April 29

· Love people, not their values – God loves people (John 3:16), but that doesn’t mean he loves the values of the world. The Apostle John warns us not to “love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.” (1 John 2:15 MSG)

"You don't have to be alone in your hurt! Comfort is yours. Joy is an option. And it's all been made possible by your Savior. He went without comfort so you might have it. He postponed joy so you might share in it. He willingly chose isolation so you might never be alone in your hurt and sorrow." - Joni Eareckson Tada


Mark your calendar. At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07.

It is estimated that 31 million U.S. households do not have Internet access and do not plan to subscribe to an Internet provider in the next 12 months. Of those households, 44 percent believe they have no need for the Internet. - Source: Time (April 9, 2007)

THE PARTY BEGINS (Commenting on Matthew 4:11) The angels celebrated his victory. Taken with his perseverance and righteousness, they slipped out of heaven and congratulated him for not selling out. Do you realize the angels are always ready for such a party? Any time you are tempted to sell out your principles, the angels come to attention. They wait as you struggle. Then at the very moment you decide you are not for sale, the party begins. While you may not see them, they are in riotous celebration all around your unmoved soul. --Calvin Miller

A woman is rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Her husband waits patiently in the waiting room. After a few minutes, the doctor comes out and asks the assistant for a wrench, which understandably concerns the husband.
Then, after a couple more moments, the doctor re-enters the room this time asking for a screwdriver.
The man grows worried and begins to pace in circles. Then, a little later, the doctor bursts through the doors screaming for a hammer.
At that, the husband, in a state of frenzied terror, runs up to the physician and asks, "Doctor, what the heck is wrong with my wife?"
"I don't know," replies the flustered doctor, "I can't get my medical bag open."

A good piece of chocolate has about 200 calories. As I enjoy 2 servings per night, and a few more on weekends. I consume 3,500 calories of chocolate in a week, which equals one pound of weight per week.
Therefore... In the last 3 1/2 years, I have had chocolate caloric intake of about 180 pounds, and I only weigh 165 pounds, so without chocolate, I would have wasted away to nothing about 3 months ago! I owe my life to chocolate.


In his book, Future Shock, Alvin Toffler explains how, in this modern world of rapid change, confusion and over-choice, we all need some kind of "stability zones" - regular habits, rituals, beliefs - whatever it is that gives us a stable point of reference. It would be difficult to deny the wisdom of Toffler's observation, or to miss its application to the role of religious faith in our lives. The grace of God as revealed in Jesus, the Christ, is surely our ultimate stability zone.

A Bleat of Pain from A Bleat of Joy
I read last week that “cows are herded from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that will not work with sheep. Stand behind them making loud noises and all they will do is run around behind you, because sheep prefer to follow. You push cows, but you lead sheep, and they will not go anywhere that someone else does not go first – namely their shepherd – the one who goes ahead of them to show them that everything is all right.
"Sheep tend to grow fond of their shepherds. Shepherds can walk through a sleeping flock without disturbing any of them, while a stranger could not come close without causing pandemonium. Sheep seem to consider their shepherds to be part of their family. They develop their own language. A good shepherd can distinguish a bleat of pain from a bleat of joy. Sheep learn that a certain click of the tongue means it’s time to eat and a certain whistle means it’s time to go.

An airline pilot, passing over an airport one day, called the air traffic controller and asked him what time it was. "What airline are you flying?" came back the response. "What airline am I flying?" the pilot repeated. "What possible difference does that make? I want to know what time it is." The controller replied patiently: "Well, sir, it makes all the difference in the world. If you are with United Airlines, it is 1500 hours. If you are with American, it's 3 p.m. If you are with Continental, the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the three. And if you are with JetBlue, it's Tuesday."

