No words can express how much the world owes to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were born in the wilderness. Most of the epistles were written in prison. The greatest thoughts of the greatest thinkers have all passed throughout the fire. The greatest poets have “learned in suffering what they thought in song.” In bonds Bunyan lived the allegory that he afterwords wrote, and we may thank Bedford Jail for The Pilgrim’s Progress. Take comfort, afflicted Christian! When God is about to make preeminent use of a person, He puts them in fire. George MacDonald
Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5Psalm 30:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. his anger...: Heb. there is but a moment in his anger for a night: Heb. in the evening joy: Heb. singing
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It was friday — dark, dark Friday. They nailed Him to the cross on Friday and put a crown of thorns on His head — on Friday. They put a spear wound in His side — on Friday. Judas betrayed Him. Peter denied Him. The disciples forsook Him. The Jews rejected Him, and the Romans crucified Him.
The sun veiled its face. The earth quaked and the heavens roared. It was Friday – dark, dark Friday.
We all have our dark Fridays, days when nothing seems to go right. But for Jesus and us, Resurrection morning was coming. Beyond the rejection, the betrayal, and the despair, Resurrection morning was on its way. Beyond the agony, the blood, and the tears, a glorious new day would dawn.
The sun rose on the Resurrection morning. The birds sang, and the Father spoke, “Son, Your Father calls You.”
Legions of Roman soldiers could not hold Him down now. In the brightness of heaven’s angles, they fell like dead men. The stone sealing the entrance rolled away like a pebble as the Son of God burst the bonds of the tomb. The shackles of death could not hold Him.
There is hope in despair. There is joy in the morning. Although there are dark, dark Fridays, the Resurrection points us to a glorious new day. Our Lord says, “Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19
Isaiah 43:19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
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English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
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Whatever experience you are going through right now, there is hope. The resurrected Christ wants to do a “new thing” in your life. You may be going through despair. You may be experiencing some deep sorrow. You may face the diagnosis of a malignant tumour. You may have financial or marital difficulty. Your burdens may be so heavy it is difficult for you to bear them. You may even be ready to give up. The resurrected Christ knows. He understands. He is alive and from heaven’s sanctuary sends you a message of encouragement today.
Christ speaks in tenderest tones, “I understand. I will strengthen you. Hang on. A better day is coming.”
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5
Psalm 30:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. his anger...: Heb. there is but a moment in his anger for a night: Heb. in the evening joy: Heb. singing
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English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. his anger...: Heb. there is but a moment in his anger for a night: Heb. in the evening joy: Heb. singing
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By Mark Finley – “Solid Ground”
When Charles B. Darrow proposed a new board game to Parker Brothers in 1934, the all-knowing executives rejected it due to “52 design errors”! But Darrow, a true believer, started printing and selling the game called “Monopoly” himself and the rest is history.
Vision of what can be!
Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. SC 100
What a thought – some one to always listen to us!
Christianity is not merely something to believe in, but someone to love. Christianity is much more than a belief system. It is a heart experience with God.
A chaplain in an army during a war was passing over the field when he saw a soldier who had been wounded, lying upon the ground. He happened to have his Bible under his arm, and he stooped down and said to the man:
“‘Would you like me to read you something that is in the Bible?” “The wounded man said, ‘I am so thirsty, I would rather have a drink of water.” The chaplain hurried off, and as quickly as possible brought the water. “‘Could you lift my head and put something under it?” The chaplain removed his light overcoat, rolled it up, and tenderly lifting the head, put it as a pillow for the tired head to rest on. “‘Now, said the man, ‘if only I had something over me. I am so cold.’” There was only one thing the chaplain could do, and that was to take off his coat and cover the man. As he did so, the wounded man looked up in his face and said: “‘If there is anything in that book that makes a man do for another what you have done for me, let me hear it.’” Has anyone ever been led to love, and study God’s Word because of your life – something you did or something you said? Have others started on the journey to the kingdom because of you?
This is the real essence of Christianity!
The pastor proclaims eternal truths to people who would rather here the latest baseball score.
He teaches, though he must solicit his own classes.
He heals, though without pills or knife. He prays for people and hopes they pray for him.
He leads worship and tries to make God real to those presen
He sows God’s Word and cultivates God’s vineyard so that we may have deep roots in Christ and bear abundant fruits of the Spirit.
He is a manager, administrator, correspondent, keeper of official records.
He is sometimes a lawyer, often a social worker, frequently a one-man emergency squad.
He is the favourite target of panhandlers and a decorative piece at public functions.
He is a writer, speech maker, something of an editor, a bit of a scholar, philosopher, entertainer, salesman, and arbitrator.
He is the theologian in residence and interpreter of the church at large.
He seeks the lost, visits the sick, counsels the troubled. He comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.
He tries to get people for baptism, confirmation, ministry, marriage, parenthood, old age, and finally death.
He tries to keep people focused on eternity as they rush through time.
He also tries to stay sweet when chided for either doing or not doing his duty, and often discovers that doing his duty can be just as not as offensive as not doing it.
He plans programs and recruits and trains workers when he can get them.
He is determined to multiply ministry and not monopolize it.
He wants people to experience the joy of being givers of Christian service as well as being recipients.
Then he spends considerable time in keeping people out of each other’s hair.
Between all this he prepares a sermon and preaches it on Sunday to those who don’t happen to have any other engagement.
Then on Monday he smiles when some jovial chap roars,
“What a job – one day a week!”
The infidel Voltaire once boastingly said:
“I am weary of hearing people repeat that twelve men established the Christian religion. I will prove that one man may suffice to overthrow it.”
Generations have passed since his death. Millions have joined in the war upon the Bible. But it is so far from being destroyed, that where there were a hundred in Voltaire’s time, there are now ten thousand, yes, a hundred thousand copies of the book of God. In the words of an early Reformer concerning the Christian church,
“The Bible is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”
Saith the Lord in Isaiah 54:17
Isaiah 54:17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
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English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
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I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other children ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs, or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other childrenís also.
But at least, I wasnít alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You’d think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said weíd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or lessónot one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy’s pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.
We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other children always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept, my mother actually had the nerve to break the child. labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us and it nearly did!
By the time we were teenagers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I was really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico, That is, if I’d had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.
Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed ìsickî like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from
school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friendsí report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one, and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? Youíre right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.
Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.
Bobbie Pingaro ©1967
ABOVE RUBIES February 2008, No.73
In Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparations of Easter and the Passover holidays. He decided to contact hid lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declare, “Case dismissed!”
The lawyer immediately stood ad objected to the ruling ad said, “Your honour, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah…yet my client and all other atheist have no such holiday!”
The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, “Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own holiday!”
The lawyer promptly said, “Your Honour, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists Just when might that holiday be, Your Honour?”
The judge said, “Well it comes every year on exactly the same date – April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as ‘April Fools Day,’ consider that Psalm 14:1
Psalm 14:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 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.
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states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by Scripture, he is a fool, and April 1st is his holiday! Now, have a good day and get out of my courtroom!”
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 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.
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