From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jul 5 13:48:09 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:48:09 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-07-08 Hungry no more -- Matthew 5:6 Message-ID: <486FB3D9.8030601@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. -- Matthew 5:6*/ This is good news for all of us who grew up knowing we were sinners. We want to please God. We don't know how. We don't have the ability to. We fail in all sorts of ways. But wait! God has a promise for us. The accent is on the second half of the sentence. They will be filled. All around us we have the "what" of Christianity. You should be kind. You should be loving. You should be generous. Etc. Etc. But Jesus is the "how." When He fills us, the "what" happens automatically. 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 Jul 5 13:50:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:50:02 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-08-08 Mercy -- Matthew 5:7 Message-ID: <486FB44A.1050404@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. -- Matthew 5:7*/ Where does mercy come from? Doesn't it come from a heart that has been touched by God? The saint and the sinner are made out of the same clay. The saint knows this, and this is why he holds out hope for the sinner. We forgive because Christ has paid the debt the offender cannot pay. (Not just our debt, the other guy's debt!) We show mercy because we are sons and daughters of the King. God recognizes the heart that has created margin for others. He will not be stingy with that man or woman. 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 Jul 5 13:50:38 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:50:38 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-09-08 Seeing God -- Matthew 5:8 Message-ID: <486FB46E.5080506@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. -- Matthew 5:8*/ Okay, either this is impossible, or it is not. Can any of us be pure in heart? Not without the touch of God. Who scrubs our souls clean? Who removes the lies that fester within? Jesus touches us and we are made pure. We don't come to the table clean. We come as we are, and along the way Jesus makes us clean. Why can't the impure see God? Because their vision is distorted and darkened. They cannot know the truth because their very eyes lie to them. But with those whom God has cleansed it is a different story. They look up and discover that God was there all along. 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 Wed Jul 9 21:39:56 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:39:56 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] a personal note Message-ID: <4875686C.7080506@dwightclough.com> Hi Everyone I want to share a few things that are on my mind tonight. First, our dear friend, Dan, in Kenya ... his father passed away suddenly. In addition to the grief the family is experiencing, they are also saddled with hospital and funeral expenses. Could you join me in praying that the Lord will send comfort and provision? Second, I want to invite you to stop by johntracymusic.com/ check out his music, send him a word of encouragement, pray for his ministry. John is looking for opportunities to minister at churches and at special events. If you have any leads for him, let him know. Third, we rejoice with the Steve Freitag family in the good report on Jenni's surgery on the 8th. The six hour surgery was finished 90 minutes early, and all reports are positive. I spoke briefly with Jenni on the phone this evening and she seemed in good spirits. A big thank you to those of you who have been praying. Keep praying for rapid recovery! Finally, though Dwight Clough Ministries is very much alive and I plan to continue our daily devotional, I am focusing on writing for clients as a way of making a living just now. You'll see that reflected at my website, DwightClough.com. I am recommending that people looking for prayer ministry or prayer ministry training link up with Steve Freitag (crosscounsel.com) - but give him a week or two because of Jenni's surgery. My wife, Kim, also meets with people every week as her schedule allows. One of my passions is unleashing the potential of the church. For the past several months I have taken business classes to develop a business plan for creating a web community that would connect people with mentors who can help them achieve their God-given dreams. That is still in the works, and I will let you know as things unfold. Thanks so much for praying for us that I might find clients and that we might sell our home. Several people are interested in me doing some work for them, though I really need to close with at least one of them in the next few days. No news on the house, but God is still in charge. Many blessings to all of you. Dwight -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jul 5 13:51:49 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:51:49 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-10-08 Making peace -- Matthew 5:9 Message-ID: <486FB4B5.1050908@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. -- Matthew 5:9*/ Where do fights and quarrels come from? They come from corrupted desires that battle within. Good desires gone bad, tainted with lies, food for the enemy. Peacemakers see things as they truly are. I remember sitting down with a fellow who was trapped in a life of hate. His very speech was inflammatory. But as his story unfolded, I found a little boy inside who never had his father's love, who always played second fiddle to the father's favorite children. We are peacemakers. We bring Jesus to those hurting little boys and little girls and watch Him remove the lies, purify the desires and remove the hate. 