What Is Unique About Christianity?
The story of Jesus sitting and debating the Law with rabbis reminds me of another debate that took place in a comparative religions conference, the wise and the scholarly were in a spirited debate about what is unique about Christianity. Someone suggested what set Christianity apart from other religions was the concept of incarnation, the idea that God became incarnate in human form. But someone quickly said, “Well, actually, other faiths believe that God appears in human form.” Another suggestion was offered: what about resurrection? The belief that death is not the final word. That the tomb was found empty. Someone slowly shook his head. Other religions have accounts of people returning from the dead.
Then, as the story is told, C.S. Lewis walked into the room, tweed jacket, pipe, armful of papers, a little early for his presentation. He sat down and took in the conversation, which had by now evolved into a fierce debate. Finally during a lull, he spoke saying, “what's all this rumpus about?” Everyone turned in his direction. Trying to explain themselves they said, “We're debating what's unique about Christianity.” “Oh, that's easy,” answered Lewis, “it is grace."
The room fell silent.
Lewis continued that Christianity uniquely claims God's love comes free of charge, no strings attached. No other religion makes that claim. After a moment someone commented that Lewis had a point, Buddhists, for example, follow an eight-fold path to enlightenment. It's not a free ride.
Hindu's believe in karma, that your actions continually affect the way the world will treat you; that there is nothing that comes to you not set in motion by your actions. Someone else observed the Jewish code of the law implies God has requirements, and Islam's code of love does the same.
At the end of the discussion everyone concluded Lewis had a point. Only Christianity dares to proclaim God's love is unconditional. An unconditional love that we call grace.


Nibbled Lost
The story is told of a farmer who had just rescued a lost sheep. When asked how the sheep got lost, the farmer replied, "They just nibble themselves lost. They go from one tuft of grass to another, until at last they've lost their way." That's what happens in life, isn't it? We nibble away at life with little purpose or direction, until it's gone and we have no idea where it went.
In a world that’s increasingly more scattered and scared, our task as Christ’s Church is to translate and transmit the voice of the Good Shepherd to all those who are lost, hurting, and alone. It’s also about following Jesus’ example and welcoming everyone into the fold. Even we sheep should be able to understand that.

A little old lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young lawyer would leave his office building at lunch time and, as he passed her pretzel stand, he would leave her a quarter, but would never take a pretzel. This went on for more than five years. The two of them never spoke. One day as the lawyer passed the old ladies pretzel stand and left his quarter as usual, the pretzel woman spoke to him, " Sir, I appreciate your business. You are a good customer, but I have to tell you that the pretzel price has increased to 35 cents."

"Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn't going to get the job done." -- Jim Rohn

There is profound theology in the words of the little girl who began to recite the 23rd Psalm "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want."

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm. No matter how raging the billows are today, remind yourself: "This too shall pass!"

April 22

Many questions will continue to surround the events of this awful day. What could have caused such an outrageous action? Why did so many have to die? How could such a tragedy have been prevented? Some may even question, "Where was God?" The circumstances for such questions remind us of the broken and fallen world in which we live, where evil still has its day as the "devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
While one may never be able to explain fully to satisfaction the many queries of this incident, one can find the answer for hope in such times in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Easter message of His resurrection reminds us that He has destroyed the power of sin, death, and the devil. From the hollowness of an empty tomb comes the message of comfort and healing that alone can fill the emptiness of lives left vacant by the sadness and sorrow in the tragic death of fellow students and family members and friends. In the most tragic of circumstances we have hope, for God is there "reconciling the world unto himself in Christ."
Even though we cannot in this life fully understand the mysteries of God, we can be sure of His love for us. Amid the dangers of our sinful world and fragile, fleeting lives, we turn to Christ as our eternal comfort and hope. We find solace in St. Paul's words to the Romans: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).
"Christianity does not deny the reality of evil or try to hide from its true horror. Christians dare not minimize evil nor take refuge in euphemisms. Beyond this, we cannot accept that evil will have the last word. The last word will be the perfect fulfillment of the grace and justice of God." - R. Albert Mohler Jr.,

Why in heaven's name was there 153 fish? Have you ever wondered about that? No? Well others have. Cyril of Alexandria in the 5th century said that the 100 represented the fullness of the gentiles, the 50 symbolized the remnant of Israel and the three of course was there for the Trinity.
Augustine’s theory (5th century) was a little more complicated. He said, there are 10 commandments and 7 is the perfect number of grace and that’s 17 right? Now if you add all the numbers from 1 to 17 together, you know 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 all the way up to 17 you’ll get 153. And not only that but if you were to arrange them with 17 fish in the first row, and 16 in the next row, and 15 in the next row, all the way down to a row of 1 you get a perfect triangle which of course symbolizes the Trinity.
Jerome, he also lived in the 5th century, suggested that there were 153 different types of fish in the sea and it was symbolic of the church reaching all the people in the world.
Or the simple one is that at that time there were 153 nations. Jesus said: Go into the whole world. You will be fishers of men.

