Sat, May 31st - 8:17AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."* -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*"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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Sat, May 31st - 8:13AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Two guys are hiking in the forest when they suddenly come across a big Grizzly bear! The one guy takes off his hiking boots and puts on some running shoes!
His friend says to him "You're crazy! There's no use, do you know how fast Grizzlies are, you'll never be able to out run it!"
and the guy says,
"I only have to out run you!"
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Fri, May 30th - 8:02AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."* -- Melody Beattie
*"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSV)
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Fri, May 30th - 7:56AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
One day a rich famous man went to buy a sport car from a dealership. The price of the car was $80000 and the man had only $79998 to pay.
The sales associate insisted that the price is firm and it has to be $80000.
The man came out of the store and looked around and saw a poor man begging for help. He went toward him and introduced himself and asked if he is kind enough to lend him $2.
The poor man asked the reason.
He replied that he needs it to buy a car.
The poor man though for a moment and gave the man $4 and said: Please buy one for me too.
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Thu, May 29th - 9:10AM
CRUCIFIXTION AND HOLINESS
There are, in fact, two quite distinct ways in which the New
Testament speaks of crucifixion in relation to holiness. The
first is our death to sin through identification with Christ;
the second is our death to self through imitation of Christ. On
the one hand, we have been crucified with Christ. But on the
other we have crucified (decisively repudiated) our sinful
nature with all its desires, so that every day we renew this
attitude by taking up our cross and following Christ to
crucifixion (Lk. 9:23). The first is a legal death, a death to
the penalty of sin; the second is a moral death, a death to the
power of sin. The first belongs to the past, and is unique and
unrepeatable; the second belongs to the present, and is
repeatable, even continuous. I died to sin (in Christ) once; I
die to self (like Christ) daily. JOHN STOTT
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Thu, May 29th - 9:03AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"People who don't read a Bible read Christians."* Church Sign: Second Ave. Baptist Church Corsicana TX'
*"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 29th - 8:59AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The minister gave his Sunday morning service, as usual, but this particular Sunday, it was considerably longer than normal.
Later, at the door, shaking hands with parishioners as they moved out, one man said, "Your sermon, Pastor, was simply wonderful - so invigorating and inspiring and refreshing."
The minister of course, broke out in a big smile, only to hear the man say, "Why I felt like a new man when I woke up!"
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Wed, May 28th - 8:37AM
CHRISTIAN RIGHTEOUSNESS
When Jesus said that Christian righteousness must exceed
pharisaic righteousness (Mt. 5:20), he meant that Christian
righteousness accepts the full implications of the law without
trying to dodge them. It recognizes that the law's domain
extends beyond the actual deed to the word, and beyond the word
to the thoughts and motives of the heart. Pharisaic
righteousness was an outward conformity to human traditions;
Christian righteousness is an inward conformity of mind and
heart to the revealed will of God. JOHN STOTT
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Wed, May 28th - 8:30AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."* -- George Horace Lorimer (shared by Rebbecca R.)
*Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 28th - 8:21AM
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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Tue, May 27th - 9:07AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
It is not enough to 'proclaim Jesus'. For there are many different Jesuses being presented today. According to the New Testament gospel, however, he is *historical* (he really lived, died, rose and ascended in the arena of history), *theological* (his life, death, resurrection and ascension all have saving significance) and *contemporary* (he lives and reigns to bestow salvation on those who respond to him). Thus the apostles told the same story of Jesus at three levels -- as historical event (witnessed by their own eyes), as having theological significance (interpreted by the Scriptures), and as contemporary message (confronting men and women with the necessity of decision). We have the same responsibility today to tell the story of Jesus as fact, doctrine and gospel.*
*Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and 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)
2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—
3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:2-3 (NRSV)
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Tue, May 27th - 9:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
An Antartian is terribly overweight, so his doctor puts him on a diet.
"I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks," the doctor ordered. "The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least five pounds."
When the Antartian returns, he's lost nearly 20 pounds.
"Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said. "Did you follow my instructions?"
The Antartian nods, "I'll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day."
"From hunger, you mean?" the doc questioned.
"No, from skipping."
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Tue, May 27th - 8:53AM
CHRISTIAN RIGHTEOUSNESS
When Jesus said that Christian righteousness must exceed
pharisaic righteousness (Mt. 5:20), he meant that Christian
righteousness accepts the full implications of the law without
trying to dodge them. It recognizes that the law's domain
extends beyond the actual deed to the word, and beyond the word
to the thoughts and motives of the heart. Pharisaic
righteousness was an outward conformity to human traditions;
Christian righteousness is an inward conformity of mind and
heart to the revealed will of God. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, May 26th - 4:16PM
THE OCEAN OF LIFE
A poem called "The Ocean of Life" written by my wife, Jo Ann Stuard Purifoy and published in Voice of Young America in 1951:(Safe in the arms of Jesus 07/08/13)
The ocean of life is
forever vibrant.
Always impelled by
opposite forces;
Forever tormented,
never still
life wavers
In its jumble,
life casts
debris upon world's shores.
Fierce storms rage
in life until,
in
anguish and throe,
It cries out,
"O
Master of Waters;,
hear my plea!"
And suddenly, a
serene calm falls on troubled waters
The tortured soul finds peace.
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Mon, May 26th - 7:54AM
ADORNING THE GOSPEL
There are many pastors today who, for fear of being branded
'legalists', give their congregation no ethical teaching.
