Friday, June 17, 2005
CONNECT YOUR JOB TO YOUR LIFE-MISSION
By Bo Sanchez
A friend of mine was working with technical and building maintenance. He spent most of his working hours with his screwdrivers, soldering irons, and hammers. But after five o'clock, before proceeding home, he'd visit his "pals" in the seedy parts of the city. Whenever he saw a group of street kids, he bought a loaf of bread, sat down with them in the sidewalk, and talked about life.
He had a passion to help street kids, a passion to see them become better human beings. It didn't take him long to realize this was his mission in life. Could he make it his job as well?
The answer was yes. Soon after this, he resigned from his job. Today, together with his wife, my friend feeds seventy street kids in his home every day. And with his talent for making stuff with his own hands, he helped the children learn new skills as well. He writes his own fundraising letters, gets support from generous individuals and helps the kids go to school. It is a tough life, and there are days when finances are low, but he doesn't regret his decision one bit.
I have another friend who is a nurse by profession but loves music so much he practically wakes up and sleeps with his keyboard synthesizer. He feels that his mission is to play music and fill the souls of men with God's melody. The solution? He works as a private nurse -- not for a hospital -- which gives him the freedom to work part-time as a musician for a religious organization and even take a few gigs in the entertainment business.
I believe that we are created for a mission, and that mission has been prepared for us beforehand. It is waiting for us to fulfill it!
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
If we can connect our mission to our occupations, we may just be the happiest of people on this planet.
What is your mission in life? Discover the raw materials that you have been gifted with by life. How do these skills and talents contribute to a better world? Can they lift up the quality of life of people? Can you turn this into your job?
________________________
The freedom to choose
is a gift from the Lord,
He wants you to serve him of
your own accord;
Right now he is calling
for you to decide
To give Him your talents
and serve by His side.
A friend of mine was working with technical and building maintenance. He spent most of his working hours with his screwdrivers, soldering irons, and hammers. But after five o'clock, before proceeding home, he'd visit his "pals" in the seedy parts of the city. Whenever he saw a group of street kids, he bought a loaf of bread, sat down with them in the sidewalk, and talked about life.
He had a passion to help street kids, a passion to see them become better human beings. It didn't take him long to realize this was his mission in life. Could he make it his job as well?
The answer was yes. Soon after this, he resigned from his job. Today, together with his wife, my friend feeds seventy street kids in his home every day. And with his talent for making stuff with his own hands, he helped the children learn new skills as well. He writes his own fundraising letters, gets support from generous individuals and helps the kids go to school. It is a tough life, and there are days when finances are low, but he doesn't regret his decision one bit.
I have another friend who is a nurse by profession but loves music so much he practically wakes up and sleeps with his keyboard synthesizer. He feels that his mission is to play music and fill the souls of men with God's melody. The solution? He works as a private nurse -- not for a hospital -- which gives him the freedom to work part-time as a musician for a religious organization and even take a few gigs in the entertainment business.
I believe that we are created for a mission, and that mission has been prepared for us beforehand. It is waiting for us to fulfill it!
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
If we can connect our mission to our occupations, we may just be the happiest of people on this planet.
What is your mission in life? Discover the raw materials that you have been gifted with by life. How do these skills and talents contribute to a better world? Can they lift up the quality of life of people? Can you turn this into your job?
________________________
The freedom to choose
is a gift from the Lord,
He wants you to serve him of
your own accord;
Right now he is calling
for you to decide
To give Him your talents
and serve by His side.
SEEK FIRST
By Ruth Harms Calkin, "Lord, I Keep Running Back to You"
O Lord
How futile, how foolish
To attempt to keep up with the Joneses
On the gold-studded ladder of success.
Even if we make it
(Setting high, competitive goals)
We awake one dismal morning
To discover the Smiths
Have passed by the Joneses.
So it starts again--the goading competition.
God, Your objective is far more rewarding.
You want us to "keep up" with Your Plan
For our individual lives.
"Seek first the kingdom of God"
Is Your shining word to us.
Forgive us for moments and days
(Even months)
When our love of money
Has exceeded our love for You.
Please, God
Be our Financial Advisor
And deliver us from a thousand "if onlys."
May we never be defeated
By the lack of money
Or captivated by the lure of it.
---------------------------------------------------------
"It is good to have the things money can buy
provided we do not lose the things money cannot buy."
O Lord
How futile, how foolish
To attempt to keep up with the Joneses
On the gold-studded ladder of success.
Even if we make it
(Setting high, competitive goals)
We awake one dismal morning
To discover the Smiths
Have passed by the Joneses.
So it starts again--the goading competition.
God, Your objective is far more rewarding.
You want us to "keep up" with Your Plan
For our individual lives.
"Seek first the kingdom of God"
Is Your shining word to us.
Forgive us for moments and days
(Even months)
When our love of money
Has exceeded our love for You.
Please, God
Be our Financial Advisor
And deliver us from a thousand "if onlys."
May we never be defeated
By the lack of money
Or captivated by the lure of it.
---------------------------------------------------------
"It is good to have the things money can buy
provided we do not lose the things money cannot buy."
YOU JUST DRIVE, I'LL DO THE REST
From: God's Little Devotional Book
Greatest Act of Faith (orig.subj.)
A story is told about actor Charlton Heston that illustrates our need to do all we can and then trust God to what we cannot.
It seems that during the making of the great epic movie "Ben Hur," Heston worked long hours with the stunt trainers to learn to drive a chariot for the movie's crucial chariot race scene. He improved greatly with His mastery over the horses and rig, but finally became convinced the task was more than a challenged than He had initially anticipated. He approached the legendary director of the movie, Cecil de Mille about the scene.
"Mr.de Mille," He said, "I've worked very hard at mastering this rig, and I think I can drive it convincingly in the scene. But I don't think I can win the race."
The director replied, "You just drive. I'll do the rest."
God has a way of orchestrating the various races we run during the course of our lives. He trust us to do our part in "manning the rigs." We must trust him to determine the result of the race. As one engineer has said, "God provides the initial input. We provide the output. And God provides the outcome."
"The greatest act of faith is when man decides he is not God."
Greatest Act of Faith (orig.subj.)
A story is told about actor Charlton Heston that illustrates our need to do all we can and then trust God to what we cannot.
It seems that during the making of the great epic movie "Ben Hur," Heston worked long hours with the stunt trainers to learn to drive a chariot for the movie's crucial chariot race scene. He improved greatly with His mastery over the horses and rig, but finally became convinced the task was more than a challenged than He had initially anticipated. He approached the legendary director of the movie, Cecil de Mille about the scene.
"Mr.de Mille," He said, "I've worked very hard at mastering this rig, and I think I can drive it convincingly in the scene. But I don't think I can win the race."
The director replied, "You just drive. I'll do the rest."
God has a way of orchestrating the various races we run during the course of our lives. He trust us to do our part in "manning the rigs." We must trust him to determine the result of the race. As one engineer has said, "God provides the initial input. We provide the output. And God provides the outcome."
"The greatest act of faith is when man decides he is not God."
FOR LENT AND FOREVER, BE COURTEOUS!
From St. Mary's Sunday Bulletin
"Let your adornment be the inner self with lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sign." (1 Peter 3:4)
"We are not talking about knowing which fork to use; we're talking about a world where the healthy, fit person takes a seat and leaves the slower moving adult or handicapped person to stand or fend for himself," wrote a reader from Maine in Modern Maturity magazine. "If we want the world to be less stressful place, we have to start with our everyday encounters."
"Courtesy is one passport that will be accepted without question in every land, in every office, in every home, in every heart in the world. For nothing commends itself so well as kindness, and courtesy is kindness," said George Powers.
"The Christopher's News Notes" makes some very obvious remarks about courtesy. "It is all too easy to take those closest to you for granted. Yet civility among family members makes home life more pleasant and shows respect for our loved ones and yourself. Husbands and wives can give each other time when they first come home to "wind down" without questions, hassles or complaints. Spouses can also make an effort to show special kindness. One husband packed his wife's favorite pillow to surprise her when they took a weekend trip. A couple made a point of never interrupting each other, no small feat in a busy household. But they knew it made a difference in the way they treated each other and set a good example for their children.
Parents have a responsibility to give the time, effort and patience it takes to teach children courtesy. When other adults show youngsters respect, they act as a role models as well.
Here are few suggestions for the workplace.
* Smile, say 'hello'. Learn your co-workers name Even if you forget a name, don't let that stop you from being friendly.
* When people are talking, don't interrupt. If you are in a hurry and it's important, ask permission to break in.
* Invite others with a quick job to go first when you are photocopying, faxing or printing a lot of material.
* Introduce anyone who might not be known to others. Never treat anyone as so unimportant that his or her identity doesn't matter.
* Whether dealing with colleagues or the public, be willing to look at things from their point of view.
* Courtesy is especially important if you are the boss, whether one person or a thousand. Be considerate in small ways that may mean a lot to employees. If you must make changes in the way people work or unpopular decisions, discuss matters with your staff first, and listen to their concerns.
* One employee of a successful and respected publisher recalled that on his first day of work, he told his boss that he was deaf in his right ear. In the 25 years they worked together, not once did the publisher stand on that side of the man when talking to him.
* On the road, "road rage" has made headlines as drivers increasingly take out their anger and frustration on people with whom they share the streets and highways. This goes beyond rudeness to real safety issues. One driver says that it helps her to picture her loved ones, especially her mother, driving a car. "It's a lot easier to forgive her and allows me to see things from the driver� perspective. "Those who are slow to anger, curb contention." (Proverbs 15:18)
SOME EVERYDAY ACTS OF COURTESY:
Say...Please, Thank You, Excuse me, I'm sorry.
