Explain this

"A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. He has no formal education. He owns no property of any kind.

One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside. Walking from place to place preaching all the while even though he is in no way an ordained minister he never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most.

He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has.

His family cannot afford a burial place so he is interred in a borrowed tomb.

End of story?

No, this uneducated, propertyless young man who preached on street corners for only three years who left no written word has for 2000 years had a greater effect on the entire world than all the rulers, kings and emperors, all the conquerors, the generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who ever lived -- all put together.

How do we explain that? ...Unless he really was what he said he was."

Ronald Reagan

Changing the course of Destiny

Human Affection & Respect Can Change the Course of Destiny I want to share with you certain insights concerning a decisive turn of events in American history from a biography of George Washington that I am reading. I am referring to volume two, GEORGE WASHINGTON IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1775-1783), by James Thomas Flexner. I had known about what Washington did that day before but not in such interesting detail. What happened I think reflects how the values of love and loyalty shape destiny.

The date is March 15, 1783. The place is in Newburgh, New York, on the west side of the Hudson River. The action occurs in a "temple" built by Continental Army soldiers and used by them for worship on Sundays and as a dancing academy on other days.

The issue concerned the discontent and bitterness of officers in the Continental Army under the overall command of George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. The officers had not been paid properly by Congress in years (along with the common soldiers) nor was any real provision being made for their retirement once the war was over. This produced a deep, bitter sense of rejection and insecurity that was perceived by them as insult and financial injury by the Congress and society at large. There was standing room only in the temple on the 15th as they debated the question of whether or not the army should use its military power to take over Congress and establish some form of military dictatorship as a way to force Congress and the states in giving them what they rightly earned through service in the war. Many officers hoped the Commander-in-Chief would lead them and some had tried to persuade Washington to become a new American king!

Although General Washington was not expected to come in person that day to this meeting, he showed up suddenly in the middle of their deliberations. Reminding the men that he too had struggled and suffered with them during eight years of war, he noted that their cause was righteous and just. But he warned them that only bloodshed would result from an assertion of military power over civilian authority. You will "open the flood gates of civil discord and deluge our rising empire in blood." Although the word was not then available, Washington was really talking about ugly prospect of fascism. However, Washington and the leadership of his generation were fully aware of the Roman example concerning the destruction of the Roman Republic by generals who made themselves Caesars. He made it very clear to them that he would help them in every way his ability and prestige would permit within the normal political context of Congress' authority over the military (this was the basic relationship from the beginning of the war). He also stated flatly that he would never lead a military takeover in America.

As they listened politely and respectfully to him, the officers in the audience were somewhat perplexed as to what to do next, but were not moved as a group to step back from the abyss.

Then, their General took out a piece of paper--a message from a member of Congress who was sympathetic with their financial plight and promised to do something about it--and fumbled around as he could not read it, whereupon, he took out a pair of eye glasses. (Very few of the men knew he wore them; they were shocked to see them.) Washington said, "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country." When the General finished reading the short statement, and without any anti-climatic epilogue, he walked out of the temple, got on his horse and rode back to his headquarters.

In the words of the biographer, Flexner, "This simple statement achieved what all Washington's rhetoric and all his argument had been unable to achieve. The officers were instantly in tears, and...their eyes looked with love at the commander who had led them all so far and so long." The impetus for military takeover dissolved and the officers drafted a new address to Congress expressing a willingness to trust the process that General Washington had outlined.

In the end, it was not ideology or logic that won the day and prevented a dictatorship; it was the combination of affection and respect that constitute that winning loyalty, so admirable in the human heart. I am reminded of the love for Jesus that, with one exception, kept the Apostles loyal to their Master through thick and thin.

Eventually, some financial restitution was made for the officers but not to the full extent necessary. Washington made good on his promise to work very hard on their behalf with Congress and the states. He was not satisfied with the final arrangements made for the officers but had nonetheless done the best he could do under the circumstances of the early 1780s in which the central government, Congress, and the primitive credit system of the thirteen states, did not allow the proper funding of the war effort. All this was before the establishment of the Republic we now enjoy.

George Washington's decision that March 15, 1783, demonstrates that power does not always corrupt, even absolute power. Washington could have gone in an entirely different political direction and destroyed what has proven to be one of the bedrock Constitutional principles of the United States: separation of powers--in this case, the civilian control of the military. The author, Thomas Flexner, concludes, and I agree with him, that "Americans can never be adequately grateful that George Washington possessed the power and the will to intervene effectively in what may well have been the most dangerous hour the United States has ever known."

The Cross Room

When your at the end of your rope, tie a knot in the end and hang onThe young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.

And the Lord replied," My son, that is the cross you just brought in." When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagine

What I have I give

"Then Peter said, `Gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'" Acts 3:6.

Those of us who know our comforting Lord are expected of all people to be aware of the unfortunates in life. Some have been crushed by events beyond their control, others by burdens too heavy for one person, still others through misguided decisions that reap sad results. It seems the whole world is on crutches, crippled by fear and paralyzed by uncertainty. This poor old earth is at the Temple Gate searching for hope and salve for wounds that cannot be cured by the so-called experts.

We meet these dear people sometimes at the foot of the Cross, and sometimes at the Beautiful Gate. At both places our Father is there. It is only there that we will all be restored to health of heart, mind and body. An inspired author shares this thought: “There once was a time when God saw the world lying like a cripple on the doorstep of heaven. God had something that he could not keep. That was his own life and love. The beggar asked only for alms and a cooling drink, but God gave him a Baby to love, a Man to follow, a Life to adore, a Spirit to dwell in his own wretched, crippled body and make him walk, and leap, and praise again.”

Our Beautiful Gates in life are where we meet humanity at its neediest and inhumanity at its worst. Here the Father of us all gives us the opportunity to share the real gold, words of hope and love aptly spoken like “apples of gold in a setting of silver." We have orange trees and whenever I read this verse I think of that marvelous time of the year when our orange blossoms are beginning to bloom, and they are mixed with oranges still on the tree what a lovely sight and smell, truly a gift from God!

The beggar wanted alms and received the gift of a full life. Sometimes in our prayers we want what we can see and feel, but God wants to grant us faith and more than we ever hoped for. The Gospel doesn’t promise gold and silver. We don’t get everything we want -- even an earthly father has more sense than to grant every whim of his beloved child. We are not promised immediate improvement or a guarantee of immunity from trouble and loss. What we are promised is pardoning love and spiritual peace for the asking. The gold is packaged differently, that’s all.

