<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> <!-- Original: George Chuang --> <!-- This script and many more are available free online at --> <!-- The JavaScript Source!! http://javascript.internet.com --> <!-- Begin theDate= new Date(); var day = theDate.getDate(); var year = theDate.getYear(); year = (year < 2000) ? year + 1900 : year; var textdate = theDate.getDate() + '/' + (theDate.getMonth() + 1) + '/' + year; var numquotes = 31; quotes = new Array(numquotes+1); quotes[1] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 1 it is written that <b>'Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight'</b>. Another word for <i>dishonest</i> as used here is <i>deceptive</i>. This is referring to the age old practice of rigging the shop scales so as to cheat the customer into thinking they are buying the correct amount but, in reality, they are losing out. We may not literally do this, but we can be dishonest and deceptive with our words. The Lord weighs even the thoughts and intentions of our heart. Driving past certain slum neighborhoods in New York City, you see cheery curtains and venetian blinds in many of the windows. But wait! If you look closer, you will see that these are not curtains and blinds at all. Rather what you are actually seeing are vinyl decals -- plastic imitations of curtains and blinds placed over the broken windows of abandoned apartments. Some ingenious city official thought the illusory decals would make a good impression on potential real estate investors! It looks good. But it's a deception. Examine your heart today and ask yourself is there any area where you're trying to look good, but actually you're deceiving yourself and others. Pause and ask to Lord to reveal any hidden deceptions in you and repent of areas He show you."; quotes[2] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 2 it is written that <b>'When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom'</b>. 'Pali, this bull has killed me.' So said Jose Cubero, one of Spain's most brilliant matadors, before he lost consciousness and died. Only 21 years old, he had been enjoying a spectacular career. However, in this 1985 bullfight, Jose made a tragic mistake. He thrust his sword a final time into a bleeding, delirious bull, which then collapsed. Considering the struggle finished, Jose turned to the crowd to acknowledge the applause. The bull, however, was not dead. It rose and lunged at the unsuspecting matador, its horn piercing his back and puncturing his heart. Just when we think we've finished off pride, just when we turn to accept the congratulations of the crowd, pride stabs us in the back. We should never consider pride dead before we are. Let God shine His spotlight on your heart right now to reveal any pride. The Bible then exhorts you to <b>'Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up'</b>."; quotes[3] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 3 it is written that <b>'The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them'</b>. A husband and wife are talking. The wife says, 'Darling, why don't you play golf with Harry any more?'. The Husband replies, 'Would you play with a sneak who puts down the wrong score and moves his ball when you aren't looking?'.'Certainly not,' she answers. The Husband says, 'Well, neither will Harry'. Integrity is very important if we don't want our relationships to be destroyed. Ask the Lord to examine your heart now and reveal any lack of integrity."; quotes[4] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 4 it is written that <b>'Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death'</b>. One day a father and his rich family took his son to a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'.'Very good Dad!','Did you see how poor people can be?' the father asked.'Yeah!','And what did you learn?' The son answered, 'I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.' When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.His son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!' Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life -- you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things, but still you can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc.,but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!"; quotes[5] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 5 it is written that <b>'The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness'</b>. Matthew Henry writes of this verse, 'For the truths are here of such certainty and weight that they cannot be too often inculcated. Let us govern ourselves by these principles. That the ways of religion are plain and safe, and in them we may enjoy a holy security. A living principle of honesty and grace will be, Our best direction in the right way, in every doubtful case to say to us, This is the way, walk in it. He that acts without a guide looks right on and sees his way before him. Our best deliverance from every false way - The righteousness of the upright shall be armour of proof to them, to deliver them from the allurements of the devil and the world, and from their menaces. The ways of wickedness are dangerous and destructive - The wicked shall fail into misery and ruin by their own wickedness, and be taken in their own naughtiness as in a snare. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself. Their sin will be their punishment; that very thing by which they contrived to shelter themselves will make against them.'