Jesus loves me...

While watching a  little TV on Sunday instead of going  to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior  pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I  wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to  preach at that age.  After a warm welcome, introduction of this  speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back  chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the  podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both  hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he  began to speak...

"When I was asked to come here today and  talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest  lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about  it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the  most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials..  The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak  and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me...
the only thing that  would comfort was this verse...
"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong...
Yes, Jesus loves me...
.The Bible tells me so."

The old pastor stated, "I  always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn  'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best."

"Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me":

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES  ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and  long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)

When my  work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He  will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)

Till next time...

The Lord's Prayer - with a difference...

[The prayer is in blue type and GOD's response is in red type.]

Our Father Who Art In Heaven.

Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.

But -- you called ME!

Called you?
No, I didn't call you.
I'm praying.
Our Father who art in Heaven.

There -- you did it again!

Did what?

Called ME.
You said,
"Our Father who art in Heaven"
Well, here I am..
What's on your mind?

But I didn't mean anything by it.
I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day.
I always say the Lord's Prayer.
It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty.
Well, all right.

Go on.

Okay, Hallowed be thy name .

Hold it right there.
What do you mean by that?

By what?

By "Hallowed be thy name"?

It means, it means . . good grief, I don't know what it means.
How in the world should I know?
It's just a part of the prayer.
By the way, what does it mean?

It means honored, holy, wonderful.

Hey, that makes sense..
I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before.

Thanks.

Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Do you really mean that?

Sure, why not?

What are you doing about it?

Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it

would be kind of neat if you got control, of everything

down here like you have up there..

We're kinda in a mess down here you know.

Yes, I know; but, have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church.

That isn't what I asked you.
What about your bad temper?
You've really got a problem there, you know.
And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself.
And what about the kind of books you read?

Now hold on just a minute!
Stop picking on me!
I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!

Excuse ME..
I thought you were praying for my will to be done.
If that is to happen, it will have to start with the ones
who are praying for it.
Like you -- for example ....

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups.
Now that you mention it,
I could probably name some others.

So could I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now,
but I really would like to cut out some of those things.
I would like to, you know, be really free.

Good.
Now we're getting somewhere.

We'll work together -- You and ME.
I'm proud of You.

Look, Lord, if you don't mind,
I need to finish up here.
This is taking a lot longer than it usually does.
Give us this day, our daily bread.

You need to cut out the bread..
You're overweight as it is.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this?
Here I was doing my religious duty,
and all of a sudden you break in
and remind me of all my hang-ups.

Praying is a dangerous thing.
You just might get what you ask for.
Remember, you called ME -- and here I am.
It's too late to stop now.
Keep praying.  ( pause ... . )
Well, go on.

I'm scared to.

Scared? Of what?

I know what you'll say.

Try ME.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

What about Ann?

See? I knew it!
I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories.
She never paid back the money she owes me.
I've sworn to get even with her!

But -- your prayer --
What about your prayer?

I didn't -- mean it...

Well, at least you're honest.
But, it's quite a load carrying around

all that bitterness and resentment isn't it?

Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her.
Boy, have I got some plans for her.
She'll wish she had never been born.

No, you won't feel any better.
You'll feel worse.
Revenge isn't sweet.
You know how unhappy you are --
Well, I can change that.

You can? How?

Forgive Ann.
Then, I'll forgive you;
And the hate and the sin, will be Ann's problem -- not yours.
You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned.

Oh, you know, you're right.
You always are.
And more than I want revenge,
I want to be right with You . . (sigh).
All right, all right . ...
I forgive her.

There now!
Wonderful!
How do you feel?

Hmmmm. Well, not bad.
Not bad at all!
In fact, I feel pretty great!
You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight.
I haven't been getting much rest, you know.
Yeah, I know.
But, you're not through with your prayer, are you?

Go on.

Oh, all right.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Good! Good!   I'll do that.
Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

You know what I mean.

