READ AND PONDER

[joshgroban]

All the organs of the body were having a meeting,
trying to decide who was the one in charge.

'I should be in charge,' said the brain,
'Because I run all the body's systems, so without me nothing would happen.'


'I should be in charge,' said the blood ,
'because I circulate oxygen all over so without me you'd all waste away.'



'I should be in charge,' said the stomach ,
'because I process food and give all of you energy.'


'I should be in charge,' said the legs,
'because I carry the body wherever it needs to go.'


'I should be in charge,' said the eyes,
'Because I allow the body to see where it goes.'


'I should be in charge,' said the rectum,
'Because I'm responsible for waste removal.'


All the other body parts laughed at the rectum
and insulted him, so in a huff, he shut down tight.
Within a few days,
the brain had a terrible headache,
the stomach was bloated,
the legs got wobbly,
the eyes got watery,
and the blood was toxic.
They all decided that the rectum should be the boss.
The Moral of the story?
The ass hole is usually the one in charge!

[joshgroban]

We  are all  presented with "Adam and Eve's" choice daily. We are presented with temptations, and their "good" appearance and our desire for them are what make them temptations. It is through our faith, our choosing to do the good, that God then sends His Grace to give use victory over the sin.

[joshgroban]

Learning from a Spunky, In-Your-Face Saint

Today we continue our regular series here at The Thin Veil called "Learning from the Saints".


In the second century, Polycarp was the revered elder statesman of the Church in the East. He was a second-generation apostle who had personal contact with the Twelve. According to tradition, he was appointed bishop of Smyra by St. John himself.

For more than half a century, Polycarp devoted himself to teaching sound doctrine and opposing heresy. Once on a visit to Rome he had snubbed the heretic, Marcion. "Don't you know who I am, Polycarp?" Marcion asked. "Oh, yes," said the saint, "I know the firstborn of Satan when I see him."


At mid-century, governors began to require Christians to worship the emperor, yet many chose death instead of blasphemy. Mobs packed the amphitheater in Smyrna to watch as faithful Christians, refusing to worship other gods, were forced to fight wild animals. One day when a Christian youth encouraged the beasts to devour him, the crowd went berserk. They began to chant, "We want Polycarp! We want Polycarp!"

Polycarp was in hiding on a farm outside of town. But a search party forced a servant to betray him. When the police arrived to arrest him, Polycarp surprised his captors by feeding them and then asking for time to pray. Once done with food and prayer, they took him to the amphitheater.

Here is the account as told in The Martyrdom of Polycarp, a circular letter the Smyrnean church distributed after his death:

"A great shout arose when the people heard that it was Polycarp who had been arrested. As he was brought before him, the governor asked him: 'Are you Polycarp?' and when he admitted he was, the governor tried to persuade him to recant, saying: 'Have respect for your age...; swear by the Genius of the emperor. Recant. Say, 'Away with the atheists!'

(Editors note: It might sounds strange to modern ears, but Christians were actually considered atheists in the first-century world, due to their refusal to worship the multiple Greek and Roman gods. Polycarp here was being asked to deny all Christians by saying, 'Away with the atheists!' As we see, he turned the tables on the crowd by deeming *them* the true atheists.)

"Polycarp, with a sober countenance, looked at all the mob of lawless pagans who were in the arena, and shaking his fist at them, groaned, looked up to heaven, and said: 'Away with these atheists!'

"The governor persisted and said: 'Swear and I will let you go. Curse Christ!'

"But Polycarp answered: 'For eighty-six years I have been his servant and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme against my king and savior?'"

The governor continued to press Polycarp, but he did not flinch at the threat of the wild animals or of being burnt alive. Polycarp must have raised an eyebrow at the latter warning, as a few days before he had dreamt that he would die by fire. When the governor announced that Polycarp had declared himself a Christian, the frenzied mob gathered wood for his pyre.

Polycarp submitted peacefully to his death, even asking not to be nailed to the centerpole. He prayed briefly and the fire was lit. Witnesses later reported that something miraculous happened to the flames, which:

"bellying out like a ship's sail in the wind, formed into the shape of a vault and thus surrounded the martyr's body as with a wall. And he was within it not as burning flesh but rather as bread being baked or like gold and silver being purified in a smelting furnace."

Since the fire was not consuming Polycarp, the governor had one of his men plunge a dagger into him. The death of the bishop climaxed and ended the persecution. And the report of his martyrdom engendered faith and courage throughout the still very young Christian church.

[joshgroban]

Have you ever seen the stars out in the daytime? The answer is no. When the sun is shining brightly, we cannot appreciate the light of other stars. It is only in times of darkness that we can appreciate their splendor. In the same vein, while it is certainly appropriate to sing God's praises when everything in our lives is bright and sunny, it's in the darkness of our lives that we can truly shine.

