polite

The story is told of two polite people who are having dinner together.  On the table there is a dish with one big piece of fish and one small piece of fish.  They politely say to each other:  "You may choose first."

     "No, you may choose first."

     This goes on for a while.  Then the first person says, "OK, I'll take first."   And he takes the BIG piece of fish.

     The second person says, "Why did you take the big piece?  That's not polite!"

     The first person says, "Which piece would *you* have taken?"

     The second person replies, "Why, I would have taken the SMALL piece, of course."

     The first person says, "Well, that's what you have now!"

New Collegiate Dictionary defines a polite person as someone who is "marked by an appearance of consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy."   The quality of politeness is one which seems to be disappearing in our society.  As I grew up, I was taught to say, "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir", terms not often heard by young people today.  Even the words "please" and "thank you" are not used as often as they should be.

Some might say that politeness is a "small" thing, and it is, but that doesn't mean it is insignificant.   Politeness is a lot like salt -- you don't always pay attention to it when it is present, but it is very obvious that something is lacking when it is absent.

Of all people, Christians should be most polite because politeness is a characteristic of agape love.  Being polite means being aware of and respecting the feelings of other people.

"Remind the believers to....be ready to do good, to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and to be gentle and polite to all people." (Titus 3:1-2, NCV)

     "[Love] does not behave rudely." (I Cor. 13:5a)

 Make an effort today to see that the love you show to others around you includes the quality of politeness.

paid

 The following true story comes from Christian Reader magazine:

When I was a child, our church celebrated the Lord's Supper every first Sunday of the month. At that service, the offering plates were passed twice: before the sermon for regular offerings, and just prior to Communion for benevolences. My family always gave to both, but they passed a dime to me only to put in the regular offering.

One Communion Sunday when I was nine, my mother, for the first time, gave me a dime for the benevolent offering also. A little later when the folks in our pew rose to go to the Communion rail, I got up also. "You can't take Communion yet," Mother told me.

     "Why not?" I said. "I paid for it!"

--Paul Francisco, Rockford, IL, Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."

Looking at it through the eyes of a child, it's easy to see how that boy could have made the mistake of thinking that Communion is something we pay for the privilege of partaking.  But, the truth is, we don't pay for it.  In fact, if we had all the money in the world, we could never pay for it.  But, by the grace of God, Jesus did "pay for it" with His own blood, and bids us remember his sacrifice through the emblems of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine.

"For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." (I Cor. 11:23-26)

Next time, as you partake of the Lord's Supper, I hope you will remember the one who paid the price for your sins
-alan smith

.....................us

On February 15, 1921, there was a doctor who performed an appendectomy. The doctor performing the surgery was Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane, who over his 37-year medical career had performed nearly 4,000 appendectomies, so this surgery was not at all unusual except for two things.

First of all, this was the first time that local anesthesia had ever been used in major surgery. Dr. Kane believed that local anesthesia was safer than putting a patient completely to sleep. Most of his colleagues agreed with him in principle, but they wanted to see first if it would actually work.

So Dr. Kane searched for a volunteer, a patient who would be willing to undergo surgery while under local anesthesia. It wasn't easy to find one. Most people are squeamish at the thought of being awake during their own surgery. Others are fearful that the anesthesia might wear off too soon.

Finally, though, Dr. Kane found a volunteer, and on Tuesday morning, February 15th, the operation began. The patient was prepped and wheeled into the operating room. A local anesthetic was applied. And as Dr. Kane had done thousands of times before, he cut open the tissues and removed the appendix. The patient had only minor discomfort and recovered quickly, dismissed two days later.

Dr. Kane had proven his theory. Thanks to the willingness of a brave volunteer, Dr. Kane demonstrated that local anesthesia was an alternative, even a preferred alternative.

But I said there were two facts that made this surgery unusual. I've told you the first: the use of local anesthesia. The second unusual thing was the patient -- the patient was Dr. Kane. You see, in order to prove his point, Dr. Kane operated on himself. The doctor became a patient in order to convince the patients to trust the doctor.

As unbelievable as that may seem, it is insignificant compared with what Jesus Christ did for us. The Great Physician voluntarily became one of us. He placed himself in our shoes. He left the glories of heaven to live on this earth as one of us -- to suffer our pains and feel our fears. Why? So that when you hurt, you will know that you have someone who understands --  your Great Physician -- and you will have confidence to go to him for healing.
"... He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"  (Philippians 2:7-8)

"Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted."  (Hebrews 2:18)

.....?to

 The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. James if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls.

