Traffic Ticket

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.

Bob? Bob from church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A Christian cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little anxious to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he’d never seen in uniform. “Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this.”

“Hello, Jack.” No smile.

“Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Bob seemed uncertain. Good.

“I’ve seen some long days at the office lately. I’m afraid I bent the rules a bit-just this once.” Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. “Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?”

“I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct.”

Ouch! This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics. “What’d you clock me at?”

“Seventy-one. Would you sit back in your car, please?”

“Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65.” The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.”Please, Jack, in the car.”

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn’t he asked for a driver’s license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.

A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

“Thanks.” Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his car without a word.

Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket.

Jack began to read:

“Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it – a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them. I only had one, and I’m going to have to wait until heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I’ve tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now…  Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I have left. Bob”

Jack twisted around in time to see Bob’s car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. – Matthew 5:44

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Emergency Numbers

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!

— Author Unknown

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!

Trust Your Needs

Years ago, I had crazy spiritual beliefs. I believed that if I wanted to be a holy person, I should NOT trust my needs. Because I figured my desires are most likely from the flesh, not from the spirit.

The message I received was this: “Fear yourself. Fear your desires. Fear your selfishness. Don’t trust yourself. Instead, trust God. Trust your group. Trust your leader. Trust the system…” Oh, what a terrible thing to believe! This is the reason there is so much spiritual abuse happening in religious groups.

Priests, preachers, and pastors love to emphasize this message: “Don’t trust yourself!” Directly or indirectly, they will ask their members to simply rely on the leaders’ wisdom and decisions. Unintentionally, they produce people who are infants in their emotional and spiritual growth. Instead of freedom, religion shackles us to immaturity. God calls us to be childlike, not childish.

God Trusts You—When Will You Learn To Trust Yourself?

Instead, we need to hear a new message. What message? That you’re made in the image and likeness of God! That you’re not just good. You’re very good! So trust yourself because God trusts you. He trusts you by calling you His child. He trusts you by planting His Kingdom in you. He trusts you by dwelling within you. He trusts you by commissioning you to be His presence in the world. He trusts you to love the way He does…

Wow! Believe me, when I pray, when I read the Bible, when I listen to God’s voice in the depths of my heart, I say “Wow!” many, many times.

And one way of trusting yourself is to trust your needs. Not your sinful needs. That’s what you need to deny. But your legitimate, valid, and God-planted needs. Meet those needs. Even your need for joy.

Some people view all pleasure as bad. Their unwritten motto: “If it feels good, it must be bad.” That’s not true. I believe life was given by God to be enjoyed to the full. To be savoured with delight. So taste. Breathe. Relish. Dance. Sing. Live!

Ever wondered why some religious people are so stuck-up, they don’t allow anyone to enjoy life? When we enjoy life, we allow others to enjoy as well.

Love yourself!

— Bo Sanchez

Meditation: Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. – 1 Timothy 6:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Letter from God

From: GOD

To: All those who believe in me

Date: Today and Everyday

Subject: Life’s problems

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box. It will be addressed in MY TIME, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or remove it.

Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.

As with all good things, please pass it on.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

On the Other Side

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.”

Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?”

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leapt on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.

I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing…I know my Master is there and that is enough.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” – John 14:1-2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

U-Turns

“Thanks for inviting me to go to church with you next Sunday, Uncle Al.”

Tim and his uncle were on their way to Bonny Lake. They had heard the fishing there was great.

“I…I don’t want to hurt your feelings,” continued Tim, “but . . . well . . . I’m not sure I want to get into this religious stuff. Besides, Mom and Dad don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Oh?” asked Uncle Al in surprise. “I thought you said that your parents wouldn’t mind if you went with me. You sounded quite interested last week. You even said the Gospel was beginning to make sense to you.”

“Yeah, but since then I’ve done a lot of thinking,” Tim said slowly. “I don’t think I feel like getting ‘saved’ right now. The crowd I hang around with at school wouldn’t understand, and I like being with them. Someday I’ll start going to church, but I think I’ll just go on the way I am for a while. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m not so bad, either.”

Tim’s uncle drove on silently for a few minutes. “Oh, no!” he exclaimed as they passed a road sign. “I was so intent on our conversation that I missed the turnoff! We should have gotten off this road five miles back!”

“Guess we’ll have to turn around and go back now, huh?” asked Tim.

But Uncle Al shook his head. “I don’t feel like turning around right now,” he said. “I guess we’ll just keep going this way. I kind of like this road, and the scenery is nice.”

Tim looked at his uncle in amazement. “But we have to turn around to get to Bonny Lake,” he protested, “and the longer we keep going this way, the longer it will take to get back. If we wait too long to turn around, we might not even get there in time to fish.”

Uncle Al smiled at Tim as he slowed down for the next turn. “You’re right,” he said, “and what you said just now is exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you about spiritual life . . . that when you’re travelling down the wrong road, the sooner you turn around, the better. If you wait too long, you might never get to your goal: Heaven.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ – Ezekiel 33:11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Prayer For Guidance And Protection To Those I Love

O heavenly Father, our protector and guide, You are the greatest Friend and joy we have! To be able to come to You in prayer like this is the most beautiful part of our lives!

It is not for myself that I want to pray today, dear Father, but for those who are near and dear to me and about whom I worry. You know what they are facing, dear Father. And You know most of all the deepest reasons why these things have come upon them!

And You know how I want to help. Truly I think it would be easier if I could only face what they are facing. But You know how helpless we are to help another even though we know what is just and right.

Only You are left, dear Father. Do be with them in all things at all times. Protect them from enemies and evil, my Father. Forgive them their sins and put love of others in their hearts.

O to make them happy in their lives at home, dear Father, and help them live as You wouldst have them live. Above all, put love in their hearts for You.

And thank You, my Father, for Your goodness to them and to me. Thank You for Your love and guidance and protection! May we honour you all the days of our lives. And be happy and uplifted even as I feel right now!

Amen.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: pray without ceasing, – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!