The Haven of Rest Ministries, Inc., of Anderson SC, is an organization established to reach out to people who are in need. Our society has an overwhelming problem with drug and alcohol addictions and this has created a frantic plea for help in our surrounding communities. Our goal is to see people who are suffering from any form of addiction, financial crisis, spiritual needs, and other life dominating problems brought into our doors and restored to a better life.
Monday, October 14, 2013
COUNT THE COST:
COUNT THE COST: “For which of you, desiring to
build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost...?"Lk12:48 wp.me/p29yfQ-xm
A FAITHFUL SPOUSE:
A FAITHFUL SPOUSE: "...the Lord is the
witness between you and the wife of your youth...." Mal2:13-15 wp.me/p29yfQ-xr #lovemyfamily
Thursday, October 10, 2013
WHO & WHY:
WHO & WHY: “But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession.."1Pt2:9-10 wp.me/p29yfQ-xi
A Species of Wonder
A Species of Wonder
by Charles R. Swindoll
Psalm 139:13–16
by Charles R. Swindoll
Psalm 139:13–16
David's song about the Lord's attributes includes a celebration
of human life, proof of God's creative genius.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well. (139:14)
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well. (139:14)
Isn't this true? We are a species of wonder. No one would argue
that the human body is a phenomenal combination of strength, beauty,
coordination, grace, and balance on the outside. But if you think the outside
is remarkable, just glance inside. Talk about something wonderful! Verse 15
describes our origin.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
We sometimes refer to our bodily shape as our "frame."
The original Hebrew term here means "bony substance" or
"skeleton." Our skeletons were not hidden from God when they were
made in secret . . . in the depths of the earth." This is
an idiomatic expression for a protected place, a concealed and safe place—as
one may hide his treasure by burying it. No doubt this "secret place"
is a reference to the womb. The Hebrew word translated "skillfully
wrought" literally means "variegated," like a multicolored piece
of cloth. Moses used the same Hebrew term in Exodus when he referred to the
making of the curtains in the ancient tabernacle. The idea is similar to an
embroidered piece of tapestry or a work of fine needlepoint. The picture must
include the concept of our veins and arteries, "embroidered" like
variegated threads within the body. God is that involved in the making of our
bodies. He is like a careful, skillful artist who takes great pain with each
color and stroke. Verse 15 paraphrased: "My skeleton and bones were not
hidden from You when I was made in that concealed place of protection, when my
veins and arteries were skillfully embroidered together in variegated colors
like fine needlepoint."
The truth of all this was brought home to me several years ago
in a conversation I had with a young man doing his medical internship. He was
studying to be a surgeon. He commented on the beautiful "color
scheme" God has placed within our inner bodies. He stated that there are
definite colors in our various organs, that the veins and arteries almost make
the inner network appear "variegated" in color. He smiled when I
informed him that David used those exact words in his song centuries ago.
David then caps off this series of thoughts with a statement
about God's sovereignty.
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. (139:16)
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. (139:16)
God's eyes were fixed upon my "unformed substance,"
says David. The Hebrew verb from which this descriptive statement is taken
means "to fold together, to wrap up." In its noun form it appears
only here in the Old Testament, and it means "embryo." In other
words, David is saying: "In my very first hours and days of life after
conception—when I was still wrapped up in embryonic form—God was watching over
me. He was never absent nor unconcerned."
Looking at life from God's vantage point, David says that our
heavenly Father marks out our days and "ordains" them even before we
are born. The original term translated "ordain" is often used in the
Old Testament in connection with a potter who forms clay on his wheel, shaping
and pressing and pulling at it until the lump takes the shape he has in mind.
God forms our days so that they are exactly the kind of days we should have to
become the kind of person He wants us to be. There is little room left for
insecurity once we understand His constant interest in our lives.
Sid Stewart
Executive Director
864 226-6193
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
God's Concept of Happiness
God's Concept of Happiness
1
Timothy 6:6 NIV
Godliness with contentment is great gain
The world's concept of happiness is getting what we want. All
merchandising is based on this idea. To really be happy, we need a flashier
car, a sexier cologne, or any number of items that are better, faster or easier
to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials, read the ads, and
pursue all the latest fashions, fads and fancy doodads. We buy into the lie
that we're not really happy until we get what we want.
God's concept of happiness is summed up in the simple proverb:
"Happy is the man who wants what he has." As long as you are focusing
on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate
what you already have, you'll begin to experience the joys of life. Paul wrote
to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV ).
Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful
life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly
Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible
repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really
want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you
don't have.
Prayer: Father, today I want to
seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will add to my
life all that I need.
God's Concept of Happiness
1
Timothy 6:6 NIV
Godliness with contentment is great gain
The world's concept of happiness is getting what we want. All
merchandising is based on this idea. To really be happy, we need a flashier
car, a sexier cologne, or any number of items that are better, faster or easier
to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials, read the ads, and
pursue all the latest fashions, fads and fancy doodads. We buy into the lie
that we're not really happy until we get what we want.
God's concept of happiness is summed up in the simple proverb:
"Happy is the man who wants what he has." As long as you are focusing
on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate
what you already have, you'll begin to experience the joys of life. Paul wrote
to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV ).
Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful
life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly
Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible
repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really
want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you
don't have.
Prayer: Father, today I want to
seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will add to my
life all that I need.
GOD OF TRUTH:
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