With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right.
Do what’s best – as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you, forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.
Matthew 6:8-13THE MESSAGE
Be reverent—remember who you are talking with.
Speak life’s most glorious and awesome Name with respect and awe.
Everything Jesus did was to honor his Father—we should do the same.
Be hopeful—look forward to the new heaven our Father will establish.
Listen for the trumpet sound—the first notes of the prelude to peace.
Do not despair over current events—believe in God’s bright tomorrow.
Be submissive—do not focus exclusively on getting your way.
We do not resign to fate when we place our self in our Father’s hands.
Demonstrate your faith that God is in control and knows what is best.
Be dependent—trust your Heavenly Father to care for your earthly needs.
Hunger for God above all else, and He will never let you starve.
Thirst for God over all, and His joy will cascade through your inner being.
Be repentant—turn from sin and turn to your Savior for a new direction.
Self-sacrifice cannot atone for wrongdoing—cross pain paid the high price.
Forgiven, forgive others—God does not hold grudges; neither should we.
Be holy—struggle against evil and make a conscious effort to be like Jesus.
Pray around the clock that you will not be tricked into sin by the evil one.
Never compromise God-given convictions—aim for Christlikeness.
Be worshipful—keep God at the center and circumference of your life.
Advance His Kingdom, not your own.
Rely on His power, not your own.
Seek His glory, not your own.
Be confident—say Amen, so be it, make it so, God; rest assured He will.
The future is as bright as God’s promises—He will keep every one.
Until His Kingdom dawns, pray as you go—you will always be glad you did.
Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil.
MATTHEW 4:1 NLT
Satan’s favorite time to attack is immediately after high points.
Jesus felt the Holy Spirit Dove resting on His shoulder.
He heard his Father's voice expressing love and commendation—
and then He was fiercely assaulted by the Devil.
The evil one carefully decides times for his attacks—so be on guard!
The Holy Spirit may lead us into the wilderness of difficulty.
Jesus was not tempted at the magnificent Temple or scenic Jordan,
but when He was exhausted and hungry—thus susceptible.
When we are under pressure, facing crucial decisions, or anxious—
when we are hungry, aggravated, lonely, tired—HALT!
The tempter is a real being—not an imaginary concept.
The Devil who tempted Adam and Eve in Eden also tempted Jesus.
Satan is not merely a symbol of evil—Satan is prince of the dark side.
More than an idea invented to explain conscience, he is the evil one.
Temptation itself is not sinful. Jesus, Holy Son of God, was the prime target for the Devil’s temptations.
The more we try to be holy, the more the unholy one will try to trip us up.
We may feel dirty after hearing the evil suggestions of the world’s god,
but if we do not give in, we have not sinned against God.
The Spirit Sword can help us achieve victory over temptation.
When Jesus was tempted to get quick gratification of physical urges,
He quoted Scripture reminding us people need more than bread.
When Jesus was tempted to show off and impress others,
He quoted verses cautioning people not to try to force God's hand.
When Jesus was tempted to strike a bargain with hell to get the world,
He quoted Scripture's command requiring exclusive, wholehearted worship.
The King of heaven won His battles with the tempter from hell.
If we rely on His grace, and skillfully brandish His Word—we too can win!
(c) Pastor Johnny R. Almond
Day 306, Gentle Whispers from Eternity
You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew1:21NLT
Jesus means Joy—He saves from despair and hopelessness.
Alexander conquered the world by force and was called great—
Jesus captures hearts from all nations by love and is called God.
In contrast to fleeting happiness, Immanuel gives invulnerable joy—
His cross brings deep peace, His Presence inexpressible ecstasy.
Jesus means Everlasting Life—He saves from death and hell.
Tutankhamen’s tomb was found treasure-filled, making him famous.
Jesus’ tomb was discovered empty, making Him King of Eternity.
Abundant life here and now, eternal life in the hereafter—
a grand duet of wonder brought to light by the Dayspring from on high
who has visited your tilted planet.
Jesus means Separation—He saves from deceit and hypocrisy.
The clear difference between heaven and hell, Christians and worldlings,
is made by the One who died on the middle cross.
At the name of Caesar, millions offered incense and called him lord.
At Jesus’ Name, the universe will fall to its knees and call Him Master.
His Name will be forever paramount in minds of those who worship God.
Jesus means Understanding—He saves from devastation and helplessness.
The names of famous kings and fearful kingdoms all fade into oblivion,
but Jesus’ incomparable Name increases in glory while ages roll on.
When we feel like we’re falling apart, Jesus holds us together—
no one understands us, or stands under us, like He does.
Jesus means Salvation—He saves from self-destruction and homelessness.
Charlemagne and Napoleon changed the face of the world by war—
the King of hearts changes lives in time and eternity by His grace.
Jesus saves believers from sin’s addictive horrors
and makes His heart our eternal home.
