Saturday, December 26, 2009

Curiosity May Have Killed the Cat

But my Friends, it Saved Zacchaeus:

Zacchaeus may have been a wee little man, but dont sell him short. He is more than a minor New Testament character (Luke 10:1-10). One characteristic that cause him to stand above the crowd is his curiosity. It was no passsing interest that caused the little man who collected big taxes to run ahead of the multitude and call attention to his short stature by climbing a tree. This curiosity brought "salvation to his house" (19:9).

My friends, I recently had the privilige of reading a "Food For Thought" that was written by a member of my family, who I've always considered "One of a Kind" and has always been very dear to my heart. And who has always brought me pleasure thru her obivious God given talents/skills, mind, as well as her other such fine personal attributes that she clearly possess. For in her writing, she reminded me of how some in this life, choose to be cynical, and too, how others may choose to always ask the question Why?

Well my friends, What about you? Are you like her? Do you have an active mind? Do you find yourself asking, "Why"? more often than most? Does your curiosity spill over into the religious realm? Have you read much of the Bible?(God's Word) to Man! Have you wondered about its claims to be inspired of God, its story of creation, its record of miracles, its discussion of Jesus virgin birth and bodily resurrection, its claims about heaven and hell? If so my friends, I would like to encourage you to keep reading! For I've chosen to prepare this "Food For Thought" with her in mind, and too, Just for YOU my Friends!

Evidently Zacchaeus had heard some pretty amazing things about Jesus: Somebody came through Jericho a while back who said He fed five thousand people up by Lake Galilee.. for another reported seeing Him cast out devils and heal lepers.. rumor was He raised a dead man up on the mountain.. walked on the Sea of Galilee, too, some say.. Just today they said He had healed two blind men, on the other side of town.

And then there were the other things: Jesus didnt tow the party line with those hateful scribes and Pharisees.. He associated with publicans, ate with publicans, made a publican the hero of one of His sermons, selected a publican as of of His apostles, was even known as the "friend of publicans and sinners". He preached about doing away with the tradition of the elders and urged people to follow only the will of God. Well my friends, this was enough to make a man just a little curious. Just like that "One of a Kind" in my family.

Jesus was used to being the object of curiosity. As an infant, He aroused the curiosity of the "Magi" (Matt:2:2); angels peered from heavenly windows to see their Master's new form (Luke 2:15; 1 Peter 1:12); and Simeon couldn't wait to hold Him(Luke 2:28).

As a boy, doctors in the temple found Him very interesting(Luke 2:47). As a man, two of John's disciples were inquisitive about where He lived and were invited to "come and see" (John 1:38,39). A ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus was curious enough to pay Him an "after hours" visit(John 3:2). Simon the Pharisee was curious about "whether he were a prophet or not" and invited Him to a banquet(Luke 7:36). Certain Greeks who came to a feast Jesus also attended asked Philip to arrange for them to meet Jesus. (Their request is ours, too: "Sir, we would see Jesus, (John 12:20,21; cf. 1 John 3:1-3). Interest never waned, my friends, to include with my family member, which I call "Our One of a Kind". And even Herod wanted to see Him because He had heard such marvelous things about Him (Luke 23:8).

My friends, I've found that Most of us first come to Jesus on this level. Even after two thousand years. He is still the most talked about, most controversial, human ever to reside on the Planet. Sure we heard some things, not sure if we believe them yet, but we are curious, are we not? Things like "born of a virgin." Are you for real? (Yes.) "Put His hands on sick people and they got better." Yea right! (Exactly Right.) Walked on the water? C'mon. (The only thing that got wet was the bottom of his feet.) Called His friend and Lazarus come out to see Him from the grave? Sounds like a Halloween story Jim.. (No story. Lazarus is one man who died twice). Murdered by His enemies on Friday, but got the last laugh on Sunday morning. Pretty unbelievable huh my friends? (Thats what makes it a miracle.)

And then, like all of you, that choose to be cynical, and yes, like Zacchaeus, there are the other things for you, and us. For my friends Jesus forgave people of "Anything", once they repented (Turned Away), like a single women living and sleeping with a man, outside of marriage, and having sexual relations with him, and like the woman caught in adultery and that murderer Saul of Tarsus. He even prayed for His executioners! He catered to common folks and tapped ordinary people to be His most relied upon lieutenants. He made it sound like anybody could please Him if they wanted to enough, and everybody could make it to heaven. It's still enough to make a person inquisitive even still today, and perhaps even You, My Friend!

My Friends, it is good for us to be curious about spiritual things, is it not? We were born questioners. For I recall years ago, when I had the privilige and honor to babysit our family's first born boy, who I will call Mikee "D". For I was blessed to see the wonderment in his eyes as we interacted together, just him and me all alone. For I recall his favorite "Word" to me, even til this day, and always just loved it, when He said, "Uncle Jim, Why?" For "Why" was his favorite word. And thus he taught me to use that word, when I was blessed to have children of my own, a few years later, thus encouraging them as well to use it, at every opportunity.
So even today adults should not give up that word too easily. Einstein said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning." Charles P. Steinmetz said, "No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions." Samuel Johnson said, "Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect." James Thurber said, "It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all the answers."

Paul taught, "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21; cf. Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:10; Philippians 1:10). Jesus told the Jews; "Search the scriptures" (John 5:39), and urged His followers to be "fruit inspectors" (Matt:7:15-20). He insisted that God gave us eyes, ears, and brains for a reason ("Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?" (Mark 7:16; cf. Matt:13-16, Luke 8:18).

