Aug 24, 2024
Alan Riley: What do you think of the Romanovs?
Harry: they probably had it coming
Alan: a match made in heaven
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Alan Riley: What do you think of the Romanovs?
Harry: they probably had it coming
Alan: a match made in heaven
I Am Resolved
By Alan Riley
There's an old gospel song that I've always liked to sing around the New Year called "I Am Resolved." Since polls tell us that a large number of us will carry on the tradition of making New Year's Resolutions, the words of this old song make a couple of great suggestions for worthy resolutions for you and me:
I am resolved no longer to linger Charmed by the world's delight Things that are higher Things that are nobler These have allured my sight It is so easy for us to get distracted by the "world's delight" and fail to make progress in our walk with and relationship with the Lord. In this New Year, I am resolved to set my sights on things that are higher and nobler. I am resolved to go to the Savior Leaving my sin and strife He is the true one He is the just one He hath the words of life As the time drew nearer for Jesus to give up His life, the going got tough for Jesus and those who followed Him. The Pharisees sought to trick Him into "blasphemy" and put Him to death. People were all in for the free food for 5,000 or getting healed from all manner of sicknesses and diseases, but now He began to talk about taking up your cross and following Him. The Bible tells us that many who had followed Him followed Him no more. Jesus turned to the disciples and said, "Will you leave also?" Simon Peter quickly replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of life!" In this New Year, I am resolved to follow Jesus no matter what my circumstances. I am resolved to enter the kingdom Leaving the paths of sin Friends may oppose me Foes may beset me Still will I enter in Today, just as it was 2,000 years ago, Jesus has many fair weather friends. If you don't believe it, just see how church attendance drops the next time a big rainstorm comes on Sunday. Around the world there are believers who risk their lives by coming to worship, and in the West, we are deterred by a few drops of water. This year, I am resolved to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, no matter who or what may oppose me. I am resolved and who will go with me? Come friends without delay Taught by the Bible Led by the Spirit We'll walk the heavenly way This year I am resolved to share the Good News of Jesus with people that He places me in contact with. I want to be passionate about bringing people with me to heaven. Striving to keep these resolutions will reap eternal benefits!
Scripture Of The Day: "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." - Mark 8:34-35
Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging athttp://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.
In Need of A Savior
by Alan Riley
David Miller, a ministry friend of mine relates the story of the birth of his first child. When his son was born, David was sure that there had never been a child born to man and woman to compare to this special child. "But it wasn't long after we brought him home from the hospital," David relates, "that we realized that the chain of sin was still unbroken!"
We laughed when we heard David tell that story, but he makes an important point. His child was born with a sinful nature. You and I were, too. We all were. It is a legacy passed down from Adam. Each one of us at some point in our lives makes a conscious choice to disobey God and sin, but that is because we were born with a sinful nature, a bent toward sinning, if you will. People sometimes get upset with you if you tell them they are a sinner. They think we are judging them, but in reality that is something that we have in common with them. The Apostle Paul said that he was the "chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). John reminded us that if we say we have not sinned we are a liar (1 John 1:8). The late Rich Mullins (writer of "Awesome God" and "Sing Your Praise to the Lord") told the story of getting stranded at an inn while on a hike. To meet back up with his party would require a ten mile walk and he was already spent from the day's hike. He struck up a conversation with a man at the inn and in the course of the conversation, Mullins shared that he was a Christian musician. The man offered to give Mullins a ride to meet his party, but said there was something he needed to tell him first. "I am gay" the man told him. Rich chuckled and replied that he still needed a ride to the drop off point! As he took Rich to meet up with his hiking companions, the man was silent for most of the trip. Finally he turned to Rich and asked, "Does God hate me?" Mullins wrote that the question--and the heart cry behind it--broke his heart. He turned to the man and said, "God loves you as much as He loves me! Yes, God hates the sin in your life, but no more than he hates the sin in my life." The man realized that in Rich Mullins he had found a friend, not a judge. That is how we need to relate to those around us, many of whom are struggling with sin. We aren't better than them, we're just forgiven. When I share Christ with others, I am just one beggar telling another beggar where I found food. We tend to want to rank sin in order of severity, but God doesn't make such distinctions. It's true that in the Old Testament (Proverbs 6) there is a list of things God despises, but included on that list are lying and sowing discord among brothers. Ever lied before? (If your answer is no, read 1 John 1:8 again!) Sin is sin. It is all rebellion against Him. We are all in need of saving. We are all in need of a Savior. That is what we celebrate this Christmas season. We need to look beyond all the hype and the materialism of the holiday and focus in on the baby in a manger in Bethlehem. The only child who ever chose to be born. The one who left the glory of heaven to save us from our sins. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:10-14 (NKJV)
Scripture Of The Day: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23
Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging athttp://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.…
The Attitude of Gratitude
By Alan Riley
There were ten of them in all. They were friends who were bound together by a shared tragedy: they all had leprosy--a horrible, disfiguring disease. There's really no way to explain the horror of watching your body slowly rot away. But that was only half of the heartache. Because it was thought that leprosy was contagious, those who suffered from it had to not only endure the ravages of disease, but also to face scorn, disgrace and loss of all dignity. They were made to live apart from the rest of society, apart from their family and friends with only fellow lepers to lean on for support and encouragement.