How far we have strayed from the apostles! 'Legalism' is
the misguided attempt to earn our salvation by obedience to
the law. 'Pharisaism' is a preoccupation with the
externals and the minutiae of religious duty. To teach the
standards of moral conduct which adorn the gospel is
neither legalism nor pharisaism but plain apostolic
Christianity. JOHN STOTT --From "I Believe in Preaching" (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982), p. 158.
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Mon, May 26th - 7:50AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe."* -- Larry Eisenberg
*" “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)
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Mon, May 26th - 7:46AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Q: What does every woman call an intelligent, attractive, caring, loving and sensitive man?
A: A dream.
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Sun, May 25th - 8:13AM
A MOLAL COMMITTMENT
Love for God is not an emotional experience so much as a
moral commitment. JOHN STOTT --From "The Letters of John" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: rev. edn. Leicester: IVP, 1988), p. 176.
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Sun, May 25th - 8:04AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. (or No matter how long you nurse a grudge, it never gets better.)*
*"Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27 (NRSV)
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Sun, May 25th - 8:00AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A famous scientist developed a formula to bring statues to life.
He went to a local park to try it out on a statue of Gen. Ulysses Grant.
After application, Gen Grant began to move and soon was completely alive.
The scientist asked, "What's the first thing you'll do, General?"
The general answered while drawing his pistol "I'm going to kill about a million *&%$#* pigeons!"
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Sat, May 24th - 11:20AM
OPRESSION OF THE POOR
Proverbs 13:23 (NRSV) 23 The field of the poor may yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
Proverbs 14:31 (NRSV) 31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him.
Proverbs 18:15 (NRSV) 15 An intelligent mind acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 16:8 (NRSV) 8 Better is a little with righteousness than large income with injustice.
Proverbs 22:16 (NRSV) 16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.
Proverbs 22:22-23 (NRSV) 22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; 23 for the LORD pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them.
Proverbs 29:7 (NRSV) 7 The righteous know the rights of the poor; the wicked have no such understanding.
Proverbs 29:13 (NRSV) 13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common: the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
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Sat, May 24th - 8:05AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The cross bears those who bear the cross.”* Sundar Singh, one of India's most famous Christians
*24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 (NRSV)
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Sat, May 24th - 8:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
"Do you believe in life after death?" the boss asked one of his employees.
"Yes, sir," the clerk replied.
"That's good," the boss said. "After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped in to see you."
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Fri, May 23rd - 9:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Are you waiting for divine justice this morning? Have you been wronged by someone who will not make it right? So have I. But we can take heart in the fact that God is on his throne and that his justice is inevitable. In the meantime, our job is to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Why? So that God's Spirit can work to bring them to repentance. And so we don't become like them.*
*For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31(NRSV)
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48(NRSV)
"if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:20-21(NRSV)
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Fri, May 23rd - 9:14AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Why did Mickey Mouse go to space? ..................... To visit Pluto
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Thu, May 22nd - 8:24AM
A HOLY LIFE
There is an urgent need for us, as pluralism and relativism spread worldwide, to follow Paul's example and give people plain, practical, ethical teaching. Christian parents must teach God's moral law to their children at home. Sunday school and day school teachers must ensure that their pupils know at least the Ten Commandments. Pastors must not be afraid to expound biblical standards of behaviour from the pulpit, so that the congregation grasps the relationship between the gospel and the law. And right from the beginning converts must be told that the new life in Christ is a holy life, a life bent on pleasing God by obeying his commandments. JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Thessalonians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1991), p. 77.
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Thu, May 22nd - 8:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
What God has done for us in Christ is enough to initiate eternal praise.*
*"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 22nd - 8:15AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A college professor asked his class a question.
"If Philadelphia is 100 miles from New York and Chicago is 1000 miles from Philadelphia and Los Angles is 2000 miles from Chicago, how old am I?"
One student in the back of the class raised his hand and when Called upon said, "Professor you're 44.."
The Professor said, "You're absolutely correct, but tell me, how did you arrive at the answer so quickly?"
The student said, "You see professor, I have a brother; he's 22, and he's only half crazy."
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Wed, May 21st - 8:16AM
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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Wed, May 21st - 8:12AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A counselor was helping his kids put their stuff away on their first morning in Summer Camp.
He was surprised to see one of the youngsters had an umbrella.
The counselor asked,
"Why did you bring! an umbrella to camp?"
The kid answered, "Did you ever have a mother?
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Tue, May 20th - 8:42AM
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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Tue, May 20th - 8:38AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Bob had finally made it to the last round of the $50,000 Question. The night before the big question, he told the host MC that he desired a question on American History.
The big night arrived. Bob made his way onstage in front of the studio and TV audience. He had become the talk of the week. He was the best guest this show had ever seen.
The MC stepped up to the mike.
"Bob, you have chosen American History as your final question. You know that if you correctly answer this question, you will walk away $50,000 dollars richer. Are you ready?"
Bob nodded with a cocky confidence -- the crowd went nuts. He hadn't missed a question all week.
"Bob, yours is a two-part question. As you know, you may answer either part first. As a rule, the second half of the question is always easier. Which part would you like to take a stab at first?"
Bob was becoming more noticeably nervous. He couldn't believe it, but he was not sure, but American History was his easiest subject, and he played it safe.
"I'll try the easier part first."
The MC nodded approvingly. "Here we go Bob. I will ask you the second half first, then the first half."
The audience grew silent with gross anticipation...
