AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 31

The Love Of God 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Millions of people — even religious people — are afraid of God and are struggling to earn His favor. They suppose that salvation is the reward of showing enough love to Him. If only they would believe what God Himself says, that if we are ever saved it will be entirely because He loved us and graciously provided for our salvation. 

The Apostle Paul, in the Bible, called God “the God of love” (II Cor. 13:11) and John declared that “God IS love” (1 John 4:8). Thus John goes on to say: 

“HEREIN IS LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US and sent His Son to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins” (1 John 4: 10). 

This is why salvation is so often called a “gift” in the Bible. It is the expression of God’s love to sinners. And so St. Paul tells us: 

“[We] were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Eph. 2:3-5). 

“…after that THE KINDNESS AND LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR TOWARD MAN appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us…” (Tit. 3:4,5). 

Does all this mean that God overlooks sin or condones it? By no means! In His love He paid for our sins on Calvary’s cross “that He might be Just, and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). This is why we read in Rom. 5:8: 

“…GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.”

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

Demon Possession 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

The modern revival of E.S.P., fortune telling, astrology, magic, the Ouija board, the spirit seance and a score of other occult practices have caused many to wonder whether human beings may be possessed or controlled by evil spirits. 

Many Christian people recall the cases of demon possession recorded in the Bible in connection with our Lord’s earthly ministry. 

There is indeed much evidence that there was a great outbreak of demon activity when Christ was on earth. This outbreak seems to have abated soon after the Lord’s ascension to heaven, but many are asking: Has another such epidemic broken out? 

Whatever the answer to this question, the Scriptures clearly indicate that the best defense against the activity of Satan and his hosts is sincere faith in Christ, of whom we read that, “having vanquished” the powers of evil at Calvary, “He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15). It is on the basis of Christ’s finished work of redemption that St. Paul joins believers in… 

“Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet [fit] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:12,13). 

Not only is the true believer in Christ “delivered… from the power of darkness,” but upon believing he becomes “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” a living shrine where Christ is worshipped. Thus St. Paul says again: “What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19). How then could the Christian’s body also be the dwelling place of an evil spirit?

How to Make Banana Bread in a Mug

from https://pointskitchen.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-in-a-mug/

Ingredients

•  1 ripe banana, mashed

•  1 egg

•  1 Tablespoon buttermilk

•  ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

•  1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil or other oil

•  3 Tablespoons flour

•  3 Tablespoons brown sugar

•  1/8 teaspoon baking powder

•  1/8 teaspoon salt

•  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

•  Whipped cream

•  1 Tablespoon toasted and chopped pecans

•  Banana slices

•  Powdered sugar

Directions

1.  In a large, microwave-safe coffee mug, mash your ripe banana. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, oil, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Mix to combine.

2.  “Bake” it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. (You can stop and check for doneness at the 90-second or 2-minute mark.)

3.  The banana bread will be very hot, so allow it to cool for a few minutes before eating it.

4.  Top with whipped cream, pecans, and sliced banana, if desired.

DAILY SMILE & A WORD...

Professor (to class in accounting): “What is the Difference between a debtor and a creditor?”

Student (with confidence): “There’s only a slight difference, sir.”

Professor: “What is it?”

Student: “The creditor has a better memory than the debtor.”

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     People may sometimes say “I've already forgiven you," but later when that same mistake or sin happens again they have a total recall or account of the record of the past. That’s why Jesus teaches us that when we forgive we need to totally forgive that person and not recall it at times when it happens again.

     See Matthew 18:21-35. Seventy times seven is illimitable forgiveness. These numbers denote the perfection of perfection; and if God asks so much of us, what is He not prepared to do! Despair of yourself, but never despair of God’s forgiving mercy! The cause of soul-ruin is not sin, but the unbelief that thinks sin too great to be forgiven.

