From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:33:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:33:00 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-21-08 Our brightest hopes --Matthew 1:25 Message-ID: <4933CB73.3060307@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*I'm not a woman, and so I cannot speak from experience, but I will offer this word from scripture for you women, especially you single moms. When the economy of Israel collapsed, and death from thirst and starvation was commonplace, where did God send his servant Elijah? To a single mom. God commanded a single mom who had despaired of life itself to feed his number one prophet. Why would God do that? The answer is really simple. God doesn't typically hob nob with the rich and famous. Instead, He hangs out with those who have nothing left. He hasn't forgotten you. The prayer you can scarcely pray; God will answer that and much more. But remember this: the answer often comes in a way you don't expect.*/ /*... she gave birth to a son ... --Matthew 1:25*/ This has become a special day for me because thirteen years ago my son Alan was born. It was the shortest day of the year, but one of the longest days of my life. I woke up early, went to work, drove to Chicago and back (over 300 miles), got permanently laid off from my job, came home, drove my wife to the hospital, and, by the end of the day, my namesake, Dwight Alan Clough, Jr., was a little baby wrapped up in a blanket. He seemed so fragile and small. During labor my wife's blood pressure spiked at 197/127 then dropped to 60/40. Meanwhile, I had lost my job on the darkest cold day of the year. But that little six pound baby somehow hung on and grew. The doctor said my wife could never safely deliver another child, but two and a half years later God gave us our little Sally. My job was gone. Unemployment paid me for a month and then refused to pay any more. But God provided a living and we made it through. Alan has my name, but he has much more than I could ever give him. He has a people savvy that can only be a gift from God because he certainly didn't get it from me. He is naturally street wise and sizes up situations better than some people twice his age. We call him our future millionaire because at age five he was watching the Nightly Business Report, and he told us his goal was to own fifty Taco Bell restaurants. What's the point? The point is that good life sometimes flourishes on doubtful soil. The point is that God specializes in taking our darkest hours and drawing out of them our brightest hopes. Who could have guessed that the hope of the whole world could be found wrapped in cloth lying in a box over a bed of hay! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:33:32 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:33:32 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-22-08 Childbirth -- Luke 2:3 Message-ID: <4933CB97.9090908@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Doubt seldom rushes in all at once. Rather it erodes our confidence little by little. The voices that say, "You'll never get out of this. God has forgotten you. God no longer answers your prayers ..." -- these voices gather strength over time. You may have been out of work for months. You may be suffering your twentieth business failure. But God has not put you on the shelf. Every time you fall, you learn something and you get stronger. You are a member of God's army, spiritually speaking. Don't be surprised if things get tough. Twice in my life, I've worked for an entire year without making any money. I've had more business failures than even I can keep track of. I've probably made more mistakes than any two other people. But I'm not going to quit. And neither should you. The only thing hardship can do is make us stronger. So rejoice! We're all getting closer to the breakthrough we've been praying for.*/ /*And everyone went to his own town to register. -- Luke 2:3*/ Not long after I got married, I was initiated into the world of childbirth stories. You women have probably heard them all your lives, but this was a new thing for me, as a man. One of our friends described the whole ordeal -- getting packed, timing the contractions, driving to the hospital, trying to remember how to breathe. The contractions got worse, it was the middle of the night, and she was tired. Finally, she said to her husband, "I don't want to do this any more. Let's go home." In Luke chapter 2, the people of God are sent scurrying around to get counted and taxed. Yet another unwelcome Roman intrusion into their lives. Like our friend, they probably just wanted to go home. But they couldn't. Whether they realized it or not, the whole nation was in labor, about to give birth to their Messiah. It seems to me that labor has begun once again. God is getting us ready for something new. Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:34:05 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:34:05 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-23-08 Always on the move -- Luke 2:4 Message-ID: <4933CBB8.2070305@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Remember 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." Jesus walked through the valley of poverty and emerged with unimaginable wealth. Your journey through hard times is not in vain, my friend. God didn't get confused and put you in the wrong place. You are a son or a daughter of God. You will emerge on the other side. */ /*So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem... -- Luke 2:4*/ Like migrant workers, Joseph and Mary seem always on the move. Mary travels to Judea, stays with Elizabeth, then returns to Galilee. The Romans tell Joseph that he and very expectant Mary must make a difficult journey. They try to settle down in Bethlehem, but a power-mad king drives them away to Egypt. Yet Egypt isn't home, so they head back to Judea, and change their destination mid-route - ending up in Galilee. When the story picks up again, Jesus is twelve, and, once again, they are traveling. Roman oppression and gossipy prejudice accounted for most of these migrations. These relocations could seem arbitrary, but they aren't. Every time, without realizing it, they hit the bullseye of God's perfect plan. When we seem in the grip of forces we cannot control, let's remember that stronger arms are at work, and God will not let something so small as a power-mad king -- or, for that matter, all the legions of hell -- meddle with His perfectly crafted plan. Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:34:40 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:34:40 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-24-08 God remembers -- Luke 2:4 Message-ID: <4933CBD2.2040704@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*2 Corinthians 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." Some people say that this means all Christians should have fat bank accounts. While I would certainly like to see Christians with fat bank accounts who can use their financial wealth to bring good into our world, I think God has in mind much more. We approach our financial struggles from a position of wealth. Do we lack wisdom? The best financial adviser in the universe is just a breath away. Do we need ideas? He has plenty. Do we need courage? The same God who walked into battle with David against Goliath walks beside us. Do we need strength? Samson's God is our God. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ. That's why -- when everyone around us says the situation is impossible -- we dare to hope and believe in the God who still does the impossible through ordinary, mistake-making people like us.*/ /*... he [Joseph] belonged to the house and line of David. -- Luke 2:4*/ God promised David that his dynasty would last forever. Four centuries later, the last remnants of David's kingdom were torn from the hands of Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. By the time Joseph and Mary appear on the scene, David is nothing more than a forgotten folk hero of an oppressed minority group. He is extinct as far as the ruling Romans are concerned. It seemed like God's promises had failed. But God has a better memory than you or I have. Even after we have forgotten all of God's promises, He still remembers. What seems dead or dormant is still very much alive to Him. God hasn't forgotten His promises and He hasn't forgotten you! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:35:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:35:02 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-25-08 Merry Christmas! -- Luke 2:10 Message-ID: <4933CBF1.8040201@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*You will walk through valleys, but you that doesn't mean you were designed to stay there for ever. Your struggles are temporary. They don't define you. Rather you define them. You are not poor; you are rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). How does a rich person deal with a financial crisis? He or she gathers a group of advisers, identifies an opportunity and goes after it. As long as there are people with needs, there will never be a shortage of opportunities. Go and bring hope to a discouraged world.*/ /*But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy ..." -- Luke 2:10*/ This story has become a Discoveries Christmas tradition. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! I remember my first Santa Claus doubts. How could a fat man get down a skinny chimney, not just at our house, but at the houses of little boys and girls all over the world? I mean there must be hundreds. Then came the fateful day when I learned the Truth. Two truths, in fact. My mother was cleaning something in the living room and she said, "You know the Easter Bunny is just make believe." That didn't bother me. The Easter Bunny always hid the baskets behind the TV. He was expendable. Then she added, "You know, make believe, just like Santa Claus." I nodded like I had known all along. But inside this revelation hurt. I wanted to believe that somewhere there was someone who cared enough about me to find out just what I wanted and to risk getting stuck in the chimney to bring it to me. I missed Santa Claus. He had been a good friend. I think my dad missed Santa Claus too. Now he had to take the place of the man from the North Pole. And my dad's sack of toys wasn't as big as he wanted it to be. Every December he sat us down and delivered the sad news. "I'm afraid there won't be much of a Christmas this year," he told us. "We just don't have the money." I felt for him. I wanted to tell him it was okay. "We don't have the money," he said and so my brother and I prepared ourselves to face the sparse holiday my father had predicted. Yet, on the morning of the 25th, we came downstairs to find our stockings stuffed and the floor beneath the tree littered with presents. Santa slipped out of my life, and, as I grew older, a chilling realization slipped in -- one that haunts me even to this day. In every city and scattered across the country, little ones, with hearts full of hope, hang up their stockings with care. But the man in red flies by their homes without stopping. In the morning their stockings look no different than they did the night before. These children don't need to be told that there is no Santa Claus. They find out quite on their own. Now I'm a dad. My little girl never heard of Santa Claus until one of the neighbors told her. And, at bedtime, she doesn't ask me to tell her about a man with toys and eight reindeer. Instead she says, "Tell me about when Jesus was born." She knows the story well, but she asks me to tell it to her just the same. I start with the decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. I tell her that Joseph and Mary had to walk a long time. And when they got to Bethlehem, no place was found for them to stay. My daughter and I ponder that in the silence of our own thoughts. I suppose she thinks of how it would be to never find a McDonald's with a Playland and