"If you find yourself loving any pleasure more than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of the Lord, any table better than the Lord's table, any person better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven - be alarmed." - Thomas Guthrie


“I always tell the kids, ‘You know what’s great about going the extra mile? There’s very little traffic.’” – Jim Larranaga, George Mason University basketball coach

“We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end to them.” –Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher

“Opportunity’s favorite disguise is trouble.” – English proverb

“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better." – Sydney J. Harris

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the truck, the car, playing golf - always something more important to me.
Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush.
I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."
The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
Moral to this story : Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is the husband.

When you come to a sudden bump in the road... Never allow your life circumstances to define you, instead, let them refine you. Hard things are like heavenly sandpaper upon your life! God uses them to shape and mold you into a work of art. When you feel the pressure of trials, remember that God won't allow them to crush you, he intends for them to make you beautiful. 2 Cor. 4:8-9

Our problem is that we try to control evil from without when, in fact, it resides within us. Having abandoned the teaching of right and wrong and accountability for one's actions for fear of offending a person's sensibilities, we have unilaterally disarmed ourselves against evil. We don't need more gun control. We need more self-control. - Cal Thomas


"I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN"
I'm usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going.
I'm good on a trip for at least an hour without my aspirin, antacid...
I'm the life of the party... even when it lasts until 8 PM.
I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.
I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a word you're saying.
I'm very good at telling stories.....over and over and over and over
I'm aware that other people's grandchildren are not as cute as mine.
I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.
I'm so cared for: long term care, eye care, private care, dental care...
I'm sure everything I can't find is in a secure place.
I'm not grouchy, I just don't like traffic, waiting, crowds, politicians...
I'm wondering, if you're only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 100?
I'm in the initial stage of my golden years: SS, CD's, IRA'S, AARP.....
I'm a walking storeroom of facts.....I've just lost the key to the storeroom door.
I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!!!

Saint Theresa's prayer:
May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

A Father is a man with pictures in his wallet, where he used to keep his money when he was single.

"Inspiration without perspiration leads to frustration and stagnation." -- Bill Bright

April 15, 2007

A pastor friend put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church and after two weeks took them out.
I asked him why and he confessed that they worked fine but when he went in there he saw a sign that read,
"For a sample of this week's sermon, push the button."


Ants in The Pants of Faith
Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving. Frederick Buechner

If a man will begin in certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. Francis Bacon

You can’t hide from God by missing church.
The prayer closets of God’s people are where the roots of the church grow.
Religious differences are not nearly so disastrous as religious indifferences.
The way to preserve peace in the church is to preserve the purity of it.
Some people who watch “Saturday Night Live” come to church “Sunday Morning Dead.”

After the baptism of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."

The richest 2% of the world's population owns more than half of the world's household wealth. The findings may be surprising, for what makes people "wealthy" across the world spectrum is a relatively low bar.
The research indicates that assets of just $2,200 per adult place a household in the top half of the world's wealthiest. To be among the richest 10% of adults in the world, just $61,000 in assets is needed. If you have more than $500,000, you're part of the richest 1%, the United Nations study says. Indeed, 37 million people now belong in that category. Half live on less than $2 a day. Sure, you can now be proud that you're rich. But take a moment to think about it, and you'll probably come to realize that the meaning behind these numbers is harrowing. For if it takes just a couple of thousand dollars to qualify as rich in this world, imagine what it means to be poor.
Half the world, nearly 3 billion people, live on less than $2 a day. The three richest people in the world –- Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, investor Warren Buffett and Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helú -- have more money than the poorest 48 nations combined.


