It's just a humble little house in the country, but it had been a dream of a friend of ours for years. Actually, it was her grandparents' house most of her life. She lived just down the road from them as a child and she spent many hours and made many memories in that little place. After Grandma and Grandad died, her dad owned the house. But by then he lived four hours away, so he just rented it out for years. It never was a great house but it really fell apart over the last few years; holes in the roof, fleas in the carpet, critters invading the house through its many holes, rotting wood and deterioration.

Our friend's dream had been that someday she might be able to get her hands on that house she loved and make it into something. She got her chance. Her dad deeded the house to our friend and her sister and this past summer they teamed up to make it a neat little place in the country. She put on a full court press to get all those holes fixed, to replace things that were rotting or infested or worn out and she started to put her wonderful creative and beautifying touches to work to make it a special little spot.

Another friend who used to go by once in a while when it was still rented confided to her how he felt about the house, "This place was a dump. I thought it should be bulldozed." He doesn't think that now. He was very impressed with what that dump had become.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Power to Change."

All those years our friend had been seeing that house deteriorate and she just kept waiting for a day when it might be hers and she could take what had become a mess and make it into something beautiful. What she did for a house, Jesus does for people's lives. Maybe yours.

Our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" A new creation. There was an amazing change that took place in that house that was going straight downhill when someone who loved it finally was allowed to have it.

And I've seen that same miracle take place so dramatically in human lives, when a life that was getting more and more damaged was finally turned over to Jesus Christ. And He has lovingly gone to work to repair what looked "unrepairable" and to fix what looked unfixable to forgive what seemed unforgivable and to make a person into a new creation.

It could be that you're in the market now for a re-creation miracle of your own. Things have been under your management for a long time. And maybe from the outside things look pretty good. But inside, there's a lot you're tired of. You're tired of ending up lonely, you're tired of your dark side winning, maybe the anger has done enough damage, the selfishness, the habit you have never been able to shake.

It could be that over the years you've accumulated more stress and more pain than you can handle anymore. Or more guilt than you can deal with anymore. Whatever the damage that's accumulated during the years when you've been running things, there is Someone who has loved you all along who's been saying all these years, "If only you would let Me have your life. I could do with it what you've never been able to do." Think about it. The Son of God promises to make you a new creation, the old you behind you, a new beginning.

All these years there's been a dark, destructive force inside, keeping you from becoming the person you really want to be. It's called sin. Sin Jesus took on Himself when He died on the cross for you. You can't be your own Savior. Only Jesus can be that. But He won't force His way in. He starts the forgiving, the healing, the re-creating the day you open the door and say, "Jesus, this place isn't mine anymore. It's Yours." That wonderful new beginning could be this very day for you if you're ready for the Savior to become your Savior and you tell Him that right now

Our website is there to help you get this done. I hope you'll go there - ANewStory.com.

There's so much Jesus has been wanting to do in your life but your life has never belonged to Him. Until today. You're going to be amazed at the change.

Years ago I was flying like a gazillion miles a year it seemed like. And they gave me this coupon along the way. It entitled me to an upgrade to a first class seat on a future flight. Now that was a privilege that was really appreciated, especially when you've got major work to get done. They even let me board before any other passengers. I got a lot of dirty looks, but it was nice. And that meant I could get right to work on the plane instead of standing in line.

Now you could be saying, "Well, aren't you special?" Well listen, there's nothing special about me that gets me these special privileges, except that when you're a frequent flier on this airline, they give this kind of reward to anyone who flies a lot and does it consistently with them. See, the airlines want to train us to think one simple thought, customer loyalty pays off!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Through the Darkness With Jesus."

The benefits belong to those who keep traveling with the same people. And long before there were airlines, some Jewish women discovered that as they followed Jesus. Our word for today from the Word of God is from Matthew 27 - we're beginning with verse 55. The scene: the crucifixion of Jesus, where most of those who had been with Jesus had taken off. But the Bible says, "Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Jesus." They'd followed Jesus loyally through all those journeys, all those miracles, all those life-changing lessons, and the glory of Palm Sunday only five days earlier. And now, when it looks as if all is lost and there is no reason to hang on, there they are at the cross.

Jesus has died now; it is over. Even though Jesus is buried in a borrowed tomb, the Bible says, "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb." Still loyal, when all hope seems to be gone. Then, of course, on that incredible Resurrection Day, "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." Because of their tenacious loyalty to Jesus, these women (not any of Jesus' 12 disciples) are the first to see the empty tomb.

