Creature Teachers

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, instead remaining “a prisoner for life” in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly – and, no doubt, painfully – until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. But courage and faith look forward, and up!
(Bob Dearborn's Blog)

Lucky

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named Lucky. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, a guest would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
Well, one day Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease. In fact, she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled a double mastectomy. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her: what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog, through and through. If she dies, she thought, Lucky will be abandoned. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was more difficult than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for more than two weeks. Jim faithfully took Lucky for his evening walk each day, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made her comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad, but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed off.
When Mary woke up, for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem: she was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she’d been asleep, Lucky had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his treasures, and his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box, but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
copied

CHARGE!

YOUR ARE DRESSED NOW GO TO BATTLE

Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

The previous devotionals have dealt with dressing for battle in the spiritual warfare we are faced with. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul ask for supplication (prayer) for the saints(those who are saved) and then ask for prayer in this verse specifically for himself. His request is that he may boldly open his mouth and spread the gospel.
If we are to win the spiritual battles they will be won by sharing the gospel. They will not be won by argument or by debate or by compromise. They will be won by boldly sharing the gospel of the Bible. It is not just the responsibility of those in the full time ministry but it is the responsibility of every born again believer.
Every soldier in the Lord's Army has an obligation to carry out the great commission of reaching others for Christ.
You are dressed for battle. Charge.

DRESS FOR BATTLE 7

ORDERS FROM HEADQUARTERS

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

When a soldier goes into a conflict he tries his best to stay in touch with his commanders. It is from those above him that he gets his instructions, his provisions, and his objective.
It would be foolish to think we can be victorious in spiritual warfare without seeking direction from our commander, Jesus Christ.
We must spend time in prayer, study, and fellowship with our fellow warriors to prepare for the battle before us. Let us all go forward to the victory that awaits.

DRESS FOR BATTLE 6

THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

It is not surprising that Paul mentions both the helmet and the sword in the same sentence. The helmet is protection for your head. Truly the only offensive weapon we have is the Word of God.
If we fill our minds with scripture and spiritual things it will not only protect us from spiritual wickedness in high places but it will help us to reach others for Jesus.
Read your Bible enough to get a general knowledge of the entire Bible. Try to remember the verses that help you through the tough times and also the ones you need to use to witness to others.
God's Word is a formidable weapon in the hands of a Christian soldier who knows it well and handles it well.Unlike most weapons that are used to destroy, the Word of God is used to convert, it will change your enemy into an ally when used correctly. What greater way to defeat an enemy than to turn him into a Christian brother or sister.

DRESS FOR BATTLE 5

The Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Satan has a lot of weapons to throw at you. The defense we have is the Shield of Faith. This means that whatever Satan might use against you God has got a defense for it.
Satan uses many weapons and the shield repels them.
For doubt - God has assurance of His Love.

For guilt - God has abundant forgiveness.

For discouragement- God's word is full of encouraging words and accounts of victorious living.

For temptation- God's promises can help us to have victory.

There are so many more I could mention but maybe it might help you to make a list of your own. Just remember when you faith is in God and in His power you are invincible.

LET US REMEMBER

Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

In recent devotionals we have been discussing the spiritual warfare that we are facing. We must also on this memorial day remember the really physical warfare that has been and is being waged to secure our freedom.
We must remember that because we have been a nation whose God is the Lord that men have been willing to sacrifice and fight for the freedoms we have.
Let us not forget all those who have served in the Armed forces of our country and especially those who are still serving. Let us pray for them and pray for our country as well.

Calm In Fearful Times

by Jeremy Burkes

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

What do you think of when you hear the word fear? People are afraid of a lot of things.
People are afraid of bugs, heights, darkness, failure, crowds, new things, change, job loss, being alone, death and even life, just to mention a few.
You might have noticed something on the list that applies to you or there may be something that is not on the list that you fear.
God sent us the Holy Spirit to help us be calm in fearful situations. When we are afraid we can call upon God through His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit will help us.

Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Whatever may cause you to fear is not too big for God to handle. He can calm you in fearful times.

A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Make It Matter

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

copied from my files

DRESS FOR BATTLE 4

ON YOUR FEET

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;


If you notice as you read through the verses about the armor of God all of the armor is for the front parts of the body. There is nothing for protection of the back because we are supposed to be going forward, not running away. The most dangerous position a person engaged in spiritual warfare can be in is to be running away from the battle.
We must have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. We must study the Word. We must learn how to share the gospel with others and we must be prepared to go forward and find those who need to hear it.
There are many with a need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord. Many will hear and not accept but even less can accept without hearing. Let us be aggressive in battle by spreading the gospel.

