The Painting of Georges Rouault (1 of 3)

I'm going to devote the next few posts to some of the works of French painter Georges Rouault, who lived from 1871-1958 in Paris. He is noted for his unique portrayals of Christ.

We Could Learn a Lot From....

Charles Stanley
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For those of you who may not have heard of Charles Stanley, he is has been a long-time pastor of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta and is the founder of In Touch Ministries. He is not a perfect man, as no one is, but his insights into the Christian faith have helped countless people in their growth and maturity. Several of his quotes include the following:

Only God knows fully what is required for wholeness because only God knows fully what it means to be whole, perfect, and complete. Only God knows what is missing in our lives because only God sees the total picture.

All of our needs are secondary to our need to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, to be born again spiritually, and to live in right relationship with God our Father.

True contentment lies not in having, but in knowing---of knowing that you are accepted, loved, forgiven, and valued in spite of what you may or may not have in your hands or surrounding you.

God wants a walking-and-talking relationship with you. Your appearance, your status before others, and your performance matter little to God. He is concerned about the state of your heart and your innermost desires for eternal things.

Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy...

I read a really interesting article written by Max Lucado recently. He was discussing the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and the ministry it performs to Christian believers every day.

When you place your faith in Christ, Christ places his Spirit before, behind, and within you. Not a strange spirit, but the same Spirit: the parakletos. Everything Jesus did for his followers, his Spirit does for you. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches. Jesus healed; the Spirit heals. Jesus comforted; his Spirit comforts. As Jesus sends you into new seasons, he sends his counselor to go with you.

God treats you the way one mother treated her young son, Timmy. She didn't like the thought of Timmy walking to his first-grade classroom unaccompanied. But he was too grown-up to be seen with his mother. "Besides," he explained, "I can walk with a friend." So she did her best to stay calm, quoting the Twenty-third Psalm to him every morning: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..."

One school day she came up with an idea. She asked a neighbor to follow Timmy to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, lest he notice her. The neighbor was happy to oblige. She took her toddler on morning walks anyway.

After several days Timmy's friend noticed the lady and the child.

"Do you know who that woman is who follows us to school?"

"Sure," Timmy answered. "That's Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy."

"Who?"

"My mom reads about them every day in the Twenty-third Psalm. She says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life.' Guess I'll have to get used to them."
You will too. God never sends you out alone. Are you on the eve of change? Do you find yourself looking into a new chapter? Is the foliage of your world showing signs of a new season? Heaven's message for you is clear: when everything else changes, God presence never does. You journey in the company of the Holy Spirit, who "will teach you and will remind you of everything I have told you" (John 14:26 NLT).



You see, the Holy Spirit has a very, very important ministry. The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of their need to become Christians, convicts believers of sin in their lives, and intercedes for the Christian when he or she prays. Thanks be to God for sending His counselor the Holy Spirit!

Omarosa headed to Seminary!

Wow...I just read that Omarosa is now heading to study at a United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH to become a Pastor. Known for her villianous ways and antics on reality T.V. shows, she has more recently been a goodwill ambassador and has done work for the homeless and poor in Haiti. According to Ivan Hicks, the school's associate dean for African-American studies, this reputation she has for both good and bad will help her as a minister because people will be able to relate to her. It's interesting that she has chosen this route as I myself did not even know that she was a Christian. However, we must remember that God has used many imperfect people before and can use the "foolish things of this world to confound the wise." (1Corinthians 1:27) I wish her all the best and my thoughts and prayers go out to her.

Unwanted Children in the World

Our earth has well over six billion inhabitants. When you consider the magnitude of such a large population, it could be easy to doubt whether one baby is as valuable as the other. While I don't usually post on such hot button issues, we as human beings need to consider that the attitude that not everyone is equally important is the WRONG attitude, and I believe that we need more programs encouraging adoption instead of abortion. Consider the following scenarios:



1. A minister and his wife, who live in extremely modest conditions, discover they are expecting their fifteenth child. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, is this baby needed?

2. A young man is victim to a number of terrible health problems, and his wife has tuberculosis. Of their four children, one is blind, one has died, one is deaf, and one, like his mother, also has tuberculosis. Now the woman finds out that she is pregnant again. Surely this is an unneeded baby, is it not?

3. As the result of an awful rape by a white man, a thirteen year-old black girl is pregnant. If you were her parents, would you recommend that she endure the risky and emotionally traumatic pregnancy to bring the child of a rapist into the world?

4. In the midst of a society where sexual propiety is regarded as essential, a teenage girl is pregnant. Her betrothed knows that he is not the father of the baby, and he will share in her condemnation if he does not reject her. Does the world need this baby?


