JACK AND HALLOWEEN

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Oct 312011
 

I would like to tell you a story about Jack. You might not want to be his close friend, because he is not a very nice boy. He gets into fights, he is mean to the other children calling them names. He sassy his Teacher and talks back to his Mother. Jack is always finding something to complain about and is never happy no matter what happens. He always blames others for everything saying “I knew you would blame me,it’s always my fault.”

Late one afternoon Jack came home,and as he came into the house he heard someone crying.He carefully walked down the hall. The crying was coming from his sister Susie’s room. The door was a jar just a crack, and he peeked in. There she was by her bed on the floor, crying. Jack carefully pushed the door open more and stepped inside. “What is wrong Susie?” he asked.

Susie began to tell Jack about the special girls tea and Bible time that she had gone to earlier that day, at church. The leader had told them about how Christ had died for their sins, and they could go to Heaven if they told Him they were sorry for their sins and ask Him to forgive them. That is just what she had done.

“So why are you crying now then?” asked Jack. “You see I am crying now because I know that you are not going to go to Heaven and I was praying and asking God to save you so you can go to Heaven with me.” answered Susie

Jack said, “I don’t need all that stuff.” Susie answered, “But Jack you do. You see you are just like a pumpkin at Halloween time. You take a pumpkin, it is dark and cold inside, nothing but a bunch of useless seeds just sitting in there, they cannot grow in there. Now here is how you are like that pumpkin, you are dark and cold inside of you. All you do is mean and unkind things to others. You sassy your teachers and talk back to mom. See that is just like all those seeds inside the pumpkin that all no good in there, all the bad things you do come from inside you. and you will never be any better until you ask Jesus to forgive you for all your sins, and tell Him you are sorry.”

“If you take that pumpkin clean out the insides, cut some eyes and a happy smiling mouth in it, then put a light in there you have a happy, smiling, looking pumpkin face. That is the same with you Jack, if you let Jesus come into your life, He will get rid of all your bad ’seeds’ you have inside. He will put a light in your life that will make your eyes twinkle and a big smile on your face,” said Susie.

As Jack, “thought about all that his sister Susie said, it began to make sense to him. Maybe he was so mean and unkind all the time, because of all the sin in his life.” Susie was right, if you want to have a twinkle in you eyes and a smile on your face you need to have Christ in your heart.

This was going to be the best Halloween ever for Jack. No more scary, ghost, and goblins for Jack on this day. Now since he had asked Christ to be his Savior, he was not cold and unless inside.

BUT GOD

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Sep 262011
 

What would life be like without But God?

After attending a coaching class, in it we were challenge to look up the But God’s in the Bible.I started this project and than was inspired to take it a bit farther and put it into an article.

There are so many things we do in our lives day after day a good share of them not even thinking about what we are doing, and sometimes not even remembering God is with us and should be the center of our lives. Life is so busy we get up in the morning with our feet hitting the floor on a run. We have our schedule, times to be here and there, we eat, go to work, we spend time with our families and time with pleasures. Often we are so busy just living that we forget But God.

God was in the beginning and so was His Word. In II Timothy 2:9 says, But God’s Word is not chained or bound. Yes, God’s Word is free to all. No matter what race, color, or creed.

World wide God’s Word is for everyone and should never be chained, so others can not have it. There was a time in history when the Word was chained to the pulpit and individuals did not have the Word, we must never let that happen again.

There is the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It would seem to be three people but Galatians 3:20 says,“But God is one.” Acts 13:30 “But God raised Him from the dead.” I Corinthians 2:10, When Jesus went back to heaven the Holy Spirit was sent to be with all the believers. But God who gives you His Holy Spirit in I Thessalonians 4:8 says,“But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” Yes we have God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God is our creator, Jesus died for our sins, and the Holy Spirit guides us daily.

But what has happened to us, we get so busy with life that we forget God. Look at why we should not forget Him.

“But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me,” Philippians 2:27. Ephesians 2:4 says,“But God who is rich in mercy.”