OVERCOMING THE NEGATIVE
"I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then whenever doubts, anxiety, or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon they'll forget my number." -- Edith Armstrong

"De-program yourself. The news is not the news. It is the bad news. It is deliberately shocking. The more you accept it as the news, the more you believe that 'that's the way it is,' and the more fearful and cynical you will become." -- Steve Chandler

"Issue a blanket pardon. Forgive everyone who has ever hurt you in any way. Forgiveness is a perfectly selfish act. It sets you free from the past." -- Brian Tracy

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." -- John Wooden

"If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest." -- Publilius Syrus

"Start from wherever you are and with whatever you've got." -- Jim Rohn


"There is no money crisis, only an idea crisis. We need new ideas on how we can do what we really want to do." -- Mark Victor Hansen

"Money never starts an idea; it's the idea that starts the money." -- Mark Victor Hansen

WHAT'S 'NORMAL' FOR CHURCHES TODAY? Half of all congregations have fewer
than 100 regularly participating adults, 25% have fewer than 50. Fewer than 10% of congregations have more than 1,000 participating adults. Fifty-two percent of congregations are located in small towns and open country. More than two-out-of-three congregations report sponsoring or supporting a thrift shop. More than one-third are involved in tutoring. More than 80% have or support a food pantry. Most of the growing churches have informal services, preaching styles that are narrative or story-telling, and emphasize prayer and music (especially electronic). For more information, check out http://www.fact.hartsem.edu>. -from a study of 14,031 congregations in 41 denominations, statistically reflecting the experiences of 350,000 congregations and 90% of worshipers, conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (part of Hartford Seminary),

The Scars of Easter - He knows the wounds of humanity. His hands prove it.
Isaac Newton said, "In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would
convince me of God’s existence." After 40 years as a surgeon specializing in hands, I am tempted to agree. Nothing in all nature rivals the hand’s combination of strength and agility, tolerance and sensitivity. We use our hands for the most wonderful activities: art, music, writing, healing, touching.
Some people go to concerts and athletic events to watch the performance; I go to watch hands. For me, a piano performance is a ballet of fingers -- a glorious flourish of ligaments and joints, tendons, nerves, and muscles. I try to sit near the stage to watch the movements.
Unless you have tried to reproduce just one small twitch of the hand mechanically, you cannot fully appreciate its movements. Often I have stood before a group of medical students or surgeons to analyze the motion of one finger. I hold before them a dissected cadaver hand, with its trailing strands of sinew, and announce that I will move the tip of the little finger.
To do so, I must place the hand on a table and spend about four minutes sorting through the tangle of tendons and muscles. Seventy separate muscles contribute to hand movements. But in order to allow dexterity and slimness for actions such as piano playing, the finger has no muscle in itself; tendons transfer the force from muscles higher in the arm. (Body-builders should be grateful: imagine the limitations on finger movement if the fingers had muscles that could grow large and bulky.) Finally, after I have arranged at least a dozen muscles correctly, I can maneuver them to make the little finger move. Usually, I give this demonstration to illustrate a way to repair the hand surgically. In 40 years of surgery, I have personally operated on perhaps 10,000 hands. I could fill a room with surgery manuals suggesting various ways to repair injured hands. But in those years I have never found a single technique to improve a normal, healthy hand. That is why I am tempted to agree with Isaac Newton.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." -- Sir Winston Churchill

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." -- James Oppenheim

“Worry looks around, sorry looks back, Faith looks up."



Secrets Of Great Golf
A reporter was interviewing Jack Nicklaus. He said, "Jack, you are spectacular, your name is synonymous with the game of golf. You really know your way around the course. What is your secret?"
To which Jack replied, "The holes are numbered!"

"Courage is fear that has said its prayers." - Dorothy Bernard

"God wants to roll away your stone as well. He wants you just as free as Jesus is risen - Christ's death and resurrection were for you. God's intent is to so saturate our lives with his life and Spirit that our everyday existence embodies and expresses the victorious and death-conquering resurrection of his son." - Dutch Sheets, Roll Away Your Stone

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." -- Alexander Graham Bell


Thoughts on Doubt ...
✓ Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can't believe; unbelief is won't believe. Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness. John Drummond (1851-1897)
✓ Doubt is the disease of this inquisitive, restless age. It is the price we pay for our advanced intelligence and civilization -the dim night of our resplendent day. But as the most beautiful light is born of darkness, so the faith that springs from conflict is often the strongest and the best. Billy Graham (1918- )

April 8, 2007 Easter

ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY
Don't put all of your eggs in one basket
Walk softly and carry a big carrot
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears
There's no such thing as too much candy
All work and no play can make you a basket case
A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits !
Some body parts should be floppy
Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans
Good things come in small sugarcoated packages
The grass is always greener in someone else's basket
An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare
To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell
The best things in life are still sweet and gooey !!!