Now, all of these situations are very, very difficult and heart-wrenching situations. Can you imagine what each of these individuals must have went through and how much sleep they lost at night? My heart truly would go out to these people, and abortion definitely could be one of the options in each of these situations, but is it the BEST OPTION? If we take a closer look at each of these situations, we would realize that abortion is not always the best option. In scenario #1, if abortion is used, we have just terminated the baby who would become John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists of the eighteenth century. In the second scenario, we have just deprived the world of composer Ludwig von Beethoven. In scenario #3 we have just lost Ethel Waters, who will inspire millions as a truly great gospel musician. And what of the fourth scenario? Well, in scenario #4 we have just deprived the world of our Lord and Savior Himself, Jesus Christ.

I believe that there is a place for abortion, and I do not believe that violence such as what happened to George Tiller is the option either. However, I do believe that abortion should be a last resort and adoption should be encouraged in every circumstance possible. God bless all of you, and good night.

Looking Heavenward (Joke)

The temporary Sunday School teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination, but couldn't quite remember it.

She went to the pastor's study and asked for help. The pastor came into the room and began to turn the dial.

After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment.Finally he looked serenely heavenward and his lips moved silently.

Then he looked back at the lock, and quickly turned to the final number, and opened the lock.

The teacher was amazed. "I'm in awe at your faith, pastor," she said.

"It's really nothing," he answered. "The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling."

Thanks for the ice!

The other day I was shopping at Alco, which is a chain of lesser-known discount stores. A woman that I have known only casually came up to me and proceeded to hand me ten dollars. After seeing the look of confusion on my face, she said "Ice, Vaden. You got me some ice last week, and I appreciated it and I am paying you back." I was surprised because I just barely recalled the incident but it brought home for me something very interesting. Once again, I feel validation for living a way of life where you do good for others. It's very cathartic, It's very Christian, it's good karma, or it's just a good thing to do...whatever you call it, your life is a lot more fulfilled if you look out for the other person and their needs as well!

Yes, we had a drug problem....

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to the altar to repent of my sin before Jesus Christ and God almighty when I did wrong. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of a teacher or preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Quote of the Week #10

"Yes, God can use cracked vessels!" ---Joyce Meyer

Although many times I don't watch the big time T.V. evangelists such as Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer, sometimes they have some good little tidbits of knowledge to say. Ms. Meyer relates the following story:

A water bearer in India had two large pots hanging at the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The other pot had a crack in it, and by the time it reached its destination, it was only half full. Every day for two years the water bearer delivered only one and one-half pots of water to the master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments—perfect to the end for which it was made. The poor little cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections and miserable that it could accomplish only half of what it had been designed to do. After two years of what the imperfect pot perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer and said, "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer, "What are you ashamed of?"

"Well, for these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half a load of water each day because this crack in my side allows water to leak out all the way back to the master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work without getting the full value of your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because half of its load had leaked out once again.

Then the bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path and not on the other pot's side? That's because I've always known about your flaw and took advantage of it by planting flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day as we walked back from the stream, you watered those seeds, and for two years I have picked these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just what you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house." So you see, even with warts and all, we need to stay positive and keep praying for opportunities for God to use us!

Some Funny Church signs...

"Take what you need as the offering is passed."

A church in Argyle, Texas came up with a very unique way to increase their tithes and help people out in the process. They adopted a rule that anyone who was struggling financially could take what they need from the offering plate. The church has since seen their titheing triple, and they have been able to give according to some estimates over a half-million dollars to charities and help people with basic expenses and the like. Kudos to Pastor Toby Slough of Cross Timbers Community Church for his out-of-box (and biblical!) idea of giving!

"Mr. Vandal, Jesus loves you too."

***Jesus and the woman at the well***


A Church in Keene, New Hampshire was recently very badly vandalized with several anarchist and atheist statements spray painted all over the building. Needless to say, the building was very badly defaced. The intial reaction of the pastor of the church and the parishioners was one of anger, however, they have now displayed Christ-like character in that they responded to this terrible act of vandalism by posted a message on their billboard to the passing motorists. The message simply reads: "Mr. Vandal, Jesus loves you too."

Quote of the week #9

"Don't dwell on what you can't do, dwell on what you can do!" ---Author Unknown.

A very wise individual once told me that in any situation, we can always dwell on one of two things: we can dwell on what we cannot do, or we can dwell on what we can do. The ball is in my court; it is my choice. Personally, I now choose to dwell on what can be done instead of what cannot be done. Now, on to the question that many of you reading most likely have: what does the picture I have chosen above have to do with the quote I have? Well, instead of dwelling on the bad things of the world, you can love people, you can accept people, you can treat people as God treats them, as one of His creation that He loves and sent His Son for. Can't go on a missions trip? Pray for those that do go. Can't be the next Martin Luther King or Gandhi? Be the next Martin Luther King or Gandhi in your neighborhood. Can't be a deacon in your church? Be something smaller, such as volunteering to handle the janitorial work, and then move up. Focus on what you can do, instead of what can't.