DRESS FOR BATTLE 3

TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

To stand in the day of battle we must have our strength in truth. We can not stand upon tradition or upon that which is popular and agrees with everyone else. The truth is plain. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
The truth is that Jesus is the only one who can give us strength in spiritual warfare. If we clothe ourselves in His righteousness by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior then He will give us victory.
Clothed in our own righteousness we are doomed and bound for spiritual defeat.
The breastplate is to protect the heart. The greatest way to protect your heart is to invite Jesus into it.

DRESS FOR BATTLE 2

KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Bible tells us that there is a real devil, and there is a real hell where he will eventually spend eternity. It tells us much about him that we sometimes ignore.
People have painted a picture of the evil looking red creature with a tail and pitchfork. The Bible paints an entirely different picture of him.

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an ANGEL OF LIGHT.

Satan will transform himself into something attractive. He will be persuasive and he will be able to deceive many. It is important to know that we have only one way to stand against him and that is by wearing the whole armor of God.
Look around at the spiritual wickedness in high places. Satan knows his time is short. The shorter his time becomes the more active he will be. Dress up and prepare for battle.

PREPARE FOR BATTLE PART 1

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The Apostle Paul was sure that we would be faced with spiritual warfare. As we see the world changing around us we ourselves should not be surprised at the attacks upon Christians and our entire belief system.
It seems that many groups feel that everyone should be tolerant of everything except conservative Christians. Paul has warned us of this yet we still act surprised when it happens.
Satan will attack us in ways that we may not fully recognize that come from him. These will be from special interest groups, educators, the media, government itself and even people surrounding us. It is important for us to dress ourselves for battle. We do that by putting on the whole armor of God.
The next few devotionals will be dealing with this armor. It is time for Christians to dress appropriately for the spiritual warfare to come.

CEASE NOT

Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

No matter how rich our prayer life is we are bound to neglect some things we should not. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with a long list of prayer requests for those who have physical, spiritual or other special needs. I believe it is important to lift these up before the Lord in prayer.
I think it is wonderful that we can ask the Lord to bless us and those we know. It is comforting to know we can ask for his care over us and He will provide our needs each day.
Sometimes we fail to call out the names of those we are really thankful for. We need to be specific sometimes when we thank God for those in our lives. Sometimes we fail to remember how thankful we are for our family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this verse I think Paul is letting them know that he is thankful for them. If there is someone and I am sure there are many, take some time this week and make mention of them in your prayers.

Long-Handled Spoons

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large, round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful but, because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, “You have just seen Hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one: there was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons. But here, the people were well-nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, “I don't understand.”
“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves!”
(copied)
We know that this is not a real picture of heaven and hell but the comparison is realistic. In hell no desire will be met but the body will still have all the cravings. In heaven there will be sweet fellowship with others and there will be complete satisfaction.

Eight Gifts That Don't Cost a Cent

In the economy of the heart, these presents are priceless. This simple checklist can help measure how you are nurturing your relationships.
The Gift of ListeningBut you must really listen. Don't interrupt, don't daydream, don't plan your response. Just listen.
The Gift of AffectionBe generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
The Gift of LaughterClip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
The Gift of SolitudeThere are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
The Gift of a FavourEveryday, go out of your way to do something kind.
The Gift of a Written NoteIt can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.
The Gift of a ComplimentA simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
The Gift of a Cheerful DispositionThe easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.

THE WINNING SIDE

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God for us, who against us?

Everyone likes to be on the winning side. It just isn't human nature for people to want to lose. I remember when I was young we had some exceptional atheletes and when sides were being chosen for games at recess a couple of the better ones would always get to choose teams. Needless to say the best atheletes were chosen first and all the rest of us could hope for would be to get picked by the best team, (and hopefully not last).
I am sometimes amazed that people in their spiritual life settle for being on the losing side. They don't realize that God has already chosen us to serve Him. He wants us on His team and I promise you He is not going to lose. The outcome is already settled.
If we are willing to make a committment to serve Him, we will always be on the side of victory. Who could defeat us if God is on our side?

MY LOVE AND A BABY'S LOVE

A Christian man was seriously ill. He became bothered because he did not feel the love in his heart for God that he should have and he spoke of this feeling to a Christian friend. The friend gave him great comfort when he explained," When I go home from here, I expect to take my little baby in my arms, look into her eyes and play with her. As tired as I am, her presence will rest me, because I love her more than anything. She is just a baby and she really loves me little. If my heart were breaking it would not disturb her. If I was in terrible pain she would think nothing of it and would not even stop playing. If I were dead she would soon forget me. Besides this, she has never contributed one cent to our household and is in fact herself a great expense. I am not rich but there is not enough money in the world to buy her. Is it because she loves me, or because I love her? Do I withhold my love from her until she feels this same great love for me? Do I wait for her to do some thing worthy of my love before I extend it?" This illustration of the Love of God for his children caused the tears to roll down the sick man's cheeks as he exclaimed,"Oh I see, it is not my love for God but his love for me that I should think of. And I do love him now more than I have ever loved him before."(Copied)
I am not sure where I got this from but I felt that it was worth sharing with you. The more we realize just how much God really loves us, the more it causes us to return that love.

