Perfect Hatred
Tell me what you hate and I can tell you a great deal about yourself. Hatred can be the strong side of righteousness, but it needs a sign written on it with large red letters: Handle With Care.
Beware Of A Judgmental Spirit!
A young married man began going to a pornography store. When his parents learned of this, they gently and tactfully confronted him, but made no accusations. The son responded with anger and said that he saw no harm in what he was doing. He accused his parents of being judgmental. With broken hearts they had to stand by and watch him as he left his wife and family, lost his job, and eventually ruined his life.
The Miracle Of Marriage
When Pastor Howard Sugden performed the wedding ceremony for my husband and me, he emphasized that we were participating in a miracle. We believed him, but we didn't comprehend the size of the miracle needed to hold two people together, much less become one.
Why Love Begets Hate
If there is one thing believers in Jesus should be known for, it is love. The word love appears in Scripture more than 500 times. The essence of the gospel is love, as we see in John 3:16. "For God so loved the world . . . ." The epistle of 1 John 3:16 elaborates: "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us."
It's Beautiful!
After being away on business, Terry wanted to pick up some small gifts for his children. The clerk at the airport gift shop recommended a number of costly items. "I don't have that much money with me," he said. "I need something less expensive." The clerk tried to make him feel that he was being cheap. But Terry knew his children would be happy with whatever he gave them, because it came from a heart of love. And he was right—they loved the gifts he bought.
Bellyaching And Its Cure
A mentally impaired man always shook hands with his pastor after each service. But he often made critical comments like these: "You preach too long." "Your sermons are boring." "You talk about yourself too much." Distressed, the pastor mentioned this to a deacon, who replied, "Oh, don't worry about him. All he does is parrot what he hears others say."
Love One Another
Brandon Moody was attending his uncle D. L. Moody's church on Easter morning. The final scene in the impressive pageant was a depiction of Jesus' ascension into heaven. The actor who was playing Jesus was being hoisted by stagehands through an opening in the ceiling. But when he was halfway up, they lost their grip and down came the actor—thankfully uninjured. With amazing presence of mind, the actor said to the shocked congregation, "And one more thing. Love one another."
That's The Way It Works
In his book Dear Zoe, Max De Pree writes, "The way to turn problems over to the Lord is to ask His people for help."
"Dumb Ox"
When Thomas Aquinas began to attend classes at the University of Paris in the 13th century, he seldom spoke up in class. His fellow students thought that his silence meant he wasn't very smart, so they nicknamed him "the dumb ox."
