From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:37:35 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:37:35 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-01-08 A vision of the Almighty -- Isaiah 6:1 Message-ID: <477A6C4F.3050804@dwightclough.com> /*In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord ... -- Isaiah 6:1*/ King Uzziah pushed and bullied his way into the temple (2 Chronicles 26) to demand an audience with God. Uzziah's leprosy was a lingering reminder that God declined the interview. But God showed Himself to Isaiah. You could say the purpose was to give Isaiah his commission. But it was more than that. The words of Isaiah ring out with a kind of clarity that only comes when someone has had a vision of the Almighty. During Isaiah's lifetime, the boot of Assyria fell on the neck of Israel. But Isaiah correctly saw beyond decline and defeat -- he saw God, Maker and Ruler of all. I believe God wants us to see beyond decline and defeat -- our own, and that of others around us. I believe God wants us to lift up our heads and see the God who never runs out of options, whose well of joy never runs dry, who does His best work when everything seems impossible. May God enable us to see. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:38:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:38:02 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-02-08 God doesn't quit -- Psalm 103:3 Message-ID: <477A6C6A.8080902@dwightclough.com> /*[God] forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. -- Psalm 103:3*/ We often focus on the terrible price Jesus paid so that our sins might be forgiven. This is important, but I think the Lord also wants us to see how much He values His children. This is the point of the story of the Prodigal Son. The father puts the best robe on his wayward son and puts a ring of authority on his finger. God is in the business of reversing the effects of human sin. All of us have made terrible choices. But our bad choices are being swept away by the tide of God's grace. The fall and the curse touch each of us. But the story doesn't end there. God is at work. When you fall, or when you find a brother who has fallen, don't just look at the sin. Look at the God who is bigger and smarter and stronger than sin. And when you suffer, or when a loved one suffers, don't just look at the pain. Look to Jesus who understands pain and triumphed over it. It takes a lifetime to understand verses like this, but know this: God doesn't quit until every one of His children rests in His healing and in His forgiveness. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:38:36 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:38:36 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-03-08 A better life -- Psalm 103:4 Message-ID: <477A6C8C.9050201@dwightclough.com> /*[God] redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. -- Psalm 103:4*/ This, of course, is what we are trying to do with our lives. We are trying to find some noble purpose, some worthy cause to live and die for. We are looking for a better life. The better life that so often eludes us has not eluded God. We may be chasing rainbows, but God owns the pot of gold. To the person next to you, you might just be another person making widgets or answering the phone. But to God your life has eternal value. God doesn't lavish His love on that which is unimportant. The point of your life may be lost on you, but it isn't lost on God. Remember that God redeems our life FROM the pit. He goes down into the pit and pulls us out. He knows how to find you and how to fix your life. That is His plan for you. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:39:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:39:02 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-04-08 What God does with our evil desires -- Psalm 103:5 Message-ID: <477A6CA6.6090608@dwightclough.com> /*[God] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. -- Psalm 103:5*/ A little desire snuck into the back of my mind. It was an evil desire, but it tasted good to me. Wanting to be a good Christian, I knew, of course, that I couldn't allow it in my mind. I tried to ignore it and and move on with other thoughts. But the Lord stopped me. "Why did you desire that?" He asked me. I wanted to squirm out of it. I was talking and praying with my wife, and to really deal with this, I'd have to admit to her what I was thinking. Yuck. But, as you can guess, I didn't squirm away. I had to lay things out on the table. So Kim and I prayed about this evil desire and explored what was behind it. As we were praying through this, we came across a place in my heart where the enemy had some kind of foothold. We turned that over to the Lord, and, of course, He broke the enemy's power in my life, and that evil desire was replace by the Lord's peace and calm. There is something driving every evil desire. God knows what that something is. He wants to find it and take care of it, so the enemy cannot make us hungry for things we cannot eat. This is one big difference between the evil one and God. The enemy gives us evil desires and doesn't care whether they are fulfilled or not. God finds all our desires -- good and evil -- and satisfies them with good. