| Thought For The Week May 2003 |
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| 27 April to 3 May 2003 Forgive Before You Pray |
| A few days ago I was talking to a man who had just won $10.00 on a scratch off ticket. " I win these small amounts from time to time." he said. "I keep praying to God that he would let me win one of the big ones, but it hasn't happened yet. I would eventualy like to have the money to do whatever I want to do. That includes giving a large sum to the church." "Well sometimes when we pray, the answer is no." I replied to him. "He only gives us that which we can handle and manage properly. Suddenly that seemed to be the wrong thing to have said to him as he went into this long tiraid about his brother-in-law and how he seems to have more then him. That his brother-in-law still owed him money. When I suggested that he forgive his brother-in-law, he said that he would do so as soon as he was paid back. He did not want to hear about forgiveness until he received what he felt he should have first. Jesus made it clear that you could have whatever you needed, but first you had to be at peace with yourself. And that peace can only come with your forgiveness of others. J.L. Sager Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:24-26 (KJV) And then sometimes the answer is still no. |
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| 4 to 10 May 2003 He Is Watching |
| There is a sign posted where I work that the supervisors can see. |
| Don't judge a person by what they do while you're watching, Judge them by what they do when you aren't. |
| How many times have you slacked off on your job when the boss wasn't looking? When was the last time you put off doing something that your wife or husband asked you to do until the last minute? Have you ever told a friend that you would do something for him or her and then made up an excuse for not doing it? We all have slacked off on something at one time or other and think we got away with it. How often have we forgotten that Jesus was watching? Have you ever felt that someone was looking over your shoulder? Guess what? He was! When you do a job, are asked by a family member to do something, or promise a friend to do something, do it for Him. J.L. Sager O Lord, thou hast searched me, and know me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Psalm 139:1-4 (KJV) And remeber, there is always someone watching. |
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| 11 to 17 May 2003 The Sleeping Giant |
| It seems incredible to me how tyrannical leaders and their followers over look history. They only see what appears to be weakness and fail to see the strength that lies beneath. They listen to us and, tho they hear the hawks, it is the dove's voice that sounds loudest in their ears. They hear our warrior's say, "I have no desire to kill.", and they see what they believe to be cowards. They say, "See how they let their people speak against their leaders.", and believe that this will create confusion within the nation. They raise their fist and use words that they believe will frighten us. "We will push you back into the sea!" "We will bury you!" "You will never stand against us." Then they tighten their grip on their people, oppressing them. Imprisoning them without true cause. Shutting out the voices that would speak out against the government. And in a final gesture of insolence, either of speech or action, they arouse the sleeping giant within us. J.L. Sager And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Ha'-nun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servents unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? Wherefore Ha'-nun took David's servents and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 2 Samuel 10:3-4 (NLT) And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there. 2 Samuel 10:17-18 (NLT) |
| Armed Forces Day 17 May 2003 |
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| 18 to 24 May 2003 Bless Me Father |
| "Father, bless this food...." That is how we generally begin saying grace before eating. However there really is no reason for us to ask Him to bless the food. He has already done that. Without His blessing, the seed would not have sprouted and given way to the fruit of it's kind. The animal would not have been born and grown to provide us with meat. The egg would not have hatched so the fish would have been there for the fisherman to catch. No, we need not ask Him to bless the food, but we need to thank Him for providing us with the food. J.L. Sager Then Jesus saith unto them, "Children, have ye any meat?" They answered him, No. And he said unto them, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. John 21:5-6 (KJV) Instead, we should ask the Lord to bless us and ask that He provide us food for our souls. For it is this that we are in need of the most. J.L.S. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungary soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9 |
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| 25 to 31 May 2003 In Rememberance |
| It is that time of the year again when we remember those who have gone before us. We can all recall someone special in our lives that has graduated from this life to the next. My wife and I remember our youngest son and when he went home. There are others as well that we all remember. A father, a mother, a friend. For those of us that have served out nation, we remember our comrades-in-arms that did not come back. We look upon one or more memorials that have been erected in rememberance of them. There are memorials for the service people that had fought in one of the many wars that came our way. There are other memorials for things like Cancer, MS, Aids, accidents, terror attacks, and many others. But there is one that I look forward to having my name placed upon. It is a memorial that means more to me then any other that I can think of. J.L. Sager Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of rememberance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. "They will be my people," says the Lord Almighty. "On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." Malachi 3:16-18 (NLT) |
| Memorial Day 30 May 2003 |
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