[joshgroban]

The classical example of loving God is the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7), where Jesus defines love on God's terms. It calls you to live out the 8 beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-12), pursue 100% fold obedience (Mt. 5:48), resist 6 negative influences related to your natural lusts (Mt. 5:21-48) and pursue 5 positive kingdom nutrients (Mt. 6:1-18) that position you to receive the grace of Holy Spirit.

[joshgroban]

          
Feeling Stagnant? Are You Running the Race?
Jack Graham

In [Hebrews 12:1–2], the author of Hebrews compares living the spiritual live to running a race. Now imagine running a race with barbells on your shoulders or wearing scuba diving equipment. While that sounds ridiculous, it's essentially what many Christians try to do when they hold onto sin in their lives!

Now the Scripture tells us in Romans 14:23 that "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." That means that when you're not accomplishing what God wants you to do by faith, you are living in sin!

So often, people come up and tell me, "Pastor, I just feel stagnant in my walk with Christ and I don't know why." But do you know what their problem usually is? They aren't living by faith. Sure, they're moral people and live good lives, but they've never really stepped out and completely trusted God. Their "walk" is just that, a walk and not a race!

Now in your race, you may be avoiding the sins of commission like drunkenness and lust. But are you unknowingly committing sins of omission like not serving others or failing to step out in faith?

My prayer is that you learn to trust in God with everything: your relationships, your finances, and even your own life. When you begin to do that, your spiritual race will be taken to whole new levels, and you will finish well!

[joshgroban]

God's Grace

I wonder how many people will delete this without reading it because of the title.
It is a shame but this message is very true. Hope you are all as blessed as I was by this story.

There once was a man named George Thomas, preacher in a small Texas town. One Sunday morning he came to the Church building carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.
Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, the Preacher began to speak. . . .

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered.
"I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight.
I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later.
What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy.
"They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The preacher was silent for a moment.
"How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister.
They're just plain old field birds.
They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the preacher asked again.

The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The preacher reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill.
He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
The preacher picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot.
Setting the cage down, he opened the door,
and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out,
setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the preacher began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation.
Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden,
and he was gloating and boasting.
"Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there.
Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist.
Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun!
I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other,
how to hate ad abuse each other,
how to drink and smoke and curse.
I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs
and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?"

Jesus asked.. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good.
Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you.
They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you.
You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered,
"All your blood, tears and your life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The preacher picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

I pray, for everyone who sends this on,
whether to their entire address book or just a few,
that God will bless them in a special way.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

I thank God everyday for my blessed life.
I'm not rich, don't live in a mansion and don't have the nicest of material things, but, I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a family that loves me and lifelong friends to get me through.
I'd say I have a lot to be thankful for.

[joshgroban]

A Spiritually Bored Believer is Weak and Vulnerable, But a Fascinated One is Strong and Equipped to Face Temptation

There is a craving in your spirit to marvel and be awestruck, to be filled with wonder. God made you that way. Unfortunately, the same longings of our souls are the root of our addictions. What's more, the enter-tainment and advertisement industry understands our cravings (and profits from them). They prey on our 'emotional' shopping behaviors and cash on our hunger for fascinating stories.

Have doubts? Think about your favorite form of entertainment and ask: Why is it so attractive and appealing? What's the emotional reward of the exchange? And why at times I find myself over doing it? The reason we get drunk with entertainment is rather simple: we have a profound need for mental engagement.

We need to engage and be engaged, we hunger for new discoveries and fresh encounters—it is how we are wired. When God reveals God to the human spirit we experience "divine entertainment" at its highest.

That's why David wrote: "One thing I desired...all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD." (Ps. 27:4) His heart was preoccupied with God while his hands were occupied with leading Israel. Without having a sense of awe, you will live aimlessly and in boredom. A spiritually bored believer is weak and vulnerable to Satan, but a fascinated believer is strong and equipped to face temptation.

[joshgroban]

"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from you dream. water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultuvate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream."
~ Lao Tzu ~

[joshgroban]

Randy Newman

Tuesday, October 16, 2012


Our family concludes our Thanksgiving meal every year by sharing what we're thankful for. I look forward to that moment all year long. We relive great moments, echo our notes of thanks, and nod our heads in agreement. And we smile.

Each year, it seems, the experience grows richer. And thus it should. The Biblical notion of giving thanks digs deeper than merely making a list. It is worth reflecting on the Hebrew word yadah, often translated "give thanks," to see all that God has in mind for us. There's more to it than we might think.

The Hebrew language reveals an inseparable link between giving thanks and offering praise. Indeed, the two terms are often paired through parallelism in the Psalms. Thus the two phrases in the opening of Psalm 92 are more similar than our English ears might hear: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High."

The root of the word means "to acknowledge or confess" and can be equally employed for confession of sin, offering of thanks, and lifting of praise. When you yadah, you acknowledge both the giver and the gift. In fact, the focus is more on the generosity, grace, and abundance of the source than on the joy, pleasure, or gratitude of the recipient. Still, the term encompasses both sides of the exchange.