He has mercy and grace, Galatians 3:18 says, “But God gave,” Abraham knew first hand the grace that God gives. I Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am.” Paul knew this and so should we. If mercy and grace were not enough, He give us a lot more.
There is nothing missing from God, He knows everything. Luke 16:15, “But God knoweth your heart.” The one closest to you may not know deep down in your heart but there is no hiding from God.

God wants us to have peace, I Corinthians 7:15, “But God has called us to peace.”
Does He really want us to have stress, turmoil, anxiety in our lives? No there is much more He has for us.

But God’s kindness to you, Isaiah 54:8 “but with everlasting kindness,” we all want people to be kind to us, here is God offering kindness to us all the time.

When things seem impossible and we just do not know which way to turn, I Corinthians 10:13, “But God is faithful.” Yes God is faithful to us all the time we are the ones who are not faithful to Him, so therefore things seem impossible.

The very first thing we need in our lives is Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth or demonstrates His own love toward us, in while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” When we confess our sinners to Christ and ask Him to be our Savior, it is the first step in our changed life to receive mercy, grace, peace, His knowing your heart, kindness, and His faithfulness to us.

We no longer are a slave But God’s own child. Galatians 4:7

After we ask Christ to be our Savior we need to live for Him, which means we need to grow by learning and serving our Lord, become a witness for Him and He will give you the growth. I Corinthians 3:6, “But God gave the increase or growth.”

God will continue to help us to build our lives to serve Him. Hebrews 3:4, “But God that built all things.” Men can build houses and barns but only God can build a life.

Romans 6:17, But thanks be to God. After all this should we not be thankful to God? Stop and think of all we have from salvation to all God gives us in our lives. Life is good. We are all happy, everything is going great, you would think, but . . .

That is right but . . . There are so many things in life that can go wrong, it’s not always happiness and joy. Dark days can be ahead as following:

There came the day your baby died, there was nothing you or the doctors could do. The stress begins.

There is a bad car accident your loved one is in the hospital between life and death, you are helpless, even your hope is failing. Will they ever get well and if so will they ever walk again? You are loosing it.

Your child has a serious mental problem, there is nothing you can do. Will he ever be able to learn and be like other “normal” children? You begin to worry.

You are living the “American Dream” a beautiful house and all that goes with it. One night you come home to find a fire has taken it all. There’s nothing left.
You begin to panic. What will we do now?

Your husband comes home one night and says, “I lost my job.” Hopeless sets in, then comes the worry. How are we going to pay the bills, where are we going to get money for food and other needs?

A friend tells you that your husband has been cheating on you. You don’t believe it and keep telling yourself that it is not so. But things are not so good in your marriage any more. Than one day he tells you he wants a divorce.
Panic and anxiety sets in, nothing like this ever happened before. What are you going to do?

One night you are coming out of the store, tending to your own business heading for your car, when you are caught, hauled away, raped, beat up, and dropped off side of the road. You can not begin to tell any one how you feel, the shame, anxiety and a hundred other feelings that hunt you day and night.

Maybe it’s a flood, earthquake, storms, cancer and the list goes on and on. No one but you know what you are going through and how you feel.
It may not be something this big, it might be something on a smaller scale like you are afraid of the dark, beginning alone, especially at night.

Maybe you just get all worked up about daily living, worried, stressed out, afraid of what might happen.

No matter what is in your daily life you can have “BUT GOD” he is always there for you.

Sometimes we have to go through a lot to learn the lessons He has for us.

Why can’t our lives always be happy and peaceful? How would we grow if we do not depend upon our God?

So without the But God . . . Where would we be?

He is always there for His child no matter how hard the times may be for us.

There are many more But God verses just waiting for you in His Word.

The Little Green Frog

 1 Response »
Jun 082010
 

The first story is to do with a little green frog, since it is spring time and the frogs are out and about.

The Little Green Frog

Once upon a time there was a little green frog, that lived in the pond way out toward the woods.

It was spring time and so many things were happening. The new water lilies and cattails were growing. The water was warming up after the long cold winter.

