Happy Groundhog Day! ... :) Shangy! >-->HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY! Check all the predictions at Groundhog Central: http://www.groundhogsday.com/groundhogcentral.php GroundHogs Say... ====================================================================== >-->Ahh, Love Sweet Love ... (\/) \/ (\/) .-. .-. \/ ((`-)(-`)) \\ // (\/) \\ // \/ .="""=._))((_.="""=. / ., .' '. ,. \ /__(,_.-' '-._,)__\ We're getting closer to the day ` /| |\ ` /_|__ __|_\ | `)) ((` | | | jgs -"== =="- In the meantime, we want to continue our understanding of Agape' Love. For some of you, this will be a refresher, for others another teaching of what you have learned already, and for still some others, it may be the first you have heard of it. The bible tells us God is Love. So, the more we know about love, the closer we can be to God and His son Jesus Christ. We can all benefit from this fine teaching: >THE LOVE OF GOD In The Renewed Mind In Manifestation I Corinthians Chapter 13 This chapter in the Church Epistles is dedicated entirely to the topic of the Love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. This is the love that God shows to us, and that we should have for each other. In the Greek texts of the New Testament, it is the word 'agape', which was then translated as 'charity' in the King James version of the Bible. We will refer to it as the 'Love of God'. 1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. The chapter starts off by showing us the extreme importance of manifesting the Love of God in everything we do. Speaking in tongues is a manifestation of the gift of holy spirit, wherein we pray to God, edify our spirit, and praise God. Only born again believers can speak in tongues. Yet, if we do it without the Love of God, we are just making noise. If we speak in tongues because we think we have to, or to show off, or any other reason other than that we love God, we won't receive the desired effect. Note in the verse that the word 'as' is in italics, meaning it was added by the translators. Without the 'as' it reads: 'I am become sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal'. If you speak in tongues without the love of God, you are just banging on a big gong or clanging cymbals. 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. Literal translation according to usage: And though I can prophesy, and have seen or perceived mysteries [secrets] of the Word, and have all knowledge, and though I have great believing so that I could remove mountains, but have not the Love of God, I am absolutely nothing. 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. If I sell all my possessions in order to feed others, and give my body to be burned (offer to sacrifice everything), but have not the Love of God, it does not benefit me at all. 4. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, The Love of God is enduring, patient and slow to anger. The Love of God is kind, gentle, and does not envy. The Love of God does not boast, and is not vain, inflated with self-importance. 5. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; The Love of God does not behave indecently and is not selfish. The Love of God is not incited by, or reactive to, what the enemy throws at us. The Love of God thinks no evil (See Philippians 4: 8 to see what the Word says we are to think about). 6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; The Love of God rejoices not in wrong-doing or injustice, but in the truth (the Word). 7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. The word 'bear' actually means to cover like a roof. So the Love of God covers or protects. It always believes, always trusts, and always endures -- and it stays behind when others have left. 8. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. Although the word 'fail' is used twice in this verse, the Greeks words were different, and had different meanings. The Love of God never fails, or falls to the ground and becomes void. But, prophecy and speaking in tongues will someday fail, or be done away with because they are no longer necessary. So this verse is telling us that the Love of God will be forever, but the others will end someday. 9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. Right now we can only have partial knowledge, and partial prophecy. We can't know it all until Christ returns. 10. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 'When that which is perfect' refers to the return of Jesus Christ. 'Perfect' means mature or complete. When he comes back, everything will be complete. Then our partial knowledge and partial prophecy will not be necessary, because we will have the complete package. 11. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. We are God's children, and the manifestations of the spirit (word of knowledge, prophecy, speaking in tongues, etc...) are our toys while we are here. When Christ comes back, we will be mature, and will no longer need these things. 