Archives for December 2016

Good morning,

Our lives do not follow a straight path. There are many twists and turns along the way. It is good to know that Jesus is with us each step of the way.

No matter what corner I go around on the winding road of life

(W.B. Hinson)

“I will lead them in paths that they have not known” Isaiah 42:16

I do not know what is around that next turn in this winding trail of life. But I know this–whatever there is around that corner, I shall have my hand in Another’s hand when I go and face it. And if I feel a little bit disturbed, I shall move my finger around in the palm of that hand till I find the scar, and then I shall know that Jesus Christ, who on the cross was wounded for my sins–is not going to leave me no matter what corner I go around on the winding road of life.

“Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip!” Psalm 17:5

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When we stumble in our walk with the Lord, He is there to pick us up, dust us off, and nudge us back to serving Him.

 Sometimes, we refuse God’s help. We refuse to repent and ask for God to help us. However, Jesus never leaves us. He will chasten, convict, and compel us to come home.  

When we are ready to repent, Jesus welcomes us back with open arms. He then assigns us a task for us to accomplish. God never puts a truly repentant believer on the shelf.

Ask God to give you His next assignment. Then go out and do it. Obedience pleases God!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We are told to be soul winners for Christ. Many churches deem your worthiness in the number of souls you have won. We need to rethink soul winning in light of today’s devotional.

Mr. Hill, I am pleased to see you–I am one of your converts!

(Charles Spurgeon)

A man picked himself up from the gutter and brushed up against Rowland Hill one night as he went home, and he said, “Mr. Hill, I am pleased to see you–I am one of your converts!”

Rowland said, “I thought it was very likely that you were. You are certainly not one of God’s converts, or else you would not be drunk.”

There is a great lesson in that answer. Rowland Hill’s converts could get drunk, but not the converts of the Spirit of God–those are really renewed in the spirit of their mind, by a supernatural operation!

Our converts are no good.

If our preaching does not turn men . . .
from drunkenness–to sobriety,
from thieving–to honesty,
from unchastity–to purity,
then our Gospel is not worth a button!

But if it does all this, then this is the evidence that it comes from God–seeing that in the world so sorely diseased by sin, it works the wondrous miracle of curing men of these deadly evils!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! Old things have passed away–behold, all things have become new!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

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We do not win souls to Christ. It is God that woos the souls of men and women to Him and the Holy Spirit convicts’ men and women of their sin. Then men and women choose to repent, accept God’s invitation of new life in Christ, or to reject it.

It is crucial to understand who does the saving and who does the proclaiming. We share the gospel message, while God convicts of sin.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today’s devotional gave me a new perspective about what Christ did for me. When I think about who Jesus is, what He did prior to coming to earth, and what He did for me while He was here, it deepened my respect for what Jesus did.

Gems from Octavius Winslow

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So completely was Jesus bent upon saving sinners by the sacrifice of Himself, that He created the tree upon which He was to die–and nurtured from infancy, the men who were to nail Him to the accursed wood!

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Christ took your cup of grief, your cup of the curse, pressed it to his lips, drank it to its dregs–then filled it with His sweet, pardoning, sympathizing love, and gave it back for you to drink, and to drink forever!

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It is because we have such shallow views of God’s love––that we have such defective views of God’s dealings. We blindly interpret the symbols of His providence–because we so imperfectly read the engravings of His heart!

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When I read these statements, it put me in awe of what Jesus did for me. He orchestrated His birth and death down to the most minute detail. He created the tree that would crucify Him, the people who would condemn Him, and the soldiers that would carry out the sentence. He made the tomb that held Him three days.

He did this all for me and for you. He did it because He loved us. Unconditional, unmerited, love. His grace and mercy drove Him to the cross.

The greatest gift you could receive this Christmas is Christ’s gift of a new life in Him. The greatest gift you could give to someone else is Christ’s gift of salvation. Simply put, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

Do you possess this everlasting life? Would you like to? Give me a call or email me. I would be happy to talk with you.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This weekend we must consider what we will do. Will we please God or the devil? Will we be at the very edge and attempt not to fall? Will we choose to participate in wholesome endeavors pleasing to God?

Today’s devotional may help in making that decision.

The best course to prevent falling into the pit!

(Thomas Brooks)

“Avoid every kind of evil!” 1 Thessalonians 5:22

It is our wisest and our safest course to stand at the farthest distance from sin; not to go near the house of the harlot, but to fly from all appearance of evil. “Keep to a path far from her–do not go near the door of her house!” Proverbs 5:8

The best course to prevent falling into the pit–is to keep at the greatest distance from the pit. He who will be so bold as to attempt to dance upon the brink of the pit–may find by woeful experience, that it is a righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit!

Sin is a plague, yes, the greatest and most infectious plague in the world; and yet, ah! how few are there that tremble at it, that keep at a distance from it!

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If any occupation or amusement or association is found to hinder our communion with God or our enjoyment of spiritual things–then it must be abandoned. Whatever I cannot do for God’s glory–must be avoided! (Arthur Pink)

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CHOOSE WISELY!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning.

God and men see success differently. Christ takes the broken and restores them to gloriousness and beauty.

