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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
"Trying To Hear - part 2"
"Trying to Hear"
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Jonah and the Whale
Jonah and the Whale
A little girl was observed by her pastor standing outside the pre-school Sunday School classroom between Sunday School and worship, waiting for her parents to come and pick her up for "big church." The pastor noticed that she clutched a big storybook under her arms with the obvious title, "Jonah and the Whale."
Feeling a little pernicious, he knelt down beside the little girl and began a conversation. "What's that you have in your hand?" he asked.
"This is my storybook about Jonah and the Whale," she answered.
"Tell me something, little girl," he continued, "do you believe that story about Jonah and that whale to be the truth?"
The little girl implored, "Why of course I believe this story to be the truth!"
He inquired further, "You really believe that a man can be swallowed up by a big whale, stay inside him all that time, and come out of there still alive and OK? You really believe all that can be true?"
She declared, "Absolutely, this story is in the Bible and we studied about it in Sunday School today!"
Then the pastor asked, "Well, little girl, can you prove to me that this story is the truth?"
She thought for a moment and then said, "Well, when I get to Heaven, I'll ask Jonah."
The pastor then asked, "Well, what if Jonah's not in Heaven?"
She then put her hands on her little hips and sternly declared, "Then YOU can ask him!"
Opportunity Lost
Years ago, Walter took his friend Arthur to see some land in open country where cattle were idly grazing. Walter explained about his dream for developing this area. He told his friend that in time the area would be surrounded by many restaurants, hotels and convention centers. He told Arthur that his plan would take all of his money and he needed others to develop the surrounding area. He wanted his friend to have the first opportunity to buy into this project.
But Arthur thought to himself, "Who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles for this crazy project?"
He said to Walter that he would think about it and decide later on. "Later on will be too late," Walter cautioned Arthur. "You'd better move on it right now."
"And so Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up all the land that surrounded what was to become Disneyland. His friend Walt Disney tried to talk him into it. But Art thought he was crazy."
Life's like that. In Acts 26:28 we read, "Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." King Agrippa had the opportunity to accept Christ and become a Christian. He turned it down. Judas had one of the greatest opportunities in all history to become a follower of Jesus. Instead, he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Unbelievable! The two thieves who were crucified with Jesus also had the opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. One accepted. The other didn't.
Life offers all of us many opportunities. We all have the opportunity to become followers of Jesus and to be a part of what God is doing in the world today. That choice is ours. Today. As God's Word says, "... I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)
from firstIMPRESSIONS Vol. 11:14
Reduce the Stress of Serving
We were saved to serve, not sit on the sidelines. Ephesians 2:10 says we were "created in Christ Jesus to do good works." But even in our appointed slot, overload is possible.
We love serving the Lord, yet sometimes our attitudes stress us. The toxic mix of inadequacy and perfectionism in serving leads to burnout. It pushes us to behave obsessively and compulsively, decreasing our joy and increasing our tension. We feel trapped. We don't know whether to quit and feel bad, or keep going and feel overwhelmed. So we either become overly responsible by carrying our own workload plus everybody else's, or drop out, leaving everything to others.
What's the solution? First, we must stop serving to please others. It's the wrong motive and never works. And when it doesn't, we work harder for approval and end up disappointed. Paul writes, "...I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." (Galatians 1:10) Our "well done" must come from God, not people.
Secondly, we must stop serving in our own strength. Jesus said, "...The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does." (John 5:19) Like hand in glove, they move together. That's cooperation and interdependency. "...No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me." (John 15:4)
It's how Paul served. "...I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29) He worked hard, but the energy was God's, not his. So we must remember our source of effectiveness, and we'll reduce the stress of serving.
from firstIMPRESSIONS Vol. 11.14
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Ducks- Part 2"
"Ducks - Part 2"
"Ducks"
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Making a Fool of Yourself
Making a Fool of Yourself
A new missionary recruit went to Venezuela for the first time. He was struggling with the language and didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on. Intending to visit one of the local churches, he got lost, but he eventually got back on track and found the place. Having arrived late, the church was already packed. The only pew left was the one on the front row.
So as not to make a fool of himself, he decided to pick someone out of the crowd to imitate. He chose to follow the man sitting next to him on the front pew. As they sang, the man clapped his hands, so the missionary recruit clapped too. When the man stood up to pray, the missionary recruit stood up too. When the man sat down, he sat down.
When the man held the cup and bread for the Lord's Supper, he held the cup and bread. During the preaching, the recruit didn't understand a thing. He just sat there and tried to look just like that man in the front pew. Then he perceived that the preacher was giving announcements. People clapped, so he looked to see if the man was clapping. He was, and so the recruit clapped too.
Then the preacher said some words that he didn't understand and he saw the man next to him stand up. So he stood up too. Suddenly a hush fell over the entire congregation. A few people gasped. He looked around and saw that nobody else was standing. So he sat down.
After the service ended, the preacher stood at the door shaking the hands of those who were leaving. When the missionary recruit stretched out his hand to greet the preacher, the preacher said, in English, "I take it you don't speak Spanish."
The missionary recruit replied, "No, I don't. It's that obvious?"
"Well, yes," said the preacher. "I announced that the Acosta family had a newborn baby boy, and would the proud father please stand up."
Be Careful What You Say
A World War II poster reads, "Careless words cost lives." So when you hear something negative about someone, ask yourself four questions.
First, is it true? "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16 NKJV) That's one of the Ten Commandments, not the ten suggestions! Until you're certain it's true, say nothing. Wait; time always reveals the truth.
Secondly, is it confidential? Did you hear it as a result of someone else's having broken a confidence? If you speak it, will you be contributing to the violation of a confidence? Remember, "Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered." (Proverbs 11:13) Your usefulness to God requires that you don't sacrifice your integrity by betraying trust.
Thirdly, is it helpful? Will it tear others down or build them up? Satan is devoted to pulling down, discouraging and defeating; don't be his accomplice. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29 NIV) Will it be beneficial and encouraging to those who hear it?
Finally, is it necessary? Stop and ask yourself, "What do others and the cause of Christ gain by my saying it, or lose by my not saying it?" Always keep this in mind: you're more likely to regret the things you said than the things you didn't. "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." (Proverbs 29:11 NKJV) Be wise; be careful what you say.
from firstIMPRESSIONS Vol. 11.13