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 Jul 5 13:52:16 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:52:16 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-11-08 Persecution -- Matthew 5:10 Message-ID: <486FB4D0.8090804@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 5:10*/ Okay, let's face it: Do any of us really want to be persecuted? I don't. Persecution, rooted in lies, is the natural result of God visiting this earth. Those who cannot see God because their hearts are impure, are stirred up by their corrupted desires, and make war against God by attacking His children. But here God reminds us that persecutors don't get the last word. God has already measured the full force of persecution. He has lined it up against the Kingdom that is to come, and it doesn't register as liability, it registers as an asset. 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 Jul 5 13:52:48 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:52:48 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-12-08 Comfort remains -- 2 Corinthians 1:6 Message-ID: <486FB4F0.3030101@dwightclough.com> /*If we are distressed, it is for your comfort ... -- 2 Corinthians 1:6*/ Rape Alcoholism Bankruptcy Affairs Sexual abuse Homelessness Emotional abuse Rejection Failure Cancer Death When I make a list of things that have deeply hurt me and touched my life, I feel a profound sense of peace, like the clean calm after the storm. Many of these stories I can't tell you, for I must protect the privacy of people that I love. But I can tell you the story of comfort. I have been hurt, but I have also been comforted by God. In the middle of your distress you will find the soothing comfort of God. As it is broken open in your life, it will flow from you to all those around you who are hurting. If you are in distress, I speak from experience: The hurt goes away, but God's comfort remains. 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 Jul 5 13:53:16 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:53:16 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-13-08 Comfort is the answer-- 2 Corinthians 1:4 Message-ID: <486FB50C.5000405@dwightclough.com> /*... so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. -- 2 Corinthians 1:4*/ I want to focus on the word "any." Why can we comfort those in "any" trouble? Because we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Because now that we are comforted, we no longer need to rush in with all the answers. We don't have all the answers. Let's face it: We don't have most of the answers. But we do have this: Comfort that shows up every time we are in distress. Here's why we don't give out answers any more: Answers are cheap. Instead we give comfort. We bring people straight to Jesus for soothing, healing comfort. 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 Jul 12 11:03:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:03:26 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-14-08 A sliver of revelation -- 2 Corinthians 2:14 Message-ID: <4878C7BE.8090006@dwightclough.com> /*But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. -- 2 Corinthians 2:14 */ Where are we in life? Are we troubled? Are we discouraged? Are we pressed far beyond our ability to endure (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)? Are we bored? Are we distracted? Only one thing will cut cross ways through all that commands our attention and allegiance. Only one thing will free us when everything else puts us under the sentence of death. That one thing is the knowledge of God. Knowing God is not the same as knowing theology. Knowing God is not the same as knowing the Bible. Since we mortal beings living imperfect lives in a fallen world cannot bear the full revelation of God, we only get a sliver. The sliver designed for you and the sliver designed for me. For Richard Wurmbrand it was the sliver that made his solitary prison cell glitter like a million diamonds. For the disciples on the stormy sea, it was the sliver that said "Peace, be still." When God reveals Himself to you in your moment of pain or loss or drudgery, everything will be transformed. 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 Jul 15 10:19:34 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:19:34 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-15-08 The forgotten people -- Isaiah 1:15-17 Message-ID: <487CB1F6.8070705@dwightclough.com> /*When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. -- Isaiah 1:15-17*/ In the end, God Himself will rise up on behalf of the defenseless. Meanwhile, He offers us the opportunity to do His work. Hidden in this rebuke of a nation gone mad is God's heart for those who have no strength. Have you lost your influence? Is your voice no longer heard? Are you poor and insignificant in the eyes of this world? Then you are close to the heart of God. All day long, God is watching. He sees how you are treated and He cares. No one can blind God's eyes by parading religion in front of His face. God knows. He remembers. Who is at the top of God's list? Those who are left off the world's list. Widows, single moms, kids with no dad, the outcasts, the homeless, the sick and the confused. No matter how small you are, you matter so much to God that He will judge a nation by how the forgotten people are treated. 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. 