Turgeniev, the Russian writer, tells in his Poems in Prose how one day he met a beggar who besought him for alms. "I felt in all my pockets," he writes. "No purse, watch, or handkerchief did I find. I had left them all at home. The beggar waited, and his outstretched hand twitched and trembled slightly. Embarrassed and confused, I seized his dirty hand and pressed it: "Don't be vexed with me, brother." The beggar raised his bloodshot eyes to mine, his blue lips smiled, and he returned the pressure of the chilled fingers. "Never mind, brother," he stammered. "Thank you for this. This, too, was a gift, brother." I felt that I too had received a gift from my brother.

The Gift

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday, I want to gife her something that will make it memorable so I decided to give her all of you please read below and then go to http://drcallahan.bravejournal.com and leave a message . Thanks,
Dennis
Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift.

He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend."

Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try, there just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.

What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sister, who ran the household in their mother's absence.

All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.

Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to.

Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the curb.

He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment. As he held his newfound treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when salesperson after salesperson told him that he could not buy anything with only a dime.

He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you."

Bobby waited, he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.

The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow.

Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.

"That will be ten cents young man," the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.

Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime!

Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?"

This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son."

As he returned inside, the shop keepers wife walked out. "Who were you talking to back there and where are the roses you were fixing?"

Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway.

Then just a few minutes ago a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime.

When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses."

The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.

The clown had 18 wheels

The summer of 1986, my wife and I were heading east when we came upon an 18 wheeler. The driver was signaling to get into my lane, so I eased down on the brake. As the truck pulled ahead we heard on our CB radio, Thank you, four wheeler We engaged in CB chat and asked him if he knew of a good place to eat. He said to follow him.

We sat together at the restaurant and asked him about his handle (CB name). It was Frankie the Clown. He said that he spends a lot of time on the road and many lonely nights in hotel rooms. He carries a clown suit with him, and sometimes during a layover, he dresses up and visits with children at the nearest hospital. A towering man with gigantic, rough hewn hands, it was hard to imagine him in costume.

Then he told us a story about why he did this. The twinkle in his soft brown eyes spoke volumes about his rewards. I was pulling a load, nervous because I was behind schedule. Just then, my engine starts to overheat so I took her to a garage. They told me to leave her while they waited for parts. So I checked into a hotel, bent out of shape because this was going to cost me big. Even though I felt like sulking alone in my room, I convinced myself to put on my clown outfit and head to the nearest hospital. When I arrived, I told the nurse in charge of the children's ward why I was there. Reluctantly, she let me do my thing. I knocked softly on the first door but got no response. I carefully opened the door and saw a little boy, about three or four years old, lying in his bed and sharing at the ceiling. I bounced over to him and said, Hi! I'm Frankie the Clown What's your name? He continued to ignore me, his small lips pursed together. Fighting the urge to move to the next room, I started my routine.

Finally, I got a smile, which kept me going. Within minutes, the boy was laughing out loud and so was I. We were having so much fun that I hardly noticed the nurse as she came in, wrinkled her brow, then left. We began to talk. He told me his name was Johnny and he was four years old. Just then, I noticed the room filling up with nurses, doctors and orderlies. Oops, what did I do? I thought. Turning to the nurse, I apologized for making such a racket.

She looked me straight in the eye and said, Frankie, you've got it all wrong. You aren't a nuisance, you're a blessing! This little boy has been with us for three weeks and no one, I mean, no one has been able to get any response from him. We apologize for interrupting, but when I told my co-workers that the little boy in room 109 was talking and laughing, they had to see it for themselves!

As I rode back to my hotel, I wasn't frustrated or mad because I was losing money. I was on top of the world. My load would be late and I still wouldn't be rich. But I had made a little boy in room 109 laugh, and I felt like a million bucks.

Its not what you do, its that you do something. Do something for Gods sake!

WGOD God radio

As told to me by my minister friend, as related to him from the minister that it happened to.

It was a cold evening in upper New York State, it looked like it could snow. The mountain roads were damp with sheets of ice, so it was strange to see a four door sedan speeding recklessly through the night. Inside the car was a woman probably in her late thirties looking at the road as if in a trance. She wasn't aware of the tires squealing on the turns. You see it didn't matter to her if she ran off the road and crashed into the valley below, because she was going to kill herself.

We don't know why her life had no meaning to her any more. It could have been a bad marriage or the abortion of a child, whisky or dope. The main thing was she had no where to turn, no one to trust, no one including herself that thought her life had any value. She had come up this road before. But tonight she was determined she would make it to the top and then off the road and into the gorge.

Upset and nervous she switched on the radio to calm down until she reached the top. A calm voice came on and she listened, it was a minister. She had never been very religious even as a child, her family was always to busy for church. This man was talking about Jesus. How much He loved us, how He died for us. She wished she had something to die for. Something besides putting an end to her problems.

The minister was inviting people to the service now, he was giving the address of the church. It was a country church on the same highway she was on. A small town up ahead. She had been through it before. It was almost to the top of the mountain. She might stop and find out more about this man Jesus and what He died for. She would like to have a purpose to her death, something besides escaping her miserable life.

As she went into the Church the same man with the quite voice was speaking. Her mind was still not functioning well but she was picking up some of the words. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son ... "Because he loves me" says the Lord, "I will rescue him" ... "I will not forsake you, I will never leave you" ... The time passed and tears were running down her eyes. The service was over and the man was calling people to be saved. He was staring at her. She knew he was talking to her. She quietly got up and walked down the aisle and knelt before him as she dedicated her life to Jesus.

She felt new, clean, her troubles were just a memory. People were smiling at her and hugging her. Two people said they loved her, another asked if she would come back and join them. The minister brought his wife to meet her. She smiled at the minister and thanked him. She said "my life was almost over when I heard your broadcast." "What do you mean sister?" "Your radio broadcast, I heard it in the car right before I came in." "Sister we are a very small church we don't have a radio broadcast."
Remember, God may be speaking directly to you when you least expect.

Even when you feel like no one cares or no one is listening, God is there.

Listen carefully to your heart and never underestimate the power of a few kind words

He an't heavey He's my brother

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: "It is more blessed to give...

World not fair! On Strike!!!

Did you ever think what would happen if God went on strike?

How good it is that God above has never gone on strike
Because He was not treated fair in things He didn't like.
If only once He'd given up and said, "That's it, I'm through,
I've had enough of thee on earth, so this is what I'll do.
I'll give my orders to the sun, cut off the heat supply,
And to the moon give no more light and run the oceans dry.
Then just to make things really tough and put the pressure on,
Turn off the vital oxygen till every breath is gone."

