The Weathered Old Barn

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.
Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there’s been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The summer sun’s beat down on that old barn till all the paint’s gone, and the wood has turned silver grey. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.
That set me thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he is building down the road. He said you couldn’t get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.
It came to me then. We are a lot like that, you and I. Only it is on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure, we turn silver grey too and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He’s doing. And as the years pass He’s busy using the hard wealth of our lives, the dry spells and the stormy seasons, to do a job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!
They took the old barn down today and hauled it away to beautify a rich man’s house. And I reckon someday you and I’ll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on the Great Sky Ranch. And I suspect we’ll be more beautiful then for the seasons we’ve been through here … and just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father’s house.
May there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
You will succeed in Jesus Name!

WHY DID JESUS FOLD THE NAPKIN?

– Author Unknown

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
– John 20:6-7

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The passage above tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible devotes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant relationship, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m done.”

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because…

The folded napkin meant, “I am coming back!”

You will see Him in Jesus Name!

It’s in Your Face

You don’t have to tell how you live each day,
 You don’t have to say if you work or play,
A tried, true barometer serves in the place;
however you live, it will show in your face.

The false, the deceit you bear in your heart
Will not stay inside, where it first got a start.
For sin and blood are a thin veil of lace;
what you wear in your heart you wear in your face.

If your life is unselfish,
if for others you live,
for not what you get,
but for how much you can give;

If you live close to God,
in His infinite grace,
you don’t have to tell it,
it shows in your face.
Meditation: As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. – Proverbs 27:19
You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Practice Humility

You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down. – 2 Samuel 22:28

Many years ago, a rider came across some soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log without success. The corporal was standing by as the men struggled. The rider asked the corporal why he wasn’t helping. The corporal replied, “I am the corporal; I give orders.”

The rider dismounted, went up and stood by the soldiers and as they were lifting the log, he helped them. With his help, the log was moved. The rider quietly mounted his horse, went to the corporal and said, “The next time your men need help, send for the Commander-in-Chief.”

After he left, the corporal and his men found out that the rider was George Washington.
The message is clear. Success and humility go hand in hand. When others blow your horn, the sound goes further. Just think about it? Simplicity and humility are two hallmarks of greatness. Humility does not mean self-demeaning behaviour.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Sculptor’s Attitude

Author Unknown
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or…
I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or…
I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or…
I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or…
I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or…
I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or…
I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or…
I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or…
eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or…
I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.
And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What today will be like is up to me.
I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Meditation: Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God… So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:1-2, 12
You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Emergency Number

Emergency numbers may be dialled direct. No operator assistance is necessary.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
When in sorrow … call John 14
When men fail you … call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful … call John 15
When you have sinned … call Psalm 51
When you worry … call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger … call Psalm 91
When God seems far away … call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring … call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful … call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical … call I Corinthians 13
For Paul’s secret to happiness … call Colossians 3:12-17
For understanding of Christianity … call II Corinthians 5:15-19
When you feel down and out … call Romans 8:31
When you want peace and rest … call Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God … call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance … call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labour or travel … call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish … call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity … call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task … call Joshua 1
For how to get along with fellow men … call Romans 12
When you think of investments and returns … call Mark 10
If you are depressed … call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty … call Psalm 37
If you are losing confidence in people … call I Corinthians 13
If people seem unkind … call John 15
If discouraged about your work … call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small and yourself great,..call Psalm 19
Alternate numbers:
For dealing with fear, …………………………. call Psalm 34:7
For security, ………………………………… call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, …………………………………. call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, …………………………….. call Psalm 145:18
All lines to Heaven are open 24 hours a day! Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death!
Meditation: Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. – Isaiah 55:6
You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Jars

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8

The preacher placed two identical jars on the table next to the pulpit. He quoted 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
“These jars came from the same factory, were made of the same materials, and can hold the same amount. But they are different,” he explained.
Then he upset one and it oozed out honey. He turned over the other, and vinegar spilled out. “When a jar is upset, whatever is in it comes out. Until the jars were upset, they looked alike. The difference was within, and could not be seen. When they were upset, their contents were revealed.”
“Until we are upset we put on a good front. But when we are upset, we reveal our innermost thoughts and attitudes, for ‘out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45).’”
What if someone tipped you over today? What would flow out?
Would you reveal the “honey” of grace and patience, or the “vinegar” of anger and sarcasm?
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
Have a terrific day knowing that the one who upsets you may be just looking for some honey.
You will succeed in Jesus Name!