Mon, Mar 31st - 8:54AM
ANOTHER LAUGH
What did the tumbleweed say to the cactus?
“Lookin’ sharp!”
How did the cactus reply?
“You’re on a roll!”
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Mon, Mar 31st - 8:46AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
“One Person who's on your side always, no matter what you do or what the world does to you“... is Jesus Christ.* (Jim Denison, Park Cities Baptist Church-God Issues-Denison Forum) *What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31 (NRSV)
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Mon, Mar 31st - 8:35AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Betty was soon to be married. More than anything, she wanted to wear the wedding dress her mother was married in. Betty's mother was beaming with pride as she gave her consent. Later in the evening, the family gathered in the living room to wait while Betty tried on the dress. When Betty entered the room, there was a chorus of approval. The dress fit perfectly and looked wonderful on her. Tears ran down the face of Betty's mother. Seeing this, Betty said, "Don't worry Mom, you're not losing a daughter, your gaining a son." "Forget about that!" she said with a sob. "I used to fit into that dress!"
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Sun, Mar 30th - 7:44AM
A PROMISE OF VICTORY!
Romans 8 contains five convictions about God’s providence (verse 28), five affirmations about his purpose (29,30) and five questions about his love (31-39), which together bring us fifteen assurances about him. We urgently need them today, since nothing seems stable in our world any longer. Insecurity is written across all human experience. Christian people are not guaranteed immunity to temptation, tribulation or tragedy, but we are promised victory over them. God’s pledge is not that suffering will never afflict us, but that it will never separate us from his love. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Mar 30th - 7:32AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Now that 'the fullness of time has come', it is at once our duty and our blessedness to accept complete emancipation and to 'stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.' Christians are responsible to walk in this truth. Only the Holy Spirit can accomplish this in Christians."* Paraphrase of R.W. Dale
*4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, Galatians 4:4 (NRSV)
1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NRSV)
4 I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. 2 John 1:4 (NRSV)
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Sat, Mar 29th - 9:11AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."* -- Samuel Smiles *"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Rom 8:24-25
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Sat, Mar 29th - 9:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street.
"But officer." the man began, "I can explain,".
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back..."
"But officer, I just wanted to say...."
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief is at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."
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Fri, Mar 28th - 9:05AM
A SOLID FOUNDATION
The solid foundation on which our hope of glory rests is the love of God. It is because God has set his love upon us that we know, beyond any question or doubt, that he is going to bring us to glory. We believe that we are going to persevere to the end, and we have good grounds for our confidence. It is partly because of the character God is forming in us through suffering that we can be confident ('suffering - endurance - character - hope'). If he is sanctifying us now, he will surely glorify us then. But it is chiefly because of 'the love that will not let us go'. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Mar 28th - 8:55AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Just as self-confession can be particularly difficult, self-forgiveness can feel almost impossible. But we must. Lewis concludes: “If God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”* C. S. Lewis quoted in eEpistle. *9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NRSV)
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Fri, Mar 28th - 8:40AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Little Johnny and a friend were closely examining bathroom scales on display at the department store. “What’s it for?’ his friend asked. “I don’t know,” little Johnny replied. “I think you stand on it and it makes you mad. At least it does that for my Mom and Dad.”
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Thu, Mar 27th - 9:01AM
UNCHANGING GRACE
Paul is confident of the believer's eternal security, only because he is confident in God's unchanging grace. 'Whom he foreknew, he predestined ... whom he predestined, he called; whom he called, he justified, he also glorified' (Rom. 8:29-30). This chain of divine grace cannot be broken at any of its links. JOHN STOTT
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Thu, Mar 27th - 8:53AM
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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Thu, Mar 27th - 8:47AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A guy was meeting a friend in a bar, and as he walked in he noticed two pretty girls looking at him. He heard one girl say to the other; “Nine.” Feeling pleased with himself, he swaggered over to his buddy at the bar and told him that the girl in the corner had just rated him a nine out of ten. “Sorry to spoil your evening,” said his friend, “but when I walked in they were speaking German”
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Wed, Mar 26th - 6:56AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.* *There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12 (NRSV)
I know, O LORD, that the way of human beings is not in their control, that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps. Jeremiah 10:23 (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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Wed, Mar 26th - 6:31AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
One day a man drove his secretary home after she fell quite ill at work. Although this was an innocent gesture, he decided not to mention it to his wife, who tended to get jealous easily. Later, that night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant. Suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden under the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat. "Honey," she asked, "have you seen my other shoe?"