You know that He would be justified, if fairness were the game.
For no one has been more abused or met with more disdain
Thank God, and yet He carries on, supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace, and everything for free.

Men say they want a better deal, and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we've given God to whom all things we owe.
We don't care who we hurt to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we'd all be in if God should go on strike.

What is Faith?

Recently I had a crisis of fath this helps me perhaps it will help you too!

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead" Hebrews 11:1 TLB.
Romans 1:17 is a capsule summary of Paul's message to the Romans; it changed Martin Luther's life and ours, as well: "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: `The righteous will live by faith'." Lauterbach quotes Luther as saying, "When I learned that the righteousness of God is his mercy, and that he makes us righteous through it, a remedy was offered to me in my affliction." Luther's Works, volume 54, Table Talk. "Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling." From the hymn, Rock of Ages. We can give nothing to God but our faith, but what a joy it is to know that He gives us His all.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace. . ." (Romans 5:1). Even though we cannot see the future, we are assured that it is in God's capable hands and heart. What a blessing this is! It is here on this ground of complete hope that we build our justified life; it is here on earth that we frame a foundation of a faith finally worthy of the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). We don't build our life in blind faith, but in complete confidence in God's integrity. It saves us many heartaches and headaches. Harry Emerson Fosdick said, "It is cynicism and fear that freeze life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free."

A man who had endured much trouble in his life was asked by a friend, "How is the outlook?" The man answered, "The outlook is dark, but the uplook is wonderful." Peter Boehler is said to have advised John Wesley, "Live by faith till you have faith."

The Devil's Be Attitudes

If the Devil were to write his own beatitudes, they would possibly go something like this:


** Blessed are those Cristians who are TOO TIRED, TOO BUSY, too distracted to spend time with their fellow Christians in Church-they are my best candidates to backslide.Christians

**Blessed are those Christians who WAIT TO BE ASKED and EXPECT TO BE THANKED -I can use them to slow things down.

**Blessed are those Christians who are TOUCHY, with a bit of luck they may STOP GOING TO CHURCH and get others to quit-they are my missionaries.

**Blessed are those Christians who are VERY RELIGIOUS but GET ON EVERYONE'S nerves-they are my most effective stumbling blocks.

**Blessed are those Christians who are TROUBLEMAKERS -they are my best wrecking crew.

**Blessed are those Christians who have NO TIME TO PRAY -they are easy prey for me.

**Blessed are those Christians who are COMPLAINERS -they are my best discouragers.

**Blessed are YOU when you read this and THINK IT IS ABOUT OTHER people and not yourself---I've got you.

The mail box

Someone once asked me, "If you could be any person in the world, who would it be?" To which I responded without hesitation, "my twelve-year-old son."

My boy's life is one where the less pleasant elements of reality rarely intrude. His eyes unfocused, his mouth emitting sound effects, he drifts around in serene oblivion, almost never concerned about anything.

Last Saturday I interrupted his reverie and asked him to check to see if the mail had arrived. He responded agreeably enough, though it took several reminders before he actually was out the door. I went to the window to observe his progress. He made a strong start, striding purposefully toward the mailbox at the end of our driveway. Then something caught his eye and he stopped, frowning. He bent over and picked it up: a stick. It fit into his hand like a Colt pistol, and he swivelled, eyeing the trees for enemies. He spotted a couple and dove for cover, firing as he rolled. Airplanes swooped down and he switched to ground-to-air mode, jubilating when the missiles hit their targets. He spoke into his radio and did something to his forehead, probably putting on his night vision goggles. I lost sight of him as he snaked around the corner of the house.

Half an hour later he tromped in, exuberant over his military victory. I stopped him in the hallway. "Did you get the mail?"

He stared at me blankly, and I wondered whether he even knew who I was. "You were going out to get the mail," I reminded him.

His focus cleared. "Oh, yeah."

"Did you get it?"
His expression indicated he wasn't sure.

"Why don't you try again," I suggested.

Back out the door. I winced as he glanced at a tree branch, but he didn't appear tempted. His eyes acquired radar lock on the mailbox, and I sighed in relief.

Lying next to the mailbox was a football which had drifted there at the end of a neighborhood game a few weeks ago. He scooped the ball up in his arms and swerved, dodging tackles. Touchdown! I put my hands on my hips and watched him toss the ball into the air, calling for a fair catch. First down. He took the ball, fading back, out of the pocket and in trouble. I shook my head as I was treated to the spectacle of my son sacking himself for an eight-yard loss. He jumped up and shook his finger, urging his blockers to stop the blitz. They seemed to heed his admonitions on the next play he rolled left and threw right, a fantastic pass which found him wide open thirty yards down field. He trotted into the end zone and gave the crowd a mile-high salute.

When I checked back at half-time to see who was winning, mankind was on the brink. The football was jammed up inside his shirt, and he was struggling forward on his knees, looking like a soldier crawling through the desert.

He had pulled the lawn mower out of the carport, and as he fell toward it, gasping, he pulled the sacred pigskin from his shirt and, with the last reserves of his strength, touched it to the engine. He died, but civilization was saved by his heroic efforts.

No word on whether, with this triumph, mail would be delivered.

I met him at the door, pierced through his fog, and asked him to get the mail. He agreed in such as fashion as to indicate this was the first he'd heard of the subject. There was a skip in his step as he headed down the driveway, and he was making so much progress so quickly I felt my hopes growing, particularly when he reached out and actually touched the mailbox.

Alas, he was only stopping to talk to it. Conferring in low tones, he nodded, squinting into the distance. He raised the mail flag, igniting the retrorockets strapped to his back. He throttled to full power and then dropped the flag, firing off into space with his arms outstretched like Superman.

He was nowhere in sight when, half an hour later, I went out to get the mail.

Faith is spelt RISK!

Standing For What You Believe In

Sometimes you have to take a stand!

I'll never forget the following story told to me in a Sunday morning service at Jerusalem Baptist Church in South Wales. A man was leading the service who was a part of "Big Ideas", a group the Church was working with in the area. Their plan was to hopefully teach people about God and bring more people into the Church. The topic of the talk was being an attractive person - an attractive Christian. The good story he told concerning this was of a boy in an American High School who was walking through the school canteen and felt God telling him through his heart to go over to the table where the massive, hard, American Football Players were sitting and to tell them he was a Christian; because I don't know if you've noticed but in all those American films it seems that all the different groups of interest tend to be seated separately e.g. the science buffs, cheerladies, and the sportsters.