"Bob, here is your question: And in what year did it happen?"
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Tue, May 20th - 8:27AM
SCRUPULOS HONESTY
To steal is to rob a person of anything which belongs to
him or is due to him. The theft of money or property is
not the only infringement of this commandment. Tax evasion
is robbery. So is dodging the customs. So is working
short hours. What the world calls 'scrounging' God calls
stealing. To overwork and underpay one's staff is to break
this commandment. There must be few of us, if any, who
have been consistently and scrupulously honest in personal
and business affairs JOHN STOTT .--From "Basic Christianity" (rev. edn. London: IVP, 1971), p. 68.
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Mon, May 19th - 8:08AM
DAILY LIVING
Paul's epistles refer often to the Christian's private life in the home. He tells husbands to love their wives and wives to be submissive to their husbands; children to obey their parents and parents to discipline their children; slaves to serve their masters and masters to be fair to their slaves. He tells citizens to respect authority and to pay their taxes. He has some very practical and outspoken words to say about telling lies, losing one's temper, stealing, using bad language and being cantankerous; about impurity of deed and word; about wasting time and getting drunk; about being cheerful, appreciative and humble. He urges on his Philippian friends the Christian virtues of humility and unselfishness; of joy, prayer, peace and contentment. It is a Christian duty, he tells the Thessalonians, to work for your living and not to be idle. He is quite clear that the Christian life is a life of moral purity. Above all, Christians are not to seek revenge, but to love each other, and all men, for love is the fulfilling of the law. JOHN STOTT --From "Men with a Message" (London: Longmans, 1954), p. 66.
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Mon, May 19th - 7:54AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"In a healthy relationship, not only are you encouraged to feel, but you're also sensitive to other's feelings. You perceive that how you feel is valuable and that you're safe when sharing your feelings. You might hear things like 'How do you feel about this?' 'It's okay to feel like that,' or' What can I do to make you feel better?'"* From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley
*"Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. " Philippians 2:4 (NRSV)
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Mon, May 19th - 7:50AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
After watching the movie Cinderella, five-year-old Sarah started using her pinwheel as a magic wand, pretending she was a fairy godmother.
"Make three wishes," she told her mother, "and I'll grant them."
Her mom first asked for world peace.
Sarah swung her wand and proclaimed the request fulfilled.
Next, her mother requested for a cure for all ill children.
Again, with a sweep of the pinwheel, Sarah obliged.
The mother, with a glance down at her rather ample curves, made her third wish, "I wish to have a trim figure again."
The miniature fairy godmother started waving her wand madly.
"I'll need more power for this!" she exclaimed.
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Sun, May 18th - 8:07AM
The Christian and the law
What is the Christian's relation to the law? The so-called 'new morality' forces the question upon us with some urgency. It is quite true that Paul says to us, if we are Christians, that we have been set free from the law, that we are no longer under the law and that we must not submit again to the 'yoke of slavery' which is the law (Gal. 5:1). But we must take pains to grasp what he means by these expressions. Our Christian freedom from the law which he emphasizes concerns our relationship to God. It means that our acceptance depends not on our obedience to the law's demands, but on faith in Jesus Christ who bore the curse of the law when he died. It certainly does not mean that we are free to disregard or disobey the law. On the contrary, although we cannot gain acceptance by keeping the law, yet once we have been accepted we shall keep the law out of love for him who has accepted us and has given us his Spirit to enable us to keep it. In New Testament terminology, although our justification depends not on the law but on Christ crucified, yet our sanctification consists in the fulfilment of the law (Rom. 8:3, 4). Moreover, if we love one another as well as God, we shall find that we do obey his law because the whole law of God -- at least the second table of the law touching our duty to our neighbour -- is fulfilled in this one point: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself', and murder, adultery, stealing, covetousness and false witness are all infringements of this law of love. Paul says the same thing in Galatians 6:2: 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Galatians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: London and Downers Grove: IVP, 1968), p. 142.
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Sun, May 18th - 7:58AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
There is a hard law…When an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.* - Alan Paton
*12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:12-15 (NRSV)
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Sun, May 18th - 7:51AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The girl came running in tears to her father. "Dad, you gave me some terrible financial advice!" she cried.
"I did? What did I tell you?" said the dad.
"You told me to put my money in that big bank, and now that big bank is in trouble."
"What are you talking about? That's one of the largest banks in the world," he said. "Surely there must be some mistake."
"I don't think so," she sniffed. "They just returned one of my checks with a note saying, 'Insufficient Funds'."
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Sat, May 17th - 12:43PM
Resurrection Power
RESURRECTION POWER
We all remember the great power that brought World War Two to an end. That power was really a part of the bounty from our defeat of Nazi Germany. Germany was on the verge of developing the atomic bomb. When defeating Germany, America completed the research and development of the atomic bomb and used it to bring Japan to defeat.
Since that time the whole world has had this cloud of potential annihilation over their head. Since then bombs of greater power than the atomic bomb have been developed, i.e., the cobalt bomb and the hydrogen bomb. We cringe at the thought of terror groups getting their hands on nuclear weapons. We know that nuclear power is already in the hands of potential enemies of the United States.
However, there is a greater power that has been loosed into the world. Philippians 3:10 (NRSV)
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,
That is the burden of this message is that each of us would know the power of His resurrection and that this power might explode in our Community and the world, especially the USA. When Jesus came, He exercise this greater power in His miracles. Listen to this Miracle Power of Jesus: Matthew 8:23-27 (NRSV)
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"
This resurrection power at work in the world can calm the storms of life.