God’s dream for us—and our destiny—is that we become like His Son.
Jesus is the most glorious and awesome Name—address Him reverently.
For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.
And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Malachi4:2NLT
Dawn of eternity will inspire a beautiful morning song.
The celebration will never end—there will be no sunset there.
We are saddened by sin, but we will soon join a heavenly chorus—
a new song of joy sung by the redeemed from every nation,
accompanied by millions of angels around the throne adoring Christ.
Dawn of God’s planned future will bring miraculous strength.
His promises will never fail—we have his Word.
People who love God experience daily grace sunrise in their heart.
Warm rays of peace reinforce trusting souls to persevere in difficulties.
Dawn of full redemption will reveal a Merciful Savior.
Heaven will never disappoint—it is not too good to be true.
Healing is on the way—the handicapped will leap like a deer,
the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the mute will shout and sing.
No one will cry, hurt, get sick or die—evil and its effects will be gone.
Humiliating, mortal bodies will be replaced by heavenly, immortal ones.
Freed from sins by Jesus’ blood, we will stroll golden streets in His light.
Dawn of glory will unveil Messianic splendor.
Christ’s magnificence will never dim—it is not too good to last.
First light will shine forever—Light beyond light will illuminate heaven.
Infinite sunrise will blind the rebellious, and bless the obedient.
Holy Radiant Light will flood the new earth with beauty and grace.
The Old Testament ends with a threatened curse—
the New Testament ends with a promised blessing.
The world makes us sing the blues—soon we’ll be dancing for joy.
Trouble dogs our steps—but sunrise will be here before we know it.
Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--even on a donkey’s colt.
ZECHARIAH 9:9 NLT
Humility will surprise the proud.
The Messiah’s triumphant entry surprised spectators lining the parade route.
They dreamed of a conquering-hero lion, not a Humble-Servant Lamb.
Heaven’s front-row seats are not reserved for earth’s big shots.
Life will surprise the materialistic. Atheists expect a finale, not an encore—death will not have the last word.
Faith and hope will be vindicated in the saints’ resurrection dance.
Epicureans will be dazed by an afterlife they never dreamed of.
Ecstasy will surprise the doubtful. The despondent will be delighted when they see the dawn—
triumph over despair will dumbfound ones who had given up on joy.
Calamity will surprise the cynical. Christ’s return will shock those who never thought it would happen.
Skeptics will be jolted into reality by an unanticipated Wrathful Judge.
Heaven will surprise the incredulous. The death of death, the burial of heartache, the destruction of pain—
these miracles will be more than unbelievers ever thought possible.
Judgment will surprise the rebellious. Doomsday will be a shock with no remedy—panic will be pointless.
Apostates expect a lamb, not a Lion—revelation will be an eye-opener!
Victory will surprise the pessimistic. The Servant King rode a donkey into old Jerusalem to die—
the King of kings will ride a white charger into new Jerusalem to rule.
His war to end all wars will astonish those who had given up on peace.
Whatever happens on earth, never give up hope—your King is coming.
Begin the celebration today—and heaven will not be a surprise party!
(c) Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull's Memorial Baptist Church
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity
Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Haggai 1:5MLB
Life University curriculum consists of God-designed courses.
It is time for serious self-examination—a check-up on our progress.
Perseverance—Are we hanging in there with Jesus?
When the fight gets fierce, do we cringe and run for cover?
Memo from the Master—Endure cross splinters, and wear a crown.
Priorities—What is highest on our personal agenda?
Working hard to build our kingdom? At a standstill advancing Christ’s?
Memo from the Master—Realign priorities, placing God over all else.
Purpose—Where are we headed?
Do we sing “To God be the Glory” then live “great things I have done”?
Memo from the Master—Life has no nobler purpose than Christ.
Passion—What gets us hustling?
Are we lackadaisical, or enthused and zealous for our Savior’s cause?
Memo from the Master—You are My ambassador, so represent Me well.
Perspective—What are we hoping for?
More concerned with earthly things than heavenly realities?
Memo from the Master—Let heaven be uppermost in your mind.
Purity—How is our heart?
Is Jesus our Center of Gravity or just another line in our creed?
Memo from the Master—Internalize and practice My Word 24/7.
Peace—Are we working for harmony?
Are we kind and merciful to others, the way God has been to us?
Memo from the Master—Calm life’s troubled sea by a tranquil lifestyle.
If we learn lessons well and apply them carefully, we will graduate with honor.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. Luke 4:18-19 NLT
Jesus’ plan will include a new earth for the meek.
Saints are ignored by big shots now, but one day they’ll be on the front row.
The Great Reversal will turn everything around and right side up.
Big wheels rule the world now, but God’s favorites will reign in paradise.
When the Lord lives with the humble-hearted, crying and pain will disappear.
When God makes his home on earth, death and evil will be forever history.
The world mistreats God’s children now, but He will save us from oppression.