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:39:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:39:31 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-05-08 Justice -- Psalm 103:6 Message-ID: <477A6CC3.7000804@dwightclough.com> /*The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. -- Psalm 103:6*/ I need this verse. I need to know that God has an answer to the Holocaust. I need to know that God has an answer for the families of the 100 million Christians who lost their lives for their faith during the 20th Century. I need to know that God will stand up and make things right for ALL the oppressed, not just the ones who agree with my theology. How is God going to do this? I don't know. I don't pretend to know. I just know that the word of God cannot be broken, and God will do what He says He will do. Some day the prayers of God's saints will be hurled upon this earth. God has not forgotten the cries of His people who look to Him for righteousness and justice. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Jan 1 11:40:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:40:00 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-06-08 Ways and deeds -- Psalm 103:7 Message-ID: <477A6CE0.4070201@dwightclough.com> /*He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. -- Psalm 103:7*/ God meets us with both ways and deeds -- explanation and with experience. Both are needed. Explanation without experience doesn't hold up in the real world. Wind and waves don't listen to explanations. Giants don't fall with explanations. Dead don't rise with explanations. But experience without explanation invites in every kind of false god and every kind of confusion. God wants us to know who He really is. I briefly dated an identical twin when I was in college. She told me about young men who had called for a date. When she asked which twin the young man was calling for, he said, "It doesn't matter. They both look the same." What an insult! They knew very well that they were different, and if the young man didn't want to take the time to discover something about their distinct personalities before inviting one of them out, he need not have bothered calling. God will show up in our experiences, but keep in mind that the enemy will too. But let them explain themselves and we will discover a world of difference. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:04:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:04:31 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-07-08 An open invitation -- Psalm 103:8 Message-ID: <4780372F.7020808@dwightclough.com> /*The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. -- Psalm 103:8*/ For most of my life, I have not been slow to anger. If someone insulted me, I have been quick to anger, quick to take offense. Thankfully, the Lord has been working in me, and His character is more and more taking the place of my old defensiveness. The LORD is slow to anger. What does this mean in practical terms? It means that we can run to God with all our faults. God's patience is an open invitation for us to receive the renewal that we need. Do you like to sin? You can come to God. He will reason with you. He will show you a better way -- and you will be convinced deep down inside that what He has to offer is superior, more satisfying, a better deal. Do you feel so torn up with guilt and shame that you dare not lift your head? You can come to God. He will receive you and bring the cleansing that you need. Is your heart divided? Are you the double-minded man that James describes? You can come to a patient God who can gently touch all the different parts of your mind and make you whole. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:05:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:05:00 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-08-08 Better things to do -- Psalm 103:9-10 Message-ID: <4780374C.2090705@dwightclough.com> /*[God] will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. -- Psalm 103:9-10*/ There are those who will face the eternal wrath of God. There are those who hate God and devise all sorts of ways to show their hatred toward Him. But anger is not God's first choice. God is not mean, small or calculating. He has room to look beyond the ledger and see the human being in you that He loves. The Bible says that love keeps no record of wrongs. Why is that? Because God has better things to do. Have you offended God? Now is the time of amnesty. Now is the time to go to Him with those offenses and receive His pardon, and to discover how God celebrates the homecoming of any prodigal who comes to Him. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:05:29 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:05:29 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-09-08 God's love -- Psalm 103:11 Message-ID: <47803769.1050103@dwightclough.com> /*For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. -- Psalm 103:11*/ There's something about a clear night sky. One Christmas Eve we visited my wife's brother in Ohio. It was terribly cold out, but we sat in his outside hot tub, the steam forming icicles in our hair, staring up at the sky. I remember feeling a sense of wonder as I thought about what I saw in the sky. There is simply no way to comprehend the distance between the stars, the size of our galaxy, the vast, vast expanse of space. We can look at the sky, but we cannot comprehend it. And we can look at the love of God, but we cannot take it all in. God knows this. He knows that we have to become something that we were not in order to experience His love. That is why He chose to make us eternal sons and daughters of God. If you don't feel loved by God, try jumping up and catching the nearest star. Then know that God will stoop down and pick you up in His eternal love. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:06:01 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:06:01 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-10-08 Lost and forgotten -- Psalm 103:12 Message-ID: <47803789.90406@dwightclough.com> /*As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. -- Psalm 103:12*/ One day I was out walking along a trail out in the country. Just for the fun of it, I picked up a piece of gravel and threw it far out into a field. After I had done that, I felt a voice inside me saying, "Go find it." I knew instantly that finding that rock was impossible. There was nothing to mark where the stone had fallen -- only marshy grass spread out for dozens of acres in all directions. Then I felt the Lord speak to me, "That's what I do with your sin." God removes our transgressions from us. He takes away the guilt. He takes away the shame. He takes away the power. He takes away the desire. He takes all of this away because sin isn't part of a true eternal son or daughter of God. Sin is just part of the fake self that is passing away. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:06:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:06:33 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-11-08 God remembers -- Psalm 103:13-14 Message-ID: <478037A9.5090202@dwightclough.com> /*As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. -- Psalm 103:13-14*/ I need this verse. I need to know that God knows my limitations. I need to know that God knows my weaknesses, my breaking points, how small and fragile I really am. We think we need to do so much for God. But God understands how little we are able to do for Him. That's why most of what we are trying to do, God has already done for us. Remember how Adam was formed. God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, breathed into Him the breath of life, and Adam became a living soul. 930 years later, the dust fell. But the living soul -- God's breath -- lived on. God has breathed His breath into us. That breath will overtake everything that is weak and fragile, corrupt and flawed in us. God's work in us will endure. Meanwhile, He is gentle with those of us who live in houses of clay. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:07:03 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:07:03 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-12-08 The rule that outlasts all others -- Psalm 103:19 Message-ID: <478037C7.8000809@dwightclough.com> /*The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. -- Psalm 103:19*/ I need this verse also. I need to know that Someone is in charge. Chaos does not rule. God does. In 1998, my grandmother passed away. She was 102 years old. She saw the rise and fall of the Soviet empire. She outlived Lenin, Hitler, Stalin. Her lifetime encompassed Kitty Hawk and Neil Armstrong. She was seventeen when she saw her first automobile. She never talked about these things, of course. Her heart was all about showing kindness in a quiet, unobtrusive way to little people, to obscure and forgotten people in her corner of the world. But when I wanted some perspective, I sat down and visited with her. The Gestapo, the KGB, the Bolsheviks were history, but this tiny quiet woman lived on. There's a lot of noise in this world. But God's rule outlasts the noise, and His people will endure. God will triumph. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 5 21:07:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:07:33 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-13-08 The gift of faith -- Hebrews 11:1,3 Message-ID: <478037E5.5000409@dwightclough.com> /*Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ... By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. -- Hebrews 11:1,3*/ If our five senses could take in the unseen universe, we would be overwhelmed. We simply couldn't handle it. But God graciously draws the curtain, and we don't see most of what is out there. At the same time, God knows that we need to know some of what's on the other side of the curtain. So He gives us the gift of faith. The thing I like about this passage is this: Faith sounds hard, until God starts explaining it to us. Then we realize that we use faith all the time. We know that everything we touch is made out of stuff we can't feel, everything we see is made out of stuff we can't see. By faith, I knew that I wanted to marry Kim Rohrer. I had never been married before, so you could argue that I was only guessing -- that I really didn't know at all. But I was able to make a decision by faith. I married her and it proved to be the right decision. All of us make decisions by the faith God has given us. In the end, we won't be disappointed. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:52:43 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:52:43 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-14-08 Believe and enjoy -- Hebrews 11:2 Message-ID: <47890C7B.1060607@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*[Faith] is what the ancients were commended for. -- Hebrews 11:2*/ Every time I kiss my wife, every time I tell her how beautiful she is, she has a choice. She can believe and enjoy, or she can question my motives. Of course I want her to believe and enjoy, but I cannot force her to do so. That response ultimately is her choice. I'm glad I'm a husband for many reasons. One of them is this: It helps me understand what must be going through God's heart. He knows how trustworthy He is. He knows what He has prepared for those who love Him. When we choose to believe and enjoy it strikes a deep resonance within the One who loves us. God commends those who believe. He is excited about those who walked up to the edge with Him -- lions' den and ark, sacrificial son and widow's oil. Faith: It brings a smile to the heart of God. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:53:55 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:53:55 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-15-08 Faith and power -- Hebrews 11:4 Message-ID: <47890CC3.8020902@dwightclough.com> /*By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. -- Hebrews 11:4*/ Faith gives us the power to find and make good choices. For example, the blood sacrifice of Abel foreshadowed the Passion of Jesus Christ, while Cain's offering spoke of sullen self righteousness. Most of us want to know the will of God. We learn the will of God by getting our beliefs straightened out so we have the power to choose God and His will in each circumstance. If you reread Genesis 4, you'll discover that God was working with Cain. God wanted to correct his faulty beliefs, but Cain would not open the door of his heart to God. Instead, he opened the door to murder and destroyed lives. God grants us faith -- that is the power to believe the truth -- and that faith becomes the compass that shows us the way to righteousness, and the engine that drives us there. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:54:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:54:31 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-16-08 Walking away from death -- Hebrews 11:5 Message-ID: <47890CE7.8000703@dwightclough.com> /*By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. -- Hebrews 11:5*/ Enoch is a man who captured my imagination from the time I was a young boy. What would it be like to go for a walk with God and end up at His home? Maybe that's part of the reason I take a walk often and use that time for prayer. Enoch, of course, is the father of Methuselah, the oldest man recorded in the Bible. I've been told that the name "Methuselah" means "after him it will come." If you do the math, you find that Noah's flood came the year Methuselah died. How did Enoch know? By faith we will be taken from this life. The world will look for us, but we will not be found, because God will take us away. Enoch lived during a time when violence filled the earth. Yet he walked with God, he saw the future, and curse of death lost its hold on him. I'm glad God works outside the box -- who would have guessed Enoch would walk away from death, and who can guess what God has in store for us! Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:55:08 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:08 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-17-08 Meeting the Risen Lord -- Hebrews 11:6 Message-ID: <47890D0C.20101@dwightclough.com> /*And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. -- Hebrews 11:6*/ All relationships are based on trust, and this is where God starts with us. He doesn't want our money or our talent or all our hard work so much as He wants our trust. Does God exist and does He reward? I think we all believe that in our heads. The delight of the Christian life is discovering God in all those places in our hearts that don't know God. That may seem strange to you, but there are in fact vast regions of our heart that do not yet believe. The disciples discovered this in the Garden of Gethsemane when they fled into the night bewildered, frightened, overwhelmed with sorrow. But when the Risen Lord met with them, He planted faith in their lives so deep that martyrdom itself could not drive it away. May the Risen Lord meet with you today! Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:55:38 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:38 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-18-08 Holy fear -- Hebrews 11:7 Message-ID: <47890D2A.7030507@dwightclough.com> /*By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. -- Hebrews 11:7*/ I want to focus in on the words "holy fear." Unholy fear usually paralyzes us or causes us to do cowardly things. But holy fear inspired Noah to buck the crowd, to reject the consensus of evil, to do what no one else understood. Holy fear energized Noah with courage and with a plan. His holy fear kept him afloat when the rest of the world was being washed away. Holy fear is a gift from God. Like all God's gifts, it leads only to good. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:56:04 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:56:04 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-19-08 Enjoying the trip -- Hebrews 11:8 Message-ID: <47890D44.9000804@dwightclough.com> /*By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. -- Hebrews 11:8*/ Boy, can I relate to this verse! We men are destination centered. I've discovered that now that I have four children. My idea of traveling is to drive until we get there. But that doesn't work, especially with kids who get carsick. Anyway, if we can't get there as fast as we possibly can, we at least like to know where we are going. I almost always check an online map and directions resource before I go anyplace new. I want to know how to get there. But God likes to share the journey with us, so He slows things down and doesn't tell us too much about where we're going, except cryptic phrases like, "You'll like it," and "Don't worry, you'll be glad once you're there." Instead of a road map, He gives us directions for the next block, the next mile, the next turn. Thank God for Abraham. He knew how to relax and enjoy the trip. Okay, God, I put the navigation in Your hands. I'll let it rest with You. What do you have for us right now? Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 12 13:56:35 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:56:35 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-20-08 Return of the King -- Hebrews 11:9 Message-ID: <47890D63.1050209@dwightclough.com> /*Because [Abraham] believed God, he lived like a stranger in the land God promised him. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob. They had the same promise he had. -- Hebrews 11:9 WE*/ Appearances can be deceiving. In Tolkein's classic novel, /Lord of the Rings/, the ragged ranger, Strider, is actually Aragorn, the high king of Gondor. In the same way, some among us who seem odd or unimportant will receive great honor in heaven, while others who seem great won't even make it through the door. Abraham "lived like a foreigner in the country God promised to give him" (New Century Version). He camped out in tents on the land that belonged to him. When he wanted to bury his wife, he had to buy plot of land. Faith teaches us that the world is not what it appears to be. In its present form it is passing away. Something new is coming. The steward of Gondor went mad as the high king approached. In our world, a much greater High King is coming. The keepers of this world will be shaken from their thrones. Jesus had no place to lay His head even though He owned every palace. It didn't seem to trouble Him or deter Him from His task. Sometimes we Christians play the role of the scum of the earth. Faith tells us that not only is Jesus coming back; so are we. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:40:49 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:40:49 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-21-08 The city with foundations -- Hebrews 11:10 Message-ID: <47922811.1050708@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*For [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. -- Hebrews 11:10*/ Where I live you have to dig down about four feet to put in footings if you want to build a house. If you don't, freezing and thawing will damage your foundation, and your building will eventually crumble. Without a good foundation, a building, a city, a life is vulnerable and insecure. It won't stand up to storms. And there is a storm. The enemy is hurling everything he can think of at the people of God. This wind is not subsiding; rather it is growing in intensity and in fury. But the city of God has foundations. The storm will not prevail. In the end, the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven like a bride beautifully adorned for her husband. Abraham lived in a tent and, yes, his tent was fragile. But the storm could not consume him because his real home was the city with foundations. The enemy would like us to look at all that is fragile in our lives and cringe before the storm of his making. But I believe the Lord wants to remind us that our home is the city with foundations. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:41:28 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:41:28 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-22-08 Time and dreams -- Hebrews 11:13 Message-ID: <47922838.10804@dwightclough.com> /*All these people were still living by faith when they died. -- Hebrews 11:13*/ There's something deeply imprinted inside each of us that says this life is not enough. Death always seems to rob, to cheat us out of what is supposed to be ours. I have reached the point where I am most likely more than halfway done with my life here on this earth. Many of my dreams remain unaccomplished -- so far -- I'm not licensed to fly a plane; I'm not ordained to pastor a church; I'm not a novelist, nor am I a filmmaker, nor am I an artist; I don't know how to play the piano and I don't speak any foreign languages; I haven't seen New Zealand or Banff; and I don't have a house out in the country. My children's dreams are growing up around me -- horseback riding, tree forts, architecture, caring for animals and going to the mission field. Life is too short. It crowds out so many good possibilities. Engaged in the daily struggle for survival -- as so many of us are, it seems that much that is lofty and worthy is just out of reach. And so, God comes along and says, "I know. I designed you for more than what will fit here. Don't give up your dreams. Just build them higher, because your true life was meant to contain and achieve the greatest of dreams." As an aside, let me say this. I am working on a site that will be a safe place for people to cultivate their God-given dreams. (It will be located at EmpowerGood.com.) Many people walk around with a vision, a passion, a goal, a dream from God stamped in their hearts, but need the help and encouragement of others to bring that God-given dream into the real world. I want EmpowerGood.com to be a place where that can happen. If you can help me bring this site into reality or if you have any thoughts for me, please drop by EmpowerGood.com and send me a note. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:42:08 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:42:08 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-23-08 When God works outside our timetable -- Hebrews 11:13 Message-ID: <47922860.9020604@dwightclough.com> /*They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. -- Hebrews 11:13*/ In this chapter, God honors those who put their faith in Him. They please Him. And they believed, even when they did not receive. There is something to be said for the name it and claim it gospel. But these heroes of the faith went way beyond that. They went to claim it and came back empty. That did not deter them. They trusted God to meet them with the things promised, even if they had to travel through death to make the meeting. What is out of reach in your life? The One who stands on both sides of life and death is trustworthy. He doesn't forget His promises. Remember this: The reason God doesn't meet our timetable is that God's plans for us are way too big to fit inside our tiny schedules. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:42:41 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:42:41 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-24-08 Holy logic -- Hebrews 11:19 Message-ID: <47922881.6010003@dwightclough.com> /*Abraham reasoned ... -- Hebrews 11:19*/ Abraham was given an impossible assignment -- to sacrifice his son, Isaac, the child of promise. After waiting 100 years, Abraham finally had a son -- Isaac -- the name means laughter. But it appeared that God was going to take all laughter away. Abraham obeyed. We all know the story. He raised the knife to slay his son, and God called to him, "Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy ..." But before that moment, when Abraham knew nothing but the command and character of God, what did he do? He reasoned. Nothing made sense, but somehow God must be true to Himself. He could not promise and then not fulfill. Somehow God would find a way, even if it meant bringing Isaac back from the dead. Abraham's logic didn't predict the future. But it did make room for his faith. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:43:13 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:43:13 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-25-08 Sorrow turns to hope -- Hebrews 11:21 Message-ID: <479228A1.1010509@dwightclough.com> /*By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons ... -- Hebrews 11:21*/ I often ponder the life of Jacob. He starts out conniving, getting his own way by shrewd and tough negotiation. But then everything goes against him. He is deprived of the woman he wants as his wife, and is only allowed to marry her in exchange for another seven years of servitude. Once he has her, she bears him no children, until the end. Finally, she dies with the birth of her second son. If that wasn't enough, the sons of his other wife sell the first son of the woman he loved into slavery and tell Jacob that Joseph was torn apart by wild animals. His daughter is raped. Famine threatens to wipe out the family. His sons go to Egypt to buy grain only for his son Simeon to be thrown into prison. How very sad! Yet at the end of his life, God seems to say, "Come over here. Let me show you what is really going on." Simeon and Joseph are restored to him. His missing son is revealed as the savior of two nations -- the prophet and ruler that saved countless lives. Jacob, delivered from the famine, and lives to see his children's children. It hurts every time I read of Rachel's death. I see Jacob lifting up that pillar over her grave, so helpless to get her back, not knowing what else to do. But, in the end, his sorrow turns to hope, and his hope turns into faith. He sees the future with God's eyes. He knows his descendants will triumph over great adversity and through them all the people of the earth will be blessed. All of us travel down paths that we would not choose. May we, like Jacob, find the treasure that eluded us, and see the future through God's eyes. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:43:46 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:43:46 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-26-08 No ordinary child-- Hebrews 11:23 Message-ID: <479228C2.3080901@dwightclough.com> /*... they saw he was no ordinary child ... -- Hebrews 11:23*/ The verse speaks of Moses, of his parents' daring defiance of the king's edict that all the baby boys are to be drowned, of their certainty that he was cut out for greatness. I remember holding each of my newborn children, unable to grasp how it was that we were given the privilege of creating and caring for something so precious as this human life. I remember holding their hands as they took their first uncertain steps. I watched them play, without their knowing it, and drank in all over again the wonder of discovery, what it is to be a child when everything is new. I read this verse and I want to say, "There are no ordinary children." And I think that is true. Jesus didn't die for ordinary children. He looked at each of us and saw something far beyond the ordinary. He saw joy. He endured the cross and went seeking the one that was lost. The ninety-nine don't replace the one. Jesus seeks the one. You are that one. You are the one Jesus seeks. The ninety-nine will never replace you in His heart. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 19 11:44:27 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:44:27 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-27-08 Those who choose -- Hebrews 11:24-25 Message-ID: <479228EB.9030002@dwightclough.com> /*By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God ... -- Hebrews 11:24-25*/ There are some things which I admit I do not understand. Why Peter turned around and walked back into Rome to be crucified. Why Paul insisted on going to Jerusalem even though he knew prison and hardship awaited him. How Stephen could ask the Lord to forgive those who were stoning him. How the Father could stand to see wicked men crucify His only Son. There are many people who suffer for the gospel. Many suffer because they have no choice -- some are children taken into slavery, others are arrested without warning. But there are those who choose to be mistreated along with the people of God. There are people right now, for example, who are preparing to go into North Korea as missionaries. If they are discovered, if they are arrested, then death will be a kindness. They know that they go to suffering and death. But they choose to go. The great God who never forgets has a place of honor in His kingdom for those who choose. No, I don't understand it, but He knows how to turn shame into glory, suffering into triumph. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:30:39 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:30:39 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-28-08 Miracles -- Hebrews 11:29 Message-ID: <479B8A5F.6000509@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. -- Hebrews 11:29*/ The focus is never on the miracle; it is always on the God behind the miracle. The pagans sometimes saw the supernatural acts of the God of Israel. But they didn't know the God of Israel and couldn't make His "magic" work for them. That's why they hauled the ark of the covenant into the temple of Dagon, and that's why their god fell flat on his face before the the Lord's ark. The unbelieving religionists in Jesus' day demanded a sign, a show of power. Herod wanted Jesus to entertain him with miracles. Jesus refused. They wanted the miracle but despised the Master. Jesus warns us not to cast our pearls before swine. In doing so, He tells us something about Himself. His miracles are not cheap toys to be played with, but rather an expression of His heart. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:31:08 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:31:08 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-29-08 The campaign to set a woman free -- Hebrews 11:31 Message-ID: <479B8A7C.40600@dwightclough.com> /*By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. -- Hebrews 11:31*/ God is much more optimistic than most of us are. How many of us are willing -- even quick -- to write off certain people as hopeless, as beyond our help. But even as God planned judgment for Jericho, He was also determining how to rescue Rahab. We think people are hopeless because we forget that the Christian life is a miracle. It is supernatural. It cannot occur without the intervention of God. But when God shows up, all the obstacles that defeat us are torn out of the way. Many invisible chains were wrapped around Rahab's life, keeping her enslaved. The campaign that opened the Promised Land, was also a campaign to set a woman free. It's no mistake that Rahab is mentioned in the ancestry of Christ. Jesus ignores the religionists and goes straight to work on the hopeless, because He brings hope to every broken heart. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:31:43 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:31:43 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-30-08 Something new -- Hebrews 11:30 Message-ID: <479B8A9F.1080206@dwightclough.com> /*By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. -- Hebrews 11:30*/ How many cities fell because people marched around them? One. How many times did the sun stand still? One. How many times did the Red Sea part? One. What's the point? God isn't stuck in yesterday. He's solidly into today. He has something new for you this moment. He doesn't make you gnaw on the crusts of yesterday's leftover revelation. He gives new illumination from his timeless word every day. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:32:17 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:32:17 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 01-31-08 Now we marvel -- Hebrews 11:30 Message-ID: <479B8AC1.6010903@dwightclough.com> /*By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. -- Hebrews 11:30*/ God always has a plan and it doesn't always make sense ... to us. It was time to pay taxes and Jesus sent Peter fishing. It was time to take a city and God sent His people marching. It was time to save the world, and Jesus told His followers to put away their swords. All of these things seemed crazy at the time. But now we marvel. I don't know what your life is like, but my life seems crazy right now. I don't understand it. But what does that mean? It means God is cooking up something good. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:32:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:32:57 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-01-08 The finish line -- Hebrews 12:22-24 Message-ID: <479B8AE9.7080705@dwightclough.com> /*But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. -- Hebrews 12:22-24*/ On the day your name was written in heaven, you became part of something bigger than you, bigger than life itself. Hebrews speaks of a race, and there is no way to measure the glory at the finish line. Years ago I had a dream that the heavens were beginning to open and I knew at the next moment I would see God. Was I leaving this life? I didn't know. I thought that I would feel fear, but I didn't. In the place of fear was wonder, an awe which I, the writer, have not found words to describe even though 20 years have passed. Jesus speaks of true riches. What are they? They are the face of Christ, the family of God, and the song of the Father. I've known people who have visited heaven. None of them wanted to come back. I think the Lord wants to encourage us -- it's going to be worth it. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:33:29 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:33:29 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-02-08 Releasing the River -- John 7:38 Message-ID: <479B8B09.8040707@dwightclough.com> /*Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. -- John 7:38*/ Dig deep enough inside, and you will find the indestructible you -- the you created and imagined by the mind of God. The you that will live forever, strong in the Father's joy, rich with the Savior's tears, afraid of nothing, understanding everything. How do you find that hero within? How do you dig through the dirt, wash away the mud to reveal the diamond deep down? The old way of trying harder, the shame and frustration gospel only rearranges the clay, but the diamond never comes to the light, the river is not released. We need a new and different way to submit to the Lordship of Christ. We need to rediscover the surprisingly Biblical key to connecting with God so that what we once called revival becomes simply ... life. This journey takes us backwards, not forwards, into what we think are the darkest places in our hearts. But it is there in the helpless, hopeless, neediest places of our soul that we run smack into the heart of God. The darkness we so feared is replaced by dazzling light. Christ our Savior has appeared. In all our weakness, He has been made strong. Where we had nothing to offer, the River of His love rushes out to nourish all that is dry and parched within. The sons and daughters of God are being revealed to this generation. The River is being released. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jan 26 14:34:08 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:34:08 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-03-08 Interruptions -- Luke 8:45 Message-ID: <479B8B30.6010109@dwightclough.com> /*"Who touched Me?" Jesus asked. -- Luke 8:45*/ I hate interrupting people. I hate being interrupted. Jesus, of course, was interrupted constantly. If you read through the gospels, you'll find that much -- maybe most -- of His ministry was responding to interruptions. In this passage, Jesus is on a mission: to heal a dying twelve-year-old girl. I have two daughters so I can imagine how urgent her father's pleas were for Jesus to waste no time and come to his home right away. Along the way, Jesus was interrupted -- not once, but constantly. The crowd was jostling Him, throwing questions at Him, making requests, pressing in from every direction. Jesus ignored all those interruptions, save one. "Who touched Me?" He asked. This was the one interruption that Jesus sensed was different. This interruption merited a stop -- even a stop on the way to heal a dying girl. Why? It's a very human story. A woman's personal physical problem was consuming her life. All she had was gone and her problem was worse instead of better. She knows that God will heal her if only she can touch the edge of the Master's robe. I can so relate to this woman. She didn't want to interrupt the important Healer. She just wanted to sneak in, quietly get her miracle, and steal away. But Jesus said, "Why touched Me?" In that moment, Jesus validates all of us who are afraid to interrupt. We are important too. He calls us out and He wants to hear our story. He wants to look at us. He wants to listen to us. He wants to speak to us. He wants to send us away with His blessing. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. 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. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: