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Does Heaven have a phone number???
Mommy went to Heaven,
but I need her here today,
My tummy hurts and I fell down,
I need her right away,
Operator can you tell me how
to find her in this book?
Is heaven in the yellow part,
I don't know where to look.
I think my daddy needs her too,
at night I hear him cry.
I hear him call her name sometimes,
but I really don't know why.
Maybe if I call her,
she will hurry home to me.
Is Heaven very far away,
Is it across the sea?
she's been gone a long, long time
she needs to come home now!
I really need to reach her,
I simply don't know how.
Help me find the number please,
is it listed under "Heaven"?
I can't read these BIG BIG words
I am only seven.
I'm sorry operator,
I didn't mean to make you cry,
Is your tummy hurting too,
or is there something in your eye?
If I call my church maybe they will know.
Mommy said when we need help
that's where we should go.
I found the number to my church
tacked up on the wall.
Thank you operator,
I'll give them a call.
Author Unknown
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Psalm 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and
He shall sustain thee.”
There was a man carrying a heavy load of grain down a country road. Another man
had a wagon being pulled by a horse, and he saw the man walking and said to him,
“Mister, you need a ride?” And so the man got in the wagon. But the man kept the
load of grain on his shoulder. The wagon driver said, “Man, put that down and
relax!” He said, “Oh no. It’s enough to ask you to carry me without having you
carry this also.” Have you ever done that to the Lord? You say, “Lord, I’ll let
You save me, but I’ll carry my own burdens.” How foolish we are to do this with
the God who hung the stars and planets.
If you can trust God to save you from hell, don’t you think you can cast your
burden upon the Lord right now?
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"Strive first for the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33
I can try to grow into a new life. I can think of spiritual things
often, and unconsciously I can grow. The nearer I get to the new life,
the more I can see my unfitness. My sense of failure can be a sign that
I am growing in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. In
sloth--physical, mental, or spiritual--there is no sense of failure or
discomfort. With struggle and effort, I can be conscious not of
strength but of weakness until I am really living the new life. But in
the struggle, I can always rely on the power of God to help me.
I pray that I may see signs of my growth in the new life. I pray that I
may always keep trying to grow.
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"For thus says the LORD of hosts: ˜Once more
(it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth,
the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations,
and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,
and I will fill this temple with glory, says the LORD
of hosts" Haggai 2:6-7
What is a shaking? I always think of an earthquake, especially
living in Northern California. Suddenly the earth begins to shake.
Thing rattle on the shelves. Then the shelves collapse spilling
their contents on the floor. Nails are vibrated from their hold in
the studs and rafters. The walls fall. Floors and ceilings collapse
upon themselves.
Shaking brings destruction. Every once in a while we read of
the death of a child -- from a severe shaking. Destruction!
Cars driven over rough and bumpy roads begin to rattle. Finally,
they become inoperable. Destruction! Shaking, to me, means
destruction. If God says he is going to shake the nations, I
believe He is going to bring destruction upon them. That is
the only way that their attention will be captured. This shaking
will not result in total destruction, but enough to bring down
economies and governments. Enough to strike fear in the
inhabitants.
Here is the point. Shaking, while bringing destruction, also
brings restoration. "and the desire of all nations shall come;
and I will fill this house (what house? The Temple. What
temple? God's Temple.) with glory." With God there is always
a purpose. There is nothing that happens to us that does not
have God's stamp of approval upon it -- and He will make it
all turn out for the good of those who are His children -- the
adopted children through Jesus Christ -- US!
The shaking will bring about a great revival as nations of people
turn to Him for their salvation. He will fill each temple (you and
me) with His glory! The shaking is a good thing. The destruction
is just the beginning of a great move -- a fantastic work of God.
You and I are a part of that work. Be prepared to do your share --
or be shaken!
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THE PATHWAY OF PAIN
If my days were untroubled, and my heart was always light,
Would I seek that fair land where there is no night?
If I never grew weary with the weight of my load,
Would I search for God's peace at the end of the road?
If I never knew sickness and never felt pain,
Would I search a hand to help and sustain?
If I walked without sorrow and lived without pain,
Would my soul seek solace at the foot of the Cross?
If all I desired was mine day by day,
Would I kneel before God and earnestly pray?
If God sent no winter to freeze me with fear,
Would I yearn for the warmth of spring every year?
I ask myself these -- and the answer is plain,
If my life were pleasure, and I never knew pain,
I'd see God less often, and need Him much less,
For God is sought more often in times of distress.
And no one knows God, or sees Him as plain,
As those who have met Him on "The Pathway of Pain!"
Unknown
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"For the mountains may depart and the hills be
removed, but my steadfast
love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be
removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you." ~Isaiah 54:10
We can make use of our mistakes, failures, losses and sufferings. It is
not what happens to us so much as what use we make of it. We can take
our sufferings, difficulties and hardships and make use of them to help
some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same troubles. Then
something good can come out of our suffering and the world can be a
better place because of it. The good we do each day can live on, after
the trouble and distress have gone, after the difficulty and pain have
passed away.
I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I pray
that some good may result from my painful experiences.
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"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And
I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding,
and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it
with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of
Your commandments, For I delight in it" Psalm 119:33-35
Three things the Psalmist asks in today's verses. Three things
he desires. Three things will change his life and make him a
better man. What are these wonder working items? How will
they perform in the Psalmist's life? Will they do the same for
me? For you?
Teach me, the Psalmist entreats. Teach me what? Teach me
the way of our Laws. The ten? Perhaps for the psalm writer. But
for you and me it is but two. Love the Lord your God, and love
your neighbor as yourself. In these two are the ten fulfilled. That's
what Jesus said. Teach me to love, we ask. In doing that, the
Master will have taught us a valuable lesson.
Give me understanding, he continues. Understanding? Is that
the same as Wisdom? Indeed it is. Knowledge “ even knowledge
of the Laws of God “ without wisdom is mostly without value.
Should be gain all the knowledge the world has to offer and we
have not wisdom (understanding), what good is it? If we know not
how to use that knowledge to accomplish what God wants, to
accomplish good, then it might as well have staid between the
bindings of a book. Wisdom tells us how to reach people, how
to minister to them, how to use the powerful Sword of the Spirit
to drive off evil and separate sin from the sinner. That is what
wisdom does.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments. The third
request is made. Isn't that the same as the first?
The commandments are mentioned in both. No, the first is knowledge of the
laws. The second is how to apply that knowledge. This one is
the desire to dwell in the law on a daily basis. STOP! PROCEED
NO FURTHER! “ at least until you know a bit more. Remember
the law is reduced to two laws of love. Now we can proceed. If
we have knowledge of love, if we have an understanding of the
application of love, then we are ready to dwell in that love. And
that is why we delight in it. It's like a child enjoying the first
major snow of the season. He plays in it for hours. It gets in
his hair and he laughs. He lays in it and makes snow angels
and has a blast. That is the way we should delight in the law
for it is indeed delightful. It is rich. It is all we are told it is and
much, much more!
Let us seek the knowledge, let us ask for understanding, and
let us continue on in love until we delight in dwelling in it.
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