They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere - Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection - the one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first ... so He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.

What are you hanging on to?

prayer

 Today,

For what I am not that I ought to be,
Forgive me.
Be with my mouth in what it speaks
Be with my hands in what they do
Be with my mind in what it thinks
Be with my heart in what it feels
Work in me
...through me
...for me
...in spite of me
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen

scars

 

Numbers 25; Numbers 31:16

 

 

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Proverbs 6:23, 24. 

The crime that brought the judgments of God upon Israel was that of licentiousness. The forwardness of women to entrap souls did not end at Baal-peor. Notwithstanding the punishment that followed the sinners in Israel, the same crime was repeated many times. Satan was most active in seeking to make Israel’s overthrow complete. Balak by the advice of Balaam laid the snare. Israel would have bravely met their enemies in battle, and resisted them, and come off conquerors; but when women invited their attention and sought their company and beguiled them by their charms, they did not resist temptations. They were invited to idolatrous feasts, and their indulgence in wine further beclouded their dazed minds. The power of self-control, their allegiance to God’s law, was not preserved. Their senses were so beclouded with wine, and their unholy passions had such full sway, overpowering every barrier, that they invited temptation even to the attending of these idolatrous feasts. Those who had never flinched in battle, who were brave men, did not barricade their souls to resist temptation to indulge their basest passions.... They first defiled their conscience by lewdness, and then departed from God still farther by idolatry, thus showing contempt for the God of Israel. 

Near the close of this earth’s history Satan will work with all his powers in the same manner and with the same temptations wherewith he tempted ancient Israel just before their entering the land of promise. He will lay snares for those who claim to keep the commandments of God, and who are almost on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. He will use his powers to their utmost in order to entrap souls, and to take God’s professed people upon their weakest points.... 

It is now the duty of God’s commandment-keeping people to watch and pray, to search the Scriptures diligently, to hide the word of God in the heart, lest they sin against Him in idolatrous thoughts and debasing practices, and thus the church of God become demoralized. ^{The Review and Herald, May 17, 1887.} 

......matters

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him .  Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people." (Colossians 3:17, 23)
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

I was thinking . . .

In a recent interview, Amy Grant said that several years ago she was on her way to get on a tour bus when she went by to see her mother who had Alzheimer's disease. As she was leaving, Amy said, "I've got to go sing, mom." Her mother said, "you sing?" Amy said, "Yes. I sing and I write songs." Her mom asked about the kinds of songs she sings and if she would sing for her.

Then, as Amy was walking out the door, her mom called after her. "Hey, would you do me a favor?" Amy said, "Yes, what?" And her mom said "when you walk out on that stage, sing something that matters."

It seems that Amy Grant's mom, though not even in her right mind, was on to something. If you re going to sing, sing something that matters. I ve been thinking a lot about that statement the last few days. It has struck me that since God is right and life is a vapor, we all have a very limited amount of time on this planet. So it seems that while we re here, we might as well make it count.

If you re going to preach, preach something that matters.
If you re going to teach, teach something that matters.
If you re going to write, write something that matters.
If you re going to work, do some work that matters.

How many people are just meandering aimlessly through life, wasting precious time, and doing nothing that really matters? All the while, there is a great big world out there with incredible opportunities for someone who is willing to invest the time and effort to do something that matters.

Fortunately, that doesn t mean everyone has to do something big or famous. Some things that matter are small and little-known. But they still matter. They matter to family members and to friends and even to strangers. Most of all, they matter to God.

Amy Grant's mom was right. If you re going to sing, sing something that matters.-stan buckley

chipping

There's a story told about a man who had a huge boulder in his front yard. He grew weary of this big, unattractive stone in the center of his lawn, so he decided to take advantage of it and turn it into an object of art. He went to work on it with hammer and chisel, and chipped away at the huge boulder until it became a beautiful stone elephant. When he finished, it was gorgeous, breath-taking.

A neighbor asked, "How did you ever carve such a marvelous likeness of an elephant?"

The man answered, "I just chipped away everything that didn't look like an elephant!"

You may have heard a version of this story that uses the name of Michelangelo as the man who is doing the sculpting (sometimes the story gives his explanation of how the statue of David was created, other times the statue of Moses).

But the story also illustrates how God creates men in His likeness.  He starts with nothing much more than a boulder, but like a great artist, he sees the potential for what lies within and chips away until we are shaped in His image.