WHOM HE LOVES

John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

When the sisters of Lazurus went to Jesus they did not
stress the fact that Lazarus loved Jesus but that Jesus
loved Lazurus.
It is important that we love Jesus, because we realize
that He first loved us. It is impossible for us to love
Him the way we should until we first realize how much He
loved us.
Sometimes we try to base our relationship with Jesus on
our own feelings and to be perfectly honest sometimes we
don't feel all that spiritual or full of love. Satan can
use that to cause us to doubt or question our
relationship with God. Our moods change, our situations
change, and our attitude sometimes changes. The level of
our emotions varies from day to day and even from moment
to moment.
The one thing that we can count on is that God does not
change and the love of Jesus for us never wavers. The
more we realize that it is His love for us that saved us,
the more our hearts will overflow with love for Him.

Puppet Ministry

LOVE IN ALL DIRECTIONS

Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,(18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;(19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Many do not understand the vastness of the love of God. It is only when they receive him into their hearts that they can fully understand it and it is strange and passes the knowledge of the secular world. John 3:16 gives us a picture of the vastness of the love of God.

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The Breadth: "God so loved the world"

The Length: "that He gave His only begotten Son"

The Depth: "that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish"

The Height: "But shall have everlasting life."

Trust Jesus and experience God's love in all directions.

PLEASING GOD

1 Thessalonians 2:4-5 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.(5) For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness:

The apostle Paul was talking of the great responsibility of spreading the Gospel and preaching the Word of God. It is tempting to sometimes avoid subjects that are controversial. We need to follow the example of Paul. He was very careful to try to please God and not please man.

Many of the subjects he preached angered those he was preaching to. (Remember he spent a great deal of time being beaten and thrown in Jail.) I personally believe that Paul preached to truth no matter what the outcome might be. I believe he preached it in love and had compassion even for those who would not receive his message. He did this because he wanted to please God and he had a strong desire to see his fellow man turn away from sin and turn to God.

Many preachers and religious leaders today are filled with flattering words, and walk lightly around certain sins to keep from offending anyone. Their attitude is that we should accept every action and every lifestyle and all just try to get along.

Like the apostle Paul, we don't need to flatter or appease people. We need to please God and speak truth. We must make sure that we speak that truth in love and with guidance from the Holy Spirit. Sadly when we please God, it displeases some people.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Today is Mother's Day and being a mother is one of the greatest responsibilites in the world. To all of you out there I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day.

MOM

MOM
by Jeremy Burkes

Mom is a treasure you didn't have to dig up,Mom is always there to put a bandaid on your cuts.
Mom is there with a kind word and a smile,Even when you mess up in life.'
Mom is there with answers to your questions, No matter how many times you ask them.
Mom is always ready to make lots of suggestions.
Mom always goes that extra mile, no matter where it leads.
So on this Mother's Day I offer a smile and a hug to all moms and hope you will be with us a very long while.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

A Friend

These are 26 attributes of a true friend – each starting with a letter of the alphabet.
A Friend ...
(A)ccepts you as you are.
(B)elieves in you.
(C)alls you just to say, "Hi!"
(D)oesn't give up on you.
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts).
(F)orgives your mistakes.
(G)ives unconditionally.
(H)elps you.
(I)nvites you over.
(J)ust enjoys being with you.
(K)eeps you close at heart.
(L)oves you for who you are.
(M)akes a difference in your life.
(N)ever Judges.
(O)ffers support.
(P)icks you up.
(Q)uiets your fears.
(R)aises your spirits.
(S)ays nice things about you.
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it most.
(U)nderstands you.
(V)alues you.
(W)alks beside you.
(X)-plains thing you don't understand.
(Y)ells when you won't listen.
(Z)aps you back to reality.

WHOM HE LOVES

John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

When the sisters of Lazarus went to Jesus they did not stress the fact that Lazarus loved Jesus but that Jesus loved Lazarus.
It is important that we love Jesus, because we realize that He first loved us. It is impossible for us to love Him the way we should until we first realize how much He loved us.
Sometimes we try to base our relationship with Jesus on our own feelings and to be perfectly honest sometimes we don't feel all that spiritual or full of love. Satan can use that to cause us to doubt or question our relationship with God. Our moods change, our situations change, and our attitude sometimes changes. The level of our emotions varies from day to day and even from moment to moment.
The one thing that we can count on is that God does not change and the love of Jesus for us never wavers. The more we realize that it is His love for us that saved us, the more our hearts will overflow with love for Him.

