A New Pastor..

A friend sent this today. Michael thank you. I've seen it before but thought it would be nice to share. A new pastor was visiting in the homes of those in his congregation. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door. When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked." How Many times does God call to us and we can't answer? How many times does he say Your name and You hide because You are caught Naked in Your sins. Remember we can't hide from Him we are ever naked before him. Keep on your clothing of righteousness so that You don't have to hide when He calls...God bless You, Yvonne

Is Your Heart troubled?

Sometimes we get down and depressed and we know we need to pray yet we don't know what to pray. Sometimes our thoughts are so jumbled that we don't know where or what to begin with. That's when I find it best to just start talking..Eventually it all comes out and we can make sense of it. Below praying against depression:
My nights are sleepless again, dear Lord. Shadows creep around my room. I toss and turn in anguish. When I finally do sleep, I bolt up in bed, frightened that something or someone is after me.
I realize I need your help more than ever before. Life is to tough for me to handle. Lead me to people who can help. Open my mind to ways for me to over come this terrible depression.
At times I am so distraught I can't even pray. Yet You Holy Spirit knows my heart. I know You are lifting my needs to my Heavenly Father in words that can never be expressed by any human. I take comfort in that.
Let me give my burdens all to You, my Lord. I must let You carry them for me. Most of all, help me be willing not to take them back.
I know that You watch over me and will help me through this. I put my trust in You. I won't depend on my own understanding. I purpose to acknowledge You in every way and to be alert to Your direction. Let me not worry. Help me to do my best to solve each problem as it comes along and pray about everything, large or small. Here are my anxieties and my problems. I thank You for answers, given according to Your will. You know my needs before I ask.
In doing this I pray that You grant me peace of heart beyond my comprehension. Guard my mind and soul against all that isn't honorable to You or best for my well being.
Finally dear Lord, enable me to fix my thoughts on You and things that are positive, true and worthy of praise. No matter what kind of circumstances I am in, let me be content in Your leading. Whether I am well fed or hungry, in plenty or want, healthy or ill, I know that You will guide me by Your strength.
Thank You, Lord, for Your love and peace. Thank You that You will meet my needs. I love You in Jesus name..Amen
Peace I leave with you..
I do not give to you as the world gives,
Do not let Your hearts be troubled'
and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

Have You tasted..

A Friend sent this today..I had to share,
"Have You Tasted My Jesus?"
At the University of Chicago Divinity
School each year they have what is called "Baptist Day." On this day each
one is to bring a lunch to be eaten
outdoors in a grassy picnic area.

Every "Baptist Day" the school would
invite one of the greatest minds to
lecture in the theological education
center. One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr.
Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours proving
that the resurrection of Jesus was false.

He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded
that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection
the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional
mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen
Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense.

He then asked if there were any questions. After about 30 seconds, an old, dark
skinned preacher with a head of short cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the
auditorium. "Dr. Tillich, I got one question," he
said as all eyes turned toward him.

He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and
began eating it. "Docta Tillich.. CRUNCH, MUNCH "My question is a simple question,.... CRUNCH,MUNCH..."Now, I can't recite the Scriptures in the
original Greek...CRUNCH,MUNCH..."I don't
know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger...CRUNCH,
MUNCH... He finished the apple.

"All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate,------ was it bitter or sweet?" Dr.Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I
haven't tasted your apple."

The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his
crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr.Tillich and
said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus."

The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves.
The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr.
Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.

Have you tasted Jesus? Please pass this on Saints! Jesus has risen...and He's
coming back one day!
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. If you have, rejoice in
the hope of the resurrection that
your faith in Him brings! Psalm 34:8

Source Unknown

Is Your tongue deadly

Today in my church joke book I read this cute joke and thought I would share: The Ten Commandments were the subject of Miss Dixie's Sunday school lesson for five and six year olds. After explaining "Honor thy Father and Mother," Miss Dixie ask, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat, little Cindy answered, "Thou shalt not kill." After giving this some thought and thinking of some events in some people lives that I know lately. I got to thinking. How often do we Kill people, friend's and loved ones with our tongues? How often do we break the ten commandments and Kill our Brother's and Sister's saying mean and thoughtless things? If your wondering about this read on: I am going to talk here about the tongue.
If there be so much evil in the tongue, what is the heart? If the stream be so full of water, how full of water is the fountain? If there be a world of iniquity in the tongue, how many worlds of sin are there in the heart, “Their inward part is very wickedness” (Psalm 5:9). If the tongue, which is the outward part, be so wicked, the inward part is very wickedness, “The heart is deep” (Psalm 64:6); it is such a deep as cannot be fathomed; deep pride, hypocrisy, atheism. The heart is like the sea, where is the leviathan, and creeping things innumerable (Psalm 104:25,26). If the skin has boils of leprosy in it, how much corruption is in the blood? If the tongue be so bad, how diabolical is the heart? It is the heart that sets the tongue a-work: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”: there are the seeds of all atheism and blasphemy, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries; these defile a man” (Matthew 15:19,20). If a branch of wormwood be so bitter, then how bitter is the root? O, what a root of bitterness grows in a man’s heart! Some say they have good hearts; but if the tongue be so bad, what is the heart? If I see a smoke come out of the top of a chimney, what a fire burns within? “A wicked man walketh with a forward mouth; forwardness is in his heart” (Proverbs 6:12, 14). Solomon shows the reason why the mouth is so forward, “Forwardness is in his heart.” The heart is a storehouse of wickedness, therefore called the “evil treasure of the heart” (Matthew 12:35). Original righteousness was a good treasure, but we were robbed of that; and now there is an evil treasure of sin. The word treasure, denotes plenty; to show the fullness and abundance of sin that is in the heart. The heart is a lesser hell, which is a matter of deep humiliation; the heart is, like the Egyptian temples, full of spiders and serpents.
If you would have better tongues, labor for better hearts. It is the heart that has influence upon the tongue. If the heart be vain and earthly, the tongue will be so; if the heart be holy, the tongue will be so. Look to your heart, get a better heart, and a better tongue.
How shall I get my heart bettered?
Get a principle of grace infused. Grace is like the salt cast into the spring; grace changes the heart, and sanctifies all the members of the body—it sanctifies the eyes and makes them chaste—it sanctifies the tongue, and makes it meet and calm. When the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles, “they began to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4): when God’s Spirit comes on a man with a sanctifying work, he speaks with another tongue; the speech is heavenly. Grace makes the heart serious, and that cures the levity of the tongue; when the heart is serious, the words are savoury.
Remember, you must give an account to God, as well of your speeches, as your actions, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36); words of no account, will have an heavy account. And, if God will reckon with men for every idle, angry word, then, what will he do for sinful oaths? “Oh that my words were now written!” (Job 19:23). Truly, if many people’s words were written, they would be ashamed of them. And, let me tell you, your words are written: “The books were opened” (Revelation 20:12). In the book of God’s remembrance all your words are written; you had need then be careful you offend not with your tongue; God writes down all you speak, and you must give an account to him. When the books are opened, God will proceed with you in judgement, according to your words; by your words you shall be saved or condemned: “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). God bless You...Yvonne