."; quotes[6] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 6 it is written that <b>'The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught in their lust'</b>. Monkey trappers in North Africa have a clever method of catching their prey. A number of gourds are filled with nuts and firmly fastened to a branch of a tree. Each has a hole just large enough for the unwary monkey to stick his forepaw into it. When the hungry animal discovers this, he quickly grasps a handful of nuts, but the hole is too small for him to withdraw his clenched fist. And he doesn't have enough sense to open up his hand and let go in order to escape, so he is easily taken captive. This is a picture of many Christians. The devil with his crafty devices tried to ensnare them. He appeals to the appetites of the flesh which can lead to their spiritual downfall. As long as they hold on to worldly bait, they cannot escape from Satan's trap. But he keeps on urging, 'Don't let go! Enjoy the pleasure of your sin just a little bit longer!' So, listening to the tempter's alluring voice, they continue in their evil way. Paul explains that <b>'No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it'</b> (1 Cor. 10:13 -- NIV). These are comforting words. We can open our hand and let go of the 'nuts!' God is on our side, he will not let us fall into Satan's trap. We have to be willing to let go -- open our hand and let go of those sinful things we find in the world. James writes, <b>'When people are tempted, they should not say, 'God is tempting me'. Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. But people are tempted when their own evil desire leads them away and traps them. This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death'</b> (James 1:13-15 -- NCV).The desires of this world lead us to sin. Once we latch on, we find it hard to let go. It continues to grow, until it consumes our life. In the end, this sin leads to death. Are the sins of this world preventing you from obeying God? If so,you have to let go! It is the only way out of the trap!"; quotes[7] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 7 it is written that <b>'When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of the unjust perishes'</b>. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said that 'Hope without an object cannot live'. If you have ever lost the focus of life, you understand hopelessness. Perhaps you have invested much into your job, marriage, or the struggles of life; and then you saw it all destroyed. The object of your hope is gone, and you feel dead and aimless. Psychologist William Marston asked 3,000 people this question - 'What do you have to live for?' 94 percent responded that they were merely enduring their lives, hoping someday that things would get better. I suppose that this is an expression of hope to a small degree, hoping that the future will be better than the past or present. Yet, this seems so inadequate. If our only encouragement is found in hoping for a better tomorrow, is this an adequate hope? It has been said that some people see only a hopeless end, but the Christian sees an endless hope. The Bible says that hope will always remain."; quotes[8] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 8 it is written that <b>'The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead'</b>. The Bible never says that the righteous will not have trouble. Indeed, suffering is a major topic of Jesus' and Paul's teaching. The differenve is that the righteous will be delivered ultimately out of trouble but the wicked, who may seem to have no trouble now, will be delivered up to trouble eternally! If you are going through trouble of any kind (except that which you brought upon yourself) you can rejoice in the Lord as you will surely be delivered in His time. If it is a trouble due to your own sin you can repent and then rejoice!"; quotes[9] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 9 it is written that <b>'The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbour, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered'</b>. Philip Yancey's father died of polio a month after his first birthday, and so he grew up fatherless. Out of kindness, one man in their church took Philip and his brother under his wing. Big Harold, they called him. He sat patiently in playgrounds as they spun on the merry-go-round. When they grew older, he taught them to play chess and helped them build a soap-box racer. They had no idea that a lot of people in the church thought him strange. Eventually Big Harold left their church. It was too liberal, he decided. Some of the women there wore lipstick and makeup. He was obsessed about morality and politics. The United States, he believed, would soon fall under the judgment of God because of its permissiveness. He quoted Communist leaders who talked about the West rotting from the inside out, like an overripe fruit. Harold believed in conspiracies and gave Yancey literature from the John Birch society. Big Harold hated black people. He often talked about how dumb and lazy they were, and told stories about good-for-nothing blacks who worked around him. He saw integration of the races as a Communist plot. The final straw came when Atlanta ordered busing of schoolkids. Harold decided to move - to another country. Yancey thought he was kidding, but Big Harold got literature on places like Rhodesia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand. He wanted a white-dominated country, but also a moral one. In his eyes, that ruled out Australia, because they had topless beaches and drank a lot of beer. One day, Big Harold announced he was moving to South Africa. Back then, no one could imagine the whites loosing power there. No matter how much the world condemned them, they stood their ground. Big Harold liked that. It was also a very religious country, and outlawed abortion, interracial marriage and Playboy magazine. Yancey and his brother gave a tearful farewell as Big Harold, his wife and two small children got on the airplane. They had no jobs, no friends, not even a place to live in South Africa, but they knew as white people they would be welcomed with open arms. Big Harold was faithful in writing letters. He became a preacher in a small church and used the back of his sermon notes for the paper. He used so many Bible verses that often they couldn't tell which side was which. Big Harold railed against Communism and false religions, against the immorality of today's young people, against churches and people who did not agree with him in every detail. He wrote that South Africa had no feminism or gay rights. The government should be an agent of God, he wrote, and stand up for what is right against the forces of darkness. Even when he wrote about his family he had a cranky, judgmental tone. His children never seemed to please him. In the 1990's, when it became conceivable that whites and blacks would share power in South Africa, his letters darkened more. With some misgivings, Philip Yancey decided to visit Big Harold in 1993. In 25 years he had only gotten judgment and disapproval from Harold, especially for the books Yancey had written. One was titled, 'Disappointment With God'. Harold wrote back a three page letter condemning it. He never read the book - the title was horrible enough. Thus began the most bizarre day in Philip Yancey's life. As he got off the plane he was met by Harold's wife and son. The son let it drop that he met his fiance at a methadone clinic for recovering drug addicts. Some facts had never made it into Big Harold's letters. When they got to the house, one obvious question was on their minds. Where was Harold? 