Then there is this event: Matthew 14:22-33 (NRSV)
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
This power of the resurrection loosed in the world today can lift us up above the raging waves of the storm; I love to read Ephesians 2:6 (NRSV) immediately followed by Eph 1:21
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
I love to read this passage immediately after Ephesians 2:6 Ephesians 1:17-21 (NRSV)
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
When Ephesians 2:6 is read together with Ephesians 1:21 and in this order it magnifies the power of the resurrection loosed in you and the world today:
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
The power of the resurrection loosed in the world and working in the lives of Christians enables us to live transcendent lives above the storms of life.
Think of Lazarus whom we read about in our Scripture. Lazarus died and was in the grave for four days when Jesus exercised this great power that is loosed in the world today. Jesus spoke to this dead man saying, "Lazarus, come out!" ... “The dead man came out.”
It was this event, the resurrection of Lazarus that Jesus said in John 11:25-26 (NRSV)
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
What I want each one of you to realize is that this Resurrection Power which is greater than the power of the atomic, cobalt, or hydrogen bomb together continues to work in our world today through His disciples. He said in John 14:12 (NRSV) 12
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
How can we do greater works than those that Jesus did? We must remember that before Jesus was raised from the dead, He could only be one place at a time with only the disciples who were with Him at the time where He was. But now that He has risen to the right hand of God and has poured out His Spirit on all flesh, He can exercise His Resurrection Power here in our community and world through His disciples here while He exercising that same power through His people all over the world.
Jesus didn't choose to do it alone. He chose to do it through all His children all over the world. This is the idea that is behind the Cooperative Program. Baptist from their beginning believed that they could not do it alone so they cooperated with other Baptist churches through Associations and Conventions. We can do more together that we can do alone.
I pray that this power explode all over the world. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:11 (NRSV)
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
We were born dead in trespasses and sins. We were as dead spiritually as Lazarus was physically. Then we met Jesus. Listen to these Scriptures: Ephesians 2:1-5 (NRSV)
1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
The Holy Spirit in Christian's is exercising resurrection power to perform the good work of the new birth and new creation in them. He will faithfully continue this resurrection power in us until we are like Jesus.
The Holy Spirit in Christians is exercising resurrection power to perform the good work of the new birth and new creation in them. He will faithfully continue this resurrection power in us until we are like Jesus. Romans 8:11 (NRSV)
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Philippians 1:6 (NRSV)
6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
What is this power set loose through the Church. Paul describes in in Romans 1:16 (NRSV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
My prayer is that this power, the gospel of Jesus Christ will explode in our Community through the Church of which we are members. This gospel power is none other than the keys to the Kingdom of God. Every Christian here has the key to the Kingdom that you can use to open the gates of the Kingdom of God to those around you who have not submitted to the King, Jesus Christ. I am gone to quote from some I wrote in your weekly bulletin Pastor's Short Story: Matthew 16:13-19 (NRSV)
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
The Keys to the Kingdom that Christ has given to the Church is the Gospel.
This gospel has the power to create each us anew and even recreate the world. Romans 8:19-23 (NRSV)
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Let consider this Gospel, the keys to the Kingdom, the resurrection power God has let loosed in the world through His Church.
This power of God unto salvation flows from the death of Christ, His burial, and resurrection. Faith in Christ is the key that opens up the gates of the Kingdom of God to anyone who will submit to the King.
If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and accept the responsibility to do what He says, then the resurrection power will be unleashed in you, give you the new birth, making you a new creation.
Jesus' blood is enough to pay off my liabilities and redeem my assets for Himself and the Kingdom of God. His blood will never loose it power and value.
Look again at this resurrection power let loose in every Christian: Ephesians 1:19-21 (NRSV)
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
Romans 1:4 (NRSV)
4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Philippians 3:10 (NRSV)
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,
Jesus and Paul both tell us plainly that we will suffer tribulation in the world: Jesus said in John 16:33 (NRSV)
33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSV)
13 No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
When you experience the tribulations that Jesus promised you would and when you face the temptations that Paul says is common to us all, remember it is the resurrection power at work in you that will enable you to bear the tribulations, the temptations you face.
In every event Satan would attempt to destroy you! In every event God is using it for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. *Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet 1:8 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who Himself and the Kingdom of God. His blood will never loose it power and value.
For the Christians here, will you acknowledge the power of God unto salvation which is the power of the resurrection at work in you and walk in the victory He has won for you over temptation and tribulations?
If you have never received the power of the gospel, you can do that right now. As the Scriptures say:
Romans 10:8-13 (NRSV)
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
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Sat, May 17th - 8:15AM
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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Sat, May 17th - 8:09AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Mr. and Mrs. Thorne had just reached the airport in the nick of time to catch the plane for their two-week's vacation in Majorca. "I wish we'd brought the piano with us," said Mr. Thorne. "What on earth for?" asked his wife.
"I've left the tickets on it."
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Fri, May 16th - 8:30AM
THE INDISPENSABLE CONDITION
Obedience is the indispensable condition, not the meritorious cause, of answered prayer. JOHN STOTT --From "The Letters of John" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: rev. edn. Leicester: IVP, 1988), p. 152.
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Fri, May 16th - 8:25AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
To the natural man, death appears to terminate his hopes, dreams, expectations, and visions, but to the man in Christ, death has been transformed to the fulfillment of all of these things.*
*55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:55-57
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Fri, May 16th - 8:22AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A tough old cowboy once counseled his grandson that if he wanted to live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning.
