Category: General stuff

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Be Fishers of Men. You Catch Them; He’ll Clean Them.

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Our bookstore is still carrying the great book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It is a very timely book that reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, self-doubt, addictions, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

I am sure you can think of someone who could benefit from this book. You could help them change their lives.

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I am sharing a chapter from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”

This chapter talks to us about our need to reach out to others who may be suffering and show them the way to happiness.

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Chapter 62

 

Be Fishers of Men. You Catch Them; He’ll Clean Them

 

They went out and preached that people should repent.

Mark6:12

 

I loved this catchy bumper sticker when I saw it on the car ahead of me. I almost drove off the road trying to write it down!

I said earlier that fishing is one of my favorite pastimes. Catching fish is fun, but cleaning them has to be one of the most disgusting jobs in the world. The fish are slimy, and you have to clean out their insides—yuck! Kinda’ takes away the desire to eat the fish. But we always do, and the fish is always delicious. It is also good for you.

This is true for Christians today. We spend time going to church, trying to learn more about God so we can live for Him more effectively. We do our own growing and have close encounters with God. Almost as an aside, we want other people to be Christians, but we don’t want to get involved in their messy lives to help them get cleaned up. We’d rather have someone else do that part. It is an unpleasant job that takes courage.

We forget that there are many people outside (and even some inside!) the church who need to know God too. But we, His followers, don’t spend enough time sharing the Word with non-Christians. Our attitude is almost: “I am in this church protected from the outside, and the rest of the world out there can go to hell!”

We are commissioned to help as many people come to God as we can.

The obvious way to start spreading Christianity is in our own homes with our children. If we raise them in the way of the Lord, they will also raise their children the same way. I have been blessed in this way. My three children are all Christians, and their children love the Lord just as much as they do. Bringing them up in a Christian home is what made the difference.

For those who aren’t comfortable witnessing to someone, being a good example is always a proven way to lead others to Christ. If we are consistent in living out our Christian beliefs, others will say, “I want to be like him/her.” I love a quote that has been attributed to St. Francis: “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

Door-to-door or cold-calling, trying to pressure someone into a decision for Christ is not a very effective way of reaching others with Christ’s message. It’s much more natural to witness to others when the opportunity arises. When something happens that causes pain in someone’s life, we can let them know about the Lord and perhaps how He helped us work through a similar situation.

We’re not telling them they need to get down and confess all of their sins right there on the spot, but that they can turn to the Lord for help. The Lord will take it from there. He will clean up the “mess” in their lives while we can stay close, letting them know we’re there for them and are praying for them. They will want to know more about our faith.

We have brought them to Jesus, who will take over from there. We may need to stay on the sidelines to encourage them, but Jesus is the only one who can clean up the mess in their lives.

 

[Jesus said], “In the same way, let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

 

Further Adventures

Try calling on someone you know who is under stress for any reason. Just let them know you’re praying for them and how God has helped you through similar problems. You don’t have to try to lead them to the Lord right then. It may happen just because the person is ready to do that. Don’t fear praying with them to accept the Lord if they seem very open to learning more about how to do that.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week?

 

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As Long as There are Tests, There Will be Prayer in Schools

Thanks to all of you who been signing up for the RSS feed to this site. This help us move up in the Google Search Rankings. Help us keep climbing by signing up today if you haven’t already. Just click on the icon after the title to do that.

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The book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” just received a 5 star rating by the Reader’s Favorite Books, website. You can read the review by going to: http://www.readersfavorite.com/review/5735.

This is the second 5 star review recently. You can order this book right here, by clicking on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page. This books reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

It is on a special sale here. In the retail stores it is $19.99, but here it is only $15.99, and the shipping is cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00.

Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab to check it out.

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I have another excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It tells about preparing ourselves for the day of reckoning.

