The Pencil Maker

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send
you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1 ... You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2 ... You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

3 ... You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

4 ... The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5 ... On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you, always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

1 ... You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

2 ... You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
3 ... You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

4 ... The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

5 ... On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God
daily.

Saying of the Fathers:

"The Kingdom of God and His righteousness is the bread that we ought to seek and pursue with all our works. While we may serve in this life as soldiers yearning for the kingdom of heavens, we still need the necessities of life.

This is why the Lord said "and these shall be added to you" but first seek is pointing that why we need to ask for these things: we do not ask for these to be first in the sense of time (chronological) but rather according to importance. We ask for the kingdom of heaven as a good objective we strive to reach. As for the necessities we ask for them as means needed to reach the good objective we pursue."


Saint Augustine

The Bases Are Loaded

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team.

The Lord's team was at bat the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love.

Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails.

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly wisdom looked it over and let it pass. Ball one! Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases are loaded. The Lord then turns to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player.

Up to bat stepped Grace. Bob said, "He sure doesn't look like much!"

Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace.
Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, GRACE HIT THE BALL HARDER THAN ANYONE HAD EVER SEEN.

But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing to the ground. Then it continued over the fence for a home run!

The Lord's team won. The Lord then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get on base, but could not win the game.

Bob answered that he did not know why.

The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself.

Love, Faith, and Wisdom will get you on base, but only MY Grace can get you home.

MY Grace is the only thing Satan cannot steal."

May God go before you today and show you his Grace in everything you do.

Lovingly Forgive


"Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:32

Number six on my list of seven dynamic human values is FORGIVENESS.

Someone looking at my list asked, "Why haven't you included love?" My answer is that the word love at its depth, really means FORGIVENESS.

The Greeks had three words for love. The richest word was agape, which is unlike any other word used for love. Agape means to love somebody even when they do not deserve to be loved. And that's the kind of love that God has for you and me. The interesting thing is agape can also be translated, "to forgive!"

God loved us even when He had no reason to. That's what agape means. And that's what forgiveness means. It is God's love in action for people who do not deserve it!

I was taught that only God can truly forgive. Nature does not forgive. If, in a fit of anger I cut off a hand, it isn't going to grow back. Educators do not forgive.

If I do not study for an exam, I will flunk. Society does not forgive. If I commit a crime, I must pay for it and my record will follow me every place I go.

Forgiveness is a miracle only God can perform! And the cause of His forgiveness is His great love-agape love. I can be lovingly forgiven!

I live today without fear or guilt for God has lovingly forgiven me!

Fasting

Adam fell because he desired something other than Christ.
Adam fell because he dropped Christ as the center of his life.
The essence of the fall was pride. It is indeed the love of the self that awakens all the desires. As the person is subject to the worship of the self, he or she is then is not able to love God or to be near him. Thus, what is the greater cross of the human other than the cross of crucifying the self. In the Orthodox Church then, we find the icon of the crucified monk, the monk that has crucified his passions and his desires. This icon is then the icon for all of us.

This is the essence of the fast, that we crucify this inherent selfishness so that we may love others. For Christ's love in this world is a crucified love.

It is so that fasting in the church is not only to fool our nutritional system; in fact, it is warfare against the passions. We find that this warfare does not lie at the foundation of modern society's attitude towards fasting.

The time of fasting is an invitation for us to come in deep repentance at the feet of Christ as the start of the fasting is to realize that I am limited, I am created and that my Lord Christ is at the centre of all things.

Fasting is a sign that God is the Source of life and not bread. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In fasting, we grieve over one fundamental thing and that is sin. The greatest sorrow after we indulge in sin is that we have lost our saintship. St. Siloan of Athos said of this, "For we should not fear anything else but sin, for through sin we lose grace." Thus fasting is the most potent cure for the most dangerous sin that threatens our Christian lives constantly: pride. With Jesus Christ as our desire, fasting is the way. Fasting is a way with no end. Perhaps Christianity is not the way to the world because its way undermines all of humanity's abilities. Christianity does not fail with prayer and fasting.

