A BAD SHEEP & A GOOD SHEPHERD

“Jika kita mengaku dosa kita, maka Ia adalah setia dan adil, sehingga Ia akan mengampuni segala dosa kita dan menyucikan kita dari segala kejahatan.”

1 Yoh 1: 9

Comic by: Sonny Ketsit

Source: Komik Kristen

LEARN TO WALK

“Sebab rancangan-Ku bukanlah rancanganmu, dan jalanmu bukanlah jalan-Ku, demikianlah firman TUHAN. Seperti tingginya langit dari bumi, demikianlah tingginya jalan-Ku dari jalanmu dan rancangan-Ku dari rancanganmu.” Yes 55:8-9

Comic by: Sonny Ketsit

Source: Komik Kristen

A BIRD CAGE

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. 

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me, swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there son?" 

"Just some old birds," came the reply. 

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. 

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." 

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?" 

"Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. I'll take 'em to them." 

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?" 

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!" 

"How much?" 

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?". 

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. 

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. 

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story. 

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. 

"Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" 

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. 

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other. How to hate and abuse each other. How to drink and smoke and curse. How to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?", Jesus asked. 

"Oh, I'll kill 'em." 

"How much do you want for them?" 

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!" 

"How much?" 

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus paid the price! 

The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the pulpit. 


1 Peter 1:18-19
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Source: Skywriting

THE CARPENTER'S TOOLS

Brother Hammer served as the chairman. The other members of the tool belt informed him that he must leave, because he was too noisy. But brother Hammer said, "If I have to leave this carpenter's shop, then brother Gimlet must go too. He's insignificant and makes a very small impression." (A gimlet is a small tool with a screw point, grooved shank, and a cross handle for boring holes).

Little brother Gimlet arose and said, "All right, but brother Screwdriver must go also. You have to turn him around and around to get anywhere with him."

Brother Screwdriver turned to the other tools in the belt and said, "If you wish, I will go, but brother Plane must leave too. All of his work is on the surface; there's no depth to what he does."

To this brother Plane leveled his terse reply, "Well, then, brother Saw will have to depart too. The changes he proposes always cut too deep."

Brother Saw complained, saying, "Brother Ruler will have to withdraw if I leave, for he's always measuring other folks as though he were the only one who is right."

Brother Ruler then surveyed the group and said, "Brother Sandpaper doesn't belong here either. He's rougher than he ought to be, and is always rubbing people the wrong way."

In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He had come to perform his day's work. He put on His tool belt and went to the workbench to make a pulpit. He employed the ruler, the saw, the plane, the hammer, the gimlet, the screwdriver, the sandpaper, and all the other tools. When the day's work was over, the pulpit was finished, and the carpenter went home. All the accusations against each of these tools were absolutely true, yet the carpenter used every one of them. No matter which tool He use, no other tool could have done the work better.

Source: Spiritual Short Story

THE BARBER SHOP

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation and talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.
"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! Because people do not look to God for help is why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Source: Spiritual Short Story

EIGHT LIES OF A MOTHER

1. The story began when I was a child; I was born as a son of a poor family. Even for eating, we often got lack of food. Whenever the time for eating, mother often gave me her portion of rice. While she was removing her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry".

That was Mother's First Lie

2. When I was getting to grow up, the persevering mother gave her spare time for fishing in a river near our house, she hoped that from the fishes she got, she could gave me a little bit nutritious food for my growth. After fishing, she would cook the fishes to be a fresh fish soup, which raised my appetite. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat the rest meat of fish, which was still on the bone of the fish I ate. My heart was touched when I saw it. I then used my chopstick and gave the other fish to her. But she immediately refused it and said "Eat this fish, son. I don't really like fish."

That was Mother's Second Lie.

3. Then, when I was in Junior High School, to fund my study, mother went to an economic enterprise to bring some used-matches boxes that would be stuck in. It gave her some money for covering our needs. As the winter came, I woke up from my sleep and looked at my mother who was still awoke, supported by a little candlelight and within her perseverance she continued the work of sticking some used-matches box. I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late, tomorrow morning you still have to go for work". Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, dear. I'm not tired."

That was Mother's Third Lie.

4. At the time of final term, mother asked for a leave from her work in order to accompany me. While the daytime was coming and the heat of the sun was starting to shine, the strong and persevering mother waited for me under the heat of the sun's shine for several hours. As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished, mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared before in a cold bottle. The very thick tea was not as thick as my mother's love, which was much thicker. Seeing my mother covering with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty!".

That was Mother's Fourth Lie.

5. After the death of my father because of illness, my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent. By held on her former job, she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. No days without sufferance. Seeing our family's condition that was getting worse, there was a nice uncle who lived near my house came to help us, either in a big problem and a small problem. Our other neighbors who lived next to us saw that our family's life was so unfortunate, they often advised my mother to marry again. But mother, who was stubborn, didn't care to their advice, she said "I don't need love."

That was Mother's Fifth Lie.

6. After I had finished my study and then got a job, it was the time for my old mother to retire. But she didn't want to; she was sincere to go to the marketplace every morning, just to sell some vegetable for fulfilling her needs. I, who worked in the other city, often sent her some money to help her in fulfilling her needs, but she was stubborn for not accepting the money. She even sent the money back to me. She said "I have enough money."