And then the greatest joy of all, "The women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them." What may be the greatest thrill, the greatest privilege in all of human history, to be the first ones to ever see Jesus alive again! Those who have been His loyal followers through it all - they get that honor, they get the privilege! Like a passenger loyal to one airline, they enjoy benefits that only the loyal experience.

Because they've stuck with Jesus when there seemed to be no reason to, they get to see Him as no others have seen Him, and they experience the unspeakable joy that is reserved for those who were faithful when it was totally dark. And you know, that is still the experience of those who will stay with Jesus through the valley, the victories, the pain, the unanswered questions, the as yet unanswered prayers. When you do, you get to see Jesus in all His power and all of His glory.

But maybe for you, the resurrection day hasn't come yet. You're still in the time of the cross right now, or the time of the tomb, the time where there seems to be no hope, no reason. Maybe you're suffering from faithfulness fatigue. You've hung on, but it's getting harder to keep hanging on. And the Lord knows how hard it is right now.

So He has sent you this reminder that the greatest benefits go to those who stay with Jesus, no matter what. He has some wonderful blessings, some unspeakable joy, and some tremendous rewards for you if you'll stay faithful for a few more miles. In the words of Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

The best rewards Jesus has to give are for those who fly faithfully with Him through it all.

I admire my friends who are marathon runners. I don't want to be one of them, but I admire them. I actually did have a bit of a running program going when my kids were little. Every morning, I used to run around the block twenty times, until my son moved the block! Sorry. I've never run a marathon. I've watched some, and I've talked to my friends who have done the whole 26-mile distance. If you've ever watched or run a marathon, you've probably seen those volunteers that are stationed all along the way - the ones with the orange slices and water. As the miles become more and more grueling, the body can actually begin to shut down. Water is desperately needed to avoid dehydration. The potassium in those orange slices replenishes an important deficit in your body. I think it's probably questionable if many runners could make it if it weren't for those little, like, refreshment stands.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Being the Refresher They Need."

In a way, I guess all of us are marathon runners. Just look at the course you have to run every day, every week, every month, and so on. And all of us reach those points where we feel like we can't go on, where a vital system seems to be shutting down. And that's where the refreshment folks are desperately needed. I hope the folks around you consider you one of those.

Every one of us needs people who will be our refreshers. We all know people who need for us to be their refresher. In fact, here's a great example of one of those unsung heroes, as recorded in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in 2 Timothy 1:16-18, and Paul is writing about this lonely season of his life. He's isolated in Caesar's prison, awaiting what will ultimately be his execution. Now this man who has helped so many run their race needs someone to help him finish his.

And along comes a man with a name that's a mouthful and a ministry that is wonderful. Paul says, "May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day!" Onesiphorus: the name literally means "profit-bringer." That's something all of us can be - someone who makes a person richer because they have been with you.

To be one of God's refreshment stands, you're there for someone when it's awkward and you don't know what to do or you don't know what to say. You're there when it's hard, when it's inconvenient, when they're un-loveable, or when you have to "search hard" to find a way to get to them. You go out of your way to bring some love and some support to a person who needs it. You walk in when everyone else is walking out. Your ministry of refreshment can take many forms. Sometimes it's just a hug. Other times it's a compliment, or a word of encouragement, a letter or email, a text, a visit, noticing something good, or praying with them.

It's usually just a matter of obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit instead of quenching that prompting. My guess is He's prompting you all the time to make a move in someone's direction, because He knows who needs what you could give. Learn to listen to those promptings from God. I'll tell you what, it's one of the ways you lead a supernatural life. You get in the middle of things God wants to do all the time. Don't blow off the Holy Spirit's promptings.

God's promise to you is this: "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." He'll give back to you with the measure you give. So what effect are you having on the people around you? Are you making it harder for them to run the race? Or are you one of those holy heroes who offer them the refreshing care that they need? You actually may be the difference in someone running the distance!

There's bad plaque and there's good plaque. The bad kind is that substance that builds up on your teeth that you see in all the toothpaste commercials. They're going to help you get rid of that. Oh, and then there's good plaque; that's the kind we have hanging on walls all over our house.

They're good plaques because they have different promises on them from God's Word. Right as you come into our house there's been a plaque on the wall that says, "All your children will be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children." That's Isaiah 54:13. And most homes have God's promises on plaques on the wall, or churches do. But plaques like that are meant to do more than hang on walls; they're actually meant to float.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When God's Promises Turn Into Life Preservers."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 119. I'm going to read verse 50. David says, "My comfort in my suffering is this: 'Your promise preserves my life.'" I love that. "Your promise preserves my life."

