CHOICES!

By Kingsley Baehr

We are always making choices.
Day by day, we make choices.
This is the month when we choose government officials. A very important month!
Republicans or Democrats or some other political party?
Whom do we choose?
What are our bases, motivations, reasons for the choices we make?
Conflicting claims, acrid accusations, political promises are bandied about.
Who is right? Who is wrong? Whom do we believe?
Which promises ring true?
My guess is as good as yours!

Our political choices are only valid until the next election.
but
Spiritual choices, made today, have eternal consequences!
We are always making spiritual choices.
Day by day, we make spiritual choices.
But on what basis should our spiritual choices be made?
This is the day to make your most important spiritual choice.
But which should you choose?
Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Buddhism?
or any of a multitude of others?
Which is right? Which is wrong? Whom do we believe?
Whose promises ring true?

In 2 Corinthians 6:2 in the Bible, God the Father says,
“In the time of My favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

“Well, then, which day is that day of salvation?” you may ask.

Here is the rest of the verse:
“I tell you, NOW is the time of God’s favor;
NOW is the day of salvation.”

Jesus Christ [God the Son] is the only “religious leader” Who has conquered death!
All others are dead. Their graves are still occupied.
DON’T YOU THINK, THEN, THAT HIS PROMISES REGARDING
THE FUTURE ARE MOST TO BE TRUSTED?

Whom will you choose?

MINOR MEN/WOMEN WHO MATTER

By Kingsley Baehr

Most of us have heard about some famous people in the Bible such as: Adam and Eve, Noah and his ark, Moses and the Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus and His disciples, etc.
But there are many lesser-known people in the Bible who have much to say to us today.
Take the following quiz about the people whose stories will be appearing in this cedarcroft.org devotional for the next months and see how well you do. Don’t worry. You will not be graded.
As we work our way through the lives of these men and women, there will be important, practical lessons for us as exemplified by them.
Directions: Match the description in Column B with the name in Column A by placing the letter of the column B descrip-tion in blank after the name it describes. [No peeking at the answers below the quiz!]
Column A Column B
1. Bartimaeus a. A gate-keeper whose gorgeous adopted daughter saved her people from death
2. Micaiah b. A business woman whose lovely home became th became the head quarters for missionaries in her town
3. Epaphras c. A man who was not afraid of a whole nest of giants
4. Caleb d. A man who kept who kept bringing people to Jesus
5. Jaaziniah e. A run-away slave whose life was changed by God
6. Ebed-melech f. An evangelist who left a huge gospel campaign at God's command, to witness to one man
7. Obadiah g. A blind man who used his last opportunity to be healed by Jesus
8. Andrew h. A man who hid 100 prophets of God and fed them during a drought
9. Mordecai i. A man who contributed a large amount of money to the church with no strings added
10. Josiah j. A skilled artisan you name it, he could do it
11. Barzillai k. A man who kept his vow to God at the cost of his only daughter
12. Onesimus l. A man who put his duty to his country before his own natural desires
13. Othniel m. A man who saved a prophet's life using old rags and old rope
14. Philip n. A king who cleaned up his kingdom from the evils of idol worship
15. Jochebed o. An extremely resourceful mother who was paid for nursing her own son
16. Bezalel p. A prophet with a keen sense of humor
17. Jephthah q. A man who proved himself capable as a young man, and went on to bigger and better things
18. Uriah r. A wealthy senior citizen who refused to cash in on his “social security”
19. Barnabas s. A man who refused to take advantage of a loophole that provided freedom from restrictions in his life
20. Lydia t. A man who really worked at praying


ANSWERS FOR MINOR MEN/WOMEN WHO MATTER QUIZ
  • 1. Bartimaeus - g
  • 2. Micaiah - p
  • 3. Epaphras - t
  • 4. Caleb - c
  • 5. Jaaziniah - s
  • 6. Ebed-melech - m
  • 7. Obadiah - h
  • 8. Andrew - d
  • 9. Mordecai - a
  • 10. Josiah - n
  • 11. Barzillai - r
  • 12. Onesimus - e
  • 13. Othniel - q
  • 14. Philip - f
  • 15. Jochebed - o
  • 16. Bezalel - j
  • 17. Jephthah - k
  • 18. Uriah - l
  • 19. Barnabas - i
  • 20. Lydia – b

Are You “GREEN”?

By Kingsley Baehr

Green people today are not Martians or Irish leprechauns. They are those who want to actively save the environment and reduce pollution.