     The difference between the two amounts of debt named in the parable sets forth the vast difference between our indebtedness to man and to God; and the free pardon of the king teaches us that God desires not only to forgive us, but to wipe out all memory of our sins. We could never pay all, but God will forgive all. Yet, notice that this servant forfeited the king’s pardon, so that it ceased to operate. Similarly we may shut ourselves out of the benefits of Christ’s death-though it has reconciled the world unto God-by an unforgiving and merciless spirit.

     I'm glad you could join me for today's content, and I look forward to bringing you more next time!

Until then, bye-bye!

Joe Cosity

AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 30

The Revelation of Jesus Christ 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

The last great book of the Bible opens with the words: “The revelation of Jesus Christ,” and from these words it derives its title: “The Revelation.” In this book St. John deals largely with the return of Christ in glory to judge and reign. 

II Thes. 1:7,8 tells us that one day “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven… in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that… obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is what the book of the Revelation is basically about. But this phraseology is also used in Paul’s epistles, for in Gal. 1:11,12 he says: 

“I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

Surely this is not the same “revelation of Jesus Christ” of which John wrote. St. Paul refers not to “the revelation of Jesus Christ” in glory, but to “the revelation of Jesus Christ” in grace while He delays the judgment; not His revelation to the world in person, but His revelation to the world through Paul the chief of sinners, saved by grace. In Verses 15,16 of Gal. 1, the Apostle says: “…it pleased God… to reveal His Son in Me.” What a revelation of grace to a sin-cursed world when God saved Saul, His bitter, blaspheming enemy! He tells about it in I Tim. 1:13-16, where he says: 

“[I] was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious… Howbeit, FOR THIS CAUSE I OBTAINED MERCY, THAT IN ME FIRST JESUS CHRIST MIGHT SHOW FORTH ALL LONGSUFFERING, FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER BELIEVE ON HIM TO LIFE EVERLASTING.” 

This is why Paul says: “…it pleased God… to reveal His Son in Me.” By saving the chief of sinners (as Paul calls himself in I Tim. 1:15), God would show us that He is willing to save any sinner, “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

The Way to Heaven 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who inquired from a mountaineer the way to a certain destination. 

The mountaineer stuttered and stammered and finally said: “You can’t get there from here.” 

We may smile at this, but the results would be even more amusing — and sad — were we to ask the average person on the street the way to heaven. 

What is the way to heaven? It is interesting to read in God’s Word what many think about this. In Proverbs 14:12 we read: 

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” 

What are some of these “ways” that “seem right” to men, leading them to hope for heaven? Joining a church? Being baptized? Doing one’s best? Keeping the Ten Commandments? Loving one’s neighbor as himself? These are a few of the ways that men follow, hoping to gain eternal life, but they all come under one heading: “Do good.” 

But what do the Scriptures say about this? In the Gospel according to John there are recorded for us seven “I ams,” which the Lord Jesus Christ used in speaking of Himself. One of these is found in John 14:6: 

“I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” 

This passage has a double significance, since it was not only the declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ, but at the same time a declaration of the divinely inspired Scriptures. From this verse we learn not only that Jesus is the only way to the Father, but also that He is “the truth” to be believed and trusted in. Thus we can believe the Lord Jesus when He claims to be the way to heaven. 

But according to this passage He is also “the life.” As we place our faith in Him as the One who died on the cross for us, we receive eternal life. “He died that we might live.” 

BROWN SUGAR BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN

from https://www.eatingonadime.com/brown-sugar-bacon-wrapped-chicken/

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1lb bacon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
•  tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

How to make:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.Try this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken. You will love the chicken wrapped in bacon combined with brown sugar. It's so quick and easy. 

2.  Wrap each chicken breast with 3-4 slices of bacon. Tuck the bacon under the chicken as shown. Place into prepared pan.Try this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken. You will love the chicken wrapped in bacon combined with brown sugar. It's so quick and easy. 