As you leave the fellowship, recall that there is
Life after death.
Love your neighbor and your self —
Exclaiming often that the source of life is God who
Loves all Creation!
Utilize your talents to make the world an “Easter place,”
Integrating “resurrection newness” into your thinking and your decisions.
Align yourself with the living Christ who invites you and me to spiritual adventure.

The Cross is a wondrous magnet, drawing to Jesus everyone of the true metal. It is as a banner lifted on high to which all who are loyal must rally. This fiery Cross, carried through all lands, will rouse the valiant and speed them to the field. Can you see your Lord suffering to the death for you-and then turn your back? If the Cross does not bring a person out, what will? If the spectacle of dying love does not quicken us into courageous affection for him, what can? --Charles Spurgeon

"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror."

A new survey released by The Barna Group, which has been tracking America's religious behavior and beliefs since 1984, reveals that one out of every three adults (33%) is classified as unchurched--meaning they have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months.
An estimated 73 million adults are presently unchurched. When teens and children are added, the total swells to roughly 100 million Americans.

Imagine that God and Satan have been playing a cosmic chess game with the fate of mankind at stake. Satan appeared to have the upper hand ... that is, until God made a surprising move -- He put Christ on the cross, declaring, "Checkmate."

• Millions of Chocolate Easter Bunnies Sold About 90 million chocolate bunnies are produced for Easter. Solid chocolate bunnies are favored by 42 percent with hollow chocolate bunnies coming in second with 21 percent. If you enjoy marshmallow-filled bunnies, you are among 10 percent of the chocolate bunny eaters.

THE FOG WILL LIFT Today I am one day nearer home than before. One day nearer the dawning when the fog will lift, mysteries clear, and all question marks straighten up into exclamation points! --Vance Havner

IT MAY BE TIME TO GET STARTED Having the world's best idea will do you no good unless you act on it. People who want milk shouldn't sit on a stool in the middle of a field in
hopes that a cow will back up to them. --Curtis Grant in "Nation's Business"

SIT QUIETLY IN HIS PRESENCE To sit in the oval office in the presence of the President of the United States is a great honor, even if one says not a word. How much greater to sit quietly in the presence of the King of Kings. --Bill Patterson

HOW ENDURING THE LEAST WORD GOD HAS SPOKEN The empire of Caesar is gone; the legions of Rome are smoldering in the dust; the avalanches that Napoleon hurled upon Europe have melted away; the prince of the Pharaohs is fallen; the pyramids they raised to be their tombs are sinking every day in the desert sands; Tyre is a rock for bleaching fisherman's nets; Sidon has scarcely left a wreck behind; but the Word of God still survives. All things that threatened to extinguish it have only aided it; and it proves every day how transient is the noblest monument that men can build, how enduring is the least word that God has spoken. --Albert Baird Cummins

I have always dreaded old age. I cannot imagine anything worse than being old. How awful it must be to have nothing to do all day long but stare at the walls or watch TV. So last week, when the mayor suggested we all celebrate Senior Citizen Week by cheering up a senior citizen, I determined to do just that. I would call on my new neighbor, an elderly retired gentleman, recently widowed, who, I presumed, had moved in with his married daughter because he was too old to take care of himself. I baked a batch of brownies and without bothering to call (some old people cannot hear the phone), I went off to brighten this old guy's day.
When I rang the doorbell, this "old guy" came to the door dressed in tennis shorts and a polo shirt, looking about as ancient and decrepit as Donny Osmond. "I'm sorry I can't invite you in," he said when I introduced myself, "but I'm due at the Racquet Club at two. I'm playing in the semifinals today." "Oh, that's all right," I said. "I baked you some brownies..."
"Great!", he interrupted, snatching the box, "Just what I need for bridge club tomorrow!
Thanks so much!" "...and just thought we'd visit a while, but that's okay, I'll just trot across the street and call on Granny Grady..." "Don't bother," he said, "Gran's not home. I know,
I just called to remind her of our date to go dancing tonight. She may be at the beauty shop. She mentioned at breakfast that she had an appointment for a tint job." I called my Mother's cousin (age 83), she was in the hospital... working in the gift shop. I called my aunt (age 74); she was on vacation in China. I called my husband's uncle (age 79). I forgot, he was on his honeymoon. I still dread old age, now more than ever. I just don't think I'm up to it.....
Author Unknown