So, are you GREEN?
And why green rather than brown, blue, red, etc.? Green is the color of healthy plant life. Here is the next question:
“Are you “GREEN” spiritually?”
“What does that mean?” you may ask. Well, here is how you can know.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.Psalm 1:1-3
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:8
So spiritually “green” people are like strong and healthy trees planted by water. The water illustrates the Bible, the Word of God, from which spiritually “green” people drink every day and grow.
Have you been planted by God? Are you a “growing, green tree”?
Here’s the next question:
“Are you connected?”
“To what?” you may ask.
Jesus said, “I am the true Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:1-6
Jesus compares those who are connected to Him to branches and Himself to the Vine. Spiritually “green” people should bear fruit, like the connected branches which the Farmer [God, the Father] leaves. Withered branches, on the other hand, will be cut off from the opportunity to be fruitful.
“Are you withered?”
If a plant does not get the nutrients it needs, it will wither and die. So will we if we are not feeding ourselves spiritually with the Word of God. If we are well fed, we will stay strong, “green”, and ready for the times of trouble when the winds of temptation and adversity blow.
Are you “GREEN”?
As stated before, if the Farmer [God, the Father] sees a withered branch on the vine [Jesus], He will have to cut it off. But if the Farmer grafts you back on, you can grow again. You will have another chance for fruitfulness.
So, are you growing strong and “GREEN” on the tree or Vine?
I am like a
green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. Psalm 52:8
Written by Jonathan Matthew with Kingsley Baehr.

DISAPPOINTED? DISAFFECTED? OR FAITHFUL?

By Kingsley Baehr

Thomas, the disciple of Jesus, tended to be pessimistic. For example, there had been at least four attempts on the life of Jesus, two by the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem during the last year alone. Now Jesus was headed in that direction again. The sad news of the death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus had come a few days earlier, and Jesus wanted to go to “wake him up” whatever that meant. As His disciples were dis-cussing the situation, Thomas said, “We might as well go along so that we may die with Him.”
It is one thing to be loyal to someone or some group of Christians when we are optimistic about the future, but quite another thing to maintain loyalty when we think we may have to die to do so. Thomas’ pessimism made his loyalty more remarkable. Today in the Western world it is socially allowable to be a Christian, and we have little to fear. What if it suddenly became illegal to be a Christian? Would we have the spirit-ual strength and devotion to keep our faith in Jesus? Or would we cave in from the pressure?
And then there was that perplex-ing time in the upper room on the night that Jesus was arrested. Jesus had been talking very seriously about many things, and it seemed to Thomas that he was getting mixed signals. Before, Jesus kept talking about going to His Father’s house and preparing it for them, then coming back to take them there. Before, He had washed their feet like the lowest slave and had predicted their betrayal of him and Peter’s denial. Now he was talking about going somewhere that they knew about and said that they knew how to get there. A lot of it did not make much sense to Thomas. Finally he had to speak up.
“Lord,” he said, “we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
At least Thomas did not give up in disgust, leave the group, and go out into the night as Judas Iscariot did. Thomas asked questions. There is nothing wrong with asking God ques-tions. If they are asked in a spirit of true inquiry, God welcomes them. Thomas’ question was the springboard for one of the most powerful statements Jesus ever made: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Don’t be afraid to ask your church leaders honest questions about God.
But lest we think that pessimism as a philosophy of life is fine, we should be reminded that it can be very costly. Because of it, Thomas missed out on what would have been the greatest ex-perience of his life!
Jesus had been arrested, falsely tried, crucified, and buried. The disci-ples had fled in fear and spread apart. But now Thomas received word that the remaining disciples were going to meet again in the upper room on the first day of the week.
“What’s the use?” he thought. “It’s all over. No use beating a dead donkey. Why prolong the agony by con-tinuing to meet together? Our group is done for. Dead. I’m not going.”
Have we ever felt that way about our local church? Does it seem like it is dying, obsolete, out of touch? We should not stay away. God just might choose that meeting from which we are absent to revitalize and refresh the believers.
“‘Not by might, nor by power,’ [nor by modern music, nor by lots of young people, nor by dynamic preach-ers, etc., etc.] ‘but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” [Zech. 4:6]
Also we should look at ourselves to see if we are contributing to the dead-ness because of unconfessed sin or a lack of commitment to the Holy Spirit’s work in our church.
You can imagine Thomas’ total shock when he heard, “We have seen the Lord! Really, Thomas! He came right through the closed and locked door into our midst! He even ate some food in our presence, and we did not see it going down! He was not a ghost, Thomas! He was really Jesus!”
And then Thomas’ old pessimism took over as he replied, “Unless I see Him for myself, and touch Him myself, I refuse to believe it.”
But interestingly enough, the next time the disciples met, Thomas was there. He made sure that nothing kept him away!
Jesus is loving and gracious. He again appeared to them as before, but this time for Thomas’ benefit especially.
“Here, Thomas, see? Thomas, here, touch Me. Do not be faithless any longer. Believe!”
Thomas knelt before his Master, exclaiming, “My Lord and my God!”
Now listen carefully as Jesus makes a vital comment to Thomas. “You believe because you have seen Me. But blessed are those who have not seen Me and believe anyway.”
Jesus was talking about us! Unlike the disciples, we did not wit-ness Jesus’ life, death, and resur-rection, so we have to trust others for their testimony. Thomas saw the proof of Jesus’ resurrection; we have to trust the Biblical accounts. The disciples saw the lives Jesus changed; we have to read about them in the Bible and believe the stories of those Jesus has changed today. What Jesus said to Thomas, He says to us through the Bible: “Do not be faithless any longer. Believe!”
- John 11:16; 14:5; 20:24-29; Acts 1:13