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Tue, Mar 25th - 8:00AM
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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Tue, Mar 25th - 7:55AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Q: What did the keyboard say to the typist?
A: You’re really pushing my buttons!!!!
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Mon, Mar 24th - 9:08AM
CERTAINTY AND HUMILITY
Putting together the purposes of Gospel and letters, John's purpose is in four stages, namely that his readers may hear, hearing may believe, believing may live, and living may know. His emphasis is important because it is common today to dismiss any claim to assurance of salvation as presumptuous, and to affirm that no certainty is possible on this side of death. But certainty and humility do not exclude one another. If God's revealed purpose is not only that we should hear, believe and live, but also that we should know, presumptuousness lies in doubting his word, not in trusting it. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Mar 24th - 9:02AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are.* Neil Anderson *7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NRSV)
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Mon, Mar 24th - 8:52AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE
As a new bride, Aunt Edna moved into the small home on her husband's ranch near Snowflake. She put a shoe box on a shelf in her closet and asked her husband never to touch it.
For fifty years Uncle Jack left the box alone, until Aunt Edna was old and dying. One day when he was putting their affairs in order, he found the box again and thought it might hold something important. Opening it, he found two doilies and $82,500 in cash. He took the box to her and asked about the contents. "My mother gave me that box the day we married," she explained. "She told me to make a doily to help ease my frustrations every time I got mad at you." Uncle Jack was very touched that in 50 years she'd only been mad at him twice. "What's the $82,500 for?" he asked. "Oh, that's the money I made selling the doilies."
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Sun, Mar 23rd - 8:12AM
THINK NOT TOO HIGHLY OF YOURSELF
Satan promotes his lies in the world by encouraging us to self-deception. We deceive ourselves when we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. "But I know who I am," you say. "I'm a child of God, I'm seated with Christ in the heavenlies, I can do all things through Him. That makes me pretty special." Yes, you are very special in the eyes of God. But you are what you are by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). The life you live, the talents you possess, and the gifts you have received are not personal accomplishments; they are expressions of God's grace. Never take credit for what God has provided; rather, take delight in accomplishing worthwhile deeds which glorify the Lord. NEIL ANDERSON
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Sun, Mar 23rd - 8:06AM
CHRISTIAN ASSURANCE
Father, Son and Spirit God wants his children to be sure that they belong to him, and does not want us to remain in doubt and uncertainty. So much so, that each of the three persons of the Trinity contributes to our assurance. The witness of God the Holy Spirit confirms the word of God the Father concerning the work of God the Son. The three strong legs of this tripod make it very steady indeed. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Mar 23rd - 8:00AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
"Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality."* -- Les Brown "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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Sun, Mar 23rd - 7:55AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
On the first day of college, the Dean addressed the students:
"The female dormitory is out-of-bounds for all male students, and the male dormitory to the female students. Anybody caught breaking this rule will be fined $20 the first time. The second time you will be fined $60. A third time will cost you a fine of $180. Are there any questions?"
A male student inquired, "How much for a season pass?"
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Sat, Mar 22nd - 6:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Billy Graham noted: "The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless."* (Quoted by Jim Denison in Denison Forum
*6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Psa 126"6
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isa 52:7
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Sat, Mar 22nd - 6:31AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop. The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.
The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?"
The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle.
The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take valves out, fix 'em, put 'em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"
The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic... "Try doing it with the engine running."
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Fri, Mar 21st - 9:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Excellence in any department can be attained only by the labor of a lifetime; it is not to be purchased at a lesser price*. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784) *"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
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Fri, Mar 21st - 9:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
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Fri, Mar 21st - 9:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
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Fri, Mar 21st - 9:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A shy little 4-year-old came in to the dentist for his first cleaning and check-up. The hygienist tried to strike up a conversation but no response. After the cleaning, the dentist was called in to do the final check. The dentist tried to strike up a conversation as well. "How old are you?" No response. The dentist then asked, "Don't you know how old you are?" Immediately four tiny fingers went up. "Oh," replied the dentist, "and do you know how old that is?" Four little fingers went up once again. Continuing the effort to get a response, the dentist asked, "Can you talk?" The solemn little patient looked at him and asked, "Can you count?"