Lepers in Jesus' day were not only forced to live in colonies, they also had to yell out "Unclean!" whenever they approached anyone. Sometimes they were made to wear bells on their clothing to warn others of their approach. At the leper colony, they heard stories of this man named Jesus who not only spoke of God's love for everyone, but He healed all those who came to Him. I can imagine the stories of miraculous healings came in one after the other... Jesus opened the eyes of a man blind since birth; He told a lame man to rise up and walk; He even stopped a funeral procession and gave a woman her child back. I can imagine them hearing the story of the centurion's servant who was healed. They must have thought if Jesus healed a Roman centurion's servant, certainly He would heal us, after all, we are children of Abraham! At some point the ten came up with a plan. They would travel in a group to find Jesus. Together they would ask Him to heal them. Finally, the moment came when they stood before Jesus. They asked Him to make them whole. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus told them. As they turned to go, they realized for the first time that their dream had just come true. They stared at their hands in disbelief. Where a moment ago there was decay and stubs, there now were fingers and hands free from leprosy. They walked their first couple of steps, then they began leaping in the air, shouting praises to God! They ran off quickly to establish their healing with the priests so they could return to their homes and families. But one of the ten stopped in his tracks and realized he'd forgotten something very important. While his nine friends ran down the road, he turned and ran back to Jesus, falling on his face in front of the Lord. Sobbing and laughing at the same time, he kept saying it again and again... Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" Jesus asked. The man didn't know what to say. He couldn't answer for them. He just knew the immense sense of gratitude that was swelling up inside him. This man has just given him his life back. Then Jesus told him, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole." Far too often, you and I are like the nine who ran down the road leaping and praising. We receive God's grace and mercy, we experience His healing touch on our lives. He restores what the devil has caused to decay. And off we run, leaping, shouting and praising, but forgetting to simply say "Thank you." I want to be like the one who turned and ran back to Jesus, falling on his face and saying thanks. Lord, give me the attitude of gratitude!
Scripture Of The Day: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging athttp://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.
