The StarLight News: JUNE '19 - Daily On Line Edition

Do You Look Up to God?

“Be still and know that I am God”. - Psalm 46:10

The story is told of a British politician who took his 8-year-old daughter on a tour of London. They came to Westminster Abbey and the awesomeness of it struck the little girl. As she gazed at the towering columns and stirring beauty of the Gothic features, her father was intrigued at her concentration.

He looked down at her and asked, “Sweetheart, what are you thinking about?” The little girl replied, “Daddy, I was thinking how big you seem at home and how small you look in here.”

How easily we lose our sense of wonder before God. With age comes experience and wisdom, but if you’re not careful, it can also dull your sense of who God truly is. And when you can’t see God for who He is, your entire vision is skewed.

Remember God’s awesomeness each day – because it’s in that childlike sense of wonder and submission that God raises you up to the full strength of who He created you to be, and what He’s called you to do.

Prayer Challenge:

Ask God to restore your sense of wonder at His awesomeness. Pray that He’ll strengthen you as you stand in awe of His presence.

TODAY'S DEVOTIONAL SPONSOR:

What Must Someone Believe in Order to Be Saved?

What are the most basic things a person needs to believe in order to be saved? Paul says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." He says, "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."
So I take texts like that and begin at the core - the death of Jesus. He died for our sins, which means I must believe I am a sinner. A person that doesn't believe he is a sinner can't be saved. If there is nothing to forgive, Jesus didn't do anything for me. If he didn't do anything for me, I'm not believing him for salvation. If I'm not believing him for salvation, then I'm not saved. So you must believe you are a sinner.
You must believe that there is a God who has created the possibility for sin. That is, sin by definition is the falling short of the expectations of your Creator. So there has to be a Creator God out there who has expectations of humans. God expects humans to trust him, love him and live for him. And we fail.
Which leads us to the third thing we must believe. Because we fail to trust, love and live for God we are under his holy judgment—his wrath. You've got to believe that.
If you are a sinner and there is a holy God, and if you are defining sin as a falling short of that God, then in order to understand what he is doing to make things right you must understand that God is angry about sin. He is a good and just judge.
So, what has he done to solve the problem of our alienation from him? He has sent his Son into the world. You've got to believe in the deity of Jesus.
Psalm 49 says that no man can pay a ransom for another man. A few verses later, in verse 15 , it says God will pay the ransom.
He couldn't have used John, or Peter or Paul to die for us. He had to have the God-man die for us. So the deity of Jesus is essential.
You also must acknowledge what Jesus did. He lived the perfect life. I don't think you can believe that Jesus sinned and still be saved. Because then the sacrifice made for you was not what God required, and you aren't believing in what God did for you. So Jesus is the sinless Son of God and he gives himself up to die in my place.
This substitutionary dimension of the death of Christ for my sins is necessary. There are lots of ways the Bible talks about this and I think you can be very confused about some of them while still being saved. I don't want to start listing off all the ways the Bible talks about the atonement and how confused you can be about them while still being saved. Let's just say that what is required is the core of the gospel - that the remedy is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who never sinned got in my place and took the wrath of God for me. He died in my place.
If he had stayed dead, we would still be in our sins. So you must believe he rose from the dead. So now he has risen from the dead.
I am willing to stop there. This is the cluster of essentials for salvation.. You might be able to bring to mind some things that are so theologically attached to this cluster that I would say, "OK that has to be included as well." But if someone asks, "What do I have to believe to be saved?" My answer is, you must believe this cluster of things about yourself, about God, and about the cross.
One more thing. I am assuming something because the question was, "What do I have to believe?" But I should make clear that you have to believe something about belief. Meaning, you must believe that belief is required. If you say, "I get all of what was said, but now I'm going to work so that God can make all of this count for me. I'm going to keep the law 85% so that all this redemptive work will count for me," then you've missed it. You're not saved.
For salvation you must believe that instead of working for this salvation, Jesus has already done what needs to be done. We receive it. "As many as received him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become the children of God." So I think sin, God, cross and faith. That is the summary, the core of truth surrounding those four things.
By John Piper.
© Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

DAILY SMILE:

Speeding Again

Submitted by Egbert

My new neighbor, Hans, just moved to the states from Norway and was arrested for speeding... driving 66 miles an hour in a 50 mph zone. However, he explained to the officer, "I saw a big sign with 66 on it."
"That's highway 66," the officer said disgustedly.
Hans replied, "You should have seen me yesterday on Highway 110!"

June 22, 2019:

The Anointing Word Ministry will be remembering our beloved mother the late, Sis. Annie Lee Magee on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 12 noon at St Paul AME Church, 420 Church Street, Bogalusa, LA. The Anointed Word aim is to give service that will bring glory and

continued honor to Jesus Christ ,our Lord and Savior.. We focus on reaching out to believers and placing a continued hope in the lives of all believers. Rev. Michael Oree will bring the message and his choir will lead us in praise songs lifting up the name of Jesus. We are expecting a blessing! Come witness the power of God and give God the glory ! May God continue to endow you is our prayer.

June, July &/or August:

All Area Churches are Invited to place their Up-Coming Events, Revival, Camp Meeting, Bible Book Study, Vacation Bible School, Home Coming, Fifth Saturday/Sunday Event, etc... Any event except regular

church hours...

You write what you want to say, please include church address for those that may not know your exact location and send it to the editor...

Email to StarEditor70427@yahoo.com or

Facebook/Messenger to

https://www.facebook.com/Richard.POP.Spurlock...

Banana Crumb Cake!!

Ingredients:
• 2 cups flour...
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour milk ( add 1 Tbsp of vinegar to milk and let sit 5 minutes)

For the streusel:
• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, mash bananas. Mix in butter until combined and then mix in sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer running on low, carefully add flour and mix until just combined.

Prepare streusel by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl, mix in the butter until a coarse crumb forms.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake before serving.

from Annie's Kitchen