Jesus in the House..........

JESUS IN THE HOUSE

One day he decided to invite the Lord to come home and stay with him. When
the Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the
house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. "This room is
yours, Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to
in this room, remember Jesus, its all yours."

That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud knocking
at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way
downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had sent three
of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the door but one
of the demons kept sticking his foot in.

Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and
returned to his room totally exhausted.

Can you believe that," the man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very best
room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe he just
didn't hear. He slept fitfully that night. The next day thing went along as
normal and, being tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening.
Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door
that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down.
He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that were
dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.

For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons from
hell, and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their
attack. All energy seemed to fail him. He really didn't understand this at
all. Why won't the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight
all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and
fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of
the last two evenings. Quietly he made his way to the elegant bedroom where
he had left Jesus. "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door. "Lord, I
don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to
fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping. Don't
you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in the house?"

He could see the tears building in Jesus' eyes but continued on, "I just
don't understand, I really thought that once I invited you in to live with
me that you would take care of me and I gave you the best room in my house
and everything. What more can I do?"

"My precious child," Jesus spoke so softly. "I do love and care for you. I
protect all that you have released into my care. But, when you invited me to
come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door
to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of
this house.

I have protected this room and no demon may enter here."

"Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house -- it is yours. I am so
sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control
of everything." With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at
Jesus' feet. "Please forgive me Lord for being so selfish."

Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would
take care of things from now on. That night as the young man prepared for
bed he thought, I wonder if those demons will return, I am so tired of
fighting them each and every night. But, he knew that Jesus said that he
would take care of things from now on.

Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man
slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs. He
watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid.

Satan stood at the door, this time demanding to be let in. "What do you
want, satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the
Lord, "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address." And with that, he
and the demons all ran away.

There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He
will take all that you give Him, but nothing more. How much of your heart
have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him?

Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord
fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found that God
made man simple, all of man's complexities are of his own devising.

-- Author Unknown

Sustaining Grace......by Charles Stanley

Sustaining Grace
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

God's grace is amazing. It not only takes care of our sin problem through the cross but also strengthens and sustains us every day of our lives. The Lord never wavers in His good purpose for us, nor is He ever thwarted. His sustaining grace is the answer to our . . .

Difficult circumstances. Being a Christian does not exempt us from painful trials or unpleasant situations. The apostle Paul knew this firsthand. When he presented the good news of the gospel, some believed but many opposed him. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, he wrote that he had been in danger everywhere he went. He experienced rejection, beatings, and arrest but did not give up. God's grace continually upheld and strengthened him.

Personal suffering. Paul also spoke about the thorn in his flesh, which caused him great torment. Three times he asked God to remove it but the Lord answered no. Why? Because the Lord said that His grace was sufficient. It would provide what he needed to succeed. Grace had already taken the apostle from condemned to forgiven and from outsider to beloved child. Because he experienced the undeserved love of God, this zealous persecutor of Jewish believers became a missionary spreading the good news about Jesus.

The apostle declared that he was content with weaknesses, insults, distresses, and persecutions because he had experienced the Lord's all-sufficient grace. He knew that God would continue to help him in every situation, and that regardless of his circumstances, living in the favor and love of God was enough. Is that true for you?

God's Blessings............by Charles Stanley

God's Blessings
Psalm 81

Our heavenly Father delights in meeting His children's needs and fulfilling their desires. Yet many Christians walk through life with less than God's best. How can we avoid missing His blessings?

Psalm 81 provides insight. The writer refers to a time when the Israelites missed out on God's best for them. As we know from Exodus, the nation gratefully praised Him for their release from bondage. But they quickly forgot and worshiped other gods, complaining about their circumstances in the wilderness. This unhealthy pattern continued throughout the Old Testament, as the people would turn to Jehovah in time of need and then drift.

Verses 8-10 reveal God's perspective: "O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you . . . I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it."

We, too, might have needs and desires that are unmet because of disobedience. Today, most people don't worship statues, as the wayward Israelites did. Our idols are less obvious--they might include a relationship, job, hobby, or anything else we put ahead of the Lord. Even making decisions based upon what others think can be idolatry; our choices should be based upon biblical principle and the Holy Spirit's guidance.

Ask the Lord to reveal anything that hinders your receiving His blessings. Listen carefully, and let Him help with the areas He brings to your attention. He is ready to guide you and bless you.

in Times of Trouble.......by Charles Stanley

Times of Trouble
Psalm 46:2-11

During this life, hard times are inevitable. Some watch a loved one suffer and die; others are wrongly accused or mistreated. Then there are people who endure crippling ailments. The range of human pain is broad, but there's only one place of true comfort.

Today's passage speaks of great calamities, some due to natural causes and some caused by men (vv. 2, 6). We often feel bewildered during such trials, but verse 10 tells us where to turn: God's followers should be still and remember that He's the sovereign Lord of the universe. In our world of cell phones and deadlines, it's hard to stop for even a moment. But the key to dealing with difficulty lies in trusting the One in control of all things.

Instead of trying to manage the situation ourselves or pointing a finger in blame, we should actively wait, watching for God to move and trusting that He will act on our behalf (Isa. 64:4). This involves taking time to be alone with our Father--crying out to Him, meditating on His truth, and listening.

Human instinct urges us to take matters into our own hands; in contrast, the Lord requires that we patiently and expectantly wait upon Him. He also tells us to surrender what we think is right and instead submit to His plan. Unless our focus remains steady on Jesus, circumstances can overwhelm us.

What is your response when trouble arises? You can choose to accept difficulty as a blessing by letting it deepen your relationship with Christ. Whether your current circumstances are good or painful, take time to be still before the Lord.

short story

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must
have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image
of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes
over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has
no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning
and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature
messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I
got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt
and dust of the World. Memories of running, splashing so carefree
as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of
my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we
were all caught in "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated:
"Mom, let's run through the rain,"

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the
young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and
not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about
his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get
us through anything!"

Now the entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't
hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came
or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a
moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off
and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was
said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life.
A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom
into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD
let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as
they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held
their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked.
But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like
children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material
possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take
away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious
memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities
to make memories everyday. To Everything There Is A Season And
A Time To Every Purpose Under Heaven! ( Ecclesiastes 3:1 )

Now they say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour
to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to
forget them. So now, take the time to keep in touch with your
friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't ever
forget "to run in the rain!" Amen.
Author --Bob Perks