3.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, onion powder, cinnamon, olive oil and garlic powder. Mix well. Pour over chicken in pan and spread on top of bacon with a brush.Try this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken. You will love the chicken wrapped in bacon combined with brown sugar. It's so quick and easy. 

4.  Bake for 35-45 minutes depending on thickness of your chicken.

Serves 4

DAILY SMILE & A WORD...

A three year old walked over to the pregnant lady while waiting with his mother in the doctor’s office.

He inquisitively asked the lady, "Why is your stomach so big?"

“I'm having a baby."

With big eyes, he asked, "Is the baby in your stomach?"

"He sure is."

Then the little boy, with a puzzled look, asked, "Is it a good baby?"

"Oh yes. It's a good baby."

With an even more surprised and shocked look, he asked,

"Then why in the world did you eat him?"

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     "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." - Psalm 127:3

     "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." - Jeremiah 1:5

     I'm glad you could join me for today's content, and I look forward to bringing you more next time!

Until then, bye-bye!

Joe Cosity

AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 29

Fulness Of Joy 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

About 3,000 years ago David wrote in Psalm 16:11: “…In Thy presence is fulness of joy….” He was right, for there is no greater joy than personal fellowship with God. Yet David could not know the fulness of joy now spoken of in Paul’s epistles, for he did not know Christ, who later came into the world as God, manifested in the flesh, to die for our sins. He did not know that Christ would make full satisfaction for sin and be raised from the dead to confirm our justification. Nor did David know that believers would be given Christ’s resurrection life, and a position, and “all spiritual blessings IN THE HEAVENLIES in Christ” (Eph.2:4-6; 1:3). 

When Paul wrote that God has called believers “unto the fellowship of His Son”, he referred to a spiritual, heavenly fellowship, far more intimate and precious than any previously enjoyed by mortal man. This fellowship is to be enjoyed by faith, but it is faith based on fact, the fact that Christ indeed died our death and rose again from the dead that we might partake of His life and enjoy a position at God’s right hand in Christ. This is why the Apostle Paul urges believers of this dispensation of grace to “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”(Col.3:1). 

Peter and John both came to know much of this fellowship through Paul, who was sent to Jerusalem “by revelation” to make known to the leaders there “THAT GOSPEL WHICH I PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES” (See Galatians 2:2-9; II Peter 3:15-18). This is why John writes in I John 1:3,4: “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL”.

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

Will Call 

By Pastor Paul M. Sadler 

Some years ago my grandfather gave me a memorable gift. It was a ticket to see a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at Forbes Field. Being an avid baseball fan at the time, this was the gift of a lifetime. My grandfather had paid for the ticket in advance, but left instructions that I was to go to the “Will Call” window at the ballpark to pick it up. Before I could enter the stadium I had to have proof that payment was made, which “Will Call” provided in the form of a ticket. If I failed to arrive on time and pick up my ticket I would miss the opportunity to attend the game. 

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” of His Son. God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. My friend, He personally had you in mind. You see, to enter into the presence of a holy and righteous God, you must be perfect. Of course, someone is sure to say, “But, nobody’s perfect!” Herein lies the problem, you must be perfect; otherwise you will suffer the eternal consequences of your sins in the lake of fire. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” which is a sad commentary on each of our lives (Rom. 3:23). Thankfully, Christ’s finished work on the Cross is God’s answer to the sin question. He paid the full debt of your sins at Calvary that you might have eternal life. 

But what must you do to be saved from your sins and the wrath to come? Your ticket to eternal life, which has already been paid in advance, is waiting for you at God’s “Will Call.” According to the Scriptures: “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) 

I am happy to say I arrived at the “Will Call” window on time that day and enjoyed the ballgame. Years later someone shared with me about another gift, one that would be life-changing. It was the gift of God’s dear Son. When I called upon the Lord He saved me by His grace. It was a decision I have never regretted. But what about you, my friend? God’s “Will Call” is open today, but if you die in your sins, you will have missed your opportunity to be saved from the judgment to come. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!” (Acts 16:31). 

