Are You Ready?
I love to fish. One summer a good friend invited me to go with him to Canada, where a guide would take us to a special place where there were supposed to be plenty of "big ones."
Do What You Can
As Mary of Bethany gave her best to Jesus (Mk. 14:1-9), so each of us must give in our own way the best we have to the Lord. Our efforts may not seem significant, but God can use them for His glory.
Stumbling Christians
A sheep and a pig will react differently in a mudhole. A sheep that falls into the mud will not be happy there. He will struggle and cry until he gets out.
Logs And Dust
Jesus sometimes used humor to drive home a truth. Think of the serious point in His humorous description in our Bible reading today. He accused the religious leaders of being like a man with a great big beam in his eye offering to remove a tiny speck from his brother's eye (Mt. 7:1-6). How ludicrous!
The Old Wells
Many years ago a magazine published a story about a man who visited a small town on Cape Cod. He bought an old homestead that had fallen into disrepair and planned to improve the property by digging a new well. An elderly farmer, however, who had known the place in its original glory, said, "Why don't you open up the old well? There used to be plenty of good sweet water in it."
The Tree Frog
One summer as my wife and I sat on our porch, we were serenaded by a tree frog who had taken up residence in the dense vine climbing a nearby tree. We finally located him, but not until after a painstaking search, because his coloring blended in perfectly with the vine leaves. As we watched him, we remembered a little chameleon we had seen during a visit to Florida. Like the frog, it took on the color of its surroundings.
We Will See Him
Death ushers the believer into the presence of the Savior (2 Cor. 5:8). Yet many dread that step from earth to heaven because God has told us so little of what will happen.
The Lord Is Risen Indeed!
"Surprise! Jesus is alive!" The two travelers from Emmaus, who had just entertained the risen Savior in their home, were greeted by the disciples with the news that the Lord was no longer in the tomb (Lk. 24:29-34).
To Be Continued
Do you like continued stories? Let's say you're reading a magazine article or watching a television program for half an hour, and you come to the place where the hero plunges into the water to rescue his drowning sweetheart. Then you're left hanging in the air with the words: "To be continued." How disappointing!
Wounded For Me
When you study the painting of the crucifixion by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt, your attention is first drawn to the cross and to Jesus. Then, as you look at the crowd around the cross, you are drawn to the faces of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. Finally, your eyes drift to the edge of the picture and catch sight of another figure—almost hidden in the shadows. This, we are told, was a self-portrait of Rembrandt, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus there!
He Cannot Save Himself
A minister rented a room at the home of a farmer who was not a Christian. The pastor waited for an appropriate time to talk to him about Jesus. Finally, early one morning the opportunity came when the farmer asked him to accompany him to the chicken house. There, on one of the nests, sat a hen with a brood of little ones peeking out from under her wings. "Touch her, Pastor," the farmer said. As the minister put his hand on the hen, he found that she was cold and dead.
How Thankful Are We?
My mother was a thankful woman who, although she was sick for most of her married life, never ceased to praise the Lord. My father, a shoemaker who never earned more than $12 a week, was a singing Christian.
How To Catch A Rat
My grandson's chicken coop was invaded by rats. Attracted by the feed, they had moved in. He asked for my help and we set out a couple of traps. After a week, though, we had not caught a single one. Then a farmer friend offered some advice. "No rat," he said, "will touch an exposed trap. You must disguise it with food. Fill a pan with meal and place the trap in it. Cover it well with meal so it is completely hidden." It worked! The next morning we had a big fat rat.
Do You Talk To Yourself?
Sitting in my car at the curb, waiting for my wife to finish shopping, I passed the time by watching the people walking by. I noticed one man in particular because he was deeply engrossed in talking to himself. What he said I don't know, but it surely was a serious discussion. He reminded me of a man who, when asked why he always talked to himself, replied, "I have two reasons: First, I like to hear a smart man talk. And second, I like to talk to a smart man!"