ANOTHER OLYMPICS MONTH

By Kingsley Baehr

As we look forward this month to the Olympics, I am re-minded of a number of places in the Bible that inform us of what is necessary to par-ticipate in the Spiritual Olympics—God’s prescribed way to reach the ultimate joy of His “Well done!” and to receive the rewards which He has waiting for us.
O – An OPENED understanding: [Jesus]
OPENED their understanding that they might comprehended the Scrip-tures. Then we can ... “OBTAIN salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
L - “... LAY ASIDE every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us...and run with endurance the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS...,” and
Y - “... YIELD [ourselves] to God as those who are alive from the dead, and [our] members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
M - Remember—it is “‘not by MIGHT nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
P - We must “PRESS toward the goal for the PRIZE of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,”
I - Since there is an “INHERITANCE, IMPERISHABLE and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us].”
C -Like the great apostle Paul, we should be able to say at the end of our lives, “... I have finished my COURSE, I have kept the faith... There is laid up for me a CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all those also who love His appearing.”
S -SO, when we STAND before the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, will we hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,... enter into the joy of your Lord.” or “I never knew you: depart from me.”?

JUNE

BY KINGSLEY BAEHR

Hello, World!

Jesus, loves you, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Sinful ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong!
God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16
God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Unto Him Who has loved us and washed us from sin—unto Him be the glory forever! Amen!
When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior... Titus 3:4-6

Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul; not what this toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Your work alone, O Savior, can ease this weight of sin; your blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
By grace you have been saved through faith; and that faith is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

Eternity! Time soon will end. Its fleeting moments pass away. O sinner, say, where will you spend eternity’s unchanging day? Shall you the hopeless horror see of hell for all eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity? Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus] has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:36
I tell you the truth [Jesus said]. Whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:36
I tell you the truth [Jesus said]. Whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

MAKING DEALS

BY KINGSLEY BAEHR

1. Did you ever make a deal with God, Saying, “You know how I feel, dear God; Here’s a problem that’s unreal, O God, Please help me out? If You will, I promise, O my God, I will serve You here below, dear God, For to You my life I owe, Lord God. There is no doubt.”

2. Hannah prayed, “I want a boy, O God! If You’ll give me that great joy, dear God, I’ll return him to Your employ, dear God, Yes, back to You.” Hannah’s prayer was answered by her God, So without an alibi for God, To her son she said, “Good-bye,” and God Received His due.

3. Did you ever make a deal with God, And discover He is real, your God, As He answers your appeal? Then God Says, “It’s your turn.” But you shuffle off and say, “No, God, Maybe in a future day, O God; Right now I must have my way, please God; It’s my concern.”

Then she [Hannah] made a vow and said, “O LORD of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life...” – 1 Sam. 1:11

“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.” – 1 Sam. 1:27

Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they [Hannah and her husband, Elkanah] wor-shipped the LORD there. – 1 Sam. 1:28

Since we celebrate Mothers’ Day this month, we should think of what it cost this dear mother to uphold her end of her deal and keep her promise to God!

Then, when we consider all the broken promises to God we have made, that didn’t cost us nearly as much as Hannah’s cost her, we should bow our heads in shame and ask God’s forgiveness.

