Saturday, August 22, 2009

Using God

Monday, August 17, 2009

Cast Not Your Pearls before Swine

A believer with the maturity NOT to tell her story on the TODAY show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_R76gf67Bk

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6).

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Taking the Bible Literally

Heard a story this morning of a woman who took the Bible literally. Her son tried to convince his eighty something, King James embracing, live-alone mother that she didn’t need to enter into her closet and shut the door to pray; “God would understand.” But as soon as he left, as a moth to a flame, she made her way to her secret place. Years had taken family and friends, but in her closet she continued what time and circumstance could never end; her sweet hour of prayer.

And as the hour ended, she reached for the door knob to help herself up. It came off in her hand! She spent that night in the closet and most of the remaining day until her son’s unanswered calls prompted his return. Quickly searching, he found her in the all so familiar place.

Perhaps she should have taken her son’s advice. Perhaps she was taking His word far too literally. But then she may have never been rewarded with so long a night communing with the Father.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).

Saturday, August 8, 2009

An Experiment in Socialism

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (Thessalonians 3:10).

Excerpts from the Ellis County Observer:

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that… socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment…." All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that. (College Economics Class Experiment in Socialism, Ellis County Observer, April 13, 2009)

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Comforter

Have you ever had to leave someone you cared for? Perhaps you told them: “I won’t be here but…” some common friend will. On their last night together Our Lord told the eleven that He had make preparation. That He would send a Counselor, a Teacher, a Comforter to abide with them forever. And He has done the same for us today:

“… If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you….

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you….

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me….

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you….

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come…” (John14-16).