So the boy said to himself, "Yeah, Ok God, if that's what you want I'll do it! I may feel embarassed but if that's your will I'll do it because I trust you. Besides, I feel I need to tell people that I am a Christian because nobody actually knows." So the boy, sweating from nerves, walked over to the table where these massive boys sat. Ignoring him, they continued in their own private conversation and so the boy banged on the table to get their attention and said, "Excuse me, I just feel I need to tell you that I believe in God, I believe he loves me, and that he loves you too!" Of course, the boys just laughed and snickered at him and one of them said, "Ok then. If you really love this God, then stand up on this table and tell everyone here that you love him."


The boy, really nervous now, replied, cleverly he thought, "I'll only do that if God tells me he wants me to". So he turns away thinking, "Phew, got out of that one!" But then he felt God telling him to be brave and that he wanted him to do this and so he stood up on a table and banged his foot so that everyone in the whole canteen was looking at him with judging eyes. The boy shouted out "I want everyone to know that I believe in God, I believe he loves me, and that he loves you too!" He got off the table and walked toward the exit amidst all the laughter of people aimed towards him. The boy thought to himself, "Well, I've had plenty of fun in my life, plenty of friends.until now, that's it for me, people won't want to know me anymore." But then the boy heard 5 loud bangs and as he turned a girl was standing on her table and said she loved God too. Then another boy, and another, and another, and then another girl and in the end about 40 people, who nobody knew were Christians before, stood up to say that they believed in God and that he loved them all.



Thanks to the bravery of that boy to ignore those who were bound to laugh, thanks to his strong faith, with which he decided to take a risk and stand up for what he believed in, many Christians became known that day and many people who were listening that day became Christians later as they went along with their friends to church. How amazing! Someone once said faith should be spelt RISK! If you truly believe in the Lord, God Almighty, then you should believe He'll look after you, no matter what you do and no matter where you go, when carrying out his Holy work. People won't know that you are a Christian unless you tell them and take a risk.

The Blind man in the bleachers

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to.

But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but Remained a bench-warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday."

vSaturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right.

The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!"

Like the athlete's father, God is always there cheering for us. He's always reminding us to go on. He's even offering us His hand for. He knows what is best, and is willing to give us what we need and not simply what we want. God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life is meaningful if lived for the Highest. Live for HIM for He's watching us in the game of life!

The Journey

Sometime we forget that this life is a journey. Behind each turn are unexpected treasures to be found. Some pleasant some not so pleasurable. But all necessary for each of us.

Do not undermine your worth
by comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different
that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals
by what other people deem important.
Only you know
what is best for you.

Do not take for granted
the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them, life is meaningless.

Do not let your life
slip through your fingers
by living in the past
nor for the future.

By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up
when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over
until the moment you stop trying.

It is a fragile thread
that binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances
that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life
by saying it is impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love
is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love
is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams
is to be without hope;
To be without hope
is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life
so fast that you forget
not only where you have been,
but also where you are going.

Life is not a race,
but a journey
to be savored
each step of the way.

"He leads me to refreshing streams, he revives life in me...My cup is brimming over...Goodness and kindness wait on me... " Psalm 23:3,5,6 Moffatt.

I dearly love Psalm 23. As I get older I realize the beauty and the pull of this gem. One of the exegetists of this Psalm suggests that everything that brings relief from the ordinary pressures of daily life and revives our drooping spirits we may regard as "green pastures and still waters." When I need a quick respite from the moment, I visualize a stream and I'm standing on the shore. The day is cool and it is quiet. It's amazing the peace I feel from just a few seconds of this picture in my mind.

Another points out that the pastures of God are always fresh and green because they are sheltered. Around our life is God's protecting hedge of His love and His law. What a wonderful idea this is when we are tempted to set fire to God's hedge with our own ideas of what is right for us.

One writer suggests that life is a feast:

"Thou preparest a table for me." I will tell you how life looks to me.

I am--personal existence is mine.
I have a being, the integrity, the sanctity of which even God
respects, the boundaries of which even my Maker does not trench upon.
The world is mine. The heavens and the earth are mine.
Then there is the world of ideas, which come greeting you like troops of angels, from the books of gifted souls, from the mystic recesses of your own heart.


Friendship has been yours. The joy of serving, the joy of charity, the joy of dispensing sympathy, of
bearing burdens which are not your own.
The happiness and ennoblement of benefiting the world.
Anonymous

If there is one bit of writing I would recommend for daily study it is this psalm. Yes, I know--we memorized it as a child. Perhaps that is why we need to dust it off now and find out what it really means when we are in a valley and see only dust. In the meantime, let's remember that music, family, friendship, books, religious privileges, freedom, and love: these all are pastures and still waters--and great gifts from our Good Shepherd.

I do Understand

Often people say to me "You just won't understand." "You're way too old," or "Way too young," or "YOU are NOT a man."
I don't know why some people feel they suffer unique pain. As if they are the only ones who've lost or ceased to gain. I don't know why they hide their pain and clutch it ever tighter. It seems to me that all should know - a burden shared gets lighter.

Why some folks even deisgn to think the pain that's in their heart, is all their own, to keep and hoard, they set themselves apart. They keep their eyes from meeting mine lest I should see their hurt. And even if we stop and speak their words are often curt.

The Bible says: 'Two' can withstand what overcomes just 'one'. And also that- a 'Cord of Three' can scarcely be undone.

Besides, I know the ways of hurt- My heart's been crushed before. Friends have betrayed- I've lost at love, despair's knocked at my door.

And I Remember- thoughts gone wild- and crying late at night. Not having strength to care at all- much less the strength to fight. But, someone special came to me- and when my trials were told. I realized that with their tears- they'd eased my heavy load.

And so, I learned- that pain- like love- is bearable if shared. I don't know what I would have done without that friend who cared.

My trials did not vanish fast- in fact the time was long. But sharing gave me breathing space until I could grow strong Enough to laugh again and even start to smile- and though it seemed it could not help- it eased my pain awhile.

So, if you think that you can't share cause I won't understand. At least just give me half a chance to lend a helping hand. For I know that you're hurting and I know a place to start. Perhaps if you could realize- your pain burns in my heart.

I know I cannot make your trials and troubles go away. But maybe I can help a bit to get you through today. And maybe by tomorrow you wont need help anymore. But if you should- don't be ashamed- for that's what friends are for.

And after all is said and done- the trials ceased- you're whole. Perhaps you'll know just what to do to help another soul- Who's being crushed by hurt and pain- be it woman or a man. And you won't have to hear them say "You just won't understand."

For we have not a HIGH PRIEST that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin Heb 4:13

Have you any rags?