'Oh, we were going to tell you but didn't have a chance. You see, Dad's in jail'. 'He was hoping to be out by now, but his release got delayed'. Inside the house he eventually got the whole story. Harold had preached fire and brimstone on Sunday and railed against the decline of morals to everyone who would listen. But at the same time, out of the small house Yancey was now sitting in, he had been running a pornography ring. He brought in illegal foreign publications, clipped out photos, and sent them to famous women in South Africa with suggestive notes. One of them called the police, who traced the typewriter back to Harold. A SWAT team had surrounded the house. They searched and found his private stash of pornography. They hauled him off to jail, handcuffed. Television news trucks parked outside and a helicopter hovered over the scene. The story hit the evening news - 'Preacher arrested on morals charge.' Yancey got to see Big Harold later that day. He seemed ghostlike, with a look of overwhelming sadness. He had nowhere to hide. He admitted he was afraid because he heard what happened to sex offenders in prison. They talked for a few hours, mostly about friends back in the States, then hugged each other and walked away. Philip Yancey knew they probably would never see each other again. The Yanceys returned to America in shock. The next few letters from Harold had a humbler tone. When he got out, though, he began to harden again. Harold bullied his way back into his church and started sending out more pronouncements on the woeful morals of the world. There is not the slightest sign of humility in his letters. Saddest of all, Yancey has never detected any sign of grace. Big Harold was well-schooled in morality. For him, the world was divided neatly into the pure and the impure. And he kept drawing the circle tighter and tighter until finally he could trust no one but himself. Then he could not trust himself. That's what hypocricy does to people! Ask the Lord to purge you of such."; quotes[10] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 10 it is written that <b>'When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation'</b>. We see here that our Christian lives are to impact cities! The term <b>'when it goes well'</b> is not referring to a Christian living with no problems and having all the prosperity they want, it is referring to living in the favour of God. All will go well for a Christian who is loving and obeying the Lord God with all their heart, mind and soul. Jesus said,<b>'If you love me, keep my commandments'</b>. The greatest of these commands are to love God and love others. As we reach out in love to others in love then it will go well with us and the city will know that we are His diciples and the city will rejoice! During all the great revivals of history, towns and cities have been impacted positively because of the testimony of the local church. During the Welsh revival of 1904 whole communities were transformed because of revival in God's people. Pubs were closed down due to lack of patronage, the crime rate went down to 0% in some parts and the miner's donkeys would not move as they used to obey the crude, swearing commands of the miners who could no longer speak vulgarities! Let not there be jubilation when you perish, but allow God's love to flow in and through you so that the City rejoices as you live in His abundance!"; quotes[11] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 11 it is written that <b>'By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked'</b>. We are to be the blessing of Abraham to the city that we are in or we are sent to. We bless by proclaiming the message of blessing, the Gospel. Throughout history you can see that when a city or land embraces the Gospel then it prospers and is blessed. Also, watch your mouth concerning your city of dwelling, that you continually bless and not curse it. Centre on the positives and speak blessings into the cursed areas of your city. Pause now to speak a word of blessing over your city, town, village or area."; quotes[12] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 12 it is written that <b>'He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbour, but a man of understanding holds his peace'</b>. Holding our peace in an angry matter is not easy, but it's the way of wisdom. Accusatory rhetoric is often the way Christians argue with each other. In the seventeenth century, the Puritan preacher Richard Baxter wrote a pamphlet in which he lumped the Quakers with 'drunkards, swearers, whoremongers, and sensual wretches' and other 'miserable creatures'. And then - just in case he had not yet insulted them enough - he insisted that Quakers are no better than 'Papists'. The Quaker leader James Naylor announced that he was compelled 'by the Spirit of Jesus Christ' to respond these harsh accusations. He proceeded to characterize his Puritan opponent as a 'Serpent', a 'Liar', a 'Child of the Devil', a 'Cursed Hypocrite', and a 'Dumb Dog'. This is strong stuff. What makes it especially sad is that the angry talk often makes it difficult to get to the real issues. The debate between the Puritans and the Quakers was actually an interesting and helpful one. But I doubt that either group heard the helpful things the other side was saying. Too much angry rhetoric was in the air. This is not the 'spirit of