Forwarded Messages

How should Christians think about work, success and wealth?  The Parable of the Talents in MATTHEW 25:14:30 provides a helpful framework for this question.  1. First, this parable teaches us that success is a product of our work.   In the book of Genesis we see that God placed Adam in the garden to work it and take care of it. We were made to work. As Christians we have a mission that our Lord expects us to accomplish in the here and now. Far too many evangelical Christians today see their salvation as simply a “bus ticket to heaven.” They believe it doesn’t matter what they do while they “wait for the bus.” The Parable of the Talents teaches us what we are supposed to do while we await the return of our King. We are to work, using our talents to glorify God, serve the common good, and further God’s kingdom. Biblical success is working diligently in the here and now using all the talents God has given us to produce the return expected...

REPOST FROM KALI Blogs  The two towering figures of the 20th-century church were canonized today at St. Peter's Square, in Vatican. Pope Francis has declared two of his predecessors, John Paul II and John XXIII, saints of the Roman Catholic church. Here's  the guardian update . I was once a believer of saints. I called them and prayed to them just like most of you do. But then, I learned the obvious - that they are human beings, lived a  holy life and served God with all their hearts and with all their souls. Just like us, when we live according to the teachings and examples of Jesus, when we put Him at the center of our lives, we too, is definitely living a holy life. Then, what made them extra special? I will not preach nor condemn the Roman Catholics. I understand we have differences.  You have your beliefs, and I have mine. The only thing that  I can do is to share a little of mine (since this is my blog)... Isn't Jesus enough?  He claimed it ...

It's the right time of the year. Maybe not the exact week nor the exact day. But this is the time of the year when Jesus Christ was crucified. For many of us, it's hard to imagine all of that really happening: the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the conflicts at the temple, the Last Supper, the prayerful night in Gethsemane, the betrayal, the arrests, the trials, the terrible death on the cross. It's easier to think of this story as a fable or fairy tale. Fodder for movies, Renaissance paintings and children's picture books, but not a part of the world we live in. But the crucifixion is a fact of history. God sent his Son to the earth, and evil men put him to death. Even the resurrection seems out of place in our world, though it fits the season better. Dead people stay dead in our world; the thought that Jesus escaped unscathed from the tomb seems like an unrealistic plot twist. Yet the resurrection also has its place in history. The two things go toget...

During a question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement, a university student asked, "Why do you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God?"  

A Good Example  is the Best Sermon Four men stood in a church lobby. They were arguing over which Bible translation was the best. One argued for the King James Version, citing its beautiful, eloquent old English. The second man advocated the American Standard Bible, noting its literalism and the confidence he felt in its commitment to accurately representing the message of the original texts. The third man praised The Living Bible for its conversational, easy-to-understand prose.

by Tim Archer I didn't find any gold today. Haven't found any all week. In fact, I've  never found gold. Nor diamonds. Nor silver. Not once. I'd be more than happy to stumble across any of those things. But it  hasn't happened. I'm guessing that you're not surprised. Neither am I, especially since  I've never gone out looking for gold, or diamonds, or silver. I haven't  gone to the places where they tend to be found. I haven't done the  things people do to try and find them. So it's not all that surprising that I've never found any of these  treasures. Have you found God? If not, it's possible that you're not really  looking for Him. It's one thing to say, "I'd like to find God." It's  quite another to actually look for Him. There are some basic things you need to do:

ANXIETY IS THE MISUSE OF THE IMAGINATION  The Apostle Paul instructed believers to " be anxious for nothing ." Think about that. Paul says that child of God should worry about anything! And Paul didn't give this advice lightly. He was in prison at the time he wrote it. In fact, he spent a lot of time in chains at various "gray-bar hotels" -- separated from those he loved. He had his well-publicized "thorn in the flesh" to contend with as well. Paul was a man who endured beatings and stoning. He even had disagreements with one of Jesus' original disciples, Peter. Ultimately, his staunch faith in God and his outspokenness about it got him beheaded.  Despite all his trials, Paul knew God could bring peace. God doesn't always untie all the knots in our lives. But He does give us the grace to live with the knots.  So remember, there is nothing you face that is too difficult, too troubling, or too frightening for God. Follow Paul'...

In a country church, an altar boy was serving the priest at Sunday mass. When he accidentally dropped the cruet of wine, the village priest slapped the boy and shouted, "Leave the church and don't come back!" That boy became Tito, the Communist leader.   In the cathedral of a large, inner city church, the altar boy accidentally dropped the cruet of wine.   With a twinkle in his eye, the Bishop told the boy, "One day you will be a priest."   That boy grew up to be Archbishop Fulton Sheen. -- "Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true." Proverbs 4: 24 (NCV) To avoid the pits of life, we must guard our words.   Words are power tools!  In the right hands and used correctly, words can create.  In the wrong hands and used incorrectly, words can destroy.  The truth of Proverbs 13:3 is a haunting one, "Whoever controls his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin." (GWT)  ...

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner. The people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

A truth on bible revealed in a very different way  This is beautiful story - if inspired please forward >>> If not, keep it, Can't say when it might inspire you! --- An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his BIBLE . His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.