June 10
A pastor was giving a lesson to a group of children on the 23rd Psalm. He noticed that one of the little boys seemed disquieted by the phrase "Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life..."
"What's wrong with that, Johnny?" the pastor asked.
"Well," answered Johnny, "I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I'm not sure I'd like Shirley following me around all the time."
My bathroom scales are also beginning to show signs of inflation.
I was getting to the point of my conversation when suddenly my train of thought pulled out of the station, leaving me on the platform.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN and/or grandchildren?
It is very difficult not to get caught up in the adventures and consequences of Hollywood's "bad girls." The names Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie dominate news shows, newspapers and magazines. These young ladies, all under the age of 26, have become famous more for their misdeeds than their accomplishments. It has been said, "Fame, money and power change everything." Would you agree?
It is also a sad commentary on our society when the young ladies mentioned above become the role models for pre-teen and teenage girls around the world. Paris Hilton was in jail (apparently now under house arrest), Lindsay Lohan is in re-hab, Nicole Richie is fighting to stay out of jail, and Britney Spears, the mother of two, is saying she has hit bottom ... and yet they are role models? Go figure.
In a USAToday survey taken last weekend, people said money, fame and the negative influence of Hollywood had more to do with their bad behavior than parents doing a poor job. I wonder? I believe parents matter and they matter a lot. I also would think the parents of the four troubled ladies are heartsick at what they see.
I wish the following for children:
* I want them to experience unconditional love, but with limits and parameters.
* I want them to grow under Christian influence. I want them to model their parents' values.
* I want their fathers to be their heroes, not some rock star or movie celebrity.
* I also want for them good guidance from their moms on what they wear, and how they look in public. Sometimes, parents must say "no" regardless of the reaction.
* I want for children open communication. I want them to be able to discuss anything with their parents.
* I also want them to understand the value of a dollar.
* I want for them friends who have good morals themselves, and good parental influence.
* I don't want our children to think Britney, Lindsay, Nicole and Paris are "cool." I love them too much.
What do you want for your children?
Be blessed and be a blessing.
Interest in Religion Increases on Campus
"There is probably more active religious life now [on campus] than there has been in 100 years," notes Harvard Professor Gomes, the university preacher. Gomes remembers when religious people on campus felt under siege or were seen as not very bright. No longer. Today on campuses across the nation, including Harvard and Berkeley, chaplains and professors are seeing more interest in religion and spirituality than at any time they can remember. At the University of California at Berkeley, alone, there are now more than 50 Christian organizations and student attendance at nearby churches has increased significantly, reports The New York Times.
"In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering." - Howard Hendricks
How Peas Will Kill You
- Nearly ALL sick people have eaten PEAS (obviously then, the effects are cumulative).
- An estimated 99.9% of all people who die from cancer or heart attacks have eaten PEAS.
- Another 99.9% of people involved in auto accidents ate PEAS within 60-days before the accident.
- Some 93.1% of juvenile delinquents come from homes where PEAS were served frequently.
- Among people born in 1839 who later dined on PEAS, there has been a 100% mortality rate.
- All PEA-eaters born between 1900-1910 have wrinkled skin, have lost most of their teeth, have brittle bones and failing eyesight (provided, of course, that eating PEAS hasn't already *killed* them).
"The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose." - C.S. Lewis
There are more than 2.35 million Muslims in the United States. Two-thirds of the adult Muslims in the United States were born overseas. - Source: Time magazine (June 4, 2007)
"Men, our children are more important than our work. They are more important than our days on the golf course or hours in front of the television. The legacy we leave is not how much money we earned or what level of status we received. The legacy we leave is our children. Take delight in them. Have joy in them. Laugh with them." - Thom S. Rainer, from Raising Dad (B & H Publishing, 2007)
"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you would not have in your home." -- David Frost, The Chicago Tribune
"Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks; and falsehood is always weak, no matter how strong it looks." -- Phillips Brooks
"Solemn prayers, rapturous devotions, are but repeated hypocrisies unless the heart and mind be conformed to them." -- William Law
"A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine." -- Dwight L. Moody
"The gospel is neither a discussion nor a debate. It is an announcement." -- Paul S. Rees
"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done... Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow--perhaps it all will." – Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6
PERHAPS YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS:
I met the strangest man:
He said he believed the Bible, but he never reads it.
He said he loves the church of which he is a member, but he never attends.
He said he believes a man should be honest in money matters, but he never tithes.
He said younger people certainly need the Lord, but he isn't leading them in that direction.
He said the main need of the church is for dedicated Christians, but he isn't one.
He said the church should do more in the way of ministering to other people, but he doesn't help.
He criticized the way the church is "run," but he never participates.
He said he believed in the Second Coming of Christ, but he lives as though Jesus will never return.
He says prayer will change things, but he never prays.
He was a strange man, indeed!
A CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT I will--
Like Paul, forget those things which are behind, and press forward.
Like Abraham, trust implicitly in my God.
Like Enoch, walk in daily fellowship with my heavenly Father.
Like Jehosaphat, prepare my heart to seek God.
Like Moses, choose rather to suffer than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season.
Like Daniel, commune with God at all times.
Like Caleb and Joshua, refuse to be discouraged because of superior numbers.
Like Gideon, advance even though my friends be few.
Like Aaron and Hur, uphold the hands of my pastor and the leaders of my
church with my prayer and support.
Like Andrew, strive to lead my brother to Christ.
Like Stephen, manifest a forgiving spirit toward all who seek my hurt.