APRIL

By Kingsley Baehr

   AS SPRING BEGINS AGAIN THIS YEAR,
 AND WE SEE IT SPRING INTO FULL FLOWER,
   WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GOD WHO ASSURED US, IN GENESIS 8:22, THAT:
 “AS LONG AS THE EARTH ENDURES,
 SEEDTIME AND HARVEST,
 COLD AND HEAT,
 SUMMER AND WINTER,
 DAY AND NIGHT
 WILL NEVER CEASE.”?
 LET US USE THE FOLLOWING “APRIL” ACROSTIC,
 TO REMIND US OF THE GREATNESS OF
 “THE ONLY TRUE GOD AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM [HE] SENT.”[John 17:3]

ALMIGHTY GOD
Revelation 4:8 - ... “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 15:3 - ... “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

PRINCE OF PEACE
Isaiah. 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

RULER OF THE NATIONS
Psa. 22:28 - For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations.
Psa. 66:7 - He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.
Psa. 113:4 - The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.

IMMORTAL ONE
1 Tim. 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God Who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Tim. 6:15,16 - ... which He will manifest in His own time, He Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see, to Whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.


L ORD OF ALL
Acts 17:24,25 - God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
Acts 10:36 - ... Jesus Christ— He is Lord of all—

ON TRIAL

By Kingsley Baehr

Let me set the scene.
 We are in a courtroom. A trial is set to commence. The Judge is seated. The prosecuting attorney has his brief ready. The defense attorney is surprisingly not mentioned. There are spectators standing around as well.
 The one on trial is named Joshua. He is a high priest. He is dressed in filthy garments.
The prosecuting attorney opens his mouth to speak—:

“The LORD rebukes you, Satan!” pronounces the Judge.
“But—“
“The LORD, who has chosen the people represented by this high priest, rebukes you!
“I have snatched this man from the fire of judgment. I will hear no accusations against him. Case closed!”
Then the Judge turns to those who are witnessing this incredible non-trial.
“Remove Joshua’s filthy clothes.”
He turns to Joshua and tenderly says to him, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”
This is speedily done. A clean high-priestly turban is fitted on his head in place of the filthy one that was removed.

“But,” you will say to me, “that is the craziest trial I have ever heard of! How did you dream that one up?”
I answer, “It is not my dream. It is part of a prophecy given by God to Zechariah in His Book, the Bible [Zech. 3:1-7].
“But,” you ask, “what does it all mean? Who is the Judge? Why wasn’t the defense attorney in the courtroom? Who is Joshua, really? Why the filthy clothes? What crime had Joshua committed? Why was Satan not allowed to bring any accusation against him? Why was he not punished? What’s the deal with the turban?”
“I understand it this way:
The Judge is the LORD Jesus Christ. John 5:22,23
The defense attorney who is Jesus Christ is also the Judge, so, in fact, He is there. John 10:30
Initially Joshua represented the nation of Israel, but today, for us, he represents each one of us. Hebrews 5:1
The filthy clothes picture our sinful condition, the result of our crime of unbelief and rebellion against the Judge and His Father God. Isaiah 64:6
Satan is silenced and rebuked by the Judge, Jesus Christ, because He Himself has served the sentence and paid the punishment for our sin when He died and rose again on our behalf. 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 1 Peter 3:18
We are not punished because the LORD Jesus Christ was punished for us. Isaiah 53:4-6
And if we accept His payment of our punishment, He gives us the right, as priests [pictured by the clean turban] to stand before Him and bring our offerings of service, worship and praise to Him.” John 3:17,18; Romans 8:1a;

  SO THE QUESTION IS:
WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE STANDING BEFORE THE JUDGE WHO DIED TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR YOUR SIN,
  WILL YOU HEAR HIM SAY TO YOU,
  “SEE, I HAVE TAKEN AWAY YOUR SIN”?
 WILL HE GIVE YOU HIS CLEANLINESS IN PLACE OF YOUR FILTHINESS?
 OR WILL YOU HEAR HIM SAY, “DEPART FROM ME; I NEVER KNEW YOU.” Matthew 7:23
    IT IS YOUR CHOICE.

National Parent Leadership Month

By Kingsley Baehr

As is probably the case with every month of the year, the internet lists special observances for the month, each week of the month, and each day of the week. I was interested to find that in 2004, February was designated as
National Parent Leadership Month
by the Parents Anonymous Inc. Organization.*
That seemed to be a great idea, so I went to their website to check it out. There was a wealth of excellent information offered on good parenting and especially on how to get the word out about how vital parent leadership is.
However, I was saddened that there was no mention of
God’s instruction on good parenting or its source, the Bible.
Quoted here is the closest thing to it that I could find: “3. Making a presentation at your church about how you became a Parent Leader, or how they can strengthen and support families.” It would seem that Parents Anonymous Inc. is of the opinion that their information will do more good than that which can be learned in churches from the Bible. What do you think?
Here are some suggestions about PARENT LEADERSHIP from the God Who created us and invented the whole idea of “parents” and “family”:
[God said about Abraham] “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him, to keep the way of the LORD, by doing what is right and just...” – Genesis 18:19
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” - Deuteronomy 6:5-7
“My son... trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:1a,5,6
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent His rebuke; because the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” – Proverbs 3:11,12
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 “... After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for the children.” – 2 Corinthians 12:14
[Speaking to the young man Timothy] “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it [his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and his spiritual father, Paul], and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:14-17 [1:5]
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” – 3 John 4
PARENTS, WHAT KIND OF JOB ARE WE DOING IN LEADING OUR CHILDREN IN THE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD?
* Why would parents want to be anonymous anyway?