And what is more dangerous in our fasting than to look at others and judge. For this is hell; hell is looking at others and forgetting our own vices. This is our sin as Christians. Looking at the Orthodox icon, we find it telling us something important. We find the saints in the icons are never looking up to heaven because the Kingdom of God is in them. This means that if the Kingdom of God does not dwell within us, then we will not be able to look at another person with love, to embrace him with love. For if we are not born continually of the Holy Spirit we will not be patient, long suffering, and persevering with our fellow brother or sister.

Thus, during the fast, there exists a a dual path: one to Christ and the other to our fellow brother and sister. However, if I have just moved from one vice to another vice, then I have failed from my target as I have not loved another. For if my fast is not done so that I can love Christ and my fellow man, then my fast is vain. Thus says St. John Chrysostom, "How can you fast from meat when you eat the flesh of your brother?"

Orthodoxy is the stand before the other person. The person who never knew love shall stand on the Last Day to be judged accordingly for the soul that does not know love does not the Christ. So, it is not wrong to struggle and consecrate our lives to Christ, but it is wrong to consecrate our struggle apart from loving others. The goal of the spiritual struggle is that we are changed into a new creation through our Lord Jesus Christ. On this says St. Basil the Great "For the goal of the spiritual struggle (asceticism) is to reconcile the soul that fell and corrupted itself."

The cry of the church this day and all days is this: "Adorn your hearts, not your clothes."

Amen.

"God is Spirit, invisible, immortal, inaccessible, incomprehensible. Those who are born of Him He makes to be such as Himself, like the Father who has begotten them. They may be touched and seen in body only, in other respects they are known to God alone and know only Him; or, rather, they wish to be known to God alone and constantly strive to look to Him and are anxious to be seen by Him. To express it differently, just as the illiterate cannot read books like those who are literate, neither can those who have refused to go through the commandments of Christ by practicing them be granted the revelation of the Holy Spirit like those who have brooded over them and fulfilled them and shed their blood for them."

St. Symeon the New Theologian.
 

I'll Be Back For You
My Dear Child:

Today I heard you heart's cries

I saw the tears falling too

And all the pain that filled your eyes

As I was watching over you

I know the sorrows that you hold inside

And how hard it is for you to let go

For I once walked thru the valley of sorrows

That seemed so sad and long

The Human Nature inside of me

Also cried out in despair

And ask this question too...

 

THE LONELY EMBER

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening.

The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited.

The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail." Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

"Some have imagined that both grace and sin - that is, the spirit of truth and the spirit of error - are hidden at the same time in the intellect of the baptized. As a result, they say, one of these two spirits urges the intellect to good, the other to evil. But from Holy Scripture and through the intellect's own insight I have come to understand things differently. Before holy baptism, grace encourages the soul towards good from the outside, while Satan lurks in its depths, trying to block all the intellect's ways of approach to the divine. But from that moment that we are reborn through baptism, the demon is outside, grace is within. Thus, whereas before baptism error ruled the soul, after baptism truth rules it. Nevertheless, even after baptism Satan still acts on the soul, often, indeed, to a greater degree than before. This is not because he is present in the soul together with grace; on the contrary, it is because he uses the body's humors to befog the intellect with the delight

of mindless pleasures. God allows him to do this, so that a man, after passing through a trial of storm and fire, may come in the end to the full enjoyment of divine blessings. For it is written: 'We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.' (Ps. 66:12)"

St. Diadochos of Photiki.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

 

WHEN YOU CAN'T FEEL GOD'S PRESENCE

"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'
So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV).

Feelings. What would life be without them? Deadly dull and boring. However, as wonderful as feelings can be, they can get us very confused if we don't understand them. When it comes to feeling God's presence, a major reason we can't feel him can have a lot to do with our childhood.