Look at how Jesus dealt with men like Peter.  Who would have looked at Peter -- the loud mouth who was always saying things he would later regret -- and seen the disciple he would ecome?  Who would have looked at James and John -- nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" because of their temper -- and considered them to be ideal candidates?  But Jesus had a way of looking into the hearts of men and women, seeing not only what they were, but what they had the potential to become.  Then he set about the task of "chipping away" to uncover the beauty that lay beneath the surface.

Wouldn't it be great it we could learn to look at men and women the same way -- to see not only what they are, but to see what they can become?  If we would only do that, perhaps instead of dismissing people as "worthless boulders", we would set about the task of chipping away to reveal their full potential.

 "Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone)." (John 1:42)
-alan smith

storms

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd" (Matt. 14:22)
We can be smack in the center of God's will and still go through terrible storms. Christ loved the disciples with all His heart, yet He "made" them get into the boat when He knew a storm was coming. They were exactly where they were supposed to be and still experienced frightening turbulence.

Can you relate to the disciples? Have you experienced a time when you knew you were where God wanted you to be, but the storms were overwhelming?

Not all the storms in life result from either sin or warfare. Some occur like clockwork to purposely rock our boats. However, if Christ has appointed our place in the storm, you can be sure He purposes a show. But, we must be looking past our own boat to see Him.

One of my family's worst storms occurred when Michael, the child we raised for seven years, left our home to return to his birth mother. We received countless cards and letters which were a great comfort to us. Many of them attributed our loss to Satan and our storm to spiritual warfare. We understood the assumption because it was clearly the easiest explanation - albeit not necessarily an accurate one.

I am so thankful God was clear in His message to us during those days. We knew without a shadow of a doubt that Michael's return to his birth mother was the expressed will of God. We had no idea why nor do we have any answers now, but we were certain God was directing the events.

Christ calls us to walk by faith through our storms. It seems like a big requirement until we realize Christ does far more than that - He walks on the water during our storms. God has placed all things under Christ's feet - including the waves that break relentlessly against us.
He is in charge.
He is right there.

Please don t miss an important element in this story: Christ walked on the water before He calmed the storm. If He had simply calmed the storm, the disciples would have missed His majesty. And what a shame. His majesty was the whole point.

We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. He wants us to find Him in the midst of it first.-beth moore

...is

 God is Lord Almighty,
Omnipotent King, Lion of Judah,
Rock of Ages, Prince of Peace,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
Provider, Protector, Paternal,
Leader, Ruling Lord and Reigning King
Of all the universe.

He is Father, He is Helper,
He is Guardian, and He is God.
He is the First and the Last,
The beginning and the end,
He is the Keeper of Creation
    and Creator of all He keeps;
The Architect of the universe
    and manager of all times.
He always was, He always is,
    and always will be...
    unmoved, unchanged, undefeated,
    and never undone.

He was bruised and brought healing.
He was pierced and eased pain.
He was persecuted and brought freedom.
He was dead and brought life.
He is risen and brings power.
He reigns and brings peace.

The world can't understand Him,
    The armies can't defeat Him,
        The schools can't explain Him,
            and leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him,
    the Pharisees couldn't confuse Him,
        people couldn't hold Him,
            Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
    the New Age can't replace Him,
        and the world can't explain Him away!

He is Light, Love, Longevity and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God
He is Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful and Pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging,
     and His mind is on Me!

He is my Savior,
He is my Guide,
He is my Peace,
He is my Joy,
He is my Comfort.
He is my Lord and He rules my life.

I serve Him because He is God
    and is worthy to be served.
His bond is love,
His burden is light,
    and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is
THE wisdom,
THE power of the powerful,
THE ancient of days,
THE ruler of rulers,
THE leader of leaders,
THE overseer of overcomers,
And sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come.

Now if that seems impressive to you, try this on for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!

He will never leave me,
    never forsake me,
        never mislead me,
            never forget me,
                never overlook me,
and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up.
When I fail, He forgives.
When I am weak, He is strong.
When I am lost, He is the way.
When I am afraid, He is my courage.
When I stumble, He steadies me.
When I am hurt, He heals me.
When I am broken, He mends me.
When I am blind, He leads me.
When I am hungry, He feeds me.
When I face trials, He is with me.
When I face persecution, He shields me.
When I face problems, He is the answer
When I face loss, He provides for me.
When I face death, HE carries me Home!
He is everything for everybody,
    everywhere, every time, and every way.