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Thu, Mar 20th - 8:53AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."* -- Jeremy Kitson
*"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)
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Thu, Mar 20th - 8:45AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.
For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still shaking driver said, "I'm sorry but you scared the daylights out of me."
The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.
The driver replied, "No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."
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Wed, Mar 19th - 6:16AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."* -- Samuel Smiles *"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Rom 8:24-25
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Wed, Mar 19th - 6:12AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed at home. He wanted her to see what he went through each day, so he prayed :-
"Dear Lord, I go to work every day and put in 8 hours of hard work, while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please create a trade in our bodies".
God, in His infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.
The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home ..... picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to draw money to pay the electricity and telephone bills. He drove to the electricity company and the phone company and paid the bills, went grocery shopping, came home and put away the groceries. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog. By then it was already 1:00 pm, so he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor.He rushed to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home which he had to sort out in a gentle 'motherly' fashion. He set out cookies and milk and got the kids organised to do their homework, then set up the ironing board and was able to watch a bit of TV while he did the ironing. By then it was 4:30 pm, so he began peeling potatoes and washed greens for salads. He prepared the chops and fresh vegetables and got everything ready in time for an early dinner. After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed. At 9:00 pm he was exhausted and although his chores weren't finished for the day, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaining.
The next morning he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said :- "Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, O please, let us trade back!"
The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied, "My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait 9 months though, because you got pregnant last night!!!"
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Wed, Mar 19th - 5:57AM
FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE
Every Christian without exception is a believer, a lover and a hoper (not necessarily an optimist, since 'optimism' is a matter of temperament, 'hope' of theology). Faith, hope and love are thus sure evidences of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Together they completely reorientate our lives, as we find ourselves being drawn up towards God in faith, out towards others in love and on towards the parousia in hope. The new birth means little or nothing if it does not pull us out of our fallen introversion and redirect us towards God, Christ and ourfellow human beings. JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Mar 18th - 8:37AM
NEW BIRTH, NEW BEHAVIOR
The new birth results in new behaviour. Sin and the child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony. JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Mar 18th - 8:29AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
UNTIL THE PAIN OF REMAINING THE SAME EXCEEDS THE PAIN OF CHANGE THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE!* (UNKNOWN)
*9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (NRSV)
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Tue, Mar 18th - 8:19AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man was pulled over for speeding down the highway; the officer came to the driver’s window and said, "Sir, may I see your driver’s license and registration?" The man said, "Well officer I don't have a license, it was taken away for a DUI." The officer, in surprise, said," What, do you have a registration for the vehicle?" So the man replied, "No sir, the car is not mine I stole it, but I am pretty sure I say a registration card in the glove box when I put the gun in it." The officer stepped back, "There is a gun in the glove box?!?" The man sighed and said, "Yes sir, I used to kill the woman who owns the car before I stuffed her in the trunk." The officer steps toward the back of the car and says," Sir do not move, I am calling for backup." The officer calls for backup and about ten minutes another highway patrolman arrives. He walks up to the window slowly and asks the man for his driver’s license and registration. The man said," Yes officer here it right here." It all checked out so the officer said," Is there a gun in the glove box sir?" The man laughs and says," No officer why would there be a gun in the glove box." He opened the glove box and showed him that there was no gun. The second officer asked him to open the trunk because he had reason to believe that there was a body in it. The man agrees and opens the trunk, no dead body. The second officer says, "Sir I do not understand, the officer that pulled you over said that you did not have a license, the car was stolen, there was a gun in the glove box, and a dead body in the trunk." The man looks the officer in the eyes and says, "Yeah and I'll bet he said I was speeding too."
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Mon, Mar 17th - 9:14AM
EVIDENCE OF THE NEW BIRTH
If you know as a fact that God is righteous, John says, then you will perceive as a logical consequence *that everyone who does what is right has been born of him* (1 Jn. 2:29). The child exhibits the parent's character because he shares the parent's nature. A person's righteousness is thus the evidence of his new birth, not the cause or condition of it. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Mar 17th - 9:03AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: “Now” is where God lives.* Greg Boyd, Present Perfect, p. 9 The Bible never says, “God ‘WAS’” and never says, “God ‘SHALL BE’!” God always ‘IS’! *Exodus 3:14 (NRSV) 14God said to Moses, “I am who I am. He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
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Mon, Mar 17th - 8:56AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A teacher was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off then it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them." She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I tuffed them in the toes of my boots..."