The grandson did this religiously and he lived to the age of 93.
When he died, he left 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and a fifteen foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.
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Thu, May 15th - 10:13PM
ON SECOND THOUGHT FOR TODAY
ON SECOND THOUGHT FOR TODAY! WORKING OUT WHAT GOD HAS WORKED IN! You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already.*
*12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12 (NRSV) My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language.
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Thu, May 15th - 10:17AM
WORKING OUT WHAT GOD WORKED IN
You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already.*
*12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language. Philippians 2:12 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 15th - 8:37AM
A NEW DEMENTION
Prevailing Christian prayer is wonderfully comprehensive. It has four universals, indicated in Ephesians 6:18 by the fourfold use of the word 'all'. We are to pray *at all times* (both regularly and constantly), *with all prayer and supplication* (for it takes many and varied forms), *with all perseverance* (because we need like good soldiers to *keep alert*, and neither give up nor fall asleep), *making supplication for all the saints* (since the unity of God's new society, which has been the preoccupation of this whole letter, must be reflected in our prayers). Most Christians pray sometimes, with some prayers and some degree of perseverance, for some of God's people. But to replace 'some' by 'all' in each of these expressions would be to introduce us to a new dimension of prayer. JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Ephesians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester, IVP, 1979), p. 283.
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Thu, May 15th - 8:24AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Hayden cut his throat when his eyesight and hands failed. He lived only for painting. What do you live 'only' for? Is what you live 'only' for perishable? Only God and persons are imperishable--eternal. Live for God and people only.*
*"He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 15th - 8:19AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A doctor calls his patient and says; the check you gave me for my bill came back.
The patient replied: So did my arthritis!
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Wed, May 14th - 11:11AM
ON SECOND THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
In every event Satan would attempt to destroy you!* In every event God is using it for the good of those who are called according to His purpose** *Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet 1:8 **We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
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Wed, May 14th - 7:58AM
HIS WILL IN PRAYER
Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or for bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to his. It is by prayer that we seek God's will, embrace it and align ourselves with it. Every true prayer is a variation on the theme, 'Your will be done.' Our Master taught us to say this in the pattern prayer he gave us, and added the supreme example of it in Gethsemane. JOHN STOTT --From "The Letters of John" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries" rev. edn. Leicester: IVP, 1988), p. 188.
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Wed, May 14th - 7:43AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
What constitutes success in life? This morning, the Lord completed a spiritual formula he has been building in my life for several days. Here's the first part: Jesus taught his disciples, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. . . . He who does not love me will not obey my teaching" I must love Jesus to obey him. If I do not love him, inevitably I will fail him. I will refuse something he wants me to do, or do something he wants me to refuse. Love produces obedience.* Jim Denison
*23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 14th - 7:35AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Once upon a time, there was a cat that died. When she got to heaven, God asked her how she liked being on earth. She told the Lord that it was awful -- she had to sleep in cold black alleys, where there was no food and life was hard. God told her that he was sorry it had had turned out that way -- but here, in heaven, she would be happy and He would give her the most comfortable, warm pillow to sleep on.. The cat lay down upon the pillow and was happy. A few days later, about a dozen mice that came to heaven together and God asked them how they had liked earth. The earth was no better for them than it was the cat. They explained to God that it was tough and exhausting and their feet were worn out from always running from cats and dogs and people. God felt bad for the mice and decided to give them roller-skates. One day God sees the cat again and asked her how she liked heaven. She explained that it was absolutely wonderful. The pillow he gave her was the most comfortable place that she had ever slept on, but even better than the pillow was the meals on wheels.
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Tue, May 13th - 8:08AM
'By God's will
Paul's reference to the will of God, in relation to prayer (Rom. 15:32) is very significant. He has prayed earlier that 'now at last by God's will the way may be opened' for him to come to Rome (1:10). Here he again prays that *by God's will* he may come to them. His use of this qualifying clause throws light on both the purpose and the character of prayer, on why and how Christians should pray. The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God's will to ours, but rather to align our will to his. The promise that our prayers will be answered is conditional on our asking 'according to his will' (1 Jn. 5:14). Consequently every prayer we pray should be a variation on the theme, 'Your will be done' (Mt. 6:10). What about the character of prayer? Some people tell us, in spite of Paul's earlier statement that 'we do not know what we ought to pray for' (Rom. 8:26), that we should always be precise, specific and confident in what we pray for, and that to add 'if it be your will' is a cop-out and incompatible with faith. In response, we need to distinguish between the general and the particular will of God. Since God has revealed his general will for all his people in Scripture (e.g. that we should control ourselves and become like Christ), we should indeed pray with definiteness and assurance about these things. But God's particular will for each of us (e.g. regarding a life work and a life partner) has not been revealed in Scripture, so that, in praying for guidance, it is right to add 'by God's will'. If Jesus himself did this in the garden of Gethsemane ('Not my will, but yours be done'; Lk. 22:42), and if Paul did it twice in his letter to the Romans, we should do it too. It is not unbelief, but a proper humility. JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Romans" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1994), p. 389.
