Good Cook
The Sunday School Teacher asked, “Now, Johnny, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?”
“No sir,” little Johnny replies, “I don’t have to – my Mom is a good cook!”
Giving thanks is giving thanks even when it is good. Think about it.
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What a Privilege
Vacation is over. Now it is time to return to the ole grind. For me, it is not the ole grind.” Being a minister is a privilege in so many ways. It is a privilege to help a person grow in their relationship with Christ or even start a relationship with Christ. It is a privilege, to help a widow with her light switch, sit with a widower and watch TV, or even share a meal with another family. It is a privilege to be a part of this church, Kempton Christian Church, watching it grow.
There is so much to be thankful for in this position, even with the heartaches. Yes, there is heartaches: watching a “Christian” hurt other people out of selfish motives, gossip which destroys relationships, divorce, and of course the list goes on.
Even with the heartaches, which by the way Jesus had also, it is a privilege. Just as it is a privilege to be a child of God, to baptize another into Christ, or even cook a meal for another, we all are privileged to be with Christ. Think about it.
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Psalm 23 (short version)
In his beautiful book, “I Shall Not Want,” Robert Ketchum tells of a Sunday School teacher who asked her group of children if anyone could quote the entire 23rd Psalm. A golden-haired, four-and-a-half-year-old girl was among those who raised their hands.
A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really quote the entire psalm.
The little girl came to the front of the room, faced the class, made a perky little bow, and said, “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want.”
She bowed again and went and sat down.
That may well be the greatest interpretation of the 23rd Psalm ever heard.
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Trust during the storm
A man just got married and was returning home with his wife. They were crossing a lake in a boat, when suddenly a great storm arose. The man was a warrior, but the woman became very much afraid because it seemed almost hopeless:
The boat was small and the storm was really huge, and any moment they were going to be drowned. But the man sat silently, calm and quiet, as if nothing was happening.
The woman was trembling and she said, “Are you not afraid ?”. This may be our last moment of life! It doesn’t seem that we will be able to reach the other shore. Only some miracle can save us; otherwise death is certain. Are you not afraid? Are you mad or something? Are you a stone or something?
The man laughed and took the sword out of its sheath. The woman was even more puzzled: What he was doing? Then he brought the naked sword close to the woman’s neck, so close that just a small gap was there, it was almost touching her neck.
He said,” Are you afraid ?”
She started to laugh and said,” Why should I be afraid ?,If the sword is in your hands, why I should be afraid? I know you love me.
” He put the sword back and said, This is my answer”. I know God Loves me, and the storm is in His hands
SO WHATSOEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS GOING TO BE GOOD. If we survive, good; if we don’t survive, good ,because everything is in His hands and He cannot do anything wrong.
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Little Johnny
Little Johnny went to Sunday school one Sunday. The lesson for the day was from Genesis. “God opened up Adam’s side, took a rib from him, and created Eve from it,” was what really struck Johnny.
Later, that afternoon, Johnny started feeling sick, and his side began to hurt. He laid down on the couch, and after about half an hour, his mother came over and asked him if he was feeling okay. He said, “Not really – I think I’m gonna have a wife.”
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Light
One of the most fantastic sights to see is the Northern Lights from the ocean. The reflection of the calm water against the backdrop of the sky is beyond words. Both shimmer, leaving the viewer is stunning silence. Light always stops the viewer.
Jesus stated, “I am the light of the world….” Light is needed to repel the darkness so one can see. It is need to help find an object. Light illuminates to any object that might be a hindrance. Jesus states that He is the light that is needed to displace the darkness in your life. He is the light that shows the way for you to travel. His light will give you life and become your life.
For a sailor, when they are returning home from sea, they see the light from a lighthouse. They rejoice. They are almost home. That’s Jesus.
Just a thought.
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Just a Picture
Have you ever cleaned out your “stuff?” You go through everything and run across old paperwork. Maybe you find an old book that you forgot you had. Sometimes it is old tools. Then you come across an old picture. It stops you. Maybe it is an old picture of you and one of your parents, a friend, an animal, or school chums. Silence. Memories pour in. Tears. Laughter. Smile.
Pictures capture the moment. They do not capture the feels, you added them. They capture the moment. It is that moment that is special. The person beside you or that animal makes you wish you could go back, if just for a moment.
Jesus was a snap shot of heaven. He brought the glory of the Father to this world for all to see. Sadly, few paid attention. But to the ones that did, good times. When reading the Gospels, you are given a glimpse of God. Treasure it. One day you will see the whole picture. Hopefully, it is up close. Think about it.
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Trains!
I was writing another devotion when a train came through. The water bottle on my desk began to shake. When the train was gone, it stopped.
It is amazing that the weight and force of that train could shake a building which would shake the bottle in the building.
Our lives are the same way. We may not see the effect that we have on people, but we do have an effect. Even if they are not a part of our lives, we do have an effect. Think about it.
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Eat my Flesh! Drink my Blood! UGH!
We have heard outlandish statements all our lives, especially from politicians. They just flow forth from their mouths like …….well you get the idea.
Jesus made some outlandish statements also. He backed up his statements. “Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood.” That is one crazy statement. For years, people thought that Christians were cannibals. Yet, John wrote to us not one a physical level, but spiritual. He was address what Jesus was. He was and is the bread of life. He is the blood shed for our lives. For us to have life, true life, true healing, true unity with God, eternal life, we must take HIM into ourselves. The analogy used by Jesus is there to show us that we have to have HIM inside of us. Without HIM inside of us, we have no life.
Communion is a physical representation of what Jesus discussed in John 6: 35 – 50. This simple act taken each Sunday reminds us that Christ must be in us for us to live. That the blood shed was for us, but that blood gives us life.
Sounds crazy right, What is more insane is living life without Jesus. Jesus is everything. Think about it.
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What do I eat?
Have you ever watched what you eat? Since my trip to the hospital, I have really started watching what I eat and how much. There are many foods that I need to avoid and others I need to increase my intake. Try it this week. Watch what you eat.
When the temple was built, there was the outer courts, then the first room in the temple was called the Holy Place. This is where the priests would set out the utensils, which included the show bread and the cup. It reminded the children of Israel who provided for them daily and how God provided in the past.
There is one major function that is often overlooked. The items in the Holy Place was telling the children of Israel what was to come. Often simple fact that everyone overlooks.
Same with our diet. What we eat and how much to some degree tells us what will happen to our body. Just a thought. Think about it.
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