how it would be to ride on a donkey without a car seat. But I think of Joseph. There he was, pushed out of his home by a senseless decree from a Roman emperor. He comes to the town that is rightfully his own, but no one greets him. No one takes him in. Worried, he asks around for a midwife and a dry, warm, comfortable bed for Mary. "Sorry," people say. "Sorry, we can't help you." In the end, he takes shelter in a barn. And all he can offer the one he loves is a wool blanket and some straw. I feel for him. Then my mind goes back to my dad. I see him there at the kitchen table, sifting through a stack of bills, wondering where he will get the money to buy toys for his children. And for the little ones everywhere whose stockings are empty, I hurt. I wish I could shower gifts on them all. And I wonder, Where is the outrage from heaven? My daughter tugs at my arm. "Tell me the rest of the story, Daddy." We switch to the hills around Bethlehem. "On the night Jesus was born," I tell her, "in the hills, the sheep were sleeping -- sleeping away. 'Baaa. Baaaa.' They were dreaming sheep dreams. The shepherds were there, watching over their sheep. "All of a sudden, an angel appeared to the shepherds! They were afraid. "But the angel said, 'Do not be afraid.'" My daughter always smiles when I tell her this. "The angel said, 'I bring you good news of great joy. For tonight unto you in the city of David is born a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you: You will find the baby lying in a manger.' "And suddenly, all across the sky, the night was bright with angels. And they were singing, 'Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace, goodwill to men.'" My little girl's eyes get big as we look at the bedroom ceiling together. And I wonder to myself, Can she see what my eyes cannot? Can she see the heavens filled with angels? What would it be like to see the heavens open? I ask myself. But, though I try, I can see no vision of angels. Instead of angels, I see a man. But he's not in a shepherd's field; he's in a hospital room. And he's not singing. He's dancing, holding his newborn daughter in his arms, filled with emotions he could never put into words. I see him there, spinning and twirling, and I realize that man is me. "Daddy, tell me the rest of the story." The reason for the angels' visit begins to make sense. So, tonight, I change the story. "What do you suppose those shepherds saw when they came to the barn where Jesus was born? Do you think they saw Joseph out in front, dancing under the stars?" "Daddy, you are silly. They saw the baby Jesus lying in a manger." Oh, yes. I sit there for a long time while my daughter falls asleep and dreams of angels. I sit there and think about those words from heaven: "Do not be afraid." And, suddenly, I want to rush back through the years and talk to a little boy who grew up to be a daddy himself and say, "Have you seen the angels? Have you heard their song? Did you know that Jesus is here?" And then I want to stop at a kitchen table and speak to my tired and discouraged dad. "Do not be afraid. What you cannot give has been given for you." And I want to swoop down chimneys everywhere with angels at my side and bring the good news to every little one whose heart was filled with hope. "Do not be afraid. The heavens have opened for you. The angels are here for you. Immanuel has come. Do not be afraid." If I could, I'd bear presents to them all. Not because I think the trinkets I can give will satisfy Christmas needs. Instead, I'd bring gifts as tokens of a giving, caring God. And I'd pray that when the children finally unwrapped the paper, they'd find not a doll nor a toy truck, but rather a tiny baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The next morning, my wife and I are busy in the kitchen. Company is coming. Our little girl is talking to her dollies and her stuffed animals, saying this and that. We don't pay much attention, glad to have a few minutes to straighten the house and make a meal. All at once we are arrested by her words: "Do not be afraid. For I bring you good news of great joy." Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:35:30 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:35:30 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-26-08 You never know -- Luke 2:5 Message-ID: <4933CC0D.9020806@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Proverbs 19:4 says, "Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend [note the singular] deserts him." Financial struggle can be a lonely journey. Let me encourage you. I know the truth. I know that you work hard. I know that you make mistakes; yet all of us make mistakes. Even the wealthiest make mistakes. I know that you're smart. I know that it isn't your fault -- and, even if it were, who among us is exempt from blame for something? I also know that God has not deserted you even if your friends have. Keep the faith dear brother, dear sister. God still believes in you.*/ /*He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. -- Luke 2:5*/ I never noticed this before, but I have a question for you: Did Mary need to make the trip? Were they officially married? Could she have stayed home with her parents? Or, now that she was pregnant, did she get kicked out of her home? What kind of rejection did she put up with? Was Joseph the only one who would take her in? They didn't seem to be in any hurry to return to Nazareth -- it looks like they spent the next two years in Bethlehem and then they took off to Egypt. Here's the point. Look around you. You and I never know what kind of struggles other people are wrestling with. How many people around us are putting on a brave face, but inside are in turmoil? May the God who has accepted us grant us the heart we need to accept others around us, even the "fringe" people whose eccentricities may make us feel uncomfortable. And rejoice with me! God knows all about us, and yet He calls us family. I'm glad you are part of our family, my brothers and sisters! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Fri Dec 26 21:54:42 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:54:42 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-26-08 You never know -- Luke 2:5 References: <4933CC0D.9020806@dwightclough.com> Message-ID: <6F2997CF13064F2F9C9C1E466F9DC686@jp0123b4a18bb2> Thank you Bro. Dwight...nice to know you are my brother in the Lord....wonderful family and great to continually meet new members of it...I am encouraged. June ----- Original Message ----- From: Inspiration in Your Inbox To: Inspiration in Your Inbox Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 6:35 AM Subject: [Discoveries] 12-26-08 You never know -- Luke 2:5 For those struggling financially ... Proverbs 19:4 says, "Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend [note the singular] deserts him." Financial struggle can be a lonely journey. Let me encourage you. I know the truth. I know that you work hard. I know that you make mistakes; yet all of us make mistakes. Even the wealthiest make mistakes. I know that you're smart. I know that it isn't your fault - and, even if it were, who among us is exempt from blame for something? I also know that God has not deserted you even if your friends have. Keep the faith dear brother, dear sister. God still believes in you. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. -- Luke 2:5 I never noticed this before, but I have a question for you: Did Mary need to make the trip? Were they officially married? Could she have stayed home with her parents? Or, now that she was pregnant, did she get kicked out of her home? What kind of rejection did she put up with? Was Joseph the only one who would take her in? They didn't seem to be in any hurry to return to Nazareth -- it looks like they spent the next two years in Bethlehem and then they took off to Egypt. Here's the point. Look around you. You and I never know what kind of struggles other people are wrestling with. How many people around us are putting on a brave face, but inside are in turmoil? May the God who has accepted us grant us the heart we need to accept others around us, even the "fringe" people whose eccentricities may make us feel uncomfortable. And rejoice with me! God knows all about us, and yet He calls us family. I'm glad you are part of our family, my brothers and sisters! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional - Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit www.DwightClough.com for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to DwightClough.com is included. Change your subscription: http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Discoveries mailing list Discoveries at dwightclough.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.0/1865 - Release Date: 12/26/2008 1:01 PM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:35:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:35:57 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-27-08 Quietness -- Luke 2:6-7 Message-ID: <4933CC27.1090301@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*We all wish for quick fixes. But I remember something Rick Warren wrote in one of his books: "When God makes a mushroom, He takes a day. When He makes an oak, He takes a hundred years." There aren't any shortcuts. While, yes, there are legitimate ways to make $20,000 or more in a day, sometimes those doors are closed to us for one reason or another. Sometimes, we just need to slug it out. Let me encourage you not to resent the journey. If a pile of money could accomplish God's purposes in you, there's nothing stopping God from dropping a pile of money on your head. (And He may do it!) But God is also interested in the things money can't buy, and He wants you to have that abundance as well.*/ /*While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. -- Luke 2:6-7*/ In the 2002 movie, /The Count of Monte Cristo,/ the count makes a spectacular appearance to the elite social circle of his day. He arrives in a hot air balloon, complete with fireworks, dancers, dozens of servants -- all the fanfare you could imagine. By contrast, the first appearance of Jesus seems like an entry of stealth. Tucked away in a Judean village, in a cave or a stable, a traveling Jewish woman stops to give birth to a baby. It seems out of place. But Jesus' birth became a metaphor for His whole life. Years later, Pilate couldn't understand why Jesus didn't vigorously defend Himself. It didn't occur to Jesus to bother. He knew that He had no lasting place in this world, until He returns to take possession of everything that is rightfully His. Today Jesus is being born into the lives of people all over the world. Again, His entry is mostly unpublished, unrecognized, quiet. Quiet. Sort of like the Joshua's first six trips around Jericho. Someday the trumpet will sound! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:36:24 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:36:24 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-28-08 Center stage -- Luke 2:7 Message-ID: <4933CC42.8030302@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*David refused Saul's armor, but instead defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. There's wisdom in that. David was accustomed to a sling and a stone. He had experience with it. All of your past successes -- and failures -- are part of the package of experience God has put together in your life to empower you to slay the Goliath that is troubling you. Draw on that experience, and ask the Lord how He wants to put it to work for you today.