Cé go bhfuil dea-eagna ag an tús, tá sé níos fearr ag an deireadh

What does "Cé go bhfuil dea-eagna ag an tús, tá sé níos fearr ag an deiread" mean?

"Though wisdom is good in the beginning, it is Better at the end."

 

Sermon illustration for mother's day

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker.  If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness - not godliness.  Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.  Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.  Love is present through the trials. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.  Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.  Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. 

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love. 

Author Unknown

 

A sermon on the prophet Elisha

"Unseen But Real"

 

My love affair with technology was renewed recently as I purchased a handheld gadget to help keep track of things. On this device I can keep track of my schedule, find phone numbers for friends and associates and even check my e-mail. No, it's not a smart phone, but it's pretty close. I've already spend a few fascinating hours using it for various tasks.

 

As I downloaded a program recently I reflected on what was happening. The wireless router through which I received the signal was located a room or two away. I could see nothing floating through the air, but certainly something was there. The very information I had requested was streaming my way, and soon the results were on my handheld device. Unseen, but very real.

 

Such phenomena have been with us for longer than computers and the Internet. Electricity, for example, flows through the wires in our walls without our notice. Even if you strip away the plastic cover of the wires (not recommended!), you won't be able to tell when current is flowing, unless enough is flowing to heat the wires to a glowing red. Yet every day we enjoy the benefits of this unseen reality.

 

Before electricity was harnessed there was magnetism. You can't visibly detect the force that draws metal objects to the magnet, but neither can you deny that a force is present.

 

The Bible informs us of other unseen realities around us. Paul, in urging us to protect ourselves with items from God's spiritual armory, proclaimed this: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

 

Many will scoff at the idea of spiritual forces doing battle, doing their utmost to pull us away from God. "I don't see anything!" they will laugh. Do they deny the reality of wireless Internet?

 

The prophet Elisha found himself in what others saw as a crisis. The city in which he was staying was surrounded by soldiers who had come to arrest him. Elisha felt no concern and stated to his young assistant that "those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6:16). Then, to show the young man the truthfulness of his claim, he offered this prayer: "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see" (2 Kings 6:17). At that point the assistant saw the army of the Lord surrounding the army of the Syrians. The Lord would again deliver His servants.

 

During His ministry on earth, Jesus performed amazing miracles. Among the most amazing was the opening of the eyes of the blind. But He helps more than those who are physically blind, wrote Paul: "But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10).

 

As we stand before an open grave, we don't see immortality. If we trust the Lord's promises, however, we know that the hope of everlasting life, though unseen, is nonetheless real. And that's what motivates us to place our lives in His hands. Speaking of His hands, that's something else we can't see, but we know they're real!

 

Timothy D. Hall

Maurice Maeterlinck

"When we lose one we love, our bitterest tears are called forth by the memory of hours when we loved not enough."

Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist (1862-1949)

 

A sermon on Christianity: What is a Christian?

Please do not misunderstand me.  I am not one of those preachers who says that there are different forms of Christianity, such as this brand, that denomination, or other types.  A Christian is one who obeys God's plan of salvation (Rom. 10:17; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:10; 1 Pet. 3:21), who is placed by God Himself into the church of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:47; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23).  By "forms" of Christianity, I mean:

• The Christian is INformed.  According to Deuteronomy 17:10, the process of teaching and hearing the Bible involves the recipient ("You"), the requirement ("shall do"), the realm ("All that"), the respect ("which the Lord chooses") and the result (taught).  Through faithful study, the Christian knows so much:  Christ (1 Jn. 2:3), how he or she was redeemed (1 Pt. 1:18), the emancipating power of truth (Jn. 8:32), and the danger of trying to serve both Lord and world (Js. 4:4).
  
• The Christian is REformed.  Because of Christ, we live in the time of "reformation" (Heb. 9:10).  What this means is clear from context, that the reformation was paved by the incarnation ("Christ being come"), ministration ("an high priest"), propitiation ("His own blood for us"), and redemption ("obtained eternal redemption") of the Savior (Heb. 9:11).  But, Christ also reformed the worship and the way we approach God.  Therefore, we can and must reform the way we live our lives in light of what He's done for us.
  
• The Christian is CONformed.  Christians we predestined by God to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).  We are fashioned like unto Him.  So, we conform ourselves to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).  Through conversion, we are "made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 3:10).  To enjoy eternal life, we put to death a lifestyle devoted to willful sin.  This is possible through being confirmed to the will and desire of God's Word.
  
• The Christian is TRANSformed (Rom. 12:1-2).  There is "change" involved in pleasing God.  We change our focus (Col. 3:1-2), our priorities (Matt. 6:33), some friendships (Js. 4:4), our masters (Mt. 6:24), and our hearts (Acts 3:19).  The transforming power, of course, is in the gospel which convicts us (Heb. 4:12).

God wants Christians on this earth to make a difference in the Lord's church and in the world.  The word needs to see these forms of Christianity in our lives.  How are we doing?

 

Neal Pollard

GOD'S BOXES

       I read an interesting poem that I thought was good enough to share.  It is called "God's Boxes" (Author Unknown).

I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box
And all your joys in the gold."
 
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before.
 
With curiosity I opened the black
I wanted to find out why.
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
 
I showed the hole to God, and mused
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile and said
"My child, they're all here with me."
 
I asked God why He gave me the boxes
Why the gold, and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings
The black is for you to let go."

            While this poem presents a fictional story, it also presents some biblical truths that are good to be reminded of.  (1) Count Your Many Blessings.  It is shocking how often we dwell on the negative and completely forget the astonishing blessings we enjoy.  If we literally counted all of our blessings, would we not be surprised by how many blessings we have and how much we take for granted?  Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."  There are so many joys in this life.  Let's remember the blessing we enjoy.  (2) Give Your Sorrows to God.  Throughout Scripture we are reminded that God is here to help with our troubles.  We are told to cast our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).  We are told not to worry about our lives in the things we need (Matthew 6:25f).  We are told that those who are weary and heavy-laded can find rest with Christ (Matthew 11:27).  Many other verses teach similar truths (Jeremiah 31:13; Isaiah 61:2; Matthew 5:4; Revelation 7:17; etc). 

I am so glad God has given us the avenue of prayer so we can bring Him our joys and sorrows, knowing that He will take care of everything.  What an amazing resource to utilize!  As we go through this life, there will be terrible sorrows, but there will also be wonderful blessings.  Not matter what sorrows happen throughout our lives, let's bring them to God.  He cares for us and will ease the load.  And let's always remember to count our blessings and thank God for, because they are always much greater than we realize.

Brett Petrillo

 

A definition of "war"

War never determines who is right, only who is left.