If you are walking with someone who can't keep up with your pace, slow down.
Give your bus or train seat to someone who looks like they need it.
Allow others off elevators, buses, etc. before you enter.
When somebody impresses you, pay an honest compliment.
Listen. People appreciate it when pay attention.
Watch your language, off-color remarks, curses or crude jokes.
Cleanliness and good grooming show respect for yourself and those around you.
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)
"Let your adornment be the inner self with lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sign." (1 Peter 3:4)
"We are not talking about knowing which fork to use; we're talking about a world where the healthy, fit person takes a seat and leaves the slower moving adult or handicapped person to stand or fend for himself," wrote a reader from Maine in Modern Maturity magazine. "If we want the world to be less stressful place, we have to start with our everyday encounters."
"Courtesy is one passport that will be accepted without question in every land, in every office, in every home, in every heart in the world. For nothing commends itself so well as kindness, and courtesy is kindness," said George Powers.
"The Christopher's News Notes" makes some very obvious remarks about courtesy. "It is all too easy to take those closest to you for granted. Yet civility among family members makes home life more pleasant and shows respect for our loved ones and yourself. Husbands and wives can give each other time when they first come home to "wind down" without questions, hassles or complaints. Spouses can also make an effort to show special kindness. One husband packed his wife's favorite pillow to surprise her when they took a weekend trip. A couple made a point of never interrupting each other, no small feat in a busy household. But they knew it made a difference in the way they treated each other and set a good example for their children.
Parents have a responsibility to give the time, effort and patience it takes to teach children courtesy. When other adults show youngsters respect, they act as a role models as well.
Here are few suggestions for the workplace.
* Smile, say 'hello'. Learn your co-workers name Even if you forget a name, don't let that stop you from being friendly.
* When people are talking, don't interrupt. If you are in a hurry and it's important, ask permission to break in.
* Invite others with a quick job to go first when you are photocopying, faxing or printing a lot of material.
* Introduce anyone who might not be known to others. Never treat anyone as so unimportant that his or her identity doesn't matter.
* Whether dealing with colleagues or the public, be willing to look at things from their point of view.
* Courtesy is especially important if you are the boss, whether one person or a thousand. Be considerate in small ways that may mean a lot to employees. If you must make changes in the way people work or unpopular decisions, discuss matters with your staff first, and listen to their concerns.
* One employee of a successful and respected publisher recalled that on his first day of work, he told his boss that he was deaf in his right ear. In the 25 years they worked together, not once did the publisher stand on that side of the man when talking to him.
* On the road, "road rage" has made headlines as drivers increasingly take out their anger and frustration on people with whom they share the streets and highways. This goes beyond rudeness to real safety issues. One driver says that it helps her to picture her loved ones, especially her mother, driving a car. "It's a lot easier to forgive her and allows me to see things from the driver� perspective. "Those who are slow to anger, curb contention." (Proverbs 15:18)
SOME EVERYDAY ACTS OF COURTESY:
Say...Please, Thank You, Excuse me, I'm sorry.
If you are walking with someone who can't keep up with your pace, slow down.
Give your bus or train seat to someone who looks like they need it.
Allow others off elevators, buses, etc. before you enter.
When somebody impresses you, pay an honest compliment.
Listen. People appreciate it when pay attention.
Watch your language, off-color remarks, curses or crude jokes.
Cleanliness and good grooming show respect for yourself and those around you.
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)
I'VE GOT TO GET RID OF IT
By Marjorie Holmes, Nobody Else Will Listen
Dear God,
Please help me overcome jealousy. It's like a sickness, it torments me, and yet there is an awful fascination about it too. I almost crave the pain and that's what scares me. I've got to get rid of it, God, or my life will be ruined.
I'm jealous of my sister, all the attention she gets, her popularity. I'm jealous of my friends, I don't want them to like each other, only me. And this boy,--I'm so jealous of him I could die.
I know that's why I lost him. I was so scared, so suspicious and possessive I made us both miserable. And now that he's dropped me for another girl my heart is stabbed. When I see them together I feel choked, my voice shakes--and my knees. I do stupid things, I talk and laugh too loud to call attention to myself. Or I sulk, knowing my bitterness is showing in my eyes. Don't let me be like this, Lord. I hate it in myself and know it makes me hateful to others. It's driving away the very people I want to love me!
Cure me of this ugly sickness, please. Maybe just confessing it will help me to understand it better, be the first step toward being free. Is it because I don't like myself enough to think that other people can really like me? Is that why I'm so scared of losing them, Lord, because I feel unworthy? Whatever it is, help me to get over it, starting now. Give me a cheerful, healthy self-respect so strong I won't have to stoop to jealousy.
I feel better already. I feel relived, reborn, almost gay.
Thank You for freeing me, I hope, forever, from jealousy.
Dear God,
Please help me overcome jealousy. It's like a sickness, it torments me, and yet there is an awful fascination about it too. I almost crave the pain and that's what scares me. I've got to get rid of it, God, or my life will be ruined.
I'm jealous of my sister, all the attention she gets, her popularity. I'm jealous of my friends, I don't want them to like each other, only me. And this boy,--I'm so jealous of him I could die.
I know that's why I lost him. I was so scared, so suspicious and possessive I made us both miserable. And now that he's dropped me for another girl my heart is stabbed. When I see them together I feel choked, my voice shakes--and my knees. I do stupid things, I talk and laugh too loud to call attention to myself. Or I sulk, knowing my bitterness is showing in my eyes. Don't let me be like this, Lord. I hate it in myself and know it makes me hateful to others. It's driving away the very people I want to love me!
Cure me of this ugly sickness, please. Maybe just confessing it will help me to understand it better, be the first step toward being free. Is it because I don't like myself enough to think that other people can really like me? Is that why I'm so scared of losing them, Lord, because I feel unworthy? Whatever it is, help me to get over it, starting now. Give me a cheerful, healthy self-respect so strong I won't have to stoop to jealousy.
I feel better already. I feel relived, reborn, almost gay.
Thank You for freeing me, I hope, forever, from jealousy.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
From: Christian Cyber Ministries
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4
"He must manage his own family well,
with children who respect and obey him"
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh, excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
Wasn't even watching for you.
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
She walked away, her little heart was broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake that night in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the ones you love, you seem to abuse.
Go look down on your kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers she brought for you.
She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.
She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
and you never saw the tears in her eyes."
By this time, I felt very small
and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
"Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree."
"I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
cause I sure love you anyway."
I said, "Daughter, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
-----------------------------------------------------
Are you aware that, if you die tomorrow, the company you are working for could easily replace you in a matter of days -- But the family and friends left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives? (This is a lesson I learned the hard way through my car accident.-- pb)
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4
"He must manage his own family well,
with children who respect and obey him"
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh, excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
Wasn't even watching for you.
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
She walked away, her little heart was broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake that night in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the ones you love, you seem to abuse.
Go look down on your kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers she brought for you.
She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.
She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
and you never saw the tears in her eyes."
By this time, I felt very small
and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
"Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree."
"I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
cause I sure love you anyway."
I said, "Daughter, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
-----------------------------------------------------
Are you aware that, if you die tomorrow, the company you are working for could easily replace you in a matter of days -- But the family and friends left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives? (This is a lesson I learned the hard way through my car accident.-- pb)
Leadership:JOSHUA and CALEB
By John C. Maxwell, "21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day" (excerpt)
The day that Joshua and Caleb stood before the children of Israel and tried to get them to enter the promised land, I doubt the two men really understood what was at stake. They certainly possessed the vision of God for His people to enter the promised land. When the people resisted their rallying cry, the two men told them, "The land we passed through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us unto this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey" (Num.14:7-8).
They also recognized the power of God to defeat the enemies. Both Joshua and Caleb had been present when God had closed the Red Sea over the Pharaoh's army. But did they truly understand that their ability (or, rather, their inability) to lead the people in that moment would determine whether an entire generation of people would enjoy the land of milk and honey promised to their ancestors -- or die in the desert?
Obedience to God is important. Because Joshua and Caleb were obedient, they alone of the adult Jewish population entered the promised land. But for leaders, obedience isn't enough. If they can't take others on the trip, they fail their God-given mission...
The root of their problem was fear. Joshua and Caleb looked at the land of Canaan and saw potential. The rest of the people looked and saw only pitfalls, even though God Himself had promised the land... When followers are faced with prospect of taking unknown territory, they always experience fear. The greater the challenge, the greater their fear is likely to be. What causes them to overcome that fear and move forward in spite of it? Leadership. It's the size of the leader, not the size of the challenge, that determines whether people conquer new territory. If a leader's influence is great enough, the people will follow.
When Joshua and Caleb tried to lead people into the promised land the first time they lacked influence, and as a result they accomplished little. But forty years later, when Joshua tried again, the people gladly followed. Why? Because he had become a person of great influence -- nothing more, nothing less.
"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible -- what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."
The day that Joshua and Caleb stood before the children of Israel and tried to get them to enter the promised land, I doubt the two men really understood what was at stake. They certainly possessed the vision of God for His people to enter the promised land. When the people resisted their rallying cry, the two men told them, "The land we passed through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us unto this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey" (Num.14:7-8).
They also recognized the power of God to defeat the enemies. Both Joshua and Caleb had been present when God had closed the Red Sea over the Pharaoh's army. But did they truly understand that their ability (or, rather, their inability) to lead the people in that moment would determine whether an entire generation of people would enjoy the land of milk and honey promised to their ancestors -- or die in the desert?
