Just a little remodeling job...

Imagine for a moment, that you are a carpenter and that you just received a call from Joe Dokes, who owns this wonderful little bungalow.  He wants to remodel the living room, but when you arrive at the address you are greeted by this sight.  What do you do?  If you have the intelligence of a retarded snail... you run as fast as you can!  How could you possibly remodel something that apparently doesn't have a straight line in it?  Think for a moment about religion in our world today; how fragmented it is, how devoid of any semblance of unity?  Could this possibly be what God wants?  Now, take a moment and read the Bible passages below... and think!!!

2 Timothy 3:1-17 (WEB)
1) But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.
2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3) without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
4) traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5) holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.
6) For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7) always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8) Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith, are rejected.
9) But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.
10) But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,
11) persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. Out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14) But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
15) From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
16) Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 3:1-15 (WEB)
1) Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
2) I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready,
3) for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?
4) For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?
5) Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed; and each as the Lord gave to him?
6) I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
7) So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8) Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9) For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.
10) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.
11) For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12) But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble;
13) each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.
14) If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.
15) If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

In a world that has become "confused" because "everyone is right", God has the answer.  It is not the teaching of some religious leader that we should be following, its not any old idea that is true, it is what God has to say though the Bible that is important.  If you take the time to read the first half of the Bible, you will see that it points to Jesus in literally thousands of ways and if you want to make sense out the world, listen to HIM!  Realistically, no one could fix the house in the picture; the best thing to do is to tear it down and build one on a solid foundation, using a rule this time.  My advise is to follow the example of the early church... start by reading Acts chapter two.  You won't be sorry!!!

The fork

I've read this before and thought it was worth passing along!

 

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her..

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly..

'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.

'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.

'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel , indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. Being friends with someone is not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility.

Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND...and I'll bet this will be an Email they do remember, every time they pick up a fork!
And just remember...keep your fork!

The BEST is yet to come!

MMMEEEOOOWWW...?

Cats are funny creatures; they seem to have a mind of their own and are unusual to say the least!!!  This little picture caught my attention because of the intensity of it.  You can almost feel the cat in the room!!!  And if you stare at it long enough, you begin to wonder what its thinking.  Because of the contrast of the stare against the black background, it may be thinking about hunting, but that is just a guess; I really don't know.  Sometimes, something gets your attention and you begin to think....huh?

Acts 2:1-42 (WEB)
1) Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2) Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3) Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.
4) They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
5) Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
6) When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.
7) They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
8) How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?
9) Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
10) Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11) Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”
12) They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, “What does this mean?”
13) Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15) For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.
16) But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17) ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
18) Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
19) I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
20) The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21) It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22) “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know,
23) him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
24) whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
25) For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
26) Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
27) because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
28) You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29) “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30) Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31) he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay.
32) This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
33) Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
34) For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,
35) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
36) “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38) Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39) For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
40) With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
42) They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Jews from all over came to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Pentecost and they saw something that attracted their attention; a miracle sent straight from God!  Then Peter stood up and explained the miracle and proclaimed Jesus as the long awaited Messiah it and they understood it (verse 41).  In the context of THIS PICTURE... THEY UNDERSTOOD CAT!!!  How many of us go through life not understanding, pursuing whatever Earthly goal suits us, only to eventually realize that we are going to die and our goals are meaningless in light of what faces us next.  But God, who loves us, made a way for us to advance from the concerns of this life into the next by a man, by the one who Peter talks about in Acts 2.  Yet, we might hear it, but not hear it, because it is spoken in the language of faith.  Now, for many of us, this is as strange as the language of "CAT", but, if we really concentrate we just might get it.  Only our minds need to be clear and our hearts open to what God has to say.  Wait a second, I think I understand a new sentence, but I am a little stuck on the first word... can anyone help me with "Meeeoooww"?

for Marge...

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Its early in the morning (about 1:30 AM or so) and I just can't sleep because of a little arthritis pain in my hands.  Not the kind that drives you mad, but rather the sort that gives just enough distraction to make sleep impossible.  So, I wind up looking at the clock; wondering how long it will be before exhaustion sets in and I MUST SLEEP.  Needless to say, when I saw this picture, I thought about the time even more!!  But, I wondered, "what in the Bible might be appropriate at a time like this"?  The section I found was in the book of Ephesians...