The Bible changes lives. If read consistently, obeyed fully, and practiced continually, people will be saved, grow in grace, and lead others to Christ.

This devotional is an encouragement, blessing, warning, challenge, and call to action.

Short pithy gems from J.R. Miller

Christ is building His kingdom with earth’s broken things.

Men want only the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unbroken–in building their kingdoms. But God is the God of the unsuccessful, of those who have failed. Heaven is filling with earth’s broken lives, and there is no bruised reed that Christ cannot take and restore to glorious blessedness and beauty. He can take the life crushed by pain or sorrow–and make it into a harp whose music shall be all praise. He can lift earth’s saddest failure–up to Heaven’s glory!

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It is impossible to estimate full influence of the reading of the Word in a home day after day and year after year. It filters into the hearts of the young. It is absorbed into their souls. It colors all their thoughts. It is wrought into the very fiber of their minds. It imbues them with its own spirit. It’s holy teachings become the principles of their lives, which rule their conduct and shape all their actions.

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

God has allowed each believer in Christ to be unique. We have been brought up in different church affiliations and possess Scriptural knowledge that others may not agree with. Some believers have studied the Bible for many years and have great knowledge while others have a more limited knowledge of God’s word.

However, there are certain essentials that we all should agree on. These essential doctrines of the saving gospel include man’s sinfulness, Christ’s deity, the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection, and the blood atonement. These are the essentials believed by all who are saved.

Romans 14 tells us to receive all who are believers in Christ.  There will be areas of disagreement, but these people are still our brothers and sisters in Christ. It reminds us that we are not to judge others or become a stumbling block. God is the Judge not us. One day each of us will stand before Christ to give an account of our lives.

Christian love charitably bears with differing customs (14:1-12)

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.² For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.³ Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.⁴ Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.⁵ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.⁶ He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.¹⁰ But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.¹¹ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.¹² So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

For love’s sake Christians may deny themselves (14:13-23)

¹³ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. ¹⁴ I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.¹⁵ But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.¹⁶ Let not then your good be evil spoken of:¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.¹⁸ For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.²⁰ For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.²¹ It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.²² Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.²³ And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today we look at the companion piece to yesterday’s devotion.  Although we walk through valleys, struggles, sorrow, and pain, God is there to comfort us along the way. Please allow God to comfort your heart today.

The Valley of Weeping

(Author unknown)

I have been through the valley of weeping,
The valley of sorrow and pain;
But the ‘God of all comfort’ was with me,
At hand to uphold and sustain.

As the earth needs the clouds and the sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrow and joy;
So He places us oft in the furnace,
The dross from the gold to destroy.

When He leads through some valley of trouble,
His omnipotent hand we trace;
For the trials and sorrows He sends us,
Are part of His lessons in grace.

Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning,
Forgetting the Husbandman knows
That the deeper the cutting and paring,
The richer the cluster that grows.

Well He knows that affliction is needed;
He has a wise gracious purpose in view,
And in the dark valley He whispers,
“Hereafter you will know what I do.”

As we travel through life’s shadowed valley,
Fresh springs of His love ever rise;
And we learn that our sorrows and losses,
Are blessings just sent in disguise.

So we’ll follow wherever He leadeth,
Let the path be dreary or bright;
For we’ve proved that our God can give comfort,
Our God can give songs in the night!
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

A refuge is a place of protection. It is a place of safety. It is a place of encouragement in a time of need. Today we will read about the ultimate Refuge, the eternal God.

We shall only sink into the everlasting arms!

(Author unknown)

“The eternal God is your refuge–and underneath are the everlasting arms!” Deuteronomy 33:27

If we are held in the clasp of the everlasting arms–we need not fear that we shall ever be separated from the enfolding. “Underneath.” They are always underneath us. No matter how low we sink in weakness, in fainting, in pain, in sorrow–we never can sink below these everlasting arms. We can never drop out of their clasp!

God’s love is deeper than human sorrow. Sorrow is very deep, but still and forever, in the greatest grief–these arms of Divine love are underneath the believing sufferer.

God’s love is deeper than death. When every earthly support is gone from beneath us, when every human arm unclasps and every face fades from before our eyes, and we sink away into what seems darkness and the shadow of death–we shall only sink into the everlasting arms!

Drop your plummet into the deepest sea of sorrow, and at the end of your soundings:        “Underneath are the everlasting arms!”

What abiding consolation! What all-embracing, never-failing strength!

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Tomorrow, we will look at a companion devotion on “The Valley of Weeping.”

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

When we are dealing with adversity, it is nice to know that God cares and does not forget us. He comforts, loves, heals, and encourages us.

I trust this devotional will be a blessing to you.

He who counts the stars!

(Charles Spurgeon)

“He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” Psalm 147:3-5

He who counts the stars and calls them by their names, is in no danger of forgetting His own children! He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature He ever made, or the only saint He ever loved!

It is most important for us to learn, that the smallest trifles are as much arranged by the God of Providence, as the most startling events. He who counts the stars–has also numbered the hairs of our heads. Our lives and deaths are predestined–but so, also, are our sitting down and our rising up!

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered!” Matthew 10:29-30
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Consider the greatness of God. Consider who He is, what He has done, and how He has impacted your life.

Then thank Him.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001