Life just doesn’t seem complete without some sort of gadget to get us through all of the things that is hurled at us. One of those crazy e-mails popped up on my laptop a couple weeks ago comparing the use and dependency on the cell phone over the Bible. Think about this:

            What would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? I bet that there would be no dust on it and the cover would show wear, you might ever have to get a new one every couple years.

            What if we carried the Bible around in our purses or pockets? I was in the service with a fellow that substituted a New Testament for the pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket and quit smoking. What a comfort to know that God’s word is so close at hand.

            What if we flipped through the Bible several times a day? Just imagine the blessings and comfort from reading God’s word every day. Satan would have a pretty hard time deceiving you when you were reading the truth on a regular basis.

            What if we received real text messages? Open the Bible and get the real thing, text messages from God, what a concept. God would have us open up His word, so that the text would guide us through the day.

            What if we couldn’t live without the Bible? Would you return home to retrieve the Bible when you forgot it like you would your cell phone? Most people, including the Christians, tend to choose their cell phone as the object that they can’t live without.

            What if we gave a Bible to the kids like we would a cell phone? We give the kids a cell phone so we don’t have to worry about them and then it is the cell phone that usually gets them into trouble. Anyone ever hear about a kid getting into trouble with a Bible?

            What if we took a Bible instead of the cell phone when we travel? God’s word says that He will meet our needs and look after us. All a cell phone can do is to call some else.

            What if we used the Bible in case of emergency? We could get help ASAP, we could always say a prayer.

            The greatest part is that the Bible will never be disconnected; Jesus has paid our bill in full. There will never be a rude customer service representative, God is user friendly.

            The cell phone will become old and useless, the Bible will never fail. Matthew 24:35 says “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Proverbs 30:5 assures us that “every word of God is flawless”. The Bible never passes away and is flawless so why are you not carrying a Bible?

            Our economy is in shambles, folks are losing their homes and jobs; The Cornucopia could loose its status as the Horn of Plenty. This year on Thanksgiving Day it will be a struggle for some to find a reason to be thankful. Sure I’ll admit, there has been a time that I have raided the kitchen only to discover that my less than creative mind failed to find food. My wife, bless her heart, says let me see what I can do. That woman can spend a little time in that kitchen and come up with a meal fit for a king. Sometimes we just have to get a little creative.

            Mark 6:34-44 tells a story of a multitude of people that had assembled to hear Jesus teach. The hour was late, it was a desert place, and the people had gone hungry. The disciples asked Jesus if they should buy two hundred pennyworth of bread to give them to eat. My wife no doubt read what Jesus said in verse 38, “He said unto them, How many loaves have you? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, five, and two fishes.” Jesus commanded the people to set on the green grass, he took the loaves and the fish, looked to the heaven, blessed it, broke the bread and the fish, and gave it to the disciples. After everyone had eaten the Bible says that twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up. There about 5000 men that ate that day so factoring in women and children there could have easily been 10,000 to 15,000 feed that day. Next time you are waiting on your serving of food and it seems to be taking too long, just imagine 12 men serving all those people.

            The very amount we need is normally right in our midst. We usually look right over it. Most people are never satisfied with what they need or have; they want a new car or a bigger house. The Bible says “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Jesus Christ.”(Philippians 4:19) God will take care of our needs providing our trust has been placed in Him. 

            No matter how negative things may seem, always give thanks to the Lord. Your trust in the Lord can make this the best Thanksgiving you have ever known. Give Jesus a try, Satan will always take you back.

            Hard times surround us on all sides, hope is fading, and all seems lost. No question about it - times are getting worse than they used to be. Self can get in front of others or even the ability to think of the nation. Carnal man counts all as lost. Often the mere thought of losing something is worse that actually losing it. Fortune can come from misfortune when we turn to God. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Through God bad times can work for good.

            There are a number of promises given in the Bible. Here are 12 that will help through hard times:

1. To care for you. Matthew 6:28-30

“And why do you take thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” The lily with all its beauty is given completely by God. The lily of Israel had an especially brilliant color. The lily is a small part of the creation yet God can be trusted to carry out His commitment to His creation.

2. To give you rest. Matthew 11:28

“Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is the giver of salvation; it can not be earned by works. Rest is found by placing faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross.

3.To lift you up. I Peter 5:6-7

 “Humble yourselves therefore under the Mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt     you in due time: (7) Casting all your care on Him; for He cares for you.” The work done on the cross can make one humble and proclaiming the blessings of God. Our commitment to God insures that we are His concern.

4. To give you peace. Philippians 4:6-7

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Prayer is a cure for worry so there is nothing to worry about. Praise God for the things that He has done, is doing, and will do in the future. God will give us a peace that is far greater than anything that we can comprehend.

5.To give you real treasure. Matthew 6:19-21

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” Things of this earth are only temporary. Setting ones eyes on earthly treasures can and will shroud a believer in moral darkness. Your heart can not be divided between earth and heaven.

