Sun, Aug 31st - 8:42AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The safest place in all the world to be is the center of the will of God." Are you safe today?*Dr. Baker James Cauthen quoted by Dr. Jim Denison, Pastor Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas TX
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*14And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 (NRSV)
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Sun, Aug 31st - 8:34AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker's circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work. One night as they were driving to yet another rubber-chicken dinner, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (a man who somewhat resembled Einstein in looks & manner) that he was tired of speechmaking.
"I have an idea, boss," his chauffeur said. "I've heard you give this speech so many times. I'll bet I could give it for you." Einstein laughed loudly and said, "Why not? Let's do it!" When they arrive at the dinner, Einstein donned the chauffeur's cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein's speech and even answered a few questions expertly.
Then a supremely pompous professor asked an extremely esoteric question about anti-matter formation, digressing here and there to let everyone in the audience know that he was nobody's fool. Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, "Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me."
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Sat, Aug 30th - 11:41AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Honoring God...We live overflowing lives because the Source of life brings us contentment, instead of the gifts (people, places, possessions, and position). How? By leading us to the well that never runs dry*.- From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley
*"and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38 (NRSV)
"He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken." Psalm 62:2 (NRSV)
"For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him." Psalm 62:5 (NRSV)
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Sat, Aug 30th - 11:35AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving twenty-five dollar cars that got 1000 mi/gal."
Recently General Motors addressed this comment by releasing the statement: "Yes, but would you want your car to crash twice a day?"
Not only that, but....
Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car.
Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, restart and drive on.
Occasionally, executing a maneuver would cause your car to stop and fail and you would have to re-install the engine. For some strange reason, you would accept this too.
You could only have one person in the car at a time, unless you bought "Car95" or "CarNT". But, then you would have to buy more seats.
Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast, twice as easy to drive, but would only run on five percent of the roads.
The Macintosh car owners would get expensive Microsoft upgrades to their cars, which would make their cars run much slower.
The oil, gas and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.
New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.
The airbag system would say "are you sure?" before going off.
If you were involved in a crash, you would have no idea what happened.
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Fri, Aug 29th - 8:48AM
The church's twofold task
The vocation of the church is to be occupied with God and
with the world. God has constituted his church to be a
worshipping and witnessing community. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Aug 29th - 8:38AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Be inspired with the belief that life is a great and noble calling; not a mean and groveling thing that we are to shuffle through as we can, but an elevated and lofty destiny."* -- William E. Gladstone
*"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live," Deuteronomy 30:19 (NRSV)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (NRSV)
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Fri, Aug 29th - 8:34AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A poet and a scientist were traveling together on a plane. The scientist was bored and said to the poet, "Hey, you, do you want to play a game? I'll ask you a question, and if you get it wrong, you give me $5. Then, you ask me a question, and if I can't answer it, I'll give you $5."
The poet thought about this for a moment, but he decided against it, seeing that the scientist was obviously a very bright man. He politely turned down the scientist's offer.
The scientist, who was really bored, tried again. "Look, I'll ask you a question, and if you can't answer it, you give me $5. Then you ask me a question, and if I can't answer it, I'll give you $50."
The poet agreed. "Okay," the scientist said, "what is the exact distance between the Earth and the Moon?"
The poet, obviously not knowing the answer, didn't stop to think about the scientist's question. He took a $5 bill out of his pocket and handed it to the scientist.
The scientist happily accepted the bill and promptly said, "Okay, now it's your turn."
The poet thought about this for a few minutes, then asked, "All right, what goes up a mountain on three legs, but comes down on four?"
The bright glow quickly vanished from the scientist's face. He thought about this for a long time, taking out his notepad and making numerous calculations. He finally gave up on his notepad and took out his laptop, using his Multimedia Encyclopedia. As the plane was landing the scientist gave up. He reluctantly handed the poet a $50 bill.
The poet accepted it graciously, getting ready to stand up. "Wait!" the scientist shouted, "you can't do this to me! What's the answer?"
The poet looked at the scientist and calmly put a $5 bill into his hand.
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Thu, Aug 28th - 7:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business*. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)
*"And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" Matthew 5:47 (NRSV)
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Thu, Aug 28th - 7:33AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt.
Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"
"It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"
He yelled back, "University of Auburn."
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Wed, Aug 27th - 9:09AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words."* St. Francis of Assisi
*19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19 - 20 (NRSV)
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Wed, Aug 27th - 9:03AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
How Hot Is It?
