Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Have you ever competed in track? Do you remember running in a race and seeing someone caught running out of his lane? Was that person disqualified? That’s what happens when one runs aimlessly.
Here’s a link to Roger Lipe’s Daily Devotion for Competitors.
| Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. |
| Psalm 34:8 (Read all of Psalm 34:8) New International Version |
By Rick Warren
“Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do” (Ephesians 5:15 Phillips).
Responsibility.
Responsibility is your ability to respond to life. It’s what makes you human — and it’s a gift from God. Much of your life hasn’t been in your control. You didn’t choose where you would be born. You didn’t choose who your parents would be. You didn’t choose how your parents would raise you. You didn’t choose the unique gifts and talents you would bring into the world.
Responsibility is how you handle everything else. God has given you the freedom to respond to what comes your way. How you respond to what life throws at you impacts your life more than any other factor.
In fact, in many ways, life is a test of how we handle responsibility. We spend only a fraction of our lives on this side of eternity. God doesn’t care about our achievements while we’re here on this earth. He cares about our character.
Our lives today are mere warm-up acts for what’s to come. God is testing your responsibility for what’s going to happen later on. God put you on this earth primarily for two reasons: to know him personally and to develop character.
In the past three to four decades, we’ve seen a steep decrease in responsibility throughout our culture. Many in our world live by the motto, “I’m not responsible for anything. It’s not my fault.”
That view is in stark contract with what the Bible says: “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do” (Ephesians 5:15 Phillips).
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you know that he is the one who gives meaning in this life. You can live responsibly because you know you’re a steward of the life you’ve been given. Responsible people make the most of the life they’ve been given.
How will you use the life you’ve been given?
Talk It Over
Illinois lawmakers are finally catching on that it is a problem when high school grads enroll in well-funded universities, meaning those outside of Illinois. The bright young people don’t come back to Illinois to energize this workforce or pay taxes.
Here’s a link to the editorial at the Belleville News Democrat.
Crowds poured into Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. In addition to the sacrifices and observances, people sought to renew friendships with those from other regions and marveled at the grand scale of the temple. At this particular Passover, a new excitement stirred the masses. Many heard the stories of incredible miracles performed by Jesus and felt He was the one who would free them from the bondage of Roman rule.
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13).
Many of the people in the crowd that welcomed Jesus that day turned against Him and joined the call for His crucifixion. However, a group of Jesus’ followers stayed true to Him. After the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and infilling of the Holy Spirit, they faithfully proclaimed the good news.
Thought for Today: Jesus wants to be welcomed as Lord and Savior by everyone.
| Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. |
| Deuteronomy 6:5 (Read all of Deuteronomy 6:5) New International Version |
| Can I Be Sure I’ll Get into Heaven? | |||||||||
| By By Rick Warren — June 8, 2018 | |||||||||
“Those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me have eternal life. They will not be judged” (John 5:24 GNT). Jesus’ death and Resurrection release us from judgment. You may imagine a day of judgment where you’re standing outside the gates of heaven in a really, really long line, and you’re slowly moving forward, one step at a time. As you get closer, you start to sweat and wonder, “Am I going to get in? Am I going to make it? Is God going to use a giant TV screen to show every dumb or evil thing I’ve ever done? Will my every sin be exposed?” I have good news for you; it’s a promise of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in John 3:18 that those who believe in Jesus — his death and Resurrection — will not be judged. Here’s the real picture: You’re standing in line waiting for the judgment. Jesus sees you and says, “I know you. We’ve been friends for years. You put your trust in me one year during Easter. Come with me. Get in the express lane. You get the fast track. You get to bypass the judgment.” Is that good news? Oh, yeah! I have a friend named Buddy who said that, when he was a little kid, his Sunday school teacher taught him that God was sitting in heaven, writing down every bad thing that Buddy ever did. She actually made the class sing a song every week that went, “My Lord is writing all the time. Writing, writing, writing all the time.” Buddy said, “It scared me. I just thought, ‘I’m never going to make it to heaven. My list is getting longer and longer.’” Is that the way God treats us when we come and put our faith in Christ? No! In fact, God is erasing, erasing, erasing all the time. Forgiving, forgiving, forgiving all the time. He’s sitting in heaven, hitting the “delete” button. Why? Because the Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:8 NIV) and love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV). If you put your trust in the love of Jesus Christ, your sins are wiped out. “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT).PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
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A fourth member of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s inner circle is now the subject of allegations involving inappropriate behavior at the workplace.
Here’s a link to the editorial at Illinois News Network.
| “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” |
| Matthew 5:13-16 (Read all of Matthew 5:13-16) New International Version |
By Rick Warren
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV).
One of the major causes of stress comes from trying to be somebody you’re not. When you are fearful that someone’s going to find out what you’re really like and that you might not be able to keep up the façade, it causes stress.
The only way you can counterbalance outside external pressures is to have an internal sense of satisfaction about who you are and who God made you to be. You discover who you are by knowing whose you are.
The Bible says that you were created by God. You are deeply loved by him. You are accepted as you are. He has a plan for your life. Until you settle this issue of identity, you will be insecure and you will be pressured by stress. You cannot serve other people until you settle this issue.
Jesus constantly did things that surprised everybody else. He put himself below others and served them. None of the disciples would have ever thought to wash each other’s feet in the Upper Room because of their insecurity. But Jesus always served from a position of strength. He knew who and whose he was, so it didn’t matter that he lowered himself to serve them.
Service comes from self-esteem. Until you overcome your insecurity and feel good about yourself, you won’t feel like helping anyone else. Be secure in who you are and whose you are so that you can effectively serve others.