Christ'. Instead, in such situations, hold your peace, and your tongue!"; quotes[13] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 13 it is written that <b>'A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter'</b>. Morris Mandel writes,'Gossip is the most deadly microbe. It has neither legs nor wings. It is composed entirely of tales, and most of them have stings'. A cousin of gossip is innuendo. Consider the ship's first mate who after a drunken binge was written up by the captain on the ship's log - 'Mate drunk today'. The mate's revenge? Some months later he surreptitiously wrote on his own entry, 'Captain sober today'. If we reveal other's secrets in gossip then our own secrets will be revealed. Pause now to think if you have wrongly revealed other's secrets today or in the past. If so, ask God to forgive you and help you be faithful in concealing such matters from now on."; quotes[14] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 14 it is written that <b>'Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety'</b>. No man is an island! We need to seek mature Christian counsel in areas where we are at a loss as to what we should do. How often are we too proud or too embarrased to seek such counsel? Hulme was a teacher of pastoral care in seminaries but after a hospital stay for pneumonia he developed clinical depression. He rejected treatment due to paranoia, isolated himself from friends and family, refused to eat and drink, lost his faith and became psychotic. A friend who had also gone through a depression visited him faithfully and his wife got a court order to administer shock treatments, which worked. His last treatment was on Good Friday, and on Easter he was in church. He regained his health, faith and relationships. All because he had help! Don't be an island, share your problems with a mature Christian friend and listen to their counsel."; quotes[15] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 15 it is written that <b>'He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, but one who hates being surety is secure'</b>. Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter, in the midst of a fairly grim autobiography, tells this story. There was a man living near him in one of the Displaced Persons camps after the war who borrowed ten dollars from him, and assured him that he had a package coming from a relative any day and would positively pay him back the next week. At week's end, he had an excuse for not paying, and the next week, he had an even better one, and so it went on for almost a year. Finally one day, the man came up to Wiesenthal with a ten dollar bill in his hand and said, 'My visa has just come through. I'm leaving for Canada tomorrow. Here's the ten dollars I owe you.' And Wiesenthal waved him away and said, 'No, keep it. For ten dollars, it's not worth changing my opinion of you'. Though we laugh at this story we can see that when we loan to a stranger we can smart or be hurt and get resentful. Scripture urges us to give to others but with discretion - see Psalm 112 verse 5. No where in Scripture does it say that we should be in debt. If you are in debt now ask the Lord to deliver you and show you the steps to take to get out of that debt. If you are keeping His covenant with a pure heart then the Lord will surely deliver you."; quotes[16] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 16 it is written that <b>'A gracious woman retains honour, but ruthless men retain riches'</b>. What is better - retaining honour or riches? Honour lasts an eternity, Riches lasts but a moment. Better to be gracious and lose out in this life than be ruthless and lose out in the next life! Many people think money is security, but 1 Timothy 6 verse 9 warns that it can be just the opposite. A few years ago, columnist Jim Bishop reported what happened to people who won the state lottery - Rosa Grayson of Washington won 400 dollars a week for life. She hides in her apartment. For the first time in her life, she had 'nerves'. Everyone tried to put the touch on her. 'People are so mean,' she said. 'I hope you win the lottery and see what happens to you.' When the McGugarts of New York won the Irish Sweepstakes, they were happy. Pop was a steamfitter. Johnny, twenty-six, loaded crates on docks. Tim was going to night school. Pop split the million with his sons. They all said the money wouldn't change their plans. A year later, the million wasn't gone; it was bent. The boys weren't speaking to Pop, or each other. Johnny was chasing expensive race horses; Tim was catching up with expensive girls. Within two years, all of them were in court for nonpayment of income taxes.'It's the Devil's own money,' Mom said. Both boys were studying hard to become alcoholics. All these people hoped and prayed for sudden wealth. All had their prayers answered. All were wrecked on a dollar sign. Don't seek riches, seek a gracious lifestyle!"; quotes[17] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 17 it is written that <b>'The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh'</b>. Andrew Jackson was known for being unforgiving and having a terrible temper. In a duel with Charles Dickinson, Jackson was wounded but had not yet fired. A gentleman would aim and fire into the air, but Jackson aimed and fired into the heart of Dickinson, killing him. His mean streak haunted him throughout his political life and the wound he suffered, where a bullet was lodged close to his heart and could not be removed, got worse as he grew older, causing much pain in later life. If we allow a cruel streak to come forth we will trouble our own flesh in the long run. Ask the Lord to melt every 'cruel streak' in you and bring forth His merciful nature."; quotes[18] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 18 it is written that <b>'The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward'</b>. When Stuart Briscoe had a job as a bank examiner, he became very suspicious about one man who had not said or done anything to make him think that way. At the bank they reported the worker as one of their best employees. In fact, he never took a vacation. This curious habit rang a bell with