After Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1980, one church needed a great deal of cleaning up. Ash was in the parking lot and all over the inside because of open windows. A woman met the pastor in the hallway on Friday and asked "Why don't we get the High School and College kids to come in and help poor Fred clean this place up?
A wise man once said, "There's nothing more powerful than the heart of a volunteer". Webster describes a volunteer this way — one who renders a service or receives a conveyance or transfer of property without giving valuable consideration.
Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) started last week, and it's customary to say to everyone this week — Chag Sameach, which literally means joyous festival! As we mentioned, the feast of Sukkot commemorates the time in which God led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years, providing them with every need on a daily basis — shelter, food, water and clothing. You may know that a during Sukkot, a portion of Ecclesiastes is read in the synagogues. Interestingly enough, it speaks of the vanity of materialism.
Rivka, my sweet wife and wonderful mother, once said to me that she feels that she's not doing enough for the Lord. So I told her a story that I once heard.
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. This is a sweet story we came across. When our son Pete was six, it was a Depression year and the [...]
Psalms 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good. During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a bind. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. After careful reflection, he decided [...]
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. There was a knock on Megan's door but she opened it only to find a note. It read: [...]
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Have you ever noticed that when people are in love, they tend to forget everything else? Everything becomes secondary — cars, houses, money — nothing [...]
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. One Sunday, a mother wanted to teach her daughter a lesson. She gave her a quarter and a dollar. "Put whichever one you want in the offering and [...]
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) Living by faith financially can be a wonderful thing. Back in Jesus' day, people didn't have savings and money market accounts, mutual funds, and IRA's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that those things are bad to have. What I'm saying is that [...]
Psalms 70:4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. I heard a story once, of a chaplain who was speaking to a loyal soldier in the hospital. "Bless you son, you saved a fellow soldier’s life — [...]
Psalms 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Our most fervent prayer for Elianna, our sweet two year old girl, is that Jesus would reveal Himself and His salvation to her in a way she can understand. Today, just before her nap, Elianna said to my [...]
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. The [...]
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your [...]
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. This Year both Christmas and Chanukah fell on the exact same date, one [...]
