This Is Jesus Checking In

A Pastor passing through his church in the middle of the day decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle. The Pastor frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while. His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed. The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed, each noon time came this man. Each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.

The Pastor's suspicion grew, with robbery a main fear. He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?"

The old man said that he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say: 'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM, CHECKING IN TODAY.'"

The Pastor feeling foolish told Jim, that it was fine for him to visit the Church every day. He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks." He hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before. His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ALBERT CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the Pastor noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim appearing, he began to worry that something might have happened to the man.

At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill. The hospital staff was worried, but he'd given them a thrill. The week that Jim was with them, brought changes in the ward. His smile has a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad when no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had. The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile; "the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while every day at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see, He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,

AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY."

Releasing The Donkey

A donkey was tied to a tree. A demon came and released him. The donkey entered the field of a farmer and began to eat everything. 

The farmer’s wife saw the donkey and was afraid that it would destroy the farm, took the rifle and killed it.

The donkey’s owner saw the dead donkey, got angry and also took his rifle and fired at the farmer's wife, killing her. 

When the farmer came home and saw that his wife was dead, he killed the donkey's owner.

The sons of the donkey owner, upon seeing that their father was dead, they burned the farmer's field. 

The farmer, in retaliation, shot and killed all of them.

The farmer was arrested and went to the gallow. 

When all the dead souls in hell asked the demon what he had done, the demon said:

"I did nothing evil, I just released the donkey."

Did you get it? The devil does not need to do much, and he is able to trigger the evil intention of human hearts to harm each other. 

So, let's consider carefully before seeking revenge! Be careful with how you respond to any situation because the only thing the devil needs to do is to“release the donkey”.

The Empty Chair

An old Scotsman was quite ill and the family called for their minister. As he entered the sick room and sat down, he noticed another chair on the opposite side of the bed, a chair which had also been drawn close. 

The pastor said, “Well, Donald, I see I’m not your first visitor for the day.”

The old man looked up, was puzzled for a moment, then recognized from the nod of the head that the pastor had noticed the empty chair. 

“Well, Pastor, I’ll tell you about that chair. Many years ago, I found it quite difficult to pray, so one day I shared this problem with my pastor at the time. He told me not to worry about kneeling or about placing myself in some pious posture. Instead, he said, ‘Just sit down, put a chair opposite you, and imagine Jesus sitting in it. Then talk with him as you would a friend.’” The old Scot then added, “I’ve been doing that ever since.”

A short time later the daughter of the Scot called the pastor. When he answered, she informed him that her father had died very suddenly and she was quite shaken, for she had no idea death was so near. 

Then she continued, “I had just gone to lie down for an hour or two, for he seemed to be sleeping so comfortably. When I went back, he was dead.” Then she added thoughtfully, “Except now his hand was on the empty chair at the side of the bed. Isn’t that strange?” 

And the minister said, “No, it’s not strange at all.”

- F W Boreham, 'The Green Chair', Rubble and Roseleaves. Also told by Leslie Weatherhead, The Transforming Friendship: A Book about Jesus and Ourselves (New York: Abingdon Classics, 1990), 46-7.

The Pet Rattlesnake

A newspaper told the story of a man in Arkansas who had a pet rattlesnake. The man found the snake as a baby. He took it, fed it, and made it a pet. 

The reptile would come when he whistled, it would eat from his fingers, and it would coil around his arm and let him stroke its head with the palm of his hand or with the tips of his fingers. 

One day he took the snake to town to show it to his friends. They marvelled at its gentleness –marvelled that it would eat from his hand. Satisfied that he had impressed his friends the man went back home with his pet snake. 

When he arrived home, suddenly, with only the slightest provocation, the reptile became angry. That “pet” rattler buried its fangs into the man’s arm. In a few hours, the man was dead. In one quick instant, through that “friendly” serpent’s poisonous fangs, that man met death! 

Two days after that, this man who should have been sitting with his family in their humble but happy home was sleeping in the mud of an Arkansas grave. 

With such dread cometh such an hour to every man and woman who makes a pet of sin! 

(Robert G. Lee, Whirlwinds of God).

Sending Sons To Israel

A Jewish businessman in Chicago sent his son to Israel for a year to absorb the culture and upon his return, he said, "Papa, I had a great time in Israel, and by the way, I converted to Christianity."

"Oy Vey," said the father, "What have I done?" So he took his problem to his best friend. 

"Ike," he said, "I sent my son to Israel, and he came home a Christian. What can I do?"