EASY PARMESAN ROASTED ZUCCHINI

from https://www.eatingonadime.com/10-minute-roasted-zucchini-recipe/

Ingredients:

• 3 whole zucchini
• garlic salt
• Grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)

How to make Roasted Zucchini Recipe:

 1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 2.  Cut off the ends of the zucchini. Cut them each in quarters lengthwise.

3.  Line a cookie sheet with foil.

4.  Drizzle with olive oil or spray with nonstick spray.

5.  Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of garlic salt and parmesan

6.  Parmesan Roasted Zucchini recipe is easy to make and tastes great. Cooking zucchini in oven isn't hard. This is one of my favorite easy zucchini recipes.

7.  Place in the oven for about 10 minutes- until they just turn slightly brown.

8.  Do not over cook! Zucchini will continue to cook when it sets so you want to pull them out before they get too soft. I like my zucchini when it is still just a little crunchy.

9.  Parmesan Roasted Zucchini recipe is easy to make and tastes great. Cooking zucchini in oven isn't hard. This is one of my favorite easy zucchini recipes.

10.  Serve immediately.

DAILY SMILE:

     A man decided that he was going to ride a 10-speed bike from Phoenix to Flagstaff. 

     He got as far as Black Canyon City before the mountains just became too much and he could go no farther. He stuck his thumb out, but after 3 hours hadn't gotten a single person to stop. 

     Finally, a guy in a Corvette pulled over and offered him a ride. Of course, the bike wouldn't fit in the car. The owner of the Corvette found a piece of rope lying by the highway and tied it to his bumper. He tied the other end to the bike and told the man that if he was going too fast, to honk the horn on his bike and that he would slow down. 

     Everything went fine for the first 30 miles. Suddenly, another Corvette blew past them. Not to be outdone, the Corvette pulling the bike took off after the other. A short distance down the road, the Corvettes, both going well over 120 mph, blew through a speed trap. 

     The police officer noted the speeds from his radar gun and radioed to the other officer that he had two Corvettes headed his way at over 120 mph. He then relayed, "...and you're not going to believe this, but there's guy on a 10 speed bike honking to pass." 

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     "Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety." -Isaiah 38:14. 

     What may we expect from a prayer so simple, yet so comprehensive? We shall know God. "What shall I say, He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it" -Isa. 38:15. 

     Hezekiah had been a religious man, had maintained the Temple Services, had enjoyed the close friendship of Isaiah, yet it was in none of these things that he had met God face to face. But when he turned his face to the wall, and poured out his soul-anguish, He touched God, knew Him after a fresh fashion, heard Him speak, saw Him work. Only through sickness, loneliness, and the pressure of overwhelming sorrow, do some men rightly learn to live, and discover that unseen and most real world, where the life of the spirit unfolds to God as a flower in spring. 

     At the pit we learn God's Love (Isa. 38:17). How can we measure God's love? They say that a man's fist is the measure of his heart. Come and stand beneath the stars! There is God's hand! Now judge His heart! It is illimitable! By that love He has put our sins behind His back into the ocean depths! With that love He has drawn us out of the pit of our sins! By that love He bears with our cold response and languid petitions! Through that love He will bring us to glory! His is a love that will never let us go! 

     Take the hand of Jesus to steady you; look down into the hole of the pit from which you have been redeemed, and then look up to the Throne of God to which He passed at His Ascension, and recall His own words: "where I am, there shall ye be also." Trust Him to undertake for your little life! 

     I'm glad you could join me for today's content, and I look forward to bringing you more next time! 

Until then, bye-bye! 

Joe Cosity

AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 28

How Do You Wrestle a Spirit? 

By Pastor Ricky Kurth 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). 

Wrestling is a sport that is usually associated with boys and men, only a few of whom engaged in organized wrestling in high school or college.  But whether you are a man or a woman, the Apostle Paul says that you are engaged in a life-long wrestling match against the members of Satan’s host. 