Not long ago I was talking to some friends of ours who had lost a relative in a tragic auto accident. I said to them, "Was His grace enough?" You know, one of the great promises of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is, "His grace is sufficient." There'll always be enough grace.

And they said, "Oh yeah, it sure was." And then together we began to remember some of those promises that make good wall plaques, like "Underneath are the everlasting arms." And then it dawned on me, those promises of God are nice words, but when a storm hits and you're sinking - like when a loved one dies for example - the promise of God becomes a lot more than a plaque. It becomes your life preserver, like someone drowning in the ocean, hanging on for dear life, and the promise is all you've got to hang onto.

David said, "My comfort in suffering is this, 'Your promise preserves my life.'" All you've got to hang on to. And the more you hold on to that promise, the more you live as if the promise is true and the more you can handle. We've got to have those promises in our heart so we can rip them off the wall and hang onto them when that sudden storm hits.

I talked not long ago to a burned out Christian leader. He's hanging on to a promise from the 23rd Psalm, "He restores my soul." I talked to a family who was recently hit by five medical blows within as many weeks. They're hanging on to Deuteronomy 33:25, "Your strength will equal your days." When my wife got ill and was sick with hepatitis, in bed for nine months, I wondered, "How in the world am I going to do it without my partner?" I hung on to that verse. Every day I said, "Your strength will equal your days, Ron. Your strength will equal your days." It did! It got me through.

So, learn those promises. They're your source of strength. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." That means you'll have everything you need. Maybe you need Philippians 4:19, "My God will supply all your needs." Or maybe that plaque that becomes a life preserver is 1 Corinthians 10:13, "God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted more than you are able." Or are you hanging onto Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." How many times have I hung onto Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know."

Learn those promises, and then learn to lean on those promises. When your feelings are lying to you, when your world is upside down, grab a promise off the wall of your heart and rest all your weight on it. The promises of God are life preservers.

So look, there's a football game on but you don't have time to watch the whole game. Listen, turn it on near the end of the game. Some of the most amazing things happen when the game is almost over, especially after they sound that two-minute warning. Suddenly, everybody knows it's time to throw caution to the wind and go for broke, "Let's get some points on the board!" It's time for those bold series of plays that are designed for those urgent moments when you realize time is running out.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Not Much Time Left."

Could it be that you and I are living at a time when our world is hearing God's two-minute warning? Many of the devoted believers of the world's three great religions; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are expecting the coming of the Messiah soon. There is a sense all over the world that we could be living in the countdown to God's wrap-up of human history. For those studying the only book in history that has a perfect record on fulfilled prophecies, the Bible, that wrap-up is the personal return of Jesus Christ.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and following, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." No one can predict the time the Lord will come. But because of signs the Bible says will precede His coming, those alive at the time should be able to feel its approach. Verse 4: "But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."

I'm not a prophecy specialist and I know dedicated believers disagree on some of the details leading up to Jesus' return. But I have to tell you, as I understand Scripture, the world has never looked so much like the world Jesus has said He is going to return to as it does now. Since Jesus was here, there has never been an Israel until now. There's never been the prophesied return of the Jews to their land from all over the world until now. There's never been the technology for an antichrist to identify and regulate the commerce of every person on earth with the mark of the beast until now. There's never been in modern times the possibility of the prophesied temple to be rebuilt until now.

Whatever your prophetic slant, it's hard not to feel that Jesus could come soon and time might be short. The game clock may very well be ticking down from God's two-minute warning. I think Satan has got his eye on the clock. Revelations 12:12 says, "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short." Maybe you need to check the game clock and change your game plan. Maybe it's time for the urgent living of a two-minute drill.

Here are some questions that might apply to you in light of what time it's getting to be.

1. Why are you spending so much of your life building a bigger and bigger stack of earth-stuff?

2. Why aren't you spending a lot more time with Jesus, so you'll know Him better when you see Him?

3. Why aren't you doing more to get the people you care about ready to meet Jesus?

4. And most important, are you sure you belong to Jesus? How much longer are you going to wait to open your heart to Him? It's pretty late in the game.

Someday will be your last opportunity to open your heart to the man who died for every sin you've ever committed. We don't know when Jesus is coming back to earth or when our last heartbeat is going to come. That's why the Bible says, "Today is the time. Today is the day of salvation."