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 Jul 15 10:20:12 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:20:12 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-16-08 Sleeping in church -- Acts 20:9 Message-ID: <487CB21C.2090801@dwightclough.com> /*Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When He was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. -- Acts 20:9*/ I'm glad the Lord included this story in the book of Acts. Notice how the inspired word of God includes several details. It was the middle of the night. Paul was talking "on and on." Several lamps were burning, robbing the room of invigorating oxygen. And Eutychus was young. Was the Lord making allowances for this sleeper? The story doesn't end with verse nine. Eutychus was raised from the dead. Suppose God took the position that Eutychus was less than spiritual, that falling asleep in church was a no-no -- no matter how inconvenient the circumstances, that it's too bad he died, but, hey, that's the price of less than 100% commitment. But God is not an exacting tyrant just waiting for us to mess up. Grace is part of who God is. So here is the word for today: God shows up for people who sleep in church, for the less than perfect, for the fully human, for regular people like you and me. God is not ready to pounce, but He is ready to love. 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. 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 Jul 15 10:21:56 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:21:56 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-17-08 People, power and perspective -- Isaiah 2:22 The Message Message-ID: <487CB284.7020303@dwightclough.com> /*Quit scraping and fawning over mere humans, so full of themselves, so full of hot air! Can't you see there's nothing to them? -- Isaiah 2:22 The Message*/ I used to say that I didn't care what people thought about me. Of course, I was lying to myself. I cared a great deal. I wanted everyone to like me. I wanted everyone to approve of me. When someone criticized me or insulted me, I might not have shown it on the outside, but inwardly I was crushed. One day someone in a place of authority in my life told me that I was being "completely unprofessional." In the past, a comment like that might have ruined my day. I would have stewed on it all day long, defending myself in my mind. But not this time. In fact, I didn't even notice my response until a few minutes after she said it. Then I realized it: Wow! That didn't bother me. Not even a little bit. I was completely at peace before I heard it and completely at peace after I heard it. In fact, now that I think about it, I heard this on the phone while some other people were busy being angry with me, and, you know what, that didn't bother me either. This supervisor thought I was being unprofessional. That was her opinion. She might be right. She might be wrong. Either way, it didn't bother me at all. I'm not saying that I didn't listen or that I didn't care or that I'm not teachable. I'm just saying that the old panic, the old embarrassment, the old need for approval is gone. Peace and courage are byproducts of the presence of God. As God begins to fill up the broken places in our hearts, people start to fall into perspective. We still love them and care about them. But they lose their godlike power in our lives. 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. 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 Jul 15 10:22:27 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:22:27 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-18-08 The God who reasons -- Isaiah 1:18 Message-ID: <487CB2A3.9090200@dwightclough.com> /*"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. -- Isaiah 1:18*/ God is reasonable. Years ago I went off to Bible college unprepared for what would meet me there. I thought I would become a pastor or an evangelist, but when I finished school, I was so disillusioned that I barely kept my faith. I drifted. I was afraid to let go of God altogether, but I was disappointed in what I saw in the church and I wanted out, somehow. I probably would have stayed on the fringes forever, but God reasoned with me. He listened to all my objections even when no one else would. I see now that I was wrong on several points, and I didn't fully understand what was going on. God knew that, of course. But He didn't scream at me like some irate Drill Sergeant from Heaven. No, He reasoned with me. When He saw me drifting into sin, He put up fences and stopped me from ruining my life. In the end, He found all my hiding places. He sat patiently while I unloaded all my frustration and anger, and then He reasoned with me. And when I heard His reasons, my whole world changed. I found my place in His heart and nothing since has been the same. 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. 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 Jul 15 10:23:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:23:00 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] =?windows-1252?q?07-19-08_Relevant_righteousness_?= =?windows-1252?q?=96_Romans_3=3A22?= Message-ID: <487CB2C4.8020206@dwightclough.com> /*This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference ... -- Romans 3:22*/ Why do we sin? There may be many reasons, but I think one reason is this: Deep inside, we are convinced that God is irrelevant. God doesn't know about my desires. He doesn't care about my hurts. He is too big and holy and religious to have any interest in where my heart is right now. All of these thoughts are lies, of course. But they all create a vacuum inside. Because of these lies, there is a place in my heart where God is not. Where God is absent, idols abound. Righteousness comes through faith in Christ. This is a foundational Christian tenant. But it is also an everyday practical reality. When we gain faith the believe in the real Jesus, the relevant Jesus, the Jesus who knows and cares about you right now ? no matter what may be going on inside ? then idols flee and righteousness is the only choice that makes any sense. 