12. For now we see through [as in] a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. Now we are looking into a puzzling, obscure mirror. We can't really see what we are looking at. When Christ returns, we will be able to see face to face. Right now our knowledge is partial; then it will be complete. 13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity [the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation]. And right now, there remains believing, hope (expectation and trust in the return of Jesus Christ), the Love of God, but the greatest of these is the Love of God. This verse contains a figure of speech (Asyndeton) where there are no 'ands' used between the list of words. It means that the conclusion to the sentence is more important than the words that make up the list. In this example, faith, hope and charity are listed, but they are not the important message. The conclusion is what is important: 'But the greatest of these is the Love of God'. I Corinthians 13 has only 13 verses, but they are all extremely important. They tell us that the Love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation should be paramount in our lives. Anything we do without it does not really benefit us. The Love of God never fails. It will always be with us in this world and throughout all eternity. **This teaching is from: http://www1.itech.net/~ydl/The_Love_Of_God.htm **All Scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. ==================================================================== %%%% %%%%-( _%%%%%_/ \ ' / _%%%%%%%% - (_) - _%%%%%%%/ \% / , \ %%%%%%%%%\\ \_ %%%%%% \ \\ ) /\_/ /(___. \ '----' ( / ) ---....____/ (_____ __ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _____ _ _ ___ / )---...___ =-= = -_= -=_= _-=_-_ -=- =-_ ,' ( ```--.._= -_= -_= _-=- -_= _=- ,-' ) ``--._=-_ =-=_-= _-= _ '-._ '-..___( ``-._=_-=_- =_-= ``---....__) `-._-=_-_=- )|)| `-._=-_ gnv '-'-.\_ `-. So near, so very near to God Nearer I could not be; For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He. So dear, so very dear to God, I could not dearer be; The love wherewith He loves His Son, Such is His love to me. --Author unknown ====================================================================== >-->Good Relationships is all about love too... .-""""--. _ _ / ) ( \/ ) / --"` \ / _ _ / _`:____ \/ ( \/ ) | .-' `\ \ / \ / .----'./ \/ \ : ,-' ~(.).)\ _ _ \_| \ ._) | ( \/ ) _ _ / | \.__, / \ / ( \/ ) _.--' )`///-,-' _ _ \/ \ / / / _| (_\\ ( \/ ) \/ | (____/____) \ / \ ___/ | _ \/ `---( ` ) `-, .' (__.'._/'._/ |`| | __/ / / // | `--. || /_____) jgs `=---` >From Our Friend Tony - About relationship problems. Part 1 Eph 4:31-32 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Well, here’s a scripture and a half! For most of us, we live ‘in the world’. We are not ‘cloistered’ in some building like an air raid shelter that protects us from outside influence, most of us are very much a ‘part of’ that outside influence and whether or not the influence we have on others is positive or negative, depends on how we handle relationships, and the most important and influential relationship we can have, is our own relationship with God. Out in the ‘real world’ we can often find ourselves surrounded by people who constantly ‘sin’, and if we say anything as Christians, we are seen to be ‘self-righteous’ or even judgmental, and often we are! Well,not all of us…but some of us. In Eph, Paul deals with ‘worldly’ relationships and he tells us that we cannot turn our backs on the world as it is, because if we do, then how (on earth) can we witness to the world? We often hear it preached ‘we are in the world, but not OF the world’ meaning we see what’s going on around us and we do our best to change things and we do NOT become a part of those things that are evil. We must! Maintain our purity for the sake of our OWN salvation….and set out to change the world, bit by bit, but we cannot let the world change us back to what we once were… How do we go about making changes? Well mostly by example… If we talk about the Truth, tell others about the truth, then we cannot indulge in untruths……untruths? (A kinder word for lies)… Satan! Is the Father of all lies, but if we tell a lie, we can’t just blame it on him, he didn’t tell the lie, he just showed you HOW to lie… you CHOOSE to be truthful, or you choose to lie..This world has yet to see the biggest lies ever! More to come - Br Tony --------- ...Thanks Tony! Next week - Part 2 ======================================================================= >Just Have Your Luggage Ready Story Editor: by Cindy Bower Joyce Schowalter Wyoming, USA In 1974 we were married and for our honeymoon, flew to Spokane Washington's World's Fair. Reservations were made over the phone on a generic hotel hot line. The