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing my life, my street sense; my sly tongue had ever prepared me for. Hush, child. Hush, now, and I will tell it to you.

Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City. He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear, tenor voice: "Rags!" Ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music.

"Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!"

"Now, this is a wonder," I thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in the inner city?

I followed him. My curiosity drove me. And I wasn't disappointed.

Soon the Ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. She was sobbing into a handkerchief, sighing, and shedding a thousand tears. Her knees and elbows made a sad X. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking. The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, he walked to the woman, stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and Pampers.

"Give me your rag," he said so gently, "and I'll give you another."

He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes. She looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. She blinked from the gift to the giver.

Then, as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and then HE began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done, his shoulders shaking. Yet she was left without a tear.

"This IS a wonder," I breathed to myself, and I followed the sobbing Ragman like a child who cannot turn away from mystery.

"Rags! Rags! New rags for old!"

In a little while, when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and I could see the shredded curtains hanging out black windows, the Ragman came upon a girl whose head was wrapped in a bandage, whose eyes were empty. Blood soaked her bandage. A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now the tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart.

"Give me your rag," he said, tracing his own line on her cheek, "and I'll give you mine."

The child could only gaze at him while he loosened the bandage, removed it, and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. And I gasped at what I saw: for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood – his own!

"Rags! Rags! I take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding, strong, intelligent Ragman.

The sun hurt both the sky, now, and my eyes; the Ragman seemed more and more to hurry.

"Are you going to work?" he asked a man who leaned against a telephone pole. The man shook his head.

The Ragman pressed him: "Do you have a job?"

"Are you crazy?" sneered the other. He pulled away from the pole, revealing the right sleeve of his jacket - flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket. He had no arm.

"So," said the Ragman. "Give me your jacket, and I'll give you mine."

Such quiet authority in his voice!

The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman - and I trembled t what I saw: for the Ragman's arm stayed in its sleeve, and when the other put it on he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

"Go to work," he said.

After that he found a drunk, lying unconscious beneath an army blanket, and old man, hunched, wizened, and sick. He took that blanket and wrapped it round himself, but for the drunk he left new clothes.

And now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman. Though he was weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling for drunkenness, falling again and again, exhausted, old, old, and sick, yet he went with terrible speed. On spider's legs he skittered through the alleys of the City, this mile and the next, until he came to its limits, and then he rushed beyond.

I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I needed to see where he was going in such haste, perhaps to know what drove him so.

The little old Ragman - he came to a landfill. He came to the garbage pits. And then I wanted to help him in what he did, but I hung back, hiding. He climbed a hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. Then he sighed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket. He covered his bones with an army blanket. And he died.

Oh, how I cried to witness that death! I slumped in a junked car and wailed and mourned as one who has no hope - because I had come to love the Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man, and I cherished him; but he died. I sobbed myself to sleep.

I did not know - how could I know? - that I slept through Friday night and Saturday and its night, too.

But then, on Sunday morning, I was wakened by a violence.

Light - pure, hard, demanding light - slammed against my sour face, and I blinked, and I looked, and I saw the last and the first wonder of all. There was the Ragman, folding the blanket most carefully, a scar on his forehead, but alive! And, besides that, healthy! There was no sign of sorrow nor of age, and all the rags that he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

Well, then I lowered my head and trembling for all that I had seen, I myself walked up to the Ragman. I told him my name with shame, for I was a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes in that place, and I said to him with dear yearning in my voice: "Dress me."

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new rags on me, and I am a wonder beside him. The Ragman, the Ragman, the Christ!

Key to the Gospel of Matthew

Every book of the Bible has a key to understanding its contents

The New Testament is the most vital book in the world. The Old Testament leaves

us with us with without the light that you need. And if read alone we would find

the the Old Testament is a book of UNEXPLAINED CEREMONIES, UNACHIEVED PURPOSE

UNAPPEASED LONGINGS, UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES.

But lets suppose that having read the Old Testament you meet a Christian friend

who persuades you read the New-.Testament. The very first chapter of Matthew ,

sings out the soon familiar refrain, "That it might fulfilled..." The Jesus who

is to "save His people from their sins" is lineally certificated right back to

royal David and patriarch Abraham, through whom God's two great "covenants of

promise" were made with Israel. His birth of the virgin immediately unlocks the

secret of Isa. 7:14 cf. (Matt. 1:22,23).

Therefore as you read about the Jesus of the New Testament, whose birth, life

death the, resurrection and ascension are historically recorded in the Gospels.

In His vicarious death and atoning self-sacrifice, His resurrection and

ascension, His present ministry in heaven, and His promised return, you see the

UNEXPLAINED CEREMONIES of the Law suddenly flame into new meaning. They all

point HIM as for instances the five different kinds of offerings in Leviticus,

the tabernacle ordinances, the annual entering of the high priest into the Holy

of Holies with covenant blood-sprinkling, and his later re-emerging in his

glorious garments to bless the people.

As you read of the Savior's birth, and hear the announcing angel say, "He

shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God

shall give the throne of His father David..." you realize that the UNFULFILLED

HISTORIES of the Old Testament are being taken up again, and are finding

fulfillment in HIM.

As you read His teachings about the love and the fatherhood of God: as you hear

Him say, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give

you rest"; as you see Him, not only ascending to heaven but shedding forth the

Holy Spirit and thereby coming to indwell the hearts of His redeemed people -you

see the UNAPPEASED LONGINGS of the Old Testament philosophy books finding

fulfillment.

And as for the UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES of the Old Testament Christology, from

the time of His miraculous birth at Bethlehem right on to the climax of His

miraculous ascension from Olivet, He is fulfilling those predictions of the older

dispensation. He claims to be their fulfillment as when He says in the synagogue:

"This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." He proves to be their

fulfillment, in His sinless life and miracle-attested ministry, and most movingly

in His death on the cross.

With this as an introduction we come to the four of the five historical books

that we call the gospels. The first Gospel is that of Matthew. Matthew is the

impressionist and he writes for the Jew. The Jew expected their Messiah to be

born of a certain family and so Matthew traces Christ's birth back to Abraham

the founder of the covenant nation and through the line of David to show that

Christ truly had a claim to the throne of David. The thrust of Matthews gospel

is to show the four-fold ministry of Christ which we find developed this way

1. The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4:12-7:29

2. The Proclamation of the King 8:1-16:20

3. The Rejection of the King 16:21-20:34

4. The Rejection of the Kingdom 21:1-26:35

We might ask where is the fulfilling of prophecy here. Turn back to 2 Sam.7:13

where we find the promise of God to David about the Kingdom to be given to his

David's greater Son. That's the key to the Book of Matthew The long awaited

Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. That's why no explanation was given by either

John the Baptist in Matt. 3:2 or Christ in Matt. 4:17. No self-respecting Jew

would need ever to ask "What on earth is the Kingdom of Heaven. The long awaited

Promise given to David was now being fulfilled in the presence of Christ. As we

now know that Kingdom was set aside and the Kingdom has been been postponed until

Israel again comes on the scene and the church is taken out of the way.

The understanding of the book of Matthew can be summarized by the following outline and in following manner. Read and see for yourself if this is not so.

1. The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4:12-7:29

2. The Proclamation of the King 8:1-16:20

3. The Rejection of the King 16:21-20:34

4. The Rejection of the Kingdom 21:1-26:35

The Answer is...

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first, or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

When given this test one candidate was hired (out of 200 applicants) who gave the following answer.
WHAT DID HE SAY?

He answered: I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams.

THEOLOGY ... KID STYLE!

I am a theologian and while I have spent over 30 + years Studying I still know nothing. Rather like a child in the midst of a vast library of knowledge and I can't reach to table know what I mean?

1. Dear God ... Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now. Amanda

2. Dear God ... Thank you for the baby brother, but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. Joyce

3. Dear Mr. God ... I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot. Janet

4. God ... I read the bible. What does beget mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison

5. Dear God . How did you know you were God? Who told you?! Charlene

6. Dear God .. Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his golf words in the house? Anita

7. Dear God ... I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it. Nancy

8. Dear God .. I like the story about Noah the best of all of them. You really made up some good ones. I like walking on water too. Glenn

9. Dear God ... My Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go? Love, Dennis

10. Dear God . Do you draw the lines around the countries? If you don't, who does? Nathan

11. Dear God ... Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident? Norma

12. Dear God ... In bible times, did they really talk that fancy? Jennifer

13. Dear God ... How come you did all those miracles in the old days and don't do any now? Billy

14. Dear God ... Please send Dennis Clark to a different summer camp this year. Peter

15. Dear God ... Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works out OK with me and my brother. Larry

16. Dear God .. I keep waiting for spring, but it never did come yet. What's up? Don't forget. Mark

17. Dear God ... My brother told me about how you are born, but it just doesn't sound right. What do you say? Marsha

18. Dear God ... If you watch in Church on Sunday, I will show you my new shoes. Barbara

19. Dear God . Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours or do you just know him through the business? Donny

20. Dear God ... I do not think anybody could be a better God than you. Well, I just want you to know that. I am not just saying that because you are already God. Charles

21. Dear God ... It is great the way you always get the stars in the right place. Why can't you do that with the moon?

Jeff 22. Dear God ... I am doing the best I can. Really. Frank And, saving the best for last ...

23. Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool.! Thomas Jim HallenMt 18:1 In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Mt 18:2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them,

Mt 18:3 and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me:

Mt 18:6 But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

Letters to a Pastor

One of the joys of the ministry are the children! Here are a few reasons why!

**Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville.

**Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete. Age 9, Phoenix

**Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something. Robert, Page 11, Anderson

**Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance? Love, Patty. Age 10, New Haven

**Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold. Yours truly, Annette. Age 9, Albany

**Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. Stephen. Age 8, Chicago

**Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland. Loreen. Age 9. Tacoma

**Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance. Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12, Sarasota

**Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow. Laurie. Age 10, New York City

**Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner. Love, Ellen, age 9. Athens

**Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you. Alexander. Age 10, Raleigh

**Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house. Joshua. Age 10, South Pasadena

**Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God? Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9, Titusville

**Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class. Carla. Age 10, Salina

**Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, Age 11, Akron

In My Garden

"Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out" (SOS 4:16).

What a beautiful verse this is! We are special buds in His garden, "precious plants of His own planting," as one writer expresses it. How comforting to know that He takes great care of His garden. With God's grace and pruning, it will never grow wild and fruitless. Indeed, through the current of the Holy Spirit, we may share our spices--our fruits--with others.

Awake, O north wind! The north wind must come to sweeten our fruit. We live in the south and for years we had an orange grove until four freezes in five years destroyed it. We were always grateful for a mild north wind to sweeten and color the fruit but, with the fourth freeze in five years, the trees were finally overwhelmed by too much north wind. The day we knew we at last had to face the loss of our beloved grove, I thought of that north wind, and thanked God that He eventually sends the south breezes to comfort us.

One of the connotations of this verse is separateness. "My garden," God calls us! Every exposed root is lovingly placed and each tender shoot pruned by the Gardener who has full knowledge of our environment and needs. God knows there are periods in our life when we need to be separated from the world and its demands and go into the Garden of Gethsemane with Him, for that is where He was wholly human. When I want to picture myself with Jesus, that's where in vision I go: to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here there is quiet and time for talking with Him and telling Him our sorrows that only He can possibly know. Friends may tell us they understand as we grope our way through an incredible darkness that has enveloped us suddenly, but they don't simply because they can't. But our beloved Jesus holds us close to Him and assures us that He understands.

Another sustaining connotation of this verse is the idea of security. We can be so grateful that we are already in His Garden when the north wind blows. The cold and sharp wind hurts while it whips around us, but it removes our deadness. Then slowly, in the solitariness of His Garden, His south wind of the Spirit brings forth wonderful and warm graces.

Charles Spurgeon says of this verse: "Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes slumbering in the cups of the flowers: the wisdom of the great Husbandman overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the one desired result, and makes both affliction and consolation draw forth the grateful odors of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden. May we know by sweet experience, what this means."

O Holy Spirit, may the north wind of grief blossom into the south wind of joy!

The Seeking Shepherd

"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them,
doth not. . . go after that which is lost, until he find it? "-Luke 15:4

By this illustration of shepherd and sheep Jesus answered the
Pharisees who criticised Him for ministering among people of
ill-repute. It was an appeal to the human instinct of pity. If a
man will feel pity for a sheep, and be at pains to save it, how much
more toward those human sheep who are astray from God, and lost in sin? The difference of attitude between those Pharisees and our Lord
Jesus was that they stood for a form of religion, whereas Jesus had come to show the way of salvation. Religion of itself never yet saved any man's
soul.

Not even Christianity, considered as a system, can save a single
soul. What men need is not religion merely, but redemption; not some new
ideology merely, but regeneration; not a new ethic only, but a new life;
not just some new system, but a Saviour.


