HUMOUR ME.......

Just humour me and go along with this……
Two angels talking and watching…..what…or who are they watching?

God the father….God the Son….. and God the Holy Spirit

God the father is speaking….(The angels are listening)
God says....
“I am going to make a planet…an earth like planet, so I can put beings on it, which will be made in our image!”
God the Son thinks that a fantastic Idea, and so does God, the Holy Spirit.
“But,” God the Father explains…. “These beings, we will call them humans, will be tempted….. and will give in to that temptation” and He looks questioningly at God the Son, Jesus, “They will commit what we will call sin”
“I think to have beings made in our image wonderful we can love them and love them….” Says Jesus.
“But…” says God the Father… “We will need some one to stand in for them…..someone who is totally blameless and sinless….so they can be redeemed as it were….”
The Son Jesus looks at God the Father…..then He looks at God the Holy Spirit….and speaks up…. “I will stand in for them to redeem them…..” He says.
God the father is smiling….so is God the Holy Spirit who says…. “And I will come, when the time is right, and be right along side of you….so we can do the work together…”

The two angels look at each other in horror…….

Their precious Jesus…..the darling of heaven.....going down to earth? What is he planning on doing?

God is speaking again…… “Son….you do understand that you will have to go down and become one of them? You will have to be born like one of these humans…else you cannot take their place when the time comes?”

Jesus smiles…. “yes…I understand…”

(So….when the time comes….the earth has been created and the humans have been made and have become sinners…. The time for Jesus to go down has arrived…. The angels have been told that the only thing they are allowed to do is announce the event to some simple shepherds…when it is time….).


There is silence in heaven…….Jesus is walking down a long corridor….ready to go down to earth….to “become one of them”

The angels hold their breath….this is awful……

One minute Jesus is there…….

the next he is gone…..


(Not long after, by heavenly time….,)

the angels are told to go and proclaim a message to the shepherds…which they are overjoyed to do, as they now know all went according to plan….
A lovely little boy was born to a lowly couple named Joseph and Mary….they named Him Jesus just as the angel Gabriel had told them to do….
We celebrate His birthday soon…please remember why we celebrate!

Blessings
Yaddy

BIRTHDAY PRESENTS....

When I woke up on "my" birthday Lord......there were presents...just for me!
From my brothers and my sisters and from friends and family!

As if I'd somehow earned it, or....somehow had a say
in coming to this world...and being here....today!

Lord....help me to remember..... that it's only by Your grace,
that I live....and breath....and function
that I can be here....in this place!

Please help me through Your Spirit....live...
as only You would have me do
a life of loving service...my gift of love....to You!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up on Your birthday Lord...
there were presents.....just for me!
from my brothers and my sisters and from friends and family!

But wait...yet another gift,
this one from my Father up above....
He sent His precious Son for me...His precious gift of love!

AS IF I'D SOMEHOW EARNED IT!

Lord....help me to remember, that it's only by Your Grace....
that Jesus came to live with us, that we could look upon His face.
That He took my guilt onto the cross, and died there....in my place!

And help me through Your Spirit live as only You would have me do
a life of praise and honour....my gift of love.....to You!

For....unto ME a child is born....unto ME a Son is given....


HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

written by Tom Reitsma Gosford 1987

Bless you all

Yaddy

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A CHURCH.......

They had some real problems, but in spite of all those, they still reached 1000's of people for Christ.

It was located in the wrong place.......

and besides this, most other people looked on the members with scorn and ridicule.

They did not even have a building in which to meet!!!!

It was poor and most of the members were also on the verge of poverty!
And.......none of the members were actually "trained" for the job!

The membership was small.....barely 120.

And the treasurer had just run off with the little money they did have!!!
lol...The chief leader of this church had a way of putting his foot in his mouth, he was constantly making people mad!

And, as in any church, there were those who "thought" differently to most, and wanted the others to change their thinking....several were leaving, because.....well.... just because......they were being persecuted!

The ONE thing this church had going for it was the power of Holy Spirit.

It was the church in Jerusalem described in the book of Acts.
Yet....with all it's problems....this church baptized 3000 people after it's first revival service!
God is good.....
Bless you.....
Yaddy

Watch and Pray.....

Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”
__________

No one on this earth is temptation proof.  Even mature believers in Christ have weaknesses in their spiritual armour that make them vulnerable to satan’s attack.

Temptation is an urge to do something we know is wrong and certainly troubles each one of us, saved or unsaved.  It may well be some sin, or something we tend to excuse like impatience, pride, programs we shouldn’t watch or places we shouldn’t be in. 

Maybe it’s gossip, or a short temper. 