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Chapter 49

 

As Long as There Are Tests, There Will Be Prayer in Schools

 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

 

I loved my job as a teacher. It was thrilling to see the fear on kids’ faces when I gave a surprise quiz. They looked like they had just been hit by lightning. They began to sweat and tremble. I had my red pen in hand as I handed out the tests. I wanted them to see the pen that was going to be marking all over their papers. I knew I had power, and I was enjoying it.

Of course, this is not true. I never surprised kids with tests. As a matter of fact, I told them way ahead of time when a test was coming. I even told them where to find the answers. Life is tough enough without trying to hide the answers to tests.

That is the way it for Christians. They know where to find the answers. God does not try to hide them. God has told us way ahead of time what the answers are. He has told us what is going to happen. All we need to do is have faith. We need to look forward to it happening.

You should be studying for the final test now. You can’t just cram for it at the last minute. You don’t know when the last minute is. It may be before you finish this page. The Bible has all the answers to any questions you may have about God.

We need to spend each day studying and preparing for that day. There is only one test you have to pass, but it is pass/fail. There are no average scores or not so good scores—you either pass or you fail.

Fear not, my friend, the only question on the test is: “Do you believe in Me?” Yes and no are the only choices. There are not hundreds of questions that take hours to answer. You just kneel down and pray, “Father forgive me and I believe in You.”

Then you are ready to go home to be with God, and you never have to take another test for eternity.

Is this a hard task for you? Do you have too many “toys”—or other things to distract you—on this earth? Would you rather not think about eternity just yet? Do you have plans for yourself that do not include God? Have tests always had you running in fear? Do you shiver and quake when the word “test” is mentioned? Do you not have time for prayer?

Read John3:16, and know that God loves you more than words can describe. He loved you so much that He gave His only Son to die just for you.

Think of the test questions that Jesus had to go through. The Pharisees kept trying to trick Him with questions to show that He wasn’t really the Son of God. They wanted Him to fail the test.

“Should we pay taxes?” “Is it OK to heal on the Sabbath?” “Why do you protect a prostitute?” Even on the cross He was asked, “If you are God, why don’t you save me and yourself?”

Jesus was not afraid of questions. He knew that His heavenly Father was there for Him. He knew that all the questions led to the cross. They all had a purpose: to fulfill His prophecy.

Even though I am retired from teaching, I still try to learn. I read many books on Christian living. I read the Bible to keep growing. I am 70 years old and will never be too old to study for the final test. I am ready for it because I’ve done my homework. I found the right answers.

 

If … you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with

all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29

 

Further Adventures

How about you? Are you ready for the final test? Are you sure you’ll get the diploma of eternal life? Will you graduate into the heavenly kingdom? If not, crack open the Bible and get at that study. Confess your sins, and accept God’s gift of salvation. You are only a prayer away from God. He is waiting for you to pass the test and rely on Him for knowledge. Then you will be at the head of the class. The angels will be waiting for you to hand you your diploma, congratulating you with: “You passed the test!” You will be an honor student with eternity to enjoy your Savior.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny when you find something you thought you had lost only to realize it was there all the time?

 

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1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4-Given

Thanks to all of those who have been signing up for our RSS feed. This helps us mover up the Google Search Rankings. If you haven’t already signed up, please to it today. You just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

___________________________________________________________

The book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” just received a 5 star review from Reader’s Favorite Books, website. You can check it out by going to http://www.readersfavorite.com/review/5735. You will need to scan down just a little. 

This book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

This book is on a special sale right now. In the retail stores it is $19.99, but here it is only $15.99, and the shipping has been cut in half as well.

Click on the “bookstore,” tab at the top of this page to read more about the book.

___________________________________________________________

I have another excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It talks about the many people who wear crosses around their necks and never really know the meaning behind them.

Chapter 48

1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4-Given

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever  believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

 

Have you ever thought about the cross? It was just a piece of wood. It came from an everyday tree. It was shaped for one purpose: death! Think about the cross you may be wearing, or the one you see during your church service. Have you ever really thought about the pain this one piece of wood caused?

