Encouragment
Encouragment |
God's Voice Mail
We have all learned to live with voice mail as a
necessary part of modern life. But have you
wondered, what if God decided to install
voice mail?
Imagine praying and hearing this:
Thank you for calling My Father's House.
Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for requests
Press 2 for thanksgiving
Press 3 for complaints
Press 4 for all other inquiries
What if God used the familiar excuse...
"I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping
other sinners right now. However, your prayer
is important to us and will be answered in the
order it was received, so please stay on the
line."
Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses
as you call God in prayer?
If you would like to speak to:
Gabriel, Press 1
Michael, Press 2
For a directory of other Angels, Press 3
If you would like to hear King David sing a
psalm while you hold, please Press 4
To find out if a loved one has been assigned to
Heaven, Press 5,
enter his or her Social Security number, then
press the pound key. (If you get a negative
response, try area code 666.)
For reservations at "My Father's House" please
enter J-O-H-N followed by 3-1-6.
For answers to nagging questions about
dinosaurs, the age of the earth, and where
Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive
here.
Our computers show that you have already prayed
once today.
Please hang up and try again tomorrow.
This office is closed for the weekend to observe
a religious holiday.
Please pray again Monday after 9:30 AM. If you
need emergency assistance when this office is
closed, contact your local pastor.
Author Unknown
Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh
in the morning.
Angela
My beloved brethren.
The Apostle Paul addresses us as family--
brothers and sisters. Christians are part of a
family that cares deeply for one another. The
church is the visible _expression of that caring
love. And though we sometimes feel alone, we
belong to the family of God.
Be ye steadfast, that is, don't always be moving
around. Each of my children, at the age of nine
or ten, have come down with what my wife and I
call "tapping disease."
They drum their fingers on the dinner table,
swing their feet, tap their feet. Constan
motion. They don't settle down. It can drive
parent loony.
That's how I explain my own peculiar condition.
"Be steadfast" means "be stable," "be firm."
The Greek word alludes to sitting in a chair
rather than pacing around--"fixed."
Unmoveable, means "not to be moved from its
place."
Perhaps people have called you "stubborn."
Now you can be stubbornly opposed to God's will.
That's bad.
But you can be stubbornly, doggedly
devoted to God, so that circumstances and people
don't distract you from Him.
That's good.
Call it persistent, call it
faithful. Always abounding in the work of the
Lord. The word translated "abounding"
means "exceeding a fixed number or
measure," "over-and- above."
Some people do what is expected. Others,
out of love, go far beyond that. Their lives
pour out and overflow. "Doing what?" you ask.
The work of the Lord, is the answer. Work? "Not
a good word," you say. "I work five or six days
a week. When I get home I just want to rest."
Do you have any loafers at work? You know,
people who only do the minimum, and only that if
the boss is looking over their shoulder.
And who takes up the slack? You and the other
conscientious workers.
God's work is the same way.
Just a few of the ways we do His work, build His
kingdom here on earth, is to teach our children
about Jesus at home and at Sunday school. We
serve as an usher or choir member on Sundays. We
encourage those believers who are down. We make
a meal for a family when one of the parents is
sick.
A church is a caring body. But when loafers
don't pull their part of the load, it falls on
others to do.
My sister, my brother, this is a word for you:
be "always abounding in the work of the Lord."
Always. Over-and-above. Knowing that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord.
Some people hate washing dishes because more
dirty dishes magically appear over night.
Sweeping and vacuuming are the same way. Things
never stay clean.
Someone is always tracking dirt on your carpet.
Is there no end? You get discouraged.
It's only when you consider the alternatives
that you get out your Hoover vacuum cleaner and
have another go at it.
Your wife may not keep track of how often you
change the spark plugs.
Your husband has no idea of how often you have
to dust.
But God keeps track of our faithfulness in His
work.
He sees us serving Him when no one else sees.
And seeing us hanging in there brings joy to his
heart.
Our Christian service is not done in vain for
three reasons:
Christ's kingdom is built on your service, stone
upon stone, act of kindness upon teaching the
Junior boys Sunday school class, serving
refreshments upon spending time with a grief-
stricken believer.
Seeing your faithful service brings joy to God's
heart.
God will reward you for your faithfulness, even
when no one else sees. His ledger book gets
fresh notations every time you serve Him.
In a word, your labor is not in vain in the
Lord.
