Now is the time for sincere, united and urgent prayer for the future of our city and our nation. The National Day of Prayer will mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership.  Rich Bott, Executive Vice President of Bott Radio Network is this year’s Honorary Chairman. Come together with Kansas City Christians on the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 1st, at 6:00 p.m. on the north lawn of the Liberty Memorial in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. If you have a heart for service, volunteers are needed for publicity, event assistance and many other committees. For more details or to volunteer for the Kansas City National Day of Prayer event, visit online at www.ndpkc.org .

The Worldview Weekend Family Reunion in Branson, Missouri, is shaping up to be a great time of fellowship, worship and teaching, including appearances by David Jeremiah, Kay Arthur and many more. Attend the Worldview Weekend Family Reunion from April 25th – 27th, 2008, in exciting Branson, Missouri. Plan a vacation with a purpose for your family and experience three days of nationally known speakers, great music, comedy and free time to explore Branson with your family. Order your tickets online at www.worldviewweekend.com.

Bott Radio Network is delighted to welcome Pastor John MacArthur to the Saint Louis area for the next installment of the Bott Radio Network Speaker Series. Dr. John MacArthur is the featured Bible teacher on Grace To You, heard each weekday on AM 1320 each weekday at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. and on 91.5 FM each weekday at 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. He is also a leading author and will be in the area as part of his national book tour highlighting A Tale of Two Sons, his latest work based on the Biblical account of the prodigal son. On Thursday, April 17th at Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church in Ballwin, Missouri, Dr. MacArthur will be teaching on this parable. This free, family ministry event begins at 7:00 p.m., and the doors open at 5:30 p.m. for book sales, followed by sanctuary seating at 6:00 p.m. A Tale of Two Sons will be on sale at the church and you will have an opportunity to meet Dr. MacArthur personally and have him sign his book.

Do you struggle balancing the demands of the workplace and your faith? Attend this year’s Faith Incorporated workshop, “Courageous Faith at Work.” Motivational speakers – such as Pastor Chip Ingram, heard across Bott Radio Network on Living on the Edge – will inspire you to practice your faith in the workplace. Hear how some of today’s top business leaders have chosen to express their faith at work. It will be a day of motivation, worship and fellowship, as you learn how to honor God through your business practices. Mark your calendars for Friday, March 28th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit www.integrityresource.org to register.

Bott Radio Network is delighted to welcome Pastor John MacArthur to Murfreesboro for the next installment of the Bott Radio Network Speaker Series. Dr. John MacArthur is the featured Bible teacher on Grace To You, heard each weekday on AM 1160 at 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. He is also a leading author and will be in the area as part of his national book tour highlighting  A Tale of Two Sons, his latest work based on the Biblical account of the prodigal son. On Tuesday, April 8th, at Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Dr. MacArthur will be teaching on this parable. This free, family ministry event begins at 7:00 p.m., and the doors open at 6:00 p.m. A Tale of Two Sons will be on sale at the church and you will have an opportunity to meet Dr. MacArthur personally and have him sign his book.

Do you struggle balancing the demands of the workplace and your faith? Attend this year’s Faith Incorporated workshop, “Courageous Faith at Work.” Motivational speakers – such as Pastor Chip Ingram, heard across Bott Radio Network on Living on the Edge – will inspire you to practice your faith in the workplace. Hear how some of today’s top business leaders have chosen to express their faith at work. It will be a day of motivation, worship and fellowship, as you learn how to honor God through your business practices. Mark your calendars for Friday, March 28th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit www.integrityresource.org to register.

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

Recommended Reading
Matthew 25:1-13

Warwick Castle sits in the center of England, northwest of London. The first Earl of Warwick, Henry De Newburgh, occupied the castle from 1088 to 1119, and the current Earl, Guy Greville, took up residence in 1996. Mr. Greville is the forty-second Earl of Warwick, receiving the title after more than 900 years of careful succession.