Obedience to God is important. Because Joshua and Caleb were obedient, they alone of the adult Jewish population entered the promised land. But for leaders, obedience isn't enough. If they can't take others on the trip, they fail their God-given mission...
The root of their problem was fear. Joshua and Caleb looked at the land of Canaan and saw potential. The rest of the people looked and saw only pitfalls, even though God Himself had promised the land... When followers are faced with prospect of taking unknown territory, they always experience fear. The greater the challenge, the greater their fear is likely to be. What causes them to overcome that fear and move forward in spite of it? Leadership. It's the size of the leader, not the size of the challenge, that determines whether people conquer new territory. If a leader's influence is great enough, the people will follow.
When Joshua and Caleb tried to lead people into the promised land the first time they lacked influence, and as a result they accomplished little. But forty years later, when Joshua tried again, the people gladly followed. Why? Because he had become a person of great influence -- nothing more, nothing less.
"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible -- what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."
A MATTER OF SERVING
From: Life lessons for Bible People
"Brothers choose seven men from among you who are known to be filled of the Spirit and wisdom." (Acts 6:3)
As early church grew, so did its administrative work. One particular ministry that was requiring more and more oversight from the apostles was the care of widows in the church. The twelve disciples realized that in devoting too much of their energy to the physical needs of their church, they were neglecting its spiritual needs. So they conferred and decided to delegate the feed-the-widows ministry to seven other qualified men.
The men selected had to meet exacting standards. It was stipulated that they be godly, wise men. Among those chosen was Parmenus, a man of whom we know very little. Various church traditions say that he was either martyred at Philippi during the reign of Trajan or that he became the bishop of Soli.
Assume for a moment that your church leaders decided to pick seven individuals to serve on a special ministry team. If the requirements for service were the same as those mentioned above -- being wise and filled with the Spirit -- do you think you would be nominated? Would your name even come up in the discussion?
Leadership in the church [or in any Christian religious community], is not a matter of getting a position and then serving; it is about serving, period. If you are letting God work in you and through you, others will eventually notice. Even if they don't, God will. And that's what ultimately matters. Those who yield to the will of God are useful to God.
"Brothers choose seven men from among you who are known to be filled of the Spirit and wisdom." (Acts 6:3)
As early church grew, so did its administrative work. One particular ministry that was requiring more and more oversight from the apostles was the care of widows in the church. The twelve disciples realized that in devoting too much of their energy to the physical needs of their church, they were neglecting its spiritual needs. So they conferred and decided to delegate the feed-the-widows ministry to seven other qualified men.
The men selected had to meet exacting standards. It was stipulated that they be godly, wise men. Among those chosen was Parmenus, a man of whom we know very little. Various church traditions say that he was either martyred at Philippi during the reign of Trajan or that he became the bishop of Soli.
Assume for a moment that your church leaders decided to pick seven individuals to serve on a special ministry team. If the requirements for service were the same as those mentioned above -- being wise and filled with the Spirit -- do you think you would be nominated? Would your name even come up in the discussion?
Leadership in the church [or in any Christian religious community], is not a matter of getting a position and then serving; it is about serving, period. If you are letting God work in you and through you, others will eventually notice. Even if they don't, God will. And that's what ultimately matters. Those who yield to the will of God are useful to God.
WHICH DISTURBS YOU MOST?
Author Unknown
A soul in Hell... or a scratch in your car?
Your missing the worship service... or missing a day's work?
A sermon that's 10 minutes long... or lunch half hour late?
A church not growing... or your garden not growing?
Your Bible unopened... or your newspaper unread?
The church work being neglected... or housework neglected?
Missing a good Bible study.... or your favorite TV program?
The millions who do not know Christ... or your inability to keep up with your neighbors.
The cry of the multitude for bread... or your desire for another piece of German chocolate cake?
Your tithes decreasing...or your income decreasing?
Your children late for Sunday School and Church...or late for public school?
WHICH REALLY DISTURBS YOU MOST?
A soul in Hell... or a scratch in your car?
Your missing the worship service... or missing a day's work?
A sermon that's 10 minutes long... or lunch half hour late?
A church not growing... or your garden not growing?
Your Bible unopened... or your newspaper unread?
The church work being neglected... or housework neglected?
Missing a good Bible study.... or your favorite TV program?
The millions who do not know Christ... or your inability to keep up with your neighbors.
The cry of the multitude for bread... or your desire for another piece of German chocolate cake?
Your tithes decreasing...or your income decreasing?
Your children late for Sunday School and Church...or late for public school?
WHICH REALLY DISTURBS YOU MOST?
THE HAND GOD LOVES TO HOLD
By Max Lucado, excerpted from "Desperate People"
To see her hand you need to look low. Look down. That's where she lives. Low to the ground. Low on the priority list. Low on the social scale.
Can you see it? Her hand? Gnarled. Thin. Diseased. Dirt blackens the nails and stains the skin...The woman is desperate. Blood won't stay in her body. "There was a woman in the crowd who had a hemorrhage for twelve years" (Mark 5:25). Twelve years of clinics. Treatments. Herbs. Prayer meetings. Incantations.
No health. No money. And no family to help. Unclean according to the law of Moses...The hand you see in the crowd? The one reaching for the robe? No one will touch it.
Wasn't always the case. Surely a husband once took it in marriage. The hand looked different in those days: clean, soft-skinned, perfumed. A husband once loved this hand. A family once relied on this hand: to cook, sew. To wipe tears from cheeks, tuck blankets under chins. Are the hands of a mother ever still? Only if she is diseased.
She is desperate and her desperation births an idea. "She had heard about Jesus...Word among the lepers and the left out is this: Jesus can heal. And Jesus is coming.
As the crowd comes, she thinks. If I can touch His clothing, I will be healed. At the right time, she crab-curries through the crowd..."Move out of the way!" someone shouts. She doesn't care and doesn't stop. Twelve years on the streets have toughened her.
The robe is in sight. Four tassels dangle from blue threads...how long since she has touched anything holy? She extends her hand toward a tassel.
Her sick hand. Her tired hand... she touches the robe of Jesus, and immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed.
Life rushes in. Pale cheeks turn pink. Shallow breaths become full. Hoover Dam cracks and river floods. The woman feels power enter.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
Can we fault this woman's timidity? She doesn't know what to expect. Jesus could berate her, embarrass her...What will the ruler of the synagogue do? He is upright. She is unclean. And here she is, lunging at the town guest. No wonder she is afraid.
The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one,.knelt before him, and gave him the whole story" (v. 33)...
With the town bishop waiting, a young girl dying, and a crowd pressing, He still makes time for a woman from the fringe. Using a term he gives to none else, he says, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed" (v 34)
Illness took her strength. What took yours?...Hard drink? Late nights in the wrong job? Pregnant too soon? Too often? Is her hand your hand? If so, take heart. Your family may shun it. Society may avoid it. But Christ? Christ want to touch it. When your hand reaches through the masses, he knows.
Yours is the hand He loves to hold.
To see her hand you need to look low. Look down. That's where she lives. Low to the ground. Low on the priority list. Low on the social scale.
Can you see it? Her hand? Gnarled. Thin. Diseased. Dirt blackens the nails and stains the skin...The woman is desperate. Blood won't stay in her body. "There was a woman in the crowd who had a hemorrhage for twelve years" (Mark 5:25). Twelve years of clinics. Treatments. Herbs. Prayer meetings. Incantations.
No health. No money. And no family to help. Unclean according to the law of Moses...The hand you see in the crowd? The one reaching for the robe? No one will touch it.
Wasn't always the case. Surely a husband once took it in marriage. The hand looked different in those days: clean, soft-skinned, perfumed. A husband once loved this hand. A family once relied on this hand: to cook, sew. To wipe tears from cheeks, tuck blankets under chins. Are the hands of a mother ever still? Only if she is diseased.
She is desperate and her desperation births an idea. "She had heard about Jesus...Word among the lepers and the left out is this: Jesus can heal. And Jesus is coming.
As the crowd comes, she thinks. If I can touch His clothing, I will be healed. At the right time, she crab-curries through the crowd..."Move out of the way!" someone shouts. She doesn't care and doesn't stop. Twelve years on the streets have toughened her.
The robe is in sight. Four tassels dangle from blue threads...how long since she has touched anything holy? She extends her hand toward a tassel.
Her sick hand. Her tired hand... she touches the robe of Jesus, and immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed.
Life rushes in. Pale cheeks turn pink. Shallow breaths become full. Hoover Dam cracks and river floods. The woman feels power enter.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
Can we fault this woman's timidity? She doesn't know what to expect. Jesus could berate her, embarrass her...What will the ruler of the synagogue do? He is upright. She is unclean. And here she is, lunging at the town guest. No wonder she is afraid.
The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one,.knelt before him, and gave him the whole story" (v. 33)...
With the town bishop waiting, a young girl dying, and a crowd pressing, He still makes time for a woman from the fringe. Using a term he gives to none else, he says, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed" (v 34)
Illness took her strength. What took yours?...Hard drink? Late nights in the wrong job? Pregnant too soon? Too often? Is her hand your hand? If so, take heart. Your family may shun it. Society may avoid it. But Christ? Christ want to touch it. When your hand reaches through the masses, he knows.
Yours is the hand He loves to hold.