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. 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 Jul 15 10:23:29 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:23:29 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-20-08 Our comforting God -- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Message-ID: <487CB2E1.70602@dwightclough.com> /*... the God of all comfort ... comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. -- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4*/ Human suffering provokes a whole range of responses. Job's "comforters" added to his torment by assigning blame where it didn't belong. They thought they were helping, but disapproval should never be mistaken for a solution. Some sympathy is merely thinly veiled contempt. Some "comforters" want to feel better about themselves by pretending to care about others. Some people empathize -- they feel pain with the sufferer, usually because they've experienced pain themselves. But God goes way beyond all of this. Yes, God listens. And, yes, He cares. He does feel our pain. Jesus was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But when the listening is done and the empathizing is over, God has more for us. He has comfort. What is comfort? It is peace in the place of panic. It is joy in the place of grief. It is settled contentment in the place of great loss. It is the God-given ability to look trouble in the face and laugh. It is the realization that "those things" don't bother us any more. Comfort is a great treasure. It is buried in the middle of trouble. It eludes many. But when we bring Jesus into our places of pain, He will find it for us. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:15:07 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:15:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-21-08 Rewards -- Isaiah 3:10 The Message Message-ID: <4882211B.3030606@dwightclough.com> /*Reassure the righteous that their good living will pay off. -- Isaiah 3:10 The Message*/ >From Genesis to Revelation, this message permeates the scripture. To Cain, God says, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" At the conclusion of the Bible, Jesus declares, "My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." Why repeat it here in Isaiah? This verse is like a fish swimming upstream. All around it are pronouncements of woe and judgment, of God's wrath poured out on a nation gone mad with sin. But as God cries out His warning against those who ignore and defy Him, He stops briefly to speak to the bewildered righteous. "These judgments aren't about you. Hang in there. I haven't forgotten you. I won't abandon you. At the right time, you will find your reward." Give Him time. God will make sense out of your life. Nothing is wasted; nothing is lost. God remembers all that you do, and He will reward every good done from a heart of faith. 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. 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 Sun Jul 20 22:56:20 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:56:20 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] thank you Message-ID: <4883FAD4.70004@dwightclough.com> A big thank you to those of you who supported my children (Liza and Hans) with your prayers and finances in their short term missions trip to New Orleans. We posted a report at http://hansclough.com/report.pdf. We're sending hard copies of this report to those of you who supported them financially. On any short term missions trip those who go benefit in ways they don't expect, and this trip was no exception. We always go praying that we might be a blessing to the people we meet, but the biggest blessing always seems to rebound on the ones who go and the ones who pray and give. Have a super day! Dwight -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jul 19 13:15:36 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:15:36 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-22-08 Dignity for the poor -- Isaiah 10:1-2 Message-ID: <48822138.2060608@dwightclough.com> /*Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims -- Laws that make misery for the poor, that rob my destitute people of dignity ... -- Isaiah 10:1-2*/ One thing I have discovered in life is this: Fortunes can quickly change. We may think that security comes in the form of a good job, a late model car and a nice home in the suburbs. But those things can quickly disappear. I'm struck by this passage in Isaiah because of what God wants for the poor and for the destitute. He wants justice and dignity. I think God knows better than any of us how very fragile our existence is. It comes as a great shock to us, but not to Him, to learn how very vulnerable we are. But when we make that discovery, where is God? Guarding our dignity. Preserving what matters most -- the value He has given us as sons and daughters of the King. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:16:05 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:16:05 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-23-08 On the winning team -- Isaiah 14:24 Message-ID: <48822155.5070109@dwightclough.com> /*Exactly as I planned, it will happen. Following My blueprints, it will take shape. -- Isaiah 14:24*/ Confidence. When I was a high school student, I took a class in competitive debate. At first I thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" I hated it! I was so, so bad at it. Back in those days we would research a topic and write quotes from experts that we thought might support our position on index cards. Well, in the beginning, I got up, read my pile of index cards and sat down. I'm sure some people in the room had to bite their tongues to keep from laughing out loud -- or from falling asleep. The only person who had any confidence in me whatsoever was my dear mother. She kept telling me what a great job I was doing. It was a lie. But she believed it. And, after a while, I believed it. I got up and I started to really believe that I was good enough to win. Guess what? I started to win. I went from being the worst of the worst my Freshman year to being one of the top ten debaters in the state by the end of my Sophomore year. My sights were set on winning the national high school debate tournament before I left for college. (That's another story.) It's a great feeling to be on the winning team. And that's what we are. We are on the winning team. God doesn't have any doubts about His ability to turn everything in your life and in mine into triumph. It gives our little failings and temptations and lapses a little different spin, doesn't it? God is going to win. And because we are His children, we will win with Him. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:16:36 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:16:36 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-24-08 Bullies -- Isaiah 14:16-17 The Message Message-ID: <48822174.8090808@dwightclough.com> /*Can this be the one who terrorized earth and its kingdoms, turned earth to a moonscape, wasted its cities, shut up his prisoners to a living death? -- Isaiah 14:16-17 The Message*/ I have a strong distaste for bullies. It probably comes from having been on the receiving end of a certain amount of bullying all the while I was growing up. When I entered 7th grade, there was a practice among boys at Sunset Junior High School called initiation. The concept involved an 8th grade boy walloping a 7th grade boy in a place where he would rather not get hit, if you catch my drift. Before or after this fun little exercise, the 7th grader would get a free haircut compliments of the initiator. The adults were concerned, I believe, and, true to form, responded in the most ridiculous way imaginable. In 6th grade, the gym teacher gathered us boys together and told us that we shouldn't do this. "The way some of you guys swing," he said, "somebody's going to get hurt." I was completely bewildered. Did the gym teacher actually think we would enter Junior High and try to initiate the 8th grade boys? Anyway, dread and fear took hold of me as I contemplated starting school. Once school started, I was constantly on guard. I made a beeline from the school bus to my class. Since nobody told me who my initiators were or what they looked like, my enemy could be anywhere. But after a few weeks of looking over my shoulder, I started to relax. Maybe I had been passed over. Maybe I would make it through 7th grade without the dreaded event occurring. Maybe I was on the home stretch to 8th grade and safety. I started to take risks. There was a nice plaza in front of the school. I slowed down as I stepped off the bus. I stopped to enjoy the morning air. As I got more and more foolhardy, I even risked sitting down on one of the benches for a few minutes. Then, from out of nowhere, he appeared. I knew he was one of Them. He looked at me with a sinister smile and pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket. I was trapped. I took chances and now fate had caught up with me. Like a scared rabbit before a hungry fox, I stared at my tormentor, not knowing what to do. Then I heard an adult voice behind me. "Young man!" My enemy looked up. "Yes, sir," he mumbled. "What are you planning to do with those scissors?" the adult asked. I turned and got a good look at my savior. It was a man I had never seen before. Was he a teacher? I didn't know. The initiator fumbled with his scissors, clumsily trying to stuff them back in his shirt pocket. "That's right," said the commanding adult voice. "You are doing nothing with those scissors. Don't you have someplace you need to be right now?" My tormentor needed no further encouragement. He turned and double stepped it into the school. I watched him disappear. He was just a kid, like me. Just a scared little kid. I turned to thank my rescuer, but he was gone. I think about that when I read this verse. We have an enemy who looks pretty scary sometimes. But when our Savior shows up, we will see the enemy for what he really is. Nothing compared to our God. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:17:06 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:17:06 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-25-08 Repentance -- Isaiah 19:20-22 Message-ID: <48822192.5010207@dwightclough.com> /*When [the Egyptians] cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. So the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship ... they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them. -- Isaiah 19:20-22*/ There is a pattern in human history. Sin and rebellion followed by judgment and pain. Pain ends arrogance and awakens humility and dependence. Then God sends repentance. But notice the path it takes: God makes Himself known. We need to stop here. If God doesn't make Himself known, then nothing good will follow. You cannot worship One you do not know. You will not serve One you do not worship. We want sinners to repent, and we sometimes think that means they must stop sinning and start doing good. Sorry, folks, that isn't going to happen. Repentance comes when God is revealed to us in a way we can experience. (Taste and see that the LORD is good.) Our hearts are purified by the truth of who God is and who we are. When we encounter Him who is Truth, sin doesn't make sense any more. It loses its luster because we have embraced far better. