September 22

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

an awesome day to conquer our fear of death.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies…’”  John 11:25 NASB

For many people throughout the world, the fact of everlasting life is a difficult thing to accept.

The inability, or unwillingness, to accept that fact keeps many people living in darkness, and the inability, or unwillingness, to believe what we cannot see presents a barrier many non-believers cannot overcome.

Unfortunately, many individuals who have accepted Christ as their Savior struggle with this as well. Far too many Christians fear death, and this is in direct conflict with the teachings of Christ.

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Luke 9:24 NASB).

Far too many who say they are believers still live their daily lives on earth as if this is all there is.

Living for Christ means not being afraid of death in this life. It doesn’t mean we should live in a reckless or dangerous manner. It means that we should live our lives to serve Christ and if doing so places us in dangerous situations, we need not be afraid.

It means that when there are fewer days in our future than in our past we are at peace because we know that the end here is just the beginning.

It means that we accept what we cannot see because of our belief that the death of Jesus Christ conquered death for all of us.

Our belief that this is so should eliminate our fear for, “The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.” (Proverbs 12:28 NLT).

At one time or another, many of us have probably thought about how amazing it must have been to be one of the many people who stood next to Jesus as He spoke; who followed Him and watched Him demonstrate the depth of His love for those who needed it the most. How fortunate those individuals were who were blessed enough to have lived at the same time and who had the opportunity to gaze into His eyes and listen to His voice as He spoke.

This is what awaits us all, because Christ conquered death for us. King David believed this when he wrote, “Because I am righteous, I will see You. When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied.” (Psalm 17:15 NLT).

How many of us would not be satisfied to see Christ face to face? How many of us live with no fear of death because of the guarantee of life we received from Christ? Imagine yourself looking into the eyes of Christ and thanking Him for conquering death!

Use the gift of this day to contemplate that.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 21

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

an ideal day to “go find something to do!”

“But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently for it.”  Romans 8:25 NLT

When we are little, one of the most difficult things to learn is to wait patiently for something that we anticipate with tremendous excitement.

When we are small, the size of the prize doesn’t have to be very big to set us keenly on edge waiting for whatever it is we have been promised. Whether it was a bicycle for our birthday, or something as small as going out for ice cream “when daddy gets home,” whatever it was loomed larger than life in our minds and that was all we could think of. More often than not, we wound up driving Mom, Dad, or both, a little bit crazy and inevitably we would hear them tell us to “go find something to do” to occupy our minds and our bodies until it was time for whatever had been promised to be delivered, received, or attained.

God promises us a new heaven, a new earth, and new bodies. He promises us an absence of sin and He promises an absence of suffering. Although we were saved the moment that we accepted Christ as our Savior, the full benefits of our salvation – the best – is yet to come.

As Christians, our lives are supposed to be lived in a manner that makes us more like Christ each day, but we will not fully understand this until we come face to face with Him.

Paul tells us, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

We are anxious for that, and for all of the promises God has made us to be fulfilled. Sometimes we are like children ourselves in our excitement and anticipation.

Perhaps what we need to do is take a page from our own books on parenting and “go find something to do” that not only takes our mind off of our anticipation of things to come, but to help us prepare for them as well.

We cannot make this world perfect at the present time, but if we each strive to be more like Christ in anticipation of coming face to face with Him, we will not only make our anticipation easier to handle, we will also contribute to making this world a better place for those around us. We can work on the things that make Christ the model for us all – we can strive to be more humble, more compassionate, kinder, gentler, and more loving. We can work on showing others the joy that comes from accepting Christ as our Savior so they can then look forward with mounting anticipation to all that God has promised.

And when they start driving us a little crazy with their impatience, we can tell them to “go find something to do!”

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 20

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a wonderful day to move forward in faith.

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.’”  Joshua 8:1 NIV

Most of us know the feeling of those days when the presence of the Holy Spirit can be felt, strongly, within us. We have a great day and we feel an extraordinary closeness with God. Everything goes right; things we have prayed for come to be; we give thanks to God over and over for His blessings, and we would like nothing better than to live every day of our lives exactly like this one. We love feeling this way and the Lord loves it when we do. We go to bed that night looking forward to what the next day will bring us.

The morning comes and we arise and immediately notice something is different. It is almost as if the very air around is crackling with negative energy, and that may very well be the case.

“Where did it come from?” we ask ourselves.

“What could I possibly have done while I was sleeping for things to turn so negative compared to yesterday?”