YOU INVITED THEM
By Teresa Schantz
I felt as if I were trapped in a scene from the movie "The Birds." Nearly fifty sparrows and robins in trees all around me appeared strangely menacing, waiting for another kernel of my popcorn to fall to the ground. Laughing nervously, I asked my dad, who was visiting, "How did they all get here?"
How did they all get here? I wasn't just thinking of the birds. My mind was also playing host to fears I was feeling about my life. At first, it was just one fear: that I'd fail at my new job because I couldn't keep up with the pressures. Next it was the fear that I'd be trapped at this job because I needed the money and security. Then I could see myself enslaved to work, without friends or family, and all alone in my old age. My fears were slowly paralyzing me, and now I was even fearful of being held captive by a few sparrows and robins.
My father's answer interrupted my thoughts. "How did they get here? You invited them, silly!"
I had, of course. I'd tossed popcorn to the first little bird, and quickly the others arrived. Just as with my fears, I had invited that first one, allowed it to stay, indulged it by letting it feed on my anxiety, and quickly the others arrived. I turned again to my father and asked, "How do I get rid of them?"
"Just leave them." I knew right then that I was hosting the wrong guests. That night, instead of entertaining a fitful sleep, I renewed my invitation to my Lord: "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). The next day at the office I made a sign for my desk to remind me. It read:
DO NOT FEED THE FEARS
No, I wouldn't. I knew with Whom to leave them now.
"FATHER, I know that your love casts out fear, and that with Your help I can confront them and walk away into confident leaving."
P.S. With fear in its "proper" place, I was able to take some meaningful action at work. I sought my boss' help and together, we restructured the duties and hired an assistant.
I felt as if I were trapped in a scene from the movie "The Birds." Nearly fifty sparrows and robins in trees all around me appeared strangely menacing, waiting for another kernel of my popcorn to fall to the ground. Laughing nervously, I asked my dad, who was visiting, "How did they all get here?"
How did they all get here? I wasn't just thinking of the birds. My mind was also playing host to fears I was feeling about my life. At first, it was just one fear: that I'd fail at my new job because I couldn't keep up with the pressures. Next it was the fear that I'd be trapped at this job because I needed the money and security. Then I could see myself enslaved to work, without friends or family, and all alone in my old age. My fears were slowly paralyzing me, and now I was even fearful of being held captive by a few sparrows and robins.
My father's answer interrupted my thoughts. "How did they get here? You invited them, silly!"
I had, of course. I'd tossed popcorn to the first little bird, and quickly the others arrived. Just as with my fears, I had invited that first one, allowed it to stay, indulged it by letting it feed on my anxiety, and quickly the others arrived. I turned again to my father and asked, "How do I get rid of them?"
"Just leave them." I knew right then that I was hosting the wrong guests. That night, instead of entertaining a fitful sleep, I renewed my invitation to my Lord: "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). The next day at the office I made a sign for my desk to remind me. It read:
DO NOT FEED THE FEARS
No, I wouldn't. I knew with Whom to leave them now.
"FATHER, I know that your love casts out fear, and that with Your help I can confront them and walk away into confident leaving."
P.S. With fear in its "proper" place, I was able to take some meaningful action at work. I sought my boss' help and together, we restructured the duties and hired an assistant.
THE EMPEROR'S SEEDS
Author Unknown
An emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose His successor. He called the young people in the kingdom together and said, "It is time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor."
"I am giving each one of you a seed today. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge what you bring, and choose who will be the next emperor!"
Ling received a seed like the others. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and carefully watered it. Every day he watered it and watched to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.&! nbsp; Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing grew. Three , four, five weeks went by, but nothing sprouted.
By now, others were talking about their plants. Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by; still nothing grew in Ling's pot. He believed he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. He just kept hoping for his seed to grow.
After a year all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for his inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the others laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and said, "Hey, nice try." When the emperor arrived, he greeted the young people and then surveyed the room. Ling tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. The emperor looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyon! e here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees, plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
Plant honesty, you will reap trust. Plant goodness, you will reap friends. Plant humility, you will reap greatness. Plant perseverance, you will reap victory. Plant consideration, you will reap harmony. Plant hard work, you will reap success. Plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. Plant openness, you will reap intimacy. Plant patience, you will reap improvements. Plant faith, ! you will reap miracles.
What you plant now will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make your life worse or better in the future. It may also have a profound effect on those around you. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits..... or you will pay for the choices you plant today.
Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
John 12:24
Jesus death to self, His very life, was the seed He planted that brought salvation. Your death to self will be a seed that will bring forth much fruit.
An emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose His successor. He called the young people in the kingdom together and said, "It is time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor."
"I am giving each one of you a seed today. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge what you bring, and choose who will be the next emperor!"
Ling received a seed like the others. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and carefully watered it. Every day he watered it and watched to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.&! nbsp; Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing grew. Three , four, five weeks went by, but nothing sprouted.
By now, others were talking about their plants. Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by; still nothing grew in Ling's pot. He believed he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. He just kept hoping for his seed to grow.
After a year all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for his inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the others laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and said, "Hey, nice try." When the emperor arrived, he greeted the young people and then surveyed the room. Ling tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. The emperor looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyon! e here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees, plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
Plant honesty, you will reap trust. Plant goodness, you will reap friends. Plant humility, you will reap greatness. Plant perseverance, you will reap victory. Plant consideration, you will reap harmony. Plant hard work, you will reap success. Plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. Plant openness, you will reap intimacy. Plant patience, you will reap improvements. Plant faith, ! you will reap miracles.
What you plant now will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make your life worse or better in the future. It may also have a profound effect on those around you. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits..... or you will pay for the choices you plant today.
Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
John 12:24
Jesus death to self, His very life, was the seed He planted that brought salvation. Your death to self will be a seed that will bring forth much fruit.
MIRACLE COST
Author Unknown
This is a real story
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.
Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want ?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy miracle."
''I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you" the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need? " "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to." "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and Said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
"That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.
This is a real story
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.
Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want ?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy miracle."
''I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you" the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need? " "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to." "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and Said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
"That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.
EMBRACING OUR MESS
By Os Hillman
" Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." -- Proverbs 14:4
My wife and I run together through a new home subdivision. Often we see the street filled with red clay from the land as bulldozers clear it to lay a foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home-design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect in order for the new homeowner to move in.
Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.
It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the result of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purposes for you in these times.
" Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." -- Proverbs 14:4
My wife and I run together through a new home subdivision. Often we see the street filled with red clay from the land as bulldozers clear it to lay a foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home-design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect in order for the new homeowner to move in.
Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.
It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the result of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purposes for you in these times.
FUNNY AS A CLOWN
By Harold J.Sala, 365 Guidelines for Daily Living
A man complained to his doctor that he was suffering from such overwhelming depression that his life was unbearable. Finding nothing physically wrong with him, his doctor remarked that what the man needed was some lively amusement to divert his thoughts from himself. "Try reading a good book now and then," advised the doctor. But the man shook his head as if to say, "That won't work for me!"
"Then I'll tell you what to do. Go to the theater." Again the man shook his head. "Well," said the doctor, "I can think of only one other thing that would help you and if it doesn't, there is nothing else I can suggest. The circus has come to town. Go and see the great clown who is drawing such crowds with his merriment. If you still suffer from depression after hearing and watching him, I'll be surprised."
"Ah!" said the man with a sigh, "I am that clown."
Behind many a smiling face is an aching heart. A loud laugh can be a cover-up for a sad and empty life. If you are like the clown --laughing on the outside but crying on the inside -- perhaps it is because you have confused two important qualities in life: happiness and joy. Happiness is dependent on outward circumstances, such as prosperity and good health, which may be here today and gone tomorrow. Joy, on the other hand, is a deep-seated contentment you can have regardless of circumstances.
The Apostle Paul had joy. He said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11).
How could he do it? The answer lies in his following words: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). He says, "I can through Christ." He is really saying that through Him I can overcome the problems which would bring discontentment.
You may be thinking, "I've heard that all my life" Everybody tells me Christ can solve all my problems, but how? The first step towards finding the answer is to admit you need help. Do you suppose that God has possibly allowed the problems you now face for a reason? Maybe the depression you feel is God's giant STOP sign to get you to stop running and turn to Him. When you have run out of ways to help yourself, you are right where God can help you.
"Try God!" says the little gold pin that some Christians wear. It's a good suggestion, but God is not one possibility among many. It is only through Christ that we find the strength that defies weariness and solutions that drive back the darkness. At the end of your rope, you will find God when you search for Him and reach out to take His hand. He makes all the difference.
"You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
A man complained to his doctor that he was suffering from such overwhelming depression that his life was unbearable. Finding nothing physically wrong with him, his doctor remarked that what the man needed was some lively amusement to divert his thoughts from himself. "Try reading a good book now and then," advised the doctor. But the man shook his head as if to say, "That won't work for me!"
"Then I'll tell you what to do. Go to the theater." Again the man shook his head. "Well," said the doctor, "I can think of only one other thing that would help you and if it doesn't, there is nothing else I can suggest. The circus has come to town. Go and see the great clown who is drawing such crowds with his merriment. If you still suffer from depression after hearing and watching him, I'll be surprised."
"Ah!" said the man with a sigh, "I am that clown."
Behind many a smiling face is an aching heart. A loud laugh can be a cover-up for a sad and empty life. If you are like the clown --laughing on the outside but crying on the inside -- perhaps it is because you have confused two important qualities in life: happiness and joy. Happiness is dependent on outward circumstances, such as prosperity and good health, which may be here today and gone tomorrow. Joy, on the other hand, is a deep-seated contentment you can have regardless of circumstances.
The Apostle Paul had joy. He said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11).
