Are We KINGS ?

A long time ago, there was a country where the people would change the king every year.
The person who became king had to agree to go and live on an island after his year of being king. One king had finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island.

The people dressed him up in expensive clothes, put him on an elephant, and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people.
This was always a moment of sadness for the king. After saying goodbye, the people took the king in a boat to a remote island and left him there. On their way back, they discovered a shipwreck. They saw a young man who had survived by holding onto a piece of wood. 

As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They asked him to be king for a year. At first he refused, but later he agreed to be king. People told him about the rules and regulations and how he would be sent to an island after one year.
After three days of being king, he asked the ministers if they would show him the island where all the other kings had been sent. They agreed and took him to the island.

The island was covered with thick jungle. The sound of vicious animals was everywhere. The king went inside the jungle a little way. He discovered the bodies of past kings. Then he understood: As soon as the kings were left on the island, the animals came and killed them.
The king then went back and asked the people to provide him with 100 strong workers. He took the workers to the island and told them to remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the trees. He visited the island every month to see how the work was progressing. 

 In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. By the second month, the whole island was cleared. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He took useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, and cows to the island. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docks for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place. 

The young king wore simple clothes and spent very little from his earnings. He sent all his earnings to be kept on the island. Nine months passed like this. The king called the people and told them, "I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." The people didn't agree to this and said that he would have to wait for another three months to complete the year. 

 Three months passed and the full year was completed. The people dressed the young king up and put him on an elephant to say goodbye to the people. This king was unusually happy to leave the kingdom. People asked him, "All the other kings cried at this moment, why are you laughing?"
He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you come into this world you are crying and everyone is smiling. Live your life so that when you are dying, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost in the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful place where I can stay peacefully." 

We should take a lesson from this story. The life of this world is to prepare for the life in the Hereafter. We shouldn't lose ourselves in the beautiful things of this world and forget about what is to come in the afterlife. Even if we are kings, we should live a simple life..

A Rose Bud

A new preacher was walking with an older more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and the younger preacher, feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact it wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem.

"It is only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God's design;

but I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so sweetly, when in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud this flower of God's design.

Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day.

I will look to him for His guidance each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me, only my Heavenly Father knows.

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose"

HAVE A SPLENDID LIFE!!!

The Right Light

Decades ago I received two very pretty, oval shaped, pink stones that had fallen from a piece of costume jewellery. I have no idea what they are made of but probably just coloured glass. They could be worth zillions or not worth anything but to me they are priceless treasures.

Late one afternoon at about dusk I was searching through my treasure box for a brooch and one of the pink stones fell out. I heard its soft thump on the carpet and bent down to feel around in the dim light where I thought it would be. It wasn't there so I switched on the light. Still it remained hidden so I shone a torch over the area. It still eluded me.

Next morning I searched again but still could not find it. Perhaps I should bring the forceful assault of the vacuum cleaner to bear but I suspected my stone could be shattered by such power and then it would be lost forever.

Another day went by and, as I contemplated the spot, the sun streamed through the window and there was my little pink jewel shining softly in the sunlight against the blue carpet. It only needed the right sort of light to reveal it.

Often, when something is difficult to uncover we search and search for answers. However hard we search, it remains hidden and none of our artificial lights can reveal it. Our only choice is to be patient and then, when the timing is right and the right light shines on it, we see it.

Jesus said 'I am the light of the world' and the Psalmist said 'by your light we are enlightened,' Psalm 36:9. The right timing and the right light reveal the treasures of the kingdom of God to us.

It Depends Whose Hands It's In

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million
It depends whose hands it's in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6
A baseball in Mark McGwire's hands is worth $19 million
It depends whose hands it's in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship
It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it's in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it's in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world
It depends whose hands it's in

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because
It depends whose hands it's in.

Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Never Give Up...

One day I decided to quit...

I quit my job, my relationship, and my spirituality...

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me…

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.

I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?"

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

Pray First...!

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old shotgun and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out and kill something for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit and he shot at the rabbit and missed it. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. As he went further, he saw a wild turkey in the tree and he had only one bullet, but a voice came to him and said, "Pray first, aim high, and stay focused".
However, at the same time, he saw deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattle snake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattle sanke.
Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'pray, aim high and stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to the voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.
And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat.
The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.
Bottom line: Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that - " the past." Live every day one day at a time. And remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear. Do not look to man for your blessings but look to the Lord. He can open doors for you that only He is able to do. Doors that you will not slip through but doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.
Wait, and be still, patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver, You & God

Once a woman was puzzled and wondered what the Bible verse "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver" meant about the character and nature of God. She offered to find out the process of refining silver and called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver". She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you and, no matter whatever you are going through now, you will be a better person in the end!

HAVE A BLESSED LIFE!!!

P.U.S.H.............!

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin, when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night, the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind:

"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought.
"I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that
will be good enough."

And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord", he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.
What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it.
Your task was to push.

And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
Yet you haven't moved the rock.

