Our Reflection And More... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. If every one would chip in $25 or more, we'd be good for the whole year! So Please - I need your help today! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This super hot new page is from our friends LouiseAu and DougC. Perfect one to help you celebrate President's Day week with some smiles and perhaps a few chuckles! Be sure check it out here: _ _ _ (_) | | | | _ __ _ __ ___ ___ _ __| | ___ _ __ | |_ ___ | '_ \| '__/ _ \/ __| |/ _` |/ _ \ '_ \| __/ __| | |_) | | | __/\__ \ | (_| | __/ | | | |_\__ \ | .__/|_| \___||___/_|\__,_|\___|_| |_|\__|___/ | | |_| Humor In Politics 18 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/politics18.html --- ...LOL! Such a riot! Thanks my friends! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: _.---,_ .' `'. \ __..-'\ }-"` \ /__,,..---.._| \ | |---..__ | / ``"-./ .'---...__ | .' ``"-./ ,--./...,,,__ / '--.'__ __```.-. /._ / ` ` ' `=/.-.|-._) | .-. .-. "\\ / || O| | O| ""=='_\ .-' '-'o '-' ""=\` `''--/- ""=-,\--._ .---|- ( ""=-. \` \ /`)"=."=|'-. '. _.-' ' "=|\| (`----` '="=|/ `-. "=/` '. =/ \ =| .-. |` "=| ( ~._ | "==| _.-~`\ \ ~. |'"="| _.-~ ) ; ~-.|.-._|_.-~ / / _-( /-.__ ( '._..--~~`/`/-'\-._ `~~- ; jgs /"=| |" =\~-...___.-~ /=" / | "==\ / = (_ \ "==\ ;="= `\_) =="\ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the person who'll decide where to go. -- Dr. Seuss -<>- _.-'`'-._ .-' _ '-. `-.__ `\_.-' | `-``\| jgs `-.....-A # # >BEFORE THE FLEDGLING FLIES by Kelly Kimura It is less than a year before my only child heads off to college. I worry. She hates to do the dishes, "forgets" to do her laundry until it is absolutely necessary, and leaves a trail of chaos throughout our home. She rubs her eyes with her contacts in, broke the toilet last year with the accidental drop of a decorative rock, and has dropped her cell phone too. How will she manage? She's five inches taller than me, but as she has since she was a toddler, she likes to plop herself down on my lap. "Don't kill me," I gasp, and she shifts to share my seat in front of my computer. With a flash of her fingers, she opens a new tab on my screen and clicks on a video clip she wants us to watch together. I protest that I have work to do, but she coaxes, "Come on, Mom, you'll miss this when I'm gone," and I give in. She casually asks me a question on a topic touching on something we've seen, and soon we're deep in discussion. It's only later that I wonder if she had intentionally chosen a particular clip. We are Americans, living in Japan, so going to college for my daughter means living for the first time in the U.S. She won't be able to come back very often, so now, as our time together dwindles, we talk and talk and talk. Afternoons go by, weekends pass, and we talk. One topic leads to another until we can't remember where we began, and we talk. I try to tell her all I know, to equip and protect her with my half-century of accumulated bits and pieces of knowledge. When I fall short, we look things up online and then talk again. We talk about the future and her plan to go to a two-year college and then transfer to a university, instead of going straight to university. She is determined to have the freedom to explore her academic interests and regain the joy of learning. We talk about the pros and cons of her choice. She wants to learn with people of all ages for the richness their opinions and experiences will add, but she will be on a commuter campus that may make friendships harder to develop. She will live in an apartment and learn how to be independent without the transition of dorm life. She was self- conscious about her choice at first, but talking it out has helped her to explain to herself and others why it is the only choice that feels right to her. We talk about friends who will disperse after graduation. She wonders which friendships will endure. Will Facebook be enough? We talk about boys, and now, a boy who is unexpectedly the one she might share her future with. What will happen? Will he stay true in the lonely spaces between visits in person and cyberspace? We talk about how she might cope with different possibilities and, like my mother did with me, I remind her of all the fish in the sea. I will miss her and the sweet moments that come out of the blue, like being squashed in my chair or being asked for hugs with and without words. I will even miss the mess. Most of all, I will miss our talks. Through talking, she has become more aware and confident, and that will help her manage her life through the coming years. Keeping her apartment clean and her laundry done, becoming more careful with her things -- these are important, but secondary to the growth of her character and mind. Each time she visits in the future, I know I will see that she has grown in