If we had a close, loving, and warm relationship especially with our father, it is so much easier to feel that God, too, is close, loving and warm. On the other hand, if our father was distant, cold, or not physically or emotionally present for us, we tend to project the same feelings we had towards him onto God our Heavenly Father and feel that he is distant, cold and not there either.

In the meantime we need to keep reminding ourselves that God is not our earthly father (or mother) nor is he like a bad father ... and also that God is always with and close to us whether we feel it or not.

Written on the wall where Jews had hidden from Hitler's atrocities and death camps were these words:
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I do not feel it
I believe in God even when He is silent."

WHO KILLED JESUS?

"He [Jesus Christ] was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5, NIV).

Many readers would have seen the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ. Many have raved about this movie. Many have sharply criticized it claiming that it blames the Jews for crucifying Jesus and as a result, will stir up renewed anti-Semitism. Others claim that it is far too violent.

Yes, I have seen the movie. Yes it is violent. And yes, it does appear that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus and yet it was the Romans that violently beat and crucified him. (See Friday's Daily Encounter for a medical doctor's description of the unbelievable brutality of Roman crucifixions.)

No matter how violent or how brutal the physical torture of Christ, as gruesome as that was, no movie, no painting, no book, no article, or no sermon could ever depict the far greater suffering of the Christ when he, the holy and divine Son of God, took upon himself the sin of all mankind and who, while hanging on that cross, was forsaken by God the Heavenly Father. As humans we cannot even begin to imagine the depth of this pain and suffering that Jesus Christ endured to pay the penalty of our sins--and to save us from a lost eternity in hell.

The fact is that Jesus gave his life willingly. No Jew, Roman, or anyone else could take his life from him. He was the Son of God. He could have called on ten thousand angels to save him. But he didn't because he was giving his life as a ransom for your sins and mine. The Jews of his day and the Romans were only the instruments of his torturous death. It was for your sins and mine that he gave his life and suffered such intense agony.

As God's Word says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Because of Christ's death for us, God now offers you and me a total pardon for all our sins and the gift of eternal life. So the crucial issue is NOT who killed the Christ, but have you accepted God's full and free pardon and the gift of eternal life?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for giving your Son, the Christ, to die for my sins?
And Lord Jesus how can I ever thank you enough for suffering such an agonizing death to pay the penalty for all my sins? Lord I believe. Have mercy on me, a sinner, and save me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.

Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

"The first and principal token of humility is the delighted readiness of the soul to accept indignity, to receive it with open arms, to welcome it as something that relieves and cauterizes diseases of the soul and grievous sins. The second token is the wiping out of anger - and modesty over the fact that it has subsided. Third and preeminent is the honest distrust of one's own virtues, together with an unending desire to learn more."

St. John Climacus.

--------------------------

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
 

LORD PLEASE CALL MY NAME

The sweetest word in any language can be your name, spoken by someone who loves you.

My first job often took me away from my wife and small baby. On one trip I was caught in a Kansas snowstorm for two days and lost my luggage. I arrived home in Chicago tired, needing a shave and with a less than fragrant air about me. My wife was there to meet me, but somehow in the crowd I passed right by her.

Struggling to hold the baby and chase me at the same time, she started to chuckle at the pitiful figure I portrayed, gazing helplessly at the terminal. Finally she called my name. Above the din of all other noises, the sound of my name, spoken in love, came through loud and clear. The fatigue lifted, the frustration faded, -- the world could be right after all.

On the Easter morning long ago, Mary Magdalene's mind was clouded by grief and weary from a sleepless night. She looked right at Jesus and thought He was a gardener. When she didn't recognize His voice, He simply, lovingly, spoke her name. And the world was right after all.

That's the story of Easter. Jesus is standing outside the empty tomb calling each of us by name, simply lovingly ---ready to make our world "all right."