"Funny you should ask," said Ike. "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the Rabbi."

"Funny you should ask," said the Rabbi. "I too sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. What is happening to our young people?" 

Then they prayed, telling God about their sons, and asking Him what to do when suddenly, a voice came booming from the Heavens!

"Funny you should ask," said the voice. "I, too, sent my Son to Israel... "

The Homeless Man and the Tycoon

Shanghai in the 1930s

One day, a Chinese tycoon, in his majestic-looking sedan car, passed by a narrow street in a certain part of Shanghai. As he looked out of his curtained window, he saw a young man begging by the side of that street. He told his driver to stop the vehicle so that he could talk to this young homeless man. 

The tycoon found out that this young man was a graduate who migrated from Guangzhou, the southern part of China. He also learned that the young man had fallen on hard time because he was cheated by some hooligans and added to that tragedy, he could not find a job.

The homeless man lamented, "After I arrived in Shanghai, I started to look for a job. Some would not employ me because they said that I was too skinny to do the hard work. Others said that I was too educated for their organizations. Yet others refused to hire me because I could not speak Shanghainese. 

At that time I was living with my schoolmate's uncle but he turned out to be a gambler. Apart from my monthly room rental, he asked me to advance him the rents for the next eleven months. I did and then this man suddenly disappeared. He did not pay his house rent to the landlord and so I and other tenants were kicked out of the premises. I have been living off the kindness and charity of the passersby for the last seven months."

The elderly tycoon listened attentively and his heart was drawn to this young man and wanted so badly to help him. Before he could say anything further, the homeless man said, "Sir, on the other hand, I no longer have a home in Guangzhou. My parents had passed on and now I am really an orphan."

With tears in his eyes, the young man pleaded, "I see that you are a very rich man. Do you have a job for me? Even as a cleaner in your office, I will be glad to serve you."

"Young man, I am not going to offer you a job." The tycoon said. 

"Instead I am going to offer you a partnership."

The young man was speechless. When he came to his senses, he asked, "What type of business would we be doing?"

The elderly man said, "Silk! We will sell silk cloths. My name is Moh and I am the largest silk producer in this part of China."

"What kind of partnership? You know I have no money and actually, I have nothing to my name now. How can I be your partner, Uncle Moh?" The homeless man questioned.

"Well, this type of partnership is special. It is such that I supply everything - from giving you a shop to helping you pay your employees and supplying you with the products until this business becomes self-sustaining and earning profits. I would even send a consultant to advise you on how you can best run the business."

The young man sank to his knees. He was weeping and exclaimed, "How can this be true? Are you sent by Heaven to help me? You are my savior!"

With tears rolling down his cheeks, the young man added, "I will be glad to be your partner, Uncle Moh. I will take only ten percent of the profit while you take ninety percent because you are supplying everything."

The elderly man laughed and said, "Young man, please stand up. Let me say that this will not be how you and I would split the profit. You will take ninety percent and I will take ten percent."

The young man was flabbergasted. He protested, "Uncle Moh, this will not be fair to you. At least, you have to take half of the profit."

The tycoon smiled and pointed to his car, his driver, his bodyguard, his expensive clothes and his diamond stubbed watch. 

"See all these, I have enough money to last me ten lifetimes. I don't need your profit. I ask for ten percent is to help you to become a responsible person who is filled with gratitude. It is also to keep you humble so that when you achieve success, you will always remember your humble beginning."

And so the partnership was launched. The young man worked very hard and every month, he faithfully delivered ten percent of his profit to the tycoon. 

After five years, the profit that this new partner was making by selling silk had tripled. Every month, he began to feel unhappy having to give such a large amount of money to the tycoon. So, instead of the usual ten percent, he reduced the amount to five percent of the profit.

The tycoon did not say a word even though he knew that this young partner was cheating him. That continued for a few years and the young man had then become one of the leading businessmen in the Shanghai marketplace. He had gotten married to a beautiful lady of noble birth, he had his own expensive car with driver, and a few other cars in his garage and also his own villa with many servants. 

As this young man achieved financial succes, something happened to his spiritual heart. He had become very uneasy and unhappy whenever someone mentioned that he had become a success because he was initially helped by this elderly tycoon.

One night, this young man was fuming to his wife. He said, "Who is this old chap? He just gave me a small break in life. Everything I have now, I earned it by myself. If it wasn't for my brillance, this business would have been given the dogs. Anyway, this old fellow did not even bother to show up during the opening of some of our new branches. From this day on, I am not going to be his partner. I will withdraw and not give him even five percent of the profit."