I’m quite sure you will be able to add your own temptation to the above list.  I would venture to say, that nearly every day we must choose between doing what pleases the Lord and what appeals to our old nature and our own selfish desires.

We have all seen while driving, load limit signs on highways, and especially on bridges.

If you have taken an elevator to get to an upper floor, maybe in a department store, the elevator has a load limit, just as the highways and bridges. 
Those individuals (engineers) who designed these structures knew that too much strain or weight, could and would, cause severe damage or even complete collapse. 

You could also make the argument that the same limits apply to us as individuals!

As human beings, we also have limits of our own, but those limits vary from person to person.  As believers in Christ, our Lord knows our limitations and will never allow any difficulties to enter our lives that exceed our strength and ability to endure.  This is especially true when we are enticed by a temptation to sin.
1 Corinthians 10:13 puts it this way, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.”
_____________________________~

Tim my next door neighbour told me about a dog he had when he was a boy.  His father would occasionally test the dog’s obedience.  He would place a tempting piece of meat on the floor and give the command, No! 

The dog, which must have had a strong urge to go for the meat, was placed in a most difficult situation, to obey or disobey, his master’s command.  Tim said, “The dog never looked at the meat.”  He seemed to feel that if he did, the temptation to disobey would be too great.

So, he looked steadily at my father’s face.  Tim then made this spiritual application:  There is a lesson for us all.  Always look up to the Master’s face.

Yes, that is good advice.  God, of course, will not tempt us to do wrong (James 1:13).  We do encounter many temptations, though, and if we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus we will be able to overcome them.  When we are confronted by enticements that could easily overwhelm, us, we need to look to Christ and follow His direction.  Seeing Him and hearing Him as He is revealed in the Scriptures will give you the discernment to know what is right, and the desire and strength to obey Him.
 Mikey

bless you

Yaddy

Most of us are still dumb creatures looking to the future for fulfillment. We think some future event or some change in our circumstance will bring us peace and joy.

We say, “Just wait; my day is coming. Somehow, someday, somewhere…I don’t know what it is that’s out there for me, but it’s coming.”
We are like children waiting for Christmas and counting the days.
David once wrote during a mournful, introspective season in his life that he felt time was going too fast. He had accomplished so little, he thought.
Everything at the time seemed to be in vain. “Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches and knows not who shall gather them. And now Lord, what wait I for?” (Psalm 39:6-7). David was depressed, down. His present situation appeared so useless. And out of a perplexed heart he cried out, “Lord, what am I waiting for?”


Recently I was walking alone in the hills of Pennsylvania and God spoke to my heart on this same question, “David, what is it you’re waiting for? Why isn’t this the best day of your life? Why can’t you now be full and joyous? There is nothing out there that you don’t already have in Jesus.”

I ask you, What are you waiting for? “Oh, for Mr. Right,” you may answer—that godly person you think is going to rescue you from all loneliness and fill your soul with unspeakable joy. Some are bored with their mates and waiting for them to go to glory because they’re looking for romance to come into their lives and drive away their emptiness.
No!
There is nothing out there that will change or save you from who and what you are already. If you think someone else is going to solve your loneliness problem, you’re badly mistaken.
You must find deliverance, peace, hope and joy now!
Jesus is the only one who can fill the void. Wake up and live!
David Wilkerson
blessings,
Yaddy

THE PILOT LIGHT!

Hebrews 5:12, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat”
__________

The man from the gas company wasn’t very happy with my neighbour.  It seems that my neighbour had called to report a gas smell and a malfunctioning stove.  It was early evening, and the repairman from the gas company had to drive a considerable distance in order to reach my neighbour’s house.  After the repairman looked inside the stove, he wasn’t very pleasant and cheery at all when he stood up, looked my neighbour very coldly, and said, “All you had to do was light the pilot light.”  Even after the repairman fired up the oven, his words left the neighbour feeling quite cold.

He was upset because he had to show my neighbour something so simple.
  If you have read the book of Hebrews … that sounds similar to what the author was talking about in chapters 5 and 6.  He was concerned for the Jewish converts he was writing to, because they hadn’t advanced in their knowledge. He even had to review the basics they should have known (5:12).  They had been Christians long enough that they should have been teaching others.  Yet, the author couldn’t tell them what he wanted to tell them because they couldn’t get it.  He couldn’t give them solid food; because they were still on a milk diet.


