Tuesday, October 18, 2004
With the glimmer of greatest in the eyes of optimistic young people, it is dim compared to the light of eternity in the eyes of the saints in their later years waiting to enter heaven’s gates!
-Lyn Sahr
-Rev 21:22-27 NIV
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Monday, October 17, 2004
As we prepare for upcoming presidential elections in the United Sates, we ponder the war in Iraq , the cost of medical insurances and services, high fuel costs, terrorists and the loss of jobs. There is some mention of abortion but little if any talk about religious freedoms.
What would happen if a candidate for the presidency of the United States stood up and said, “Jesus is coming back and one of the main priorities of this country and the world is to prepare for His second coming!”
I can tell you what would happen, he would not be elected!
-Lyn Sahr
-1 Thess 5:23-24 NIV
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
The other day I saw a group a people putting on gear to scale up the side of the mountain. As I looked at the mountain, I thought who would be crazy enough to scale up that. But there are those who find adventure in putting their lives at risk in such a way.
There is even a greater risk taken by many people today. That risk is in putting off accepting Jesus as Savior. There are many reasons for putting off that decision, but the results of such a wait can be disastrous. Nobody knows how much longer we will be living on this earth. The time to get right with God is now. Don’t put your eternal soul at risk.
-Ardis Rivera
-2 Corinthians 6:2
For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Saturday, October 9, 2004
Last night I went to the local high school football game. The local pastor’s get free passes. Usually they have a list for us to sign in and that’s it. But lat night they told me I needed the pass so they could stamp it or I couldn’t get in without paying. I found it amazing that the rules had changed, no sign up sheet and rejected at the gate even though they all know me and they know I have a pass. I asked her if she wanted me to walk all the way back to my car, drive back to my office, get my pass and drive back to the school, walk all the way back to the field and com elate to the game. She said, “If you want to get into the game that’s what you will have to do!”
The frustrating thing was that I had been in excruciating pain all day with a severely injured knee and walking itself was a challenge.
As I drove away I thought, “They won’t change the rules about getting into heaven and when you belong you will be allowed to enter, even without paper work!”
-Lyn Sahr
-Heb 9:24-28 NIV
Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Friday, October 8, 2004
My three year old grandson likes to have fun. He likes to wrestle until he gets so tired that he starts to fall asleep, totally exhausted. Then he is out like a light until sleep and rest prepare him for another round.
So it is with many people in ministry. They go so hard and so long that they finally just collapse. The problem is they are not three year olds and should know better!
-Lyn Sahr
-Isa 40:28-31 NIV
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Thursday, October 7, 2004
When we worship it isn’t the music in our lips that counts but the music in our hearts!
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 108:1 NIV
My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
The Lord is my Shepherd
That’s Relationship!
I shall not want
That’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
That’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters
That’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul
That’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
That’s Guidance!
For His name sake
That’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
That’s Testing!
I will fear no evil
That’s Protection!
For Thou art with me
That’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me
That’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
That’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil
That’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over
That’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
That’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
That’s Security!
Forever
That’s Eternity!
Face it, the Lord LOVES you. What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives!
-Rom 12:3 NIV
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
-contributed by Sandi Moser
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Emotional paralysis often accompanies stress. Peace always accompanies time alone with God.
Spiritual paralysis often accompanies sin. Peace always accompanies repentance.
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 34:11-14 NIV
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Monday, October 4, 2004
In October of 1997 I began to write the ChurchMouse Chronicles “Thought For The Day.” It is hard to believe that we are starting our eighth year of bringing you these daily thoughts. It hardly seems possible.
Since I have started two of our daughters have married and we now have three grandchildren. Two years ago we started Pine City Community Church that that is being a blessing to many and Home and Away Ministries which is bringing churches together from Mexico and the United States as well as providing food for those in need. It is amazing all the things that have happened in such a short time. Time, yes, much of what we do is about time.
Time is something precious that we take too lightly and make too poor of use of. In another nine years it is hard to say what will take place. My commitment to the work of the Kingdom is to spend the time I have left sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ as long as He allows me. I want to “go out in a blaze of glory!”
What have you been doing in the Kingdom of God in the past eight years? What will you be doing in another eight years? How do you want to “go out?”
Until every lost person is saved, every saved person must persevere!
-Lyn Sahr
-2 Peter 1:5-9 NIV
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Sunday, October 3, 2004
The other evening, I was speaking in a church in a very poor area of the city. The church is covered by a tarp and when it rains, not all the people will stay dry. I noticed several young teen girls and then noticed that one was tending a younger boy, obviously her brother. And then I realized that all the girls were helping that young boy, as he is blind.
During the sermon, a lady who was sitting right in the front got up a few times to swat the mosquitoes that had landed on my legs. She obviously didn’t want to see me leave there with multiple mosquito bites.
After the service I began to consider all this and realized that this is what God wants for His people—to help one another. There are those who lead the (spiritually) blind home to the Father, and make sure they don’t fall or get hurt. Then there are those who “swat the bugs” that bother someone else so that person can work more effectively. And we need to remember that each time we extend a helping hand to someone, in reality, we are doing it to Jesus Himself.
No act of love and concern is small or insignificant in the eyes of the Father.
-Ardis Rivera
-Matt 25:40
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Saturday, October 2, 2004
Look for the teachable moments about God’s truths with your children.
We had one this week when after a brief thunderstorm, my six-year old yelled throughout the house that there was not one rainbow outside, but two.
Everyone quickly ran to the front window, and just as he had announced, there was a double rainbow. Now what made this even more exciting was that the “end of the rainbow” appeared to be in the field across the road from our home. The kids wanted to find the “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow, but I quickly reminded them there really wasn’t a pot of gold there. I asked them why God created rainbows? Then we shared an incredible time of God’s grace, mercy and commitment to us, while reading in the bible about the first rainbow and what it means.
Look for the teachable moments around you today you’ll be glad you did.
– Garrett Novak
-Gen 9:12-16 NIV
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Friday, October 1, 2004
How to stay safe in the world today…
1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.
3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So,… above all else, avoid hospitals.
BUT,… You will be pleased to learn that only 001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!
…And….Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.
So,…for SAFETY’S sake – Attend church, and read your Bible … IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
-Contributed by Sandi Moser
