LIFE Stories

Sometimes we need that gentle reminder to look up. The Word says in Hebrews 12:2a "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." – Jude  1:21 . +++ While worshiping God in a chapel one afternoon, I felt compassion for the one standing next to me as she had many needs. She was longing for a touch from God. Finances, health problems, job issues, her children, children’s future, her home, all these issues and more were weighing her down. As a single mom, she was struggling as you can imagine. It seemed like she was drowning in all the problems. Then the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me to tell her to "Chin Up." It was like she was in a sea of situations and if she could just get her chin up, then she would not drown. I thought that sounded funny but you know it is true. If spiritually she would get her chin up, then what she would be doing is tilt...

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." – Ephesians  2:10 . +++ When the Standard Oil Company began to refine petroleum, there was a black substance, a by-product, that no one knew what to do with. It was black, sticky, stinking, it could not be buried, not burned, and everyone complained of the all but endurable stench. If it were run into a stream, it killed all the fish. Therefore, the company offered a reward to anyone able to solve the problem. A great many chemists, attracted by the promised reward, occupied themselves with the task of coming up with a solution. Finally, one walked into the office of Mr. Rockefeller with a white shining substance free from every offensive quality--and in fact extremely useful. It was what we know of today as paraffin, used for candles or waterproof coatings and hundreds of other purposes. +++ Like this chemist, God takes the dirty, sticky, stinking parts o...

When you choose to love God, the obedience and the service fall into place. You honor His commandments because your love for Him keeps you from falling into sin. If I asked you to give God 100 percent, would you immediately think I meant money? Well, don't worry; this question really isn't about money; it's about you. All of you: heart, mind, soul and strength. +++ Once a small boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles and the girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl, "I will give you all my marbles in exchange for your sweets." The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marbles aside and gave the rest to the girl but the girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully, but the boy could not sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marbles from her. +++ Moral of the story: If you don’t give hundred p...

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8. +++ A bulldog and a poodle belonged to the one master, were arguing one day. The bulldog was making fun of the poodle, calling him a weak little runt who couldn't do anything. The bulldog said, "I challenge you to a contest. Let's see who can open the back door of their house the fastest and get inside." The bulldog was thinking he would turn the doorknob with his powerful jaws, while the poodle was too small to even reach the knob of his back door. But to the bulldog's surprise the poodle said, "I can get inside my house faster than you can. I accept the challenge." So with the poodle watching, the bulldog ran to the back door of his house and jumped up to the doorknob. He got his teeth and paws around it and tried to turn it, but he couldn't get enough grip on the knob to do it, so he finally quit in exhaustion. Now it was the poodle's turn. He just did what he'd been doing every...

The Grace, Mercy and Love of God are each special gifts given to us that we can never fully comprehend.  The Lord loved humanity so greatly that He willfully gave His life to redeem us from our sins and iniquities. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." – 1 John 1:9. +++ A visitor at a fishing dock asked an old fisherman who was sitting there, "If I were to fall into this water, would I drown?" It was a queer way of asking how deep the water was, but the fisherman had a good answer. "No," he said. "Falling into the water doesn't drown anybody. It's staying under it that does." +++ In the same way, falling into sin doesn't have to condemn anyone, but staying in it does. We can treat sin so flippantly, but we need to realize what it does. Sin spiritually kills us, separates us from God, and it incurs God's judgment. We can choose to stay under sin, or we...

Jesus said, "Beware! Don't always be wishing for what you don't have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.” – Luke  12:15 . +++ "Money," said Sanford Lee, "is an excellent servant, but a terrible master." A reporter once asked the elder Rockefeller, "How much money does it take to satisfy a person?" The billionaire snapped back, "Always a little more!" Another has said:" Money will buy the following: A bed but not sleep / Books but not brains / Food but not an appetite / Finery but not beauty / A house but not a home / Medicine but not health / Luxuries but not culture / Amusement but not happiness / A crucifix but not a Savior." Obviously we can't live without money and there's nothing wrong with being wealthy. The issue is, do we own our money or does our money own us, and what is our motive for wanting more money? Someone once in an astute manner said, "What God couldn't do i...

When you're in a tight spot and problems are raging all around, there is a sense of uncertainty that tries to envelop the mind. If we are not careful, it is easy to get mentally sidetracked. By focusing on our problems and never looking up, we will fail to experience the peace of God. We should keep learning that when things don't work out the way we would have wanted, there is a greater plan in the future. The focus has to be taken off our doubts and placed on a promised word from God. +++ In the sport of NASCAR there are individual drivers for every racecar and for every driver there is a spotter. On their own a racecar driver is more likely to crash, but with the help of a spotter they are able to avoid some costly accidents. Bob Margolis from Yahoo Sports explains, "The spotter is a team member with a radio who is placed in a high position where they can see as much of the entire race track as physically possible-usually on top of the highest grandstand. His or her pri...