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend seven sharpening my ax." The discovery of God sharpens the ax. After that, the impossible becomes easy. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:17:32 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:17:32 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-26-08 God's eternal plans -- Isaiah 25:6 The Message Message-ID: <488221AC.4000603@dwightclough.com> /*But here on this mountain, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will throw a feast for all the people of the world ... -- Isaiah 25:6 The Message*/ Remember the end of William Golding's novel, /Lord of the Flies/? The ship shows up, and suddenly everything changes. The boys cease to be savages and, once again, are merely school boys. Someone else is in charge. Order is restored. The tragedy is over, real life resumes. God is on a mission to bring things back to normal. Our sin-infested planet, with all its attendant pain, injustice, deceit and darkness is not normal. We must remember some important things. God's purposes outlast the mess man makes. As Tennyson wrote, "our little systems have their day, they have their day and cease to be." God is showing up to make things right. Yes, this will happen at Judgment Day, but don't think it isn't happening today. When I originally wrote this devotional, three people in my life were battling cancer. One of them pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. "Pray for me," was the message, "I'm fighting for my life." In the face of cancer, what can I do? Yet, I glance upward. How easily God spreads a banquet for the whole earth! How easily He dismisses death! How easily He welcomes us to eternal life. This is a God who can do anything. His angels who have stood in His presence for thousands of years, remain amazed and overwhelmed. Every day heaven and earth are filled with new riches as God unfolds the wonder of His eternal plans. 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. 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 Jul 19 13:18:03 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:18:03 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-27-08 Makeover from God -- Isaiah 25:8 Message-ID: <488221CB.5060009@dwightclough.com> /*And GOD will wipe tears from every face. -- Isaiah 25:8*/ When do our sorrows end? They end when we come into the presence of God. I'm not a TV watcher, but I do enjoy one show: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. On this program, a family with a need allows a team of designers and contractors to remodel their home while the family goes on an all-expense-paid vacation. Here's the deal -- you hand over the keys to the house and seven days later, the team hands you back a totally different house. One week the show was about a single mom with two twelve year old boys. She borrowed money to remodel her tiny home in New York City. The contractor took the money, tore her home apart and vanished. She was left with an uninhabitable house and a huge loan to repay. About a hundred people converged on this small house to give her home a dream makeover ten times better than anything she ever could have afforded. The contractor's heart was touched by this family's plight and he chipped in to pay for full college scholarships for both the boys. When she discovered what was going to be done for her, she fell on her knees and gave thanks to God. I like this show not because I think you need to have a beautiful house to be happy. I like it because it so much reflects the heart of God. He finds us in a desperate, hopeless condition. He custom designs a beautiful eternal home for us far better than anything we could ask or imagine. Not satisfied with that, He lavishes more gifts on us to show us the magnitude of His loving heart. We come to God. We open the door of our life to Him. Inside we see where evil has torn everything to pieces. All that we paid is used up and nothing is left to show for it but damage and destruction. But Jesus comes in. We give Him our losses and He gives back far more than we ever hoped we could regain. He studies us and figures out what will take away every tear and fill our hearts with 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. 