So, then, this illustration of the seeking shepherd is an appeal to the
instinct of pity, and a defence against self-righteous critics; but it is much
more; it is a parable. Under this figure of the seeking shepherd we are
shown the Son of God Himself, seeking the lost souls of men. We are
the perishing sheep; and Jesus is the Shepherd who comes to seek and to
save us. It is this which gives the little parable-cameo its mighty meaning
and abiding appeal. There are various viewpoints from which it may be
considered; but here we limit ourselves to noticing again certain things
which it teaches about the Shepherd, bearing in mind that the Shepherd
is none other than the very Son of God Himself. The Shepherd is here
pictured in three activities: (I) seeking, (2) finding, (3) rejoicing.

Reflect on the first of these, i.e. the Shepherd seeking. Mark well again
that fourth verse: "What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness,
and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" In the way that it is
worded, who can miss seeing the divine compassion here betokened? The
very numbers Itninety-nine" versus" one" make it plain that the motive
of the Shepherd's seeking is compassion. If the sheep had been one out
of twenty or fifty, the loss would have been such as to cause the sheepowner
to seek the lost sheep on account of the material loss to himself,
without overmuch concern for the suffering of the sheep. But here is a
man with ninety-nine left, and maybe the strayed one is now too broken to
be of value much longer. The loss of merely that one from a hundred would
be no serious matter. Yet away this Shepherd goes, amid the gathering
night and the hazards of the hills, to rescue the one stray sheep because it
is dear to Him, and He is moved by compassion. Oh, the compassion
of this heavenly Shepherd who comes seeking us! Can we ever respond
too gratefully to Him? Oh, the love that sought us! Oh, the blood that
bought us !
"Lord, whence are those blood-marks all the way,
Which mark out the mountain track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray,
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back. "
"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn? "
UThey are pierced and bleeding by many a thorn. "

" The son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost"

Prayer without expectations

Darroll Evans, a dear friend, wrote to share that his wife Carolyn had a thought about prayer And that he put it on his web site. I read it and also felt that you might enjoy it also. So enjoy.




Darroll and I went to a conference recently. On our way home, I was driving and thinking about finding a restaurant. I saw a billboard that advertised a cafeteria where we used to eat years ago. It was one of my favorite places to eat. It wasn’t far, but you had to get off the interstate we were on and get on another interstate. Nothing is worth getting on and off two interstates if you don’t have to. So I talked to God in my mind and asked him if he could arrange for the same type of cafeteria to be on the interstate we were on. Then I started thinking, God would know we would be coming back from the convention on this date and encourage someone to build the cafeteria so it would be in the right place. Then I said to God, nothing is too difficult for you to do.



I continued driving for a short distance and spotted a sign that told what restaurants we on the next exit. One of the restaurants was one we ate at every now and then. It had been a while since we had eaten at this restaurant, so I asked my husband if he wanted to eat there and he said it would be fine. We stopped and enjoyed our meal and got back on the road.




Then at the next exit I couldn’t believe my eyes. Your right, the cafeteria I had asked God about was there. I couldn’t wait two minutes on God. I solved the problem myself and took second best when God wanted me to have the desire of my heart. You might think I am really being silly about such a small thing, but if we don’t depend on God for the small things, will we depend on him for the important things. God is always there, not just in certain situations, in all situations.



I started thinking about the time when King Herod arrested Peter and an angel of the Lord appeared in the cell and released him. He went to Mary’s home where many people had gathered and were praying for him. A servant girl went to the door and recognized Peter’s voice, but in her excitement, she didn’t open the door. She ran to tell the people in the house that Peter was at the door. They said she was out of her mind because they knew he was in prison. Have things changed that much today. Do we pray expecting God to answer our prayers? Sometimes when we pray, we not only ask God for something, we give God instructions on how he is to answer a specific prayer.



I decided God was not capable of answering my prayer so I gave up too soon. I had to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. When you make a mistake God is always there to forgive you. We need to let God be God. It’s a lot easier to let God work things out instead of us trying to do things on our own.

Thank you, Carolyn

Push Me Pull You

What is Sin? To define Sin is hard but to recognise it is easy, SIN is [Missing the mark] You remember when you were little and dad or mom would make you stand up next to wall and taking a ruler would put it on top of your head and make a mark. Thats how tall you were. And your little sister or brother would stand where you stood put their hand like they saw your dad measure and step away and look at where their hand was. Only to see they didn't measure up to where your mark was. That's an example of missing the mark or what God calls SIN The mark that you miss is the mark left by God!

Everyone sins and breaks the spiritual law, even Christians.

Some will no doubt ask why this even has to be stated as a belief. I believe that the vast majority of Christians understands this statement to be true. However, many who are not Christians believe that the Christian never sins. Other non-Christians, when they become aware that Christians do sin, rely on that fact as "proof" that Christianity is false. They reason that since the Christian preaches against sin, and yet sins, then Christianity is a hypocritical religion that is powerless to make the Christian perfect.
Also, some Christians believe that we, as Christians, should be able to attain a state of sinless perfection, even in this physical life. Some of these people reject other Christians, because they view the other Christians' disagreement with, and non-adherence to, their personal beliefs as sinful behavior. Some Christians will also refuse to fellowship with certain other Christians because they have caught the other person in a sin.
To understand that all Christians sin puts us all on equal ground. We all are in need of forgiveness, and we all are instructed to forgive one another in order to receive forgiveness. If we understand these things, and understand them well, we will not refuse fellowship to those who stumble, but whose intention is to do right.
Some, at this point, will probably say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions!"

I will reply, "That statement is not to be found in my Bible. If that is a spiritually inspired statement, then I will ask you to examine closely the spirit that inspired it!"

God looks on the heart. He judges the intentions of the heart. Good works[things you do to get on God's good side] without good intentions are all in vain, up to and including martyrdom (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Works that sometimes seem to fall far short, but that were attempted with love and righteous intent, are the life of the saint. I suppose it could be said that the road to Heaven is paved with good intentions!

We must love each other, and accept one another, even if we are not yet perfect. Sin is common to us all, and is to be found in every one of us. It cannot be allowed to divide us.

Romans 7:15-25 "For that which I do, I do not understand, for what I will to do, I don't do. But what I hate, that I practice. [16] If I then do that which I do not want to do, I acknowledge that the law is right. [17] Now, then, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. [18] For I know that there is no good that dwells in me, in my flesh, for even though the will is present in me to do right, I can't do right. [19] I do not do the good that I desire to practice, but I do the evil that I do not want to do. [20] But if I do the thing that I do not want to do, then it is no longer me who is doing it, but the sin that is dwelling in me. [21] I find, then, a law: that when I would do good, evil is present within me. [22] For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, [23] but I see another law in my inner self, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. [24] O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? [25] I thank God: through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, I myself with the mind indeed serve God's law, but with the flesh serve sin's law."
Paul, the great apostle and evangelist, deeply converted, a man that God used to pen much of the Bible, recognized that he sinned. However, he did not "walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

As long as we are in these "earthen vessels,"[our body] we will sin. However, "there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus" (same verse), because we do " walk " according to the Spirit. It is our desire, like Paul, to do right, not to do wrong.