next open hotel spot was assigned to us. We landed at the Spokane airport, hailed a taxi, and after introductions my husband gave the driver an address for our lodgings. Realizing we were on our honeymoon, he wasn't happy to take us there. We rode a long time and finally arrived at a large, newly built condo complex that had been converted into a cash cow for the World's Fair. Each room of each condo had been turned into a makeshift hotel room. As we exited the taxi, the driver informed us he would return to pick us up in the morning. He wanted us to have our luggage ready as he was taking us to a better place. My husband, ever suspicious, hesitated but agreed. We went into our room. On an upper floor, it had formerly just been a bedroom. We had a tiny bathroom with plastic tub and sink. Our room contained a metal folding chair and a bed. The window opened to a gravel courtyard below, where every step by every person, as well as the crunching of the ice machine, echoed throughout the courtyard. The stifling 100 plus degree heat was horrible, and there was no air conditioning so our windows had to be left open. All conversations could be heard through the open windows as well as through the paper-thin walls of adjoining rooms. This was not the honeymoon we had imagined. The next morning the taxi driver arrived as promised. We loaded our things into his cab and he told us he had a very nice place for us. We drove for some time to the heart of the older part of the city where tall trees grew and mansions lined the peaceful streets. He stopped in front of a mansion and we went inside. He introduced us to a small Asian lady who took charge and showed us to our new room. We thanked him and never saw him again. Our "room" was the whole third floor of the beautiful mansion. We had a living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen and large bathroom with an old claw legged tub. There was even a little balcony. The open windows allowed a cooling breeze to circulate in the hot summer air. Just a block away was a bus stop minutes from the World's Fair. The taxi driver told us that our new room (our mansion) was the same price as the condo, which it may have been. We paid the lady but since have wondered if he had made up the difference in price himself. We don't remember the name of that sweet gentleman. Yet now, over 32 years later, we still remember that his kind actions made all of the difference on those first days of our life together. =======HeroicStories======= >-->Our next story is from The InspiredBuffalo... Bob tells us about his greeting cards. This brings me back memories of my childhood. When I was kid, we couldn't afford the greeting card to go with the present. We spent all our money on the present. Sometimes I would give my siblings something of my own that I knew they liked simply because I had no other gift to give. Their birthday gift would be wrapped in newspaper and their card was a made up poem or just some fancy crayon writing and pictures to decorate the package just for them. Memories, Memories - ahh, well. On to this sweet story from Bob Perks ( _________ \ |. |_ ) |. |:| ##--------> |. |/ ) |_________| / __|___|__ ____________(______________[_________]___________ | | | __ ____ _ ______ __ ______ __ __ | | / / / __ \ | / / __/ \ \/ / __ \/ / / / | | / /__/ /_/ / |/ / _/ \ / /_/ / /_/ / | | /____/\____/|___/___/ /_/\____/\____/ | | | | | |_________________________________________________| b'ger >It Was In The Cards: I shouldn't admit this. I guess it would be foolish of me, but I'm not crazy about greeting cards. "You write and sell greeting cards, Bob!" You are right. I guess it's just that I personally always have a hard time finding just the right card for the right person, at the right time. Like mushy cards about going fishing and an "always understanding father." They didn't create one for my Dad. Oh, he had his moments, but I always tended to buy "Thanks for all you have done for me" generic cards. My wife loves greeting cards. She even has a membership card to the big card shop chain. But, yesterday I saw them in a different light. Through the eyes of a child. I needed a card for a friend. I had already been standing in the card aisle for at least twenty minutes, when I noticed the young girl. "Okay, I need one for Granny and one for my best friend, Jackie. Oh, and one for Mommy and Daddy..." Just then a woman walked around the corner. "How are you doing this time?" she asked. "Oh, Mommy I think I'm finding the best one's here." Looking up, the woman caught me listening in on their conversation. "She loves buying cards," she said. "I don't. I always find it a difficult task," I replied. "Why?" the little girl asked me. "It's the words. They don't always fit the person I need to buy a card for." "Oh, that's the problem," she said. "Really?" "I don't read the cards." "Well, how