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Tue, May 13th - 7:43AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The amazing enabling grace of God not only forgave me of my sin, but Jesus paid the debt, assumed all my liability and assets. Now I belong to Jesus!* 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSV) *17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
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Tue, May 13th - 7:30AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Shirley and Abe, a retired couple from New York City, living in Miami Beach, are getting ready to go out to dinner. Shirley says, "Abe, darling, do you want me to wear this Chanel suit or the Gucci?" Abe says, "Do I care?" A few minutes later Shirley says, "Abe, should I wear my Cartier watch or my Rolex?" Abe says, "Who cares?" A few more minutes pass and Shirley says, "Abe, love, shall I wear my five-carat pear diamond ring or my six-carat round diamond ring with the baguettes?" Abe says, "Shirley, I really don't care what you wear, but if you don't get moving, we're going to miss the Early Bird Special."
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Mon, May 12th - 8:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
A servant girl, who was once asked how she knew she was a
converted Christian, replied: 'Well, you see, I used to sweep the dust
under the mat, but now I don't.' It is possible to visit somebody else
as if Jesus Christ lived there, to type a letter as if Jesus Christ were
going to read it, to serve a customer as if Jesus Christ had come
shopping that day, and to nurse a patient as if Jesus Christ were in
that hospital bed. It is possible to cook a meal as if we were Martha in
the kitchen, and Jesus Christ were going to eat it.* JOHN STOTT *28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matt 20:28
Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)
40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you
did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to
me.'
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Mon, May 12th - 8:25AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
"Hello, hello?" shrilled a spinsterish voice over the phone. "Is this the SPCA?"
"Yes."
"I want you to send somebody over right away."
"What's wrong?"
"There's a horrid magazine salesman sitting in a tree teasing my dog."
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Sun, May 11th - 8:16AM
BALANCED DEVOTION
For a healthy Christian life today it is of the utmost importance to follow Paul's example and keep Christian praise and Christian prayer together. Yet many do not manage to preserve this balance. Some Christians seem to do little but pray for new spiritual blessings, apparently oblivious of the fact that God has already blessed them in Christ with every spiritual blessing. Others lay such emphasis on the undoubted truth that everything is already theirs in Christ, that they become complacent and appear to have no appetite to know or experience their Christian privileges more deeply. Both these groups must be declared unbalanced. They have created a polarization which Scripture will not tolerate. JOHN STOTT
--From "The Message of Ephesians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1979), p. 52.
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Sun, May 11th - 8:11AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"You can no more separate yourself from your influence than
you can separate yourself from your shadow as you walk in the noonday
sun."* (George Truett)
*A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1 (NRSV)
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Sun, May 11th - 8:04AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A
young man at this construction site was bragging that he could outdo
anyone based on his strength. He especially made fun of one of the older
workman. After several minutes, the older worker had enough.
"Why don't you put your money where you mouth is?" he said. "I'll bet a
week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to the
other building that you won't be able to wheel back."
"You're on, old man," the young man replied. "Let's see what you've got."
The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then
nodding to the young man, he said with a smile, "All right. Get in."
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Sat, May 10th - 8:47AM
THE LORD'S PRAYER
The three petitions which Jesus puts upon our lips are beautifully comprehensive. They cover, in principle, all our human need -- material (daily bread), spiritual (forgiveness of sins) and moral (deliverance from evil). What we are doing whenever we pray this prayer is to express our dependence upon God in every area of our human life. Moreover, a trinitarian Christian is bound to see in these three petitions a veiled allusion to the Trinity, since it is through the Father's creation and providence that we receive our daily bread, through the Son's atoning death that we may be forgiven and through the Spirit's indwelling power that we are rescued from the evil one. No wonder some ancient manuscripts (though not the best) end with the doxology, attributing 'the kingdom and the power and the glory' to this triune God to whom alone it belongs. JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of the Sermon on the Mount" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester and Downers Grove, 1978), p. 150.
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Sat, May 10th - 8:39AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Sometimes the treasure is coated with corrosion, but if we do some scraping, we begin to see its value. Thanksgiving expresses our faith that God can, indeed, bring treasures out of trials, and faith adds muscle to the scraping process, even in the worst of trials."* - From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley *"My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;" James 1:2-3 (NRSV)
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Sat, May 10th - 8:34AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young man. Midnight is past your curfew!" MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY'S MOTHER: "I don't mind you having a garden, Mary, but does it have to be growing under your bed?" MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?" HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER: "Humpty, if I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? Noooo!" COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, Christopher. You still could have written!" BABE RUTH'S MOTHER: "Babe, how many times have I told you-quit playing ball in the house! That's the third broken window this week!" MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?" NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, Napoleon. If you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, then take your hand out of there and prove it!" CUSTER'S MOTHER: "Now, George, remember what I told you-don't go biting off more than you can chew!" ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?" BARNEY'S MOTHER: "I realize strained plums are your favorite, Barney, but you're starting to look a little purple." MARY'S MOTHER: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, Mary, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you." BATMAN'S MOTHER: "It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to be?" GOLDILOCKS' MOTHER: "I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?" LITTLE MISS MUFFET'S MOTHER: "Well, all I've got to say is if you don't get off your tuffet and start cleaning your room, there'll be a lot more spiders around here!" ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But, Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?" GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!" JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story, but now tell me where you've really been for the last three days." SUPERMAN'S MOTHER: "Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit spending so much time in all those phone booths?" THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb, Thomas. Now turn off that light and get to bed!"