ways I cannot imagine now. I hope that, somewhere in her, memories of our talks will remain. -- Kelly Kimura __________________________________________________ Kelly is originally from California and a long-term resident of Tokyo, Japan. She is a university teacher, a journal editor, and a soon- to-be empty nester. =========================================================== __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >-->Our Reflection by emb ,==. d('')b _~~~ ~~~_ ~___ ___~ q(,,)p `==' cjr >A Reflection [Edited] - Author Unknown Walking home, the other day, I met myself, coming back that way, Wondering, just how and why, I looked at me, he looked at I, I am you, a year from now, He continued, with a bow, If you do nothing, else in life, Heed these words, take my advice, When times get hard, you'll feel you'd scream, They're never, as bad, as they seem, If things get dark, you find some light, If you are wronged, you make it right, And if nothing seems, to go your way, Tomorrow, is, another day, Your life is only, your's to live, So smile, cheer up, stay positive, But if you feel, you're out of luck, Look to your spirit, to get unstuck, Stare deep inside, what do you see?, Yeah that's right, in you, its me. This poem got me thinking about the God in Christ in me. I remember when times got tough and I was having trouble knowing what was real and what was a delusion, I'd ask myself - "Who are you?" and my answer to myself was always the same - 'Me, Myself, And I'. No one else but me. myself and I. This poem brought those times back to mind because of the wisdom that it brings. Like Jesus Christ who said He was one with God, we too are one with God when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and have His spirit inside of us. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Jesus explained it best while praying to God here... John 17: [11] And now I am no more in the world, but these (his disciples) are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. [20] Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (we who are Christians) [21] That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. [22] And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: [23] I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. [24] Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. [25] O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. [26] And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Think about that for one minute - If you are a Christian, YOU ARE ONE WITH GOD AND JESUS CHRIST. Like Jesus, you can say, 'I and the Father are one.' If you humbly say to yourself - 'oh no! Not me!'. Think again and renew your mind to the Word of God which is the bible. Jesus Christ GAVE HIS LIFE so that WE could be like Him - one with God. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Jesus said: John 10: [10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. It is that personal relationship that was lacking before Jesus gave His life for us. Mankind lost it with the Fall of Adam and Eve. God wanted to be able to walk with us and talk with us and be close with us just like He used to with Adam and Eve. So He gave us his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our Lamb of God for our forgiveness. John 1: [29] The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. All mankind has to do is... Romans 10: [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Say out loud, Jesus Christ is my Lord and believe in your heart of hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. And you have the gift of God in Christ In You! One with God and Jesus Christ! Colossians 1: [26, 27] -- Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: That's our reflection - The Glory Of The Lord when we walk with God :) This poem also reminds me of this Bible teaching... Beholding As In A Glass http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Word/Beholding_As_In_A_Glass.htm And finally... THE MYSTERY REVEALED http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Word/THE_MYSTERY_REVEALED.htm Walking With God http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/Walking_With_God.htm GOD'S CALLING http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/GOD'S_CALLING.htm =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: To the Coffee Beans in My Life { { } }_{ __{ .-{ } }-. ( } { ) |`-.._____..-'| | ;--. | (__ \ | | ) ) | |/ / | / / -Felix Lee- | ( / \ y' `-.._____..-' >A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee .. You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity .. boiling water .. each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Count your blessings, not your problems...putting others first makes relationships last. -<>- ,-. ,-. __ ( )) \ )\ ,"::". ) ( ,-. \ \|::::::( )/%%/ \ \::::::/) (/%%/ `__\:::,-"-. )%/ ,####`'/88888\-' |#### #|\88888/ \######/)`.8,' `####'(.