Just sharing.

I Will Move The Rock


A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's mind such as: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it."

Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure, these thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough."

And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done.

"I, my friend, will now move the rock."

At times when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what he wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in him...

By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but it is still God who moves the mountains.

God, You call us to obedience everyday. Sometimes, I want to see beyond obedience. I want to know why, how and when. Yet, it is usually long after the obedience that I begin to realize what Your plan was back then.

So help me just be obedient for today. I am learning, Lord that by being obedient today, I am stronger for tomorrow. In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

Windfall

A recent prayer request was the shortest prayer request
that I can remember reading.

It consisted of one word.

"Windfall"

That was it. That was the entire prayer request.

I knew what they were asking, but I wonder if they knew.

The dictionary has two definitions for "windfall."
#1. A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or personal gain.
#2. Something, such as a ripened fruit, that has been blown down
by the wind.

I am sure they "meant" definition number one, but the exact
request could apply to either definition. They didn't specify.

I have learned my greatest lessons, gained my greatest wisdom
and insight, had my horizons broadened the most, not by
definition number one but by definition number two.

When I am flying high with plenty of money and great success,
the problem is remaining humble. No matter who you are, success
can go to your head. Pride makes you ripe for a fall.

I've seen it in other men, and I've seen in myself.

Sometimes we need to fall to be able to truly rise.

The word spirit in scripture is "pneuma," it means breath or
wind. That's why the word for breathing is respiration.

Sometimes we need the wind to make us fall so we won't be so
high and mighty. So we understand we are not fully in charge.

What prayer did I pray?

I prayed for God to send the right windfall.

Sometimes the only way that we can realize some things

is with a windfall.

How does the above prophetic word of the prophet Isaiah relate to the uncertainties and increasing levels of threat we are experiencing in our world today?

Aren't we experiencing a massive escalation of anti-Christian sentiment on a global basis?
Well I want bring to you a special word of encouragement this Christmas.

While there seems to be a "restraining order" against God in our society today, we can be assured that God has his own plan and calendar that cannot be averted.
Let me share with you a remarkable story that is historically accurate in the detail of the overriding sovereignty of God...

Alexander the Great

In 553 BC the prophet Daniel received a vision that included precise details about Alexander the Great, who would not be born until 356 BC. This prophecy is recounted in Daniel 7:6 and 8:5:14 - some 200 years before the events took place!

In Daniel 8:19-26 the archangel Gabriel gave Daniel a precise predictive account of the life of Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death his empire was broken up into four regions. In 175-164 BC Antiochus Epiphanes, who ruled the Greek/Syrian region (the little horn of Dan 8:9), invaded Jerusalem and desecrated the temple. He brought an altar of Zeus (a Greek form of Baal worship) into the temple to celebrate the birthday of the SUN God. Antiochus sacrificed a pig in the Holy Place of the temple on 25 December 167 BC (some commentators vary on the year).

Hanukkah

MenorahThe angel Gabriel told Daniel that this desecration of the holy place would last 2300 days (6.3 years). This prophetic word, some 200 years before the event, was precise in identifying the time of Antiochus’ persecution from 171 to 165 BC. After Antiochus death the Jews celebrated Judas Maccabeus defeat of the Greeks, the cleansing of the holy place and the relighting of the Manorah with one days oil that lasted eight days. This is the celebration of lights known as Hanukkah, which ends today (14 December 2015).

The Menorah - Golden Candlestick

The Menorah is the symbol of both Israel and the Church. In Revelation 1:20 Jesus tells us that the seven gold lampstands represent the seven churches. Therefore let us make no mistake - the church does not replace Israel. In truth the church is grafted into Israel (Romans 11:11-22).

This is why we share the same symbol and why the tongues of fire at Pentecost (and subsequently) light up the followers of Jesus after our own redemption from personal desecration. We become the new temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20).

Prophecy of the Return of Christ

Jesus the SON of God's birthday is marked by Christmas on the same day as the temple was desecrated by Antiochus to the SUN god's birthday - 25 December!

In Matt 24:15 Jesus spoke about the desecration of the temple in 167 BC and prophesied a second desecration still ahead in the future. Antiochus Epiphanes was a forerunner to the final Anti-Christ. We are now moving rapidly towards this final historic movement that heralds the return of Christ who will take over the running of this planet from Jerusalem. Be encouraged church!

