HABITS
By R.J. Evans

It has been said that “habits are like comfortable beds, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.” It has also been said that “habits are like cable, each day as we do something in a pattern, we intertwine one thread with another.” And, of course, as the threads are woven tightly together, a cable is formed. Using this analogy, we need to realize that on any particular day, the thread we added was probably too small to gain much of our attention. But, after many threads have been woven in, we discover that together they have become a practically unbreakable cable or rope.

So it is with habits. There are good habits and there are bad habits. Daily practices over the course of time become habits that are practically unbreakable – so be careful what you weave.

To illustrate the above, concerning a bad habit, ask someone who has developed a bad habit and has attempted to break it i.e. the person who uses profanity, drinks alcohol, or takes drugs. It is my understanding that chain smoking is one of the most difficult of all habits to break.

But on the other hand, think of developing good habits. Think of how much good and positive results that are produced from these daily practices. Here are some suggestions or examples of good habits that we need to be incorporating into our daily lives.

DAILY Bible Reading – “Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God” (Neh. 8:18).

DAILY Bible Study – “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

DAILY Prayer – “Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You” (Psa. 88:9).

DAILY Cross Bearing – “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23).

DAILY Meditation – “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night” (Psa. 1:2).

DAILY Exhortation – “But exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:19).

DAILY Teaching – “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42).

DAILY Growth – “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5). “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Do you want to become more like Jesus? Do you want to consistently grow and become stronger in the Lord? Then consider carefully the good daily activities just mentioned, and begin a life filled with good habits. 

WHY I PRAY
By Warren Berkley

I pray because I believe God listens. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 Jn. 5:14).

I pray because God has told me that He cares and is able to help. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7; see also Lk. 12:6-7; Heb. 4:16).

I pray because I lack wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him as of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jas. 1:5).

I pray because my Savior said I ought to pray. “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Lk, 18:1).

I pray because I’m thankful for all the good things God has given. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6; see also Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:16-18).

I pray because I need pardon. “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1; see also Acts 8:22; Psa. 51:1-9).

I pray because I adore and love my Father. “In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name’” (Matt. 6:9).

I pray because I’ve read so many accounts of people who prayed to God with great results. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (Jas. 5:17-18). “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas 5:16).

I pray because of Paul’s exhortation. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

I pray because I believe God has the ability to grant even more than I’m able to think and ask. “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:14-21). 

Church or Social Club?
By David McPherson

The church is not a social club. The church was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28).  The Son of God did not die for a social organization, but for a “spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5). We are not a glorified social center in competition with country clubs and the YMCA. We are the church. We worship God “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24), not in food, fun, and frolic.

Let the YMCA be the YMCA. Let the Country Club be the Country Club. Let the boy scouts and girl scouts be the boy scouts and girl scouts. And please, let the church be the church!