-'7\ `7`-().,'/) /)/`y( ( ( ( )\ ` ' ` ` hjw >Moments in Life... There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real! When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one, which has been opened for us. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life. If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message!!! Don't count the years-count the memories. -<>- ,=====,---. /=====/=====\ |=====|\=====; _j---j_|=====| /,-"0"-.\=====| // | \\====| ||9 o 3|D===| \\ `. //====| \`-.6.-'/=====| `j---j'|=====| |=====|/=====; \=====\=====/ `-----`---' hjw >My old watch By: Joseph J. Mazzella I have had the same watch now for twenty four years. It was a gift from an uncle that I got when I was just fourteen. It was one of the first digital watches ever made and it weighs about two pounds. I have gone through about five watchbands with it so far. Some of the numbers on the display are getting hard to read as well. Still, I keep buying new batteries for it and refuse to get a new one as long as this one works. My wrist feels strange without its familiar weight on it and my heart still feels a touch of warmth from my late uncle's love when I look at it. A part of me too is reassured when I look down at this old timepiece still working away after all these years. It gives me hope for myself in the years ahead of me. This body of mine just turned thirty eight years old recently which means that if I live an average life span on this world then half my life is already over. Since a large part of the first half of my life was spent figuring out what life is all about, this only leaves me the last half to really live my life the way it was meant to be lived: in choosing and sharing love, joy, and oneness with God. I take hope then in seeing my old watch still working away after most watches are thrown away. It reminds me that I can keep working away too and bring a little Heaven to Earth, no matter how old I get. Whether you are a new clock, an old watch, or an ancient timepiece remember that you still have time to make a wonderful difference in this world. You still have time to warm some hearts with your love, touch some souls with your joy, and heal a few lives with your light. You still have the time to live like you were meant to, to love like you were born to, and to be one with God like you were designed to be. You still have the time to bring a little Heaven down to Earth and to ready your soul to fly from Earth back to Heaven. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment :) Take the sword! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/sword.html The 23rd Psalms http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/psalm23.html Lean On Me!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/leanonme.html Miracle Baby!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smellofrain.html The Black Dot!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/blackdot.html 90/20 Principle!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/giving.html Butterfly's Story!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/butterflystory.html When God Paints!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gpaints.html Blind Woman Sees!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/blindsees.html Jesus Laughing Art!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/Jesusart.html Playing With Words!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wordplay.html Humor In Religion 3!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hreligion3.html You Have Six Minutes!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lovetest.html Church Mouse Wisdom!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/churchmouse.html Our Valuable ANCHOR! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Refresh your Browser for New Spring Index Here: https://tinyurl.com/y4xyz2w8 -<>- Latest From Truth Or Tradition: https://www.truthortradition.com/ Absolute Bible Study Index http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Contents.htm -<>- >In The News: * From Trump Women Daily: Lara Fights to Eliminate Greyhound Racing in West Virginia https://tinyurl.com/udcxquv Melania Takes a Lap at Daytona 500 https://tinyurl.com/tlyfra7 Ivanka Gives Keynote Speech in Dubai https://tinyurl.com/t8s5qew Melania Spends V-Day with Children of NIH https://tinyurl.com/s75527o A Warm Welcome to the First Lady of Ecuador https://tinyurl.com/yx6smt7h --- Venezuela Then and Now: The “Achievements” of Chavista Socialism https://tinyurl.com/v8ky3tz Trump Admin Extends Venezuelan Sanctions to this Country https://tinyurl.com/wsthy3x Bernie Rally Features Trotskyist Seattle Council Member Whose Party Wants To Seize Control Of Banks https://tinyurl.com/wv3ddg2 