"My Bible Tells Me So!"

*Mount of Olives in Jerusalem*


NOTE: I originally read a version of this story in the book Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay.

If you had met Nate, you would swear that he was one of the most cynical, bitter, and atheistic individuals to ever walk the face of the earth. He had absolutely no interest in the subject of religion. Nate even bashed people of faith for fun. He regularly mocked Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and even Christians. Yes, Nate was indeed a hard case. He was also highly intelligent. He had scored in the upper percentile of all of the intelligence tests, could read 1,250 a minute with total recall, and even scored one of the highest scores on the Mensa test, a test for geniuses.

Now, Nate was in the armed services and was riding a bus with another man named John, who was a Blackfoot Indian with only a 12th grade education. The other soldiers kept on throwing John's Bible out of the bus to tease him. Each time, John would patiently get out of the bus and retrieve it without saying a word. Finally, Nate could stand it no longer and he said to John, "Why do you let those clowns do that stuff to you?"

John replied, "Sir, I am a Christian."

Nate decided to challenge this simple man of faith and so he asked him almost laughingly, "Do you mean to tell me that you actually believe that a man was vomited out of a whale?"

John replied, "Yes, sir, I do."

"Why?" Nate asked.

"My Bible tells me so," John replied. The conversation went on for a long time, and every challenge that Nate gave John was answered in the same way: "My Bible tells me so." As hard as Nate's higly intelligent mind tried, he could not shake John's faith, and this bothered very deeply.

That night he decided to borrow a Bible from a neighbor. The verse Job 5:9: "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, and miracles that cannot be owned" was stuck in his mind. "Nate could not ignore this truth," William Fay writes, "and it tranformed his life. Now he is one of the strongest defenders of the Christian faith that I know. And it was all because John, a simple man of faith with only a 12th grade education, believed the verse 'Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)'''

Imagine how great our God is when He can use a Blackfoot Native American with only a 12th grade education to help convert a man who scored so high on the Mensa test that he even found an error on the test itself!

Chaplain Testimony

Perhaps one of the biggest unsung heroes in the midst of our American troops on this 4th of July is the Army Chaplain. Many of these men and women not only provide spiritual support, but are also on the front lines as often as others. On this 4th of July, I will share the testimony of one such Army Chaplain.

Christian quotes from early politicians, including Founding Fathers

There's been a lot of debate over the last several years about whether the Founding Fathers and other early politicians were really Christians or not. There are many who say that they were atheists, many that say they were deists, and many who say that indeed, yes, they were Christians. Well, the answer to this question is that we don't really know. Only God knows the heart of these great men and (yes) the women that also helped them behind the scenes. What we do know from their writings is that most of these men did have a strong belief in God or some higher power of that nature. As promised, here are some quotes from them on this 233rd 4th of July:

George Washington
1st U.S. President

"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."

John Adams
2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be."

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."
--Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever."
--Adams wrote this in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson
3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ."

Benjamin Franklin
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Unites States Constitution
"Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.

That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.

As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;

But I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure."
--Benjamin Franklin wrote this in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University on March 9, 1790.

James Madison
4th U.S. President

"Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ."

There are a lot more quotes and they can be found at http://christianity.about.com/od/independenceday/a/foundingfathers.htm

Happy 4th of July weekend everybody!

Here's a goofy picture of my wife I took this afternoon that has absolutely nothing to do with the 4th of July ;-) but seriously, folks, have a safe 4th of July weekend. I'll probably post some founding fathers quotes in a couple of days so stay posted!

We Could Learn a Lot From....

Albert Pujols
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Perhaps you have heard of the man in this picture. His name is Albert Pujols, and he plays first base for the St. Louis Cardinals Major League baseball team. He is a very prolific hitter, having become the fifth youngest player to reach the 300 home run milestone at the ripe old age of 28 years, 170 days. He has achieved a lot already in his brief career. However, the most important thing is not how large (and it is!) his trophy case is; the most important thing is that Mr. Pujols is also a committed Christian believer. Pujols shares how his then-girlfriend, Diedre, helped him to become a believer: "Growing up in the Dominican Republic, I lived to play baseball. My wife Diedre, who was my girlfriend at the time, shared with me how much I needed Jesus. I realized I needed more than just religion. I needed a Savior. I needed Jesus to save me." On November 13, 1998 Albert Pujols became a believer in Jesus Christ. Now, Pujols' life goal is not just to hit 700 home runs, although he just might (God willing, of course). His goal is to glorify Jesus! You can read more about his testimony and the good works that he is doing in the name of Christ at http://www.pujolsfamilyfoundation.org/faith.htm!

