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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 2 |
| Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck! The hunter decided to show off the dog to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, inviting him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded, jumping into the water. Rather than swimming, the dog ran across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. The friend saw everything, but did not say a single word. On the drive home, |
| the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?" |
| "I sure did," responded his friend. "He can't swim. |
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| When I read this story I think, there are some people you just can't impress. Jesus had this same problem. Being religious leaders, the Scribes, Pharisees, Saducees and Priests should have recognized the Messiah. They knew scripture and the law. The problem was, they were religious, not "Christian." In their time, there wasn't salvation as we know it. Their salvation came from their faith in God's promise of a saviour, and living that way. These religious leaders were not living that way. They were focusing on the outward appearance of being dedicated to God. Jesus called them hypocrites. This is because what was in their heart didn't match their outward appearance. They saw the healings that He did, and all they could say was "It's unlawful for you to heal on the sabbath." |
| In my short life of 27 years (and we must consider that the first 8 or so were lived in relative childish bliss and ignorance) I have witnessed too many of "God's people" doing much the same thing. They are playing church. They attend Sunday morning service, most of Sunday evenings and a few of Wednesday nights, and their job is done. The Christian faith is a lifestyle, not a duty and not a ritual. It is to be apparent in everything you do and say. It is no wonder so many people are not interested in the Christian faith -- they see too many hypocrites! We must be "Christ-like" at all times. This isn't something that comes easy, you must consciously work at it. But you cannot do it in your own strength, you must rely on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. |
| Are there things in your life that Christ has been showing you, and you haven't been impressed? You probably won't see anything as dramatic as a dog walking on the water, but what about your neighbour? Do you know people who are struggling or searching? There are times when a kind word or unselfish act will mean as much to that person as witnessing a miracle first hand, because to them you are Christ's miracle touching their soul. |
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| Scripture Thought: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20 |
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| Scripture Reading: the book of James |
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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 3 |
| Date: Monday, August 2, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His |
| father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time |
| he lost his temper he must hammer a nail into the back |
| of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails |
| into the fence. |
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| Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his |
| anger, the number nails hammered daily gradually dwindled |
| down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than |
| to drive those nails into the fence... |
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| Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper |
| at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested |
| that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was |
| able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young |
| boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were |
| gone. |
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| The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. |
| He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes |
| in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you |
| say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You |
| can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how |
| many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there." |
|
| We've all heard the adage "Forgive and forget." The human mind is an amazing thing, in that |
| you forget the things you want to remember and remember the things you want to forget. When it |
| comes to hurts and arguments, Satan has a definite hand in what we remember. He knows that by |
| bringing it back to your attention, it will rub that sore spot and cause conflict. Conflict gives him |
| a foothold. As Christians we need to be united in spirit, love, word and deed. Don't give place to |
| Satan. You can't help remembering, but you can choose whether to keep dwelling on what you |
| remember and whether you will forgive that person again. Everytime you remember you will either |
| have to forgive them again, in your own heart, or remind yourself that you have already given |
| forgiveness. |
| For those of us who have done the offending, we must be more careful with our tongue. |
| Before saying anything, consider, "Would Christ say this?" If angry, take time to cool down before |
| saying something. Once something has been said, it cannot be taken back. It is out there for Satan |
| to use against you and to hurt someone else continually. Be careful not to say anything you |
| wouldn't want repeated. |
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| Verse: A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 |
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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 4 |
| Date: Friday, August 13, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| GARDENING GOD'S WAY |
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| Plant three rows of peas: |
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| Peace of mind |
| Peace of heart |
| Peace of Soul |
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| Plant four rows of squash: |
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| Squash gossip |
| Squash indifference |
| Squash grumbling |
| Squash selfishness |
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| Plant four rows of lettuce: |
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| Lettuce be faithful |
| Lettuce be kind |
| Lettuce be obedient |
| Lettuce really love one another |
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| No garden without Turnips: |
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| Turnip for meetings |
| Turnip for service |
| Turnip to help one another |
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| Water freely with patience and |
| Cultivate with love |
| There is much fruit in your garden |
| Because you reap what you sow. |
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| To conclude our garden |
| We must have Thyme: |
| Thyme for God |
| Thyme for study |
| Thyme for prayer |
|
| This time of year it is typical for us to be thinking about |
| gardens. Those of us who have planted them, are now reaping the |
| harvest -- the fruits of our labour. Gardens don't always turn out |
| the way we planned. We planted lettuce and spinach, twice, and it |
| never came up. In our beans we have tomato plants coming up from last |
| year. Due to time constraints we were unable to keep up with the |
| weeds, which caused our cucumbers to become overgrown. Once Terry |
| did get all the weeds out of them, we found that a woodchuck had |
| taken up residence there. When working a garden, there are no guarantees. |
| It is up to the Lord to provide. But you are responsible to do your |
| best. |
| In 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 it says; "I have planted, Apollos watered; |
| but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any |
| thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now |
| he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall |
| receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers |
| together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." |