Follow the evidence

By Kingsley Baehr

Grissom, the star of the television series “CSI”, often cautions his co-workers to “Follow the evidence.” Wherever the evidence takes you will be the truth.
Good advice! Let’s apply it to the Bible. Where does the evidence take us in trying to decide if its writing was controlled and inspired by God?

It was written by approximately 40 men from all walks of life, from servants to kings.
It was written over a period of about 1500 years.
It was written on three continents.
It was written in three languages.
It is comprised of 66 books and letters.
Many of its human authors had no knowledge of nor had met each other.
It addresses many very controversial subjects.

and yet,

IF YOU WERE TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING AND READ IT THROUGH TO THE END,
YOU WOULD FIND TO YOUR AMAZEMENT
THAT IT BEGINS AT THE BEGINNING AND ENDS AT THE END,
THAT IT IS ONE BOOK, UNIQUELY UNIFIED.
THE EVIDENCE LEADS TO THE FACT THAT IT HAD TO HAVE ONE AUTHOR
WHO LIVED FOR AT LEAST 1500 YEARS
AND WHO CONTROLLED WHAT WAS WRITTEN.
NO OTHER INTERPRETATION FITS ALL THE FACTS.

By contrast, if you were to choose 40 men, all residents of the United States all living in 2006, all speaking English, all with university degrees, and were to ask each of them to write his own book on one controversial subject such as “love”, and then were to take their writings and bind them into one book and read that book from beginning to end, what would you have? A HODGEPODGE! No continuity among the books! Little agreement regarding the subject! Many contradictions! Certainly, nothing like the Bible!

So you decide,
Is the Bible the Word of God?
And if so, will you believe it
or continue to choose to fly in the face of the evidence
and reject it?

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine [what is right],
for reproof [what is not right],
for correction [how to get right],
for instruction in righteousness
[how to stay right],
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.- 2 Timothy 3:16,17

New

By Kingsley Baehr

New "Improved!" products!
  New drug therapies!
    New technologies!
      New space discoveries!
        New Age philosophies!
SUCH A SWIFT PACE WITH SPEEDY OBSOLESCENCE!
Same old humanity
  Same old philosophies
    Same old psychologies
      Same old "self-discovery"
        Same old sinfulness
SUCH A SPIRITUAL SWAMP WITH HOPELESS OPTIMISM!
GRAND OLD STORY - of OPTIMAL LOVE!
  GRAND OLD GOSPEL - of OPTIMAL GOOD NEWS!
    GRAND OLD PLAN - of the OMNIPOTENT GOD!
      GRAND OLD SALVATION - of OPTIMAL VALUE!
        GRAND OLD REMEDY - of OPTIMAL HOPE!
SUCH A SURE FOUNDATION WITH ETERNAL OPPORTUNITY!
Enjoy an everlasting life with the Lord Jesus Christ!

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 3:11
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.- Acts 4:12
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.Romans 10:13

halloween and Christmas.

By Kingsley Baehr

I realize that this is a November devotional, but I want to talk about halloween and Christmas.
   October, this year, has been hounding us with:
Hideous halloween decorations and yard displays—uglier every year.
  Shelves and shelves of halloween paraphernalia in stores.
 Weird halloween music assaulting our ears whether we like it or not.
Horror-filled halloween programs and movies for our viewing displeasure.
  An ever-increasing halloween emphasis on ghouls and goblins,
    the scary, and the macabre,
  and vicious, bloody scenes of violence and death.
 Ghostly and ghastly halloween costumes on many small children
   [as they want the treat without doing the trick].
  And all this for financial gain which is gaining every year!

