Life in the Midst of Mess

Chapter One of The Grace of Catastrophe by Jan Winebrenner (2005) appears by permission of Moody Publishers.

God is what He is in Himself. He does not become what we believe. 'I Am that I AM.' We are on safe ground only when we know what kind of God He is and adjust our entire being to that holy concept.
A. W. Tozer

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19

Desperation makes us do strange things—things like sit up all night in a cheap motel and read the Bible out loud.

It’s not something I’d usually do after a day on the road. On my best day, I’d probably watch a little TV, read a novel, then turn out the lights, and get to sleep early.

But let a catastrophe strike, and God has my attention.

The rest is here.

Prayer by C.H. Spurgeon

December 30, 1877:

"Lord, there are so many today who are running away from the truth. Oh, that You would be pleased to speak by Your Spirit that Your Word may be known. Lord, hold us fast to the truth of Your Word, bind us to it. May we not be ashamed of the truth of Your Word but proclaim it boldly without compromise. May we not wish to be thought cultured, nor aim to keep in step with the times. May we be side by side with You, O bleeding Savior; and be content to be rejected, be willing to take up unpopular truth, and to hold fast despised teachings of sacred Scripture to the end. Oh, make us faithful unto death."

I'm getting that "give up" feeling

What should I do? I should look at the cross and not myself. I should preach the gospel to myself daily. That means right now! I should thank God for His immeasurable grace. I should thank Him that I am doing far better than I deserve. Now all that brings biblical perspective. It doesn't make problems and discomfort go away but it shines gospel light so I can really see what's going on in my heart. Thank You, Holy Spirit.

One Minute Uplift

Your weekly one minute inspiration from Rick Ezell
11-15-07

Don't Give Up
By Rick Ezell

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what he has promised."
(Hebrews 10:36 NIV)

Effective people never buckle under. Despite mounting criticism and intensity of opposition and overwhelming obstacles they persevere with determined resolve. They refuse to throw in the towel. They accomplish the seemingly impossible task because they never give up.

Often, the easiest thing is quitting, giving up. Return to the comfort and convenience of mediocrity. Forget about one's dream, one's passion, and one's goal. Give in to the words of the critics, give up to the opposition, and give way to the obstacles. Simply, tuck tail and run away.

Great power is embodied in perseverance. The race is not always won by the fastest. The game is not always won by the strongest. But rather victory comes to the one who does the will of God, who keeps on keeping on, who refuses to give up. Doing the will of God is that important.

Consider the postage stamp. Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. Race car driver Rick Mears said, "To finish first, you must first finish."

When you are tempted to quit, resist. We must endure in the battle until the evil day is over. We must press on in the face of the temptation to quit. Until the war is over, we must fight to the end. Until the race is finished, we must keep running. Never give up. Never. The promises of God are always at the end. So, don't quit. Don't give up.

About the Author

Dr. Rick Ezell is a husband, father, author, pastor, consultant, coach, conference leader, and communicator. Rick has a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology in Preaching from Southern Baptist Seminary. He has published over 450 articles and sermons in various Christian publications. While authoring six books he has served over twenty years in pastoral ministry. Rick, Cindy, and Bailey currently reside in Greer, South Carolina.
www.rickezell.net

Encouragement

The Monday Memo was waiting for me in my inbox this morning. I don't know about you, but I need to be encouraged. Every day. From a variety of resources. And I have been blessed to find them. And, in turn, I then feel it my duty, my joy, my privilege to encourage somebody else. Today's Monday Memo is all about encouragement.

PERSEVERANCE IS NOT A LONG RACE
PHILIPPIANS 3:14

Walter Elliot said, "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."

Many would define perseverance as one consistent day after another, but the fact is that no one is consistently consistent in all things 100% of the time.

A better way to say it is that perseverance is 4 consistent days out of 5. Or 9 consistent days out of 10.

I love Paul's use of the phrase "press on" in Philippians 3. It communicates the idea of not just trying, but trying again. Paul admits that he is not perfect, has not yet attained all that he desires to be ...

(v. 13-14) But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal ...

Perseverance isn't so much a matter of winning one long marathon as it is a matter of winning (or even "placing" in) the short races you run day after day, hour after hour. It requires us to press on, even after minor setbacks and temporary defeats.

Perseverance is a lifetime accomplishment ... lived out one day at a time, one 40-yard dash at a time.

--Steve May
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WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT PERSEVERANCE

One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is better than half-a-hundred half-finished tasks. --B.C. Forbes

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. --William Feather

Mistakes are easy, mistakes are inevitable, but there is no mistake so great as the mistake of not going on. --William Blake

The universal line of distinction between the strong and the weak is that one persists; the other hesitates, falters, trifles and at last collapses or caves in. --Edwin Percy Whipple

Paul Harvey said that if there is one common denominator of men whom the world calls successful it is this: They get up when they fall down.

The Monday Memo is a weekly devotional for leaders sent out each Monday by Steve May. This is a free service. For more information please visit http://www.aboutsunday.com/omm.htm