He is God, He is faithful and true,
I am His and He is mine.

My Father in Heaven has already defeated the father of this world,
and so if your asking why I stand and feel so secure, understand this;
He said it, and that settles it.

God is in control,
I am on his side,
and that means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for...... GOD IS !

break

At first I thought some apocalyptic event had hit our town. Schools were all empty, wasn't a school bus in sight, lots of people suddenly disappeared. Not to worry. It was just Spring Break.

Of course, for many of America's young people, Spring Break is code for "party like there's no tomorrow, baby."  Well, after downing lots of booze and sometimes drugs... your internal censors just go off duty. So a lot of folks come back from break with little memory of some big mistakes. Partying that lasts for a night; regrets and scars that can last a lifetime. Going for "break" and coming back broken.

There's this lie that sets people up for expensive and hurtful choices. What you do when you're away, when you're alone, when you're anonymous doesn't count. It's not just a lie students fall for. Businessmen on trips, women home alone, guys on the Internet, girls texting, people on vacation or at a party. I'm almost sure that there's someone listening right now who would do anything to erase what they did when they believed that "it won't matter" lie.

It really does matter. Because while you can turn off your internal controls, you can't turn off your conscience. It picks up every wrong thing we do - or, in God's vocabulary, every sin. And, as observed by the wife of a governor who was recently disgraced by the discovery of his long-distance affair: "You can pick your sin; you can't pick your consequences."

So your conscience is always running. And so is your calculator that's adding up the consequences, because as the Bible says, "whatever a man sows, he reaps." That's an inescapable law of the universe. Worst of all, the camera's always running, too. In our word for today from the Word of God, God's camera is described this way, "A man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths." That "Sin City" commercial that says, "What you do here stays here" - forget about it! If God knows, you're caught. Oh, believe me, God knows.

It doesn't matter how drunk you are, how depressed you are, how devious you are, how deserving you think you are. The Bible says, "be sure that your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). First the thrill, then the bill. The fear of discovery, the trail of cover-up deceit, the guilt, the shame, the loss of self-respect, the stinging regrets, the bleeding relationships, the ugly consequences, and the judgment of God. "For," as the Bible says, "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

See, nothing good happens when we blow past God's stop signs. That's why we've got to run from the rocks that we've been drifting toward and say "no!" to that seductive, but devilish voice that says "forget about tomorrow; now is all that matters." Oh, tomorrow really does matter.

But what about the memories, the shame of the mistakes that it's too late to change? Well, hope is in the word "forgiven." The very God whose plans for us we trash has made this stunning promise: "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12). Like the wonderful feeling of a shower when you're disgustingly dirty, God says He'll make us clean inside; every sin erased from His book, with our eternal sin-bill paid in full because of a cross. Where Jesus, God's one and only Son, in the Bible's words "carried our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24) and He absorbed the judgment I deserve: The nights that haunt us, that darkness that pursues us, the secrets that are tormenting us, the choices that accuse us. Gone! Forgiven!

That's what happens when a sinner grabs the Savior. It's nothing less than a new beginning. The promise of God is that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17)! And that rebirthing miracle is within your reach right now if you'll just tell Jesus you're pinning all your hopes on Him.-ron hutchcraft

......................stone

 Jesus has finally arrived, but it was too late; Lazarus was dead! If only He had arrived earlier. Jesus made His way to the tomb with the grieving crowd following. He stood in front of Lazarus’ tomb weeping, revealing His heart to the crowd (John 11).

Then suddenly He instructed the people to remove the stone from grave’s entrance. They couldn’t believe their ears. Martha blurted out in her surprise, "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been dead four days."

The people obeyed. Jesus calls out to Lazarus and behold the creator of life gave new life to Lazarus.  Lazarus waddled out of the tomb still wrapped in His grave clothes alive! Jesus directed the people to remove the grave clothes.

This miracle catches us by surprise in several ways. We dare not miss the sign - the miracle of raising a person from the dead is primary. Yet we are surprised by other elements as well. Why did Jesus have the people remove the stone? Was He challenging their faith? Why did He have the people remove the grave clothes? This request seems more obvious.

Lazarus couldn't do it for himself. Whatever the reasons, one thing is abundantly clear – Jesus chose to involve the people in His work. Amazingly, astoundingly He involved His people in His work.