For Remember always my friends Curiosity is not a thing to be crushed. Nor Doubt is the prelude of knowledge in this writers subjective view.


In My Conclusion of This "Food For Thought"

Curiosity Will Lead You to
Investigate.

Remembering "Mikee D's" Question
"Why"

Investigation leads to Knowledge
Which Leads to Faith.

Faith Leads to Obedience Which
Leads to Salvation.

Stay Tuned My Friends!

Jim

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Older Women A Lingering Fragrance

My Friends, as I "Penn" This Food For Thought, I'm reminded by all those God Fearing Beauitful Women, who have truly been blessed to possess such fine personal attributes, and have chosen to live there lives in a faithful manner, always encouraging and leading others to Christ and His Ways. For This "Food For Thought" was written, with all of them in mind, and is dedicated to and for my real Help-meet(skye2dy), who has been such a great role model, for all women through out the world today!


A Lingering Fragrance
The life of an older godly
woman is compared to
a beautiful rose.

The mature Christian
woman’s roots are strong and
firm because she is grounded
in God’s Word.

The long graceful
stem, with its many thorns,
represents her life with many
trials and tribulations.

A fragile rosebud is pretty, but not until the petal
begins to unfold do we see the full beauty of the rose.
Likewise, the years unfold showing the true beauty of the
dedicated life of the Christian woman. All her love and
kindness is as the softness of each velvety white petal.

To the heart of the rose comes the bee to gather
nectar for its honey, the sweetest food known to man! From
the loving heart of the older Christian woman comes the
spiritual bread as she teaches and influences the younger
woman in all the ways God has commanded.

Only when the rose bloom reaches maturity do we
catch the full sweetness of the aroma as it emits from the
very heart of the flower. So in maturity, a Christian woman
keeps Christ in her heart and truly loves as Christ loved.

Deep in the heart of the rose is hidden the seed of
life itself. In the pure heart of the Christian woman we find
knowledge and wisdom of how to live the abundant life. She
is not afraid of loneliness, because she knows she is not alone
when God is her constant companion. God’s ever presence
gives her courage.

When the dew of the evening falls on the full blown
rose, it has reached the height of its beauty. The Christian
woman can so live her life that when she reaches the twilight
years she will find them to be the best and most beautiful.

She does not fear death, for she has faith that God will keep
His promise. She finds peace and comfort in the Scriptures,
“And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world”
(Mat. 28:20).

What Happens To Me, When I Die?

Food For Thought:

My Friends, Remember always, that each one of us, has been created with a soul/spirit within; and that Soul /Spirit Will End up Somewhere, when we die, either in Heaven, or in Hell!

James wrote: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith

without works is dead also” (Jam. 2:26). Man’s spirit inhabits and

motivates the body. Therefore, the body with the spirit is alive, but

the body without the spirit is dead. Whenever we stand before

an open coffin, we are reminded of this inescapable truth.

The Bible plainly, explicitly, and repeatedly sets forth the

fact of man’s having a spirit within his body. For example:

The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the

Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the

foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man

within him (Zec. 12:1).

Daniel declared, “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the

midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me” (Dan.

7:15). Paul wrote about the spirit of the Christian, as the “inward

man,” “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward

man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor.

4:16). While the physical body dies and returns to the dust, the

spirit lives on: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:

and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecc. 12:7; cf.

1 Cor. 15:50-58; 2 Cor. 4:16-5:10; 1 The. 4:13-18). Jesus warned,

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill

the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul

and body in hell” (Mat. 10:28).

Concerning the continuing existence of man’s spirit, Jesus

spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as yet living, although, centuries

earlier, they had passed from physical life on the earth:

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not

read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I

am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the

God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of

the living (Mat. 22:31-32).

After death, man’s spirit continues to live in the

hadean (unseen) world. The departed spirit of man maintains

consciousness, identity, and memory in the temporary state of

either rest or torment (Luke 16:19-31). In the hadean abode,

departed spirits await the final judgment to be pronounced

according to the deeds of life (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Again, our Lord spoke of the eternal nature of man’s

spirit when He pictured this judgment scene (Mat. 25:31-46),

pronouncing the everlasting condemnation of the wicked and

the eternal reward of the righteous. He said, “And these shall

go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life

eternal” (Mat. 25:46).

Therefore, there can be no doubt that man, while he lives

on this earth, has, within his body, a spirit which shall live beyond

the death of the earthly tabernacle in which it temporarily resides.

This spirit, which is of greater worth than the world and all the

things within it (Mat. 16:26), must be born anew (John 3:3-5),

and then continue to grow in order to render faithful service

here and to be readied for entrance into the heavenly home

prepared for the redeemed (John 14:1-4).

In view of this marvelous truth, that man has a spirit within

him that shall live eternally, let us commit ourselves, each day

of our lives, to follow the way that leads to eternal life. As Paul

wrote:

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue

in them: for in doing this thou shalt both

save thyself,

and them that hear thee. (1 Tim. 4:16).

And Finally My Friends, Remember always that its the Wise Man, that will Increase In Learning and Knowledge, and Its the Fool who despises Knowledge and Wisdom!

For Our Lord Jesus Will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who have chosen Not to Obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For these will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, forever!(2 Thess 6-9)

My Friends, Its my prayer for you this day, that you do not allow this to happen to you!

For Remember My Friends, Always, Trust & Obey, for there is know other way, but to just Trust & Obey!

For Remember Always my friends, that you do have a soul/spirit, and it will end up somewhere!