When we fall short and sin, it simply drives home the fact that we have sin dwelling in us, and it serves to point out our deepest need for a divine Savior, the one who sets us free from this body of sin and death. It also serves to point out that the law is able to point out to us our sinful nature, and lay it bare.

It is a human tendency to ignore our spiritual poverty, but Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit (those who sense their spiritual need), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). Paul was not ashamed to admit to his spiritual poverty. Any attempt to maintain a facade of personal righteousness is a fraud and a sham, for our righteousness is only derived from the blood of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.)


1 John 1:8, 2:1 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....my little children, these things I write to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous..." (Sin is always a reality to a Christian.)


1 John 5:16 "If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give life for those who sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death. I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin that is not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God does not sin, but he that is born of God keeps himself, and the Wicked One does not touch him."

(A Christian brother can sin. Again, John stresses that even though a brother can sin, and we should pray for him when he does, that whoever is begotten of God does not sin willfully . Some would say that these verses contain a contradiction. They do not.

To say that "whoever is born of God does not sin," is simply to say that it is not the Christian , walking after the Spirit, who sins. This is concurring with Paul that there is sin dwelling in us, and when we sin we are doing that which we do not want to do. )


1 Corinthians 8:12 "But when you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." (This admonition against causing a brother to sin is addressed to Christians at Corinth. Here the subject is the eating of things that had been offered in sacrifice to idols. Paul is explaining that an idol, of and by itself, is nothing at all, except that it is made to seem important by peoples' imaginations.

People create so-called "gods" in their own minds, but there is only one who is truly God. Paul explains that some people don't understand that this means that meat sacrificed to idols is the same as meat that has not been sacrificed to idols. Since they believe, erroneously, that eating the meat thus sacrificed is a sin, then a Christian who has a greater understanding is not to eat this meat around those who don't "get it." Why? Because it might encourage the less knowledgable Christian to sin by eating the meat before they are fully convinced in their own heart that it is ok. Thus it would cause the weaker brother to sin.

This not only illustrates that a Christian can and does sin, but it also illustrates quite well what sin is, and also what it is not.

Sin occurs when the conscience is violated. The act itself is secondary to the individual's perception of the act. This is not easily accepted by the person who has approached Christianity in a legalistic manner. The statement, "And he that doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not according to faith; for whatever is not according to faith is sin" (Romans 14:23), along with the context in both Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, if taken at face value, will clear up a lot of persistant misconceptions about the subject of sin.)

(I encourage each you to carefully examine the context of these scriptures for yourself. In fact, we should always be aware of the context of every scripture that is used to teach truth. Everyone should prove for themselves whether these things are so, or whether the scriptures are being misapplied and misused. This should be a well-engrained study practice for every Christian and seeker of truth - Dennis)

2 Corinthians 12:20-21, 13:1-2 "For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and I will be found by you not as you wish, that perhaps there may be strifes, jealousies, indignations, contentions, evil speaking, whispering, pride, and commotion. And lest, when I come again my God will humble me among you, and that I should mourn over many of those who have sinned before and have not repented concerning the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness that they have practiced. This third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shall be established. I have declared before on my second visit, and I say now beforehand, as I write in my absence to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare."
Again, Paul addresses sin among the Christians at Corinth.

Matthew 6:12-15 "...and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but, if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." If we did not sin, then obviously there would be no need to instruct us about asking for forgiveness when we sin, and regarding our need to forgive and to be forgiven.

The 100 Minute Bible

Remember when you were young and could't aford to fill the gas tank? You would drive up and ask the attendent to give you 50 cents worth please"

Business folk are used to reading executive summaries of important documents, and now would-be Christians are to have the same privilege, in the form of a chopped-down Bible that can be read in under two hours.

A Church of England vicar was on Wednesday unveiling his self-styled "100-Minute Bible", an ultra-condensed edition of the Christian holy book which claims to neatly summaries every teaching from the Creation to the Revelation.

The Reverend Michael Hinton was launching his work at Canterbury Cathedral in southern England, the headquarters of the Anglican Church.

Publishers the 100-Minute Press say the book has been written for those who want to know more about Christianity but who do not have the time to read the original in full.

"This is a book for adults and has been written in a style to encourage readers to keep turning the pages, but without resorting to any literary gimmicks," said Len Budd from the publishing firm.

"As the bible itself, the 100-Minute Bible should be a bestseller."

Here's a sample...

The Sermon on the Mount - as retold in the 100-Minute Bible:



Much of Jesus' teaching was brought together when, seated on a hillside, he spoke to his disciples about life in the kingdom of God. He taught that true happiness comes from having the right attitudes. Those who are humble, concerned about the world's sinfulness, gentle, devoted to goodness, merciful, single-minded in God's service, and peace-lovers will be blessed by God. Those of his followers who are persecuted in this world should rejoice, because they will have a rich reward in the next.

Jesus emphasized that he had not come to destroy the moral demands of the Jewish Law but to fulfill them. He taught that it is not enough not to commit murder; the anger which can lead to murder must be set aside too. It is not enough not to commit adultery; lustful thoughts must be set aside too. It is not enough to keep only our solemn promises; we should always mean what we say.

The Jewish Law taught that retaliation should be proportionate to the harm done - an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth - but Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and that we should return good for evil, turning the other cheek when others attack us.

He went on to say that ostentatious piety and charitable giving are wrong; both piety and giving should be between ourselves and God. No-one can serve two masters; it is impossible to serve both God and money. God knows what people's needs are and will supply them, in the same way as he provides food for birds and glorious clothing for flowers; we should not be anxious but should trust him. We should not judge others; for we shall be judged to the degree we judge. It is difficult to find the way to the kingdom of heaven and there will be those who will try to mislead us. We should assess others by the moral and spiritual quality of their lives.

He summarized the whole moral teaching of the Old Testament in the command to treat others as you would like them to treat you.

Jesus said that anyone who acts on his words is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. When storms came the house stood firm. But anyone who does not act on his words is like a man who built his house on sand. When storms came the house fell, and the ensuing devastation was great. Matthew 5-7



If all you want is "50 cents of God please"!