Our Greatest Need
"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness, So God sent us a Savior!"

**Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. He had joy, singing its music within, even under the shadow of the cross. --Samuel Dickey Gordon (1859-1936)

**Easter can be described in many ways, but joy is one adjective that is it full of. Understand this: the Stoic bears, the Epicurean seeks to enjoy, the Buddhist and Hindu stand apart disillusioned, the Muslim submits, but only the Christian exults in joy. And that is the message of Easter!

A Reflection about the “open tomb” (From Max Lucado, shared by permission.)
“Why did the angel move the stone? Was the death conqueror so weak that he couldn’t push away a rock? Listen to what the angel says: “Come and see the place where his body was.”
The stone was moved--not for Jesus--but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in! Mary looks at Mary and Mary is grinning the same grin she had when the bread and fish kept coming out of the basket.
“Go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there.’” Yet one surprise awaits them....
“Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings.’ The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘don’t be afraid.’
Never let an open tomb scare you. As a Christian you can look right in for nothing will be there--nothing of importance. The soul is with God and the glory of Easter is now come full circle!

April 1, 2007

Put your will in neutral, so God can shift you.

“Let us step into the darkness and reach out for the hand of God. The path of faith and darkness is so much safer than the one we would choose by sight."
George MacDonald


“There are many who have a great deal of this life in their hands, but nothing of the other life in their hearts.” Matthew Henry

“Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” P. J. O'Rourke

SOME WISDOM FROM LARRY THE CABLE GUY
1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the hell happened?"
22. Just remember--if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.


The song says we're the "Easter People." We're the people of the empty tomb. (Perhaps instead of crosses, we should fashion for our neckwear a little golden stone beside a 14-karat hole.) Eugene Peterson says rather than holding firmly to the Resurrection, we've latched onto many other things to define our relationship to Christ and to the world. He calls it our current crisis—the loss of our true Christian identity. "Our basic connection to life is severed, and we begin borrowing our identities from therapists and entertainers, CEOs and politicians, pastors and teachers, men and women who appear to be on the frontlines and making a difference in the world. "So what I want to do is reaffirm this primary identity that we've been given by the resurrection of Jesus. This identity is nurtured and matured in our formation by resurrection."

Did you know that twenty years ago models weighed 5% less than the average woman, andthat today they weigh 23% less? Studies show that when women read a fashion magazine, 70% feel depressed, guilty, or ashamed.
"Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective." - Max Lucado

"Just As I Am" is a very gracious hymn, but I want someone to write me another hymn: "Just where I am, O Lamb of God, you come." --George H. Morrison


THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2007
1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

God whispers in your soul and speaks to your mind. Sometimes when you don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your choice: Listen to the whisper, or wait for the brick.

It may be the most difficult time in your life. You may be enduring your own whirlwind … or you may be the innocent bystander caught in the consequential backwash of another’s sin. You may feel desperately alone, and it may seem that it will never, ever end. But believe me, the whirlwind is a temporary experience. Your faithful, caring Lord will see you through it. --Charles Swindoll

The simple fact is no one can remain neutral on the issue of Jesus Christ. We must decide for or against him.