Billionaire Allegedly Behind A False Flag Operation In Alabama Helped Finance The Group Behind Iowa Caucus Chaos https://tinyurl.com/u4g7ypr Attorney General Barr Makes His Case For Reexamining A Critical Law Protecting Big Tech From Waves Of Lawsuits https://tinyurl.com/soqm8t5 Julian Assange’s Lawyer Says Trump Offered WikiLeaks Founder A Pardon https://tinyurl.com/skaf95n Bloomberg Is Reportedly Paying Californians To Post Pro-Bloomberg Content Ahead Of Primary https://tinyurl.com/vepvbxu Democrats Concerned With Trump's Growing Strength https://tinyurl.com/taedcww Trump takes track to open Daytona 500 https://tinyurl.com/ve9sbpo President Donald Trump issued a warning Sunday to countries that use Chinese tech company firm, Huawei. https://tinyurl.com/yxyvrnha Westwing News: President Trump’s Approval Rating Among Small Business Owners Hits All-Time High https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: The Olympics returns to America! https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: Potato Chips, Fans, Helmets http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: Coronavirus and How It Spreads http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- >From Our Friend Victor :) Maybe he is not so bad after all Billionaire George Soros says Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg should be removed from their leadership positions at Facebook https://tinyurl.com/sr5e43t --- ...HaHa! I wouldn't count on it! Thanks Victor! Here's ways he spends his money... Wikipedia George Soros Donations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_projects_supported_by_George_Soros George Soros/Political activity https://ballotpedia.org/George_Soros/Political_activity And here, he reminds me of the Clinton foundation - Just laundering their money to pay less taxes on it by using their own 'charity'... George Soros just gave almost 80 percent of his wealth to his charity https://tinyurl.com/y7og525k Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== _____ _/__|_,\__ aaaah _O |,-.___,-. ) _____ _o' @ __ (` ( O ) ( O ) _/__|_,\__ /` __( `> ____|_,\_ |> ,`-'/_~`-'/) |,-.___,-._) /> )-.)/\-. |,-.___,-.| ,|. `===---===-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' >Should We Stop? Story Editor: by Jaycey Swenka Clayton Bennett Iowa, USA In 2002, my newlywed husband worked briefly as a tow-truck driver in my hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Because he was almost always on call, I would ride along to be with him whenever I had the opportunity. One particular day, we had just dropped off a vehicle and were heading to the next pick-up when we encountered a father and his son stopped almost in the middle of a four-way intersection. Their truck was parked off to the side a bit, at enough of an angle to see that many bags of concrete had slid off the opened pickup bed. Some had broken apart on the asphalt. The father had tried to park his truck so it gave them some protection from the oncoming traffic, but as it was a busy intersection during the 5:00 rush hour, it wasn't hard to see that they could easily get hit. Even though they had their emergency flashers on, they were almost hit twice by people flying past, not slowing down in the least, much less stopping to offer help. This infuriated me, not because they were blocking traffic, but because no one passing or waiting at the lights had offered their help. Many sat there waiting for the light to change, watching this man as he and his son tried to pick up the heavy bags of concrete quickly and not get hit. Not one single person stopped to help. I told my husband that you know things are getting bad when even people in Iowa won't stop to offer help anymore. He asked if we should stop and help. "Most definitely!" I replied. I wanted to help -- not because no one else would, but because I felt like I needed to. My husband pulled up behind the truck and turned on his flashing lights. Many people wouldn't notice emergency flashers on a regular truck, he said, but they will notice the lights on a tow truck, even in broad daylight. He wanted me to stay in the tow truck as I was pregnant with our daughter at the time, but I refused. "The more hands out there helping, the faster the job will get done" was my excuse. The man gratefully accepted our offer to help. As we were loading the unbroken bags of concrete back onto his truck, he told us they had just come from a hardware store -- after buying supplies for a deck and patio his wife had wanted for years. He then went on to tell us that his wife was dying of cancer, and that he didn't want to leave her alone for long, as she wasn't doing well. After everything was reloaded, the father offered us some money, which we refused even though we needed it. We told him that we hoped someone would someday do the same for us. Little did we know when we stopped that our reward would be meeting a man on such a poignant, inspiring mission. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "In Jesus' righteousness the unrighteous are granted, as a gift, relationship with God: a free gift. Mercy took a human face." - Walter Wangerin , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >The Importance of Repentance (By Chris Long) This morning I had a message that the Lord spoke to me in my sleep just prior to my awaking. When I awoke, it was burning in my heart - one of those things that you just KNOW was the Lord. It was very simply that I needed to share this Word from His Word: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Pretty early on in the Gospel of Matthew we are introduced to this phrase. "In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'" - (Matthew 3:1-2 NKJV) John the Baptist comes on the scene, preparing the way for Jesus. And he comes preaching a message of repentance. One chapter later, as Jesus's own preaching ministry begins (after His wilderness temptations/"wilderness season"), He comes bearing the same message: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" - (Matthew 4:17 NKJV) A consistent message, for sure. Both John the Baptist and Jesus said the same thing right out the gate. It was the centerpiece of their message - the centrality of what they had to say. All that Jesus ever did and said that followed that we read about was centered around that theme. All the healings and miracles, all the other teachings - even about Himself - they all were given to validate, support, and expand upon that central theme. A new era had begun; God had a message for all humanity - and that message was one of "good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). We're still in this era today (though it is going to end one day - and while a subject for another time, just as a statement of fact: that day is not all that far off). But for now, Jesus is still saying the same thing to us humans today: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If you're anything like me, when you've heard or read this phrase in the past, perhaps you've seen it with kind of angry overtones. A "repent or else - you horrible sinner!" tone - almost intended solely to condemn...A vision of an angry John the Baptist or Jesus out yelling this phrase, not much different from those people that in the name of Jesus will hold up condemning signs saying things like "You're going to hell!" and "Burn in hell, sinner!" Certainly the reality of heaven and hell is serious. Certainly the reality of sin, which leads to death, which leads to judgment, which leads to hell, is indeed a serious subject. Wrath is a very real thing, and the Bible teaches that God's wrath is coming. John the Baptist mentions this "coming wrath" just a few verses later in Matthew 3:7-8. In fact, he specifically exhorts: "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance...The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:8,10 NIV1984) That's serious talk! And if it doesn't produce a twang of holy fear in us, I don't know what will. God's wrath is indeed coming and it is indeed real. It will be coming to all who refuse to receive His message and repent! But that's just why this message from God, uttered and validated by both John the Baptist, and Jesus, isn't angry at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite. It's not an angry shout, but a pleading cry out of Love! It's saying in essence: "Look, God has made a way for you to be forgiven of your sins! The kingdom of heaven is available to you and here for you. It's right here! The time is now! God's made the way! He wants you! He wants to forgive you! He wants you with Himself for all eternity! He loves you that much! All you have to do is receive it. And you receive it by believing it and thus repenting of your sins." In some churches and Christian circles, this whole concept of repentance seems to be glossed over. Somehow becoming a Christian became all about just saying you believe in Jesus. But the totality of the Gospel necessarily includes repentance. And it's not just an afterthought, either. The "Good News" isn't good for us unless we first admit and repent of the bad. This is not a step that can be skipped. I'm not going to get into the word games that some get into on what "repentance" means or doesn't mean. It can be boiled down pretty simply: You acknowledge your sin in reality and you are genuinely sorry for it. You don't hide from it. You don't try to cover it up or explain it away. You don't rationalize it. You agree with God that you have done wrong and you acknowledge that the just penalty for your sin is death eternally, because God is holy and perfect and sets the rules on what is right and wrong - and you have not measured up. While you may or may not seem "better" than any fellow human, compared to God's standard, you have failed. You fail the test. You get an "F". Period. You don't deserve to be in perfectness with a righteous, good, holy God, because you have not been righteous, good, or holy when compared to the perfect standard of God! --- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' ...It isn't because of anything you yourself said or did - it is all of mankind - you inherited the sin of Adam. All mankind falls short of the Glory of God - Rom.3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" - thus are all doomed to death because of it - 1 Cor. 