do you know it's the right one?" Placing her finger on her chin, looking much like the famous statue, "The Thinker," the young child said, "It looks like them." Her mother then explained that her daughter doesn't buy cards for what they say. She buys them for how they look. "When Granny is sad, I buy her a card that looks happy. My best friend is sick. I found a sunshine card for her," the child said. "If I describe my friend, could you pick out a card for her?" "Yes, of course. It would be better if I could see her, but tell me what she looks like." I went on to describe her. "I'll be right back," she said. Heading off to the other side of the card rack, she suddenly re-appeared smiling with pride for her selection. "Here, this is your friend," she said. The front of the card had puppies all over it. Inside it said, "From the dog. Happy Birthday! I hope you get good treats!" "That's just perfect!" I said. In reality, my friend just lost her job and has been pretty upset about it. I couldn't find the right words. But that was the problem. I needed to find the right picture. "Thank you for helping me. She loves puppies. By the way. What card did you pick out for your Granny?" I asked. She handed me the card she had chosen. On the front was a picture of a beautiful baby all wrapped up in blankets. Inside it said, "Congratulations! We celebrate the birth of your child and all the joy that will fill your life." I looked at her mother, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Granny will be surprised." "I bet she will be," I said smiling. "The baby looks like me. Granny says I make her happy." "Well, I'm glad I met you today, young lady, you made me happy, too," I said. These are the moments I live for. Chance meetings at just the right time? No, I think not. This one was meant to be. I guess you could say, "It was in the cards." "I believe in You!" ~ Bob Perks ~ Bob@BobPerks.com Visit our site at http://www.inspiredbuffalo.com ======================================================================= >-->From the SermondFodder: 'I'm Not A Christian, But I Play One On Sunday' by James Snyder After more than three decades of church ministry, I have come to one unsettling conclusion. Actually, I've come to more than one conclusion, but this one is the most depressing. That conclusion is simply this: all who say they are going to Heaven are not actually on the right path, going in the right direction. Most, of course, have the best intentions, but good intentions don't make up for going in the wrong direction. Our government insists advertisers adhere to what they call "truth in advertising." I would like to insist on something I call "truth in testimony." By that, I mean what people say about themselves should be the truth. If this could ever be enacted by Congress, some people will have to say, "I'm not a Christian, but I play one on Sunday." I've always thought of it this way, if you're not a Christian on Saturday night, you're not a Christian on Sunday morning, which may be the ultimate test. Christianity is not a time-sensitive lifestyle turned on Sunday morning and expiring by nightfall. Christianity is not like St. Patrick's Day, where for that one day everyone is Irish. Also, Christianity is not like a part-time job you take to make ends meet. For example, take a guy who was in my office one day last month. I never saw him before and didn't know him from Adam. He saw our church, he said, as he was driving by and thought he would stop in and visit. "You have a real nice church here, reverend," he praised. As soon as I saw him, I knew what he was after. His job was to see how much of my money and the church's money he could put into his pocket. My job, of course, was to make his job impossible. I've played this game before and, not bragging, I've become rather good at it. Not that I have not lost my share of games, for I have. But after losing hundreds of dollars to scoundrels, I've learned how to play the game. The key to winning is never letting your guard down, and more importantly, never allow your opponent to suck you into his sympathy scam. One man actually brought with him a little girl he pawned off as his daughter. Looking into her big brown eyes my hand automatically went to my wallet. I'm sorry to say I lost that one and later found out the little girl was not his daughter. This man in my office, let's call him "Ralph," had a different scheme. He was trying to impress me with how good a Christian he really was. Although he may not have been a good Christian, he sure knew how to tell a good line. All along, he was trying to impress me that he really knew God. I could tell Ralph knew God about as well as I knew the President of the United States. It was then an idea hit me. While he talked to me, I was trying to figure out how I could convince him that he really didn't know God. Sure, he knew a