Jesus’ peace will bring elation to the believing.
The Day of all days will make heaven’s blessings evident to the universe.
Glory will cascade ecstasy through the heart of every trusting soul.
The beauty of heaven will replace the ashes of earth’s disappointments.
The joy of Jesus’ company will transcend heartache of earth’s discouragement.
The praise of his love will cancel loneliness of earth’s despair.
The world breaks hearts of his disciples now, but He will save us from sadness.
Jesus’ Presence encourages the desperate.
Can’t get it all together? Ready to give up the noble quest? About to quit?
Seek his face and listen to his voice and you will find strength to go on.
Listen to God’s future melody and you can dance by faith here and now.
When perplexities crowd our heart, his consolations cheer our soul.
Just when we need him the most, He is there for us.
With Jesus on our side, we’re richer than we think—He saves us from poverty.
Jesus’ power extricates the shackled.
Jesus is the key to freedom—He alone can emancipate us from sin.
A lifestyle of rebellion imprisons the soul—a lifestyle of obedience frees.
Fettered in a dark cell? Let his sunshine set you free and you’ll leap with joy.
Resolve and dogged determination only go so far—He saves us from addiction.
Jesus’ promise opens the eyes of the blind.
Without seeing him, we follow him by faith—one day we’ll meet face to face.
Eyes of the heart see things as they will be, not as they are now.
Faith is an eye-opening experience, giving confidence of ultimate victory.
Believing we’ll at last see him motivates us to purify our heart to get ready.
The world will go up in smoke, then the New Jerusalem will materialize.
Painting a mural of heaven on condemned building? Jesus saves from despair.
US and European officials have announced December 24th, 7:20 A.M. EST for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. A $10 billion successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, it is scheduled to lift-off from French Guiana. This observatory is designed to look deeper into the universe than its predecessor, detecting events occurring further back in time--more than 13.5 billion years ago. Scientists also want to use its capabilities to study atmospheres of distant planets in the hope that signs of life might be detected.
Few have ever experienced total darkness. At the bottom of a cave, or in a basement when the power shuts off perhaps. But there's typically a faint glow coming from somewhere. Even the night sky never seems truly black, because there's usually a star or two twinkling in the distance.
So it’s hard to imagine a time when all that existed was darkness, when you could travel in any direction for millions of years and still see absolutely nothing. This is the story scientists tell us of the "dark ages" that gripped the universe before the first stars ignited. They intend to show us how the cosmos ultimately became filled with light. They'll do it using the biggest telescope ever placed beyond the Earth.
The Webb telescope is on a mission to look deeper into the universe - and therefore further back in time - than even the legendary Hubble Space Telescope, which it succeeds. Equipped with a 21foot mirror and four super-sensitive instruments,
it will stare for days at a very narrow spot in the sky to detect light that’s been travelling through the immensity of space for more than 13.5 billion years.
Scientists think there should be stars, or galaxies, or black holes maybe beginning at 100 million years after the Big Bang. There may not be many to find at that time, but the telescope can see them if they are there.
Reasoning that since light travels at a finite speed in a vast and expanding cosmos, scientists say that if we keep probing deeper and deeper, we should eventually retrieve the light from the pioneer stars as they group together into the first galaxies.
This massive telescope must get past 344 hurdles to do what it’s designed to do—deploying a solar panel and radio antenna minutes after launch, opening wings of the primary mirror, unfurling a tennis court-sized shield to keep it cool and protect its vision from the glare of the sun.
Webb is complicated. According to BBC, key hardware includes 140 release mechanisms, 70 hinge assemblies, eight deployment motors, 400 pulleys and 90 cables totaling 1,312ft.
Why go to all this trouble? Why spend 10 years conceiving and another twenty years building a $10 billion machine to detect some faint, red blobs in the sky? Perhaps it is in search of an answer to the most fundamental of questions—Where do we come from?
Here’s the scientists’ explanations. When the universe was formed in the Big Bang, it contained only hydrogen, helium and a little lithium. Nothing else. All the heavier chemical elements in the Periodic Table were forged in stars. Carbon making up living things, nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere, and silicon in rocks were manufactured in nuclear reactions that make stars shine and in mighty explosions ending their existence. We're only here because first stars and their descendants seeded the universe with the material to make stuff.
Here’s the Bible’s explanation—In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light. Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth. God made two great lights--the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Genesis 1:1-3a, 14-18, 26, 27; Hebrews 11:3 NLT)
Several years ago, an anonymous author wrote--"Hundreds of top scientists worked together to build the ultimate computer, a master brain with the intellect to answer all the questions and solve all the mysteries of the world. Finally it was completed and ready for its first question. With trembling hands, one of the scientists fed in the question: 'How did the world start?' Lights flashed, wheels whirred, tumblers clicked. Finally the machine answered: 'See Genesis.'"
Gentle Whispers from Eternity 
