GRIN AND SHARE IT; “Congratulations”


Congratulations

On opening his new store, a man received a bouquet
of flowers. He became dismayed on reading the
enclosed card, that it expressed “Deepest Sympathy”.
While puzzling over the message, his telephone rang.
It was the florist, apologizing for having sent the wrong
card.

“Oh, it’s alright.” said the storekeeper. “I’m a businessman
and I understand how these things can happen.”

“But,” added the florist, “I accidentally sent your card to a
funeral party.”

“Well, what did it say?” asked the storekeeper.

“Congratulations on your new location.” was the reply.

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“Do we need to confess our sins to those we have sinned against?”



We know we are to confess our sins to God, but many Christians wonder whether we need to confess to those we have sinned against. Do we need to tell the person we’ve sinned against that we’re sorry? “Walking in the light” (1 John 1:7) means that we are living in obedience to God’s commandments. In the same verse we have references to forgiveness through Christ and “fellowship one with another.” So, there is a connection between having a “clean slate” and our relationship with other people.

Every sin is ultimately committed against God (Psalms 51:4). The Bible consistently emphasizes our need to confess our sins to Him (Psalm 41:4; 130:4; Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). As for the confession of our sins to people, the Bible gives no blanket command. We are told many times to confess our sins to the Lord, but the only direct command to confess to someone else is in the context of church elders praying on behalf of the sick (James 5:16).

This does not mean that we are never to seek another person’s forgiveness. The Bible gives examples of confession to other people. One is Joseph’s brothers asking for his forgiveness in Genesis 50:17-18. And person-to-person confession is implied in such passages as Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:32; and Colossians 3:13.

The principles here seem to be 1) We should seek forgiveness from the Lord for every sin. He desires “truth in the inward parts” (Pslam 51:6). 2) If our relationship with the Lord is right, our relationships with other people will fall in line. We will treat others graciously, with justice and honesty (Psalm 15). To sin against someone and not attempt to make it right would be unthinkable. 3) The extent of the apology for a sin should match the extent of the impact of the sin. Or we should seek forgiveness from whoever was directly involved in order to ensure healing.

For example, if a man looks with lust at a woman, he should immediately confess the sin to the Lord. It would not be needed or appropriate to confess that sin to the woman. That sin is between the man and the Lord. However, if a man breaks a promise, or does something that directly impacts the woman, he must confess to her and seek her forgiveness. If a sin involves a large number of people, such as a church, a man or woman must then extend the confession to the members of the church. So the confession and apology should match the impact. Those impacted by the sin should hear the confession.

While our forgiveness with God is not dependent on our confessing our sins to others and/or their forgiving us, God does call us to be honest and forthcoming with others regarding our failings, especially when it involves them. When we have offended, hurt, or sinned against others, we should seek to offer a sincere apology and confession and ask for forgiveness. Whether the forgiveness is granted is up to those who were confessed to. Our responsibility is to genuinely repent, confess the sin, and ask for forgiveness.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “A Blond GUY Joke”


A Blonde GUY Joke

An Irishman, a Mexican and a blonde guy were doing construction
work on scaffolding on the 20th floor of a building. They were eating
lunch and the Irishman said, “Corned beef and cabbage! If I get
corned beef and cabbage one more time for lunch I’m going to jump
off this building.”

The Mexican opened his lunch box and exclaimed, “Burritos again!
If I get burritos one more time I’m going to jump off, too.”

The blond opened his lunch and said, “Bologna again. If I get a
bologna sandwich one more time, I’m jumping too.”

The next day the Irishman opened his lunch box, saw corned beef
and cabbage and jumped to his death.

The Mexican opened his lunch, saw a burrito and jumped too.

The blonde guy opened his lunch, saw the bologna and jumped
to his death as well.

At the funeral the Irishman’s wife was weeping. She said, “If I’d
known how really tired he was of corned beef and cabbage, I
never would have given it to him again!”

The Mexican’s wife also wept and said, “I could have given him
tacos or enchiladas! I didn’t realize he hated burritos so much.”

Everyone turned and stared at the blonde’s wife.

.

.

are you ready for it………………..

.

.

worth the wait ………………………

.

.

here it comes …………………………..

.

.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” she said, “He makes his own lunch.”

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“Where/how do you draw the line between helping someone and allowing someone to take advantage of you?


Luke 6:30, 35-36 tells us to “give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.” “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” These verses and many others in the Bible teach us that Christians are to be loving, merciful, and self-sacrificing. As we see the needs of people all around us, our hearts should be full of compassion just as our Heavenly Father has compassion towards all people. “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9).

It is right to have a heart that would continually give to others, and it pleases God to see this wonderful characteristic in our lives. However, in this area of giving and helping, the Bible also teaches that we must have wise discernment (Matthew 10:16). God gives us certain standards that we must take into account when it comes to giving our time and money to others. When the Bible tells us we are to help others, the purpose is never for us to do this to the point where it becomes detrimental. It’s good to do what we’re able to do, but 2 Thessalonians 3:10 also reminds us, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” There are people who want to live an irresponsible lifestyle with absolutely no accountability. So there must be limits; we will help someone with a need, but if we see that it’s become a chronic life pattern, it’s wrong for us to continue to encourage that. It’s very harmful to others to contribute to their indolence, laziness, and lack of effort. The old saying “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime” is very true. As long as we see that someone is sincerely making an effort, we should be there to support him in whatever way God leads.

