Blessed Hope
Can you imagine a world without hope? This would be a dismal and dreary place if it were not for the hope of eternal life with Jesus. It’s difficult to understand how people cope with th... View MoreBlessed Hope
Can you imagine a world without hope? This would be a dismal and dreary place if it were not for the hope of eternal life with Jesus. It’s difficult to understand how people cope with the struggles of life if they don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior. Without the hope of salvation, it’s impossible to find your way through the fog of fear, turmoil, and heartache. In fact, there would be no reason to even get up in the morning if it were not for the blessed hope God gives us. The Bible says in Romans 8:24-25, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” In other words, if we already had what we wanted, there would be no reason to hope. Knowing God gives us hope! We can live a joyful life because of hope and we can have purpose . . . because of the hope of eternity. When you have just been evicted from your home, your spouse walked out on you, the one you loved most in life recently passed away, or any other devastating event - cling to Jesus, for He IS your hope. Claim God’s promise in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Text: Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 42:11, Isaiah 40:31, Hebrews 10:23
Bible Texts:
Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Psalm 42:11 NKJV - Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV - But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Cheyenne
"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"
Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat b... View MoreCheyenne
"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"
Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.
"I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving."
My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts.... dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?
Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon .. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.
The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.
Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.
My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue.
Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.
But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.
The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.
Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article..."
I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me.
I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons: too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed.
Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.
As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"
"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."
I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.
Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!"
Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw...
Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.
It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.
Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad 's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.
Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.
The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.
And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."
"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article... Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter... his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father... and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.
Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live while you are alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.
And if you don't send this to anyone -- no one will know. But do share this with someone. Lost time can never be found.
God answers our prayers in His time... not ours...
God doesn't give us what we can handle, He helps us handle (stands with us, and gets us thru) what we are given. In other words, God's Grace keeps Pace with what we Face!!
-----2 Corinthians 12:9
SAD BUT SO VERY TRUE .....
After dinner a teacher started checking homework done by her students. Her husband is strolling around with a smart phone playing his favorite game ‘Candy Crush Saga’.
Whe... View MoreSAD BUT SO VERY TRUE .....
After dinner a teacher started checking homework done by her students. Her husband is strolling around with a smart phone playing his favorite game ‘Candy Crush Saga’.
When reading the last homework notes, the wife starts crying with silent tears....
Her husband saw this and asked, ‘Why are you crying dear? What happened?’
Wife: ‘Yesterday I gave homework to my 1st Standard students, to write something on the topic ... 'MY WISH ’
Husband: ‘OK, but why are you crying?’
Wife: ‘Today while checking the last notes, it made me cry.’
Husband curiously: ‘What’s written in the notes that makes you cry?’
Wife: LISTEN......
My wish is to become a smart phone.
My parents love their smart phone very much.
They care about their smart phone so much that sometimes they forget to care for me.
When my father comes from the office tired, he has time for his smart phone but not for me.
When my parents are doing some important work and smart phone is ringing, within single ring they attend the phone, but not to me...
even if I am crying.
They play games on their smart phones not with me.
When they are talking to someone on their smart phone, they never listen to me even if I am telling them something important.
So, MY WISH is to become a smart phone.
After listening to the note my husband got emotional and asked the wife, ‘Who wrote this??’.
Wife: ‘OUR SON ’......
Gadgets are beneficial, but they are for our ease not to cease the love amongst family and loved ones.
Children see and feel everything what happens with & around them. Things get imprinted on their mind with an everlasting effect. Let’s take due care, so that they do not grow with any false impressions...
Talk to the Hand
There is far too much apathy in the world today and not enough love and concern for our fellowman. If you’re in a hurry and cut someone off in traffic, there’s not even a thought abo... View MoreTalk to the Hand
There is far too much apathy in the world today and not enough love and concern for our fellowman. If you’re in a hurry and cut someone off in traffic, there’s not even a thought about the possibility of someone getting hurt or that you might be putting someone in danger. And who cares if you take the last muffin at the bakery that the little girl in line behind you wanted? Too many people are out for “number one” with little or no regard for how their choices and decisions will affect others. If you try to say anything, you may hear an immediate, “Talk to the hand,” or “tell someone who cares.” In other words, they want you to know that whatever comes out of your mouth will fall on deaf ears. The Bible tells us in Philippines 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” There is one person that you can always count on to care, and that person is Jesus! He not only cares but He loves you more than you could possibly imagine. Best of all, He has the power to change lives. He can fill your heart with so much love for others that you wouldn't dream of being indifferent or apathetic toward anyone! All throughout the Bible we are told to love, love, love our fellowman. Instead of telling someone, “Talk to the hand,” refrain and talk to Jesus first! Text: Revelation 3:16, Romans 12:9-13, 1 John 3:17-18, Galatians 6:9
Bible Texts:
Revelation 3:16 NKJV - "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Romans 12:9-13 NKJV - Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
1 John 3:17-18 NKJV - But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Galatians 6:9 NKJV - And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Do you have some walls in your life that seems to keep you from experiencing the power of God? There are so many who are not walking in the victory they really desire to walk in. These walls need to b... View MoreDo you have some walls in your life that seems to keep you from experiencing the power of God? There are so many who are not walking in the victory they really desire to walk in. These walls need to be destroyed in order for us to experience the freedom Christ came to provide. In Joshua 6 we find the children of Israel ready to move into the Promise Land, but there stood a great walled city that needed to be conquered. God is not intimidated by the things the world considers great and powerful. God's plan was to for Israel to move forward into the promises he had made. The plan was to use the weapon of praise. For God told Joshua to have the people march around the city silently, once a day for six days and then on the seventh walk around seven times and on the last time they were to shout and the walls would come down. And they followed God's instructions and the wall came down and they conquered the impossible. We need to learn the power of praise against those impossible things in our lives. I have used all kinds of strategies to try to gain victory in areas of my life, but he Lord told me that I have not tried to praise my victory into being. Maybe what we need to learn to do is to circle our situations and then at the right time release the power of a shout and watch those walls come down. Paul says in Phil. 2:10, "The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to his name- in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh bring glory and honor to God his Father!" (TPT) Shout the name of JESUS and watch the walls come down. JESUS!!!
Faithless Action and Actionless Faith
A. W. Tozer
Rightly understood, faith is not a substitute for moral conduct but a means toward it. The tree does not serve in lieu of fruit but as an agent by w... View MoreFaithless Action and Actionless Faith
A. W. Tozer
Rightly understood, faith is not a substitute for moral conduct but a means toward it. The tree does not serve in lieu of fruit but as an agent by which fruit is secured. Fruit, not trees, is the end God has in mind in yonder orchard; so Christlike conduct is the end of Christian faith. To oppose faith to works is to make the fruit the enemy to the tree; yet that is exactly what we have managed to do. And the consequences have been disastrous.
A miscalculation in laying the foundation of a building will throw the whole superstructure out of plumb, and the error that gave us faith as a substitute for action instead of faith in action has raised up in our day unsymmetrical and ugly temples of which we may well be ashamed, and for which we shall surely give a strict account in the day when Christ judges the secrets of our hearts.
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