John 3:16.............

JOHN 3:16

 

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. 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, of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

 

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door.  When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in."

 

So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady answered.  He looked up and said, "John 3:16."

 

The lady said "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. 

 

He sat there for a while, and thought to himself "John 3:16.... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm." 

 

Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" 

 

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food.  He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more.  Then he thought to himself "John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full."

 

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean.  You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out."

 

The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights.  As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested."

 

The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked "Do you understand John 3:16?"

 

He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't.  The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it."

 

She opened her Bible to John 3:16 , and she began to explain to him about Jesus.  Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."

 

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing.  I don't understand it either, but it sure does make Life worth living.

 

John 3:16 - 18
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

-- Author Unknown

the GuidingLight

Guiding Light

While out on the SEA OF LIFE, One very dark and stormy day, I started drifting far from shore, I had lost my way. I heard voices calling out to me, Because they knew that I was lost, But I wanted to go on my own way, Not taking time to count the cost.
I heard one voice say, "Here, catch this lifeline and I'll pull you in." But I thought I knew what was best, So I continued in my sin.
The farther I drifted, The lonelier and colder I became, It was then I asked, The LORD, "Do you know where I am ?" "Can you hear me calling out your name?"
I said "LORD", I'm so scared and lonely, I can't stay out here alone, Please send to me your Guiding Light, So I can find my way back home."
~~~by Brenda Mathews~~~

Jesus in the house.....

JESUS IN THE HOUSE

 

One day he decided to invite the Lord to come home and stay with him. When the Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the house.  The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall.  "This room is yours, Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in this room, remember Jesus, its all yours."

 

That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had sent three of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in.

 

Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned to his room totally exhausted.

 

Can you believe that," the man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe he just didn't hear. He slept fitfully that night. The next day thing went along as normal and, being tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that were dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.

 

For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons from hell, and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their attack.  All energy seemed to fail him. He really didn't understand this at all.  Why won't the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and fell into a restless sleep.

 

The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of the last two evenings.  Quietly he made his way to the elegant bedroom where he had left Jesus.  "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door. "Lord, I don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping.  Don't you care about me?  Did I not give you the very best room in the house?"

 

He could see the tears building in Jesus' eyes but continued on, "I just don't understand, I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me that you would take care of me and I gave you the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?"

 

"My precious child," Jesus spoke so softly. "I do love and care for you.  I protect all that you have released into my care. But, when you invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of this house.

 

I have protected this room and no demon may enter here."

 

"Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house -- it is yours. I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control of everything."  With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at Jesus' feet. "Please forgive me Lord for being so selfish."

 

Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would take care of things from now on. That night as the young man prepared for bed he thought, I wonder if those demons will return, I am so tired of fighting them each and every night. But, he knew that Jesus said that he would take care of things from now on.

 

Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs.  He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid.

 

Satan stood at the door, this time demanding to be let in. "What do you want, satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the Lord, "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address." And with that, he and the demons all ran away.

 

There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He will take all that you give Him, but nothing more. How much of your heart have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him?

 

Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found that God made man simple, all of man's complexities are of his own devising.

 

-- Author Unknown

Rose......

ROSE

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us
to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around
when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a
smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose.
I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave
me a giant squeeze." Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?"
I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a
couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be
taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college
education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. After class we walked to
the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became
instant friends.

Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk
nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she
shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose
became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She
loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from
the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.
I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to
the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her
three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she
leaned into the microphone and simply said "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave
up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech
back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop playing
because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four
secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.

"You have to laugh and find humor every day."

"You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so
many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are
nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one
productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years
old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn
eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or
ability.

The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did,
but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are
those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged
each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those
years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over
two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the
wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you
can possibly be.

-- Author Unknown


The Rose
Artist: Bette Midler
Words & Lyrics by: Amanda McBroom

Some say love it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed
some say love it is a hunger
an end less aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it's only seed
It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dyin'
that never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose

changes.....

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."

- Anatole France