How could he do it? The answer lies in his following words: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). He says, "I can through Christ." He is really saying that through Him I can overcome the problems which would bring discontentment.
You may be thinking, "I've heard that all my life" Everybody tells me Christ can solve all my problems, but how? The first step towards finding the answer is to admit you need help. Do you suppose that God has possibly allowed the problems you now face for a reason? Maybe the depression you feel is God's giant STOP sign to get you to stop running and turn to Him. When you have run out of ways to help yourself, you are right where God can help you.
"Try God!" says the little gold pin that some Christians wear. It's a good suggestion, but God is not one possibility among many. It is only through Christ that we find the strength that defies weariness and solutions that drive back the darkness. At the end of your rope, you will find God when you search for Him and reach out to take His hand. He makes all the difference.
"You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
A COSTLY ERROR
Author Unknown
Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the company. On the day the news leaked out, most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.
There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day, and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long harangue against the man who made the error in judgment.
When Bedford entered the office, the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up.
"Oh, it's you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you have heard about our loss?' Bedford said that he had.
"I've been thinking it over," Rockefeller said, "and before I ask the man to discuss the matter, I've been making some notes."
Bedford later told the story this way:
"Across the top of the page was written, 'Points in favor of Mr._______.' There followed a long list of the man's virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.
I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make -- losing temper.
"I commend to it anyone who must deal with people."
"Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (Ephesians 4:2)
Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the company. On the day the news leaked out, most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.
There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day, and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long harangue against the man who made the error in judgment.
When Bedford entered the office, the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up.
"Oh, it's you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you have heard about our loss?' Bedford said that he had.
"I've been thinking it over," Rockefeller said, "and before I ask the man to discuss the matter, I've been making some notes."
Bedford later told the story this way:
"Across the top of the page was written, 'Points in favor of Mr._______.' There followed a long list of the man's virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.
I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make -- losing temper.
"I commend to it anyone who must deal with people."
"Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (Ephesians 4:2)
THEY TOOK PRIDE IN SHARING
By Barbara Chafin
We used to talk about tithing in our church. We would hear about it at our church in Houston, Texas, where we lived for a time. So at home we would look at our budget and try to figure out how tithing could be fitted in with all our other expenses. It always seemed to involve a squeeze and painstaking juggling.
After the war in Southeast Asia, many Cambodians resettled in the Houston area. Our church ministered to many of them through a Cambodian congregation that was part of our church. I knew how poor these people were. They had fled their country with only the clothes on their backs. Yet when we had a joint service and the offering was taken, no Cambodian would let the plate pass by without putting in something, even if it was just a penny. They took pride in sharing in the church ministry because they said they had been so blessed themselves.
I was moved to tears watching them. To be able to tithe is a blessing? If you're lucky to be alive and will never again take for granted every bite of food you put in your mouth, it certainly is a blessing. To have enough to be able to give some of it away...
After our experience in Houston, I thought about tithing in a totally different way. I look at our expenses as our blessings -- because we can afford to pay them. I put tithing at the top of the list instead of at the bottom.
What a blessing to be able to give something away. Even if --especially if-- it's one's hard-earned penny in the collection plate.
We used to talk about tithing in our church. We would hear about it at our church in Houston, Texas, where we lived for a time. So at home we would look at our budget and try to figure out how tithing could be fitted in with all our other expenses. It always seemed to involve a squeeze and painstaking juggling.
After the war in Southeast Asia, many Cambodians resettled in the Houston area. Our church ministered to many of them through a Cambodian congregation that was part of our church. I knew how poor these people were. They had fled their country with only the clothes on their backs. Yet when we had a joint service and the offering was taken, no Cambodian would let the plate pass by without putting in something, even if it was just a penny. They took pride in sharing in the church ministry because they said they had been so blessed themselves.
I was moved to tears watching them. To be able to tithe is a blessing? If you're lucky to be alive and will never again take for granted every bite of food you put in your mouth, it certainly is a blessing. To have enough to be able to give some of it away...
After our experience in Houston, I thought about tithing in a totally different way. I look at our expenses as our blessings -- because we can afford to pay them. I put tithing at the top of the list instead of at the bottom.
What a blessing to be able to give something away. Even if --especially if-- it's one's hard-earned penny in the collection plate.
LIFE IS FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES
A man waiting in line in an airport makes the following observation:
"From a distance, I could see, but not hear, the brief exchange of conversation, followed by the handing over of a document and an identification card. The airline employee bent to his computer keyboard, printed a boarding pass and luggage tag, and smiled again as he pointed the traveler toward the security entrance.
Such an event as I describe would not have been unusual if it had not been conducted over and over and over, on the morning after a massive computer failure that had caused flight delays for thousands and thousands of airline passengers. The event that I described was one that was repeated throughout the time I stood in line, almost two hours.
Over and over, the men and women behind counters smiled as they greeted each customer. They conducted business efficiently, but politely, again and again. I wasn't the only one to notice what was happening. One person near me in the long line said, "I don't know how they can come to work on a day like this." Another said that it must take a certain kind of person to come in to such situation day after day.
Clearly the people behind the counters were well trained and if their smiles were not genuine, they certainly could have fooled me. I am convinced that what I witnessed was a good service. If anyone ever asked me to give a good example of how the members of a Christian family might be of service to each other, I would probably try to think of some extraordinary event. It would be easy to pass over the ordinary, everyday kind of service, the kind of people do when they are just doing a good job at the counter, day after day.
As we approach the season of Lent, it would be worth our while to examine everyday life and how we relate to the people we serve, on the phone, on the highway, who help stranded motorists at a time of great need. Take the time today to be courteous during your everyday, ordinary commuting.
A smile, as you allow another to get ahead of you may not make the trip any quicker but it may make the time more pleasant. If you have children, ask them to recall the times people have paid special attention to them. (Grownups sometimes talk over and above the children's heads, as if they were not present. The same is at times true for people in wheelchairs.) Take the time to pay attention to those around you. It will make a difference. As Jesus said, "The greatest among you is the one who serves the rest."
"From a distance, I could see, but not hear, the brief exchange of conversation, followed by the handing over of a document and an identification card. The airline employee bent to his computer keyboard, printed a boarding pass and luggage tag, and smiled again as he pointed the traveler toward the security entrance.
Such an event as I describe would not have been unusual if it had not been conducted over and over and over, on the morning after a massive computer failure that had caused flight delays for thousands and thousands of airline passengers. The event that I described was one that was repeated throughout the time I stood in line, almost two hours.
Over and over, the men and women behind counters smiled as they greeted each customer. They conducted business efficiently, but politely, again and again. I wasn't the only one to notice what was happening. One person near me in the long line said, "I don't know how they can come to work on a day like this." Another said that it must take a certain kind of person to come in to such situation day after day.
Clearly the people behind the counters were well trained and if their smiles were not genuine, they certainly could have fooled me. I am convinced that what I witnessed was a good service. If anyone ever asked me to give a good example of how the members of a Christian family might be of service to each other, I would probably try to think of some extraordinary event. It would be easy to pass over the ordinary, everyday kind of service, the kind of people do when they are just doing a good job at the counter, day after day.
As we approach the season of Lent, it would be worth our while to examine everyday life and how we relate to the people we serve, on the phone, on the highway, who help stranded motorists at a time of great need. Take the time today to be courteous during your everyday, ordinary commuting.
A smile, as you allow another to get ahead of you may not make the trip any quicker but it may make the time more pleasant. If you have children, ask them to recall the times people have paid special attention to them. (Grownups sometimes talk over and above the children's heads, as if they were not present. The same is at times true for people in wheelchairs.) Take the time to pay attention to those around you. It will make a difference. As Jesus said, "The greatest among you is the one who serves the rest."
JUST FIVE MORE MINUTES
Sent by a subscriber
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.
"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.
"He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son.
"What do you say we go, Todd?"
Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."
The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son.
"Time to go now?"
Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes."
The man smiled and said, "O.K."
"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.
The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd. He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is, I get five more minutes to watch him play."
Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?
Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today.
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.
"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.
"He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son.
"What do you say we go, Todd?"
Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."
The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son.
"Time to go now?"
Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes."
The man smiled and said, "O.K."
"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.
The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd. He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is, I get five more minutes to watch him play."
Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?
Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today.
NO REGRETS
From: Tess Simeon
Not many people have heard of Bill Havens. But Bill became an unlikely hero of sorts -- at least among those who knew him best. Here is his story:
At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the list of international competitions. The favorite team in the four-man canoe race was the United States team. One member of that team was a young man by the name of Bill Havens.
As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill's wife would give birth to their first child about the time that the US team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924 there were no jet airliners from Paris to the United States, only slow ocean-going ships. And so Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was born? Or should he withdraw from the team and remain with his family? Bill's wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was the culmination of a life-long dream. But Bill felt conflicted and, after much soul-searching, decided to withdraw from the competition and remain home where he could support his wife when the child arrived. He considered being at her side his highest priority - even higher than going to Paris to fulfill his dream.
As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill's wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late, in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said, "What a shame." But Bill said he had no regrets. For the rest of his life, he believed he had made the better decision. Bill Havens knew what was most important to him. Not everybody figures that out. And he acted on what he believed was best. Not everybody has the strength of character to say no to something he or she truly wants in order to say yes to something that truly matters. But for Bill, it was the only way to peace; the only way to no regrets.
There is an interesting sequel to the story of Bill Havens.. The child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held. The cablegram read: "Dad, I won. I'm bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born."
Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the United States in the canoe-racing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did. Like I said - no regrets.