The amazing thing is that halloween is supposed to be a children’s holiday!
    What are we thinking?!
    Have we gone crazy?!
 Do we have any idea any more of the damage we are doing to the
  minds, emotions, souls and spirits of our younger generation?
  And guess what? When Christmas rolls around, there will be:
  Fewer and fewer manger-scene decorations;
 No nativity creches on display in public venues;
 Very little Biblical paraphernalia on store shelves;
 No Christmas carols wafting through the halls in malls;
 An increasingly scanty selection of programs and movies
   about the birth of Christ—
   Only X-mas* trees
   Fake Santa Clauses,
  reindeer, elves, and snowmen;
  And more and more expensive toys and games
   trying to bring X-mas* cheer to children of all ages,
And all this to mollify the ire of rejectors of the God Who created them!
        [*We have to take the “Christ” out of “Christmas” these days!]

  There will be a decreasing emphasis
on the glory surrounding that miraculous birth 2000 years ago
    that changed the course of history,
    And little attention to Jesus Christ,
      [the Reason for the season
before the treason of the season was foisted upon us],

    And a disregard for:
    The purity of His Person,
    The wonder of His love,
   The selflessness of His sacrifice,
  And the glory of His gift of eternal life.

    What are we thinking?!
    Have we gone crazy?!
   Don’t we realize that His tender love,
    His measureless mercy,
    and His great grace
are what our children, our society, and our nation need to be celebrating?

 O Lord God of heaven and earth,
  please forgive us for our failure,
   please save us from our sinfulness,
    and please restore us to our right minds.
     This is our November prayer to You this year, 2007.

THOSE WHO HONOR ME...

By Kingsley Baehr

Hannah had a horrible home life.

[You can read her fascinating story in 1 Samuel, chapters 1 and 2 in the Bible.]

She was married to a man who, although he loved her very much, was clue-less. Penninah, his other wife [yes, the culture of his day allowed that, even though God had said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife {not wives}, and they shall become one flesh. – Gen. 2:24] was a haughty bully. Because she had presented her husband with children, and Hannah had not, Penninah was merciless in her ridicule and scorn toward Hannah. Sooo... Hannah had a horrible home life.

Therefore Hannah did something that we all should do when life is hard. She poured out her heart to God. If God would enable her to have a boy child, she said, she would give him back to God as a thanks-giving gift.

Hannah made a deal with God. Have you ever tried to make a deal with God, and God didn’t respond? Could the reason be that, as God looked into your heart, He could see that you had no real in-tention of upholding your end of the deal?

God gave Hannah a baby boy whom she named Samuel [which means “Name of God”]. For three to four years she nursed him, cuddled him, loved him, adored him—and then, after weaning him, she did as she had promised—she gave him back to God the only way she knew how—she took him to Eli, the high priest, for his service. How it must have torn her mother’s heart to part from her beloved son! But she had made a deal with God. He had kept His part and now she would keep hers.
There is much more to this story that for the sake of brevity we will skip, but we can’t ignore the “end of the story.”

  1. God gave Hannah three more sons and two daughters!
  2. Samuel grew up to be one of the great Old Testament prophets, who became famous as the one to whom God spoke His word during a time when the word of God was seldom spoken, because so few were listening or interested!
  3. And Hannah was able to see how God used her gift to Him for the good of the whole nation of Israel!
God is no man’s debtor. He says in
1 Samuel 2:30, “...those who honor Me, I will honor...” God keeps His promises.

Are you honoring Him in your life today?
If not, why not?
If so, you too will be honored by God in His perfect time and way.

LABOR DAYS—FOR WHOM?

By Kingsley Baehr

In the “Wizard of Id” comic strip by Parker and Hart, [Sun. Newark Star-Ledger, Sept. 2, 2007] a representative of the peasants of Id appears before the king:
“The peasants want the day off work for Labor Day,” he demands.
“Nice try! It’s Labor Day not lazy day,” replies the king
.
Isn’t it interesting that we have a holiday from labor and call it “Labor Day”?

“Laborers” are often disrespected in our society, mainly because much of their work does not seem to require a complete education or advanced technical skills. What is required of them is commitment, trust-worthiness, obedience and hard work, in what are, often, difficult environments.
“Laborers” who are committed, trustworthy, obedient and hard-working are exactly whom Jesus says He wants.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” [Luke 10:2]

Laborers, not PhD.’s.
 Laborers, not techno-whizzes.
  Laborers, not star athletes.
Laborers, not highly-skilled artists.
 Laborers, not wealthy businessmen.
Of course, if you are a committed, trustworthy, obedient and hard-working servant of Jesus, plus a PhD. or a techno-whiz, or a star athlete, or a highly-skilled artist, or a wealthy businessman, or all of these combined, Jesus wants you as His laborer. But any of the last five without all of the first four are useless to Him.
But why would anyone want to be a laborer for Jesus? Well, Jesus “worked Himself to death” for us. So, if we have any appreciation of His work on our behalf, then it should be a thrill to us to “do all for the glory of God.” [1 Corinthians 10:31a]
And listen to this!