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Fri, May 9th - 8:07AM
WHY PROGRESS IS SLOW
I sometimes wonder if the comparatively slow progress towards world peace, world equity and world evangelization is not due, more than anything else, to the prayerlessness of the people of God. JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Thessalonians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1991), p. 125
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Fri, May 9th - 8:03AM
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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Fri, May 9th - 7:59AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A boy was taking care of his baby sister while his parents went to town shopping. He decided to go fishing and he had to take her along. "I'll never do that again!" he told his mother that evening. "I didn't catch a thing!" "Oh, next time I'm sure she'll be quiet and not scare the fish away," his mother said. The boy said, "It wasn't that. She ate all the bait."
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Thu, May 8th - 8:31AM
LET US REJOICE
Psalms 118:24 (NRSV) 24This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Romans 8:18 (NRSV) 18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. I will not allow the circumstances of life interrupt my praise
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Thu, May 8th - 7:54AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
I do not hesitate to say that to interpret the church in terms of a privileged clerical caste or hierarchical structure is to destroy the New Testament doctrine of the church.* John Stott *25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; Matthew 20:25-27 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 8th - 7:48AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKKE A MEDICINE!
Two buddies were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the other had a Chihuahua. As they sauntered down the street, the guy with the Doberman said to his friend, "Let's go over to that restaurant and get something to drink." The guy with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us." The one with the Doberman said, "Just follow my lead." They walked over to the restaurant and the guy with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant. The waiter at the door said, "Sorry, Mac, no pets allowed." The man with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my Seeing-Eye dog." The waiter said, "A Doberman pinscher?" The man said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good." The waiter said, "OK then, come on in." The buddy with the Chihuahua figured he'd try it too so he put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant. He knew his story would be a bit more unbelievable. Once again the waiter said, "Sorry, pal, no pets allowed." The man with the Chihuahua said, "You don't understand. This is my Seeing-Eye dog." The waiter said, "A Chihuahua?" The man with the Chihuahua said, "A Chihuahua?!? A Chihuahua?!? They gave me a Chihuahua??
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Wed, May 7th - 8:10AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
God never settles for 'good enough'. What He wants for you will astound you.* (Joel Osteen)
*Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 7th - 8:06AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A police officer sees a man driving around with a pickup truck full of penguins. He pulls the guy over and says, "You can't drive around with penguins in this town! Take them to the zoo immediately."
The guy says okay, and drives away. The next day, the officer sees the guy still driving around with the truck full of penguins -- and they're all wearing sunglasses. He pulls the guy over and demands, "I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday?"
The guy replies, "I did. Today I'm taking them to the beach!"
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Wed, May 7th - 8:06AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A police officer sees a man driving around with a pickup truck full of penguins. He pulls the guy over and says, "You can't drive around with penguins in this town! Take them to the zoo immediately."
The guy says okay, and drives away. The next day, the officer sees the guy still driving around with the truck full of penguins -- and they're all wearing sunglasses. He pulls the guy over and demands, "I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday?"
The guy replies, "I did. Today I'm taking them to the beach!"
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Tue, May 6th - 8:44AM
WHY READ THE BIBLE
There is no magic in the Bible or in the mechanical reading of the Bible. No, the written Word points to the Living Word and says to us 'Go to Jesus.' If we do not go to the Jesus to whom it points, we miss the whole purpose of the Bible reading. JOHN STOTT --From "The Bible: Book for Today" (Leicester: IVP, 1982), p. 25.
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Tue, May 6th - 8:40AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."* *1If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.4Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13
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Tue, May 6th - 8:36AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A guy took his girl friend to her first Longhorn football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience. "Oh, I really liked it," she replied,
"Especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."
Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, I saw them flip a coin and one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: get the quarterback. Get the quarterback! It’s only 25 cents!
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Mon, May 5th - 8:50AM
WHO AND WHAT WE ARE!
We must keep reminding ourselves what we have and are in Christ. One of the great purposes of daily Bible reading, meditation and prayer is just this, to get ourselves correctly orientated, to remember who and what we are. We need to say to ourselves: 'Once I was a slave, but God has made me his son and put the spirit of his son into my heart. How can I turn back to the old slavery?' Again: 'Once I did not know God, but now I know him and have come to be known by him. How can I turn back to the old ignorance?' JOHN STOTT --From "The Message of Galatians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: London and Downers Grove: IVP, 1968), p. 110.
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Mon, May 5th - 8:14AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Whenever we're hit with a trial, if we don't allow ourselves to become angry and bitter, we'll become much more empathetic toward others who are experiencing similar problems and more sensitive to their feelings. All these things make us more loving and a better friend.* - From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley *James 1:3-4 "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
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Mon, May 5th - 8:07AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Two young idiots were camping out in the forest one night. But the mosquitoes Were so fierce that the boys had to hide under their blankets to keep from getting bitten. Then one of the boys saw some lightning bugs. “We may as well give up,” he told his friend. “Now they are coming at us with flashlights.”
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Sun, May 4th - 7:52AM
GROWTH IN THE WORD
The greatest single secret of spiritual development lies in personal, humble, believing, obedient response to the Word of God. It is as God speaks to us through his Word that his warnings can bring us to conviction of sin, his promises to assurance of forgiveness, and his commands to amendment of life. We live and grow by his Word. JOHN STOTT --From "Confess your Sins" (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1964), p. 82.