Thomas Kinkade eloquently said, "When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter... then peace begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor."
Not many people have heard of Bill Havens. But Bill became an unlikely hero of sorts -- at least among those who knew him best. Here is his story:
At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the list of international competitions. The favorite team in the four-man canoe race was the United States team. One member of that team was a young man by the name of Bill Havens.
As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill's wife would give birth to their first child about the time that the US team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924 there were no jet airliners from Paris to the United States, only slow ocean-going ships. And so Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was born? Or should he withdraw from the team and remain with his family? Bill's wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was the culmination of a life-long dream. But Bill felt conflicted and, after much soul-searching, decided to withdraw from the competition and remain home where he could support his wife when the child arrived. He considered being at her side his highest priority - even higher than going to Paris to fulfill his dream.
As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill's wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late, in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said, "What a shame." But Bill said he had no regrets. For the rest of his life, he believed he had made the better decision. Bill Havens knew what was most important to him. Not everybody figures that out. And he acted on what he believed was best. Not everybody has the strength of character to say no to something he or she truly wants in order to say yes to something that truly matters. But for Bill, it was the only way to peace; the only way to no regrets.
There is an interesting sequel to the story of Bill Havens.. The child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held. The cablegram read: "Dad, I won. I'm bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born."
Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the United States in the canoe-racing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did. Like I said - no regrets.
Thomas Kinkade eloquently said, "When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter... then peace begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor."
THE GAME OF LIFE
By Cris P. Hofilena, CFC
Life is a game of basketball.
You start by sitting at the bench
To patiently await your turn;
You watch and pray and cheer and learn.
Sometimes you see the odds are wrong;
One team is taller than its foe,
Or faster or more fully trained,
But none the less the game is played.
Sometimes the referee is blind.
He fails to see anomalies
Committed right before his eyes,
Because the action is so fast.
At last the coach will let you play;
You join the team inside the court.
With all your might you play the game;
You pass, you dribble and you shoot.
And when you shoot sometimes you miss
But then you have to try again,
Or give your mate a good assist,
To score a sudden undergoal.
You have a choice inside the court
To play alone or with the team;
But soon you realize that you
Need them as much as they need you.
If you commit too many fouls
The referee will throw you out.
If you are reckless in the fray
They'll lift your injured body out.
The constant winner in the game
Of basketball is Father Time.
When His almighty whistle blows
All players stop, and fade away.
**************
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6). As we journey through life sometimes the odds against us are great, and yet the Lord wants us to continue trusting Him and allowing Him to direct our lives. It's not a perfect world -- we hit some, and we miss some -- but in the GAME OF LIFE God has given us each other so we can assist one another in love. He has given us the gift of time to use as best we can and play the game according to His rules. And when the final score is written and our time to leave the court of life has come, in victory He wants to bring us with Him. For "God has made everything beautiful in His time."
Life is a game of basketball.
You start by sitting at the bench
To patiently await your turn;
You watch and pray and cheer and learn.
Sometimes you see the odds are wrong;
One team is taller than its foe,
Or faster or more fully trained,
But none the less the game is played.
Sometimes the referee is blind.
He fails to see anomalies
Committed right before his eyes,
Because the action is so fast.
At last the coach will let you play;
You join the team inside the court.
With all your might you play the game;
You pass, you dribble and you shoot.
And when you shoot sometimes you miss
But then you have to try again,
Or give your mate a good assist,
To score a sudden undergoal.
You have a choice inside the court
To play alone or with the team;
But soon you realize that you
Need them as much as they need you.
If you commit too many fouls
The referee will throw you out.
If you are reckless in the fray
They'll lift your injured body out.
The constant winner in the game
Of basketball is Father Time.
When His almighty whistle blows
All players stop, and fade away.
**************
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6). As we journey through life sometimes the odds against us are great, and yet the Lord wants us to continue trusting Him and allowing Him to direct our lives. It's not a perfect world -- we hit some, and we miss some -- but in the GAME OF LIFE God has given us each other so we can assist one another in love. He has given us the gift of time to use as best we can and play the game according to His rules. And when the final score is written and our time to leave the court of life has come, in victory He wants to bring us with Him. For "God has made everything beautiful in His time."
JESUS WEPT
From the book - Just a Minute Little Book of Gems.
Jesus walked one morning in a Church.
A family, visiting there, dark of skin and light of spirit, was greeted and welcomed by an assistant pastor. The senior pastor took him aside and chastised him, saying "We don't need their kind here. They have their own churches."
Jesus said, "Did I not die that all my children might be one? Why do you see only the differences among you?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning in a Seminary.
As he entered a classroom, he heard a heated debate concerning signs and wonders and tongues and dispensations.
Jesus said, "Did I not send my Holy Spirit to be a comforter and to bring you peace? But you have grieved Him with your battles. Did not my servant Paul tell you all to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Why do you not pray with an open heart that I might fill you, and allow me to do so as I will: according to my gracious and varied and bountiful gifts?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning near a House of Congress As he passed among a few of His children who worked there in Congress, he heard them fighting with words. He pressed closer to listen to them as they argued over the political sides they had taken.
Jesus said, "Did I not call you to be Kings and Priests? How shall you rule in my coming Kingdom if you cannot love each other and listen for my wisdom speaking from the hearts of all my redeemed servants? Will you not consider that you see through a glass darkly, and that your brother may have been shown a different view, that between you that you may share in the discovery of the best solutions?
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one afternoon on a college campus.
He heard a man preaching in His name, shouting out to the young women who walked by that they were whores because they wore trousers, shouting out against drunkenness and sloth, alienating the students by his assumptions and accusations.
Jesus said, "Did not my servant Peter tell you to share my hope with gentleness and respect? Will not your love draw men unto me?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one afternoon in a park.
A young woman sat there with tears running down her face, sobs wrenching her body, hopeless and not knowing where to turn. He saw his children walk by deep in conversation, not seeing her need.
Jesus said, "Did I not say that faith without works is dead? How can you ignore this one who is hurting? I have given you answers for this woman's cry; can you not take time out to listen to her plea?
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning at a work place.
He saw one of His children beaten down in despair, standing alone in the presence of one who was under the influence of demonic works of darkness. Jesus said, "Did I not give you authority over all the powers of the enemy? Did I not defeat him at Calvary? Why do you not put on your full armor and stand against him? Why do your brothers and sisters not stand with you when you are weak? Have I not promised to be with you in the fight? Have I not promised deliverance for the captives? and salvation for the oppressed?
.... and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one evening in a restaurant.
His children were gathered there to dine. He heard them discussing their waiter. "He's obviously a homosexual! I'm not even sure I want to touch this food after him. How disgusting he is!
Jesus said, "Did I not come to cleanse all men? How is his sin more disgusting to me than yours? Shall you pick up the first stone? Then He turned to the waiter and said gently, with all His love filling His voice, "Go, my son, and sin no more."
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one night on the Internet.
Where His children gathered in His name. He saw some of them preaching His word, comforting the hurting, defending the helpless, and praising His name. He walked among them, touching their hearts with his love.
But then He saw many others, His children all, and watched and listened to their words and hearts.
....and Jesus wept.
Have YOU made Jesus weep lately?
Jesus walked one morning in a Church.
A family, visiting there, dark of skin and light of spirit, was greeted and welcomed by an assistant pastor. The senior pastor took him aside and chastised him, saying "We don't need their kind here. They have their own churches."
Jesus said, "Did I not die that all my children might be one? Why do you see only the differences among you?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning in a Seminary.
As he entered a classroom, he heard a heated debate concerning signs and wonders and tongues and dispensations.
Jesus said, "Did I not send my Holy Spirit to be a comforter and to bring you peace? But you have grieved Him with your battles. Did not my servant Paul tell you all to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Why do you not pray with an open heart that I might fill you, and allow me to do so as I will: according to my gracious and varied and bountiful gifts?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning near a House of Congress As he passed among a few of His children who worked there in Congress, he heard them fighting with words. He pressed closer to listen to them as they argued over the political sides they had taken.
Jesus said, "Did I not call you to be Kings and Priests? How shall you rule in my coming Kingdom if you cannot love each other and listen for my wisdom speaking from the hearts of all my redeemed servants? Will you not consider that you see through a glass darkly, and that your brother may have been shown a different view, that between you that you may share in the discovery of the best solutions?
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one afternoon on a college campus.
He heard a man preaching in His name, shouting out to the young women who walked by that they were whores because they wore trousers, shouting out against drunkenness and sloth, alienating the students by his assumptions and accusations.
Jesus said, "Did not my servant Peter tell you to share my hope with gentleness and respect? Will not your love draw men unto me?"
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one afternoon in a park.
A young woman sat there with tears running down her face, sobs wrenching her body, hopeless and not knowing where to turn. He saw his children walk by deep in conversation, not seeing her need.
Jesus said, "Did I not say that faith without works is dead? How can you ignore this one who is hurting? I have given you answers for this woman's cry; can you not take time out to listen to her plea?
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one morning at a work place.
He saw one of His children beaten down in despair, standing alone in the presence of one who was under the influence of demonic works of darkness. Jesus said, "Did I not give you authority over all the powers of the enemy? Did I not defeat him at Calvary? Why do you not put on your full armor and stand against him? Why do your brothers and sisters not stand with you when you are weak? Have I not promised to be with you in the fight? Have I not promised deliverance for the captives? and salvation for the oppressed?
.... and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one evening in a restaurant.
His children were gathered there to dine. He heard them discussing their waiter. "He's obviously a homosexual! I'm not even sure I want to touch this food after him. How disgusting he is!