God Story #7

Sometimes people, including myself in the past, fall away from God. They do so for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they feel they don't need God, perhaps they are bitter from a bad church experience, or perhaps they are caught up in their career or another area in their life. This next God story is more of the divine intervention variety once again and, if you pay close attention to the ending of the story, will illustrate the lengths that God can and will go to at times to bring you back into a relationship with Him.

Mrs. Kathy Shields
Innkeeper

“I have always believed in God but had reached a point in my life where I didn’t feel I needed to go to church anymore, didn’t need God’s guidance to be a good wife and mother.”


“One day, my son asked, “Mom, can Mark come over to play after school today?” Without hesitation, I responded: “You know Alex, having someone come over to play really is a big responsibility.” I could not believe my own ears. Why would I say such a thing? I loved to have my son’s friends over to play. Again, my son asked, “Mom, can Mark come over to play? This time I said: “Yes my darling of course you can have Mark come over to play this afternoon.” And then he asked: “Mom, can you bring Mark home today after we play? I, without hesitation, responded. “You know Alex, bringing children home after school is a tremendous responsibility.” I was temporarily aghast at my response. Frustrated by my own words, I came to my senses and said, “Yes my darling of course I will.”

Mark and Alex had a wonderful afternoon playing together but when it was time for Mark to go home, I hesitated and questioned whether I might leave my children alone while I took Mark home. It was an absurd thought and one I had never entertained before, leaving my children alone. And so I packed them all into the car.

As I turned on to the main road, a voice – the same voice that had been talking to me all day, yelled at me, “Slow down now!” I immediately took my foot off the accelerator and looked up. Two cars were drag racing and were headed straight for us. If I turned left, the four of us would die instantly. So instead I swerved right and, I don’t know how, but we landed between a telephone pole and a road sign and narrowly escaped a collision with the racing cars.

For many months after the near-accident I was baffled. Over and over again, I went to the scene and re-enacted what happened from the point I saw the cars coming. How did I know I was in danger? How did my car get to the side of the road without a collision? And then there was the most baffling question: How did I see the cars coming in enough time to save us? It actually wasn’t possible because the cars had been coming around a double curve. If I hadn’t had an advance warning, we would have collided, head-on, with both of them.

I feel God saved me that day. It was his way of saying I need you back and I want you to have faith that I will be with you always.”

Freezing birds outside of the Barn

This very interesting story, origins unknown, appears in The Art of Personal Evangelism by Will McRaney Jr.

This is about a modern man, one of us. He was not a Scrooge. He was a kind, decent, mostly good man. He was generous to his family, upright in his dealings; but unfortunately he did not believe in all of that Jesus incarnation stuff that churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn't make sense, and he was too honest to pretend otherwise.He just could not swallow the Jesus story and God coming to Earth as a man. "I am truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I am not going with you to church with you this Christmas eve." He said he would feel like a hypocrite, so he stayed, and they went. Shortly after the family drove away, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier as time went on. After going back to his fireside chair to read the newspaper he heard a thudding sound, then another, then another still. When he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the snow and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his large living room window. He had compassion for them and he couldn't just let the birds lie there and freeze to death.

He remembered the barn where his children always stabled their pony that could provide a warm shelter if he could just direct the birds into it. He quickly put on his coat and galoshes and tramped through the snow to where the birds were. He opened the doors to his barn wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. Heading back to the house, he decided to fetch some bread crumbs figuring that the yellow trail would entice them in. Unfortunately, that still didn't work either. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by waving his arms. He tried everything he could think of, but instead of going into the barn they just scattered in every direction. Then, he realized something: They were scared of him. "To them," he reasoned, "I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know they can trust me, that I'm not trying to hurt them, I'm trying to help them." How? Any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feaed him. If I could mingle with them, he thought, and speak their language and tell them not to be afraid and show them the way to the safe, warm barn. But I'd have to be one of them so they could see and hear and understand. If only I could be a bird myself. Just then, the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. He stood there listening to the bells playing "Adeste Fidelis," pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow. At last, he understood God's heart towards mankind, and he fell on his knees in the snow. He had come to know the One who became one of us just to save us.

That is what Christ did for us, my friends. Just like if this man would have been allowed to become a bird, Jesus bore the sorrows, suffering, and griefs of the human condition as he walked on this earth. But God understood our need and took action. He did it for you and for me. He became one of us on this earth!