| As we strive to plant and cultivate our garden, we must remember |
| to be doing it for God's glory. Anything we do within our own strength |
| and for our vain glory, will fail. |
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| Verse: Psalm 126:5,6 "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He |
| that goesth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless |
| come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." |
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| Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13 |
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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 5 |
| Date: Wednesday, August 18, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. |
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| There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, |
| screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. |
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| The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. |
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| "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." |
|
| "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer |
| replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. |
| |
| "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. |
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| "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. |
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| "I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." |
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| And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. |
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| What saved him? Penicillin. |
| The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. |
| His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill |
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| Someone once said: |
| What goes around comes around. |
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| We never know what we are going to be faced with from day to day. Who we will meet, what situations we will be in, what decisions we will have to make. How will we know that we will make the right choices? If you are living close to the Lord, the right choices will be the natural ones. Farmer Fleming did not save that young man because of what the boy's father would give him. I'm sure Farmer Fleming thought of his own son, which prompted him to reach out and save the young man. The reward was an unexpected gift. When we do things for people, do we do them for what we will get out of it? Are we looking for some kind of reward? We are to act out of Christ's love, not for material gain. As Christians our rewards are not material, or of this earth. We are to be putting up rewards in heaven. This means that many times we will be doing things that we will never be recognized, or even thanked, for. Unbeknownst to you, that good deed may come back to you in a most unexpected way. |
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| Verse: Matthew 6:20,21 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where theives do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." |
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| Scripture reading: Matthew 5 |
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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 6 |
| Date: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm-in-arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you." |
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| Epilogue . . . .There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. |
| "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present." |
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| Too many times we are focused on our own problems. We get caught up in "poor little me." This gives us 'tunnel vision' so that every thing except our own problems cannot be seen. While we walk around, we are oblivious to many hurting people who are standing right beside us. It is amazing how small and insignificant our own problems become when we begin focusing on others and how to help them. Next time you are getting weighed down, start a list of everything you have to be thankful for. Then think about all those who don't even have that. Think of ways to help them. See how long it takes to forget about your problems! |
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| Verse: "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 |
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| Scripture: Galatians 6 |
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| Subject: Vignettes of Virtue, Vol.1, Issue 7 |
| Date: Monday, August 30, 1999 8:21 AM |
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| Do you realize that the people in this country are overworked? Allow me to explain. For a couple years I've been blaming it on the lack of sleep and too much pressure from my job, but now I found out the real reason I'm tired is because I'm overworked. |
| The population of this country is 237 million. |
| 104 million are retired. |
| That leaves 133 million to do the work. |
| There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work. |
| Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work. |
| 2.8 million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 16.2 million to do the work. |
| Take from the total the 14,800,000 people who work for State and City Governments and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work. |
| At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, |
| leaving 1,212,000 to do the work. |
| Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. |
| That leaves just two people to do the work. YOU AND ME. |
| And your sitting at your computer reading email. Ah me, it's no wonder I'm getting old!!! |
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| Ever feel like you're the only one doing anything? When there is a job to be done in the church, are you the one stuck with doing it? It is a typical situation in just about every church -- one or two people doing it all. Maybe you aren't the one always working, maybe you're the one sitting back and letting those few people doing all the work. The work of the Lord is meant to be shared by every member of the body. There are no suitable excuses. You have talents, gifts, that are unique to you. Turn them over to the Lord. You don't have to be a preacher, teacher, musician, choir or committee member to serve God. Do you have a gift for encouragement? Do you have a talent for art or poetry? Are you a good cook, a gifted seamstress? Or do you just like talking to people, socializing? Maybe you are a talented gardener. All these things can be used for God's glory and for the edification of the saints. You must turn your talents over to God and pray for His guidance. Follow His leading. Don't limit God -- he will give you the strength to do whatever He is directing you to do. Sending cards to those who are ill, discouraged or have lost a loved one. You can buy them, or design your own. You could make lovely inspirational pictures -- ever hear of Thomas Kinkade? If your talent is art, and know someone who has a talent for poetry, team up and make inspirational posters. If you cook, taking meals to shut-ins or grieving families would be a wonderful ministry. As a seamstress you could do mending for missionary families, make blankets for families with low-incomes, or offer to make some clothes for the children. You could make rag dolls for needy families or missionary families. A socializer can visit shut-ins. A gardener can take potted plants to those who are ill, grieving or a new mother. The important thing is to be willing. You may not think that you have a talent or gift. It is possible you haven't discovered it yet because you haven't turned yourself over to the Lord's leading. |
| The point is, we are all to be about the work of the Lord. He can use anyone, regardless of talent, if they are simply turned over to His will. Pray and be open to His leading. |
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| Verse: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 |
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| Scripture: Romans 12 |
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