And so the young man did exactly as he had planned. And when he wrote his biography, there was not a word being mentioned about Uncle Moh.

What do you think about this formerly homeless man? 

Was he being honest and fair to the elderly tycoon? 

What do you think about you giving the ten percent of your income to God?

Are you being honest and fair to God?

Have you been faithful to His instruction? 

Are you cheating upon God's share of the profit?

A helpful guideline is this - what is sacred, belongs to God. Anything sacred should not be found in your bank account or in your wallet. The one-tenth belongs to the Lord.

Jesus said, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." (Luke 6:38)

There is no God

There is no God. All of the wonders around us are accidental. No almighty hand made a thousand billion stars. They made themselves. 

No power keeps them on their steady course. The earth spins itself to keep the oceans from falling off toward the sun. Infants teach themselves to cry when they are hungry or hurt. 

A small flower invented itself so that we could extract digitalis for sick hearts. The earth gave itself day and night, tilted itself so that we get seasons. Without the magnetic poles man would be unable to navigate the trackless oceans of water and air, but they just grew there. 

How about the sugar thermostat in the pancreas? It maintains a level of sugar in the blood sufficient for energy. Without it, all of us would fall into a coma and die. Why does snow sit on mountain-tops waiting for the warm spring sun to melt it at just the right time for the young crops in farms below to drink? A very lovely accident. 

The human heart will beat for 70 or 80 years without faltering. How does it get sufficient rest between beats? A kidney will filter poison from the blood, and leave good things alone. How does it know one from the other? Who gave the human tongue flexibility to form words, and a brain to understand them, but denied it to all animals? 

Who showed a womb how to take the love of two persons and keep splitting a tiny ovum until, in time, a baby would have the proper number of fingers, eyes and ears and hair in the right places, and come into the world when it is strong enough to sustain life? There is no God?

Uncluttered Faith

One of my favorite stories concerns a bishop who was traveling by ship to visit a church across the ocean. While en route, the ship stopped at an island for a day. He went for a walk on a beach. He came upon three fishermen mending their nets.

Curious about their trade he asked them some questions. Curious about his ecclesiastical robes, they asked him some questions. When they found out he was a Christian leader, they got excited. “We Christians!” they said, proudly pointing to one another.

The bishop was impressed but cautious. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? They had never heard of it.

“What do you say, then, when you pray?”

“We pray, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’ ”

The bishop was appalled at the primitive nature of the prayer. “That will not do.” So he spent the day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. The fishermen were poor but willing learners. And before the bishop sailed away the next day, they could recite the prayer with no mistakes.

The bishop was proud.

On the return trip the bishop’s ship drew near the island again. When the island came into view the bishop came to the deck and recalled with pleasure the men he had taught and resolved to go see them again. As he was thinking a light appeared on the horizon near the island. It seemed to be getting nearer. As the bishop gazed in wonder he realized the three fishermen were walking toward him on the water. Soon all the passengers and crew were on the deck to see the sight.

When they were within speaking distance, the fisherman cried out, “Bishop, we come hurry to meet you.”

“What is it you want?” asked the stunned bishop.

“We are so sorry. We forget lovely prayer. We say, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name …’ and then we forget. Please tell us prayer again.”

The bishop was humbled. “Go back to your homes, my friends, and when you pray say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’ ”

From And the Angels Were Silent
Copyright 1992, Max Lucado

It's A Jungle Out There

It’s a Jungle Out There

by Max Lucado

The story is told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”

We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where is the path?” And he, like the guide, doesn’t tell us. Oh, he may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If he did, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us a far greater gift. He gives us himself.

Does he remove the jungle? No, the vegetation is still thick.

Does he purge the predators? No, danger still lurks.

Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. And he has promised to stay until the very end. “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV).

C. S. Lewis on Turning Water into Wine

God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots and, with the aid of the sun, to turn that water into a juice which will ferment and take on certain qualities.

 Thus every year, from Noah’s time till ours, God turns water into wine. That, men fail to see. Either like the Pagans they refer the process to some finite spirit, Bacchus or Dionysus: or else, like the moderns, they attribute real and ultimate causality to the chemical and other material phenomena which are all that our senses can discover in it. But when Christ at Cana makes water into wine, the mask is off’ (John 5:19). 

The miracle has only half its effect if it only convinces us that Christ is God: it will have its full effect if whenever we see a vineyard or drink a glass of wine we remember that here works He who sat at the wedding party in Cana.”


C.S. Lewis, “Miracles,” God in the Dock (Eerdmans: 1970)