Famine

Amos 8:11-12

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD,
"That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the LORD.
They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD,
But shall not find it. (NKJV)

The Prayer of Hannah

1 Samuel 2:1-10

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;My horn is exalted in the LORD.I smile at my enemies,Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 "No one is holy like the LORD,For there is none besides You,Nor is there any rock like our God.

3 "Talk no more so very proudly;Let no arrogance come from your mouth,For the LORD is the God of knowledge;And by Him actions are weighed.

4 "The bows of the mighty men are broken,And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,And the hungry have ceased to hunger.Even the barren has borne seven,And she who has many children has become feeble.

6 "The LORD kills and makes alive;He brings down to the grave and brings up.

7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;He brings low and lifts up.

8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,And He has set the world upon them.

9 He will guard the feet of His saints,But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
"For by strength no man shall prevail.

10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;From heaven He will thunder against them.The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king,And exalt the horn of His anointed." (NKJV)

Quotes

Despite its foundational Christian heritage, America is rapidly degenerating into a godless society. The church in America, although highly visible and active, appears powerless to redirect the rushing secular currents. Mired in a moral and spiritual crisis, America’s only hope is a national revival, like God has graciously bestowed in the past.

Erwin Lutzer

Much of what passes for New Testament Christianity is little more than objective truth sweetened with song and made palatable by religious entertainment.

A. W. Tozer

No one is more miserable than the Christian who for a time hedges in his obedience. He does not love sin enough to enjoy its pleasures, and does not love Christ enough to relish holiness. He perceives that his rebellion is iniquitous, but obedience seems distasteful. He does not feel at home any longer in the world, but his memory of his past associations and the tantalizing lyrics of his old music prevent him from singing with the saints. He is a man most to be pitied; and he cannot forever remain ambivalent.

D.A. Carson

Gotta Serve Somebody, Bob Dylan

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Wisdom from Mike MacIntosh

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Matthew 16:24

I like the cartoon strip where Charlie Brown is doing woodwork in a shop when Lucy comes by and asks, "How's the birdhouse coming, Charlie Brown?" "Well," he sighs, "I'm a lousy carpenter, I can't nail straight, I can't saw straight, and I always split the wood. I'm nervous, I lack confidence, I'm stupid, I have poor taste, and absolutely no sense of design. So, all things considered… it's coming along okay."

You know, we're all a little like Charlie Brown. We fiddle with life, but at the end of the day, we see our frailties; we have insecurities. And marketers today know it. Entire industries thrive on exploiting our insecurities. Self-help authors promise to help you become the "champion within you." Skin products are promised to make you look and feel "younger," and exercise products will make you more "attractive." Everyone seems to be after that priceless gem of "self-esteem." But Jesus says that "if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself." It's not self-esteem that the Lord requires -- it's self-denial.

The apostle Paul was quick to admit that when it came to self-denial, he was the worst. "If anyone thinks he may have confidence in the flesh," he wrote, "I more so" (Philippians 3:4). That's coming from a man who was stoned, imprisoned and persecuted for his unyielding faith in Christ. No doubt, self-denial does not come naturally. As humans, we tend to value "self" more than anything -- otherwise, self-denial would be easy! But how can we follow Christ if our eyes are fixed on ourselves? How can we be obedient to His will if we put value in our own?

You see, our insecurities and our frailties are not caused by a lack of self-esteem. We esteem ourselves naturally. And the longer you look at yourself, the more insecure you will become. The higher the pedestal you build for yourself, the less stable your footing will become, and the further you will fall. No, our frailties are caused by our lack of self-denial to the One by whom all things were created, and in whom is all power, wisdom, and strength! (Revelation 5:12) Jesus is able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think," according to His "power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20) -- but we must give Him full control. We must deny ourselves.

Today, don't fall for the myth that says you need more "self-esteem." Esteem the Lord in your life, and He will "supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

Living what we believe

Until we live what we believe, we will be ineffective. The problem is that we are living what we believe, and that is why we are ineffective.

Quotes by Jim Elliot

"Ah, tolerant generation, who pays the prophets and fondles them who are sent unto you...woe. Cursed be your Judas embrace. Damned be your friendliness...it lays shattering condemnation on your prophets...Damned be this cool tepidity...Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Make me a fork [in the road], that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."

"I may no longer depend on pleasant impulses to bring me before the Lord. I must rather respond to principles I know to be right, whether I feel them to be enjoyable or not."

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him."

"How long shall we trust in man’s programming to accomplish the work of His Spirit in men's souls?"

And of course, the one for which he is well known:

"He is not a fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."