Character

Charles Stanley:

"God doesn't build character on ease, comfort, and pleasure. God builds character on pain, suffering, heartache, misunderstandings, tribulations, and trials."

The Worth Of A Soldier

Thomas Manton was a 17th century English Puritan clergyman. Manton once observed:

"The worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace."

Manton's observation squares fully with the words of Peter which we find in 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NKJV):

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

John MacArthur's NKJV study notes on 1 Peter 4:12 tell us that four attitudes are necessary in order to be triumphant in times of trial or persecution: 1) Expect it; 2) Rejoice in it; 3) Evaluate its cause; and 4) Entrust it to God.

God, in His own divine will and sovereignty, is allowing your own personal trial to take place. It may be to measure your faith, or to strengthen it, or to teach you humility, or to allow you to be able to comfort others, or for any other number of reasons that He may have.

Trials are battles. Battles make up wars. If the worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace, then the worth of a Christian is never known until times of trial.

1611 King James Version Bible

I recently purchased a 400th Anniversary Edition of the 1611 King James Version Bible. The edition is "an exact, page-by-page, digitally remastered replica of the original printing" and features "the beauty of the original classic typeface and decorative initials."

The introduction to the 400th Anniversary Edition tells us that "an estimated 20 different print shops in London worked on the production of the first printing of the King James Version of the Bible. The task facing these master printers in 1611 was enormous. Unlike the high-speed computerized typesetting of today, all type had to be set by hand, letter by letter and piece by piece. With care they sey each letter, number and punctuation mark into place. The painstakingly slow process of assembling 1,505 pages of type took the better part of a year."

It's fascinating to read many familiar Bible verses in the old English of 1611. Matthew 11:28-30, for example, reads:

"Come unto me all yee that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learne of me, for I am meeke and lowly in heart: and yee shall find rest unto your soules. For my yoke is easie, and my burden is light."

By the way, did William Shakespeare assist in the publication of the 1611 King James Version of the Bible? It's a question that has been around for 400 years. Psalm 46:3 features the word "shake" in it, exactly 46 words in from the beginning of the chapter, and then six verses later, in Psalm 46:9, is the word "speare", exactly 46 words from the end of the chapter. 1611 also would have been just one year removed from Shakespeare's 46th birthday. Is this all merely a coincidence, or did William Shakespeare leave his secret mark on the 1611 KJV? We'll probably never really know for sure, but it's fascinating to ponder.

A Living Vs. A Life

Winston Churchill:

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Jesus Christ (in Matthew 20:28):

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve ...."

Are you getting ... or are you giving?

Are you being served ... or are you serving?

Giving of yourself + Serving others = Being Christ-like

A New President In Peru

The voters of Peru have elected a new president. Anytime that there is a change in administration, be it in Peru or anywhere else in the world, there are always some people who applaud it and some people who berate it.

The apostle Paul, however, has a message for everyone in Peru as a new president prepares to take office, and the apostle Paul's message for Peruvians - and for the rest of us, too - can be found in Romans 13:1 (NKJV):

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

Be subject to the governing authorities. Whether you voted for them or not. They have been appointed by God.

Prepare To Give All

Today is June 6, and it is the 67th anniversary of D-Day, the event that was the beginning of the end of World War II. Nearly 200,000 Allied troops stormed the coast of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, and there were approximately 10,000 casualties. Freedom always comes at a heavy price.

As Allied troops were storming the beaches at Normandy 67 years ago, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt told his nation, "If we will not prepare to give all that we have and all that we are to preserve Christian civilization in our land, we shall go to destruction."

FDR's message is as true today as it was in 1944, and it pertains not only to the USA, but to any nation anywhere in the world.

Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV) says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

To any people.

Anywhere.

Prepare to give all that you have and all that you are to bring righteousness to your nation.

Wherever you are in this world.