Paul's Second Missionary Journey

Around 50 AD Paul intended to return to the churches he had established in Asia Minor (central Turkey today). In Acts 16:6-9 the Holy Spirit does not permit Paul to go to Asia but sends him to Macedonia. Why Macedonia?

God's Overriding Calendar

Paul takes the Gospel to the very region where Alexander the Great came from. The Holy Spirit insists that Paul take the Gospel to the West and the four corners of the world from Alexander's birth place - Macedonia. God overrode everything that Alexander and Antiochus Epiphanes had done in hostility to God and released the Gospel to the four corners of the world from the launch pad of Alexander's home nation of Macedonia.

Conclusion

Fear not people of God by what you see and hear. Whatever the devil and the growing anti-Christian culture purposes to do... God already has a plan and a timetable that will override his enemy and bring his son Jesus back to rule over the nations from Jerusalem.

Now with this overview in mind we can re-read Daniel 7 and 8 and the book of Acts to rejoice in the victory of Christ and of the increase of his Government of which there will be no end.

There may be as many as 100 million Christians in China today. If not today there will soon will be. The Great South Lands of the Holy Spirit are called, as part of this Asian longitude, to particpate in taking the Gospel back to Jerusalem.


For this reason we sense our call. This is the time for the followers of Jesus to arise together in our positioning to win the war between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness (Col 1:13-20).
Now we can start to join the dots between the teaching of scriptures such as Psalm 110, 1 Cor 15:24-28 and Hebrews 10:12-13. It's time to be part of a Federation of Jesus followers who arise to the battle on our watch in 2016.

We are on the winning side with Jesus.
Of the increase of his government...
there will be no end...

In God's Eye - Are You Disposable?


A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200 people, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty; like any other piece of rubbish. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20."

We are all used to things being disposable - we throw tons of items away daily when we're finished with them. Sadly, people treat others as if they were disposable too.

But you see..for God, no one is disposable. In the Bible we're told that at the end of the world everything that is wrong and evil will be like rubbish. It will be thrown away and destroyed.

However God does not want a single person to be lost when the evil rubbish of the world is burned. He is patiently waiting for us to allow him to clean us up and put us right. No one is rubbish in God's sight.

The minister took the crumpled note and began to smooth it out. "This is what God wants to do for us: smooth out the hurts were other people have rejected us and sort out the wrong things we have done. Then He wants to take us into His eternal life in Heaven. For God, no one is disposable."

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.

God is a loving God and does not look at us as the world sometimes does. People sometimes respect us because of our bank statement and not our heart statement. But God wants us to forget about the treasures of this earth and think about His treasure which is Eternal. II Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Keep this in mind: The worth of our lives comes not from what we do or who we are, but by whose we are! People may reject us, but God will not. You are special - Don't ever forget that

In His Image


Made in His image,
Crafted by His hands,
I'm His precious child,
Designed by His plans.

Sinful by nature,
But cleansed by Christ's blood,
I'm bought at great price --
The highest act of love.

Part of the body,
Grafted into the Vine,
My purpose, to glorify --
For Him brightly shine.

Guided by His touch,
Led by His Spirit,
The future? He knows mine --
There's no need to fear it.

Guiding me gently,
Loving me through all;
He always forgives me,
As on Him I call

In the Heart of the Silent


It is called silent dance. There is no music, only the rhythm of my breath. My body and my soul are one energy drifting deeper into motions. My legs and fingertips pull in opposite directions from the center, and awaken sleeping muscles. A whispering breeze blows into my room on an early Sunday morning and kisses my face.

I distance myself by four squares, taking a bow as an exalted warrior. I lower my head in prayer to thank the peaceful conductor of this silent drama. The clouds hid the sun from the world making the day wet and gray. I hid my face within my shirt afraid to let my parents see me. Not in fellowship with others as I needed to be, but here, in my room, I sat.

A sudden feeling of happiness overflowed from my heart causing me to smile and unhide my face. Tears rolled down my face, not because I was upset, lost, or in pain, but because, for the first time, I really felt the love that is truly beyond measure. I continued to sit there, alone, in silence, next to my bed, thanking my Heavenly Father for my very life.