WEB: Ephesians Chapter 5

[6] Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. [7] Therefore don’t be partakers with them. [8] For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, [9] for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, [10] proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. [11] Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. [12] For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. [13] But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. [14] Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

[15] Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; [16] redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [17] Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Whatever the time, its always the time to be good, proper and thinking of what God wants me to do and NOT what PEOPLE want me to do.  Now is the moment and the action is what God wants me to do.  No matter how you look at the clock, or for that matter what the clock looks like, its always time to seek heavenly direction, for it is TIMELESS in duration and pure in character.

Did you know that....

Two very different people!  One represents youth and the other age.  Each has its positive and negative aspects; strength and vitality compared to experience and wisdom.  As today is national grandparents day, it seemed appropriate to mention the benefits of growing older...

Job 12:12 (WEB)
12) With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.

Psalms 119:97-100 (WEB)
97) How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
98) Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me.
99) I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
100) I understand more than the aged, because I have kept your precepts.

If you are old, your body will tell you.  I don't need to describe it because I am endeavoring to make this a positive blog post.  However, there are some blessings that accompany age.  First, you have gotten this far; how many people never go beyond middle age?  Second, you have lived!  Third, perhaps, just perhaps, you may have learned a few things beyond your educational experience (read the quote from the book of Job above).  And if you are aged AND a Christian, then undoubtedly you have been exposed to even more truth and may even understand more of what life is about (see the quote from the Psalms, above).

Beyond these things, life is good for both the young and the aged, because if we just sit down and talk to one another, we can learn a great deal.  Perhaps the young man in the picture can learn what the older woman did to rebel when she was his age and maybe she can find out what it feels like to have a Mohawk haircut.  Who knows, may we all can learn something from each other!!!  How much more could we learn if we listen to what God has told us in the Bible!!!

Alone, at last!!!

 

Lately, I have been a little disgusted with the news.  It seems that very little of what I would call "good" has been happening.  Somehow, I don't think its going to get any better, with today's memorial of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and tomorrow being a decade since it actually happened.  Combine that with the state of the economy, other nations about to fail financially and the joke of politicians running for election and its enough to make you just want to go somewhere far away from everything and FORGET!!!  Yet, no matter how alone I may be, my thoughts will always be with me, so this passage of Scripture came to mind...

 

 Philippians 4:8-9 (WEB)
8) Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
9) The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Back in the 1970's I sold Amway products and one of their primary sayings was "what the mind can conceive and believe in can achieve".  Even though man really isn't the center of the universe, yet there is considerable truth in this saying.  Thinking changes things; we really do become what we think about all day long.  So, why not think of the very best things and become the best person you can be.  The world may not change, but you will and in some way (however small) the world will be affected by you.  I really like what Paul says at the end of verse 9: "...and the God of peace will be with you."  Just that one thought was enough to cheer me up for the WHOLE DAY.  Maybe I will go where there are a lot of people today... who knows, maybe I can cheer someone else up.

one beautiful picture

My granddaughter Amanda came over yesterday and wanted to watch Avatar.  I always enjoyed watching science fiction, so I agreed with an enthusiastic "yes"!  I knew the plot, remembered most of the scenes, but still enjoyed it.  When the story came round to Sully climbing vines in the floating mountains of Pandora, I remembered this picture of China.  I wonder, could this really be where they obtained those images, or is it just my imagination?  I doubt if I will ever really know, but its nice to think I may have solved one little mystery among so many that are out there.  The Bible is full of them, because God's ways are so beyond our comprehension, but here is one that is solved.

Romans 14:22 (WEB)
22) Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves.(14:24) Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, (14:25) but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; (14:26) to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

To be a Jew was to be someone special!!!  God had chosen your entire race out of the whole world and given you a special status.  But, a certain eleetism arose (understandable, but regretable) and the Jews forgot God chose them even though they were mere slaves.  Those who became obedient to the faith could just have became a sect of Judaism, but God had other plans.  HE loves the whole world and that means the gentiles as well as the faithful Jew.  Mystery solved.  Case closed. Welcome the whole world.  This is not some slight of hand or trickery like taking a picture of China and transforming it into an alien world, it is the culmination of literally thousands of years of the will of Almighty God.  Now, that is a beautiful picture indeed.