The truth is – and it is important that we all remember this – we didn’t do anything. Unfortunately, just as God notices our happiness, joy, and positive energy, so does satan. Our powerful love for God causes us to praise Him and thank Him for our blessings, which pleases Him. It does not, however, please the evil one. Instead, our love of God creates intense jealousy on his part causing him to attack the very source of our love – our faith.

What a difference a day can make.

But fear not. We know where the real power is. We know where to go for protection. We know who will always be there for us when we come under attack. We just need to constantly remind ourselves that when satan is trying to push us back, away from God, that we must overcome the temptation and the negativity that he bombards us with and we must move forward boldly in faith.

It may be a little frightening at first, because our human insecurities, combined with satan’s evil, will work together to create the illusion that we are alone in the battle.

But we are never alone in battle against evil.

When Samaria was under siege, Elisha spoke to the king’s officer about the victory God would provide for the people.

“The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, ‘That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of Heaven!’” (2 Kings 7:2a NLT).

The king’s officer had obviously succumbed to the negativity of satan. However, things did happen just as Elisha had said.

“So it was true… just as the Lord has promised.” (2 Kings 7:16b NLT).

Move boldly forward in faith today, and every day, and don’t worry, it is true.

Just as the Lord promised.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 19

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

the day to put your hope in God.

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You.”  Psalm 39:7 NLT

David began his walk through this life as a shepherd.

He also ended his walk through this life as a shepherd, for after displaying talents as a musician and a poet, David went on to become a soldier and eventually became the greatest king that Israel has ever known. As the leader of his people he was, in essence, still a shepherd.

Throughout history, many leaders in the world have proven themselves to be narcissistic individuals who depend solely on their own abilities to lead, and rely on no one but themselves, but David knew that his time on earth was temporary and any success he had was due to his faith in the Lord. He also knew that his hope for the future came not from his own abilities, but was a gift from God.

Each one of us shares the same level of importance in the eyes of God, and each one of us would do well to follow David’s example and acknowledge that we must put our hope in God as well.

Paul tells us what we can expect when we follow David’s example. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

Placing our hope in God is not a passive act, however. As Paul points out in his letter to Timothy speaking about our quest for godliness, he said, “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” (1 Timothy 4:10 NASB).

The Lord promises us that no matter what our circumstances, we can place our hope in Him. When we actively trust in God and seek to do His will, we will learn that any pain we have endured, and any troubles we have experienced, will not have been endured or experienced in vain. When we place our hope in God, we are taking the first, and most important, step in a walk of joy and peace. Even if we have drifted off of that path we can return and be welcomed back with God’s open, loving arms.

“Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.” (Zechariah 9:12 NLT).

Now – just think of all of the troubles you have had in your life. Can you imagine how blessed you will be when you put your hope where it belongs?

Make today the day you put your hope in God.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 17

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

an excellent day to make your guilt disappear.

“Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”  Psalm 32:2 NLT

It is impossible to read the Bible without seeing one glaring truth: God wants to forgive sinners. Time and time again, He makes it clear to us that He has an unlimited capacity for forgiveness and He wants us to look to Him to ask forgiveness for our sins so that we may experience the joy that David wrote about in Psalm 32.

Many of us know how trying it can be to raise children.

Sometimes they do things, both innocently and intentionally, that are wrong. Frequently, these things hurt us as parents. They cause us to feel inadequate perhaps, but they also cause us to feel pain for our children because we know that what they are doing is a mistake, and we know it will hurt them in the long run.

But we forgive them each transgression because we love them.

That is the relationship God has with us, only He can see with much greater clarity the negative impact that our sinful nature and disobedience will have upon us. Nehemiah, leading his people in prayer, recalls the sinfully disobedient nature of the people Moses led out of Egypt.

“They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; so they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness; and You did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9:17 NASB).

“A God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate.”

We can all derive reassurance from these words that no matter how foolishly, irresponsibly, or immorally we may live our lives; no matter how much we ignore God; no matter how rebellious we may be – when we have had enough of ourselves and are ready to admit that we were wrong, God is right in front of us, with open arms, ready to forgive.

Making our guilt disappear is not a magic trick.

It is the miracle of love from the One who knows no other way but to love. It is the gift of forgiveness that makes our guilt disappear and it is a gift that is available to us anytime, anyplace, and no matter what we have done.

Some of us may find it awkward to ask for God to forgive us because we think we have been so bad. But in the history of mankind, God has seen many people ask for forgiveness, and many of them have done much worse than we might have. Ask God for His gift of forgiveness and the gift of joy that comes when He works His “magic” and makes the guilt disappear will be yours.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 16

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a superb day to embrace the flaws of your church.