Jesus said, "Did I not come to cleanse all men? How is his sin more disgusting to me than yours? Shall you pick up the first stone? Then He turned to the waiter and said gently, with all His love filling His voice, "Go, my son, and sin no more."
....and Jesus wept.
Jesus walked one night on the Internet.
Where His children gathered in His name. He saw some of them preaching His word, comforting the hurting, defending the helpless, and praising His name. He walked among them, touching their hearts with his love.
But then He saw many others, His children all, and watched and listened to their words and hearts.
....and Jesus wept.
Have YOU made Jesus weep lately?
WORKING VS. STRIVING
By Os Hillman
Your greatest obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes in your life is the skills you have acquired to perform well in your work life. One of the great paradoxes in Scripture relates to our need to depend on the Lord; yet at the same time, we're instructed to use the talents and abilities God gives us to accomplish the work He gives us to do. It has been one of the most difficult principles to live out. How do we know that what we achieve is by the power of the Holy Spirit in our life versus our own abilities, and is there a difference? When we reach a level of excellence and performance in our fields, it actually becomes an obstacle to seeing God's power manifest in our work. What we naturally do well becomes the object of our trust. When this happens, God retreats. You see, God allows us to develop skills, but these must be continually yielded to God's Spirit. There will be times when God will use these skills to accomplish His purposes. There will be other times that God will not use any of our skills just to ensure that we know it is by His power that we can do anything.
It is the oxymoron of all oxymorons for Christian workplace believers. Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God. "Do not lean on the natural skill which you have been given. Let God manifest Himself in what you are doing," said a mentor who has learned this balance of skill and walking with God. "You must almost restrain from doing those things you know you are prone to do and actually go against them."
I was learning this lesson recently when I was asked to participate in a large event that would give great exposure and much needed financial increase to my ministry. It made all the sense in the world to participate. Then I prayed with a friend and asked the Lord His mind on it. The Lord showed us this was not His plan for me. I declined the invitation.
Ask God to teach you what it means to walk according to the power of the Holy Spirit in your business life. Develop a listening ear to the small voice inside that wants to direct your efforts by His Spirit.
Your greatest obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes in your life is the skills you have acquired to perform well in your work life. One of the great paradoxes in Scripture relates to our need to depend on the Lord; yet at the same time, we're instructed to use the talents and abilities God gives us to accomplish the work He gives us to do. It has been one of the most difficult principles to live out. How do we know that what we achieve is by the power of the Holy Spirit in our life versus our own abilities, and is there a difference? When we reach a level of excellence and performance in our fields, it actually becomes an obstacle to seeing God's power manifest in our work. What we naturally do well becomes the object of our trust. When this happens, God retreats. You see, God allows us to develop skills, but these must be continually yielded to God's Spirit. There will be times when God will use these skills to accomplish His purposes. There will be other times that God will not use any of our skills just to ensure that we know it is by His power that we can do anything.
It is the oxymoron of all oxymorons for Christian workplace believers. Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God. "Do not lean on the natural skill which you have been given. Let God manifest Himself in what you are doing," said a mentor who has learned this balance of skill and walking with God. "You must almost restrain from doing those things you know you are prone to do and actually go against them."
I was learning this lesson recently when I was asked to participate in a large event that would give great exposure and much needed financial increase to my ministry. It made all the sense in the world to participate. Then I prayed with a friend and asked the Lord His mind on it. The Lord showed us this was not His plan for me. I declined the invitation.
Ask God to teach you what it means to walk according to the power of the Holy Spirit in your business life. Develop a listening ear to the small voice inside that wants to direct your efforts by His Spirit.
TRY HIM ONCE MORE
Eleonor Doan, Speakers Sourcebook
Some years ago in a manufacturing town of Scotland a young lady applied to the superintendent of a Sunday school for a class. At his suggestion she gathered a class of poor boys.The superintendent told them to come to his house during the week and he would give them each a new suit of clothes. They came, and each was nicely fitted out.
The worst and most unpromising boy in the class was a lad named Bob. After two or three Sundays he was missing and the teacher went out to hunt him up. She found that his new clothes were torn and dirty, but she invited him back to school, and he came. The superintendent gave him a second new suit, but after attending once or twice, Bob was again absent. Once again she sought him out, only to find that the second suit had gone the way of the first.
"I am utterly discouraged with Bob," she said, when she reported the case to the superintendent, "and I must give him up."
"Please don't do that," the superintendent replied. "I can't but hope there is something good in Bob. Try him once more. I'll give him a third suit if he'll promise to attend regularly."
Bod did promise, and received his third new suit. He attended regularly after that, and became interested in the school. He became an earnest and persevering seeker after Jesus, and found Him. He joined the church. He was made a teacher. He studied for the ministry. The end of the story is that this discouraging boy -- forlorn, rugged, runaway Bob -- became Robert Morrison, the great missionary to China who translated the Bible into the Chinese language, and by so doing, opened the kingdom of heaven to the teeming millions of that vast country.
Some years ago in a manufacturing town of Scotland a young lady applied to the superintendent of a Sunday school for a class. At his suggestion she gathered a class of poor boys.The superintendent told them to come to his house during the week and he would give them each a new suit of clothes. They came, and each was nicely fitted out.
The worst and most unpromising boy in the class was a lad named Bob. After two or three Sundays he was missing and the teacher went out to hunt him up. She found that his new clothes were torn and dirty, but she invited him back to school, and he came. The superintendent gave him a second new suit, but after attending once or twice, Bob was again absent. Once again she sought him out, only to find that the second suit had gone the way of the first.
"I am utterly discouraged with Bob," she said, when she reported the case to the superintendent, "and I must give him up."
"Please don't do that," the superintendent replied. "I can't but hope there is something good in Bob. Try him once more. I'll give him a third suit if he'll promise to attend regularly."
Bod did promise, and received his third new suit. He attended regularly after that, and became interested in the school. He became an earnest and persevering seeker after Jesus, and found Him. He joined the church. He was made a teacher. He studied for the ministry. The end of the story is that this discouraging boy -- forlorn, rugged, runaway Bob -- became Robert Morrison, the great missionary to China who translated the Bible into the Chinese language, and by so doing, opened the kingdom of heaven to the teeming millions of that vast country.
ONE NEEDS A LITTLE HUMOR
By Tim Bete
In the beginning, there was no duct tape!
God created the world before Home Depot existed. That's the theological concept I cannot comprehend. I take at least five trips to Home Depot during every project. The first trip is to buy materials, the second to return what I purchased and get the correct items, the third is to ask questions, the fourth because I forgot the answers and the fifth to ask if I can pay someone to do the project for me.
Obviously, God is a better creator than I am. God created the entire universe. I can barely assemble a gas grill. Frankly, I have never completed a project and said, "It is good."
There are thousand of ways my ability to create pales in comparison to God's. For instance, during the creation of the world, God separated the light from the darkness. I have separated my children when they fight, but that's about it. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. I called my neighbor to borrow a metric wrench to assemble the grill. God created "swarms of living creatures." I paid an exterminator $189 to get them out of my basement.
If I had created the world, my first words would have been, "Let there be duct tape to keep the stars from falling out of the sky and the leaves on the trees." Not God. His project was free of artificial adhesives. In my view, that's more miraculous than creating from dust.
Not once during the six days did God have to go back and fix what he messed up the previous day. That raises the theological question, "Did God have instructions when creating the world?" Some scripture scholars believe God had instructions but didn’t read them, proving God is a man. Other scholars argue that God cannot be a man because there were no leftover parts on the sixth day when the project was completed. I'm no bible expert, but God is a man, I doubt He would have started the project in the first place. God created the world, "in the beginning." Men never start a project in the beginning but rather wait for their wives to ask four or five times.
I have discovered two ways that I resemble the Creator. First, it takes me the same amount of time to assemble gas grill that it took God to create the world, six days. Second, God rested on the seventh day. My wife says when it comes to napping, not even God is better than me.
In the beginning, there was no duct tape!
God created the world before Home Depot existed. That's the theological concept I cannot comprehend. I take at least five trips to Home Depot during every project. The first trip is to buy materials, the second to return what I purchased and get the correct items, the third is to ask questions, the fourth because I forgot the answers and the fifth to ask if I can pay someone to do the project for me.
Obviously, God is a better creator than I am. God created the entire universe. I can barely assemble a gas grill. Frankly, I have never completed a project and said, "It is good."
There are thousand of ways my ability to create pales in comparison to God's. For instance, during the creation of the world, God separated the light from the darkness. I have separated my children when they fight, but that's about it. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. I called my neighbor to borrow a metric wrench to assemble the grill. God created "swarms of living creatures." I paid an exterminator $189 to get them out of my basement.
If I had created the world, my first words would have been, "Let there be duct tape to keep the stars from falling out of the sky and the leaves on the trees." Not God. His project was free of artificial adhesives. In my view, that's more miraculous than creating from dust.
Not once during the six days did God have to go back and fix what he messed up the previous day. That raises the theological question, "Did God have instructions when creating the world?" Some scripture scholars believe God had instructions but didn’t read them, proving God is a man. Other scholars argue that God cannot be a man because there were no leftover parts on the sixth day when the project was completed. I'm no bible expert, but God is a man, I doubt He would have started the project in the first place. God created the world, "in the beginning." Men never start a project in the beginning but rather wait for their wives to ask four or five times.
I have discovered two ways that I resemble the Creator. First, it takes me the same amount of time to assemble gas grill that it took God to create the world, six days. Second, God rested on the seventh day. My wife says when it comes to napping, not even God is better than me.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
Author: Anonymous
It Is Better To Be Alone, Than In The Wrong Company
Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.
