The following fable portrays how we might feel if
we could see into heaven for an instant:
A boy had a sister who was dying. He heard that if he could secure a
leaf from the tree of life in heaven, she would be healed. So he
approached the gate of glory and made his desire known to an angel.
The celestial being suggested to the boy that even if his sister
would be healed he could not guarantee she would never again be
sick, suffer disappointment, or go through trials. Just then the
angel deliberately opened the gate a little wider so the youngster
could see inside. He could scarcely believe his eyes! Everything was
wonderful and beautiful beyond description. After thinking for a
moment, eh exclaimed, "Forget the leaf! May I come in with her?"
I would not have you grieve for me today
Source:
Jackson Church of Christ, Jackson, MO, date unknown.
By Royce Clay
One cold rainy night while I was waiting at a bus
stop, an elderly woman got off a bus and walked slowly over to where
I stood.
"Could you tell me when the next bus is due?" she
asked. I asked where she was going. Upon hearing her reply I
exclaimed, "But you just got off a bus going to your destination."
"Well," she stammered shyly, "there was a
terribly crippled young man on that bus and nobody offered hem a
seat. I knew he'd be embarrassed if an old lady like me got up for
him, so I pretended it was time for me to get off so he could have
my seat. He wasn't embarrassed, and I -- well, there's always
another bus.
We need, as a congregation, to manifest a little
more of that little lady's attitude.
Source:
Meadowbrook Church of Christ, Anderson, IN, Jan. 15, 1995.
By Alan Smith
The following quotes are reported to come from an
actual newspaper contest where entrants ages 4 to 15 were asked to
imitate "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey":
Give me the strength to change the
things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot, and a great
big bag of money. --Age 13
It sure would be nice if we got a day
off for the president's birthday, like they do for the queen's. Of
course, then we would have a lot of people voting for a candidate
born on July 3 or December 26, just for the long weekends. --Age 8
Democracy is a beautiful thing,
except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote. --Age 10
For centuries, people thought the
moon was made of green cheese. Then the astronauts found that the
moon is really a big hard rock. That's what happens to cheese when
you leave it out. --Age 6
As you make your way through this
hectic world of ours, set aside a few minutes each day. At the end
of the year, you'll have a couple of days saved up. --Age 7
Often, when I am reading a good book,
I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an
unlisted number. --Age 15
The only stupid question is the one
that is never asked, except maybe "Don't you think it is about time
you audited my return?" or "Isn't it morally wrong to give me a
warning when, in fact, I was speeding?" --Age 15
If we could just get everyone to
close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how
serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. --Age 15
I believe you should live each day as
if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry
because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their
life? --Age 15
Who can argue with that last statement? But it raises
an interesting question. If you knew (with full certainty) that this
would be your last day on this earth, how would you live it? Would
you spend the day in Bible study and prayer? Talking with people
about Christ? Relaxing with your family? Or would you spend it
washing clothes, cleaning the house, going to work and doing all the
"mundane" things that you do every day?
We are told to "watch" at all times, knowing that the
second coming of Christ will be as unexpected as a "thief in the
night" (I Thess 5:1-6). It could be within the next few hours! And
since none of us are promised a certain number of years, this may
well be our last day of life on this earth. So how should that
affect the way we live?
If we really believed that, it would cause us to
rearrange our priorities. It would cause us to ask ourselves, "Is
what I am doing important from an eternal viewpoint?" Mundane tasks
such as washing our clothes remain necessary, but we all find
ourselves spending much of our time doing things that seem to be
important at the moment (from an earthly perspective), but which
have no eternal significance.
"Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us
watch and be sober......For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us,
that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also
are doing." (1 Thess. 5:6,9-11)
Source:
http://www.tftd-online.com/content.asp?CID=14479
By Gary Payne
Once upon a time there was a family who owned a
beautiful German Shepherd. It was a good dog, except for one thing
-- it always gave the neighbor's pet rabbit the evil eye.
Then, one day the inevitable happened. Looking
across the fence they say their dog with its teeth clamped around
the lifeless body of their bunny, shaking it back and forth for all
its' worth.
It just so happened that the neighbors were gone
for vacation. So, the owners of the German Shepherd devised a plan.
They took the rabbit and gave it a bath. They washed all the blood
and dirt of its white coat. For the finishing touch they blow-dried
its fur. Then, they stuck it back in the cage.
The next day the rabbit's owner and dog's
owner were out in their yards. The rabbit's owner said to the
other, "You know, the strangest thing happened to our rabbit." "Oh?"
came the reply. "Yeah. Our rabbit died before we left. We buried
him. And for the life of us we can't figure out how he got back in
his cage."
We are taught to make every effort to add the
grace of virtue. [II Peter 1:5]. Virtue means moral courage. It
involves honesty and integrity, especially when it would be easier
to tell a white lie or make excuses.
The Christian life demands such character. God is
seeking to build better people out of us. Wouldn't be great if
everyone had such character?
Source:
Meadowbrook Church of Christ, Anderson, IN, Feb. 24, 1991.
An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new
bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually
walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure
none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to
break the news to a friend of his, the eternal pessimist who refused
to be impressed with anything. This, surely, would impress him. He
invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.
As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks
flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped
into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked
across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his
paws wet. This continued all day long; each time a duck fell, the
dog walked across the surface of the water to retrieve it.
The pessimist watched carefully, saw everything,
but did not say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend,
"Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?"
"I sure did," responded the pessimist. "He can't
swim."
Source:
Alan Smith, Thought For The Day, date unknown.
Have you ever walked away form an incredible
offer?
Declaration of Independence signer Richard
Stockton was imprisoned shortly after signing the historic document
in 1776. If you know by heart all those who signed, you are probably
wondering how Stockton was.
Stockton represented New Jersey in the signing
ceremony. But before the ink could dry, he was seized by the British
and imprisoned as a common criminal. The intimidation worked. He
quickly swore allegiance to King George III; and recanted his
signature on America's immortal document.
In another arena, there are others who renege.
Jesus, while visiting our planet, presented a parable to his
followers about a sower. The planted seeds of the sower represent
the claims of God's Word. Jesus said, "(Seeds that fall) on the rock
are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but
they have no root. They believe for a while but in time of testing
they fall away." (Luke 8:13). Incredibly, even some who witnessed
Christ and His miracles "turned back and no longer followed Him"
(John 6:66), so take stock of your life to see if you've backed out
on your commitment to Jesus.
Remember: If you are "backing out," you may be
"backing into" eternal disaster.
Source:
Pulpit Helps.