“Now he who plants and he who waters are one [unified in their labor]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s co-workers...” [1 Corinthians 3:8,9]

How exciting is that! Being a co-worker with God! And who could possibly be a better rewarder than God?

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” [Colossians 3:23,24]

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to what he has done. [Revelation 22:12]

So for whom or what are you laboring? Is it worth it? Will it last throughout eternity? Or will you lose it all when you die? Something to seriously think about.

Conquering With The Choir

By Kingsley Baehr

Please find a Bible and read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 in sections according to this outline.
[It is a fascinating story. You won’t regret spending time on it.]

  1. The Coalition Comes on. – vs. 1,2
  2. The Cry Goes Up. – vs. 3-12
  3. The Confidence Comes Down. – vs. 13-17
  4. The Choir Goes Out. – vs. 18-21
  5. The Coalition Comes Apart. – vs. 22,23
  6. The Collection Goes Well. – vs. 24-26
  7. The Conquerors Come Home. – vs.27,28
  8. The CONQUEROR Gives Rest. – vs. 29,30
[This historical account took place about 840 B.C. Old Testament accounts of battles against physical enemies need to be applied today as battles against our three enemies, Satan, the world system that has set itself against God, and sexual immorality.]

IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD THERE IS STRONG CONFIDENCE – Prov. 14:26
Please notice what the prophet Jahaziel said to King Jehoshaphat and his subjects about the three armies that were threatening them:
“DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISMAYED [DISCOURAGED],... FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD’S.”

Why did the prophet of God say this to the King?
  1. Because the king and his small army were afraid of the massive host march-ing toward them.
  2. Because King Jehoshaphat had prayed,
“We have no power against this great multitude;... nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You [God].”
Remember: “Fearing God = Having a reverential awe of Him, trusting Him and loving Him.”
As illustrated by this story, what can we learn from the answers to the following questions?
  1. When we are afraid of people, circumstances, or spiritual powers, what can we do?
  2. When we ask God for His help, what should we expect?
  3. How can we show God that we totally trust Him to “win the battle” for us?
Try thinking about these verses along the same lines:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1
“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’” – Psalm 91:2
“The [Messenger of the LORD = Jesus] encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” – Psalm 34:7

GOD IS MORE POWERFUL THAT ANY ENEMY WE WILL EVER FACE.
A WISE RESPONSE? YIELD YOUR LIFE TO HIM,
GO FORWARD, TRUSTING THAT THE VICTORY IS ASSURED.
[This is the second of a three-part series on “The Fear of the Lord.]”

WHAT ARE WE DOING?!

By Kingsley Baehr

Below, written in red, is a prayer of Billy Graham’s which was aired a while ago on Paul Harvey’s radio program, "The Rest of the Story" and received a larger response than any other program he has ever aired. Interspersed in the prayer are my own examples in black italics and some things that the Bible says in purple.
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.
["Seek God while He’s here to be found; pray to Him while He’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God who is merciful—come back to our God who is lavish with forgiveness." – Isaiah 55:6,7]
We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. ["Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes..." – Isaiah 5:20.21a]
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. ["Just a little bit of luck" is all that is needed when the odds are 1 in 100,000 to 1 in millions?]
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. ["Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands... so that you will not be dependent on anybody." – 1 Thessalonians 4:11,12]
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. [Norma McCorvey — nee. Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade—was the icon for abortion. Now, McCorvey wants to be known for protecting life. She says, "In 1973, I was a very confused 21-year-old, with one child, and facing an unplanned pregnancy. At the time, I fought to obtain a legal abortion, but truth be told, I have three daughters and have never had an abortion." McCorvey goes on to share that she’s a Christian and that being involved in Roe v. Wade was the biggest mistake of her life. Note: Why haven’t we heard about this monumental turn-around in the new media? It is certainly newsworthy!]]
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. ["You shall not murder." – Exodus 20:13]
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. ["Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves." – Proverbs 19:18
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." – Hebrews 12:11]
We have abused power and called it politics. ["Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil." – Romans 16:18] [There is an old saying which I have watered down somewhat: "Power can corrupt, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely."]
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. ["Then (Jesus) said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abun-dance of his possessions.’ " – Luke 12:15] [T.V. programs preach that possessing more and more is the focus of the good life. Who is right? The one who lays up riches on earth or in heaven?]
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
[In order to be hot, we have to be sexy and obscene. Blatant lust is a part of most music, T.V. programs, and even commercials. "Sex sells." Sug-gestive "blips" censoring obscenities might as well not be there. Most people know what word is being "blipped out." But here is what the Bible says: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming." – Colossians 3:5,6]
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
[But God says: "O people, the LORD has told you
what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right,
to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God." – Micah 6:8]
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
["Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." – Psalm 139:23,24]
AMEN!