Briscoe. They started to look carefully at the situation and found the man wouldn't take a vacation because he wouldn't trust anyone else with his responsibilities. After a month of work on the case, they discovered why. The bank worker had one set of books available for the inspectors, when they came in, and another for the customers, when they asked about their accounts. In between those figures lay thousands and thousands of embezzled dollars. The man lied through his teeth for months, denying he had done it, until they categorically proved his theft. When he knew he could no longer get away with his lies, he threw himself under a train. In your job make sure to it that you are sowing righteousness and not doing any deceptive work. Are you dealing with integrity in all your affairs? Ask the Lord to examine your heart and show you any deceptive ways, no matter how small. Pray that you can always sow in righteousness."; quotes[19] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 19 it is written that <b>'As righteousness leads to life,so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death'</b>. John List's neighbors in suburban Westfield, New Jersey, liked him well enough, even though he was standoffish and a little odd. It was his habit, for instance, to wear a business suit when he mowed the lawn surrounding the huge, shabby mansion where he lived with his wife, Helen, their three children, and his aging mother. In November 1971 he told the neighbors that he was going to tend to a sick relative in North Carolina. He never returned. A month later police entered the darkened house. Nothing had prepared them for what they found. Funereal organ music was coming from a central sound system, and in the mansion's ballroom the decomposing bodies of 45-year-old Helen List, Patricia, 16, John junior, 15, and Frederick, 13, were laid out neatly on the floor. Alma List, John's 85-year-old mother, was discovered upstairs. All five victims had been shot in the head. A letter addressed to List's Lutheran minister was taped to a filing cabinet in the house. 'I know what has been done is wrong from all that I have been taught and that any reasons I give will not make it right,' the letter began. 'I wasn't earning anywhere near enough to support us. Everything I tried seemed to fall to pieces.' The letter cataloged a series of family disasters, from heavy debt to his wife's lingering illness. He had lost one job after another. His daughter Patricia had turned into a rebellious teenager, fascinated by the occult and intent on a career in theater. Her interests, List wrote, would interfere with her 'continuing to be a Christian.' He professed to see a positive spiritual benefit in the murders, noting that 'at least I'm certain that all have gone to heaven now.' Eighteen years went by without a sign of List. Then in 1989 the television program 'America's Most Wanted' profiled the case and presented a plaster bust of what he would look like now. Immediately a co-worker in Virginia called the police. He was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to five consecutive life terms. Was there any merit in John List's intent to solve his troubles in this way? Ironically, List had been unaware of owning a treasure that could have solved his financial problems. In the ceiling of the ballroom where he'd shot his wife and children was a stained-glass skylight made by the renowned turn-of-the-century glass artisan Louis Comfort Tiffany. At the time of the murders the skylight was worth at least 100,000 dollars - twice what List had paid for the house. If only he had seen the riches that lay above his head! In the same way, it's not our righteousness that will save us but Christ's - seeing is riches from above and living in the reality of them will save us from going the way of death, of evil like John List did."; quotes[20] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 20 it is written that <b>'Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways are His delight'</b>. To be blameless in our ways does not mean that we will not make mistakes but it does mean that we don't have perverse and deceptive hearts. Lillie Baltrip was a good bus driver. In fact, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of June 17, 1988, the Houston school district nominated her for a safe-driving award. Her colleagues even trusted her to drive a busload of them to an awards ceremony for safe drivers. Unfortunately, on the way to the ceremony, Lillie turned a corner too sharply and flipped the bus over, sending herself and sixteen others to the hospital emergency room for minor injuries. Did Lillie, accident free for a whole year, get her award anyway? No. Award committees rarely operate on the principal of grace. How fortunate we are that even when we don't maintain a spotless life-record, our final reward depends on God's grace, not on our performance! Thank God for His grace and determine, though you may make mistakes, you will not have a perverse and deceptive heart."; quotes[21] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 21 it is written that <b>'Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered'</b>. This verse reminds me of the Tower of Babel incident. Mankind came together and accomplished a mighty deed, but in their hearts they were against God. Because of this God scattered them by confusing their languages and nothing remained of their grand scheme to be greater than God. However the posterity of the righteous, through Abraham, are delivered. The Bible says that we are the seed of Abraham through faith and through faith only in Jesus Christ..THE seed of Abraham. As we stop building towers of Babel and simply come by faith to Him we will expereince deliverance from financial bondages, sickness, broken relationship and much more. 