Hebrew scholar Claus Westermann says, "In the Old Testament... there is as yet no verb that means only 'to thank.' Hodah, [a form of yadah] which is usually translated as 'to thank,' is not used in the Old Testament a single time for an expression of thanks between men. Thus it is clear from the start that this hodah cannot be equated with our 'to thank,' which can be directed equally to God and to man.... The expression of thanks to God is included in praise, it is a way of praising."

And so our listing of what we're thankful for should find its way to more than mere list making. It should point and lift our hearts to the Giver behind the gifts. We should exalt, bless, glorify, honor, adore, pay tribute to, revere, and magnify the God who chooses to pour out blessing upon blessing.

I have often quoted C.S. Lewis who distinguishes between gratitude and adoration. Enlisting the help of a rare word, coruscations (which means something like flashes of light), Lewis writes in Letters to Malcolm:

"Gratitude exclaims, very properly, 'How good of God to give me this.' Adoration says, "What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations are like this!' One's mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun."

His distinction is helpful but only if, once the difference is understood, we reunite gratitude and praise in their Biblical union. They feed off one another in ways that make us increasingly grateful and doxological with each breath. Surely, our minds and whole beings should run "back up the sunbeam to the sun."

Happy Thanksgiving.

[joshgroban]

         
Why Did Jesus Become a Human?
Greg Laurie

Hebrews 4:15-16 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (NKJV). Talk about having friends in high places. The Bible is saying that you are not serving a God who is disinterested in you. You are not serving a God who doesn't know what it is like to literally walk in your shoes. So you can go boldly to the throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need.
esus Christ, who was God in human form, never lived for a moment outside of the perfect will of God. He never gave in to a temptation. He never had an impure thought. He never did one wrong thing. He never displeased His Father in the smallest matter. He was flawless. He was sinless. He was perfect.

So why did Jesus come to earth as God in human form? Was it to give us the ultimate teachings ever? No. Though they were the greatest teachings ever given, He came here for more than that. Did Jesus come to set the perfect example of how a man or woman should live? He came to do that and much more. Did Jesus walk this earth merely to do miracles and heal people? While He always reached out to people in need, that was not His primary purpose.

C. S. Lewis said it well: "The Son of God became a man that men might become sons of God." God became a man so that you might become God's child. Now that is something worth celebrating.

[elmer0224]

Hmmm... ang gaganda ng mga stories sa thread na 'to ah. Love it

[joshgroban]

hehe na touch ka ba...merry christmas....sa inyong lahat....

[joshgroban]

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses" who will one day become either "immortal horrors or everlasting splendors." -  C. S. Lewis

[superosmdummi]

Note of Suicide by Yours Truly

I am so desperate. I want help. Yet, no one can see me nor hear me ---- the ego inside my head, the one who balances my soul, my mind, my body, my emotions. My mind is about to blow! Super egos, Ids babbling and arguing at each other. BLAH BLAH BLAH! My head hurts. Am I turning insane?

I want to escape. I want to run, to run as fast as I can until I reach the end of the never ending cave. I want to fall. I want to just disappear.

No one knows. No one cares. All I see is me battling a never ending war, a war that I will definitely lose. I can hear all of them laughing, taunting, teasing, tormenting. I cannot see them but I can definitely hear them.

As I look at the mirror, I see no reflection, no light just a floating mask, a mask that is old and fragile. A mask that I am wearing for all these years, a mask that shows the life I wanted, my fantasy is about to fall and break into pieces.

I become my own vanguard, my own armor and shield. But what is my weapon? Will I survive with a mask and a hard heart alone? I know I'll lose! A weaponless soldier fighting a war alone will definitely lose the battle and the war.  I begin to break. I am exhausted. I am ready to lose, to die.

My mind is hurting. My soul is giving up. My body is trembling. I am dying from the inside.

I wanna die! But how? How will I die painlessly? I want no pain when I die. Should I pull the trigger, when the gun is pointed at my head? Should I jump of a cliff? Should I take endless pills? Should I? I am sick of pain. I am scared of pain - of dying yet of living.

It's time. I hang a rope on the ceiling and took a stool to stand on. I tried to concentrate on what I will do. I am scared. My ego's yelling at me, super egos and ids are still arguing. I begin to cry as the bittersweet memories of my miserable yet wonderful life come to an end, an end that I myself will witness, will feel. One, Two, Three... I put my head on the loop, and I kick the stool.

I am dying. I feel pain on my neck, my throat, my head. I feel the lack of blood circulating in my body. I want to feel the ground, the safeness of life. I cannot do anything. I close my eyes.

I am dead, still I feel worthless. I died in vain and lived in vain. I am still miserable. I am still in pain. What the hell did I do? I killed my dreams. I killed my memories. I killed my whole life. I am a NOBODY!