It was then, that I felt the sudden release of so much hurt, so many painful thoughts, from my inner self. There have been attempts of comfort and futuristic strategies, but the knife kept twisting deeper into my center. I felt trapped within my own skin. I had never known something that was to protect me from the outside, could hurt so much on the inside.

A close friend said she knew of a way to be set free of the terror, but I had to ask for the freedom and mean it with all my heart. Until now, I only pretended to understand. Until now, I still had that terror. I think back and see how my perspectives changed as I changed my perspectives.

The fire for God, getting closer to its peak of strength engulfs the circumference of my soul. The power of the Holy flame caused the rain of sin to dry up and blow away like dust in the wind, leaving behind a colorful moment in time. I see light and dark, touch the earth, smell the air, hear the laughter, but I feel everything. I speak with friends in joy and in confidence but sit still and quiet at home. I don't know which parts are harder, and which parts make me stronger.

Sometimes my heart is in what I do, and sometimes my silence overrides what is in my heart, but to Him, I will, I must, stay devoted. At times I have found myself thinking about giving up to break the silence.

But now in Christ I have found the strength and the courage. I have found the love that no words can express. I have found where I belong. I have found the truth.

All Of Your Strength


A man and his 10-year-old son were hiking the back trails.

The boy stopped to inspect a medium-sized boulder at the side of
the trail.

"Dad, do you think I can move that rock?"

The man eyeballed the rock and said, "Yes son, if you use all
your strength, you can move that rock."

The boy braced against the rock and pushed and strained with all
his might...the rock didn't budge.

"Well Dad, you were wrong, I can't move that rock."

"No son, I wasn't wrong, I said that if you used all your
strength you could move that rock.

But you didn't use all your strength

...because you didn't ask me for help."

Indescribable Love


In my most lowly sinful state
you spoke my name
you lifted my chin and your eyes knew my souls pitiful shame. And you - you asked me but once to upon yourself take from me my deep, dark sin. My eyes tearfully opened and met yours I saw your Holy face and readily received your loving grace.

From there I saw the nails - I touched your scars. You knew my pain, while I could not comprehend yours. You drew me near and made me your own, placing me in your family - as numerous as the stars. Oh how my soul is alive! and is made new!

It recalls and cherishes those moments with you, constantly hearing those words you spoke, "My child, you are forgiven come join me in Heaven!" I finally watched as you nailed shut, and Christ's blood forever sealed Hell's gate.

Is It True?


One day a girl in seventh grade came up to a girl in second grade. She said "Did you now...that your dad is gone?". The second grade girl replied "No he isn't, he's at home with my mom.".

"Are you sure about that?" said the seventh grade girl.

Even though the second grade girl said that she didn't believe the seventh grade girl, she did believe her. Her dad did sound like he was never going to see her again that morning. When she got home her mom and dad were both there. She was relieved to know he was there. She gave him the biggest hug she'd ever given. She went up to her room and took out her bible.

She wondered "Is the Bible true?".

She not only got out one bible, but all of them she had, even her dad and mom's bible. She flipped threw all of them. She noticed that they all had the same stories. Now she knew the Bible was true. Only one seventh grade girl told her about her dad. She loved being loved by God!

It Was You Lord


Lord, it was you who brought me this far, it was you who made me conquer my fears,and it was you who changed my life.

When I was buried in sin it was you who helped me up and dusted me off helped me to realize my reason for living it was you who made it possible for me to start a new life.

The Christmas Gift


A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front on my house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shingled-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said, "It's more blessed to give...."

Cleaning Out


Whew! It was tough, but we got it done. Instead of waiting till Spring, we launched into cleaning out the garage and the attic. It seemed like a good time -- it was the right temperature, we were going to have to put away the Christmas stuff anyway, and all of us were home. Sure, it was a big, dirty, ugly job, but we launched into it.

We've gotten rid of a bunch of junk that we were saving for no apparent reason. Anything that hasn't been used in several years is now gone. We either threw it away or set it aside for a resale shop. No more tripping over it. No more arguing about it. No more letting it clutter up our lives. Our garage and attic are neat, clean, and uncluttered. It's a minor miracle.

Now comes the hard part: cleaning out the junk in my heart and head that I've been saving for no apparent reason! It's one thing to get a new start on a new year, a new day, or a new life, but for it to be really new, we've got to put down the old bags of garbage and junk. As Rich Mullins put it in one of his last songs, it often seems "we can't see what's ahead and we cannot get free of what we've left behind" (from the song "Hard to Get").