There are many obstacles that hinder people from coming out of their sin – their graves. There is the sin itself biding them. We cannot remove the sin. Only Jesus can do that. But we can work to remove stones. They cannot even hear the voice of God calling because these "stones" are so thick that they muffle His voice.

Though it is impossible for the church, for you and me, to remove all these stones, Jesus is instructing us, His people, to "remove the stone." Stones of ignorance; stones of apathy; stones of physical need; stones of misunderstanding; these are just a few of the stones we can address and help remove.

And the grave clothes; when people find new life in Christ Jesus they bring with them habits, experiences, hurts – grave clothes. They need to be discipled – to have their grave-clothes removed. It is our responsibility in partnership with the Holy Spirit to help them remove the excess baggage that they carried with them from their life in sin. This takes time, effort, patience, persistence, diligence and an extra amount of God's love, which He provides. But it Jesus is looking at us and telling us – "remove the grave clothes."

Let's not neglect our responsibilities. Let’s draw upon God’s limitless resources and accept the glorious gracious privilege of being involved in His work. He calls us and people's eternal lives depend on it!

?.............................mercy

I heard about an 80-year-old woman who was arrested for shoplifting.  When she went before the judge in Cincinnati he asked her, "What did you steal?".   She replied "A can of peaches."

The judge asked her why she had stolen the can of peaches and she replied that she was hungry.  The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can.  She replied, "Six."

The judge said, "Then I will give you six days in jail."  Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment, the woman's husband spoke up and asked the judge if he could say something.  The judge said, "What is it?"

The husband said, "She also stole a can of peas."

It's so true that whenever others are found guilty, we want to make sure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  I sometimes ask people the question, "Do you want a judge (or a police officer) who shows mercy or one who administers justice?"  The answer I get is almost always the same -- if we are standing before the judge or pulled over by the police officer, we want mercy; if others are standing there, we want justice.

The interesting thing about God is that He is perfect in His justice while at the same time full of mercy.  How can He be both?  When we are guilty of sin, He finds us guilty to the full extent of the law.  The penalty for our sin is death -- spiritual death, separation from God (Romans 6:23).  But, in His mercy, God has found a way to pay the price Himself.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor. 5:21)

Praise God for being the just and holy God that He is, but praise Him as well for being full of grace and mercy.
-alan smith

? greater

There's a popular riddle that you may have already seen, but if you haven't, I think you'll enjoy it.  It is said that when asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten students got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford university seniors.  Here's the riddle:

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich want it, and if you eat it, you'll die?

                                                                  What is it??      

 

 

 

Think about it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      The answer is "nothing".  Nothing is greater than God, nothing is more evil than the devil, the poor have nothing, the rich want nothing (I would disagree, but we'll move on), and if you eat nothing you will die!

     It seems so obvious.  Maybe that's why younger children have an easier time answering it than educated adults.  As we get more educated and more sophisticated, we look for deeper answers.  But no matter how much we learn, the question, "What is greater than God?" (and anything else attached to it) will always have the same answer -- "Nothing!"

     "I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.  I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders..." (Psalm 77:11-14a).

quieted

 As I worked my way through some devotional readings, I came across this passage: The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)  I thought of my life. I thought of what the passage says about God and how He feels about me. He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in me.  He will quiet me with his love. He will rejoice over me.

I confess that although I do not know if I fully understand what it means to be quieted by His love, I do know that there is something inside me that says, "I need that, Lord!" As I pondered more, I prayed, "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

       "Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
       "Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
       "Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"Lord, I get loud sometimes. Not so much verbally loud, but my spirit gets loud. My heart gets loud. My mind gets loud. The world around me gets loud and the loudness overwhelms me to the point that everything within me and around me seems to be loud. So, Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In these times of unrest and confusion in our nation and world, I need to be quieted by your love, dear Lord. Decisions are being made that may well change the way we live and function as a people. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"As the years pass more rapidly than my mind can comprehend, I need to be quieted with Your love. I cannot keep up. I try, but I seem to fall farther and farther behind. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times when I fear for my very life and for the lives of my family and friends, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when my spirit is under attack by the Enemy to such an extent that I begin to wonder if You are still there, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of discouragement when I have failed to live like You have asked me to live, I need to be quieted by Your love.  In times of disappointment over dreams that have faded and when other people have failed to live up to my expectations, I need to be quieted by Your love.  Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of loss and my heart has been broken, I need to be quieted by your love. In times of sadness when a joyful spirit seems too much to consider, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of suffering and pain as the result of another's actions or my own, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when others are suffering because of my actions and I am helpless to undo what I have done, I need to be quieted by Your love. And they need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of distress and anxiety over all that I must do, or feel that I must do, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when life is so loud that I cannot hear my own thoughts, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"Unless You quiet me with Your love, dear Lord, my life will surely be filled with noises that may drown Your voice from my ears. Lord, I need to be quieted by Your love.