That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

7. After graduated from Bachelor Degree, I then continued my study to Master Degree. I took the degree, which was funded by a company through a scholarship program, from a famous University in America. I finally worked in the company. Within a quite high salary, I intended to take my mother to enjoy her life in America . But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son, she said to me "I'm not used to."

That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

8. After entering her old age, mother got a flank cancer and had to be hospitalized. I, who lived in miles away and across the ocean, directly went home to visit my dearest mother. She lied down in weakness on her bed after having an operation. Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep yearn. She tried to spread her smile on her face; even it looked so stiff because of the disease she held out. It was clear enough to see how the disease broke my mother's body, thus she looked so weak and thin. I stared at my mother within tears flowing on my face. My heart was hurt, so hurt, seeing my mother on that condition. But mother, with her strength, said "Don't cry, my dear. I'm not in pain."

That was Mother's Eight Lie.

After saying her eighth lie, She closed her eyes forever!

WINNER & LOSER

• The Winner is always part of the answer; The Loser is always part of the problem.
• The Winner always has a program; The Loser always has an excuse.
• The Winner says, "Let me do it for you"; The Loser says, "That is not my job."
• The Winner sees an answer for every problem; The Loser sees a problem for every answer.
• The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it is possible"; The Loser says, "It may be possible but it is too difficult."
• When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong";When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."
• A Winner makes commitments; A Loser makes promises.
• Winners have dreams; Losers have schemes.
• Winners say, "I must do something"; Losers say, "Something must be done."
• Winners are a part of the team; Losers are apart from the team.
• Winners are too optimistic to be fearful; Losers are too fearful to be optimistic.
• Winners are too busy to be sad; Losers are too sad to be busy.
• Winners see the gain; Losers see the pain.
• Winners see possibilities; Losers see impossibilities.
• Winners choose what they say; Losers say what they choose.
• Winners use hard arguments but soft words; Losers use soft arguments but hard words.
• Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things; Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.
• Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: "Don't do to others what you would not want them to do to you"; Losers follow the philosophy, "Do it to others before they do it to you."
• Winners make it happen; Losers let it happen.

BEING A MOTHER

After 17 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to

take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She

said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves

you and would love to spend some time with you.'

* * *

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit

was my MOTHER, who has been alone for 20 years,

but the demands of my work and my two boys had

made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

* * *

That night I called to invite her to go out for

dinner and a movie.

* * *

'What's wrong, aren't you well,' she asked?

* * *

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a

late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign

of bad news.

* * *

'I thought it would be pleasant to spend some

time with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.'

She thought about it for a moment, and then said,

'I would like that very much.'

* * *

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick

her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her

house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous

about our date. She waited in the door. She had curled her hair and was wearing the

dress that she had worn to celebrate her last

birthday on November 19th.

* * *

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an

angel's. 'I told my friends that I was going to go

out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said,

as she got into that new white van. 'They can't wait to hear about our date'.

* * *

We went to a restaurant that, although not

elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my

arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat

down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only

read large print. Half way through the entries, I

lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at

me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I

who used to have to read the menu when you were

small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and

let me return the favor,' I responded.

* * *

During the dinner, we had an agreeable

conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching up

on recent events of each other's life. We talked so

much that we missed the movie.

* * *

As we arrived at her house later, she said,

'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me

invite you.' I agreed.

* * *

'How was your dinner date ?'

asked my wife when I got home.

'Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,'

I  answered.

* * *

A few days later, my mother died of a massive

heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't

have a chance to do anything for her.

* * *

Some time later, I received an envelope with a

copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place

mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I

paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I

could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two

plates - one for you and the other for your wife.

You will never know what that night meant for me.

I love you, son.'

* * *

At that moment, I understood the importance of

saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU' and to give our loved

ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is

more important than your family. Give them the time

they deserve, because these things cannot be put off

till 'some other time.'

* * *

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back

to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody

doesn't know that once you're a mother,

'normal' is  history.

* * *

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by

instinct .. somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

* * *

Somebody said being a mother is boring .

somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a'good' mother,

your child will 'turn out good'....

somebody thinks a child comes with

directions and a guarantee.

* * *

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a

mother. somebody never helped a fourth grader

with his math.

* * *

Somebody said you can't love the second child as

much as you love the first .... somebody doesn't

have two children.

* * *

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother

is labor and delivery....

somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus

for the first day of  kindergarten ...

or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'

* * *

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her

child gets married....somebody doesn't know that

marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a

mother's heartstrings.

* * *

Somebody said a mother's job is done when

her last child leaves home....

somebody never had grandchildren.

* * *

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so

you don't need to tell her....

somebody isn't a mother.

WHAT IF?

What if God couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?

What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today?

What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain?

What if God didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?

What if God took away his messge because we failed to listen to the messenger?

What if God didn't send His only begotten Son because He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin?

What if the door tof the church was closed because we did not open the door of our heart?

What if God stopped loving a caring for us because we failed to love and care for others?

What if God would not hear us today because we would not listen to him yesterday?

What if God answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service?

What if God met our needs the way we give Him our lives?

Source:http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/texts/topics/godsprovidence/whatif

IN WHOSE HANDS

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Mark Mcguire's hands is worth $19 million.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.

It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.

It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.

It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.

So we can put our concerns, our worries, our fears, our hopes, our dreams, our families, and our relationships in God's hands because --

It depends whose hands they're in.

Now this message is in your hands.
What will you do with it?
It depends whose hands it's in.


Have a Blessed Day :D