Don't Be Discouraged
"Why are you throwing away those nice potatoes, Grandpa?" asked my young grandson. I was planting potatoes in my garden, and he thought it was a waste to bury them. So I had an opportunity to explain to him that only as we give the seed away can we receive the harvest.
Triumph Over The Grave
Death may steal from us the ones we love, but for followers of Christ the separation is only temporary. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that just as death could not hold Him, so too the tomb cannot cling to the children, parents, friends, and companions who have died before us. Christ's resurrection is the foundation of our hope.
Earthquake Power
Have you ever been through an earthquake? Several years ago a mild quake awoke me with the swaying and trembling of the house. It was not severe and did not greatly disturb me. I am told that a really severe earthquake is a fearful experience. Much of the fear, however, may depend on the view one takes of the phenomenon.
The Wondrous Cross
Mahatma Ghandi asked some missionaries who visited him during one of his numerous fasts to sing a hymn for him. "Which hymn?" they asked. "The one that expresses all that is deepest in your faith," he replied. They thought for a moment and then with full hearts sang these words written by Isaac Watts:
The Star In The Window
During World War II it was the custom in the United States for a family who had a son serving in the military to place a star in the front window of their home. But a gold star indicated that the son had died in support of his country's cause.
How Do You Hear?
A young boy asked his father to solve a riddle. He said, "There were three frogs sitting on a log. One frog decided to jump off. How many were left?" The dad replied, "Two, of course." "You're wrong!" gleefully exclaimed the boy. "There were three frogs left. The one frog only decided to jump off, but he didn't jump!"
No Complaints
I am sure we would all be surprised if we could hear a recording of our conversations for a single day. We would be amazed at how much we grumble and complain.
'Were You There?'
What you do with the Bible depends on what you do with the first sentence of Genesis. The Bible opens with a simple statement, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). If you believe that, you can believe everything else that follows. If you reject that statement, you will also deny every other cardinal truth in the Scriptures.
What It Means To Believe
A missionary in Africa experienced great difficulty in trying to translate the Gospel of John into the local dialect. He faced the problem of finding a word for believe. He continued to do his best, but he always had to leave a blank space when he came to that particular word.
Two Rivers
The Brule River, which is on the border between Michigan and Wisconsin, flows for miles with clear, sparkling water. It is inhabited by an abundant population of speckled, rainbow, and brown trout. At one point the Iron River, muddy and thick with sediment of ore and clay, merges with the Brule.
Do You Talk Too Much?
We all talk too much! What heartaches are caused, homes broken up, friends estranged, wars incited by some hasty, angry word! Much of the conflict in the world is caused by a combination of a narrow mind and a wide mouth. You will seldom get in trouble by listening, and most of us can learn more from what others say than what we have to say.
The Power Of Prayer
While crossing the Atlantic on a ship many years ago, Bible teacher and author F. B. Meyer was asked to speak to the passengers. An agnostic listened to Meyer's message about answered prayer and told a friend, "I didn't believe a word of it."
Higher Ground
A pilot was flying over the Arabian Desert and landed at an oasis to refuel his plane. After taking to the air again, he was soon over a mountainous area when he heard a scratching noise behind him. It sounded as if some animal had gotten into the fuselage of the plane. He became quite alarmed, for he knew if an animal gnawed away at the electrical wiring it could cause a serious malfunction. But there was no place to land in that rugged territory.
Killing Time
A friend of mine was sitting on a park bench with his hands folded, staring into the distance. When I asked what he was doing, he replied, "Oh, just killing time."
Are You Doing Your Part?
I was driving on a seldom-traveled road. Suddenly, my car slowed down, sputtered a moment, and with a final gasp, died. There I was, with only a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, miles away from a mechanic. And what I know about car engines you can put in your eye.
Deep Roots
In my orchard are two pear trees. Last summer was extremely dry, yet one of the trees was unaffected and remained green and yielded luscious pears. The other tree did not do so well. Its leaves turned yellow, the fruit shriveled, and the leaves and the fruit both dropped to the ground. The tree seemed to be dead.