There are 2 lies Satan wants us to believe: 1. Just once won't hurt. 2. Now that you have ruined your life, you are beyond God's use, and might as well enjoy sinning. But the Lord says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." – Psalm 50:15. +++ Alexander, a little boy, was trying to save all the money he could in order to buy a baseball bat. But he had a hard struggle. One night when he was saying his prayers, his mother heard him say fervently: "O Lord, please help me save my money for a baseball bat. And, God, don't let the ice cream man come down this street!" +++ Temptation often comes not at our strongest, but our weakest moments. When we are at the limit of our patience, love, etc., we are tempted to be un-Christian. Listen to some good news today about temptation. It comes from Paul talking to the believers in Corinth in 1 Corinthians  10:13 . Paul says, "No temptation has seized you except what is ...

  +++   Many years ago, a wealthy man went duck hunting with a hired hand named Sam. They took a horse and carriage, and along the way a rim came off one of the wheels. As Sam hammered it back on, he accidentally hit his finger. Instantly he let go with some bad words. He quickly fell to his knees, asking God's forgiveness. "Lord, it's difficult at times to live the Christian life", he prayed. "Sam" said the wealthy man, "I know you're a Christian, but tell me why you struggle so, I'm an atheist, and I don't have problems like that." Sam didn't know what to say. Just then two ducks flew overhead. The wealthy man raised his gun and two shots rang out. "Leave the dead one and go after that wounded bird!" he shouted. Sam pointed at the duck that was fluttering desperately to escape and said, "I've got an answer for you now, Boss. You said my Christianity isn't any good because I have to struggle so. Well, I'm...

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7 +++ A friend recently gave me the following suggestion: "When Satan comes to remind me about my past, I remind him about his future." One thing Satan does is continually accuse us before God. … the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night…” Revelation  12:10 .  He will accuse us, too, of our past in our mind if we allow him to. When he does, however, we can remind him not only about his future in hell, but also that Christ shed his blood on the cross and gave his life to pay for our sins and has washed them all away.  So what's there to accuse us of if we have confessed our sins to Christ and asked for and accepted his forgiveness? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because Christ died for us and cleansed us from our sins, we can, in his name, resist the devil and, as James said, he will flee from us.  Satan hates the name of Jesus. Be sure to mention it when Satan...

When a blind man came to Jesus, He asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” the blind man replied. Then Jesus touched his eyes and said, “Let it be done to you as you believe." And his sight was restored. The next time you come across a tough situation and need God's intervention, I encourage you to ask the Lord in prayer and by faith believe that you have received your answer from the Lord. Stand strong on God's promise and do not waver in your faith, He is with us even till the end of time. +++ George Foreman was a two-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world. At age 45, he became the oldest man in the world to win the title. In his book,  God in My Corner , he writes: When I climbed in the ring during my comeback, the announcers often introduced me as “the former heavyweight champion of the world.” As they introduced me, I’d mumble to myself, “And the next heavyweight champion of the world.” He goes on to say, "How could I ever win the ...

"Consider the lilies, how they grow." – Matthew  6:28 +++ I need oil," said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee." And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died. Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see, it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it ...

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Never allow the enemy to make you feel as if God has forgotten you or does not care about meeting your needs. The Bible declares that God knows what we need even before we ask Him. Therefore, be strong and courageous, for if God is with us who can be against us. +++ When Lord Horatio Nelson was fighting the Battle of Copenhagen, his senior officer, Sir Hyde Parker, also known as “Old Vinegar,” hoisted the flag signaling retreat. Nelson deliberately put his telescope to his blind eye and said, “I do not see it.” If he had surrendered when it looked like defeat, he would not have captured twelve Danish ships. +++ When you’re fighting the Battle of Perspective, Satan will hoist his flag, trying to discourage you....

+++ A farmer got so old that he couldn’t work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. After many weeks gone by the son thought to himself, “He’s of no use any more, he doesn’t do anything!” One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. “I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?” “What is it?” replied the son. “Throw me over the cliff, if you like,” said the father, “but save this good wood coffin. Your c...

One of the greatest joys that we can have as Christians is the joy of leading someone to Christ.Think of it! You and I can be God's instruments in the salvation of others. This is not the work of just a few select people. Every Christian is called upon to witness for Christ, and every Christian can be a soul-winner. The Lord Jesus said, "Come, follow me," Jesus said [to fishermen Peter and Andrew] and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew  4:19 . +++ Some of us have the idea that our life can't make much of a difference. Sometimes we think, "What can one person do?" This reminds me of the man who, when walking along the beach, kept picking up starfish that had been washed ashore. There must have been hundreds of them, or maybe thousands. One by one he picked them up and threw each back into the ocean. A stranger watching said to the man, "Why are you doing that? There are so many starfish on the beach. What you are doing makes no difference." ...

“Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. – Proverbs  16:24 . A cartoon depicts a woman shaking hands with her clergyman as she leaves the church. The caption says, "Thank you for the sermon. It was like water to a drowning man." Some compliments are better left unsaid... Isn't it true that words carry with them immense power? Power to build up and power to tear down. Such was the case with the words of Deborah, a woman who learned that there is no wrong time to say the right thing. +++ It was a cold, rainy day in March. Across the room in the millinery department of the store where Deborah worked, sat Laura, a woman about Deborah's age. Other workers did not like Laura; they thought her to be snobbish and aloof. And Deborah agreed. But sweeping the bias from her eyes, she made up her mind to say something kind to Laura. Finally, she managed, "Do you know Laura that I've worked in this room with you for several years. And whenev...