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Sun, Mar 16th - 7:19AM
THOGHT FOR TODAY!
There is no jail which cannot be made a sanctuary of worship, no jailer who cannot be reached by God's love. The will of God never leads where the grace of God cannot sustain. When you're called to Macedonia, go. When you find yourself in jail, pray. Your Father will grant you his peace, all day long. Is he waiting on your next prayer?* Jim Denison, GodIssues 3/19/09
*6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (NRSV)
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Sun, Mar 16th - 7:16AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Four best friends met at the hospital since their wives were giving births to their babies. The nurse comes up to the first man and says, "Congratulations, you got twins." The man said "How strange, I'm the manager of Minnesota Twins." After awhile the nurse comes up to the second man and says, "Congratulations, you got triplets." Man was like "Hmmm, strange I worked as a director for the "3 musketeers." Finally, the nurse comes up to the third man and says
"Congratulations, you got twins x2." Man is happy and says, "Ironic, I work for the hotel "4 Seasons." All three of them are happy until they see their last buddy jumping all over the place, yelling and screaming and banging his head on the wall. They asked him what's wrong and he answered, "What's wrong? I work for 7up"!
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Sat, Mar 15th - 9:06AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The reason why many miracles are not now wrought is not so much because faith is established, as that unbelief reigns."* - Bengel. *19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a£ mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:19-20 (NRSV)
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Sat, Mar 15th - 8:58AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Four high school boys afflicted with spring fever skipped morning classes. After lunch they reported to the teacher that they had a flat tire.
Much to their relief she smiled and said: "Well, you missed a test today so take seats apart from one another and take out a piece of paper."
Still smiling, she waited for them to sit down. Then she said:
"First Question: Which tire was flat?"
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Fri, Mar 14th - 9:09AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Some years ago, Mother Teresa was opening a new orphanage in New York City when a news conference broke out. A reporter shouted out the question, "How will you measure the success of this?" The tiny Albanian nun turned, smiled into the glare of the cameras, and said quietly, "I don't believe our Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness."* (Jim Denison, Resident Theologian for the Baptist General Convention of Texas) *2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NRSV)
21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21 (NRSV)
10“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. Luke 16:10 (NRSV)
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Fri, Mar 14th - 8:56AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Before going to Europe on business, a man drives his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and asks for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer, taken aback, requests collateral. "Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce," the man says. The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the $5,000. Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank's doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest," the loan officer says. The man writes out a check and starts to walk away. "Wait, sir," the loan officer says. "You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiles, "Where else could I find a safer place to park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"
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Thu, Mar 13th - 7:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are.* Neil Anderson *7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NRSV)
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Thu, Mar 13th - 7:41AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
This guy goes into a doctor's office. The doctor says, "Oh, Mr. Jones! We have the results of your test. Do you want the bad news first or the very bad news?"
The guy shrugs and says, "Well I guess I'll have the bad news first."
"Well the bad news is, you have 24 hours to live," the doctor replies.
The man is distraught, "24 hours to live? That's horrible! What could be worse than that? What's the VERY bad news?"
The doctor folds his hands and sighs, "The very bad news is...I've been trying to contact you since yesterday."
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Wed, Mar 12th - 2:01PM
A BIRTH FROM ABOVE
Regeneration is the new birth, and it is absurd to imagine that anybody could ever give birth to himself, either physically or spiritually. The new birth is a birth 'from above', a birth 'of the Spirit', a birth 'of God'. It is God who 'begets' us, putting his Spirit within us, implanting life in our souls and making us partakers of his divine nature. All this is his work alone, making us in Christ a 'new creation'. JOHN STOTT
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Wed, Mar 12th - 7:14AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
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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Wed, Mar 12th - 7:09AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
During a robbery, one of the robbers mask slid down.
He looked at a man and asked. Did you see my face?
The man said yes! The robber shot him.
Then he asked a woman. Did you see my face?