The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk.
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Tue, Aug 26th - 8:51AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community."* -- Albert Einstein (Shared by Maria)
*"Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;" 1 John 2:15 (NRSV)
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:5 (NRSV)
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Tue, Aug 26th - 8:44AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
His father sends a small boy to bed. Five
minutes later....
"Da-ad...."
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
"No. You had your
chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
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Mon, Aug 25th - 9:02AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Put Women In Their Place--Beside Men!* Audra and Joe Trull
*"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 (NRSV)
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Mon, Aug 25th - 8:51AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man was well inebriated, but he got behind the wheel of his car anyway and began to drive home. Of course, he couldn't exactly drive straight or stay below the speed limit. Two policemen pulled him over and demanded a sobriety test. They asked him to walk a straight line, and he failed. They began to take him with them, but suddenly they received a call on their walkie-talkies, asking them to go to another part of town. They asked the man to be patient while they called someone else to cover for them. But the man grew tired of waiting and, after a few minutes, drove home. He got in bed and said to his wife, who had been waiting for him, "If any policemen come looking for me, tell them I'm not home yet." The wife agreed, somewhat confused and a little embarrassed. No sooner than her husband fell asleep did she hear a knock at the door. Sure enough, it was the two policemen. They asked about her husband, and she replied that he wasn't home. Then they asked to check her garage. Puzzled, she agreed. She opened up the garage for them--and there sat the policemen's squad car, lights still flashing.
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Mon, Aug 25th - 8:40AM
THE SPIRITUALLY POOR
The Church consists of the spiritually poor. The only
condition of eligibility is destitution. The rich are sent
away empty. We have to acknowledge our spiritual
bankruptcy, that we have no merit to plead, no strings to
pull, no power to save ourselves. To such Jesus says
'Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of God is
theirs'. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Aug 24th - 8:56AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."* JIM DENISON- DENISON FORUM
*10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NRSV)
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Sun, Aug 24th - 8:51AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The old man had died. A wonderful funeral was in progress and the country preacher talked at length of the good traits of the deceased, what an honest man he was, and what a loving husband and kind father he was.
Finally, the widow leaned over and whispered to one of her children,
"Go up there and take a look in the coffin and see if that's your pa in there."
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Sat, Aug 23rd - 9:00AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A woman walking down a residential street, noticed a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. She called out to him as she passed.
"Hello there! I couldn't help but notice how happy you look. What's your secret for a long happy life?"
"I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he replied. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat nothing but fast food, and never exercise."
"Wow!" The woman was amazed. "How old are you?" she asked.
"Twenty-six," he replied.
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Sat, Aug 23rd - 8:52AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
What more do we need to know?
There is no need for us to speculate about the precise nature of heaven. We are assured on the authority of Jesus Christ that it is the house and the home of his Father and ours (there are twenty-two references to the Father in John 14), that his home is a prepared place containing many rooms or resting places, and that he himself will be there. What more do we need to know? To be certain that where he is, there we shall be also should be enough to satisfy our curiosity and allay our fears. John Stott
To be with Jesus and to be like Jesus: That will be heaven to me!* Doyle Purifoy
*Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
1 John 3:2 (NRSV)
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Sat, Aug 23rd - 8:43AM
Theory is not enough
Biblical preaching and teaching on such topics as prayer
and evangelism I take to be indispensable. But in such
practical activities a grasp of the theory is not enough.
We can learn to pray only by praying, especially in a
prayer group. And we can learn to evangelize only by going
out with a more experienced Christian either to witness on
the street corner or to visit in some homes. Moreover, it
is by active membership in the body of Christ that we learn
the meaning of the church which is described in the New
Testament. A fellowship meeting is a happening in which
the individual is accepted, welcomed and loved. Then
abstract concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation and
fellowship take on a concrete form, and preached truth
comes to life. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Aug 22nd - 8:29AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Persistent love--like the dripping of water on a rock--can wear away a person's resistance. It's nearly impossible to stay angry with or emotionally distant from someone who unconditionally loves and values you.*
*"Love never faileth" 1 Corinthians 13:8 (KJV)
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Fri, Aug 22nd - 8:23AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
At a Catholic school, there was a "meet the teacher" open house for the 2nd graders. After the meeting, a Nun announced that there would be a small reception afterwards in the cafeteria. All the children and parents filed in, and saw on a table a plate of apples, a plate of cookies, and some water bottles and juice. As the children went through the line, one boy saw that there was a sign on the plate of apples that said, "Take only one. God is watching." So, the boy took an apple and moved on to the cookies. He helped himself, and then took a small piece of paper, and wrote: "Take all you want”. God is watching the apples."
