In God's perfect timing-

April 11, 2008

TODAY'S INSIGHT

Power Under Control

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them (Matthew 5:5, NLT).

Dear friends:

Have you ever wondered why our Lord promised a special reward to the meek, sometimes translated as gentleness?

What is meekness, and why did our Lord say that the meek will inherit the earth?

The Strong's Enhanced Lexicon says that meekness means "mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit; the gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will."

Meekness in the biblical sense here is not weakness. In fact, it is just the opposite. It is "power under control." Our Lord Jesus was a perfect example of power under control. As Creator of the universe, He had total, unlimited power. Yet in order to obey His Father's will, He subordinated that power and kept it under control. In fact, Jesus, the Son of God, indeed God Himself, came to planet Earth disguised as a slave (Philippians 2:7, NLT).

Just after Judas betrayed Him, when Peter was going to physically protect Him, our Lord told Peter to put his sword back in its place, and said, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" (Matthew 26:53-54, NIV).

Jesus could have unleashed enough power to kill every soldier in the entire Roman Empire and, in fact, destroy the whole earth; however, He meekly kept His power under control for His Father's loving purposes.

If you were to watch a well-bred, trained stallion being put through his paces, you would notice that although he is powerful, strong, and spirited, he is completely submitted to the will of his trainer. But this does not happen overnight. A trainer must develop a special relationship with his horse, which is a long and difficult process. But the process creates a deep, lasting loyalty and partnership.

It is the same in the life of the believer. Meekness reflects a strikingly similar relationship between our Lord and His children surrendered to His will.

As we come to know the Lord better, and His ways, and as we develop a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him, we are able to conform to His desires and will for us. Even though we may have previously been "powerful, strong and spirited" in the natural sense, as the horse, we now become completely submitted to His will.

That is the kind of meekness our Lord desires in us, and by it, we will inherit the earth, as "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:17, NIV).

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

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The late Dr. Bill Bright was Founder and President/Chairman Emeritus of Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization which began as a campus ministry in 1951 and now has more than 27,000 full-time staff and up to 500,000 trained volunteer staff in 196 countries in areas representing 99.6 percent of the world's population. In the past 50 years, Campus Crusade for Christ has seen approximately 6 billion exposures to the gospel worldwide. The film, "JESUS," which Bright conceived and funded through Campus Crusade for Christ, is the most widely translated and viewed film of any type ever produced. Since its use began in 1980, the film has been translated into 839 languages and viewed or listened to by over 5.7 billion people in 228 countries. Dr. Bright was also the author of more than fifty books. Dr. Bright recently co-founded Global Pastors Network to "Touch, Teach and Train" a group of 5 million new house churches around the world 24/7/365 at http://www.globalpastorsnetwork.org.

Copyright (c) 2003, Bill Bright. All rights reserved. However, readers may copy and distribute this message as desired, without restrictions in number, as long as the content is not altered. Forwarding this e-mail to friends is encouraged. For many evangelistic and spiritual growth materials, visit the Campus Crusade for Christ Web site at http://www.ccci.org. See http://www.campuscrusade.org for Bill Bright's own materials.

Congrats USAFA 82!!!! African climate! I have that option checked but haven't seen any work units from it yet. Very nice!

Book of John con't

Joh 14:1 "Don't be troubled. Believe in God, and believe in me.
Joh 14:2 My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you?
Joh 14:3 If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am.
Joh 14:4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
Joh 14:5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you're going. So how can we know the way?"
Joh 14:6 Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.
Joh 14:7 If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him through me and have seen him in me."
Joh 14:8 Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us."
Joh 14:9 Jesus replied, "I have been with all of you for a long time. Don't you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Joh 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I'm telling you doesn't come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what he wants.
Joh 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the things I do.
Joh 14:12 "I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father.
Joh 14:13 I will do anything you ask the Father in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son.
Joh 14:14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
Joh 14:16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever.
Joh 14:17 That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn't see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.
Joh 14:18 "I will not leave you all alone. I will come back to you.
Joh 14:19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. You will live because I live.
Joh 14:20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in you.
Joh 14:21 Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father's love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them."
Joh 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus, "Lord, what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them.
Joh 14:24 A person who doesn't love me doesn't do what I say. I don't make up what you hear me say. What I say comes from the Father who sent me.
Joh 14:25 "I have told you this while I'm still with you.
Joh 14:26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.
Joh 14:27 "I'm leaving you peace. I'm giving you my peace. I don't give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don't be troubled or cowardly.
Joh 14:28 You heard me tell you, 'I'm going away, but I'm coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.
Joh 14:29 "I'm telling you this now before it happens. When it does happen, you will believe.
Joh 14:30 The ruler of this world has no power over me. But he's coming, so I won't talk with you much longer.
Joh 14:31 However, I want the world to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father has commanded me to do. Get up! We have to leave."

Happy Birthday Mike!!! Oh I see someone caught an embarrasing moment at your party