She said no, but my husband over there did.
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Tue, Mar 11th - 8:57AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man and his wife were making their first doctor visit prior to the birth of their first child. After everything checked out, the doctor took a small stamp and stamped the wife's stomach with indelible ink. The couple was curious about what the stamp was for, so when they got home, the husband dug out his magnifying glass to try to see what it was. In very tiny letters, the stamp said, "When you can read this, come back and see me."
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Mon, Mar 10th - 1:03PM
ABORTION
The popular euphemisms make it easier for us to conceal the truth from ourselves. The occupant of the mother's womb is not a 'product of conception' or 'gametic material', but an unborn child. Even 'pregnancy' tells us no more than that a woman has been 'impregnated', whereas the truth in old- fashioned language is that she is 'with child'. How can we speak of 'the termination of a pregnancy' when what is terminated is not just the mother's pregnancy but the child's life? And how can we describe the average abortion today as 'therapeutic' (a word originally used only when the mother's life was at stake), when pregnancy is not a disease needing therapy, and what abortion effects nowadays is not a cure but a killing? And how can people think of abortion as no more than a kind of contraceptive, when what it does is not prevent conception but destroy the conceptus? We need to have the courage to use accurate language. Induced abortion is feticide, the deliberate destruction of an unborn child, the shedding of innocent blood. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Mar 10th - 8:47AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A bell is no bell 'til you ring it, A song is no song 'til you sing it, And love in your heart Wasn't put there to stay - Love isn't love 'Til you give it away.* -- Oscar Hammerstein from "The Sound Of Music" *8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:8-12 (NRSV)
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Mon, Mar 10th - 8:43AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
It was the first camping experience for Jed. As soon as he had pitched his tent, he went for a hike in the woods. In about fifteen minutes he rushed back into camp, bleeding and dishevelled. "What happened?" asked a fellow camper. "I was chased by a black snake!" cried the frightened Jed. The camper laughed and retorted, "A black snake isn't deadly." "Listen," groaned Jed, "If he can make you jump off a fifty-foot cliff, he is!"
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Sun, Mar 9th - 8:41AM
A VISION OF GOD
The vision of God The true Christian may be described both as being *from God* (cf. 1 Jn. 4:4, 6) and as having *seen God* (1 Jn. 3:6). Birth of God and the vision of God are to some extent equivalent. He who has been born of God has come, with the inner eye of faith, to see God. And this vision of God deeply affects his behaviour. To do good is to give evidence of a divine birth; to do evil is to prove that one has never seen God. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Mar 9th - 8:37AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
God did not create us to make us happy, but for His own pleasure!* *"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11 (KJV)
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Sun, Mar 9th - 8:32AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A Saudi Prince went to Germany to study.
A month later, he sends a letter to his dad saying:"Berlin is wonderful, people are nice and I really like it here, but I'm a bit ashamed to arrive to school with my gold Mercedes when all my teachers travel by train."
Sometime later he gets a letter from his dad with a ten million dollar check saying:"Stop embarrassing us, go and get yourself a train too”!
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Sat, Mar 8th - 8:29AM
NOT WHEN, BUT WHETHER
It does not matter at all if, although you know you have turned to Christ, you do not know the date when you did so. Some do; others do not. What matters is not *when* but *whether* we have put our trust in Christ. Jesus called the beginning of our Christian life a second 'birth', and the analogy is helpful in many ways. For example, we are not conscious of our physical birth taking place, and would never have known our birthday if our parents had not told us. The reason we know we were born, even though we do not remember it, is that we are enjoying a life today which we know must have begun at birth. It is much the same with the new birth. JOHN STOTT
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Sat, Mar 8th - 8:16AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Sign in front of a church: "Don't Let Worries Kill You. Let the Church Help."* (Church Sign) arranged by Michelle Purifoy *".. .You are worried and bothered about many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one..." Luke 10:41b-42a "And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you." Luke 12:29-31 "Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another." 1 Thessalonians 5:11a "And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." Hebrew 10:24-25
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Sat, Mar 8th - 8:09AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A
man was walking along a California beach and stumbled across an old
lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it and out popped a genie. The genie
said, "OK. You released me from the lamp, blah blah blah. This
is the fourth time this month and I'm getting a little sick of these
wishes so you can forget about three. You only get one wish!"
