A Christian's Possessions

A tax officer came one day to a poor Christian to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay.

"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.

"I am a very wealthy man," replied the Christian.

"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.

The Christian said:
"First, I have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Second, I have a mansion in Heaven. (John 14:2)
Third, I have a perfect conscience & peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7)
Fourth, I have joy unspeakable. (1 Peter 1:8)
Fifth, I have divine love which never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
Sixth, I have a faithful wife. (Proverbs 31:10)
Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children. (Exodus 20:12)
Eighth, I have true, loyal friends. (Proverbs 18:24)
Ninth, I have songs in the night. (Psalms 42:8)
Tenth, I have a crown of life. (James 1:12)"

The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation."


I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax-free "wealth."

 - Anonymous

"Let them do the wrong thing; you just do the right thing." - Don Hogan, Come What May

The Balance Sheet of Life

Our BIRTH is our OPENING BALANCE
Our DEATH is our CLOSING BALANCE
Our PREJUDICED VIEWS are our LIABILITIES
Our CREATIVE IDEAS are our ASSETS
Our HEART is our CURRENT ASSET
Our SOUL is our FIXED ASSET
Our BRAIN is our FIXED DEPOSIT
Our THINKING is our CURRENT ACCOUNT
Our ACHIEVEMENTS are our CAPITAL
Our CHARACTER & MORALS are our STOCK-IN-TRADING
Our FRIENDS are our GENERAL RESERVES
Our VALUES & BEHAVIOURS are our GOODWILL
Our PATIENCE is our INTEREST EARNED
 - Anonymous

Dear God, a poem for You

Dear God,


I'm writing to say I'm sorry
For being angry yesterday,
When you seemed to ignore my prayer
And things didn't go my way.

First, my car broke down.
I was very late for work,
But I missed that awful accident.
Was that Your handiwork?

I found a house I loved,
But others got there first.
I was angry, then relieved
When I heard the pipes had burst!

Yesterday, I found the perfect sweater,
But the colour was too pale.
Today, I found the sweater in red.
Would you believe, it was on sale!


I know You're watching over me
And I'm feeling truly blessed,
For no matter what I pray for,
You always know what's best!

I have this circle of E-mail friends
Who mean the world to me.
Somedays I "send" and "send",
At other times, I let them be.

I am so blessed to have these friends
With whom I've grown so close.
So this little poem I dedicate to them,
Because to me they are the "most"!

When I see each name download,
And view the message they've sent,
I know they've thought of me that day,
And "well wishes" were their intent.


So to you, my friends, I would like to say
Thank you for being a part
Of all my daily contacts.
This comes right from my heart.

God bless you all is my prayer today,
I'm honoured to call you "friend".
I pray the Lord will keep you safe,
Until I email you again.


 - Anonymous

When I say I am a Christian

When I say "I am a Christian", I am not shouting that "I'm clean!"
I'm whispering, "I was lost but now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say I am a Christian, I do not speak of this with pride,
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not trying to be strong,
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not bragging of success,
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say I am a Christian, I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

  - Anonymous

If God Is Sovereign, Why Pray?

We are responsible for our lives. That is stewardship. But God is sovereign. How is that possible? How can we be responsible for that over which God is sovereign?


When a large business deal I had worked on for six months looked like it wasn't going to close, I asked my wife and son to pray about it with me.


When it was my turn to pray I basically begged God to let the deal go through, then concluded, "God, you already know what's going to happen. In fact, you have sovereignly decided what is the pleasure of your will. Give us wisdom not to miss the way."


When I finished, my son asked, "Dad, if God has already decided what's going to happen, why pray?" Good question.


God is sovereign but we are also responsible. The Scriptures lay down these two ideas side-by-side, without apology, and without much explanation. In fact, we see this principle throughout the Bible. Here are a few examples. You probably know of others.


"In his heart a man plans his course (our responsibility), but the Lord determines his steps (God's sovereignty)" (Proverbs 16:9).