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 Jul 26 12:14:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:14:00 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-28-08 Waiting for God -- Isaiah 25:9 The Message Message-ID: <488B4D48.30207@dwightclough.com> /*Also, at that time, people will say, "Look at what's happened! This is our God! We waited for Him and He showed up and saved us!" -- Isaiah 25:9 The Message */ Why does God make us wait? I think it has something to do with value. Some of our brothers and sisters are suffering -- some of them suffering beyond our comprehension. I wish I could free them from their suffering now, today, this very moment. But I cannot. Some are experiencing what the world would call a string of bad luck. Nothing seems to go right. Things go from bad to worse. Why does God make them wait for their day of deliverance? I believe long ago God measured all the pain and all the hardship we would experience. Not sloppily or haphazardly, but carefully God measured our pain. This is something only God can do. He understands suffering. He understands the long, slow wait of bleak desolation -- of dreams unfulfilled, of hopes fading away, of relentless pain. Only He can look at it all and not be overwhelmed, nor become discouraged. When God who sees the end from the beginning measured our pain, I believe He came to two conclusions: It will be worth it. And, the second: We will agree that it was worth it. I am not a woman, so I cannot speak from experience on the topic of labor. But I was present when all four of our children were born, and I know that it wasn't easy. However, I don't think my wife would trade away any of our kids just to have that labor erased. We wait through difficult times. But our sights are set on something bigger and better than all our troubles. God shows up. And nothing will be the same. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:15:52 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:15:52 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-29-08 Ask Me for a sign -- Isaiah 7:9-11 Message-ID: <488B4DB8.4090302@dwightclough.com> "/*... If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." -- Isaiah 7:9-11*/ King Ahaz was a wicked king (see 2 Chronicles 28). War was brewing and he had reason to be afraid. His kingdom was being beat up right and left. He looted the LORD's treasuries to forge an alliance with Assyria. But Assyria took the loot and bullied Ahaz. In the midst of all this turmoil, the LORD reaches out to Ahaz and offers him encouragement and a chance to come in out of the rain. God tells him to stand firm in his faith. But he doesn't leave it there. He offers him a sign. Ahaz gets an opportunity that very few people have ever had. God hands him a blank check. "Here you go," He says, "you need reassurance -- write this out any way you want to." Ahaz turns Him down. In a fit of upside down piety, the king declares that he won't put God to the test. (In essence, Ahaz is assigning evil motives to God's offer.) Here's the point. God knows about the turmoil in our lives. He knows when our faith is wavering. And He knows what it will take to enable us to stand firm in Him. God might not give you the same offer He gave Ahaz. But He will come through with what you need so that you can overcome. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:16:40 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:16:40 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-30-08 God's free will -- 2 Chronicles 26:19 The Message Message-ID: <488B4DE8.2020002@dwightclough.com> /*... even as they quarreled, a skin disease appeared on his forehead. -- 2 Chronicles 26:19 The Message*/ King Uzziah obeyed God. He became powerful. His country became powerful. Then pride carried him away, and he entered the temple to burn incense -- something strictly forbidden to anyone except God's priests. The priests confronted him. He became enraged. God judged, and Uzziah spent the rest of his life leprous. This passage caught my attention because it reminded me that God always has a million options at His disposal. I recently was in a discussion with someone about the free will of man and all the trouble it gets us into. That may be. But make no mistake: The free will of man doesn't get God into any trouble. He never runs into a situation He doesn't know how to handle. God remains compassionate, wise, just, and good. No one can twist God's arm. No one can corrupt Him. This is important because we are God's children. We are connected to God. Our destiny is wrapped up in His plans, not in the evil plans of some corrupted human being. If you get backed into a corner, turn around and you will find the open arms of God. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:17:12 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:17:12 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-31-08 God's fund of victory -- Isaiah 40:21-24 The Message Message-ID: <488B4E08.5050103@dwightclough.com> /*Have you not been paying attention?*/ /*Have you not been listening?*/ /*Haven't you heard these stories all your life?*/ /*Don't you understand the foundation of all things?*/ /*God sits high above the round ball of earth.*/ /*The people look like mere ants.*/ /*He stretches out the skies like a canvas --*/ /*yes, like a tent canvas to live under.*/ /*He ignores what all the princes say and do.*/ /*The rulers of the earth count for nothing.*/ /*Princes and rulers don't amount to much.*/ /*Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,*/ /*They shrivel when God blows on them.*/ /*Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind.*/ /*-- Isaiah 40:21-24 The Message*/ Any way you slice it, Isaiah 40 paints one of the grandest pictures of God in all the Bible. It has long been one of my favorite chapters. The crazy thing is this: It was written by a man who lived through turbulent times. Here was a country 1/50th the size of the USA that endured a disaster 50 times bigger than 9-11. In Isaiah's time, there were days when you didn't know if you'd live to see tomorrow. What I want to get at here is this: How can Isaiah say that the rulers and princes don't amount to much? After all, they made the poor decisions that resulted in tragedy for millions! I think what Isaiah is saying is this: Every decision, every tragedy, every triumph -- everything -- it all plays into God's hands. This does not mean that God is remote, callous, or unfeeling. It just means that He cannot be overwhelmed by our sorrows. His fund of joy and peace, comfort and healing, justice and victory will not be exhausted by all our troubles. Jesus put it this way: In the world you have trouble, but, hey, cheer up, I have overcome the world. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:17:43 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:17:43 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 08-01-08 The most important thing -- Psalm 23:6 The Message Message-ID: <488B4E27.2020600@dwightclough.com> /*Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. -- Psalm 23:6 The Message*/ I remember falling in love with my wife. It caught me by surprise. A group of us went to a church service. Back on campus everyone started to go their separate ways until it was just her and me. I could have completely missed the moment. I was thinking about getting back to my room, but her she was talking to me and suddenly I was mesmerized. I stayed mesmerized. I couldn't get enough of her. A year later we were married. I bring this up because sometimes we almost let God slip by, not realizing that the moment has come that will change our lives forever. But God starts talking and suddenly everything is different. I stubbornly disagree with self-help Christianity, try-harder religion and programmed spirituality. That misses the whole point. God is chasing me. God is paying attention to me. The wonder of Who God is fills my heart. The truth of what God says rebuilds my soul. Am I obedient? Have I repented? Do I love Jesus? Don't misunderstand me -- these things are important. But they are nothing compared to the ocean of love Jesus has for me. That is what captures me. Who am I? But Jesus loves me. That's all that matters. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:18:24 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:18:24 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 08-02-08 Limits -- 2 Chronicles 28:14-15 The Message Message-ID: <488B4E50.6080603@dwightclough.com> /*So the soldiers turned over both the captives and the plunder to the leaders and the people. Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed the ones who were naked using clothing from the stores of plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a square meal, provided first aid to the injured, put the weak ones on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families. -- 2 Chronicles 28:14-15 The Message*/ On more than one occasion in the Bible, the conquering army was told to go easy on the captives. This is one of them. The defeated nation was being punished for the sins of the king and of the people. But the conquering nation went too far. A prophet met the victors and said, in essence, "God gave you the victory. But, if you rub it in, you're next in line for trouble." The attacks of September 11, 2001 were terrible tragedies. But they could have been much, much worse. In New York, those two towers are normally occupied by about 50,000 people, and depending on how the towers fell, the death toll could have been close to 100,000. Each one of the 2,752 people who perished is of incalculable value. But it was the hand of God that kept the number as small as it was. It is God Himself who puts boundaries on judgments and disasters. This is important. God has not ceased to be in control, just because things go terribly wrong. In wrath, God does remember mercy. And in a fallen world, God does put up barriers to halt a mudslide of evil. 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. 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 Jul 26 12:19:17 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:19:17 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 08-03-08 False teachers -- Jude 12-13 Message-ID: <488B4E85.8050000@dwightclough.com> /*These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm -- shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted -- twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. -- Jude 12-13*/ One of the purposes of the Judgment, I believe, is to give us some understanding of the wrath of God. Part of God's salvation is His wrath. In the end, when God's salvation is made complete, He separates us from His enemies (human and demonic), and executes vengeance on His foes. I used to believe that false teachers were sincere people who were mistaken in their theology. Yes, some people are mistaken in their beliefs. But I think this passages is talking about a different group. These false teachers are those who teach lies about God by how they treat the most defenseless among us. In public they are pious. In private, they brand the souls of the vulnerable with deceit and cruelty. They etch lies into the deeply buried places in a person's heart, far away from the place that could be touched by an open discussion of doctrine. The gift of eternal life is the gift of knowing God. We cannot know and embrace God without knowing that He is angry, that His anger is fully justified, and His retribution will be precisely measured. We share God's heart. We don't want any to perish. We plead with our neighbors, no matter how evil they may be, to open their hearts to the Lord. We hurt for what is precious and was intended for eternal life. But we also rejoice that God will not let evil continue forever. He will put an end to it; His justice will be displayed. 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. 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: