You don't love me any more?

One night at the dinner table, the wife commented, "When we were first married, you took the small piece of steak and gave me the larger. Now you take the large one and leave me the smaller. You don't love me any more?"

"Nonsense, darling," replied the husband, "you just cook better now."

Mirror Image

Ben Kinsley as Gandhi

"Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."1

Dr. William Barker tells about the actor, Ben Kingsley who "starred as the main character in the motion picture GANDHI. He spent months preparing for the role, visiting the various Indian locales Gandhi had frequented. He even learned to spin cotton thread on a wooden wheel while holding conversations as Gandhi did. The physical resemblance between Gandhi and Kingsley was almost startling. After filming a scene in a village south of Delhi, Kingsley stepped out of a car, and an elderly peasant knelt to touch his feet. Embarrassed, Kingsley explained that he was merely an actor playing Gandhi. 'We know,' replied the villager, 'but through you he will surely live again.'"2

As Christians, if we truly follow and serve the Lord, we will become more and more in every way like Christ. May God help us to so live that others will see the likeness of Jesus in us—as this is by far the most powerful and effective witness of our Christian faith that any one of us could ever have.

1. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT).
2. Dr. William P. Barker, Tarbell's Teacher's Manual, (Elgin, Illinois: David C. Cook Church Ministries, 1994). Quoted in a sermon by Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn, "One in Christ" http://www.epulpit.net/billy112.htm
3. Thomas O. Chisholm.

<:))))><
By Dick Innes

Gardening God's Way

Featured Illustration items are well suited for introducing or illuminating a point in a sermon, speech, or devotional. Funny, moving, or perhaps even graphic, the point of them is the point you make with them.

Plant three rows of peas

Peace of mind - Romans 14:5
Peace of heart - Acts 15:9
Peace of soul - 1 Peter 1:22

Plant four rows of squash

Squash gossip - Lev 19:16
Squash selfishness - Luke 18:11-14
Squash grumbling - John 6:43, James 5:9
Squash indifference - Mark 14:32 - 41

Plant five rows of lettuce

Lettuce be kind - 1 Peter 2:1-3
Lettuce be faithful - Dan 3:16-18
Lettuce be obedient - 1 John 3:22
Lettuce love one another - John 3:16
Lettuce financially support our church - Mal 3:6-12

No garden can be without turnips

Turnip for service - Acts 3:1
Turnip for meetings - Heb 10:25
Turnip to help one another - Rom 12:13

We must have Thyme

Thyme for God - Psalm 3:1-8
Thyme for prayer - Psalm 54:4
Thyme for each other - John 15:12-14
Thyme for Bible study - Ezra 7-10

The Kind Clerk

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.

"Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town.

"All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll be just fine here in the office," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."

The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.

As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man.
It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the him to pay them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.

"That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."

"You must be joking," the young man said.

"I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.

"We are not to turn our backs on those who are in need, for we might be entertaining angels".

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than the things you acquire.

Story recommended by Pastor Betty Wong
It is not what we take up or what we receive that makes us rich but what we give up that makes our lives much more fulfilling, purposeful, and meaningful. The lives we touch go beyond measure. It is more rewarding to give than to receive.
Pastor Betty Wong
Malaysia

The Birds and the Monkeys

Once upon a time, there was a huge tree on the banks of a river. The tree made a comfortable home for the family of birds who had built their nests on its branch. The birds were living there happily as the tree with its widespread branches sheltered them from scorching sun and heavy rains.

One day, when the sky was overcast with dark clouds, it rained very heavily. Some monkeys who were playing nearby the tree got drenched and ran for shelter under the tree. All of them were shivering with cold. When the birds saw the monkeys in the pitiable condition, one of the birds said,” O Monkeys, you would not have to shiver like this, if you had built a home like us. You would not have to suffer like this. If we can build our nest with small beaks, then why cant you. By God’s grace, you have two hands and two legs. Why don’t you make a nice shelter for yourselves?”

On hearing this, the monkeys got annoyed and swore to teach a lesson to the birds. They said to themselves, “These birds are not afraid of the rain or of cold wind. They are living comfortably that is why they are criticizing us like this. Let the rain stops, we’ll show them how to build home”. As soon as the rain stopped, the monkeys climbed up the tree and destroyed the nests of the birds. They also broke the birds’ eggs and threw the young ones down.

The poor birds flew here and there in misery. They were full of regret for their words and realized that they should not have given advice that was not asked. Advice should only be given to learned, wise and to those who ask for it.

Moral: Never give advice to fools. 

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. (Proverbs 9:7-9)

Family Support

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The prospective father-in-law asked, "Young man, can you support a family?”

The surprised groom-to-be replied, "Well, no. I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."

Why Do We Shout During An Argument?

Once a professor asked his students: "Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?" The students thought for a while before one of them said: "We shout because we lost our calm."

"But why shout when the other person is just next to you? Isn't it possible to speak to him or her in a soft voice?"

The students gave various answer, none of which satisfied the professor.

Finally he explained: When two people are angry with each other, their hearts distance. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the louder they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance."

Then he asked: What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly. Why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small.

When they love each other even more, what happen? They do not speak - they only whisper and get closer to each other in their love.

"Finally they do not even need to whisper. They only look at each other, that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other."

So when you argue, do not let your hearts get distanced or say words that distance each other even more, or there may come a day when the distance is so great you will not find the path back to each other.