And, realizing that I cannot hope to achieve these objectives by my own strength, I will rely upon Christ for "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." --Author Unknown
"What's wrong with that, Johnny?" the pastor asked.
"Well," answered Johnny, "I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I'm not sure I'd like Shirley following me around all the time."
My bathroom scales are also beginning to show signs of inflation.
I was getting to the point of my conversation when suddenly my train of thought pulled out of the station, leaving me on the platform.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN and/or grandchildren?
It is very difficult not to get caught up in the adventures and consequences of Hollywood's "bad girls." The names Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie dominate news shows, newspapers and magazines. These young ladies, all under the age of 26, have become famous more for their misdeeds than their accomplishments. It has been said, "Fame, money and power change everything." Would you agree?
It is also a sad commentary on our society when the young ladies mentioned above become the role models for pre-teen and teenage girls around the world. Paris Hilton was in jail (apparently now under house arrest), Lindsay Lohan is in re-hab, Nicole Richie is fighting to stay out of jail, and Britney Spears, the mother of two, is saying she has hit bottom ... and yet they are role models? Go figure.
In a USAToday survey taken last weekend, people said money, fame and the negative influence of Hollywood had more to do with their bad behavior than parents doing a poor job. I wonder? I believe parents matter and they matter a lot. I also would think the parents of the four troubled ladies are heartsick at what they see.
I wish the following for children:
* I want them to experience unconditional love, but with limits and parameters.
* I want them to grow under Christian influence. I want them to model their parents' values.
* I want their fathers to be their heroes, not some rock star or movie celebrity.
* I also want for them good guidance from their moms on what they wear, and how they look in public. Sometimes, parents must say "no" regardless of the reaction.
* I want for children open communication. I want them to be able to discuss anything with their parents.
* I also want them to understand the value of a dollar.
* I want for them friends who have good morals themselves, and good parental influence.
* I don't want our children to think Britney, Lindsay, Nicole and Paris are "cool." I love them too much.
What do you want for your children?
Be blessed and be a blessing.
Interest in Religion Increases on Campus
"There is probably more active religious life now [on campus] than there has been in 100 years," notes Harvard Professor Gomes, the university preacher. Gomes remembers when religious people on campus felt under siege or were seen as not very bright. No longer. Today on campuses across the nation, including Harvard and Berkeley, chaplains and professors are seeing more interest in religion and spirituality than at any time they can remember. At the University of California at Berkeley, alone, there are now more than 50 Christian organizations and student attendance at nearby churches has increased significantly, reports The New York Times.
"In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering." - Howard Hendricks
How Peas Will Kill You
- Nearly ALL sick people have eaten PEAS (obviously then, the effects are cumulative).
- An estimated 99.9% of all people who die from cancer or heart attacks have eaten PEAS.
- Another 99.9% of people involved in auto accidents ate PEAS within 60-days before the accident.
- Some 93.1% of juvenile delinquents come from homes where PEAS were served frequently.
- Among people born in 1839 who later dined on PEAS, there has been a 100% mortality rate.
- All PEA-eaters born between 1900-1910 have wrinkled skin, have lost most of their teeth, have brittle bones and failing eyesight (provided, of course, that eating PEAS hasn't already *killed* them).
"The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose." - C.S. Lewis
There are more than 2.35 million Muslims in the United States. Two-thirds of the adult Muslims in the United States were born overseas. - Source: Time magazine (June 4, 2007)
"Men, our children are more important than our work. They are more important than our days on the golf course or hours in front of the television. The legacy we leave is not how much money we earned or what level of status we received. The legacy we leave is our children. Take delight in them. Have joy in them. Laugh with them." - Thom S. Rainer, from Raising Dad (B & H Publishing, 2007)
"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you would not have in your home." -- David Frost, The Chicago Tribune
"Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks; and falsehood is always weak, no matter how strong it looks." -- Phillips Brooks
"Solemn prayers, rapturous devotions, are but repeated hypocrisies unless the heart and mind be conformed to them." -- William Law
"A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine." -- Dwight L. Moody
"The gospel is neither a discussion nor a debate. It is an announcement." -- Paul S. Rees
"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done... Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow--perhaps it all will." – Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6
PERHAPS YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS:
I met the strangest man:
He said he believed the Bible, but he never reads it.
He said he loves the church of which he is a member, but he never attends.
He said he believes a man should be honest in money matters, but he never tithes.
He said younger people certainly need the Lord, but he isn't leading them in that direction.
He said the main need of the church is for dedicated Christians, but he isn't one.
He said the church should do more in the way of ministering to other people, but he doesn't help.
He criticized the way the church is "run," but he never participates.
He said he believed in the Second Coming of Christ, but he lives as though Jesus will never return.
He says prayer will change things, but he never prays.
He was a strange man, indeed!
A CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT I will--
Like Paul, forget those things which are behind, and press forward.
Like Abraham, trust implicitly in my God.
Like Enoch, walk in daily fellowship with my heavenly Father.
Like Jehosaphat, prepare my heart to seek God.
Like Moses, choose rather to suffer than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season.
Like Daniel, commune with God at all times.
Like Caleb and Joshua, refuse to be discouraged because of superior numbers.
Like Gideon, advance even though my friends be few.
Like Aaron and Hur, uphold the hands of my pastor and the leaders of my
church with my prayer and support.
Like Andrew, strive to lead my brother to Christ.
Like Stephen, manifest a forgiving spirit toward all who seek my hurt.
And, realizing that I cannot hope to achieve these objectives by my own strength, I will rely upon Christ for "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." --Author Unknown
posted by joypastordon at 5:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home