But did you ever wonder how you are supposed to wrestle a spirit?  And what is this wrestling match all about, anyway?  Paul doesn’t say, but we believe he was thinking of Daniel 10.  Here an angel was sent to Daniel to deliver a message from God, but a fallen angel “withstood” him for 21 days (vv. 11-14).  Since Paul says of our wrestling match that we must “withstand” (Eph. 6:13), we feel he had this passage in mind, especially when we consider what was happening in Daniel 10.  The Prince of Persia, one of “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” was fighting to keep a message from God from getting through to a man of God.  It is our firm conviction that “the rulers of the darkness of this world” are still fighting to keep a message from God from getting through to men and women of God—the grace message.  Today, however, God is not using angels to deliver His message to His people, He is using grace believers.  Because of this, the members of Satan’s host are no longer withstanding angels, they are withstanding us. 

And so if you’ve been wondering how you are supposed to wrestle against the devil’s principalities and powers, wonder no more.  Every time you share the grace message with someone, you walk out onto the wrestling mat.  Every time you try to “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery” (Eph. 3:9), you engage your wicked opponent.  And every dollar you invest in grace ministries helps defeat the adversary’s attempts to keep men and women of God from obtaining the message that unlocks the Scriptures, the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.  Why not reach someone with the message today, and know the thrill of pinning a Satanic combatant to the mat, and liberating a bewildered believer from the dark shackles of religious tradition that envelope every saint who has not yet learned to rightly divide the Word of truth. 

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

The Purpose Of The Law 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight…” 
(Rom. 3:20). 

     It is strange that so many sincere people can so misunderstand God’s written Word as to suppose that He gave the Law “to help us to be good” or “as a rule of life.” The Law was not given to help us to be good, but rather to show us that we are sinners and need a Savior. Rom. 3:22,23 says that “there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” How foolish, then, to look to the Law for help. Though the Law provides for just trial it does not help the criminal; it condemns him. Thus the Bible teaches that the Law was given: 

“That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). 

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). 

“The law entered that the offense might abound” (Rom. 5:20). 

“That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Rom. 7:13). 

“It was added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). 

     This leads us to St. Paul’s great conclusion: 

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20). 

     This makes sense, for doing a few “good” things cannot right the wrongs we have done. Good is what we should do, hence we should not expect to be rewarded for it. 

But, thank God, “Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:3) and “by Him all who believe are justified” (Acts 13:39). 

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). 

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

from http://susanrecipe.com/2017/01/slow-cooker-beef-stew.html

You’ll Need:

•  2 pounds of beef stew meat cut into bite sized pieces.

•  1 tsp of salt.

•  2 tsps of pepper.

•  ½ tsp of paprika.

•  1 cup of ketchup.

•  1 can of cream of celery soup.

•  1 tsp of Adobo.

•  1 finely chopped large onion.

•  2-3 minced cloves of garlic.

•  1 (6 oz) can of garlic tomato paste.

•  32 oz of beef broth.

•  2 tbsps of worcestershire sauce.

•  2 cups of baby carrots carrots.

•  4-5 small potatoes cut into bite sized pieces.

•  1 tbsp of dried parsley.

•  1 tsp of oregano.

•  1 cup of corn.

•  ¼-½ cup of cornstarch.

How to:

1.  In the slow cooker, mix all of the ingredients except for the corn. Make sure to mix well to combine everything together.

2.  Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 to 7 hours.

3.  30 minutes before serving, add the cornstarch to the slow cooker according to the consistency you want.

4.  Add the corn, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Bonne Appétit!

     Simple, easy and delicious! I love the stew thick so I use ½ cup of cornstarch. Give this a shot because the meat is so delicious with all the mixture of seasonings in the recipe.

DAILY SMILE:

A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said something was too loud, the other claimed the volume was just right. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist. 