"When I remind myself that You are with me, when I contemplate Your power, when I consider that You take great delight in me and when I think of You rejoicing over me with singing because of Your love for me, I am quieted. My heart is quieted. My spirit rests.

"Lord, You have quieted me with Your love."

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
-tom norvell

hut

 The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

 

 Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Remember next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

faith

'"Have faith in God," Jesus answered."  (Mark 11:22)  

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!"'  (Luke 17:5)

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7)

“They’re so far away. And things seem to be going from bad to worse. My son has hopped right out of the frying pan into the fire!  I know God can take care of him and the children, but….”   

This was a friend, calling recently to ask for prayer. She had worked herself into a tizzy worrying about her family. They were able to email, send pictures, and talk which was so great! The thousand mile distance separating them, however, overode all that at the moment. She was missing them. She wanted to ‘fix’ things that were going awry in their lives.

The reality is we have no control over people, places or things - whether we’re physically there or not. Yet, when we’re together and can talk face-to-face, or hug or hold the kids on our lap, we sometimes have more calmness of mind during a rough patch.

Sue went on to say she’d been thinking about it quite a bit and that she had faith, but did she have trust? She had faith that God could be with her family and take care of them, but did she trust that He would?

The Bible has about four hundred verses about faith, approximately a hundred and sixty concerning trust.  Faith -- Trust.  Faith is a gift and trust is a decision. Quite a difference.

Maybe you have seen the drawing with a child swinging and a large hand is holding the long ropes that attach to it. Underneath are these words: “Trust. Do I really?”  Today when I pray I will try and remember- have both faith and trust.

Prayer: I have faith in you, Lord. Please help me to trust you more. In Jesus name, Amen.

-sally  kennedy

donuts

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending school in Utah. Brother Christianson taught at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's class.

Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?" Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

Do you think you could?" Again asked Brother Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said. Steve said, " Well ... I think I can... yeah, I can do it." Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited - it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.

Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?" Cynthia said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"
Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?" Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Jenny said, "No." Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.

Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You can do them any way that you want." And Bro. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Bro. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him." Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."

Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" "Yes." "Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut? Linda said, very sadly, "No thank you."

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson, can I help him?" Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone. Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, '"Into thy hands I commend my spirit.'" With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

 

missed..............

 They were looking for a Lion,
He came as a Lamb,
     and they missed Him.

They were looking for a Warrior,
He came as a Peacemaker,
     and they missed Him.

They were looking for a King,
He came as a Servant,
     and they missed Him.

They were looking for Liberation from Rome,
He submitted to the Roman cross,
     and they missed Him.

They were looking for a fit to their mold,
He was the mold maker,
     and they missed Him.

What are you looking for?
    Lion?
    Warrior?
    King?
    Liberator?

They were looking for their temporal needs to be met,
He came to meet their eternal need,
     and they missed Him.

He came as a Lamb to be sacrificed for your sin.
     Will you miss Him?

He came to make peace between God and man.
     Will you miss Him?

He came to model servanthood for all mankind.
     Will you miss Him?

He came that we might have true Liberty.
     Will you miss Him?

He came to give you eternal life.
     Will you miss Him?

When we submit to the Lamb,
    we will meet the Lion.
When we join with the Peacemaker
    we will meet the Warrior.
When we work with the Servant
    we will meet the King.
When we walk with the Submitted
    we will meet the Liberator.
When we concern ourselves with the eternal
    we will have the temporal.

If Jesus is not fitting into the mold you have, then come to the mold maker and get His new one. Submit to His plan for your life and you will see your eternal need met first, then all the other things you have need of will be taken care of as well. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

His.....

We have just come through the Easter season, and this season has caused me to realize once again the importance of the "Historic Reality" of the Word of God.  Almost two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul called the time span of the Life of Jesus Christ "the fullness of time".  It was God's given moment in time when the Father chose to send forth His only-begotten Son to be the Savior of the world - to live, to die, and to resurrect from the dead.  It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that declares for all mankind that salvation is now a reality for all who believe!