6. To meet all your needs. Philippians 4:19
           
            “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Jesus
             Christ." You can't out give God because His riches that are laid up for you
             exceed anything you do. 

7. To give you something to look forward too. I Corinthians 2:9

“But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them who love him.” God has prepared a place so great for us that we are unable to comprehend what is waiting for us.

8. To comfort you and comfort others through you. II Corinthians 1:3-4

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” There is no denying that trouble will come, however we are guaranteed comfort when trouble does come. We will be able to comfort others in the same way that we have been comforted.

9. To give to those who give. Luke 6:38

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For the measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” This does not just mean just money, but includes mercy, grace, love, help, etc. This should be taken seriously as God does exactly what He says.

10. To give you wisdom. James 1:5

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all men liberally, and up-braided not; and it shall be given him.” This pertains to knowledge of the Bible. God will give us greater knowledge of His word if we only ask. God allows us to come to Him with no strings attached, with open arms.

11. To renew your strength. Isaiah 40:31

“But they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” If we bind with the Lord we will have renewed strength like the eagle that sheds worn feathers from its wings, grows new feathers for renewed strength.

12. To be with you. Isaiah 43:2

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overtake you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.” History shows us that God was with Israel and the same promise is extended to us.

            The last promise is a promise of prophecies yet to come. These promises are guaranteed by God to any of His followers. John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus and the cross are the key these promises, why not  unlock your treasures?

                        Every day we hear about happenings that are so tragic that we can’t imagine how something like that could even happen. Headlines inform that a father has run over his 20 year old daughter with his car, a father in North Carolina kills himself along with his wife and children, and yet another man opens fire at a military base killing 13 and injuring another 30. No longer are these isolated stories, they are happen at an alarming rate and will continue to escalate. Bible prophecies from the book of Luke 21:26, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and looking after those things which are coming on earth…” says that men will have no courage to continue life.  The separation of saved and unsaved in this world are becoming much more defined, they are becoming like night and day. Man, because of sin, is becoming more wicked every day.

            The book of Psalms chapter 1, talks about the blessedness of Christ and the misery of the unrighteous. The first three verses speak of the walk of Jesus on this earth and the example he set for us to follow. He lived by God’s word and so should man. Man should live like a tree that is planted by the water, always nourished by God. God is the tree of life. All that Jesus does lives on forever and is blessed while the things that man does die and is gone.

            Verses 4-6 speak of the ones that follow Satan. They may be rich, famous or even powerful, God consider the ungodly to be like waste that the wind will blow away. The ungodly will fail the judgment that God has in store. God knows who is righteous, the ones that follow Christ and they will be protected from misery.

            Philippians 2:15 says “That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among who you shine as lights in the world.” The Holy Spirit expects us be a light unto others paths by exhibiting faith in the cross. No matter how wicked the world is becoming, the saints should be looking to the cross for the support and comfort they need. Trust God for the provisions that He has promised.

            The First Epistle of John warns against antinomianism; religious groups that see themselves under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality, a direct opposite of legalism that encourages the notion that strict obedience to a code of religion brings salvation. In Cowboy talk they believe that they can do whatever they want because they have “fire insurance”. I John 3:4 tell us that faith in anything other than the cross constitutes rebellion against God.

            There is a lot going on in this world. Some call it crazy and some call it mad, God calls it sin. Victory can only be ours by looking to the cross. Neither works nor worry will get you through these mad times, only faith in Jesus. It is a mad world; Jesus left it to prepare a place for us. Men are allowing their hearts to fail in fear. Stand firm on the promises as He has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

            Many times, we have found ourselves in situations where we feel all alone, no one to turn to. Proverbs 27:8-10 talks about such a situation. It reads,”As a bird wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his place. (9) Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel. (10) Your own friend, and your fathers friend, forsake not; neither go into your brother’s house in the day of your calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.” When a man wanders from his place, he has does so of his own free will. The bird that wandered from its nest left of its own accord, leaving the protection of a parent, thus exposing it to the dangers surrounding it. Man wanders from his place with God exposing himself to the dangers of the world.

            While ointment and perfume mentioned in verse 9 makes you feel good, its good Christian friends that gives you real comfort. The sweetness of man’s hearty counsel takes you to the Bible. Verse 10 talks about calamity that occurs when you stray into the world and how that a neighbor can be nearer than a brother far off. When a person becomes a Christian his relationships change. Fellow Christians then develop relationships that are closer than kin.

            Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” There are a lot of fair-weather friends that tend to disappear when the going gets rough. True friends stick with you no matter what happens. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:24, A man who has friends must show himself friendly…” the door swings both ways, you have to be a friend to have a friend.

            The greatest friend that anyone can have is Jesus. We are told in Hebrews 13:5 that he will never leave nor forsake us. Our friends here on this earth may not weather the storms that they face on our behalf; Jesus will always be with us. Trust one that is closer than kin, Jesus.

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