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." But God wants YOU! He LOVES YOU! He knows you're not perfect and He offers you forgiveness of your sins. God is the only one that CAN forgive you of your sins, because He is the Standard-Setter, the Perfect One! And His message to you is "Come to me. Repent of your sins. Seek my forgiveness. I'll give it!" "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" In a very real sense, the "kingdom of heaven" was indeed at hand when Jesus, who came from Heaven, was standing there. The whole reason Jesus could proclaim that message (and John the Baptist could utter it in preparation for Jesus to utter it), is that Jesus Himself came to make that way - He WAS (IS!) the Way! (John 14:6) Jesus came to this world from Heaven to live the perfect life that we could not live and pay the penalty for our sin, so we COULD be forgiven! God is still a righteous God and sin still has consequences and has to be paid for. He can't just overlook it - He gave us free choice. But Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins, so we can CAN be forgiven and have new life now and be with God in Heaven for all eternity where everything is good and right and lovely! But we have to want it. We have to want Him. And step 1 is that we repent of our sins. Step 2 is we accept and receive the forgiveness available to us through Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. And, by the way, it's real easy to tell whether genuine repentance has taken place. If it has, a person will act different. They will act in accordance with that. They will, as John the Baptist stated bluntly: "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." They won't be perfect, but their life will show things - bring forth fruit in increasing measure over time - that shows that they have repented of their sins and accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf. And this leads me to a further application of the statement of John the Baptist and Jesus, which actually I believe is likely the real reason I am to be writing this today. I believe this statement also is a Word from the Lord this year to those who go to church and claim to be Christians. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" As a whole, many in the Church have been very loose with God's standards. Many have rested on a one-time act of repentance (or worse, no repentance but only a supposed "belief" in Jesus), but have not been working with Jesus to actually obey God and live as He wants them to. In other words, the fruit of repentance has been real lacking. Repentance isn't just a one-time act, but an attitude. We need to keep very short accounts with God. A person who one time maybe half-heartedly repented of their sins and so-called "accepted Christ", but later on by the totality of their actions you'd never know they were "saved" and are not obeying God's Word (or even trying to do so), are not "producing fruit in keeping with repentance." Repentance is an on-going attitude in acknowledging that you are a sinner and need Jesus to pay the penalty for that sin, and need His help to overcome that sin. We can't be passive here. We want to make sure that we are fully trusting in Jesus and resting in Him as our Savior to pay the penalty for our sins. But part of that is also recognizing that this is not a license to just live as we want. We're not going to be perfect here, but we do need to acknowledge that what God's Word says is sin, is indeed sin, and that if we have sinned, we need to seek forgiveness and work with Jesus to overcome that sin. We have to be active in this. Do not be deceived on this or misled! Don't merely rest on some one-time act you did some time in the past. Today (as the Bible says numerous times) is the day of salvation. Today. Keep short accounts with God, trusting in Jesus. The Bible is very clear on this point, and I believe that there are many within our churches that need to hear this Word of the Lord this day: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" --- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' ...Romans 10,9 is actually quite simple. However, God