Memorial Day

Devotion by Russ Innes

"Memorial Day [which we recently observed] is about remembering those soldiers who have sacrificed their lives to defend and protect the freedoms we enjoy in the U.S.A.
"Because of my experience in Vietnam, this day of remembrance has always produced very personal and emotional feelings that I cannot dwell on for very long, since soldiers with whom I served lost their lives during fighting in which I participated. It brings back memories that overwhelm me, which I try to suppress more often than not.
"At Cedarcroft Bible Chapel, on Sunday, 5/25/09, at a service to remember

  the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us,

Steve Kuitems shared his thoughts about some similarities between Jesus’ sacrifice and that of soldiers who have given their lives in battle.
"A light went on in my head, and God showed me that He wants me to tap into those thoughts of soldiers who died next to me when I remember that

  His Son Jesus Christ died for me.

"My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died in my place to give me a freedom that can never be lost or taken away by any force in this world or beyond. The gratefulness, love, and peace that overwhelm me when I remember what He did on the cross should never be suppressed, as I try to do with the memories of the Vietnam war.
So as one who has accepted Jesus’ death as payment for the death penalty of my sin, our memorial service of Jesus’ sacrifice which we hold each Sunday, has a very special meaning for me.
"Jesus said it best in John 15:13: ‘There is no greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.’” – Russ Innes

  American soldiers lay down their lives for their country.
  Jesus laid down His life for you.
  They, to preserve the freedoms we already have.
  Jesus, to offer you freedoms you do not have:
  Salvation from sin.
  Freedom from the power of sin
    now
  and from the presence of sin in heaven.
  Freedom to enjoy the abundant life
  He wants to give you.

    So,
  why not make this day,
  [the day you are reading this],
  a memorable day in your life,
  the day that you receive
  the Lord Jesus Christ
  as your Savior and Lord.
[This devotion is by Russ Innes, a Vietnam veteran who served for one year with the 1st Infantry Division in 1969.]

JUST ONE LETTER

By Kingsley Baehr

Many years ago, before air-conditioning and directional sig-nals in cars, drivers would ex-tend their left arms out the win-dow and make hand signals to indi-cate what they were planning to do. When they made a REVOLVING motion with their hand, it meant that they were turning right. But a 7th grade student of mine wrote in a composition that a driver had made a “REVOLTING” mo-tion!

ONE LETTER MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE!

When one’s life becomes diffi-cult physically, psychologically, or socially, he/she could become either

BITTER OR BETTER.

ONE LETTER MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE!

An “I” stands for ego, self, and pride.
An “E” stands for “Elohim,” the Hebrew name for “God.”
So, if my focus is on the “I” in the problem, I will become BITTER.
But If my focus is on “ELOHIM” in the problem, I will become BETTER.

Suffering is a part of life as a result of the judgment on the human race, because we are try-ing to be gods ourselves.
All the way back in the garden of eden, adam and eve were told by Satan that if they would dis-obey God, they would be like God and know good and evil.
They already knew good, be-cause God had made everything GOOD, so all that was gained by disobedience was evil and all of its consequent sufferings.
Therefore, if I insist on focus-ing on myself in the midst of my suffering, I will only become BITTER

But if, instead, I focus on what God wants to teach me about His goodness through the suffering, I will become BETTER.
Which will it be for you?

GOD CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
Check out these verses from god’s Word, the Bible:
1 Corinthians 1:3,4 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
1 Peter 4:12,13 - Beloved, do not think it strange con-cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 5:8-11 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your ad-versary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seek-ing whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
But, how much more important is it that we remember the one MAN who laid down His life out of love for us!
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?

PEACE AND WAR

By Kingsley Baehr

What though wars may come with marching feet and beat of the drum,
 For I have Christ in my heart!

What though nations rage as we approach the end of the age,
 For I have Christ in my heart!
God is still on the throne--
 Almighty God is He--
  And He cares for His own
   Through all eternity!

So let come what may, whatever it is, I only say
 That I have Christ in my heart!
  I HAVE CHRIST IN MY HEART! - Words and music by Wendell P. Loveless


Jesus Christ said:
"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God-- believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and pre-pare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
"These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Are you on speaking terms with Jesus Christ?
 Is He filling your life with His presence?
  Have you received Him as the Savior from your sins?
    If so:
  You can experience the peace which Jesus Christ promises!