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Thu, Aug 21st - 8:37AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Doing good to our enemies “....has a power to do what laws and bullets and bombs can never do--namely, bring about transformation in an enemy’s heart. When God flexes His omnipotent muscle, it doesn’t look like Rambo or the Terminator--it looks like Calvary.” (Greg Boyd: The Myth of a Christian Nation. p. 32*
*44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48 (NRSV)
27“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Luke 6:27-29 (NRSV)
35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Luke 6:35 (NRSV)
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Thu, Aug 21st - 8:33AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A young man bought an expensive piece of jewelry as a present for his girlfriend. “Don’t you want her name engraved on it?” asked the clerk. The young man thought for a moment, and then, ever the realistic, steadfastly replied, “No, just engrave it: To My One and Only Love. That way, if we break up and she throws it back to me in anger, I can use it again.”
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Wed, Aug 20th - 8:23AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
It is easy to do right when you consider the alternative.*
*"The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin." Psalm 146:9 (NRSV)
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Wed, Aug 20th - 8:19AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, the older worker had had enough. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back." "You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got." The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right. Get in."
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Tue, Aug 19th - 8:36AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Christ lives in us here to prepare for us to live with Him THERE!*
*Colossians 1:27 (NRSV) 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
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Tue, Aug 19th - 8:28AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
"This house," said the real estate salesman, "has both its good points and its bad points. To show you I'm honest, I'm going to tell you about both.
The disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north."
"What are the advantages?" inquired the prospective buyer.
"The advantage is that you can always tell which way the wind is blowing."
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Mon, Aug 18th - 8:51AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.* Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Hightest - October 19th.
*Matthew 7:21 - 27 (NRSV) 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’ 24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
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Mon, Aug 18th - 8:42AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the Rhode Island State house in Providence, one from Cranston, and another from North Kingstown and the third, Exeter. They go with a State house official to examine the fence.
The North Kingstown contractor takes out a tape measure and does some Measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."
The Exeter contractor also does some measuring and figuring, and then says I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."
The Cranston contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the State House official and whispers, "$2,700."
The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"
The Cranston contractor whispers back, "$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and we hire the guy from Exeter to fix the fence."
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Sun, Aug 17th - 8:31AM
Truth and love
Love is the first mark of a true and living church and
truth is the second, because the Scriptures hold love and
truth together in balance. Some Christians are so resolved
to make love paramount, that they forget the sacredness of
revealed truth. 'Let us drown our doctrinal differences',
they urge, 'in the ocean of brotherly love!' Others are
equally mistaken in their pursuit of truth at the expense
of love. So dogged is their zeal for God's Word that they
become harsh, bitter and unloving. Love becomes
sentimental if it is not strengthened by truth, and truth
becomes hard if it is not softened by love. We need to
preserve the balance of the Bible which tells us to hold
the truth in love, to love others in the truth, and to grow
not only in love but in discernment. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Aug 17th - 8:24AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Don’t count time. Make time count.* (Church Sign)
*2He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2 (NRSV)
12 So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. Psalms 90:12 (NRSV)
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Sun, Aug 17th - 8:17AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
TEACHER: Why are you late, Frank?
FRANK: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
FRANK: The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."
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Sat, Aug 16th - 8:55AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
He who believes that God is pledged to provide for him cannot be greedy, anxious, covetous; can only be liberal, and even magnanimous.* The Expositor’s Bible: Genesis p. 34*
*25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 (NRSV)
3But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NRSV)
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Sat, Aug 16th - 8:50AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
During a dinner party, the hosts’ two little children entered the dinning room totally nude and walked slowly around the table. The parents were so embarrassed that they pretended nothing was happening and kept he conversation going. The guests cooperated and also continued as if nothing extraordinary was happening.
After going all the way around the room, the children left, and there was a moment of silence at the table, during which one child was heard to say, “You see, it is vanishing cream!”