Yeah. I know.

Okay.
Go ahead. Finish your prayer..

For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Do you know what would bring me glory --
What would really make me happy?

No, but I'd like to know.
I want to please you now..
I've really made a mess of things.
I want to truly follow you..
I can see now how great that would be.
So, tell me . . .
How do I make you happy?

YOU  just did.


(Author Unknown)


Till next time...

Animal Action, Durban, South Africa

I recently found myself in a position of desperately wanting to help a sick dog, who wasn't mine, and not having the finance to do so. I live in a complex and we're not allowed animals, but this beautiful girl showed up on my doorstep - hungry and obviously sick. What was I to do? Well, our local vet's office gave us the number for Animal Action and when I phoned them and explained the situation, they agreed to pay all the vet bills! While this little girl still has a long way to go, she is doing much better. "Thank you Animal Action. Thank you for caring..."
I encourage you to click on the link on the right to read more about what they do, or if you are wanting a dog. Why buy when you can give a home to someone who desperately needs one?
Till next time...

If God should go on strike...

How good it is that God above has never gone on strike
Because he was not treated fair in things he didn't like.
If only once He had given up and said, "That's it, I'm through!
I've had enough of those on earth, so this is what I'll do.
I'll give my orders to the sun: cut off the heat supply!
And to the moon give no more light, and run the oceans dry.
Then just to make things really tough and put the pressure on
Turn off the vital oxygen 'til every breath is gone!”
You know he would be justified, if fairness was the game,
For no one has been more abused and met with more disdain.
And yet He carries on, supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace, and everything for free.
Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go
But what a deal we've given God to whom all things we owe.
We don't care whom we hurt to gain the things we like
But what a mess we'd all be in, if God should go on strike.
[Author Known to God] 
Till next time...

Abortion

Have you given the issue much thought? I haven't thought about it as much I probably should have. I know it's out there; I know it's wrong, but somehow that's as far as it goes.
Today I read an article on the methods used and I felt sick. Do you have any idea how much that little one suffers?!  We don't like to think about that - do we? But it's real and it's happening - children are being murdered everyday for the sake of convenience!
God's Word says, "Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"  Micah 6:7 
It's a question worth asking. Listen to this: "For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb...My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret...Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." (Psalm 139:13-16)
That baby is not just a blob of tissue! He or she is a living being with an eternal soul! 
For more info, click on the 'Pro life' link.
Till next time...

In the darkest night, the light will shine... God is good!

I am SO grateful for Jesus! He truly is an anchor in the storm and a giver of peace; peace that passes human understanding.
Whatever you're facing, as we stand on the threshold of a new week, let Christ be your Stronghold. Lean on Him in your darkest hour; lift up your hands - and praise the living God! The Maker of Heaven and of earth. He is your strength. He is my strength. He is our strength...
I pray you all have a blessed week!
Till next time...

Why the Peaceful Majority is Irrelevant by Paul E. Marek

History lessons are often incredibly simple.

"I used to know a man whose family were German aristocracy prior to World War II. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.

“Very few people were true Nazis,” he said, “but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.”

We are told again and again by experts and talking heads that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unquantified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam. 

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars world wide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or execute honor killings. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard, quantifiable fact is that the “peaceful majority” is the “silent majority,” and it is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a war-mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across Southeast Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians - most killed by sword, shovel and bayonet. And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery? Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were “peace loving”?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt; yet, for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by the fanatics. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because, like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. 

Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Bosnians, Afghanis, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians and many others, have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us, watching it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts: the fanatics who threaten our way of life."

Food for thought, right? But I was left thinking, 'I wonder if fundamentalist Christians, like myself, would be classified as fanatic?' There are so many websites that already label us as such. Are we considered dangerous purely because we believe God and everything He says? Because we believe that His Word, the Bible, is His Word? I wonder... why are people so threatened by what we believe? What do you think?