The Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

For More Information Contact: The Real Building Manual written and inspired by The Master Carpenter of Life – The Holy Bible.

Meditation: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. – Ecclesiastes 9:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The LORD’s Baseball Team

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team.

The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named ‘Love.’

Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because ‘Love never fails.’

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch.

Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His star player.

Up to the plate stepped Grace. Freddy said, ‘He sure doesn’t look like much!’

Satan’s whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! But Satan was not worried; his centre fielder let very few get by.

He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence for a home run!

The Lord’s team won!

The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but couldn’t win the game. Freddy answered that he didn’t know why.

The Lord then explained, “If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base, but only My Grace can get you Home.”

Meditation: For by Grace are you saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Purpose: Sent to the Oppressed

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…He has sent Me…to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
– Luke 4:18

The oppressed are another group for whom Jesus came to earth. He announced in the passage above that He came to set them at liberty so that they too can enjoy the benefits of living and aspire to self-actualisation like every other person. Just as Jesus came for these people, likewise are a number of individuals living today called to the oppressed; to rescue and set them at liberty.

People found themselves in oppression for various reasons, because of their sins, wrong choices, poverty, less-privileged background, ignorance of their rights, weak personality, among other factors. Whatever the reason may be, God does not desire that anyone die in oppression and subjection. He was concerned enough that this should not be the case; hence His sending Jesus Christ to their rescue. Even before Jesus came, God had always called certain individuals who were willing enough to fight for the liberation of the oppressed; and with the departure of Jesus, God is still calling willing individuals to fulfil this calling.

A wanton subjection of another or oppression of any kind is an injustice; because God did not create any man to dominate other men. On the contrary, He created man to exercise dominion over every other creature He made. Oppression is one of the devil’s distortions of divine order at the fall of mankind. But God never wanted it, and it doesn’t have to be.

Do you get greatly disturbed seeing people being cheated, denied or subjected to any form of inhuman treatment? Perhaps, you were called to the oppressed. It is easy for people with this particular calling to conclude that they presently have no clout or wherewithal to make a difference. That is one of the lies the devil uses to dissuade such people from fulfilling their calling. The truth is, you can always do something with what you have and where you are. As long you can talk, write, or express your sentiment in other ways, you are equipped to do something.

No matter how little, take steps to confront oppression and injustice and you will be amazed at how God can back someone who dares to stand up for Him.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Why?

When I received this, I thought, ‘I don’t have time for this… And…this is really inappropriate during work.’ Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is exactly what has caused lots of the problems in our world today.

We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning… Maybe, Sunday night…And, the unlikely event of a midweek service.

We do like to have Him around during sickness. And, of course, at funerals. However, we don’t have time, or room, for Him during work or play. Because that’s the part of our lives we think we can, and should, handle on our own. May God forgive me for ever thinking that there is a time or place where

HE is not to be FIRST in my life.

We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us.

Why is it so hard to tell the truth but yet so easy to tell a lie?

Why are we sleepy in church, but suddenly wake up immediately the sermon is over?

Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff?

Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one?

Why is it so easy to delete a godly e-mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones?

Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?

Meditation: He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? – Matthew 15:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Pains of Intimacy

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people. But when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and admire the other person’s good qualities, we get the best of one another. Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.

Meditation: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. – Hebrews 10:22

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Mouse Trap

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a mouse trap. Retreating to the farmyard the mouse proclaimed the warning: “There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!”

“I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers.”

The mouse turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Mouse. A mouse trap. Like I am in grave danger. Duh…NOT!”

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer’s wife did not get well and a few days later she passed away. So many people came for her funeral, that the farmer had the cow slaughtered, to provide meat for all of them to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a mouse trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

Meditation: Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. – Romans 15:5

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Author Unknown

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry.
Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.
We cannot undo a single act we performed.
We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow.
With its possible adversities, Its burdens,
Its large promise and poor performance.
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow’s Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
This just leaves only one day… Today.

Any person can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity’s –
yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.
It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday
and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Let us therefore live but one day at a time.

Meditation: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:16

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!