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Thu, Aug 14th - 8:54AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Ability is no guarantee of morality.* Jim Denison, Pastor Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas
*Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: Isaiah 10:12-13 (KJV)
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Thu, Aug 14th - 8:50AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A pilot landed a plane with a rather bumpy landing. As part of his job he was required to stand by the terminal door and say goodbye to the passengers as they exited the airplane. He was afraid that someone might say something about his rather less than perfect landing, but everyone left without saying a word except for one passenger, an elderly lady, she slowly approached the pilot after most passengers had exited the plane and asked, "Did we land? Or were we shot down?"
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Thu, Aug 14th - 8:46AM
An embodied gospel
If a local church is to become a gospel church, it must not
only receive the gospel and pass it on, but also embody it
in a community life of mutual love. JOHN STOTT
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Wed, Aug 13th - 8:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."* -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24
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Wed, Aug 13th - 8:29AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Four leaders of the big beer companies meet for a drink. The president of Budweiser orders a Bud. Miller's president orders a Millers and the president of Coors orders a Coors. When it is Guinness turn to order he orders a soda.
Why didn't you order a Guinness everyone asks?
Nah Guinness replies. If you guys aren't having a beer neither will I.
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Wed, Aug 13th - 3:00AM
Love and acceptance
'Acceptance' is a popular word today, and rightly so.
Theologically, God's acceptance of us is quite a good
contemporary term for justification. But we should be
cautious about modern talk of 'unconditional acceptance',
as when the concept of an 'open church' is canvassed, in
which membership is offered to everybody, with no questions
asked and no conditions laid down. For though God's love
is indeed unconditional, his acceptance of us is not, since
it depends on our repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We
need to bear this in mind when we consider that we are to
accept the weak (Rom. 14:1) since 'God has accepted him'
(14:3), and to accept one another 'just as Christ accepted'
us (15:7). JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Aug 12th - 7:41AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
“....Christ's Death—though they know neither how nor why—has done more than either His teaching or His life to constrain and enable them to trust in the mercy of God for the pardon of sin; and because Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of the world, God has responded to their trust, and they are eternally saved. For it is not the doctrine of the Death of Christ that atones for human sin, but the Death itself;”* R. W. Dale
*17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:17 - 18 (NRSV)
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Tue, Aug 12th - 7:36AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A student comes to a young professor's office hours. She glances down the hall, closes his door, and kneels pleadingly."I would do anything to pass this exam," she says.She leans closer to him, flips back her hair, and gazes meaningfully into his eyes. "I mean," she whispers, "I would do anything..."He returns her gaze, "Anything?""Anything."His voice softens, "Anything?""Anything," she repeats again. His voice turns to a whisper. "Would you ... study?"
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Mon, Aug 11th - 9:09AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.* -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist (1862-1948)
*"But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NRSV)
"Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things." Hebrews 13:18 (NRSV)
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Mon, Aug 11th - 9:04AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Little Johnny's class were on an outing to their local police station where they saw pictures, of the ten most wanted men, tacked to a bulletin board. On the way out of the police station Little Johnny said to the officer, "it was so nice of you to put my daddy's picture up there."
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Mon, Aug 11th - 8:50AM
Promises fulfilled
The true fulfilment of the Old Testament promises is not
literal but spiritual. They are fulfilled today not in the
Jewish nation, as some dispensationalists hold, nor in the
British or Anglo-Saxon people, as the British Israelites
teach, but in Christ and in the people of Christ who
believe. We Christians are Abraham's seed, who inherit the
blessing promised to his descendants ... all the promises
of God to his people in the Old Testament become ours if we
are Christ's. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Aug 10th - 8:34AM
Diversity and harmony
The church as a multi-racial, multi-cultural community is
like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide
range of colorful backgrounds. No other human community
resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique. It is
God's new society. And the many-coloured fellowship of the
church is a reflection of the many-coloured (or 'many-
splendoured', to use Francis Thompson's word) wisdom of
God. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Aug 10th - 8:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.* -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)
*"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," Matthew 5:44 (NRSV)
"By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things." Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV)
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Sun, Aug 10th - 8:16AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The boss was concerned that his employees weren’t giving him enough respect, so he tried and old fashioned method of persuasion: He brought in a sign that said “I’m the Boss” and taped it to his door.
After lunch, he noticed someone had taped another note under his. “Your wife called. She wants her sign back!”
