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A BOY WAITS FOR THE BUS
There's an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting on a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy, and gave him some gentle instruction. "Son," he said, "if you're waiting on the bus, you need to move to the street corner. That's where the bus stops for passengers."
"It's OK," said the boy. "I'll just wait right here, and the bus will stop for me."
The man repeated his argument, but the boy never moved. Just then, the bus appeared. Amazingly, the bus pulled over to where the boy stood, and the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway and said, "Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, because the bus driver is my dad!"
When you've got a family relationship with the bus driver, you don't need a bus stop. If your mother is a US Senator, you won't need an appointment to slip into her office. If you've given your heart to the King of Kings, you're in a royal family of unspeakable proportions.
(From a sermon by Fred Markes, Fix Your Eyes upon Jesus, He is King of Kings, 8/30/2011)
The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs ever built, but there is something fascinating about its beginnings. In 1629, when the favorite wife of Indian ruler Shah Jahan died, he ordered that a magnificent tomb be built as a memorial for her. The shah placed his wife’s casket in the middle of a parcel of land, and construction of the temple literally began around it. But several years into the venture, the Shah’s grief gave way to a passion for the project. One day while he was surveying the sight, he reportedly stumbled over a wooden box, and he had some workers throw it out. It was months before he realized that his wife’s casket had been destroyed. The original purpose for the memorial became lost in the details of construction.
Dr. James Dobson, Coming Home, Timeless Wisdom for Families, (Tynadale House Pub., Wheaton; 1998), 122.
In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800s, two sons were born to a family named Taylor. The older one set out to make a name for himself by entering Parliament and gaining public prestige. But the younger son chose to give his life to Christ. He later recalled, “Well do I remember, as in unreserved consecration I put myself, my life, my friends, my all, upon the altar. I felt I was in the presence of God, entering into covenant with the Almighty.” With that commitment, Hudson Taylor turned his face toward China and obscurity. As a result, he is known and honored on every continent as a faithful missionary and the founder of the China Inland Mission (now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship). For the other son, however, there is no lasting monument. When you look in the encyclopedia to see what the other son has done, you find these words, “the brother of Hudson Taylor.” “. . . he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17).
Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a white stallion, leading His forces against the Roman Empire. And He doesn’t work that way today, either. He comes in a spirit of gentleness.
And then He was arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin and later before Pilate. He was falsely accused, mocked, beaten and humiliated. Yet through it all, He did nothing to protect Himself. Does this mean that He was cowardly or weak? Not at all! This was the same man who went into the Temple and who drove out all those who were dishonoring the house of God. This was the One who could halt a storm in its tracks with a single word.
This is gentleness. Never mistake gentleness with weakness. G...
VOLUNTEERS AND SERVANTS
“Volunteers raise their hand to be called on.
Servants are called by the Hand of God.
Volunteers do work for God.
Servants do work with God.
Volunteers get tired of the work,
Servants are tired in the work.
Volunteers pray their work will succeed.
Servants succeed as they pray for their work.
Volunteers serve from their commitment.
Servants serve in their surrender.
Volunteers come and go as they please.
Servants are pleased to come and stay.
Volunteers are faced with ministry problems.
Servants are faced with ministry opportunities.
Volunteers teach the Bible Story to others.
Servants are the Living Bible Story to others.
Volunteers want to be led in ministry.
Servants lead in ministry.
Volunteers love the Ministry
Servants love Jesus in the ministry.
Volunteers serve under their supervisor.
Servants serve God alone.
Volunteers see their ministry as small.
Servants see the world as their ministry.
Volunteers say, “This is the Day the Lord has made?
Servants say, “This is the Day the Lord has made!!”
Volunteers are excited when they succeed.
Servants are excited to make others succeed.”
--Doug Sarver, FBC Springdale, Year Unknown
"Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ's strongest disciples."