Yes, I get discouraged and so do you. But God
keeps bringing us back to this verse to buck us
up and help us to see the importance of
faithful service. Don't give up. Your labor
in Christ is not in vain
Angela
Here's What's Going To Happen Next Year:
THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2006
1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His
people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His
people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
--Author Unknown
When You Stand Before the Lord
The day will soon be coming
To stand before the Lord
God will hold the Book of Life
Where all the names are stored.
Look into the Savior's face
Stand on holy ground
Kneel before the King of Kings
Pray your name is found.
The time is nigh, it's drawing near
Tis' closer than you think
Eternal life with God above
You'll either rise or sink.
God doesn't care `bout bank accounts
Or gems of pearl and jade
Your style of home, the car you drive
The money that you've made.
He's not concerned with age or height
The color of your hair
The number of the friends you have
The brand of clothes you wear.
He'll ask you if you spoke His name
Thought of Him each day
Knew He gave His life for you
Took the time to pray.
He'll know about your closest friends
About the books you've read
The kind of thoughts that filled your mind
On what your spirit fed.
He'll take a look inside your soul
He'll go beyond your pride
Your sins will be as crimson red
There's nothing you can hide.
For once you've stood before the Lord
He'll see through every crack
And if you were to die today
There is no turning back.
You'll gaze into His crystal eyes
He knows the things you did
There's nothing you can keep from Him
Your secret thoughts aren't hid.
So before you meet the Lord
You better make it right
Start by getting on your knees
Kneel down to Him tonight.
Get rid of all your worldly ways
They'll just lead you astray
Find time to walk with Jesus
The Truth, the Light, the Way.
I'm telling you, it's not too late
God's waiting up above
To add you to His Book of Life
In Heaven up above.
When your life on earth is over
He'll take one final look
When the roll is called up yonder
Will your name be in "The Book."
Marilyn Ferguson ©2004
When Troubles Hit Your Life The Lord is good, a
strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows
them that trust in him. You may be troubled on
every side, but not distressed you my be
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but
not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
Though you walk in the midst of troubles, God is
with you; God will stretch forth his hand
against the wrath of your enemies, and his right
hand shall save you.
Let not your heart be trouble, you believe in
God, believe also in Jesus Christ. When you pass
through the waters, God will be with you, and
when you walk through the rivers, they will not
overflow you; when you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned, neither will the flame
kindle upon you.
Know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. Be glad and rejoice in
God's mercy for he has considered your troubles;
he knows your adversities.
Lift up your eyes unto the hills from whence
cometh your help; Your help cometh from the
Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. Come
boldly to the throne of grace in prayer, that
you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
the time of need.
Cast all your cares upon the Lord, for he cares
about you. Be careful for nothing; but in
everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your request be made known unto
God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, will keep your heart and mind
through Jesus Christ.
Two runners prepare for a marathon.
One prepares by racing over hills and down the
highways and byways every day. He exercises,
strengthening his legs. He runs further every
day, building endurance.
The second runner prepares by sleeping two hours
extra each day.
He eats a lot and does nothing strenuous to
upset the condition he feels he is in.
The day of the marathon race comes. The 26.2 mi.
course lies just ahead of the runners at the
starting line.
The gun goes off; the race begins.
And guess who wins? Of course, the first runner
who has done the right kind of preparation.
Two Christians prepare for a difficult time
ahead.
The first spends each day praying and
communicating with God. He follows David's
advice, committing to his memory the most
helpful portions. And he keeps filled with the
Spirit, adhering to Paul's suggestion.
The second Christian reads the Bible, but only
on Sunday morning when in church. He prays, but
only when he is at church or with the family at
mealtime. And he thinks the preacher is right
when he talks about being filled with the Holy
Spirit.
He hopes his children will someday be filled
with the Spirit like he was when he was a
youngster.
Then trouble strikes.
The first Christian was prepared.
He takes the difficulty in stride knowing God
will help him through every aspect of it.
Peace soon attains a column, assured, and
deserved victory.
The second Christian panics.
He lashes out at God, at church, at friends, at
family. He doesn't know what God expects him to
do. He doesn't have the assurance of the Word in
his heart. He doesn't have the help of the Holy
Spirit, the "friend who sticks closer than a
brother."
In desperation, after exhausting all other means
of help, he remembers to cry to God for help. In
time, God helps, because God loves.
And He hopes the man has learned a lesson. The
first Christian wins an easy victory. The second
wins an agonizing, prolonged victory that could
have been so much easier. My friends, which
Christian are you?
Angela
OurChurch.Com - Free Christian Web Site Hosting
Thanks to all the authors that let me use their
writtings on our site.
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