The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you. Consider this:
Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.
Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.
Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.
Happy moments? Praise God
Difficult moments? Seek God
Quiet moments? Worship God
Painful moments? Trust God
Every moment? Thank God
If you see people without a smile today ... Give them one of yours.
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24
It Is Better To Be Alone, Than In The Wrong Company
Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.
The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you. Consider this:
Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.
Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.
Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.
Happy moments? Praise God
Difficult moments? Seek God
Quiet moments? Worship God
Painful moments? Trust God
Every moment? Thank God
If you see people without a smile today ... Give them one of yours.
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24
AVOIDING EMOTIONAL ADULTERY
By Dennis and Barbara Rainey, Moments Together (excerpt)
It is far easier to commit emotional adultery than you may realize. You may be converging on a chemical reaction with another person when:
* You've got a need you feel your mate isn't meeting -- a need for attention, approval or affection, for example.
*You find it easier to unwind with someone other than your spouse by dissecting the day's difficulties over lunch, coffee or a ride home.
* You begin to talk about problems you are having with your spouse.
* You rationalize the propriety of this relationship with the opposite sex by saying that surely it must be God's will to talk so openly and honestly with a fellow Christian.
* You look forward to being with this person more than with your own mate.
* You hide the relationship from your mate.
When you find yourself connecting with another person as a substitute, you've started traveling a road that ends too often in adultery and divorce. But how do you protect yourself to keep this from occurring?
KEEP YOUR BOUNDARIES. You should put fences around your heart that protect sacred ground, reserved only for your spouse. Barbara and I are careful to show our deepest feelings, needs and difficulties with each other, and not with friends of the opposite sex.
REALIZE THE POWER OF YOUR EYES. As has been said, your eyes are the windows to your heart. Pull the shades down if you sense someone is pausing a little too long in front of your windows.
BEWARE OF ISOLATION & CONCEALMENT. One strategy of the enemy is to isolate you from your spouse, especially by inducing you to keep secrets from your mate.
EXTINGUISH CHEMICAL REACTIONS that have already begun. A friendship with with the opposite sex that meets the needs your mate should be meeting must be ended quickly. It may be a painful loss at first, but it isn't as painful as dealing with the wreckage caused by a sinful relationship.
PRAY DAILY that God would "keep you from stumbling."
It is far easier to commit emotional adultery than you may realize. You may be converging on a chemical reaction with another person when:
* You've got a need you feel your mate isn't meeting -- a need for attention, approval or affection, for example.
*You find it easier to unwind with someone other than your spouse by dissecting the day's difficulties over lunch, coffee or a ride home.
* You begin to talk about problems you are having with your spouse.
* You rationalize the propriety of this relationship with the opposite sex by saying that surely it must be God's will to talk so openly and honestly with a fellow Christian.
* You look forward to being with this person more than with your own mate.
* You hide the relationship from your mate.
When you find yourself connecting with another person as a substitute, you've started traveling a road that ends too often in adultery and divorce. But how do you protect yourself to keep this from occurring?
KEEP YOUR BOUNDARIES. You should put fences around your heart that protect sacred ground, reserved only for your spouse. Barbara and I are careful to show our deepest feelings, needs and difficulties with each other, and not with friends of the opposite sex.
REALIZE THE POWER OF YOUR EYES. As has been said, your eyes are the windows to your heart. Pull the shades down if you sense someone is pausing a little too long in front of your windows.
BEWARE OF ISOLATION & CONCEALMENT. One strategy of the enemy is to isolate you from your spouse, especially by inducing you to keep secrets from your mate.
EXTINGUISH CHEMICAL REACTIONS that have already begun. A friendship with with the opposite sex that meets the needs your mate should be meeting must be ended quickly. It may be a painful loss at first, but it isn't as painful as dealing with the wreckage caused by a sinful relationship.
PRAY DAILY that God would "keep you from stumbling."
KEEP LEARNING
I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing
"Silent Night." Age 6
I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of
milk. Age 7
I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop and
wave back. Age 9
I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes
me clean it up. Age 13
I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try
cheering someone else up. Age 14
I've learned that it's hard to admit it, but I'm secretly glad my
parents are strict with me. Age 15
I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of
advice. Age 24
I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great
pleasures. Age 26
I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have
followed me there. Age 29
I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't
know how to show it. Age 41
I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater
their need to blame others. Age 46
I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47
I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from
the phone. Age 50
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you missed them terribly after they die. Age 53
I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your
children, try to improve your marriage. Age 61
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if
you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meting new
people, and doing the best you can, happiness will find you. Age 65
I've learned that when I decide something with kindness, I usually
make the right decision. Age 66
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. Age 82
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. Age 92
"I consider that the sufferings of their present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed in us…. we know that all
creation is groaning in labor even until now, and not only that, but
we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, we also groan
within ourselves as we wait for the redemption of our bodies." (Roman
8:10-13)
"Silent Night." Age 6
I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of
milk. Age 7
I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop and
wave back. Age 9
I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes
me clean it up. Age 13
I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try
cheering someone else up. Age 14
I've learned that it's hard to admit it, but I'm secretly glad my
parents are strict with me. Age 15
I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of
advice. Age 24
I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great
pleasures. Age 26
I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have
followed me there. Age 29
I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't
know how to show it. Age 41
I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater
their need to blame others. Age 46
I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47
I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from
the phone. Age 50
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you missed them terribly after they die. Age 53
I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your
children, try to improve your marriage. Age 61
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if
you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meting new
people, and doing the best you can, happiness will find you. Age 65
I've learned that when I decide something with kindness, I usually
make the right decision. Age 66
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. Age 82
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. Age 92
"I consider that the sufferings of their present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed in us…. we know that all
creation is groaning in labor even until now, and not only that, but
we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, we also groan
within ourselves as we wait for the redemption of our bodies." (Roman
8:10-13)
GROWING GOOD CORN
James Bender, in his book How To Talk Well (New York: Mcgraw-Hill Book
Co. Inc.1994), relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning
corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair it won a blue
ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something
interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the
farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors
when they are entering in competition with yours each year?" the
reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen
from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my
neighbors grow inferior corn, cross pollination will steadily degrade
the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my
neighbors grow good corn."
He is much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve
unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is with our lives.Those who choose to live in peace must help
their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must
help others to live well, for the value of life is measured by the
lives it touches. And those who chose to be happy must help others to
find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare
of all.
So if you have something good, don't keep it to yourself but share it.
It is when we give that we receive...and much more.
Co. Inc.1994), relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning
corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair it won a blue
ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something
interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the
farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors
when they are entering in competition with yours each year?" the
reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen
from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my
neighbors grow inferior corn, cross pollination will steadily degrade
the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my
neighbors grow good corn."
He is much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve
unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is with our lives.Those who choose to live in peace must help
their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must
help others to live well, for the value of life is measured by the
lives it touches. And those who chose to be happy must help others to
find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare
of all.
So if you have something good, don't keep it to yourself but share it.
It is when we give that we receive...and much more.
BAILEY'S JESUS
Author Unknown
God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.
Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.
Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watched as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and was thrilled when she saw the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.
When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As He neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, " Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words, but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming His name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out.
Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. This was so much fun.
Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!"
As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending."
"They are hurting Jesus" Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him.
In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back. They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical.
"Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it!" she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we all watched this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught.
I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy.
In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!" The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"
I prayed she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.
Following the pageant, the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers, Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus!"
The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus.
I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven?"
Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do anything less than worship Him? "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.
Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.
Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watched as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and was thrilled when she saw the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.
When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As He neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, " Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words, but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming His name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out.
Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. This was so much fun.
Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!"
As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending."
"They are hurting Jesus" Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him.
In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back. They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical.
"Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it!" she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we all watched this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught.
I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy.
In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!" The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"
I prayed she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.
Following the pageant, the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers, Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus!"
The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus.
I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven?"
Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do anything less than worship Him? "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
GOD CAN USE YOU!!
GOD CAN USE YOU!!
-- Author Unknown
Jun 17, 2005
There are many reasons why God shouldn't have called you.
But don't worry. You're in good company . . .
Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn't fit.
John Mark was rejected by Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair.
Solomon was too rich.
Jesus was too poor.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
John was self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow.
Paul was a murderer.
So was Moses.
Jonah ran from God.
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Elijah was burnt out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha was a worry-wart.
Mary was lazy.
Samson had long hair.
Noah got drunk.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
So did Peter, Paul -- well, lots of folks did.
But God doesn't require a job interview.
He doesn't hire and fire like most bosses, because He's more our Dad
than our Boss.
He doesn't look at financial gain or loss.
He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or
brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.
As much as we try, God's gifts are free.
We could do wonderful things for wonderful people and still not be . .
. Wonderful.
Satan says, "You're not worthy." Jesus says, "So what? . . . I AM."
Satan looks back and sees our mistakes.
God looks back and sees the cross.
He doesn't calculate what you did in '98.
It's not even on the record.
Sure. There are lots of reasons why God shouldn't have called us.
But if we are magically in love with Him,
if we hunger for Him more than our next breath,
He'll use us in spite of who we are, where we've been,
or what we look like.
Pray that as Christians, we will step out of our limitations into the
illimitable nature of who God is.
Then our passion for God and our passion to communicate with Him will
make mincemeat of our limitations.
PRAYER
"Lord, write your words of love and truth upon my heart and make me a
diligent student and a worthy disciple of your word."
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