Just to see what would happen, on Christmas Eve their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with buckets of horse manure. 

That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. 

"Why are you crying?" the father asked. 

"Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken." answered the pessimist twin. 

Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. 

To which his optimist twin replied, "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere!" 

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     There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 

     There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. 

     The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: the grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. 

     The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. -Proverbs 30:11 

      I'm glad you could join me for today's content, and I look forward to bringing you more next time! 

Until then, bye-bye! 

Joe Cosity

AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 27

The Supreme Critic 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

About 1900 years ago St. Paul wrote to Timothy, with regard to the sacred Scriptures: 

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Tim.3:16). 

This truth has been confirmed by overwhelming evidence, and those who have tried, through the centuries, to overthrow the Bible have been about as successful as a man trying to overthrow the Rock of Gibraltar with a pea shooter. 

Furthermore, the Word of God towers above the clergy as well as above the laity. The Bereans were called “noble” because they put the words of even the great Apostle Paul to the test of Scripture, to see if he taught anything contrary to it. 

That blessed Book is the Supreme Critic. If we overlook vital doctrine, it is the Book that will “teach” us. If we handle the Word deceitfully, it is the Book that will “reprove” us. If we go astray in our conclusions, it is the Book that will “correct” us. Where moral questions are involved, it is the Book that will “instruct us in righteousness.” Well do we remember when we were first convicted by the Bible as the written Word of God — and we have never ceased to thank God for the blessed results. 

This Book condemns men as sinners before a holy God, but presents salvation free and complete through the vicarious death of Christ at Calvary. 

“Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:3). 

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). 

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

What Is Grace? 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

“The father of lies” always hates the truth, but he does not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of light, suggesting that surely a God of love will not condemn Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11 teach that “[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His own will”? And thus God Himself is supposed to have conceived the idea of sin as “a gracious means to a glorious end,” and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He might finally save him from it! 

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility for it — except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for man. 

God calls sinners “children of disobedience” and “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God should remember that He proclaimed His standards of righteousness in the Law “that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). 

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the undeserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners “children of disobedience” and therefore “children of wrath,” the Apostle Paul goes on to say: 

“BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us… hath quickened us… raised us up… and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Eph. 2:4-7).

White Chicken Enchiladas

from http://susanrecipe.com/2016/10/white-chicken-enchiladas.html

Ingredients: 

•  8-10 flour tortillas, soft taco size

•  2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used half of a rotisserie chicken)
•  2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
•  3 Tbsp butter
•  3 Tbsp flour
•  2 cups chicken broth
•  1 cup sour cream
•  1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

How to make it
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan seam side down.
3.  In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Allow sauce to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and chilies. 
4.  Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes and then broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

DAILY SMILE:

Heavenly Reward 

A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. 

Saint Peter says to this guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?" 

The guy replies, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, of Noo Yawk City." 

Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 

The taxi driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it's the minister's turn. 

He stands erect and booms out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's for the last 43 years." 

Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 

"Just a minute!" says the minister. "That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?" 

"Up here, we work by results," says Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept. While he drove, people prayed." 

- From Mikey’s Funnies

AUGUST '19 - Daily On Line Edition - DAY 26

A Stone Of Stumbling 

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Some thirty years after the death and resurrection of Christ, St. Peter wrote to the believers of the Jewish dispersion: 

“Unto you therefore which believe He is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 

“And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient…” (I Pet. 2:7,8). 

It is true that Israel’s builders, 1900 years ago, “disallowed” Christ as the cornerstone for their building, and that when He became the “Head of the corner,” according to Psa. 118:22, it was for them an occasion for stumbling and embarrassment. 

But Christ is a “stone of stumbling” to all who reject Him. In Rom. 9:33 St. Paul quotes from several Old Testament passages: 

“As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence; and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” 

In Peter’s day and in Paul’s, those who looked upon Christ as their Cornerstone were never given cause to be ashamed. It was those who disallowed and refused Him who kept stumbling over Him and were constantly embarrassed by Him. 