The Bible is a book of history - "His-story"!  It is a historic record of God's salvation extended to mankind.  The Old and New Testaments are a continuum of events that declare the reality of God's love for mankind, and His desire for all to enter into His plan of salvation.

In fact, the plan of God for mankind's salvation began even before the world was created.  Ephesians 1:4 states, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."  Mankind must decide what they are going to do with that reality!

As I recently re-read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John concerning the last days Jesus spent with His disciples, I was reminded of the historic importance of these eyewitness accounts.  Men who were there, and who experienced the tension of the last days in Jesus' life, the horror of His crucifixion, the despair of His burial, and the JOY of His resurrection were commissioned by God to write down these historic events for all of mankind.  This commission was carried out through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Peter's words recorded in 2 Peter 1:16 declare, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."  John affirms the same eyewitness testimony when he declares that he was an eyewitness.  Here is John's statement in 1 John 1:1-2: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us!"

We have just celebrated a historic reality - Easter - just as we will celebrate the historic reality of the independence of our nation on the fourth of July!  Many today will not give the same credibility to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as they do to the historic reality of our nation's independence.  This, however, does not make Jesus' resurrection from the dead any less credible.  The same rules of historic evidence apply in both instances.  Each individual must decide what he or she is going to do with these historic records of Jesus Christ.

I remember one time when I was ministering in the jail there was a young man of the Muslim faith who shouted at me, "Are you telling me that if I do not believe in your Jesus that I am going to hell?"   We had been talking about the statement of Jesus in John 14 verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."   My response to him was, "The words I just read are not my words, but they are the words of Jesus Christ."  This young man was going to have to decide for himself what he would do with the words of Jesus Christ.  This decision is one that everyone who hears the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, and Him alone, will have to make.  This historic proclamation found in Scripture is one I want to encourage Christians to declare with boldness.  The assurance of the historic record was declared with boldness then, and we must declare it unashamedly in the trying times we are living in.

Please, be encouraged to declare with boldness God's message of love and salvation in Jesus Christ - the same boldness Peter demonstrated before the Sanhedrin when asked to give an explanation of how a lame man was healed at the temple: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?  Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?..Rulers of the people and elders of Israel; If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  [Acts 3:12-4:12]-ken trevethick

.....more

 A 60-year-old couple was celebrating their 40th year of marriage.  During the celebration, a genie appeared and said, "Because you have been such a loving couple all those years, I would like to give you each one wish."

     The wife quickly chimed in, "I want to travel around the world."  The genie waved his arms and, POOF!,  she had the tickets in her hand.

     Next, it was the husband's turn.  He paused for a moment, then said shyly, "Well, I'd like to have a wife 30 years younger than me."   The genie waved his arms and, POOF!, he was 90 years old.

     We seem to be fascinated by stories of magic genies granting wishes (why is it usually three wishes?).  Which of us hasn't sat and wondered at some point in time, "If a genie granted me three wishes, what would I wish for?"

     God is not, as some imagine Him, a magic genie waiting at our beck and call to give us everything we ask for (see James 4:3).  But there is certainly that level of power and ability at His disposal.  Listen to these words of Paul:

     "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

     God is able to do more than I ask of Him.  That's pretty amazing, considering that I have some pretty difficult requests.  Furthermore (and this is really mind-boggling), God is able to do more than I can even imagine!  I don't know about you, but I can imagine quite a bit.  Yet, Paul assures us that God is not only able to do all that we ask or imagine -- he is able to do more, immeasurably more!

      When things in life are beyond my control, I find comfort in knowing that God has such power -- not the power of an imaginary genie but the power of a living awesome Father.  Sometimes we offer to pray for others saying, "It's the least I can do."  How wrong we are.  Considering the power of God, it's the most we can do!-alan smith

...............painting

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.

Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Easter holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Easter morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man.

As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."

As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his father's love of fine art. "I'm an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.

True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Easter gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.

As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation.

With the collector's passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Easter day, the day he had received his greatest gift.

The day soon arrived. Art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim "I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list. It was the painting of the man's son.

The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. "Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff." More voices echoed in agreement.

"No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer.

"Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a friend of the old man and his son spoke. "Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That's all I have. I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it."

"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"

The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over.

Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on here!"

The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son... gets it all!"

Just as those art collectors discovered on that Easter day, the message is still the same - the love of a Father - a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son who left his home and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father's love... whoever takes the Son gets it all.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)