Often, a much more effective way to help others is to come alongside them to give biblical council, principles and encouragement. If they are willing to listen and try, they should be able, through the power of the Holy Spirit within them, to reverse this pattern of dependency on others. This begins, of course, with a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, without whose empowerment, lifestyle changes of this magnitude are not possible.

We are also to take into consideration what the Bible tells us about being good stewards. As we put our trust in God and walk with Him, He promises to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19). What the Lord provides for us, we must use wisely. We are to give back to the Lord a portion of what He gives us; we are to provide for the needs of our families; and we are to pay our bills. How we spend our time is also involved in stewardship; a balance of worship, work and family is important. These are all principal aspects of stewardship and cannot be neglected, so they must be considered in the decision of how and what we can do in helping others. If, by helping someone else financially, we are unable to take care of our own debts and responsibilities, then we are not doing right in our efforts to help.

There are many ways people can take advantage of others. It’s important that we make this a matter of prayer, asking the Lord to show us what He wants us to do. He will give us wisdom to recognize genuine need and discern between an opportunity and a distraction (James 1:5). Sometimes, people are so beaten down by life’s trials and failures that they need someone who is willing to be a long-term friend to them. This can be a trying relationship, but it can also be a very rewarding one. Local churches can be a tremendous help to those with a burden for those in need. However, trying to help someone who is just not willing to take any steps towards a solution in the matter may be a hopeless cause. Again, praying for God’s wisdom and exercising the discernment He gives are crucial in these situations.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The Rivals”


The Rivals

A professor was one day walking along a very
narrow street when he came face to face with
a rival. The street was too narrow for two to pass.

The rival, pulling himself up to his full height, said
haughtily, “I never make way for fools!”

Smiling, the professor stepped aside and said,
“I always do.”

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“Should pastors be paid a salary?”



A church should definitely provide for the financial needs of its pastor(s) and any other full-time ministers. 1 Timothy 5:17-18, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” 1 Corinthians 914 declares, “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” If a church is not able to provide sufficient finances for a pastor, then a pastor would have no other choice but to work outside the church to bring in the needed income. This is a regrettable, but sometimes necessary situation. It would be best for a pastor to be full-time so he can fully dedicate himself to the Lord’s work of ministering to and shepherding the congregation.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Maybe It Isn’t a Baby?”


Maybe It Isn’t a Baby?

A woman gets on a bus holding her baby.

“That’s the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen,” says the bus driver.

In a huff, the woman slams her fare into the box and takes an aisle seat
near the rear of the bus.

The man seated next to her senses her agitation and asks what’s wrong.

“The bus driver insulted me!” she shouts.

The man replies, “Well, he’s a public servant and shouldn’t say things to
insult passengers!”

You’re right,” says the woman. “I think I’ll go back up there and give him
a piece of my mind!”

“That’s a good idea,” the man replies. “Here, let me hold your monkey.”

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“Could Calvinism be a stumbling block to the spread of the gospel of Christ?”



Calvinism is the term applied to a belief in a high view of the sovereignty of God, especially as it relates to salvation. Calvinists are convinced the Bible teaches that man is sinfully corrupt throughout his entire being and cannot make himself acceptable to God through any amount of effort of his own. Calvinists hold that in eternity past God chose out some among mankind for His own. In the course of time, God grants repentance and faith to His elect so that they might be awakened to their sinful state and need for grace. Those He saves will be preserved for eternity by the Lord and will persevere in following Him; i.e., if they truly belong to Him, they cannot and will not ever fall away because He keeps them secure.

The point which causes some to believe that evangelism isn’t important is that of “limited atonement.” This point of Calvinism teaches that Christ died only for the elect. The theological argument offered is, if Christ in fact died for every single human in world history, then no one would go to hell since their sins are already paid for. Since we know Scripture teaches many spend an eternity separated from God, it must be that their sins were not covered in the atonement. Either that or there are people in hell for whom Christ died, a scripturally insupportable conclusion.

Some may say, “Christ paid for the sins of everyone, but it’s up to each person to decide for and accept Him.” That’s the whole issue between Calvinism (God-centered salvation) and Arminianism (man-centered salvation). For if man casts the deciding vote, then how is God sovereign? Furthermore, if Christ’s sacrifice needs man’s acceptance of it to validate it, then it can’t be the all-sufficient sacrifice the Bible says it is. (See Romans 5, Ephesians 1:3-14). The Bible tells us that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), not the other way around.