About the Donkey
People often speak of donkeys in belittling terms. You may have heard the expression, "I'm just someone who has to do all the donkey work." Or "So-and-so is as stubborn as a mule" (a mule is part donkey).
These sayings overlook the contributions of a truly valuable animal. Donkeys have served the human race for thousands of years. They were once prized as symbols of humility, gentleness, and peace.
In Bible days, donkeys that had never been ridden were regarded as especially suitable for religious purposes. So it was most fitting that Jesus sent for a colt to perform the royal task of carrying Him into Jerusalem. How enviable was that donkey's mission! How like our mission as Jesus' followers!
A missionary in China calls herself "the Lord's donkey." She's a humble believer, "carrying" her Lord faithfully into town after town and training others to do likewise. The Lord has need of many such "donkeys" in today's world, humble people who will carry Him into their Jerusalem and make Him known.
The donkey had to be untied before Jesus could use it. We too must be released from worldly attachments if we are to serve Christ. Are we willing to be the Lord's donkey? -- Our Daily Bread, March 24, 2001

On My Account
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown and Linus are standing next to each other, staring at a star-filled sky. "Would you like to see a falling star?" Charlie Brown asks Linus.
"Sure..." Linus responds. "Then again, I don't know," he adds, after some thought. "I'd hate to have it fall just on my account."
In the book Parables of Peanuts, Robert Short uses this cartoon to make the point that a star did fall on our account. God came down to us as Jesus: like a lamb led to slaughter, He died on our account. What humility. What love and, oh, what he accomplished there.


WHY WE QUESTION THE RESURRECTION
The evidence for Jesus' resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live. -Theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things
in a spirit of love...

The test of a man then is not, 'How have I believed?' but 'How have I loved?' The test of religion, the final test of religion, is not religiousness, but love.
Not what I have done, not what I have believed, not what I have achieved, but how I have discharged the common charities of life. Henry Drummond

He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.-- Tillotson

"May there be just enough clouds in your life to make a beautiful sunset"

Even though a mosquito beats its wings 600 times per second it only travels about one mile per hour. That's because stopping to annoy people tends to slow you down.

Guess Who? Wanted By:
the FDA for turning water into wine without a license,
he EPA for killing fig trees,
the AMA for practicing medicine without a license,
the Dept. of Health for asking people to open graves, for raising the dead and for feeding 5,000 people in the wilderness,
the NEA for teaching without a certificate,
OSHA for walking on water without a lifejacket and for flying without an airplane,
the SPCA for driving hogs into the sea,
the NATIONAL BOARD of PSYCHIATRISTS for giving advice on how to live a guilt-free life,
the NOW for not choosing a woman apostle,
the ABORTION RIGHTS LEAGUE for saying that whoever harms children, it is better that they had never been born,
the INTERFAITH MOVEMENT for condemning all other religions, and by the ZONING DEPT for building mansions without a permit. Guess Who?


Celebrity Jesus
Can you imagine if Jesus had been treated like a 20th-century celebrity as he rode into Jerusalem?
• Wolf Blitzer might have reported on rumors that Jesus planned to disrupt Temple business.
• Pundits would have argued about who he "really" was.
• Gail Sheehy would undoubtedly have written a psychological profile for Vanity Fair.
• Some tabloid would investigate Jesus' relationship with "the woman at the well."
• There would be in-depth analysis by cult specialists and modern-day Pharisees on MSNBC.
• A council of church officials would be in place to study the authenticity of Jesus' feeding the multitudes and walking on water.
• As he entered the dusty city, hundreds if not thousands would have snapped their throwaway Kodaks, and pointed their videocams while Katie Couric, along with Willard Scott, making a special appearance, would stand by to offer color commentary.

Still a Threat
Lest we be too critical of Jerusalem, ask yourself this question: What city even today would not be shaken by Jesus' entry into it? Imagine Jesus entering New York, Belgrade, Washington, or even Fountain Hills. Oh, I'm sure we'd welcome him with our hosannas - at first, anyway. We'd line the streets and strike up the band and have a grand parade right down Main Street. But I'm equally sure that, by the end of the week, we'd have him nailed to a cross, too. Why? Because the Kingdom Jesus came to establish still threatens the kingdoms of this world -- your kingdom and mine -- the kingdoms where greed, power, and lust rule instead of grace, mercy, and peace. And who among us really wants to surrender our lives to that Kingdom and that King?

A Sunday school teacher asked her class to write one sentence each on “What Easter Means to Me.” One pupil wrote: “Egg salad sandwiches for the next two weeks!”

A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven. --Charles Swindoll