But we can get free. We can clean out the clutter. We may not know what's ahead, but we can let ourselves go free from what's behind. It's not easy. We're not like God who can forgive the past and then forget it. In fact, the more we try to forget something, the more we seem to remember it.

But we can quick picking it up and looking at it. We can set it aside and make room for new things. We don't have to keep tripping over the same clutter. We can clean it out by giving it up to the Lord -- let him forgive it and take lordship over it.

But we must give it up -- stack up the bundles of our past regrets, mistakes, sins, and hurts and give them up. It may mean writing all our regrets down on a sheet of paper and burning them or burying them. Or it may mean mentally jotting them down and visualizing Jesus taking an eraser and removing them completely. But we must give them up for us to get on to something new!

I'm not suggesting we simplistically pretend our mistakes and sins didn't happen. We can't stop consequences from our past from sometimes reappearing. But we can quit picking up the problems and "what iffing" them to death! We can quit going over them again and again in our minds. We can clean them out and if we re-find them, or they re-find us, we can consciously give them up again!

Peter denied the Lord three times in his most needed hour. Paul persecuted Christians before he knew the Lord. Neither could completely escape his past. But they chose to set them aside and not live with them. Instead, they chose to live for the Lord and let him take care of the past. As Paul put it, "Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above." (Philippians 3:13-14)

So how about the clutter in your heart? Is there anything you need to clean out and throw out so you can go on to the Lord's future for you? Then clean it out and let him help you start fresh and finish strong!

Jesus is...


Jesus is the one,
Jesus is the sun,
Jesus is the way
Jesus is every day.
Jesus is the key,
Jesus is to be,
Jesus is the door,
Jesus is not poor.

[video=youtube_share;Lbbr4cZzsFQ]https://youtu.be/Lbbr4cZzsFQ[/video]

Judgement Day

I've always been somewhat of a restless soul,
I never listened to what I was told,

I ran wild to let the demons inside me,
free the devil, paints a pretty picture
for those to see.

I had to have what the world could offer.
For the wrong, I've done,
they should crucify me.

I was brought up by one of God's chosen men,
but I let him down,
I've lived a life of sin.

My loved ones' teachings
could not change my destructive ways.
I will give account for my life on
Judgement Day.

I cannot undo the things I've put you through,
but never once did I stop loving you.

You cried tears of worry, I forgot to wipe away.
Those precious tears will be of blood on that
Great Judgement Day.

Just Checking In


A minister passing through his church, in the middle of the day, decided to pause by the altar, and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened, a woman came down the aisle, the minister frowned as he saw, the woman hadn't been in, in a while.

Her shirt was kind a shabby, and her coat was worn and frayed. The woman knelt, she bowed her head, then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed, each noon time came this lady, each time she knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in her lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, he decided to stop the woman and ask her, "what are you doing here?"

I worked down at the volunteer, lunch was a half an hour. Lunch time was her prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, because the volunteer is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the lord, this is kind of what I say:

"I just came again to tell you, lord, how happy I’ve been, since we found each other's friendship, and you took away my sin. I don't know much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So, Jesus, this is Jill checking in."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jill, that was fine. He told Jill she was welcome to come and pray anytime.

Time to go, Jill smiled, said "thanks," she hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated Jill’s prayer:

"I just came again to tell you , lord, how happy I’ve been, since we found each other's friendship, and you took away my sin. I don't know much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So, Jesus, this is me checking in."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that Jill hadn't come. As more days passed without Jill, he began to worry some.

At the volunteer, he asked about Jill, learning she was ill. The hospital staff was worried, but she'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jill was with them, brought changes in the ward. Her miles, a joy contagious, changing people, were her reward.

The head nurse could understand why Jill was so glad, with all the flowers, calls and cards came, visitor's she had. The minister stayed by her bed, she voiced the nurse's concern: all the friends came to show they cared she had everywhere to turn.

Looking surprised, Jill spoke up and with a winsome smile; "the nurse is right, she would know, she's in here all the while".

Everyday at noon she'd hear a dear friend of mine, you see. He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me: "I just came again to tell you, Jill, how happy I have been, since we found this friendship, and I took away your sin. Always love to hear you pray, I think about you each day, and so Jill, this is Jesus checking in."