“But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.”  Acts 6:1 NLT

Embrace the flaws of your church? Why in the world would anyone want to embrace flaws?

Some of us search constantly for the “perfect” church, but the simple reality is this: as long as humans are involved in anything, perfection is impossible because we are flawed.

No perfect people means no perfect church.

Every church in every town, in every country, has problems. Granted, the problems each church faces are different because the people in each one are different. While it is important to find a church that we are comfortable in, it is equally important to make sure that we focus on the qualities and attributes of a particular church rather than on what we may perceive its flaws to be.

Our search should be about what is right and not what is wrong.

Do the members welcome strangers and help them feel like ‘insiders’ as opposed to eyeing them, basically ensuring that they remain the ‘outsiders’ that they are?

A church does not have to be built of expensive materials or be brand new, but does it reflect love and care in its level of maintenance?

Can it be readily ascertained that one of its primary functions is to serve others?

Are its messages Gospel-centered and do they teach God’s Word rather than preach man’s opinions or interpretations?

Answering ‘yes’ to these few questions should provide you with all you need to feel comfortable in a particular church. If it has the ‘yes’ factor and it is convenient to your home, don’t complicate things by looking for flaws. There will be flaws, so be prepared to embrace them.

Be prepared to do your part to correct them if possible, as well.

Differences of opinion will occur in any situation where there is a decision to be made and more than one person involved. Paul worked diligently to encourage the members of the Corinthian church.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV).

Accomplishing what Paul was stressing is easier said than done, but differences are what create opportunities to see other ways of looking at things.

The important thing is to not allow minor differences to be construed as major flaws in the church as a whole. It is the responsibility of each of us to pray for guidance and to pray for those around us. Asking God to help fix the flaws is preferable to jumping around from church to church.

So, instead of jumping around, jump in and embrace the flaws of your church.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 15

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a great day to do nothing.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”  Romans 12:19 KJV

When we are wronged in today’s world, it has become disturbingly commonplace to pick up a phone to call a lawyer, to pick up our fists to retaliate physically, or to pick up a gun or other weapon for the ultimate in revenge.

In days gone by – days that are sorely missed in many ways – children used to run through neighborhoods playing in others’ yards and homes, experiencing the thrilling moments – and the not so thrilling moments – of childhood. Accidents invariably happened: Billy ran and slipped, falling through the glass in the storm door cutting his arm; Bobby fell down the stairs next door and broke his arm; Mary took a tumble off the swing-set at her friend’s house and was taken to the hospital to make sure she was OK.

None of these things was unusual or earth-shattering. Typical unfortunate accidents that happened. The child is “repaired,” usually mended by the homeowner’s insurance where the accident occurred, and then the kids were right back at it with an admonition to “be careful,” with all concerned knowing it was just a matter of time before the next accident occurred, only this time in their yard or home.

That was then.

Now there is far too often a lawsuit filed, claiming negligence and we all know that lawsuits are not limited to accidents involving our children at play. Every time we are wronged, or hurt (usually through our own carelessness) we seek revenge. We want to go beyond what is reasonable to expect – that the cut be stitched or the broken bone be set – and we want “punitive” damages to help teach a lesson to, well, to anyone we can file suit against and exact revenge from.

Of course, there are other, more serious “offenses” that spur thoughts of revenge: a man sleeps with his neighbor’s wife and the neighbor wants to “get even”; one person cuts another off on the highway; a young person is bullied at school. All of these incidents, and dozens more like it, push people over the edge and cause them to strike out to exact revenge at a time, and in situations, when the Bible is very clear about what we should do: Nothing. At least, not anything negative.

In fact, if we’re going to do anything at all, the Lord says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:20 NIV).

In other words, you will shame them by the love in your response.

The Bible is very clear on what our reaction should be. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21 NIV).

God doesn’t miss a thing and each person will have to answer for his or her actions, so if someone wrongs you in any way – do nothing. At least, do not exact revenge.

That is for God to take care of, and He is very clear on that.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 14

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

perfect for seeing the joy in each day.

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.”  Proverbs 8:32 NLT

“Don’t worry, be happy!”

“Jump for joy!”

No matter how you want to say it, today is the perfect day to be joyful! What’s so special about today? Because every day is a gift from God, and each new day becomes the new today.

Too many of us waste too many days always being mentally prepared for the clouds that do, indeed, creep into each and every life. There are inevitable events that occur that may bring moments where we are hurt, feel pain, or experience loss. These clouds that pass over cannot be stopped just as the clouds that cross the sky cannot be stopped.