knows a person's heart. It requires 2 things - First that they say out loud 'Jesus Christ is my Lord'. Many don't understand what 'Lord" means since we don't use it so much these days, but this is the dictionary definition of Lord... someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or "ruler." - If a person is meaning what they say and saying what they mean when they are declaring Jesus Christ is their Lord, then God will know it and the second part will come into play for their salvation... Second part is that the person must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Again, God knows their heart. If they really don't believe this then God knows and they won't be saved. But if the person's heart is true Then they SHALL be producing the fruit of their repentance. Why? Because Jesus Christ has power, authority, and influence over them because He is their Lord. And as their love for God and Jesus Christ grows so shall their fruit. It's a relationship born out of love. 1 John 4:19 "We love him, because he first loved us." ----------------- This article is Copyright by Chris Long 2011. You may use this article for free for any purpose, whether commercial or non-commercial, as long as you use the entire text and that all text, including this notice, is not modified or removed in any fashion. For any other usage, you must obtain written permission from the author. All scripture quotations designated "NKJV" are shared in accordance with this notice: "Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved." All Scripture quotations designated "NIV1984" are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. This is version 1.0 of this document (February 23, 2011). This document is provided as a ministry outreach via Laugh & Lift. http://www.laughandlift.com SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com ========================================================== * _ /,\_ |___) , (\___/) * ( \ (. .) \ * c\ >' # )`_/ ' _______| |__ ,|// # ___ ` ~ ) ( / \,| | . ' .) \ /# _( / ) , / \ / | // ,#;,,;,; \,/ __,, ,#;,;;,;; \__( i;;;,,;; \\,;;,%;;,;# %,;;:,%;,;% ;,;; #,; // \|_ |#\ b'ger -" >-->The choice is yours - Author Unknown As the battle was raging I felt I were dead I needed a place To rest my head. "A stranger's approaching!" Came a cry from the night. I lifted my eyes - Too weary to fight. The stranger then smiled, And offered me rest. But the simple cost was - To give up my quest. (\___/) \ (, ,) c\ >' )o_/ /\ ____/ /__ ,_ / \ __/ ` ~ ) / _/// /_ %%%___%, . ' .) \ /# _____________ %%% = =% , / \ / | | '\\\\\\ ___%% > __..,; \,/ | ' ____|_ /' \_% ^ % \:,# | + '||:::::: / %%%% .'%#.% | '||_____| /. ,- O < \%"# '________|_____| (\ <' ' |\ / '-.___ ___/____|___\___ _.\__\________\_\___/), |\\_______________| _ ' <<<:| |_________'___o_o| b'ger The price was then paid, And I settled to nap; Now knowing my head Was in the enemy's lap. I rose the next morning, Determined to fight. But to that lap I returned, To rest for the night. Then, in the night, I awoke with a start. I could feel every beat, Of my fast-beating heart. My blood - it pulsed through me; I trembled with fear. Laughing and mocking, Was all I could hear. . . |\ |\ _..;|;__;|; ,' ';` \';`-. 7;-.. : ) .--._)| `;==,|,==' `\`@; \_ `<`G," G). `\/-;,( ) .>. ) < ,-;'-.__.;' `\_ `-,__,' kg `-..,;,> `;;;; ` ` The enemy laughed, "How dumb your belief; To think me your friend, Because I gave you relief! * * * * ) (\___/) ( * /( \ (. .) )\ * # ) c\ >' ( # ' )-_/ ' \\|, ____| |__ ,|// \ ) ( ` ~ ) ( / #\ / /| . ' .) \ /# | \ / ) , / \ / | \,/ ;;,,;,; \,/ _,#;,;;,;, /,i;;;,,;#,; (( %;;,;,;;,; )) ;#;,;%;;,, _// ;,;; ,#;, /_) #,; // // \|_ \|_ |#\ |#\ -" b'ger -" We now have you captured! It's over! It's done! Because of your blindness, The enemy has won!" __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown I fell to my knees. "Lord, how can this be, That the one that I trusted Was my enemy?" It was then that the Lord Began to speak, "My child, you were blinded Because you were weak. _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` Instead of fighting with your sword, You fought with your hands. You keep sword in sheath, And let the enemy stand. I warned you that night That a stranger came. Yet you were too weary To know his name. In the morning when you rose, You could have come to me. But instead you went to the lap Of your enemy. But my grace is sufficient; I will meet your need. But now you must choose: The stranger or me. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ~ Matthew 7:7-8 >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $20 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all self-subscribed readers and $5 more will give you the same message also put up for all web site readers. Email me to secure dates. 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