'Come to me', He says,'all who are weary and heavy laden and i will give you rest'. Come to Him now and rest in His presence by faith."; quotes[22] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 22 it is written that <b>'As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion'</b>. Matthew Henry comments on this verse thus,'By discretion here we must understand religion and grace, a true taste and relish, so the word signifies, of the honours and pleasures that attend an unspotted virtue; so that a woman without discretion is a woman of a loose and dissolute conversation; and then observe, it is taken for granted here that beauty or comeliness of body is as a jewel of gold, a thing very valuable, and, where there is wisdom and grace to guard against the temptations of it, it is a great ornament; but a foolish wanton woman, of a light carriage, is fitly compared to a swine, though she be ever so handsome, wallowing in the mire of filthy lusts, with which the mind and conscience are defiled, and, though washed, returning to them. It is lamented that beauty should be so abused as it is by those that have not modesty with it. It seems ill-bestowed upon them; it is quite misplaced, as a jewel in a swine's snout, with which he roots in the dunghill. If beauty be not guarded by virtue, the virtue is exposed by the beauty. It may be applied to all other bodily endowments and accomplishments; it is a pity that those should have them who have not discretion to use them well.'"; quotes[23] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 23 it is written that <b>'The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath'</b>. We are exhorted in the Psalms to 'Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart'. The righteous alone delight in the Lord and their desires merge with His desires and lead to eternal bliss. God will not give us the fullnes of our carnal desires, though we may attain them for a while. Carnal expectations, seemingly good or bad, lead eventually to wrath, to judgment. It is essential, therefore, that we allow His desires to fill our hearts by close communion with Him in prayer, worship, Bible reading and other godly pursuits. It is in such times that we receive the seeds of His desires - One night a woman dreamed that she walked into a brand new shop. Much to her surprise, she found God working behind the counter. She asked God, 'What do you sell here?'.'Everything your heart desires,' God replied. It was incredible. She was talking face to face with God. God just told her she could have anything she desired.'I want peace of mind and love and happiness and wisdom and freedom from fear,' she told God. Then almost as an afterthought she added,'not just for me, but for everyone on earth'. God smiled, 'I think you've got me wrong, my dear. We don't sell fruits here. Only seeds'. In His presence we receive the seeds of His desries which must be planted and watered dilligently to bear forth much fruit. Take time now to ask God to place seeds of His desires in your heart right now."; quotes[24] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 24 it is written that <b>'There is one who scatters yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty'</b>. This is a godly paradox - give and it shall be given. Give not and what you have will be taken from you. The story of soap-maker William Colgate - His family was poor and at the age of 16 he left home to seek his fortune. The only thing he knew was how to make soap and candles. He met an old canal-boat captain who gave him this advice - 'Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap, and I'm certain you'll be a prosperous and rich man'. William arrived in New York and got a job in a soap factory. The first dollar he earned, he gave 10 percent to God. Soon he became a partner. Later he became the owner. The business grew, so he gave a double tithe, 20 percent. Then a triple tithe, a four-fold one, half his income - finally he was giving all his income to the Lord. He was faithful to God, and his name is with us today on every tube of Colgate toothpaste. Pray now for more of a generous heart and if you've been lacking in your giving make a choice now to give."; quotes[25] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 25 it is written that <b>'The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself'</b>. Dr. Roy L. Laurin wrote a book in which he tells about a Christian business man who had gone out to Korea on a visit. As he was traveling about he noticed in a field beside the road a very strange scene. He saw a boy about eighteen years old pulling a plow, and holding the handles of the plow was an older man, evidently the boy's father. This tourist took a snapshot of it and said to his guide, 'What a strange thing that is. I suppose they must be very poor people'. The guide, who was a Christian, said, 'Yes, they are poor. I know the story behind this. A number of months ago, when the church to which these people belong was erecting a new building. All the members were asked to contribute something. This father and his boy wanted to give but they felt they had nothing to give. Then it dawned upon them that they could give their only ox. So they killed the ox, cut it up, sold the meat in the market and gave all the proceeds of it to the building fund of the church. This spring they have had to pull the plow themselves'. The businessman said, 'That must have been a most remarkable sacrifice for them.' The guide said, 'They did not think so. They thought they were rather fortunate to have an ox to give'. The businessman came back to his own pastor in this country, took the picture to him and told him the story. He said, 'Pastor, I want to double my giving to this church this year. I have never given anything that cost me something. I want to do some plow work for the Lord Jesus Christ!'