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Sun, May 4th - 7:41AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"David wasn't thinking of being king when he was tending sheep; he was just doing what God sat before him."* -- John Fisher *"Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might;...." Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NRSV)
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Sun, May 4th - 7:37AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A lawyer died and arrived at the pearly gates. To his dismay, there were thousands of people ahead of him in line to see St. Peter. To his surprise, St. Peter left his desk at the gate and came down the long line to where the lawyer was, and greeted him warmly. Then St. Peter and one of his assistants took the lawyer by the hands and guided him up to the front of the line, and into a comfortable chair by his desk. The lawyer said, "I don't mind all this attention, but what makes me so special?" St. Peter replied, "Well, I've added up all the hours for which you billed your clients, and by my calculation you must be about 193 years old!"
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Sat, May 3rd - 6:09AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."* -- Ralph Waldo Emerson *"and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (NRSV) "To 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." Colossians 1:27 (NRSV
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Sat, May 3rd - 5:53AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man awoke one evening to discover prowlers in his storage shed. He immediately called 911, gave his address, to report the prowlers and possible burglary. The operator at the other end said "Are they in your house?" He said they were not, only in his storage shed in back of the house. The operator said there were no cars available at that time. He thanked the operator, hung up the phone and counted to 30 and called again. "I just called you about prowlers in my storage shed. Well you do not have to worry, as I just shot them all dead!" Within seconds there were 3 police cars, an ambulance and fire engine at the scene. After capturing the prowlers red-handed, the policeman asked the caller, "I thought you said you had shot them all!" The man answered, "I thought you said there were no police available!"
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Sat, May 3rd - 5:45AM
THE ROAD TO MATURITY
I do not hesitate to say that the Bible is indispensable to every Christian's health and growth. Christians who neglect the Bible simply do not mature. JOHN STOTT --From "The Bible: Book for Today" (Leicester: IVP, 1982), p. 65.
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Fri, May 2nd - 8:05AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
I accompanied my husband when he went to get a haircut. Reading a magazine, I found a hairstyle I liked for myself, and I asked the receptionist if I could take the magazine next door to make a copy of the photo. "Leave some ID, a driver's license or a credit card," she said. "But my husband is here getting a haircut," I explained. "Yes," she replied. "But I need something you'll come back for."
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Fri, May 2nd - 8:03AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Try to get all of your posthumous medals in advance.* *8From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 1st - 8:51AM
THE CHRISTIAN AND GOOD WORKS
QUESTION: Are good works necessary to salvation? Answer: Well, yes and no. Although we cannot be saved by works, we also cannot be saved without them. Good works are not the way of salvation, but its proper and necessary evidence. A faith which does not express itself in works is dead. JOHN STOTT --From "Christ the Controversialist" (London: Tyndale Press, 1970), p. 127.
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Thu, May 1st - 8:31AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."* JIM DENISON- DENISON FORUM *14 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called together his servants and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone. 15 "He gave $5,000 to one, $2,000 to another, and $1,000 to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip. 16 The man who received the $5,000 began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another $5,000. 17 The man with $2,000 went right to work, too, and earned another $2,000. 18 "But the man who received the $1,000 dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safekeeping. 19 "After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money. 20 The man to whom he had entrusted the $5,000 brought him $10,000. 21 "His master praised him for good work. ’You have been faithful in handling this small amount,’ he told him, ’so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.’ 22 "Next came the man who had received the $2,000, with the report, ’Sir, you gave me $2,000 to use, and I have doubled it.’ 23 " ’Good work,’ his master said. ’You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.’ 24 "Then the man with the $1,000 came and said, ’Sir, I knew you were a hard man, 25 and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned, so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!’ 26 "But his master replied, ’Wicked man! Lazy slave! Since you knew I would demand your profit, 27 you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. 28 Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the $10,000. 29 For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. 30 And throw the useless servant out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30 (TLB) 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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Thu, May 1st - 8:31AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."* JIM DENISON- DENISON FORUM *14 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called together his servants and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone. 15 "He gave $5,000 to one, $2,000 to another, and $1,000 to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip. 16 The man who received the $5,000 began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another $5,000. 17 The man with $2,000 went right to work, too, and earned another $2,000. 18 "But the man who received the $1,000 dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safekeeping. 19 "After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money. 20 The man to whom he had entrusted the $5,000 brought him $10,000. 21 "His master praised him for good work. ’You have been faithful in handling this small amount,’ he told him, ’so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.’ 22 "Next came the man who had received the $2,000, with the report, ’Sir, you gave me $2,000 to use, and I have doubled it.’ 23 " ’Good work,’ his master said. ’You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.’ 24 "Then the man with the $1,000 came and said, ’Sir, I knew you were a hard man, 25 and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned, so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!’ 26 "But his master replied, ’Wicked man! Lazy slave! Since you knew I would demand your profit, 27 you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. 28 Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the $10,000. 29 For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. 30 And throw the useless servant out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30 (TLB) 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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Thu, May 1st - 8:17AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man takes his hamster to the vet, and after a short look at the creature the vet pronounces it dead. Not happy with the vet's diagnosis the man asks for a second opinion. The vet gives a whistle and in strolls a Labrador dog. The dog nudges the hamster around with its nose and sniffs it a couple of times before shaking his head. "There" says the vet,” Your hamster is dead". Still not happy the man asks for a third opinion. The vet opens the back door and in bounds a cat. The cat jumps onto the table and looks the hamster up and down for a few minutes before looking up and shaking it's head. "It's definitely dead sir", says the vet. Convinced, the man enquires how much he owes. "That will be £1000, please". "A £1000 just to tell me my hamster is dead" fumes the man. "Well", says the vet, "There's my diagnosis, the lab report and the cat scan".
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