The mommy frogs were laying eggs on the stems of the plants or in the water of the pond. It will not be long before the eggs will hatch into tadpoles. A few weeks later the little tadpoles will turn into little frogs.

This is how little green frog’s life began.

In the spring time there is lots of rain. Some days there are sprinkles off and on all day. Other days it pours and pours like it is never going to stop. The pond gets more and more water in it. The banks get muddy and slippery.  Little green frog doesn’t really mind the rain. Sometimes it feels good on his back. Sometime it is a really cold rain and not so much fun on those days. Some days there is even sunshine that warms his body.

Early one morning the sun was just coming up and glimmered across the pond waking little green frog up. Little green frog named George forced his eyes open. “Oh man, that sun is getting bright” he said to himself. I guess I better get up. First he stretched his left front leg, than he stretched his right front leg. “Oh! I guess I slept to long,” George said, as he continued to stretch his back legs as he had his front legs.

George began to feel hungry. It must be time to get breakfast. Up, up, up, wallow, wiggle, digging in his toes he made it up the muddy bank of the pond.

Wow! Nice soft grass and warm sun, what else could little green frog named George want? Oh yes! Breakfast! George the frog sat very, very still and waited. This morning he didn’t have to wait very long. Along came a fly. Zap! “That was fast,” said George the little green frog. He just stuck out his tongue and had a fly for breakfast. After a few more flies George the little green frog, now had his tummy full and it was time to go play in the pond with his friends Geoffrey, Gilbert, and Grace.

First it was a game of tag. Then see who could dive to the bottom of the pond first. They were getting tired so George suggested they go sit on the lily pads and rest for a while.

In the spring time the pond had so many new things for George and his new friends to discover. Exploring was so much fun for George, Geoffrey, Gilbert, and Grace, these new little frogs. But for now the warm, warm sun shone on the four little friends as they sat on the lily pads. That is how spring time in the pond was for George the little green frog.

God is the creator of all the frogs. God teaches each little frog how to live in the pond year after year. God never forgets about the frogs.

Go out in your yard, a field, in the woods or to a pond and find a frog. Be very still and watch him, to see all the things a frog might do. Do not try to bring him home with you, he will not be happy. He is really happy right where you find him so leave him there.

Remember God created the frogs, but He also created you and loves you even more than the frogs. He gave His Son Jesus to died on the cross for your sins. That’s how much He loves you. He wants you to tell  Him you are sorry for your sins and ask Him to save you from your sins.

George the little green frog can live in the pond with his friends. God loves you more than all the frogs.

Service for God

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May 262010
 

Missions is not just going around the world, but right here at home, where you are everyday.

Therefore we must have a purpose for our lives. We have two choices satan or God.  First satan equals darkness, evil, and keeps us so busy we do not have time to serve God.  Authority and glory equals God.  It should not be to hard for us to choose with those two options.

We should say what can I do to promote Heaven instead of saying what can I do for myself now.

When I come to the end of my life, I want to hear God say “Well Done.” I do not want to come to the end and have Him say “this is what you could have done if you had listened and followed Me.” That will be an awful day to know how much we missed out on because we were to busy with the here and now, self,  had forgotten about the Great Commission and God’s leading in our lives.

Missions is the most important thing we can do here on earth, therefore we need to be tuned into God and His leading, so we will serve Him and only Him.

Matthew 28:19   “Go ye therefore . . .”

Beauty in the Family

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May 182010
 

A family is like, a family of flowers. Some are larger some are smaller, but all are beautiful. All serve a purpose to bring beauty to others. In a family there are many different talents that can be use to serve God, at home with family, and than others.

A close look at the flowers we see more than one shade of pink, a reminder that there are more than one person in a family. If each one of these shades of pink, did their own thing, than the beauty would be gone. Just as each one in the family works together to bring beauty to the family. A look at the green in  the background, reminds us of the growth of the plant. A family needs to grow together by helping each other.

The flowers are content where they grow. So the family needs to be content where it is. Home is where the heart is.