. If we have a generous spirit we will be rich, not necessarily in finincial terms, but in our spirits especially. We shall know a rich watering from heaven in our inner most beings. Decide right now to do some generous act today and don't hesitate to do it."; quotes[26] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 26 it is written that <b>'The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it'</b>. Matthew Henry comments on this verse thus, 'What use we are to make of the gifts of God's bounty; we must not hoard them up merely for our own advantage, that we may be enriched by them, but we must bring them forth for the benefit of others, that they may be supported and maintained by them. It is a sin, when corn is dear and scarce, to withhold it, in hopes that it will still grow dearer, so to keep up and advance the market, when it is already so high that the poor suffer by it; and at such a time it is the duty of those that have stocks of corn by them to consider the poor, and to be willing to sell at the market-price, to be content with moderate profit, and not aim to make a gain of God's judgments. It is a noble and extensive piece of charity for those that have stores wherewithal to do it to help to keep the markets low when the price of our commodities grows excessive. What regard we are to have to the voice of the people. We are not to think it an indifferent thing, and not worth heeding, whether we have the ill will and word, or the good will and word, of our neighbours, their prayers or their curses; for here we are taught to dread their curses, and forego our own profit rather than incur them; and to court their blessings, and be at some expense to purchase them. Sometimes, the voice of the people is the voice of God'."; quotes[27] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 27 it is written that <b>'He who earnestly seeks good finds favour, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil'</b>. Columnist Herb Caen wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle - 'Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running'. Spurgeon wrote likewise - 'If you are not seeking the Lord, the Devil is seeking you. If you are not seeking the Lord, judgement is at your heels.' In the Christian life, it's not enough simply to wake up. We are called to run, to become more like Christ, to press ahead in godliness. Are you earnestly seeking good, earnestly seeking God? Do it now!"; quotes[28] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 28 it is written that <b>'He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage'</b>. The old mountaineer had lived a full but not exactly saintly life and now was on his deathbed. He summoned his weeping wife. 'Sara', he said, 'go to the fireplace and take out the third stone from the top'. She did as instructed.'Reach in there', said her husband, 'and bring out what you find'. Her fingers touched a large Mason jar, and with some effort she pulled it up. The jar was full of cash. 'Sara,' said the old man, 'when I go, I’m going to take all that money with me. I want you to put that jar up in the attic by the window. I’ll get it as I go by on my way to heaven.' His wife followed his instructions. That night the old mountaineer died. After the funeral his wife remembered the Mason jar and went to the attic. There was the jar still full of money and by the window.'Oh,' the widow sighed.'I knew I should have put it in the basement'. Having riches is not the problem, trusting in them is. Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is. Trusting in money will lead to a fall...in this man's case down to hell. Where is your trust today? Trust only in the Lord. "; quotes[29] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 29 it is written that <b>'He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be a servant to the wise of heart'</b>. God places a high value on a right attitude towards your own family. The Bible promises it will not go well with us if we dishonour our parents and if we curse our parents our light will be put out into deep darkness (probably blown out by the wind we will inherit). It's no good being a model Christian in Church but a trouble in your own home! The only valid 'trouble' we could give to our family according to the Bible is that Christ becomes the stumbling block - Nancy Bartolec mentions a Bulgarian friend who was getting pressure from her family. This is typical in many parts of the world. Mahendra Singal was born into a strict Hindu home in India. They interpreted troubles as divine wrath against family. They also felt powerless to change fate. An important duty was making offerings to the god Shiva. He was depicted sitting on the world, holding skulls. One year Mahendra skipped this offering, and all the family's bad luck was blamed on him. Seeking a higher truth, he answered a newspaper ad for a Bible study course. In the Bible he found answers to his questions. Mahendra became a teacher and taught at a Christian school. He still wasn't a believer, but the missionaries witnessed about Jesus to him. The fact that the Christian God reaches out to people was intriguing to him. His dilemma was that his family would suffer disgrace. Only after urgent pleading did he become a Christian. In his own words, 'I was not ready for what came my way after conversion. My family disowned me, my friends shunned me, as if I had a dread disease. Even more surprising, most of the missionaries left me alone because in their view they had reached their objective'. Fortunately, Mahendra did find Christian friends to support him. But for many people, becoming a born-again Christian carries a heavy price. Even in your own town, even in your own family. Reflect now on your witness within your family. The only trouble you should bring is that of the Gospel!"; quotes[30] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 30 it is written that <b>'The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise'</b>. 'Authentic evangelism,' writes George G. Hunter, 'flows from a mindset that acknowledges the ultimate value of people -- forgotten people, lost people, wandering people, up-and-outers, down-and outers -- all people. The highest value is to love them, serve them, and reach them'. That is the true wisdom of a soul-winner. Pause to ask yourself how much you have a passion for people, to bring them to Christ. Ask the Lord to fill you with such a passion."; quotes[31] = "In Proverbs 11 verse 31 it is written that <b>'If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner'</b>. The May 1984 National Geographic showed through color photos and drawings the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their routine - men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and super heated gases. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day. The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers record - weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to Vesuvius's warning! There are similar 'rumblings' in our world: warfare, earthquakes. The nuclear threat, economic woes, breakdown of the family and moral standards. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming Day of Judgment (Matt. 24). People need not be caught unprepared. God warns and provides an escape to those who will heed the rumblings. Are you heeding the rumblings?"; document.write('<b>Daily Devotion for ' + textdate + '</b> (Day/Month/Year)<br>'); document.write('<i>' + quotes[day] + '</i><br>'); // End --> </script><A HREF="http://home.pacific.net.sg/~timshen/devotional.htm">Add this Devotion to your site.</A>