GENUINE REPENTANCE--THE CASE OF GENELLE GUZMAN MCMILLAN
Genelle Guzman McMillan was the last person to be rescued from the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. She had been trapped in the rubble for 27 hours when at last firefighters heard her calling and pulled her out. This 30-year-old single mother had only been on the job as a Port Authority clerk for nine months when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
By her own description she was a Catholic who had become a "party-girl" and was living with her boyfriend in Brooklyn. But when the North Tower collapsed, Genelle’s thoughts immediately turned to the Lord and her 14-year-old daughter. She prayed that her body would at least be found so that it could be buried. Becoming bolder, she revised her prayer and asked the Lord that if she had to die, that she could at least make it to the hospital so she could see her daughter one last time. But as faith seemed to bubble in her heart, she boldly asked her Heavenly Father to be rescued alive. "I was praying to God: 'God please save my life. Give me a second chance. I promise I will change my life and do your will.'" Genelle kept her promise, turned away from her sins and has deepened her walk with the Lord. That’s true repentance!
(From a sermon by John Gaston, The Man Who Dropped Dead in Church, 8/13/2012)
UNDER AUTHORITY
I used to be a substitute teacher. Most of the time, I had good classes. Sometimes I had bad classes. But one day, I had a horrible class. Kids were running around the room, throwing paper wads, screaming and yelling. One kid ran out the side door into the courtyard and came back in tracking mud all over the classroom. I think that was the day I started losing my hair!
But all of a sudden, the principal shows up! It gets really quiet. He said to me "Who are the five biggest troublemakers?" I could have easily picked out ten troublemakers. But I picked out five. The principal points a thick finger at the five kids and says "Come with me!" And I never saw them again. And I never had another problem with that class.
I was amazed at the authority of that principal. That’s how the disciples feel about Jesus! They see him carry out the judgment of God in the temple courts. They see him symbolically carry out the judgment of...
Blessed Are The Pure in Heart
"The Sermon on the Mount" is the first of five major discourses in the Gospel of Matthew. In this sermon, Jesus gives us another powerful statement on the fruit of those who allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives.
He gives us one of the most important themes found in Scripture, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God." (Matthew 5: 8)
Purity of heart is the main thrust of true Christianity. "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts..." (Psalms 51: 6) The pure in heart are those whose minds, motives, affections and principles have been cleansed by faith in Christ and through the washing of rebirth. (Titus 3: 5) They seek to not only have their external actions corrected, but they desire to be holy in heart. They know that although man looks on the outward appearance, God looks into a man's heart. (Galatians 2: 6; Samuel 16: 7) The pure in heart care nothing for such sights that lead man into sin.
Anyone who is single-mindedly pursuing the kingdom of God and His righteousness in God's way will be inwardly pure. Inward sham, deceit, and moral sin cannot coexist with heartfelt devotion to Christ. This Beatitude destroys hypocrisy.
Pastor Henry Booth writes, "According to the nature and character of the fountain will be the character of the stream. The heart may be compared to a reservoir which supplies a large town with its hundreds of streets and thousands of pipes. If the water be pure in the reservoir it will be conveyed in its purity through the pipes to the inhabitants; but if turbid there, it will be impure at its destination. The heart is the reservoir from which life flows. The mouth, hands, feet, looks, actions, etc. are the pipes. If the heart is pure, purity will be manifested in life."
The pure in heart will see God. The greatest happiness to a Christian is the fact that someday he will see Christ face to face in the beauty of His holiness. None but the pure in heart will be able to look upon the face of God. What pleasure could an unrepentant soul have in the vision of a holy God? God cannot behold iniquity, nor can the impure stand to look upon God's purity. The unclean will never enter into God's dwelling place.
The Bible says, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to what his deeds deserve." (Proverbs 17: 10)
Only the blood of Christ can cleanse you from sin. Receiving Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord will put you under His blood and your sins will be covered, forgotten and cleansed, causing you to become a new creature in Christ. This will turn you from sin-centeredness and self-centeredness to God and Christ-centeredness. This is the blessedness of becoming pure in heart.
Those who cry out to God as king David did in Psalm 51: 10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me," they will see God.
Call upon Christ today and He will forgive you and give you a fresh clean start before God. He will purify your heart so that the sins that desire to consume and destroy you will no longer have dominion in your life. Purity of heart and victory over sin will be found only in Jesus Christ!
THE MONEY-CHANGERS
Simply cleansing the Temple was not Jesus' goal. This was just days before the Passover, and every house had to be cleaned from all leaven. The Temple was Jesus' house, and these money-changers were the leaven.
