The Substance Of Things Hoped For

 Unfolding The Rose A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact... It wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem... It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God's design; But I cannot unfold the petals Wit...

TOOLS FOR SALE It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection; each tool being marked with its sale price. They were a treacherous lot of implements... Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Deceit, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool, well worn and priced very high. "What is the name of this tool?" asked one of the purchasers, pointing to it. "That is Discouragement", replied the devil. "Why have you priced it so high?" "Because it is more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a man's heart with that when I cannot get near him with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since very few people know that it belongs to me." My friend, don't let Satan discourage you in any way. You are God's child and have the victo...

Things to Think About In Our Relationship with Our Lord   God One-Liners 1. Give God what's right - not what's left. 2. "Pray" is a four-letter word you can say anywhere - except in public schools. 3. Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's way leads to an endless hope. 4. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 5. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 6. To be almost saved is to be totally lost. 7. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma - but never let him be the period. 8. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 9. God grades on the cross, not the curve. 10. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a facelift. 11. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 12. God doesn't want shares of your life - He wants a controlling interest. 13. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 14. We don't change God's message - His message changes us. 15. The c...

Thank Him for The Thorns Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.  During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.  "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?  she wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?  "Good afternoon, can ...

Taking Aim A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, who we'll call Brother Smith.  She says Brother Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.  One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for another fun day.  On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Brother Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's girlfriend (on her right) drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend.  Another friend (on her left) drew a picture of his little brother.  Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face.  Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity....

The Silversmith's Reflection And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3 While reading Malachi chapter 3, a group of women in a Bible study came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." One woman spoke up and said the verse was intended to convey the sanctifying influence of the grace of God. Then she said she would visit a silversmith and report to the other women what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and, without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which the smith described to her. "But, sir," she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes, ma'am," replied the silversmith. "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for i...

The Room   In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order.  But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly...

IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE!  The maker of all human beings is recalling all units regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units, code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the  same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal  Non-Morality, or more commonly known as S-I-N, as it is primarily  symptomized by loss of moral judgment. Some other symptoms:  (a) Loss of direction  (b) Foul vocal emissions  (c) Amnesia of origin  (d) Lack of peace and joy  (e) Selfish, or violent, behavior  (f) Depression or confusion in the mental component  (g) Fearfulness (h) Idolatry  The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, provides factory authorized repair and service, free of charge, to correct this SIN defect.  The number to call f...