The Power of Your Testimony
By Alan Riley In our justice system, one of the most powerful pieces of evidence is eyewitness testimony. In the days before DNA and other scientific and forensic advances, the testimony of an eyewitness could make or break a case. An eyewitness could identify the guilty party or solidify an alibi and free an innocent person. The assignment for an eyewitness is to tell the truth about what they saw, heard, and experienced. When Jesus ended his earthly ministry and gave us the Great Commission, he declared, "You will be my witnesses." We are called - commanded, even - to be eyewitnesses to the saving, healing grace of Jesus. In the Bible, there is a wonderful story of someone who did just that. The story in found in the 9th chapter of John. The story begins with a theological discussion, continues with a miracle, and ends with a powerful testimony. As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, they saw a man who had been blind since birth. The Disciples (sadly like many of us sometimes) were more interested in the theological ramifications of the man's situation than they were in the man himself. "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" they asked Jesus. Jesus replied, "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him." Jesus then told His disciples, "We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over." For many years, I didn't understand why He said this - it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. But I believe what Jesus was saying to the disciples was you are wasting precious time trying to find someone to blame for this man's blindness when you should be ministering to him. (There's a sermon unto itself there, but that is a devotional for another day...) Immediately after saying this, Jesus made mud, put it on the man's eyes and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, which ironically means "sent." As soon as the man obeyed, he was able to see for the first time in his life! The town, which had known him all his life as a blind beggar, was buzzing with the news that he could now see. There was such a change in him that people who had known him all his life didn't think it was the same person. There was a problem, though. The man had been healed on the Sabbath, and that was, according to Pharisaic Law, not legal. So they marched this man to the Pharisees to see what they thought. When they heard the story, there was a deep division among the Pharisees. Some of them were still spiritually minded enough to realize this was of God. Others, sadly were so mired in their self-imposed legalism that they refused to believe this was of God or that Jesus might be a prophet, much less the messiah. They called the formerly blind man to appear before them to hear his story. Some of the Pharisees thought they were being tricked, so they hauled the man's parents in front of them to identify him. The parents, who were deathly afraid of the Jewish leaders, acknowledged this man was their son and that he used to be blind, but said they had no idea what had happened to him. "He is of age, ask him yourself" they said. The Pharisees would love to have discredited this man and thereby discredited Jesus. One thing stood in their way: his simple yet powerful personal eyewitness testimony. "All I know is this: Once I was blind, and now I can see!" You and I are often given the opportunity to use the power of our eyewitness testimony to persuade others of God's grace, love and mercy and to encourage our brothers and sisters. Let's be alert for opportunities that the Holy Spirit will give us today to tell our story of His working in our lives! Scripture Of The Day: "Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, "Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters is thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." - Revelation 12:10-11 (The Message) Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging at http://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley. (via streamingfaith.com)
Christmas Eve Gift
by Alan Riley My family on my father's side had an unusual tradition. Many years at Christmas we would travel to my grandparents' house in Alabama on December 23. We would be there for Christmas eve day and then head back home that night. My father was the oldest of seven children, so I had a LOT of uncles, aunts and cousins on that side of the family, most of whom lived nearby. On December 24, whenever one of the family would arrive at my grandparent's house, they would come through the door saying, "Christmas Eve gift!" I remember wondering why they said that. Sometimes they were carrying gifts to put under the tree but at least half of the time they had nothing in their hands as they walked through the door and said, "Christmas Eve gift!" As an adult, I asked one of my uncles about the family custom. He smiled and said that the family had been doing that since my father was a little boy. The meaning behind it was simple, yet profound. The "gift" they referred to was themselves. The gift of being together as a family was, after all, the best gift we could give each other. Some Christmases when my father was growing up, especially during the Great Depression, that was about the only gift that they had to give each other. But even in the years when there were presents under the tree for all of us, the best gift they gave each other was being together at Christmas. So they recognized that with the tradition of saying "Christmas Eve gift!" as they arrived to share the special day together. For the life of me, I can't recall a single material gift that I was ever given at my grandparent's house - even though there was always something under the tree for me. Whatever those gifts were - perhaps toys, clothing, or books - they have long since faded from my memory. Yet I can close my eyes and see the faces of my cousins as we talked, laughed and sang together on Christmas Eve. I can vividly remember what it smelled like in my grandmother's kitchen, and the love and patience showered on me by all of my uncles and aunts. So they were right. The gift that we announced as we came through the door and shouted "Christmas Eve gift!" was the best gift, the most valuable gift, and the gift that has stood the test of time: the gift of time spent with those you love. As you give presents to those you love this Christmas, keep in mind that the best gift you can give is the gift of yourself. The material things you get and give this year will soon be used up, broken and forgotten. But the gift of love and time invested in your loved ones will be kept and cherished in their hearts - and in yours - for the rest of our lives. Some say we give gifts at Christmas to carry on the tradition of the Magi who brought gifts to Jesus. But when we give the gift of ourselves, we are truly being like the One whose birth we celebrate. The one who loves us and gave Himself for us so that we could spend eternity together with Him. Christmas Eve gift! Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. From 2006-2009 he served as Director of Web Operations and Managing Editor for Streaming Faith. An ordained Baptist Minister, Alan is a frequent contributor to the Streaming Faith Daily Devotional. He can sometimes be found blogging at www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley. © Alan Riley all rights reserved - via streamingfaith.com