Be that as it may, we all are aware that beyond those clouds, the sun still shines brightly and is only momentarily blocked from our view while we receive some much needed shade or rain, which gives life to everything on earth. So we welcome the clouds and the storms that they bring, knowing they will pass.

It is no different with the “clouds” that bring the “storms” of our lives.

The storms may be unpleasant, but they bring us the ability to learn about ourselves and to grow. The important thing to remember is that God, like the sun, is always there. Even when the pain in our heart or the trials we are experiencing block us from the joy of knowing God, we can still be joyful knowing He is there.

Sometimes it can be difficult to be joyful when surrounded by sadness. Imagine the tremendous sadness that befell Jesus’ disciples when He was crucified. These were individuals who were the recipients of teaching and reassurance from the mouth of the Lord Himself, and even though they were forewarned of His crucifixion, and in spite of the fact that Christ foretold of His resurrection, they were still unable to be joyful knowing that He was going to return.

Jesus ultimately stood before them and allowed them to touch Him and see Him and finally “… they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.” (Luke 24:41a NLT).

It is not always a simple thing to see the joy that can be found in each and every day, but it is there. Perhaps a storm cloud has moved in front of it, but it is still there, just as God is always there.

Even though it may be difficult sometimes, we must always remember that knowing God brings joy to our daily existence, and even though there may be times when God and the joy He gives us may be blocked from view, both are still very near to us.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 13

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a fine day to be strong and courageous.

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.”  Psalm 31:24 NASB

Many of us are familiar with the famous movie lion who sought courage. He went on a journey with Dorothy and her dog, the man made of tin, and the man made of straw. Following the yellow brick road to a whimsical city, each one brought their request to the powerful wizard who they were told could help them.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

We do not need wizards in whimsical cities to overcome our fear, and President Roosevelt was correct in his assertion. But if wizards can’t give us courage, where do we find the courage to face the fears that President Roosevelt spoke of?

Almost every person reading these words will immediately answer, in their own minds, “God! We get our courage from God.”

We know where to go to find the courage we need. We really do.

Why then do we seem to be so afraid to say and do the right thing so often in our lives? It is true that we are merely human beings and we are flawed, but “As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is flawless; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 18:30 NIV).

Far too often we shrink away from things we see around us that are wrong. Our justification is that “It is none of my business.”

In many cases, if we are to search our hearts for the truth, we will discover that at the root of our inaction lies fear. We are simply afraid to speak up or to step in. It is safer to “not get involved.”

What we should do is make God our shield and do the right thing.

The Lord gives us the knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, so we can see when there is something that we should do something about. It is our faith in God that fills us, “So we can say with confidence, ‘the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man to do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6 NIV).

Sometimes it takes courage to simply have faith. We turn to God and ask for the courage to believe, and with that belief we boldly confront whatever it is that we are afraid of, knowing that God is with us.

Our strength and our courage come from God and He is always ready to stand with us, to help us speak up, and to help us step in.

Put your hope in the Lord. The courage you need is in you, and He can show you where to find it.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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September 12

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a good day to use well what you are given.

“’Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”  Luke 19:26 NLT

We are not all flashy people, forceful people, or famous people.

Some people are born into a situation where they have much, in terms of material things, from the very beginning, and some are born into high-profile political or social families, guaranteeing them a certain amount of notoriety.

A far greater number of people enter this life with relatively little fanfare and not much in the way of material possessions, but they have talents and abilities and the personality to rise up to a level where they are known, listened to, and hold a certain amount of sway or influence over others.

But by far, the overwhelming majority of us come into this life quietly and our lives remain relatively quiet and unobtrusive.

Not everyone who is born is destined to capture the public’s imagination or attention, and this is perfectly alright.

We can still capture the attention of God, the only One who matters, by using what we do have in a manner that reflects His character.

Service to humanity does not require writing a check for one million dollars when a natural disaster occurs somewhere in the world. This is a wonderful gesture, mind you, but the person who lives each and every day of his or her life using the gifts and abilities provided by God to do little things will receive a far greater reward from God for doing so.

We should all give thanks for those who are in a position to write those large checks, but we should also give thanks for the many millions of individuals who work with the tens of thousands of organizations who serve the needy in communities throughout the world on a daily basis.

In the eyes of God, it is not a question of how much one person has compared to another.

The only thing taken into consideration is how well each one of us uses what we have been given. Many people are frozen into inaction because they don’t think that the little time, knowledge, talent, or money that they have will make a difference.

This is not true.

One coin in a kettle looks rather lonely, but when everyone uses what they have in a way that pleases God, that kettle is soon overflowing.

Use God’s gift of today to use your gifts from God in a manner that reflects His character.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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