Just Passing Along...


Just passing along some wonderful facts.
Since I am (we are) in Christ, by the grace of God...

I have been justified - completely forgiven and made righteous (Rom. 5:1).

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over my life (Rom. 6:1-6).

I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

I have been placed into Christ by God's doing (1 Cor. 1:30).

I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God (1 Cor. 2:12).

I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19,20)

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come (2 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 1:13,14). Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14,15).

I have been made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ's life (Gal. 2:20).

I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).

I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4).

I was predestined - determined by God - to be adopted as God's son (Eph. 1:5).

I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace.

I have been made alive together with Christ (Eph 2:5).

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Eph. 2:6).

I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:18).

I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12).

I have been rescued from the domain of satan's rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13).

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled (Col. 1:14). Christ Himself is in me (Col. 1:27).

I am firmly rooted in Christ and am being built in Him (Col. 2:7).

I have been spiritually circumcised. My old regenerate nature has been removed (Col. 2:11).

I have been made complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).

I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ (Col. 2:12,13).

I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life (Col. 3:1-4).

I have been given a spirit of power, love and self discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).

I have been saved and set apart according to God's doing (2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5) Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed to call me brother (Heb. 2:11).

I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in time of need (Heb. 4:16).

I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God's divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4).

(From Victory over the Darkness, Neil Anderson

Keep the Fork


The sound of Martha's voice on the other end of the telephone always brought a smile to Brother Jim's face. She was not only one of the oldest members of the congregation, but one of the most faithful. Aunt Martie, as all the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope and love wherever she went.

"Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk with you."

"Of course. I'll be there around three. Is that okay?"

As they sat facing each other in the quiet of her small living room, Jim learned the reason for what he sensed in her voice. Martha shared the news that her doctor had just discovered a previously undetected tumor.

"He says I probably have six months to live." Martha's words were certainly serious, yet there was a definite calm about her. "I'm so sorry to . . .", but before Jim could finish, Martha interrupted.

"Don't be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a long life and I'm ready to go. You know that."

"I know," Jim whispered with a reassuring nod.

"But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about it, and there are things that I know I want."

The two talked quietly for a long time. They talked about Martha's favorite hymns, the passages of scripture that had meant so much to her through the years, and the many memories they shared from the five years Jim had been with Central Church.

When it seemed that they had covered just about everything, Aunt Martie paused, looked up at Jim with a twinkle in her eye, and then added, "One more thing, preacher. When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other."

"A fork?" Jim was sure he had heard everything, but this caught him by surprise. "Why do you want to be buried with a fork?"

"I have been thinking about all of the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years," she explained. "I couldn't begin to count them all. But one thing sticks in my mind. At those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished a server or maybe the hostess would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can hear the words now.

Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder and whisper,'you can keep your fork.' And do you know what that meant? Dessert was coming!"

"It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding or even a dish of Ice Cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come! That's exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral. Oh, they can talk about all the good times we had together. That would be nice. But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, 'Why the fork?'

"I want you to tell them that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come...................Heaven."

Your day is never so bad that it's beyond the reach of God's grace.
Your day is never so good that it's beyond the need for God's grace

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake just for me, and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but, it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked... and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

Do they see Christ when you think they aren't looking

LOVEv4.0---Upgrade


Not just another customer service phone call.......

Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software Company help desk. How may I help you?

Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVEv4.0...you know.... the freeware. I don't understand it. Can tell me how to install it?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?

Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. LOVE is a unique program, there is no other like it in the world. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background, you will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.

Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run smoother?

Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also, FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say "unable to connect" will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.

Customer: That's exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But what about the bad programs?

CS Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs cant be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you wont be able to write with the fonts "BADWORDS12" or "HARSHNESS10".

Customer: That's a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?

CS Rep: They sure are ma'am.

Customer: How do I get the upgrades?

CS Rep: That's easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Harddrive Email And Remote Terminal (HEART) that it comes in contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your HEART. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.

Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?

CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma'am?

Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep: What programs are running ma'am?

Customer: Let me see....I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

CS Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEART's in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. What should I do?

CS Rep: What does the message say?

Customer: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS". What does that mean?

CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but In non- technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others.

Customer: So what should I do?

CS Rep: Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

CS Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

CS Rep: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!

CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go...

Customer: Yes?

CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thank you for your help