Maybe that's talking to you. Maybe the two-minute warning is ticking down on your life and my life and we don't even know it. So, while you still have opportunity, be ready to live and ready to die, and ready for eternity. The only way you can is by making Jesus your Savior from your sin.

If you're ready for that, our website is a great landing place for you. Would you go to ANewStory.com?

When you realize time is short, your priorities change. In sports, you go for broke. Well, take a look at God's game clock today. Why don't you play the rest of your game in light of what time it is!

I've actually tried to explain American football to people from another country. It's not easy. Sometimes it's not easy to explain it to someone from this country, especially to some women who don't really care much about how it's played.

But I want you to imagine a man trying to explain football to an acquaintance who has never seen it. And his friend says to him, "You know, I'd like to learn to play football. Will you teach me how?" So, the man who knows how says, "Oh sure! It's this little pointy leather ball and there's this long field. There's 100 yards, it's got some white marks on it. All you have to do is pick up the ball and run from one end of the field to the other. If you do that enough, you win." "Hey, okie dokie!"

So the man takes off; returns a month later. The problem is he's all bandaged up, he's limping, his arm is in a cast, and the man who taught him football says, "What happened!?" His acquaintance says, "Well, you told me about the ball, and you told me about the field, and you told me about running. There's one thing you forgot to tell me: you didn't tell me there would be 11 gorillas trying to stop me."

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Open Door and Your Open War."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 16:9. The Apostle Paul says, "There is a great and effective door open to me, and there are many adversaries." That's actually a law of the kingdom. Spiritual opportunity is always accompanied by opposition: Open door - many adversaries. It just happens like that. They're like Siamese twins, they can't be separated.

Now, it's important for you to realize that, because it would explain some of the storm you're going through right now. See, if God is starting to use you, the devil is starting to fight you. And you're saying, "What's wrong?" Well, nothing may be wrong. It may very well be that you're just about to enter a great open door where you can really make a greater difference than you've ever made before, and the devil knows this is the time he's got to stop you.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "The greatest sign of God's will and power is the devil's growl." Maybe you're hearing the growl right now. That's a compliment. You're saying, "Why is this all happening now when there's such an open door?" Because there is an open door! Open door - many adversaries. Opportunity - opposition. Satan knows it's going to be hard to stop you once God's plans really start to unfold. He's got to get you at the door.

And it's not always the obvious connection to the open door. He may go after your health, your family, your car, your money. The devil doesn't give up ground easily, but you know what? He's already defeated. If God starts to open doors and give opportunities, you begin to pray more intensely for the protection for you and your family that's available in the Name of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that "He made a public spectacle of them (Satan's army), triumphing over them by His cross." Under the blood of Jesus Christ you cannot be touched. And you come under that protection. You pray against discouragement, and depression, and giving up just because there's some push back from the other side. It actually means something very important is about to happen.

Serving the Lord is much like football. As soon as you start gaining ground spiritually, the other side starts to come after you. When you charge, they charge. That's something to be aware of, but it's not something to be afraid of. Just keep running toward that open door, because you have the Son of God blocking for you.

Some years ago, I read in a news magazine about one man's very interesting response during a Papal visit to Latin America. This man owned a produce stand and it was just a couple of blocks from where the Pope was making this historic personal appearance. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pontiff. It seemed like everybody was going, except for "Mr. Produce Stand." And this article said that a reporter asked him, "Don't you believe in the Pope?" The dealer gave a very honest answer. He said, "Oh, yes, I believe in the Pope, but I trust in rice and beans!" I guess there's a difference!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When It All Comes Down To Trust."

Now that produce dealer's statement about believing wasn't double talk. There really is a difference between what you believe in and what you really have your trust in. It can make a big difference in your life choices. In fact, it can make a forever difference in where you spend eternity.

God explains how a person secures their spot in heaven. And that's important information, huh? It's in our word for today from the Word of God in Romans 10:9-10 - "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified," that means made right with God, "and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Saved is the key word here, but what does it mean? It implies someone's in trouble and in need of rescuing; in need of being saved.

The Bible says we are literally dying spiritually because of a killer called sin. Sin isn't ultimately about breaking some religion's rules. It's about who runs your life. The answer? We run our lives. But we were designed by God to ride in a life that our Creator is driving. And instead, we've all decided we'll drive instead and make Him a passenger. That leads us away from God, facing an eternal death penalty. We need someone to save us, a rescuer, a Savior, and that's why God's only Son went to that awful cross for us.