But Calvinism, and most anything else if out of balance, could hinder evangelism. The hypothetical argument raised against Calvinism is this: “Since God chose His own in eternity past; and, since He grants repentance and faith needed in order to come to Him; and, since all He has chosen will, in fact, come to Him (John 6:37); and all who come to Him are eternally secure; then, it follows that man isn’t involved in salvation.” But this is a wrong conclusion. Man is very much involved. God ordains the end—the salvation of lost man. But God also ordains the MEANS to the end— evangelism. God could have ordained any number of ways to communicate salvation. He has given a revelation of Himself in creation and conscience (Romans 1 – 2). But He has specifically chosen to communicate the Gospel message through believers sharing the message of salvation (Romans 10:9-17). So, whether one is a Calvinist or not, evangelism is the responsibility of all believers. Historically, Calvinism not only didn’t diminish the Calvinists’ burden for souls, it purified it! The Calvinists were among the greatest evangelists in the history of the church, motivated by love for their Lord and Savior who chose them and saved them “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

Before we truly understand the sovereignty of God in salvation, we often think the burden is on us to “produce” decisions for Christ. We act as if a person’s salvation is dependent on us. So when we share the Gospel and it is rejected, we somehow think we failed to talk that person into believing and that we need a more clever or polished presentation of the plan of salvation. We may be tempted to water down the Gospel next time in order to get the desired response. But once we understand the Doctrines of Grace, the pressure to force a “decision” is removed. Now, we witness because we want to be faithful to our dear Lord. Evangelism among Calvinists is driven by the familiar phrase “By His grace, and for His glory!” No, Calvinism shouldn’t hinder evangelism. If anything, it should give our witnessing great boldness with pure motives.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Blue Necks”


Blue Necks

Blue Necks are Northerners — the opposite of
Rednecks. Because of Redneck jokes, here are some
takes on how Southern folks look at Northerners (or
how Northerners sometimes think of themselves;)

YOU JUST MIGHT BE A BLUE NECK IF…

Instead of referring to two or more people as “Y’all,”
you call them “you guys,” even if both of them are
women.

You think Heinz Ketchup is really SPICY.

You would never stop to buy something somebody was
cooking on the side of the road. (e.g., boiled
peanuts).

You don’t have any problems pronouncing
“Worcestershire sauce” correctly.

For breakfast, you would prefer potatoes-au-gratin to
grits.

You don’t know what a moon pie is.

You’ve never had an RC Cola.

You’ve never, ever eaten okra — fried, boiled, or
pickled.

You eat fried chicken with a knife and fork.

You’ve never seen a live chicken, and the only cows
you’ve seen are on road trips.

You have no idea what a polecat is.

You don’t see anything wrong with putting a sweater on
your dog.

You don’t have bangs.

You would rather have your son become a lawyer than
grow up to get his own TV fishing show.

You drink either “Pop” or “Soda”- instead of “Cokes.”

You’ve never eaten and don’t know how to make a tomato
sandwich.

You have never planned your summer vacation around a
gun-‘n-knife show.

You think more money should go to important scientific
research at your university than to pay the salary of
the head football coach.

You don’t even have one can of WD-40 somewhere around
the house.

The last time you smiled was when you blocked someone
from getting on an on-ramp to the highway.

You don’t have any hats in your closet that advertise
feed stores.

You have more than one professional sports team in
your home state.

You call binoculars opera glasses.

You can’t spit out the car window without pulling over
to the side of the road and stopping.

You don’t know anyone with at least two first names
(i.e., Joe Bob, Faye Ellen, Billy Ray, Mary Jo, Bubba
Dean, Joe Dan, Mary Alice).

You don’t know any women with male names (i.e.,
Tommie, Bobbie, Johnnie, Jimmie).

You don’t have Maw-maw’s & Pawpaw’s.

You get freaked out when people on the subway talk to
you.

None of your fur coats are homemade.

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“Who was Lilith/Lillity? Does the Bible say anything about Adam having another wife before Eve?”


There are legends that Adam had a wife before Eve who was named Lilith, but this is not found in the Bible. The legends vary significantly, but they all essentially agree that Lilith left Adam because she did not want to submit to him. According to the legends, Lilith was an evil, wicked woman who committed adultery with Satan and produced a race of evil creatures. None of this is true. There is no biblical basis whatsoever for these concepts. There is no one in the Bible named Lilith.

The passage most often pointed to as evidence for Lilith is Isaiah 34:14, which in the NRSV reads, “there too Lilith shall repose.” This is a poor translation. Every other major translation of the Bible reads something to the effect of “night creature” or “screech owl.” Even if “demon monster named Lilith” was the proper translation of the Hebrew word, Adam is nowhere even hinted at in this passage or its context. Whatever the Lilith was, it is not given any connection whatsoever to Adam or Creation.

Another commonly used support for Lilith is the differing Creation accounts in Genesis chapters 1-2. Some claim that the woman in Genesis 1 was Lilith, with the woman in Genesis 2 being Eve. This is completely ludicrous. Rather, Genesis chapter 2 is a “closer look” at the creation of Adam and Eve as recorded in Genesis chapter 1. The Bible specifically says that Adam and Eve were the first human beings ever created (Genesis 1:26-28;2:18-25). This “Lilith” myth is popular in some radical feminist movements because Lilith is an example of a woman refusing to submit to male headship. While there are myths outside of the Word of God regarding Lilith, her complete absence from Scripture demonstrates that she is nothing more than a myth.

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