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Sat, Aug 9th - 8:46AM
A PEOP;E IN CHRIST
Fundamental to New Testament Christianity is the concept of
the union of God's people with Christ. What constitutes
the distinctness of the members of God's new society? Not
just that they admire and even worship Jesus, not just that
they assent to the dogmas of the church, not even that they
live by certain moral standards. No, what makes them
distinctive is their new solidarity as a people who are 'in
Christ'. By virtue of their union with Christ they have
actually shared in his resurrection, ascension and session.
In the 'heavenly places', the unseen world of spiritual
reality, in which the principalities and powers operate
(Eph. 3:10; 6:12) and in which Christ reigns supreme
(1:20), there God has blessed his people in Christ (1:3),
and there he has seated them with Christ (2:6). For if we
are seated with Christ in the heavenlies, there can be no
doubt what we are sitting on: thrones! Moreover, this
talk about solidarity with Christ in his resurrection and
exaltation is not a piece of meaningless Christian
mysticism. It bears witness to a living experience, that
Christ has given us on the one hand a new life (with a
sensitive awareness of the reality of God, and a love for
him and for his people) and on the other a new victory
(with evil increasingly under our feet). We are dead, but
have been made spiritually alive and alert. We were in
captivity, but have been enthroned. JOHN STOTT
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Sat, Aug 9th - 8:40AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
'When we get freedom . Freedom is much misunderstood. Even those who talk loudest and
longest about freedom have not always paused first to define what they are talking about. A notable example is the Marxist orator who was waxing eloquent on the street corner about the freedom we would all enjoy after the revolution. 'When we get freedom,' he cried, 'you'll all be able to smoke cigars like that,' pointing to an opulent gentleman walking by. 'I prefer my fag,' shouted a heckler. 'When we get freedom,' the Marxist continued, ignoring the interruption and warming to his theme, 'you'll all be able to drive in cars like that,' pointing to a sumptuous Mercedes which was driving by. 'I prefer my bike,' shouted the heckler. And so the dialogue continued until the Marxist could bear his tormentor no longer. Turning on him, he said: 'When we get freedom, you'll do what you're told.'*
*Galatians 5:13(CEV)
13My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love.
1 Peter 2:16(CEV)
16You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong.
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Sat, Aug 9th - 8:31AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Q: What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is 24 hours a day/seven days a week?
A: A widow.
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Thu, Aug 7th - 5:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame."* -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning Singer
*"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Ephesians 2:8-10 (NRSV)
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Thu, Aug 7th - 5:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Teacher: Now, Sam, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?
Sam: No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook.
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Wed, Aug 6th - 11:55AM
MIND AND CHARACTER
Faith has to be related to life. A Christian mind is
ineffective without a Christian character. JOHN STOTT
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Wed, Aug 6th - 9:00AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The Christian is a man who has ceased to do what he wants to do and who has begun to do what Christ wants him to do."I'm trying to learn the truth of these words. In a consumer culture which makes religion a means to my end, I am tempted every day to pray so God will bless me, to read Scripture so he will guide me, to serve him so he will serve me. I am tempted by a transactional religion in which I do my part and God does his part. But none of this is biblical Christianity.* Quoted by Jim Denison, Resident Theologian at the Baptist General Convention of Texas in his devotional of 7/16/09 GodIssues
*46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46 (NRSV)
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Wed, Aug 6th - 8:55AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Al Gore were in an airplane that crashed. They're up in heaven, and God's sitting on the great white throne. God addresses Al first. "Al, what do you believe in?"
Al replies, "Well, I believe that the combustion engine is evil and that we need to save the world from CFCs and that if any more Freon is used, the whole earth will become a greenhouse and we'll all die."
God thinks for a second and says, "Okay, I can live with that. Come and sit at my left."
God then addresses Bill Clinton: "Bill, what do you believe in?"
Bill Clinton replies, "Well, I believe in power to the people. I think people should be able to make their own choices about things and that no one should ever be able to tell someone else what to do. I also believe in feeling people's pain."
God thinks for a second and says, "Okay, that sounds good. Come and sit at my right."
God then addresses Bill Gates: "Bill Gates, what do you believe in?"
Bill Gates says, "I believe you're in my chair."
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Tue, Aug 5th - 10:56AM
HEARTS AS WELL AS MINDS!
