Saturday, April 30, 2005

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

Someone says, “Yes, I know that Jesus died for the
world; He tasted our second death; He redeemed us by His sacrifice;
but I don’t feel worthy because I have sinned. How do I know that I am
included in His sacrifice? I don’t FEEL like He accepts me!”

Let’s look at an example of a man who knew he was a sinner, for he was
doubly one--an adulterer and a murderer at the same time: David. Yes,
he came within a hair’s breadth of committing the unpardonable sin,
for he prays in Psalm 51:11, “Cast me not away from thy presence, and
take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” He had gone a whole year in
impenitence after committing the foul deeds. Could he ever find
acceptance with God?

(1) He confessed his sin openly, fully, honestly (vs. 3). (2) He
realized that his sin was a re-crucifixion of the Lamb of God (vs. 4),
thus delivering him from the whimpering, selfish fear of getting AIDS
or Herpes, or losing his job, or embarrassment, etc. as the result of
his sin. In the light of the cross, he learned to ABHOR his sin! (vs.
17). (3) He saw that sin permeated every cell of his being and of his
soul (vss. 5, 6). He pleaded no “but” to excuse it even 1%. (4) He
took the absolutely necessary step of believing that God forgave his
heinous sin--at the cost of the shed blood of the Son of God (vss.
7-10). You can’t truly believe in the forgiveness of sins unless your
soul is humbled in the dust by realizing the enormity of sin itself.
(5) David pleaded, begged, for cleansing of soul, not just legal
“pardon” (vs. 10). (6) He realized that the “bloodguiltiness” of his
soul included guilt of the blood of the Son of God (vss. 14, 4;
compare Acts 2:36; 4:14, 15). (7) David consecrated the rest of his
life to missionary, soul-saving work, a new career (Psalm 51:12, 13).

Did he know that God had “accepted” him? Yes; he realized that no
Band-aid could help him; he had been saved from the deepest hell
itself.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is
available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion
of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or
other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread"
will not be sent.

Friday, April 29, 2005

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

If you could imagine a great mountain that has always
dominated your landscape being uprooted and cast into the sea,
wouldn’t the emptiness of your new horizon shock you?

That pretty well pictures the uprooting of Protestantism that has
become strikingly apparent as Roman Catholicism has virtually taken
over the public consciousness of this once-Protestant nation of the
United States. Roman Catholicism once pervaded Europe for 1260 years,
but toward the end of that period of reign the great Protestant
Reformation burst into life and blazed through Catholic Europe. It
dealt to the Papacy what the book of Revelation describes as a “deadly
wound” (13:3). Multitudes joined the fearless public “protest” against
the non-biblical doctrines and claims of the Papacy. Out of the giant
upheaval one development was the formation of a new nation in North
America that grew out of the revolted 13 colonies of Britain that were
here. The stated purpose of its revered founders was to establish a
nation without a king and a church without a pope. It has grown
phenomenally into the one world power that is capable of fulfilling
the rest of Revelation’s prophecy of the future of the newly healed
and restored Papacy (vss. 11-18).

Now its national presence seems to be transformed into a Roman
Catholic one. The world watches in wonder as the miracle of ages
happens before our eyes: the “deadly wound [is] healed” (vs. 3), and
this once humble nation that was “like a lamb” during its Protestant
era is preparing to “speak as a dragon” (vss. 11-17 again). It will
seek to revive the power of those 1260 years.

But wait a moment: a protesting Voice will yet “lighten the earth with
[the] glory” of a true gospel message (18:1-4). It will be the
confrontation of the ages.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to
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The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at:
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There is also an archive at: http://www.escribe.com/religion/ddb/

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is
available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion
of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or
other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread"
will not be sent.

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

A subscriber in Australia writes: “Can you please
explain what Jesus means in Matthew regarding Peter being the rock.
The Catholic Church believes he was the first pope.” In response we
said:

“There are two words in Matthew 16:18 which must not be confused.
“PETROS” is the Greek word for a pebble, a small stone that can be
thrown around. That’s the name which Jesus gave Simon when He first
met him (John 1:42). From the beginning, Jesus knew the wishy-washy
character of Simon. By the time of Matthew 16 (which was near the
crucifixion) Peter had distinguished himself for being brash and
unstable, living up to that humble name Jesus gave him in an effort to
prepare him for that night when Peter denied Him three times.

The second word in Matthew 16:18 is “PETRA,” which means a great
outcrop of rock on which people would build a skyscraper. That’s the
“rock” on which Jesus said He will build His church. Peter himself
vigorously denies that he is the “petra” on which Christ builds His
church (see 1 Peter 2:4-8). The Bible frequently identifies the Lord
Himself as the “rock” or “stone” of our salvation (Deut. 32:4; 2 Sam.
22:32; Psalm 18:31; 95:1; 1 Cor. 3:11).

Our subscriber wrote back: “That was clear and beautiful. I will share
it with my Catholic friends.”

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to
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The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at:
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There is also an archive at: http://www.escribe.com/religion/ddb/

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the message to:

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is
available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion
of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or
other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread"
will not be sent.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

We have two Mallard ducks that visit us each spring and
autumn for a few days, a male and a female. I know them--they are the
same ones. They’ve been coming for years. The female is the leader;
she comes out of the pool and waddles up the steps and on to our
kitchen door, and the drake waddles behind. I feed them some whole
wheat bread (an expert tells me it’s okay), then she waddles back
toward the pool, stands at the top of the steps, then flies into the
pool; he obediently follows. He seems to want her to get plenty to
eat, let’s her have first chance at each bite of bread I throw.

