"Don't Trust in Earthly Riches" - #402

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Hello!

I pray you had a great week.

I hope you have a great Easter week and Easter Sunday!  Try and invite an unbeliever to church.  They're usually opening to going on Easter and Christmas.

We've added a new sponsor to JCSM.  You'll see graphic banners on all of our pages for Gifts For A Christian.  Please see their web site and support their business as they support our work.  Link: http://giftsforachristian.com.

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JCSM has teamed up with Usenetposts.com as we minister to people through Sermon Audio.  Davey James is the director and he has an international ministry from the country of Poland.  He'll be streaming audio sermons and lessons with us and you can see more about his ministry here: http://usenetposts.com.

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Welcome to the new readers of this message!  Here is your Devotion, A Moment of Introspection, JCSM's Challenge, the Word of the Week, a faith-builder from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained," and the Quotes of the Week.  Have a fantastic week and God bless you!

Love in Christ,

Jason Gastrich

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JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Don't Trust in Earthly Riches"

Luke 12:22-34  "Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

1 Timothy 6:6-11, 17-19  "Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

Insight: Don't seek earthly wealth.  Seek what you need to be able to praise the Lord and bless others.  Give an honest assessment regarding what you truly need.  The more we give our possessions to the needy the more we will be blessed in this life and the next.  If you horde wealth in this life, you'll be poor in the next, but if you give away your wealth in this life, you'll be rich in the next.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, bless us and help us obey You.  Thank you for giving us the perfect example of Jesus Christ who didn't even have a house.  Thank you for His love and His perfection.  Forgive our sins.  Purify us.  Make us holy and pure.  Help us to learn from You and your Word.  You are an awesome God.  Let us keep giving to the needy and poor.  Show us who to give to, next.  We just want to obey You and serve You.  Thank you for blessing and rewarding our efforts when we are good stewards of your gifts.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

John Dickinson (1732-1808), was not only a signer of the Constitution of the United States of America, but was a member of the Continental Congress and the writer of the first draft of The Articles of Confederation. He served as the President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, in addition to being an accomplished lawyer, planter and state legislator.

He was the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1773, and known for giving generously to the Friends (Quakers) in Philadelphia for their educational pursuits.

Dickinson wrote persuasive letters regarding the soundness of Christian evidences and the authority of Scripture. - Milton E. Fowler, John Dickinson: Conservative Revolutionary (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983), p. 287. M. E. Bradford, Religion & The Framers: The Biographical Evidence (Marlborough, NH: Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1991), p. 8. He campaigned for the passage of the Constitution by writing a series of letters which he signed “Fabius.” This greatly contributed to Delaware and Pennsylvania being the first two states to ratify the Constitution.

John Dickinson is best remembered as “the Penman of the Revolution.” His popular pamphlets gained wide circulation and became very influential in the cause of freedom. Some of his most famous ones were: Petition to the King, 1771, The Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, 1774, and The Declaration of the cause of taking up arms, 1775. His most stirring pamphlet was his Letter from a Farmer in Pennsylvania:

“But while Divine Providence, that game me existence in a land of freedom, permits my head to think, my lips to speak, and my hand to move, I shall so highly and gratefully value the blessing received as to take care that my silence and inactivity shall not give my implied assent to my act, degrading my brethren and myself from the birthright, wherewith heaven itself “hath made us free.” . . .

“I pray GOD that he may be pleased to inspire you and your posterity, to the latest ages, with a spirit of which I have an idea, that I find a difficulty to express.” - Forrest McDonald, ed., Empire and Nation (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1962, pp. 15,17. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), pp. 156-157.

In the Continental Congress of 1776, John Dickinson courageously bid farewell to the government of England:

“The happiness of these Colonies has been, during the whole course of this fatal controversy, our first wish; their reconciliation with Great Britain are next: ardently we have prayed for the accomplishment of both.

“But if we must renounce the one or the other, we humbly trust in the mercies of the Supreme Governor of the universe that we shall not stand condemned before His throne if our choice is determined by that law of self-preservation which his Divine wisdom has seen fit to implant in the hearts of His creatures. - 1776. Charles Stille, The Life and Times of John Dickinson (New York: Burt Franklin, 1968), pp. 187-188. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), pp. 157-158.

John Dickinson met with his other delegates from Pennsylvania less than two months before the Declaration of Independence was signed to suggest requirements for the members of the Convention to subscribe to before being seated. One of the recommended stipulations was the following declaration:

“I do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son the true God, and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by Divine inspiration.” - Charles Stille, The Life and Times of John Dickinson (New York: Burt Franklin, 1968), pp. 185. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), pp. 157.

A Moment of Introspection

Don't let your biggest treasure on Earth be asphalt in Heaven.

Invite an unbeliever to church this Easter!

God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

plooseeos (Greek, see 1 Timothy 6:17): wealthy, abounding with riches

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 22:2, 12 - God refers to Isaac as Abraham's "only son," yet Abraham had two sons at the time (Gen.16:15).

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" responds:

* In Genesis 21, Ishmael and Hagar leave Abraham and Isaac.  They enter the wilderness and do not return to Abraham's family.  We do not see or hear about Ishmael again until Abraham dies.

* Isaac was the child of promise.  Simply because his mother and father were impatient, this didn't make Ishmael the child of promise or Abraham's legitimate son.

* In Hebrews 11:17, we see the phrase "only begotten son" used to describe Isaac.  This phrase has also described Jesus Christ.  Both of these were prophesied children of promise.  Therefore, they had a very special designation on them.  Although they technically had other brothers and sisters, as far as God's plan of redemption was concerned, they were their father's only begotten sons.

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and explains over 3,000 difficulties regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.  There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

There aren't any new quotes this week, but if you need some, we have thousands in our archives!  They are located here: http://quotes.jcsm.org.

These quotes can be used for sanctification and fun.  Most of them are directly based on scripture and scriptural principles.  Some of the quotes are humorous or rhetorical, others are written from sermons and Bible studies, and some are lyrics from songs.  If you’d like me to go into more detail on any of them, please email me.

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