Our eternity comes down to what God calls believing in your heart, notice "heart." Many people believe in their head. They agree with the facts about Jesus and they officially recognize Him as the Savior. And if you ask some if they believe in Jesus, they'll say, "Well, sure." But like the man with his produce stand, their life trust is really somewhere else.

You see that's your heart. Now, that leads to a life or death challenge from God's Word. It's in 2 Corinthians 13:5, listen to these words: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" Do what God says, test yourself. It's eternally important to ensure that you don't miss heaven by 18 inches! That's the distance from your head to your heart. It isn't agreeing with Jesus that gets you to heaven. It's commitment to Him.

Has there ever been a time when you personally told Jesus Christ, "Jesus, I'm placing all my trust in You to rescue me from my sin; to give me a relationship with God, to guarantee me heaven." If you're not sure there's been a time, there may not have been - probably not. But that could change right now. You bow your head, imagine yourself standing at the foot of Jesus' cross and say, "Lord, I believe what you're doing on that cross is for me. With all my heart I'm putting all my trust in You."

If you haven't had that Jesus day, please don't risk another day without Him. Will you take care of it right now? We'd love to help you. Our website is really to help you get started with Him. It's ANewStory.com.

See, trust in your religion is not enough, or your goodness, in anything, or anyone but Jesus. He took your hell so He could give you His heaven. And right now He's just waiting for you to trust Him with your heart.

When that terrorist bomb ripped apart the Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City on that infamous April 19th years ago, Mark was on the scene within ten minutes. Today that scene of horrendous carnage and violence is a tranquil Memorial Site in downtown Oklahoma City. One night when I was speaking in that city, Mark (who was a police officer) took me there for a personal tour that was pretty moving. Gesturing toward that quiet memorial area that stands where the building once stood, he showed me where the nursery had been, from which he had carried the youngest victims of the bombing. And he pointed to the area where he had assisted in the dramatic rescue of a woman who thought she was going to die but was brought out alive by some valiant rescuers. Mark remembers making a quick call to his wife that day, telling her and his daughters, "I love you. I'll see you later" not knowing how much later that would be. As he and the men around him looked at the sagging wreckage over their heads, Mark just said to his supervisor, "I think we're going to die here." They must have all thought that. But they refused to leave because lives were at stake.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "To Rescue a Soul."

Standing next to a man who had risked his life on this very ground to save other lives, it hit me full force: a rescuer forgets about himself or he'll never take the risks to go in to save a life; someone who will die if he doesn't. And I thought about what it is that keeps most people who have been rescued by Jesus from trying to rescue other spiritually dying people. We're so focused on ourselves that either we don't care about those lives at stake or more likely we're paralyzed by our fears of how they might react if we told them about our Jesus, who is heaven's Rescuer. In either case, we do nothing because we're all wrapped up in ourselves; the exact opposite of a rescuer, who abandons all his self-interest because someone's going to die if he doesn't go in.

In a sense, all of us who know Christ are actually "Esthers." She's the Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia without anyone ever discovering her real roots. Then came the day when a shrewd conspiracy caused the king to approve a decree for the slaughter of all Jews. Mordecai, the man who had raised Esther, sent her a message, urging her to go to the king and plead for the life of her people. She was afraid because the law of the land dictated that anyone who entered the king's presence unbidden would be executed unless he extended his gold scepter to them.

In Esther 4:14-16 our word for today from the Word of God, Mordecai appeals to her with this plea: "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther does go to the king, uttering this courageous declaration: "If I perish, I perish." That's the heart of a rescuer. It doesn't matter what happens to me. It matters what happens to the people who will die if I don't do something. And her people were saved.

Like Esther, you have been assigned where you are - where you work, where you live, or where you go to school. Why? To help save the lives of the people there; people who, without a relationship with the Man who died for their sins, face an eternity in hell and no hope of heaven. And you have the life-saving information about Jesus that can rescue them. It's not about changing their religion. It's not about you winning an argument or getting them to come to your church or your religion. It's about whether they have a chance to know the only Person who can save them - Jesus.

You're afraid of what might happen if you went in for the rescue. I know that feeling. It might damage your relationship, and you might mess it up. Would you think like a rescuer - fearing more what will happen if you don't attempt the rescue than what will happen if you do? You've been brought into their lives for such a time as this.

Jesus abandoned Himself completely to rescue you. There is no rescue unless the rescuer forgets about himself or herself. Someone's eternity may depend on you doing just that. God put you where you are so they could have a chance at heaven. Don't fail them. Don't fail the Rescuer who died so they and so you could live.