lot of things about God and could quote a bushel full of Bible verses as though that would impress me. Entrance into heaven is not contingent upon impressing some preacher. I knew Ralph really did not know God personally. My problem was to persuade him of that fact. It's almost like someone who smokes cigarettes trying to convince someone who doesn't smoke that they don't smoke. The smoker does not smell the smoke but the non-smoker smells it right away. Similarly, I can readily tell when someone doesn't know God personally. As we were talking, an idea came to mind. Ralph was sitting across my desk from me and between us was my telephone. So I said to Ralph, "Do you know the President of the United States?" Ralph looked at me a little perplexed with this question out of the blue and said, "Sure, I do. It's George W. Bush." "Great," I said pushing the telephone towards him, "use my telephone and call him for me." He laughed and pushed the telephone back. Thrusting the phone back toward him I said, "You do know the President of the United States, don't you?" He laughed a nervous little chuckle. "The president of the United States is George W. Bush." Then he shoved the phone back toward me. "You know him?" I persisted. As he nodded in the affirmative, a worried look embraced his face. I could see he didn't quite understand what I was getting at. "Ralph," I explained, "you may know who the President of the United States is and you may know a lot about him. But you don't know George W. Bush enough to call him on the phone." People who say they know God only know things about God. People who say they know Jesus Christ only know things about him. If you don't know God enough to reach Him when you need Him, you don't know Him at all. I like the Apostle Paul's testimony. He said, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Philippians 3:10 KJV.) A friend of mine has a favorite saying that he likes to quote; "Either Jesus is Lord of all or he is not Lord at all." That about sums up the whole matter. ======================================================================= >-->THE PRICE OF PRAYERLESSNESS by Dr Charles Stanley Imagine walking through a crowded airport. You cannot move without bumping into someone. You're late for your flight, and the wheels just broke on your over - packed suitcase. With no other option, you're forced to carry the luggage and slowly maneuver through the congested lobby toward the ticketing area. Almost immediately, a young gentleman offers to carry your bags, but you pridefully refuse. When you realize the ticket counter is two levels up, you make your way to the stairs. Someone asks you if it would be easier to take the elevator. But you are determined to carry your bags. As you finally make it to the top of the steps, your arms feel numb from the pressure of your bags. Your legs are starting to buckle from the weight. Your back is aching from supporting the heavy load. Then, you spot a collection of unused baggage carts. But you ignore them, self - assured that you can handle the bags yourrself. Isn't this a silly story? Who would prefer to carry such a heavy burden, ignoring every opportunity to lay it down? And yet, many believers do just that. Our Father has called us to lay our cares at His feet. But when we fail to come to God in prayer, we're just as foolish as the man staggering with his bags through the airport. Are you trying to carry a greater burden than you can bear? Don't ignore God's offer to help. The truth is, we really can't "do it ourselves," and God never wanted us to try. ======================================================================== >-->Pray Without Ceasing _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` I'm tested and tried For my Faith every day I cannot always understand Even though I humbly pray. Tests of pain with suffering So often come in my way Temptations to sin allure me Even though I humbly pray. It's an honor to serve God With Faith, I trust and obey I'll just keep walking on And continue to humbly pray. Trials and burdens test me Blue skies often turn to gray God gives strength to endure So I'll trust and humbly pray. God is faithful and true Troubles at His feet I lay He will see me on through If I'm faithful to humbly pray. I must pray without ceasing Living for God is the only way I may not always understand Even though I humbly pray. ~ Leona I. Miller ~ ---> Visit my CyberHome - ALWAYS OPEN HOUSEE :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ Shangrala ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Seervice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. Please phone us at 419-238-5806 ************************************************************************ -->This is for all you who love food and DAARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. 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