---------------------

DEAR LORD, did you to speak to me? Did You call my name? I must have become hardened of heart, for I resisted listening to You. There were days when I hedged and argued. There were times when I got confused...I wasn't sure it was You. But now I know it is You, Lord. As sure as Mary Magdalene had recognized You. The glorious dawn of Easter tells me that You have called my name, too. You have called me to do a special work for You. In a world where evil things grow on the soil of poverty and want. Where the groaning of the poor can be heard and yet so many people pass them by. Arouse in me, Jesus, the compassion that You have for them, and don't let me find excuses not to give them relief. Teach me how to love them, how to alleviate their hunger and pains. Forgive me for being preoccupied only with myself and my family. Let the Hope of Your Resurrection come alive in the hearts of the poor, for I,Your servant, have heard Your call. Yes, speak to me, my Lord. Call my name... and I am yours!

God’s “One Another” Family
In His best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, “God wants a family and He wants you to be a part of it. The entire Bible is the story of God building a family who will love Him, honor Him, and reign with Him forever.” I’ve often wondered if there was a common way all Christians in God’s family could feel more closely connected. When I read the following Bible passage, I knew I had found my answer: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:5

Isn’t it wonderful to know that even though we may go to different churches, or belong to different denominations, we are still members of the family of “one another”! God has given every true believer in Jesus Christ a membership in His family. In His family, each member belongs to one another, and needs each other. Your “one another” family is bigger than you’ve ever dreamed. You belong to the family of God around the world…and they belong to you.

God has made us dependent upon one another. We have a built-in need for the fellowship, prayer, support, encouragement, and help of others in God’s family. It is true that each of us has a personal relationship with God through His Son, but God also wants us to have a personal relationship with one another. God wants us to come to Him in prayer, but He also wants us to pray for one another. God loves us deeply and personally, but He often expresses His love to us through others. Think of all the times that you have felt God’s touch through the hands of others, heard God’s voice through the words of others, sensed God’s comfort through the support of others, and known God’s provision through the gift of others.

Rick Warren also states, “Being included in God’s family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. Nothing comes close. Whenever you feel unimportant, unloved, or insecure, remember to whom you belong.” I know that God has blessed each of us in many different ways, and it is His blessings upon us that make it possible for us to be a blessing to others

MY ROCK

"...The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in him!" -Psalm 92:15

I often refer to my husband as "my rock." I place him under this classification because he has been a steady source of strength throughout our nineteen year marriage. During times I was upset from disturbing phone calls, he was there to remind me that joy is within, and there is no sense in letting someone else's opinions disrupt the peace which God has already given me. He was also there to comfort me when dealing with two teens was becoming a bit too stressful. "Take a break," he'd say. "Go for a nice long walk, and get some fresh air, and you will feel better." You know what? He was right!

My husband has been there through thick and thin, and every step along the way, and for this, I am deeply appreciative. However, he is still only an earthly man, and no human being is perfect, or free from sin.

There is another "Rock" in my life, and His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the midst of the deepest sin and despair, the Lord did not abandon me, but held out His hand and said, "Come. Let me help you." Like a loving Father, He took me in to His tender embrace, showering me with the love I so desperately needed. His love radiated truth and wisdom, and I knew this is exactly what I required. Today, God continues to be my "Rock;" my strong foundation. I now know that no matter what I shall encounter in my life, He will be there right by my side.

Today, if you are feeling overwhelmed with a difficult life situation, won't you hand it all over to God, and let Him take control? With God at your side, you are never alone!

Why Do I Need Church?

Why can't I worship God in the comfort of my home, enjoying the best preaching and music TV has to offer? Why can't I just enjoy being alone out in the woods - just God and I and the pine trees? Why can't I meet God at the water's edge, wiggling my toes in the warm sand? Why do I really need church?

I need church because it's a family reunion. Jesus said, "Who is My family? Those who do My will" (Mark 3:33,35). We are a family - rejoicing with one another, crying with one another, helping each other. We need each other's support.