So today, those who put their trust in the crucified, risen Christ are eternally secure and will never be put to shame for having done so. But those who reject Christ keep forever stumbling over Him. They hear Him preached over the radio, they see Him offered as the One who died for their sins, they are constantly confronted with His claims and they are embarrassed. They keep forever stumbling over Him. 

Moral: trust Him now as your personal Savior, for “whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.”

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

Can God Forget? 

By Pastor Ricky Kurth 

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). 

We know that God forgives the sins of His people, but does He forget them? It would seem so. Our text suggests that He “will not remember” the sins committed against Him by His children (Isa. 43:25). Believers have always found a great deal of comfort in this blessed thought. 

But then God calls upon us to likewise forgive others “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). Doesn’t this suggest that we too should forgive and forget? Perhaps you are thinking, “But Pastor, you don’t know what they did to me!” True, but was it more than what was done to God when men crucified His Son? 

Remember, God’s vow to forgive and forget the sins of His people includes even the brutal murder of His only begotten Son. We are tempted to think, “Well, it’s easy for God to forget,” but such is not the case. God says of the sins of unbelievers that He “will NEVER forget ANY of their works” (Amos 8:7). How then can this God of “total recall” forget our sins? Does His memory have a convenient “on/off ” switch that makes it easy for Him to forgive and forget? If so, then we who do not have such a switch would have an excuse for forgiving but not forgetting. But if God has such a switch, would He not also have to erase His memory of Calvary, or else forever wonder why His Son had to die? But it cannot be that God could forget the Cross, for Revelation 5:6 joins John 20:27 to reveal that the Lord’s resurrection body will forever bear the scars of the Cross, making it impossible for God—or us—to ever forget His sacrifice for our sins. 

What then is the answer to our question? Can God forget our sins? Perhaps the reader has noticed that we never read that God will forget the sins of His people, but rather that He “will not remember” them. By a deliberate act of His “will” He chooses to act toward us AS IF He has forgotten our sins, on the basis of the blood of the Cross. That’s how fully and completely He has forgiven our sins. And if we are to forgive others “as” God forgave us, then we too must choose to act toward others as if we have so fully forgiven their transgressions against us that we have forgotten them—also on the basis of Christ’s shed blood. This and this alone is complete forgiveness of others, and it is high spiritual ground indeed. 

May God help us to live with a slate wiped clean of “all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking… with all malice” (Eph. 4:31).

Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs

from http://susanrecipe.com/2017/01/crock-pot-bbq-ribs.html

Ingredients:
•  4 pounds Ribs of your choice ( I prefer Riblets - More meat and less bones)
•  2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
•  1 teaspoons vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
•  1 bottle of sweet baby rays BBQ
•  2 tablespoons brown sugar
•  1 teaspoons oregano

Directions:
1.  In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the ribs themselves.
2.  Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
3.  Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.

DAILY SMILE:

A father says to his teenage daughter: “Hannah, did you have a fight with your mother?”

“Yes, daddy, I’m sorry.”

“Well, she has driven around the block nine times!!! Go out and make peace with her before she wears out my tires!”

"How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God's children!” -Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers - Those who strive to prevent contention, strife, and war; who use their influence to reconcile opposing parties, and to prevent lawsuits and hostilities in families and neighborhoods.

Every man may do something of this; and no man is more like God than he who does it. There ought not to be unlawful and officious interference in that which is none of our business; but without any danger of acquiring this character, every man has many opportunities of reconciling opposing parties. Friends, neighbors, people of influence, lawyers, physicians, ministers of the gospel, may do much to promote peace. And it should be taken in hand in the beginning.

“The beginning of strife,” says Solomon, “is like the letting out of water.” “An ounce of prevention,” says the English proverb “is worth a pound of cure.” Long and most deadly quarrels might often be prevented by a little kind interference in the beginning.