A WAY OF LIFE

Acts 9:1-6 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, (2) And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. (3) And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:(4) And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (5) And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.(6) And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Many people confuse religion with serving God. Saul was such a man before his conversion. He was religious, just like many today are religious. He strongly believed that what he was doing was the right thing. Being sincere does not make something true.
The prophets of Baal were so sincere that they even cut themselves and committed suicide to call upon their false god. He did not answer because he did not exist even though they sincerely believed in him.
There are many today who believe just as sincerely and just as wrongly in their religions.
Saul became the apostle Paul and he learned that Christianity was not just a religion. It was a way of life. It was a whole new way of living and thinking. It did not include persecution and violence but was based upon the teachings of a loving Savior who did not want to mete out justice but forgiveness. He did not spread hate but love.
Let us pray that many of the religious fanatics of the world today will meet Jesus on the road to somewhere and will find a new way of life.

Patience In Our Trials

By Jeremy Burkes

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Temptations come on us real fast. It first starts with a thought and sometimes thoughts seem to come from out of nowhere. Thinking is not necessarily a bad thing but it can be dangerous to dwell on bad thoughts. We then might start to put our thoughts into action and it becomes sin.
I wrote sometime back about a sin garden and how the Devil goes and picks out our pet sins. James tells us here to count it all joy when Satan brings us temptation.
God will help us crush the devil's plan and that gives us victory which makes us stronger over sin. Sometimes we wonder why we go through trials and difficult times but it is at these times we can not depend on our own strength and we draw closer to God.
As James says, "...the trying of our faith worketh patience."
Trials give us the patience and faith to bring us closer to God and make us depend upon Him more. Through Bible study and prayer we and have patience in our trials.

BEING IN CHRIST

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

There are some wonderful benefits to being saved and being in Christ.

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

All true riches are in Christ. The things that last, fulfill, and enrich our lives are all in Christ. Not money, not clothes, not position, nor any other thing can satisfy. Only Christ's love can bring full contentment, peace, and purpose.
In Christ, you can know how best to live as a young person, how to choose a mate and raise a family, how to prosper, what to do in times of trouble, what to do when you fail and everything you need to help you be the best you can be.
All real knowledge and wisdom is in Jesus and in learning of Him. Everything you need to know to have the best life comes from knowing Him and knowing of Him.

SHOW THE LIGHTED PATH

By Jeremy Burkes
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Have you ever been caught out in the woods after dark?I have and it is not a very comforting situation. What is easy in the daylight becomes much harder after dark.If you get off the right path you can run into a lot of trouble.
There is a lot of darkness in this world too and it is important to have something to light our path as we travel through life. That is why it is important for all of us to know God's word. It helps light the way.
Sometimes new Christians are not familiar enough with the Bible to avoid the dangers and pitfalls in the dark. It is import more mature Christians to help guide them along the right path.
Be sure and lend young Christians a hand and help lead them through the darkness safely.

Planting the Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called together all the young executives in his company.
He said, "It is almost time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked as the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring and, based on your results, I shall choose the next CEO."
One of the young executives, a man named Jim, who was there that day and received a seed went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he watered it and watched to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. The others were all talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company took their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she insisted that he be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – all shapes and sizes! Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him.
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
Then the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives,"Behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it! The others in the room couldn't believe it either. He couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new boss?
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But, I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead. It was not possible for them to grow.
"All of you, except Jim, brought me trees and plants and flowers. Obviously, when you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"
(Copied)

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

(Written by a former child)
A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

RIGHT NOW

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

I am one of the world's biggest procastinators. It seems that I usually put off things until I absolutely have to do them (unless it is something really fun and exciting).
There are some things we should not put off. We should do them right now.
If you are not saved, there is no better time than right now to ask Jesus to save you. Why would you want to stay lost even one more second?
There are other things we should not put off even if we are already saved.
We should make up our mind to be obedient. What good does it do us to say I will obey the Lord later? God wants to bless us right now if we will only be obedient.
If we have sin in our lives we should put it away right now. Why would we want to have something destructive hanging around to bring suffering into our lives?
If you have strayed or gotten away from your spiritual walk there is no better time to turn around than right now. The prodigal son didn't have to go all the way to the pig pen. He could have turned around at his father's gate and been welcomed back home.
Tell others about Jesus. Why wait? It could be too late for them when you have another opportunity.
I am sure there are many other things you can think of that you realize should be done right now. Make a list and start to work on it- Right Now!