The English are famous for their lords, earls, and barons and the idea of nobility as a birthright. That might work in the kingdom of Britain, but it doesn’t work in the kingdom of God: Spiritual legitimacy is a personal decision, not a birthright. No one is saved because his parents or grandparents were saved. In fact, Jesus told a parable about five foolish virgins who failed to provide oil for their lamps. When they sought to borrow oil from others, they were refused. Oil represents the Holy Spirit, who is given to individuals only by God. Are you resting in a spiritual pedigree or in your own personal relationship with Jesus?

Regardless of whom your parents are or were, you are not a Christian until you are adopted by God the Father.

The tragedy of my life is that although I’ve led thousands of people to Jesus Christ, my own sons are not saved.
Billy Sunday

During 1977, millions of people lined up at museums in different cities across the United States to view the treasures of the tomb of King Tutankhamen of Egypt. Many of the pieces appeared to be beautiful gems in settings of pure gold. It was only later that those in charge of the exhibit made a surprising discovery. When tests were done on the gems, they found that some of the jewels were nothing more than cut glass!

Many things appear to be genuine, yet when the appropriate tests are done, they turn out to be fakes. The same can be said for those preaching supposedly spiritual truths. The only way to tell for sure is to do the appropriate tests–and the Bible tells us how.

What Does God Say?

“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world….But we [the apostles] belong to God; that is why those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception” (1 John 4:1, 6; NLT).

• Why do we need to “test” those who claim to speak by the Spirit?
• In John’s day, a common claim made by false teachers was that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh (i.e. physically). What common false teachings do we find today?
• How do we know if someone is speaking the truth or trying to deceive us?

My Thoughts

The apostles speak to us today through God’s Word. The better we know the Bible, the easier it is to tell whether someone is speaking by the Spirit or trying to deceive us. Set aside a regular time each day to read and study God’s Word.

My Part

Go to our web site and view our selection of Bible reading guides. Begin to use it this week to read in an organized fashion through your Bible during the rest of this year.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? —Psalm 22:1

It was late on the Thursday evening of Passover week. Jesus was with His disciples at one of His favorite retreats—the Garden of Gethsemane. In great emotional distress, He admonished the disciples to pray for strength to remain loyal to Him. He removed Himself a short distance from them and prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

The “cup” from which Jesus asked to be delivered was not death. He came to die for us. I think the cup represents the frightful alienation from His Father that would lead to His cry on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

In the garden, He must have been anticipating that time when His Father would turn His back on Him. The coming of the angel assured Him that He was not alone. Yet the reality of the Father’s imminent withdrawal from Him was foremost in His thoughts. He would be taking our sin on Himself and enduring the awesome aloneness of the cross. This realization drove Jesus to pray with so much intensity that “His sweat became like great drops of blood?” (Luke 22:44).

And what’s even more amazing is the truth that Jesus endured this suffering for you and me! - Herbert Vander Lugt

Thinking It Over
Nothing deserves more quiet reflection than the time of Jesus’ suffering just before His crucifixion.
Read The Passion Of Christ

The death of Christ is the measure of God’s love for you.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15

Recommended Reading
Ecclesiastes 3:4a, 7b

The most famous group of friends in the world (or at least the oldest and most famous) is not those six who appeared in a TV sitcom for ten years. It is the group of three who came to visit Job after he suffered several disasters in a row. They’ve been accused of judging Job unmercifully - for saying that the disasters he experienced were due to some sin in his life.

But wait - let’s give these fellows a little credit. Before they launched into lecturing Job, the Bible says they identified with him in his misery. Job was weeping, so they wept. Job was sitting on an ash heap, so they tore their clothes and covered themselves with dust. Job was stunned into silence by all that had happened, so they sat with Job for seven days without saying a word, “for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13). For that, they deserve credit. Sometimes the best thing we can do for people is to identify with their grief. Not talk, not advise, not question, not even pray - just be where they are. The next time someone needs you, start by giving them the gift of yourself. When you identify with them, they will be grateful for you.

Sympathy says, “Poor thing!” Empathy says, “I am in this with you.”

Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?
- C. S. Lewis