While writing this post my thoughts were of the time I lived in Washington, DC … looking at the map of the Washington, DC area, I knew I could do it.
The boarding house I was staying in was centrally located off Thomas Circle in downtown DC. I wanted to see the Capital Building which was approximately twelve blocks from the boarding house.  A nice walk on a sunny Saturday morning would be good for me.  I could have taken a cab or bus, but if I really wanted to see the DC area, I knew walking was the way to go and so I did. 
Hearing the sounds, smelling the smells of the various pastry shops, studying the people, watching the traffic and visiting the shops along the way, I really felt like a part of Washington, DC.  Although, it took some time and effort, it was well worth both. You might be asking what this has to do with the above story.  Well, as we travel this journey we call the Christian life, we face a similar choice.  We can take the easy route, depending on others to give us all our instructions, short-cutting our way past a good prayer-life, or speed-reading a passage of Scripture and calling it “devotions.”  Or we can make the effort and take the time to get into the Word and closer to God. Why not take a long walk with God today, tomorrow and the next day? As you map out your course, choose to “seek Him with your whole heart”, study His Word, and obey what He says, because such a walk through His precious Word will be a most delightful experience!

Closing thoughts:

For the believer in Christ, you started out with faith in Him, after recognizing your sinfulness and a need for a Saviour, when you asked God to forgive your sins. 
You were a baby in Christ; however, you don’t stop there! No one, who has put their faith in Christ can afford to let spiritual growth and maturity start and stop with only one act of spiritual surrender.  Your salvation must be followed by spiritual growth wherein you are weaned off the “milk of the Word” and start enjoying the “meat of the Word”. My friend, keep your heart and mind open to the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, be receptive and obedient to it, and above all as the Scriptures tell us, "…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. I’m afraid there are too many who should be on the front lines in their spiritual growth but are still in basic training. I will close with these questions:

(1) Could the repairman be talking about you? 

(2) Are you stuck in elementary school in your knowledge of God because you haven’t learned what you ought to know?

(3) Are your waiting for someone to “light the pilot,” when you should know how to get the fire going yourself?
Mikey

Bless you...
Yaddy

Most of us know that the shortest sentence in the Bible  is, Jesus wept.
Here’s a brief overview of the scene, in which those words are uttered. Jesus knows that his friend Lazarus, is ill. Jesus waits in another town, deliberately knowing that his tarrying will result in the death of Lazarus. He explains this to his disciples who are wondering why Jesus doesn’t go to Lazarus, why he is stalling. There is also a warning, by some of the disciples, that if Jesus goes to Lazarus he will be killed by the religious rulers who are seeking his death. After three days Jesus sets out to see Lazarus and as he does he makes it very clear to his disciples that Lazarus is dead. His disciples, at this point, must be wondering what is going on!
When he arrives Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary show him where Lazarus is buried and admit that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would have been alive, even now. They have faith in Jesus. They believe, and know, by seeing Him do other miracles, that if Jesus had been there, their brother would not have died.
Here’s where the story gets so pregnant with meaning that it is of huge cosmic proportions! Jesus comes to the tomb and He weeps. I believe that His weeping is not only for Lazarus, but for the state of man ever since man’s rightful place was usurped by the evil one, Satan. Jesus knows that death was never supposed to be part of the plan, but because sin entered the human race, at the garden, it set in motion a series of events that resulted in death, disease, and the total depravity of the human race.
Jesus, as a man, feels the sting of death, as it is his friend Lazarus that is lying dead in the tomb. As God, he knows that the cross is waiting for him and it is by the ordeal, which he will suffer on it, that in the end will set all mankind free, and eventually will restore us to our original state. Things have gotten horribly out of hand and He knows that this is why He is here, to become our ransom….
Jesus weeps, because of how far man has fallen. He knows that this world is under the control of the evil one, Satan. He even tells us this, by calling Satan, the Prince of this world. I believe that He weeps for all mankind from Adam until the end of the age, when He will come again, and history as we know it shall cease, and the rightful King will rule.
He knows of the horrors that will come as the evil one will continue to rob, kill, and destroy, as he roams about as a roaring lion. He sees the millions of people who will die in wars, of disease, of hunger, from slavery, from concentration camps. He sees it all and He weeps.
Death claims us all at some point. No matter how we try to cheat it, it eventually is our fate. Yet, we know that when He comes again, He will put away death, it will be no more. Mankind will be restored, we will be in our original state as was intended from the beginning.
Some will ask, where is the promise of His coming? Some people think that it’s all a fairy tale. To the spirit-filled man or woman, the second coming is our blessed hope. We are told that; the dead in Christ shall rise first and then those of us who are alive will rise and meet the Lord in the air! It is why we are told that all of creation groans! At some point, and I believe it may be sooner than we think, the King will return, and we will rise to meet Him! We will be set free at last. Free from our sin nature. Free from death. Free at last….
L.A.Marzulli
http://www.lamarzulli.net/

Bless you....
Yaddy