History knows about the cross, and some people have despised it. The cross is worn by millions of people. It is often gold-plated and worn as jewelry—usually not to symbolize what it really means, or to show our faith. But the cross really means dying. A cross was used to punish the guilty. It displayed the offender in front of others so they would “learn a lesson” and not do the same thing. Bottom line: It was a torture device to show the power of the leaders during their time.

People try to ignore the significance of the cross, but they can’t. It is the piece of lumber that makes the biggest claim in the history of man. After all, when Jesus was here on earth, He hung on that cross, claiming to be the Savior for all mankind. He even had the nerve to claim He was God Himself!

Jesus was a carpenter and knew how hard it was to toil each day with his hands and a hammer. He had calluses on His hands even though those hands touched a blind man’s eyes and caused him to see. He used those same calloused hands when He touched a leper and he was healed. He knew what hard work was, and yet He had a tender touch that healed hundreds of people.

This is the God of love brought down to earth in the form of a man—a person with flesh and blood like you and me. Full of hurts. Full of sadness. Full of fear. Didn’t He cry out to God to “take this cup from Me”? Wasn’t He whipped, slapped and spat upon? Didn’t He slowly and painfully walk with that cross on His shoulders knowing that He would soon be hung on it and go through tremendous hurt and suffering? From the cross, didn’t He ask God why He had forsaken Him? Wouldn’t you have a little fear?

So we have the cross ready for the crucifixion. How about those nails? They weren’t tiny nails you’d use to build a birdhouse in the backyard. These were spikes—large nails about five inches long. They crushed the bones and caused pain that was beyond description.

Imagine your fear as they placed your left hand on that cross and get ready to pound that nail through your hand. The mallet comes down, and you scream in pain. But before you can catch your breath, they are nailing your right hand down.

Now that they have you securely part of the cross, they put your feet together, one on top of the other and slam another spike through both of them at once.

Do you feel the pain? Do you get the picture? Can you now relate to the sacrifice that Jesus had to go through so that you wouldn’t have to?

He was hurting, He was in great pain, and He cried out to God, just like you and I would, but He knew what He was doing had to be done for you and me.

He even had to look down and see the soldiers gambling for His clothes. That must have made Him feel even worse. They were at His feet, but they didn’t even know He was the Savior. He didn’t scold them. He didn’t cry out in anguish. He wanted them to know the One whose clothes they were throwing the dice for would come back to give them another chance.

Think of His arms spread out across the cross. Open arms. Arms that will hold you and show you love when we are in heaven.

Think even deeper about a mother watching her son die. Having Mary watch Him die had to cause Jesus another level of pain—perhaps even worse than any whippings or the nails driven through His hands and feet. He gave her one final look and then He said good-bye, handing her over to John’s care. Think of what Mary went through right at the moment He said, “It is finished.” Her son was dead, and she had to watch Him slowly fade away from her.

One final gesture. One more time of showing us how much He loved us. One last effort to tell us to seek Him so we can be with Him in heaven. After all, He died for us so we wouldn’t have to feel the pain. It is that simple. He went through all the torture, pain, aloneness, fear, for each one of us.

The next time you see a cross around someone’s neck or see one on top of a church, think of what Jesus went through so you can have eternal life. Try to see Him on that cross, with the crown of thorns on his head and the crimson blood flowing down His face. He is looking at you, and wants you to know that it is OK. He wants you to know that He did this for you, so that you will have eternal life. It should give you a much stronger feeling of what the cross stands for.

 

This is love: not that we loved God, but the he loves us and  sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:10

 

Further Adventures

Take time each day to thank God for sending His only Son to die for you on the cross. Start out every prayer time, or devotional time, praising God for what He has done for you. The whole meaning of Christianity started with the cross. Think about how the love Jesus flowed out for you through His blood on the cross.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how some people wear the cross and never know what it means?