But, your calling was to be obedient and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done.
Now I, my friend, will move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still
God who moves mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong just P.U.S.H. !
When the job gets you down just P.U.S.H. !
When people don't react the way you think they should just P.U.S.H.!
When your money looks gone and the bills are due just P.U.S.H.!
When people don't understand you just P.U.S.H. !
 

P = Pray U = Until S = Something H = Happens
 

Pass this on to your loved ones and friends who may need it. They may get it just in time. May the Lord bless you in everything you do. Be tender to the young.... Compassionate to the old.... Tolerant with the weak....For in your life, you will be all of these.

Foot Prints

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonged to me, the other to God. When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of life, there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned God about it. "God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why in the times when I needed you most, you would leave me?" God replied, "My precious precious child, I love you and I would never never leave you during your times of trials and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you."

Even Donkey Can Do It Why Not You

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway,
 it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

So he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him.
They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first,the donkey realised what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later,
the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,
he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon,
everyone wasamazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We canget out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!
Shake it off and take a step up!

An Interview With God

I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.

"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.

"If you have time," I said.

GOD smile. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you the most about humankind?"

GOD answered...

"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."

GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."

"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."

"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here." "Always."

Beauty For Ashes

A "true" story that Billy Graham spoke about. It is about trusting God even when we can't see what's ahead for us.

There was a man who became shipwrecked on a deserted island years ago. He managed to build himself a hut to live in and with it stored the possessions he was able to salvage from his boat after it was wrecked.

He would watch every day for some sign of a ship or airplane passing by. He prayed to God for help. Some days he would get discouraged and wonder if he would ever get off that island, but still ... he prayed.

One day he was on the other end of the island and noticed some smoke coming from the direction of his hut. He ran as fast as he could back to the hut and then he realized that his fears had come true. His hut and all his belongings were destroyed by a fire. All that was left was the smoke and rubble of it all.

He asked God why did this have to happen. He did not understand. Soon he would find out. Later that day a ship appeared on the horizon and soon landed on the island and rescued him. They told him that they were plotting a distinct course and noticed smoke off in the distance and thought the smoke was a signal for help.

It was a sign for much needed help and it was a sign from God that He was still in control and He would not forsake His beloved child even if there was a doubt or not.

Out of the ashes of this life we can build another day! We can have beauty for ashes.

A Truth Revealed

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays, like Christmas. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

Once snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous! So she and the children left, and he stayed home.

A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into the barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese, blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized. As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:

"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"

For Christ suffered once for our sins, the JUST for the unjust, that He might bring us (home) to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Trust In God's Plans For You

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. 

The First little tree looked up at the stars and said, "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure in the world!" 

The Second little tree looked out at a small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world."

The Third tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave this mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they will raise there eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. Rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. 

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I will be made into a beautiful chest. I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said. 

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "this tree is strong, it is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The Third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looker her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter toppled it. Any kind of tree will do for me." he muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax the third tree fell.

The First tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was covered in saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The Second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a small lake.

The Third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" the once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God."

Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him, her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew she was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace, be still." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew she was carrying the King of Heaven and Earth.

Early one morning a couple years later, the third tree was startled when her beam was yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But three days later, with he sun shining and the earth trembling beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong, And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God, that was better than being the tallest tree in the world!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

A Beautiful Analogy!

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist!", answered the barber. "What happens, is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" - affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Have you looked for God lately?

I was Searching For One And God Gave Me This !

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense and in the smoke and crossfire, he had become separated from his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves, and although safe for the moment, he realized that when the enemy soldiers looking for him, swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed; "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy coming closer and he thought, "Well, I guess the Lord won't be helping me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave, and as he watched, while listening to the enemy searching for him, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of his cave.

"Hah!” he thought. "What I need is a brick wall, and The Lord has sent me this spider. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another, and as they approached his, he prepared to make his last stand, but to his amazement, after only a glance in his direction, they moved on. Suddenly he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave appeared as if no one had entered for quite a while.

"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that with YOU, a spider's web can be stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble, and when we do, it's easy to forget what God can work in our lives, and sometimes in the most surprising ways.

So remember, that with God, a mere spider's web can be better protection than a brick wall.

Do You Love Me

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah... the beauty of God's creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me.

He asked me, "Do you love me?"

I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and Saviour!"

Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?"

I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do and thought about the things that I take for granted.
I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."

Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?"

How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation.
So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love you."

The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?"

How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts.
I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word."

The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?"

How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me, God wants us to sing from our very hearts and souls. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks.
So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."

And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"

With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!"

I thought I had answered well,

but God asked, "Then why do you sin?"

I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."

"Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest? Why only in times of trouble do you pray the earnest?"

I had no answers, only tears.

The Lord continued. "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?"

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
"Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?"

"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all. Do you truly love me?

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse.
What could I say to this? When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed,
I said, "Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child."

The Lord answered, "That is My Grace, My child."

I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?"

The Lord answered, " Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry you. I will be with you until the end of days, and I will love you forever."

Never had I cried so hard before.
How could I have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, "How much do You love me?"

The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Saviour. And for the first time, I truly prayed.