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Today's Verse

Roman Catholicism fans



Saturday, September 24, 2005

Take My Son

author unknown

This is a story of a wealthy man and his son who both loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.

The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

The Parable of the Cracked Pot

I used this story for a play in a Sec. 2 English lesson.

author unknown

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the other side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?"

"That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table.

In God's economy, nothing goes to waste.

So as we seek to minister together, and as God leads you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws.

Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway.

Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that "In Him every one of God's promises is a Yes."

The Parable of the Pencil

author unknown

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replace the place of the pencil with you; always remember the 5 points, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.

Be like a brush in the painter's hand or a pen in the writer's... -Blessed Nicholas Barre

Jean

PS: Btw, if you were wondering, I don't really find these stories... I just come across them... in magazines (The Word Among Us), emails (I just received the one above) and websites. Usually I'm looking for something completely unrelated when they appear. =p

All the best for promos/A-levels/prelims = exams!

After exams, can more pple blog? It's a group blog. I feel a bit paiseh blogging alone. Yep. See you.

PPS: Does anyone know how to erase and block the spam in the comments after each post? We've no end of stock quotes and other fishy links.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Faces of Jesus

http://www.rejesus.co.uk/expressions/faces_jesus/index.html

Jean...

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Could I be mistaken for Jesus?

author unknown

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. Well, as such things go, one thing led to another. The sales manager went on longer than anticipated and the meeting ran overtime. Their flights were scheduled to leave out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and they had to race pell-mell to the airport. With tickets in hand, they barged through the terminal to catch their flight back home. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table, which held a display of baskets of apples. Apples flew everywhere.

Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding. All but one. He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no-one stopping, and no-one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $20 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"
She nodded through her tears.

He added, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister..." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She asked, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit. Let's start living like we are worth the price He paid.

Jean

Sunday, September 11, 2005

The Bible

God's Word
author unknown

The Bible is a beautiful palace, built out of sixty-six blocks of marble. In the first chapter of Genesis, we enter the vestibule, which is filled with the mighty acts of creation. The vestibule gives access to the law courts, the five books of Moses. Passing through these we come to the picture gallery of the historical books. Here we find hung upon walls scenes of battle fields, representations of heroic deeds and portraits of eminent men belonging to the early days of the world's history. Beyond the picture gallery, we find the philosopher's chamber, the book of Job. Passing on, we enter the music room, the book of Psalms, where we listen to the grandest strains that ever fell on human ears. Then, we go to the business office, the book of Proverbs, where right in the centre of the room stands facing us the motto, "Righteous exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to my people." From the business room, we pass into the chapel Ecclesiastes, or the preacher in his pulpit, and then into the conservatory, the Song of Solomon with the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley and all manner of fine perfumes, fruits and flowers. Finally we reach the observatory, the prophets with their telescopes fixed on near and distant stars, and all directed toward the bright and morning star, that was soon to arise. Crossing the court we come to the audience chamber of the King, the prophets where we find four lifelike portraits of the King Himself. Next we enter the workroom of the Holy Spirit, the Acts of the Apostles and beyond that, the correspondence room, where we see the apostles Paul and Peter, James and Jude, busy at their desks. If you would like to know what they are writing about, there the epistles are, open for all to study.

Before leaving we stand for a minute in the outside gallery, the Revelation, where we look upon some striking pictures of the Judgement to come and the glories to be revealed, concluding with an awe-inspiring picture of the throne room of the King.



Facts about the Bible


There are 39 books in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament.
There are 1 078 chapters in the Old Testament, 260 chapters in the New Testament.
There are 23 929 verses in the Old Testament, 7 956 in the New Testament.
There are 12 726 430 letters in the Old Testament, 838 380 in the New Testament.
Number of words in the New Testament is 181 253
The middle book of the Bible is Proverbs.
The middle book in the New Testament is Thessalonians.
The middle chapter in the whole Bible is Psalms 118.
The middle chapter of the Old Testament is Job 29.
The middle chapters of the New Testament are Romans 14 and 15.
The middle verse in the Old Testament is 2nd Chronicles 1:25.
The middle verse in the New Testament is Acts-18th verse.
The word "and" appears in the Old Testament 35 543 times, in the New Testament 19 604 times.
The word "Jehovah" appears 6 586 times.
The shortest verse in the Old Testament is 1st Chronicles 1:25.
The longest verse in the Old Testament is Esther 8:9.



The Centre of the Bible

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 117
Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 119
Q: Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible?
A: Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118
Add these numbers up and you get 1188.
Q: What is the centre verse in the Bible?
A: Psalms 118:8
Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the centre of His will, just send them to the centre of His Word!

Psalms 118:8=> "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men."

Now isn't that odd how this worked out? (Or was God at the centre of it?)


Emergency Numbers

When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17
For an idea of Christianity, call 2 Cor. 5:15-19
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39
When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labour or travel, call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37
If you’re losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13
If people seem unkind, call John 15
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small, and yourself great, call Psalm 19

Emergency numbers may be dialled direct.
No operator assistance is necessary.

All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours a day!
Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death!

Jean

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