<body bgcolor="#000080" onLoad="getMessage()"> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> <!-- // Copyright 1996 - Tomer and Yehuda Shiran // This example will appear in our forthcoming book on JavaScript. // Feel free to "steal" this code provided that you leave this notice as is. // Additional examples from the book can be found at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/9000/ // For more information contact Tomer or Yehuda Shiran <yshiran@iil.intel.com> function getMessage() { // create array of murphy laws var ar = new Array(40) ar[0] = "If you have an idea ask yourself if it is just a good idea but is it a GOD idea ? A GOD idea touches eternity and furthers the will of God in the earth." ar[1] = "All Word and you dry up. All Spirit, you blow up. Both together, you grow up!" ar[2] = "A family that prays together stays together." ar[3] = "It's a longer distance than from here to the sun to get from your head to your heart." ar[4] = "A merry heart does good like medicine. Take it regularly!" ar[5] = "You're far away from God ? Guess who moved ! God is always with us but are we always with Him ?" ar[6] = "We are not simply called to be saved ,but we are saved to be called to a high,holy and heavenly destination." ar[7] = "You are well qualified if You know Jesus. You have a BA (Born Again), an MA (Marvellously Altered) and a PhD ('Praise Him Daily' or is it 'Preaching, Healing & Deliverance'!)." ar[8] = "The middle word of obeDIEnce is DIE and the middle word of dIe is I. We must die to our own selfish ways and live in obedience to Him (out of love not obligation)." ar[9] = "Which part of the word GO don't we understand in the great commission ? It spells Get Out! Get out of our own little comfort zones and into the world." ar[10] = "I must decrease and He must increase - Christ in me, the hope of glory. If I get out of the way He can do the impossible! If I get in the way, i'm impossible!" ar[11] = "It's no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me and the life that I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20)." ar[12] = "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)." ar[13] = "I can do all things (in His will) through Christ who strengthens me. I can do nothing without Him that is of any eternal worth. Without Him i'm like and eagle without wings." ar[14] = "Where there are people there are problems. Where there is God there is grace. Where there are sinners there's a Saviour. Where there's a Saviour there are saints." ar[15] = "Grace is 'God's Riches At Christ's Expense'." ar[16] = "Grace is 'God's Resources And Corresponding Enabling'." ar[17] = "Faith is 'Forsaking All I Trust Him'." ar[18] = "Having stolen a Bicycle and being found out by the owner: Mercy is them saying 'I forgive you...' and grace is '..and you can keep the Bike'! Mercy is unmerited forgiveness. Grace is unmerited favour." ar[19] = "Look to the master's smile, not the crowd's applause!" ar[20] = "From the tower of Babel, we see man's way is IN (to a secure environment) and UP (in position and wealth). God's way however is DOWN (humility) and OUT (maybe that's why He loves the down and outs!)." ar[21] = "The captain of HMS Ambition saw a light ahead and concluded that the ships were going to crash. He sent a signal saying, this is HMS Ambition - get out of the way. The message came back,'This is a lighthouse!'" ar[22] = "There were two naughty brothers. The elder was taken to a pastor who looked sternly at him and said,'Where is God ?'. The boy flew out of the room and to his brother,'We're in big trouble. They've lost God and think we stole Him!" ar[23] = "Jesus is not coming to rapture a ruptured Church but to capture the heart of an enraptured Bride." ar[24] = "We can learn from Jesus when He took a whip into the temple courtyard to drive out all the money lenders. There was weeping before whipping. It was true zeal, not zeal without knowledge." ar[25] = "God looks for compassion not comparison. For us to be contagious Christians not contentious ones!" ar[26] = "The bigger your view of God, the smaller your view of the problems around." ar[27] = "Godly Religion produces cold stones. Godly Relationship leads to warm hearts." ar[28] = "God did not say,'Well done good and successful servant' but 'good and faithful servant'. There's a big difference." ar[29] = "Many of us know the phrase 'Be still and know that I am God'. But we rarely see what follows: 'I will be exalted among the nations' - this is a natural progression of us being still before Him!" ar[30] = "The light that shines farthest shines brightest nearest home." ar[31] = "'Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God' - William Carey." ar[32] = "'If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.'- C.T.Studd." ar[33] = "The church that does not evangelise will fossilise." ar[34] = "Give according to your income lest God make your income according to your giving!" ar[35] = "You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead." ar[36] = "We can give without loving but we cannot love without giving!" ar[37] = "Sympathy is no substitute for action." ar[38] = "The best remedy for a sick church is to put it on a missionary diet!" ar[39] = "Why should so few hear the Gospel again and again when so many have never heard it once ?" var now = new Date() var sec = now.getSeconds() alert("Inspirational Thought From Tim:\r" + ar[sec % 40]) } //--> </SCRIPT>