally breaks the law of the land by voluntarily interrupting the king.

This space represents a silent yet powerful interlude during which Esther draws on the source of her strength. How easy it is for us to forget that source. How easy for us to believe that she was born with a Mother Teresa conscience and a Joan of Arc courage. Yet just as no one is born prejudiced, so no one is born courageous.

Allow me a moment to pause here and ask you a couple of very personal questions. Do you teach your children to stand up for what they believe? Are you teaching your grandchildren how to be people of character, regardless? That's the way they will learn it. Let me probe one question deeper. Are you modeling authentic character? That leaves the message permanently etched in their minds.

You see, Esther didn't come onto this earth with a sensitive conscience and a courageous heart. She learned it from her cousin, Mordecai, who became her mentor and adoptive father. He knew how far he could stretch her with his challenge. And she rose to the challenge and said, "I'll do exactly as you have taught me to do."

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (NIV).

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03/03/2024

Choose God's Will

March 03, 2024
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Job 42:10–17
Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. (Job 42:16–17)
A major goal of wholesome, healthy Christians is the hope of reaching maturity before death overtakes us. I will tell you without hesitation that one of my major goals in life is to grow up as I grow older. A commendable etching on a gravestone would be: "Here lies a man who kept growing as he kept aging." Growing up and growing old need to walk hand in hand. Never doubt it: maturing is a slow, arduous process. Job accomplished it; he reached that goal. Small wonder we read that he died an old man and full of days. He lived the rest of his 140 years full of enthusiasm and passion. What an enviable way to finish life.

When trouble comes we have two options. We can view it as an intrusion, an outrage, or we can see it as an opportunity to respond in specific obedience to God's will—that rugged virtue James calls "endurance."

Endurance is not jaw-clenched resignation, nor is it passive acquiescence. It's "a long obedience in the same direction." It's staying on the path of obedience despite counter-indications. It's a dogged determination to pursue holiness when the conditions of holiness are not favorable. It's a choice in the midst of our suffering to do what God has asked us to do, whatever it is, and for as long as He asks us to do it. As Oswald Chambers wrote, "To choose suffering makes no sense at all; to choose God's will in the midst of our suffering makes all the sense in the world."

Where are you today? Where is your journey leading you? More important, which option have you chosen? Are you viewing your trial as an outrage or an opportunity? Try hard not to forget the lessons Job teaches us about ourselves. It will make an enormous difference. As you grow older, keep growing up. And, instead of simply reading about the life of Job, begin living that kind of life.

That makes all the sense in the world, doesn't it?

03/02/2024

Staying Young

March 02, 2024
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Job 42:10–17
Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. (Job 42:16–17)
I‘d like to offer several tips on how to stay young.

Number one: Your mind isn't old, keep developing it. Watch less television and read more. Spend time with people who talk about events and ideas rather than sitting around a shop talking about people and how sorry this young generation has become. Nobody wants to be around a crotchety old person who sees only the clouds and talks only about bad weather.

Number two: Your humor isn't over, keep enjoying it. I love being around older people who still see the sunny side of life. They see funny things happening. They can tell a great story. They enjoy a loud belly laugh. You look fabulous when you laugh. And it takes years off your face.

Number three: Your strength isn't gone, keep using it. Don't let yourself get out of shape. Stay active. Eat right. Watch your weight. Guard against becoming isolated and immobile. And while I'm at it, quit addressing every ache and pain. Quit talking about how weak you're getting and how others will have to do this or that for you. Jump in there. You keep doing it.

Here's a fourth: Your opportunities haven't vanished, keep pursuing them. There are people all around you who could use an encouraging word, an affirming note, a phone call that says, "I love you and believe in you, and I'm praying for you." So go there. Opportunities to help others have not vanished.

The fifth is obvious: Your God is not dead, keep serving and seeking Him. The living God is ageless. The Lord Jesus Christ is timeless and ever relevant. Continue to enjoy some time alone with your Lord. It's so important!

You have lived long enough to know that there is no one more trustworthy than the Lord Himself. Continue cultivating a meaningful relationship with Him. Seek Him diligently and often.

I wish for you a full life, like Job's, marked not by living happily ever after (an impossibility), but by being truly satisfied, fulfilled, challenged, useful, godly, balanced, and joyful.

Yes, for sure, joyful! And don't forget—reasonably sweet.

12/17/2023

A Silent Interlude

December 17, 2023
by Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Scriptures: Esther 4:12–17
Between chapters four and five of this ancient book of Esther, there's a break in time. It's a space of suspense when we don't know what is happening. Nothing is recorded for us to read. At the end of chapter four, we left Esther just as she had sent word to Mordecai that she was going to enter the king's presence uninvited, which could mean her instant death. Then there is a grand pause, and we pick up the story again in chapter five, three days later, when Esther is preparing to walk into the presence of the king, not knowing what the future holds. She literally breaks the law of the land by voluntarily interrupting the king.

This space represents a silent yet powerful interlude during which Esther draws on the source of her strength. How easy it is for us to forget that source. How easy for us to believe that she was born with a Mother Teresa conscience and a Joan of Arc courage. Yet just as no one is born prejudiced, so no one is born courageous.

Allow me a moment to pause here and ask you a couple of very personal questions. Do you teach your children to stand up for what they believe? Are you teaching your grandchildren how to be people of character, regardless? That's the way they will learn it. Let me probe one question deeper. Are you modeling authentic character? That leaves the message permanently etched in their minds.

You see, Esther didn't come onto this earth with a sensitive conscience and a courageous heart. She learned it from her cousin, Mordecai, who became her mentor and adoptive father. He knew how far he could stretch her with his challenge. And she rose to the challenge and said, "I'll do exactly as you have taught me to do."

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (NIV).

12/16/2023

Symbols of the Season: Candy Cane
DECEMBER 16, 2023

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

Recommended Reading: Psalm 23
Tradition records that in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany hit upon an idea to keep children occupied during the living manger scene in the church on Christmas Eve. He asked a local candy maker to create sugary “sticks” made from white syrup with a “hook” on one end—white for the purity of Christ and the “hook” to remind them of the shepherds’ staffs. Thus was born the tradition of peppermint-flavored candy canes that appear every Christmas.

Whether that tradition is completely true or not, the colors and shape of today’s candy canes are a reminder of biblical truths at Christmas: white for Jesus’ purity, red for Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross, and the hook for His image as the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep (John 10:11, 14). If you enjoy candy canes this Christmas, share these images with your children or grandchildren.

Candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree are a timeless Christmas tradition that carries a powerful Christmas message.

Jesus Christ is made up of all sweets and delights. He himself is all that is desirable.
Thomas Watson

12/08/2023

Life-Changing Christmas Presents Galore!

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Click on hyperlinks to learn more

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https://www.cwgministries.org/blogs/life-changing-christmas-presents-galore

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