Two little creatures that God has made--true to each other! If the
little papa could sing in drakish language, his song would be, “No
Rose in all the World Until You Came . . . ,” or maybe, “Because God
Made Thee Mine, I’ll Cherish Thee . . .” God implanted in his little
duck soul that sense of fidelity to her. And in her little soul, it’s
there, to him.

If your souls are burdened with marital discord, believe: (1) it was
God who brought the two of you together, in His infinite wisdom; (2)
it was He who made the two of you one; (3) He will renew and deepen
true love in your souls--if you let Him; (4) no one in all the world
can put the two of you “asunder” unless you choose to resist Him; (5)
what He does for two Mallard ducks He will do a million/million fold
for you two.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to
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The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at:
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There is also an archive at: http://www.escribe.com/religion/ddb/

To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of
the message to:

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is
available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion
of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or
other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread"
will not be sent.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

“seventy times seven”

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

A question that perplexed the disciples of Jesus perplexes us today:
Peter asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Up to seven times?” The “sin” obviously was not an
ordinary one: it was “against” Peter, something that wounded him
personally. The apostle was mature enough spiritually to realize that
“seven” is a complete number; it must be the limit for this difficult
task.

The sin “against” him was so hurtful that Peter felt it threatened his
personhood. Already he was beginning to sense dimly that Jesus was a
“Forgiver”: little inklings of what led Him later to pray for His
murderers, “Father, forgive them!” were showing through. Peter
understood that it was his duty to forgive; but it was difficult to do!
Nurturing resentment was so sweet to indulge in.

When Jesus enlarged the limit to “seventy times seven” He told about
the enormously guilty yet forgiven thief who couldn’t forgive his
debtor his trifling debt. He ended the little session with the blunt
warning that His heavenly Father will not forgive us our “trespasses”
if [we] do not forgive from [our] heart [our] brother his trespasses,”
obviously those we feel are so “against” us (Matt. 18:21-35).

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at:
http://1888message.org/daily bread/
There is also an archive at: http://www.escribe.com/religion/ddb/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the
message to:
dailybread@1888message.org
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of the message to:
dailybread@1888message.org

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

He hungers for your fellowship.

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

A strikingly beautiful little humming bird in his early morning
exuberance crashed against my window and fell to the ground. Jesus
tells us that His almighty Father in heaven, Ruler of the vast
universe, saw when that happened, and experienced a pang of sorrow even
as I did (Matt. 10:29). In that tiny little happening, He and I had a
moment of fellowship together. If I had ever had a personal
conversation with a national President, I would tell my grandchildren!
Well, I can tell them of my little tete-a-tete with the heavenly Father
when we two had something in common for a moment--sorrow at a little
death!

You are to believe that because our heavenly Father is infinite, He
thinks personally about you. You must say from your heart, “The Lord
thinketh upon me” (Psalm 40:17). To “think upon” you requires
considerably more personal attention than the little humming bird could
get; the reason is that you have not only been created in the “image of
God,” but you have also been redeemed by His Son. You absolutely MUST
believe this, or you are not realizing what it means to believe in the
sense of John 3:16.

With all the troubles and heartaches and disappointments you have
known, you may think it very difficult to believe this stupendous
truth; and to choose to believe it now may bring tears of repentance in
your eyes, for you will very rightly feel ashamed that you haven’t
believed it years ago. Very well, let them come. The One who
“inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy” not only dwells “in the high
and holy place,” but “also with him that is of a contrite and humble
heart” (Isa. 57:15). He hungers for your fellowship.

The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at:
http://1888message.org/daily bread/
There is also an archive at: http://www.escribe.com/religion/ddb/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the
message to:
dailybread@1888message.org
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of the message to:
dailybread@1888message.org

Saturday, April 23, 2005

What does the name of “Jesus” mean?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

What does the name of “Jesus” mean?

We are told in Acts 4:12 that there is salvation in no other name;
Phil. 2:10 says that at last “every knee” shall bow to that name; Acts
3:6 says that name caused the man born lame to walk. Says the poet,
“The name of Jesus is so sweet, I love its music to repeat.” But isn’t
it time that we should learn what the name means? It’s more than mere
emotion or tradition. There is dynamite locked in the very Hebrew name
itself.

First, what does it NOT mean? It does not mean “Jesus would like to
save,” or “perhaps He will save,” and it does not mean “He offers to
save.” The simple Hebrew meaning within the word is “Jehovah saves.”
Here’s what He is, not what He would like to be: He is a Savior. His
proper title was recognized by the believing Samaritans (they got there
before the Jews did!): “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). He gives,
not merely offers, His flesh “for the life of the world” (6:51).

Furthermore, He is not a co-Savior, sharing the job with any one else,
least of all ourselves. You and I can’t share the honor! He “saves to
the uttermost,” that is, not part-way and then leaving us to finish the
job (Heb. 7:25).

This makes some people nervous; they’re afraid that if we say He saves
completely that we’re going to get lazy and not do “good works.” But
they don’t realize that when one appreciates what it cost the Savior to
save us, when the dimensions of His sacrifice are realized, the human
heart is so moved, so “constrained” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15), that the result
is total dedication to the “One who died for us and rose again.” There
is no end to the “good works” that His agape will forever “constrain”
us to do. While Jesus saves, we have something to do, but it’s better
to say we have something to believe. John 3:16 mentions no part we have
to play in effecting our salvation other than to believe, which means
“with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Rom. 10:10). We let
Him save us; we stop resisting Him. You are drowning in the ocean and
the lifeguard saves you completely, at the risk of his life. Do you
cooperate with him? Yes, otherwise you drown. Do you help save
yourself? No. You don’t give him a dollar tip and walk off proud of
yourself; you thank him for the rest of your life, and you walk humbly
ever after. Not one person eternally saved will talk about his own
accomplishment. There is a song the redeemed will sing that we can
begin to sing now (Rev. 5:11-13).

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.