The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, "I've
always wanted to go to Hawaii but I'm scared to fly and I get very
seasick. Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over
there to visit?" The genie laughed and said, "That's
impossible. Think of the logistics of that! How would the supports
ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much
concrete...how much steel!! No, think of another wish." The man
said OK and tried to think of a really good wish. Finally, he said,
"I've been married and divorced four times. My wives always said
that I don't care and that I'm insensitive. So, I wish that I could
understand women....know how they feel inside and what they're
thinking when they give me the silent treatment....know why they're
crying, know what they really want when they say 'nothing'....know
how to make them truly happy...."
The genie asked, "Do
you want that bridge two lanes or four?"
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Fri, Mar 7th - 8:17AM
The one reliable evidence
It is only the Lord who knows and recognizes his own people, and can tell the true from the spurious, for only he sees the heart. But though we cannot see the heart, we can see the life, which is the one reliable evidence of the heart's condition, and is apparent to all. JOHN STOTT Not everyone who does good works is a Christian, but everyone who is a Christian does good works. DOYLE PURIFOY
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Fri, Mar 7th - 8:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5).* (Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest Feb 24)
*"and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Romans 5:5 (NRSV)
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Fri, Mar 7th - 8:00AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.
Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax - OH, MY G-D!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier; but, while I was talking, the flight attendant brought me a cup of coffee and spilled the hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"
A passenger in Coach said, "That's nothing. He should see the back of mine!"
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Thu, Mar 6th - 8:32AM
ONLY A BEGINNING!
In Acts 9 we see that conversion is only the beginning. The same grace which brings a person to new birth is able to transform him or her into Christ's image. Every new convert becomes a changed person, and has new titles to prove it, namely a 'disciple' (verse 26) or 'saint' (13), newly related to God, a 'brother' (17) or sister, newly related to the church, and a 'witness' (22:15; 26:16), newly related to the world. If these three relationships -- to God, the church and the world -- are not seen in professed converts, we have good reason to question the reality of their conversion. But whenever they are visibly present, we have good reason to magnify the grace of God. JOHN STOTT
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Thu, Mar 6th - 8:26AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." -Ralph Waldo Emerson "It is in your own best interests to think of others first."* Doyle Purifoy *"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31 (NRSV)
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Thu, Mar 6th - 8:15AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A guy was driving when a policeman pulled him over. He rolled down his window and said to the officer,
"Is there a problem, Officer?"
"No problem at all. I just observed your safe driving and am pleased to award you a $5,000 Safe Driver Award. Congratulations. What do you think you're going to do with the money?"
The driver thought for a minute and said, "Well, I guess I'll go get that drivers' license." The lady sitting in the passenger seat said to the policeman, "Oh, don't pay attention to him - he's a smart guy when he's drunk and stoned." The guy from the back seat said, "I TOLD you guys we wouldn't get far in a stolen car!"
At that moment, there was a knock from the trunk and a muffled voice said, "Are we over the border yet?"
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Wed, Mar 5th - 9:21AM
A NEW PERSON
A convert to Jesus Christ lives in the world as well as in the church, and has responsibilities to the world as well as to the church. I think it is the tendency of churches to 'ecclesiasticize' their members which has made so many modern Christians understandably wary of conversion and church membership. Conversion must not take the convert out of the world but rather send him back into it, the same person in the same world, and yet a new person with new convictions and new standards. If Jesus' first command was 'Come!', his second was 'Go!', that is, we are to go back into the world out of which we have come, and go back as Christ's ambassadors. JOHN STOTT
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Wed, Mar 5th - 9:02AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.* *"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:25-28 (NRSV)
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Wed, Mar 5th - 8:58AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
My sister landed a good job with an accounting firm, and after a while she got a generous raise.
The day she found out about it, her husband picked her up from work, and they stopped for ice cream.
As they continued home, my sister blurted out, "Isn't it hard to believe that I have a job that pays this much money?"
Just then, she went to toss the last of her ice cream cone out the window.
However, the window was closed, and it smacked against the glass.
Her husband replied calmly, "Yes."