In order to urge people to use their minds, it is not
necessary to urge them to suppress their feelings. I often
say to students at the Institute for Contemporary
Christianity in London that we are not in the business of
'breeding tadpoles'. A tadpole is a little creature with a
huge head and nothing much else besides. Certainly there
are some Christian tadpoles around. Their heads are
bulging with sound theology, but that is all there is to
them. No, we are concerned to help people to develop not
only a Christian mind, but also a Christian heart, a
Christian spirit, a Christian conscience and a Christian
will, in fact to become whole Christian persons, thoroughly
integrated under the lordship of Christ. JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Aug 5th - 8:38AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The believer's faith is as valid as its object, which is the living (Christ) and written (Bible) Word of God. With the infinite God of the universe as the object of Christian faith, there is virtually no limit to the spiritual heights that positive believing can take you.* (Neil Anderson 6/4/03)
*"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;" Hebrews 6:19 (KJV)
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Tue, Aug 5th - 8:34AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
You Don't Need to Be a Weatherman...
It was two o'clock in the morning and a husband and wife were asleep, when suddenly the phone rang.
The husband picked up the phone and said, "Hello? ... How the heck do I know? What am I, the weather man?" -- and promptly slammed the phone down.
His wife rolls over and asks, "Who was that?"
The husband replies, I don’t know. Some guy who wanted to know if the coast was clear.
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Mon, Aug 4th - 9:23AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.* Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language. I often wondered why Paul, the strongest advocate for salvation by faith without works, worked like his life depended on it. He worked that hard because he was compelled by the love of God in Christ. (Doyle Purifoy)
*Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 (NRSV)
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Mon, Aug 4th - 9:12AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
At a divorce court a family of bears is waiting for the judge to grant custody of little bear
The judge asks the baby bear; “do you want to live with papa bear?”
The baby bear replied; "No he beats me. "
The judge asked, so do you want to live with mommy bear!
The baby bear said, "No she beats me too."
The judge asked, "Then whom do you want to live with?"
The baby bear says, "The Chicago bears, they don't beat anyone!"
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Sun, Aug 3rd - 8:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.* -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist (1862-1948)
*"But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NRSV)
"Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things." Hebrews 13:18 (NRSV)
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Sun, Aug 3rd - 8:02AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Earl and Bob, both obsessed with baseball, never missed their favorite team’s game. They promised, whoever died first, and went to heaven, would come back to earth and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One day, Earl died. Bob waited for him to come back. Finally Earl did. He said to Bob. "I have good news and bad news. I'll tell you the good news first. There is baseball in heaven." Bob said, "That’s the best news!" Then Earl said, time for the bad news....”You're pitching tomorrow night."
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Sat, Aug 2nd - 11:16PM
C.S. Lewis on Reasoning to Atheism
“Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen, for physical or chemical reasons, to arrange themselves in a certain way, this gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? Its like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way it splashes itself will give you a map of London. But if I can't trust my own thinking, of course I can't trust the arguments leading to Atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an Atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I cannot believe in thought: so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God. —CS. Lewis
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Sat, Aug 2nd - 8:51AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.* My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language.
*16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NRSV)
37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37 (NRSV)
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Sat, Aug 2nd - 8:43AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The interviewer examined the job application then turned to the prospective employee.
"I see you have put ASAP down for the date you are available to start, meaning as soon as possible, of course. However, I see you've put AMAP down for required salary. I don't believe I've ever seen that before, what does it mean?"
The applicant replied, "As Much as Possible!"
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Sat, Aug 2nd - 8:34AM
Anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism and the fullness of the Spirit are
mutually incompatible, because the Holy Spirit is the
Spirit of truth. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Aug 1st - 8:50AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Trying to reduce life in the Spirit to a formula is like trying to capture the wind.* Neil Anderson
*"the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).
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Fri, Aug 1st - 8:43AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Ol' Fred had been a faithful Christian and was in the hospital,
near death.
The family called their preacher to stand with them.
As the preacher stood next to the bed, Ol' Fred's condition
appeared to deteriorate and he motioned frantically for something
to write on
The pastor lovingly handed him a pen and a piece of paper, and
Ol' Fred used his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then
suddenly died.
The preacher thought it best not to look at the note at that
time, so he placed it in his jacket pocket.
At the funeral, as he was finishing the message, he realized that
he was wearing the same jacket that he was wearing when Ol' Fred
died. He said, "You know, Ol' Fred handed me a note just before
he died. I haven't looked at it, but knowing Fred, I'm sure
there's a word of inspiration there for us all."
He opened the note, and read, "Please step to your left -- you're
standing on my oxygen tube!"
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