I need church because it's a classroom. I'm preparing for a mission; I'm on an extended course of study. For the rest of my life I'm enrolled in a course of Christian discipleship.

I need church because it's a refuge. The sanctuary is a place to get away from the busyness of the world. It's a mini-retreat. It's a place to focus my thoughts on things above, to worship.

I need church because it's like a billboard. As my neighbors see me go down to that building on the corner week after week, they can tell what is important in my life. If all my brothers and sisters are there, too, the neighbors may wonder what is going on that attracts people so regularly. Imagine that I had been in a war and one of my buddies threw himself on an enemy hand grenade to save me - and it killed him. Suppose I learned there was to be a memorial service for him in my hometown. Would I be there? Of course! And since Jesus died for me, it's to honor Him that I attend His memorial service. It's to honor Him that I remember His death by taking communion.

I need church because it's a victory celebration. Jesus left an empty tomb. We can celebrate His resurrection together. At least one day a week should be set aside for remembering Jesus' triumph over death and Satan.

Finally, I need church because it's a time to spend with my Father. I'm a child of God. As my Father, He's not cold and aloof. He delights in spending time with me, and I want to be with Him. God wants to reveal His plans to me. And I want to get in on the details, to cooperate with Him. But He's not only my Father; He's our Father. And Christ is not just my Savior; He's our Savior. Jesus said that when two or three are gathered together in His name, He is there (Matthew 18:20). And God has warned me not to forsake gathering with other believers (Hebrews 10:25).
I need church because I'm a part of a family, I have lots to learn, and I need to have a retreat. I know what my priorities are. I respect Christ's death and am overjoyed by His resurrection. I want to spend time with my Father and other believers.

That's why I need church!

Nothing Compares To You

I'm sitting here filled with wonder
At the amazing things you do
How the waters stay in the oceans
And the vast beauty of the view

How the stars are hung in the sky
Within them is written your word
How we are the following sheep
And you are the only Shepherd

How the sky is painted with color
Bursts of orange in the sunset glow
How much knowledge it took to make
And how little us humans know

How intricately you planned it
There was nothing you left unthought
From the delicacy of a baby
To all the sins of ours you bought

There's no other love that's out there
As deep and as faithful and true
No other comfort to be found
Because nothing compares to you

Nothing compares to your miracles
Or the listening time you spend
How you always take good care of us
And our broken hearts that you mend

To us, our problems like mountains
To you, they're no problem at all
You're ever so watchful and there
To help catch us, when we do fall

I'm just sitting here filled with wonder
At the awesome things that you do
At being our Lord and Savior
Because nothing compares to You!

THE WILL TO GET WELL
"One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:5-6, NIV).

It may be hard to understand, but according to statistics I have read from both a Christian and secular standpoint, many people who have either a physical or emotional problem actually don't want to get well!

"That's absurd," I can almost hear some readers saying. How could a sick person not want to get well?"

Of all those who go to see a physician or a counselor with a problem, approximately 25 percent don't want to get well ... they want people's sympathy, they want to be taken care of, and some want to die.

Another 50 percent want the counselor or doctor to fix or heal them. As one doctor said, "Half of my patients would rather I operate on their body than they operate on their lifestyle!"

And only one in four actually accepts responsibility for his/her well-being and does everything he/she can to follow the doctor or counselor's guidance. These are the one who are committed to getting well. They are the ones who want to get well--and are most likely to do so!

Perhaps this is why Jesus said words like, "Do you want to get well?" "Do you want to be made whole?"

"What do you want me to do for you?"

God will bend the heavens to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. That's why he sent Jesus to die for our sins. But he won't do anything for us that we can and need to do for ourselves--otherwise he would be keeping us over-dependent and immature. But as long as we want what is right for us, God will always do his part when we do our part.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the want to be made whole, the want to get well, the want to be what you want me to be, and the want to do what you want me to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

P.S. What do you "want" Jesus to do for you?

PREVIOUS

NEXT