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle (our responsibility), but victory rests with the Lord (God's sovereignty)" (Proverbs 21:31).

"Unless the Lord builds the house (God's sovereignty), its builders labor (our responsibility) in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

David wrote, "I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies" (Psalm 44:6). David didn't trust in his bow, but in God. But neither did he throw his bow away! He used it with all the skill he could muster.

Paul writes, "To this end I labor (our responsibility), struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (God's sovereignty)" (Colossians 1:29).

Paul wrote, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it (our responsibility), but God made it grow (God's sovereignty)" (1 Corinthians 3:6).

On top of all this, God invites, even instructs, us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).


This idea that "God is sovereign but we are responsible" lies at the heart of stewardship. At its core, stewardship means receiving all our abilities, resources, love, relationships, spiritual gifts, possessions, and places as "gifts on loan" from a sovereign God. It means to keep an attitude of accountable responsibility tempered by profound gratitude.


Frankly, why would we want to pray to God for help unless He is sovereign? Because He is sovereign, it actually means something when we pray.



Yours for changed lives,
Patrick Morley, PhD

OSIM Duathlon Sprint 2010

"I don't see anyone as my competition. We don't have the same dreams, goals, ambitions or brains. We're not the same."

National Atheists' Day

i got this from the web:

Driving around town I often slow down so I can read church signs. Some of them are just plain, just giving the schedule of services and the name of the preacher, but some of them having wise and witty sayings. On one of them is this sentence, "April the 1st - National Atheists' Day".

I think that all of us are aware of what April 1st is in our country. It is called "April Fools' Day." It is where people "fool you" about something and then yell, "April Fool!" How many of us have not been tricked this way with a "Your shoes are untied" or other such funny tricks? Most of it is done in good humour.


The Bible tells us that we should be careful about calling another person a fool (Matthew 5:22). While the text in Matthew seems to deal with being angry with a brother and not a harmless joke like April Fools' Day, it is true that we should be careful about attributing to another the descriptive term "fool".

But what better day could one pick for National Atheists' Day than April the 1st, April Fools' Day? The Bible makes this clear. "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" (Psalm 14:1). The Bible says that anyone who denies God is a fool!

Why is the person who denies God a fool? The Bible clearly tells us so in Romans 1:18-22:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools."

While this refers specifically to the Gentiles of Paul's day who had departed from God and had worshipped idols instead of the living God, it clearly fits our present day atheists as well. Paul says that there is no excuse for not believing in a personal God who created the universe. God has simply left too many "hand prints" all over His creation for man to not be able to see Him.

One need only look at the world and everything in it to see that there must be a God. Paul says that there is simply no excuse for a person denying the existence of an intelligent creator. He concludes by stating the obvious concerning all the great thinkers who deny the existence of God, "professing to be wise, they became fools."

Come to think of it, April the 1st might be the perfect day to celebrate "National Atheists' Day." Nothing in life is more foolish than denying the existence of God, since He has left indisputable proof!



Copyright 2000 by Grady Scott may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others

http://associate.com/library/www.christianlibrary.org/authors/Grady_Scott/atheistday.htm

Florida court sets a holiday for atheists - April Fools' Day!

In Florida, an atheist filed a case against the holidays of Easter and Passover. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and their observances of these holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognised day(s).

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the atheist's lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"
The lawyer immediately stood up and objected to the ruling saying, "Your Honour, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, etc. and the Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all the other atheists have no such holidays!"

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But they do. Your client, Counsel, is woefully ignorant."
The lawyer said, "Your Honour, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says the 1st day of April is April Fools' Day. Psalm 14:1 states, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Thus, it is the opinion of this court that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."


Happy Atheists' Day!

Suffering for Doing Good

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?
But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.
So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.
And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
Keep your conscience clear.
Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

 - 1 Peter 3:13-17, NLT
 
 
But how do i know whether what i'm going through now is indeed God's will?
What if it isn't? Am i still better off suffering for doing good?