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Tue, Mar 4th - 8:31AM
UNITED WITH CHRIST
When we become united to Christ by faith, something so tremendous happens that the New Testament cannot find language adequate to describe it. It is a new birth, yes, but also a new creation, a resurrection, light out of darkness, and life from the dead. We were slaves, now we are sons. We were lost, now we have come home. We were condemned and under the wrath of God, now we have been justified and adopted into his family. What subsequent experience can possibly compare with this in importance? We must be careful, in describing deeper experiences, not to denigrate regeneration or to cast a slur on this first, decisive and creative work of God's love. JOHN STOTT
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Tue, Mar 4th - 8:10AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: When praying, don't give God instructions just report for duty.*
*"And 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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Tue, Mar 4th - 8:05AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
When a guy's printer type began to grow faint, he called a local repair shop where a friendly man informed him that the printer probably needed only to be cleaned.
Because the store charged $50 for such cleanings, he told him he might be better off reading the printer's manual and trying the job himself.
Pleasantly surprised by his candor, he asked, "Does your boss know that you discourage business?"
"Actually, it's my boss's idea," the employee replied sheepishly.
"We usually make more money on repairs if we let people try to fix things themselves first."
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Mon, Mar 3rd - 8:51AM
BAPTISM - THE SIGN OF ENTRY
Of our saving union with Christ in his death and resurrection, baptism is the sign or 'sacrament'. But baptism is not the means of union. This is clear from a comparison between baptism and circumcision. Baptism is the sign of entry into the new covenant, as circumcision was the sign of entry into the old covenant. Now circumcision is defined by Paul as 'a sign or seal of the righteousness which he [sc. Abraham] had *by faith* while he was still uncircumcised' (Rom. 4:11). First Abraham received justification by faith. Then he received circumcision as a sign. It is by faith that we are joined to Christ and so justified and of this faith Abraham and David are the best Old Testament examples. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Mar 3rd - 8:17AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Excellence in any department can be attained only by the labor of a lifetime; it is not to be purchased at a lesser price*. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784) *"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
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Mon, Mar 3rd - 8:12AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
T-SHIRT READ: "Take my advice. I'm not using it."
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Sun, Mar 2nd - 7:51AM
SUDDEN CONVERSION
You can become a Christian in a moment, but not a mature Christian. Christ can enter, cleanse and forgive you in a matter of seconds, but it will take much longer for your character to be transformed and moulded to his will. It takes only a few minutes for a bride and bridegroom to be married, but in the rough-and-tumble of their home it may take many years for two strong wills to be dovetailed into one. So when we receive Christ, a moment of commitment will lead to a lifetime of adjustment. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Mar 2nd - 7:35AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"There is always enough time for the things that really matter to us."* Jim Pleitz *"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21 (NRSV)
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Sun, Mar 2nd - 7:26AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE
A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise and yelled over to the boy, "Hey Willis forget your troubles. Come in and visit with us. I'll help you get the wagon up later."
"That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to."
"Aw come on boy," the farmer insisted.
"Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "but Pa won't like it."
After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset."
"Don't be foolish!" the neighbor said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?"
"Under the wagon."
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Sat, Mar 1st - 8:46AM
STILL SMALL VOICE
Revelation 3:20 Jesus Christ says he is standing knocking at the door of our lives, waiting. Notice that he is standing at the door, not pushing it; speaking to us, not shouting. This is the more remarkable when we reflect that the house is his in any case. He is the architect; he designed it. He is the builder; he made it. He is the landlord; he bought it with his life-blood. So it is his by right of plan, construction and purchase. We are only tenants in a house which does not belong to us. He could put his shoulder to the door; he prefers to put his hand to the knocker. He could command us to open to him; instead, he merely invites us to do so. He will not force an entry into anybody's life. He says (verse 18) 'I counsel you ...'. He could issue orders; he is content to give advice. Such are his condescension and humility, and the freedom he has given us. JOHN STOTT
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Sat, Mar 1st - 8:35AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "It is not God’s job to make us comfortable, but to make us better."* Tony W. Cartledge
*"So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 (NRSV) "And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5 (NRSV)
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Sat, Mar 1st - 8:30AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
An 85-year-old widow went on a blind date with a 90-year-old man.
When she returned to her daughter's house later that night, she seemed upset.
"What happened, Mother?" the daughter asked.
"I had to slap his face three times!"
"You mean he got fresh?"
"No," she answered. "I thought he was dead!"
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