*/ /*... there was no room for them in the inn. -- Luke 2:7*/ In our high school, the National Honor Society picked the graduating class speaker. I went to the meeting confident that I had a good chance of being elected. I was one of the best debaters and competitive public speakers in the state, and I was well known in student government. I walked into the room confident. But from the middle of the room boomed the voice of one of my fellow students. "Dwight Clough," she said, "I don't like the way you speak." All eyes turned to me, but I was caught completely off guard. I was speechless. The ploy worked. I was defeated, and her candidate was quickly elected. We live in a world where most people try to elbow their way to the front of the line. This same world tried to throw Jesus away before He was even born. But He arrived anyway. I'm struck by how unobtrusive Jesus is. I think of my grandmother who loved to put a tray of cake and coffee in the lap of her guests, and then fade into the background, letting someone else take center stage. Like my grandmother, Jesus won't take center stage, unless we give it to Him. May He have center stage in our lives today! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:37:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:37:02 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-29-08 Do not be afraid -- Luke 2:8-10 Message-ID: <4933CC69.1010805@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Never stop helping other people. No matter how destitute you become, God will show you a way to enrich someone else. After Hurricane Katrina, I had the honor of serving some of the people of the state of Mississippi. I arrived at Waveland, Mississippi a few days after the hurricane. We set up shop in the parking lot of a K-Mart. Right next to us was a field hospital surrounded by rolls of razor wire and a pile of cars bulldozed together. The people we met had lost everything. For most of them, their uninsured houses were wiped clean off the face of the earth without a trace remaining. They were hungry, dazed, tired, sleeping in the streets. Yet, from them I learned the meaning of real wealth. If they had two bottles of water, they offered me one. If all they had left was a smile, then it was given away freely. I went away feeling indebted to them, rather than the other way around. Even on the cross, Jesus, stripped of everything, offered eternal life.*/ /*And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid..." -- Luke 2:8-10*/ I don't know about you, but I think I would have been terrified also. Without too much trouble, an angel put to death 185,000 Assyrian soldiers one night when a king got a little too uppity about the God of Judah. I heard a story once about an angel, sword in hand, who showed up in a bar down in Mexico to inform a certain man that he needed to give a certain widow the money he owed her. That would sober me up. We may have all kinds of reasons to be afraid, but here in this shepherd's pasture, God skips over them, and assures us that terrifying us is not on His agenda. One night I had a dream that heaven was opening, and I knew at any moment I would see God. I thought I would be scared witless. But I wasn't. Instead, I was filled with an awe I cannot describe. It would be something like seeing a thousand Grand Canyons all in one moment. I hang on to stuff like this. To me, one of God's greatest gifts has been the words, "Do not be afraid ..." Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:37:38 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:37:38 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-30-08 The manger -- Luke 2:7 Message-ID: <4933CC89.1070701@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Enjoy the adventure. You don't have war stories without a war. */ /*She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. -- Luke 2:7*/ They didn't have a cradle. They didn't have a crib. They didn't have expensive baby clothes. But what they did have, they gave. What is a manger? It is nothing by itself. Yet, given to Christ, it has become a powerful message that has rocked every generation for centuries. God transforms plain things into works of wonder. A picnic lunch became a miracle meal. A jar of oil became an investment property. What do we have? Our homes might not be spotless, our cars might not be fancy. It may seem like we have nothing to give but the plainest of gifts. But let's not hold back! Let us give what we have to Christ. Our plain gifts, every one of them, is an opportunity for God to work wonders. Who knows what He might do! May He show up for you! Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Dec 1 06:38:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:38:00 -0000 Subject: [Discoveries] 12-31-08 Treasures -- Luke 2:19 Message-ID: <4933CCA2.8080702@dwightclough.com> /*For those struggling financially ...*/ /*Tomorrow is a new year. That's a reminder for all of us. God's mercies are new in the morning. The past matters, but it doesn't control the future. Maybe 2008 was a tough year, but God is alive and well. 2009 hands us new opportunities, and the world will be different because of what we do with them. ... Throughout this month I've enjoyed providing these words of encouragement for you who are facing financial challenges. I pray that you will discover riches you never even knew existed, and that 2009 will be a wonderful prosperous year for you. Many blessings!*/ /*But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. -- Luke 2:19*/ What are you treasuring? What is buried deep in your soul? I think about a four year old boy, sitting in a farmhouse kitchen, warming up near the cook stove, eating homemade toast with a thick layer of sugar on the top, while Grandma rolled out lefse and prayed in Norwegian. I think of a young man, a bit shy, posing for a snapshot next to a young woman with a beautiful smile. I think of five words written on a yellow piece of paper folded over, carried in a wallet, unfolded and read again and again: "I love you very much." I think of a new baby girl being carried by her daddy for the first time, looking up with wide eyes, wondering, I suppose, what sort of daddy he would be. I try to tell God how very grateful I am for life. I don't exactly know how to do it, but I try. Be encouraged! Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the supernatural happens. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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