Denominational Squirrels

From Dennis Norwood
Originally printed in Chattanooga Times Free Press 11/22/02

In a little East Texas town, the Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches were located one after the other along a beautiful tree-lined street. Squirrels occupied the attics of all the churches, chewing up the insulation, cutting the wires and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Nothing seemed to budge the bushy-tailed rodents, and in exasperation each congregation called a meeting to deal with the menace.

The Presbyterians met first but soon adjourned after an elder pointed out that the squirrel invasion was preordained, and from a theological standpoint there was nothing they could do.

Next to meet were the Methodists. A dear old soul pleaded with the congregation to handle the problem in the gentle spirit of John Wesley, so the church bought a bunch of humane traps and turned the squirrels loose at the edge of town. by morning all the Methodist squirrels were back in their attic.

Finally the Baptists convened their business meeting. In short order the squirrels were voted into the membership of the church and now they come around only on Easter and Christmas.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

A Life Filled with Blessings

"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing." ~ Ezekiel 34:26

Receiving Your Heart's Desire
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." ~ Psalm 37:4

Guilt-free: Experiencing Forgiveness
"But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." ~ Romans 5:15-17

Abundant Life in Christ

Joy by Request
"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." ~ John 16:24

A Meaningful Spiritual Life

"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, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." ~ Ephesians 1:3-14

A Word of Encouragement

Hebrews 10:25
"Let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching."

Just wanted to share that verse as a reminder to be an encourager, look for opportunities to lift others up. Life can be challenging, and we all can benefit from positive, uplifting words of affirmation. I hope you have a miracle worked in your life today. Remember who you are in Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and to give you a future and a hope."

Preparing for Christ's Second Appearing

"The very best preparation you can have for Christ's second appearing is to rest with firm faith in the great salvation brought to us at His first coming. You must believe in Christ as a personal Saviour." ~ Ellen G. White in Our Highest Calling

Our Creator God Offers Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness!

"To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to the infinite mercy of God, the future to His good providence, and give the present wholly to His love by being faithful to His grace." ~ Jean-Pierre de Caussade:

Your Greatest Work

"In work, in ministry, or in any other endeavor, imagine everything you've ever accomplished up to this point. Visualize every obstacle, every failure, and every success as nothing more than preparation for what you will one day accomplish. In one moment, one day, one week, one month, or one year, you may accomplish more - and have greater impact - than all your previous years combined. And that one incredible season of fruitfulness would not have been possible, had it not been for all the years of toil that prepared you for your greatest work. Particularly in service to the Kingdom of God, by His power and His indwelling Holy Spirit, always be aware that years you spend in seeming futility may one day yield a harvest of staggering proportions, not to mention eternal reward and a commendation from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords." - W. J. Ericson

Verse of the Day

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12)

I'm Falling On My Knees, God of Heaven!

Healthy Spiritual Growth

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." Matthew 12:33

God wants you to spend time doing meaningful things. But how can you tell if what you're doing is really the best way to spend your time? One way to find out is to take an inventory of your life to see where your time is going. The next step is called pruning and it may cause discomfort. Pruning is necessary to not only keep healthy growth, but also to make sure that the growth is in the right directison. Your thought process should start with, "How can I make more room in my life for God's best?" God's best is so much greater than anything else that you could ever put your time into. Go through the pruning process to produce all that God has for you -- the very best!

Learn from the Marines

(from "Think Blast" by Randal Niles - vol. 5:31)

Marines know their safety depends on the person on their right and the person on their left. They are bonded together in battle. Shouldn't the Church be the same way? Do we believe that our safety or our Christian faith often depends upon the people in the pews on our left and on our right Take the story of Jason Dunham whose parents recently receieved their son's posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation's highest militar award.

Dunham, a Marine Corporal, was leading his squad in Iraq when they were ambushed by insurgents. During the hand-to-hand combat, Dunham leaped to place his helmet over a live grenade. Dunham's bravery saved his friends and cost him his life. Why did he do it? To save the men serving under him. It was true heroic altruism. Would you or I be prepared to show what Jesus called no greater love? Would we lay down our lives for our Christian brothers?

As Christians, do we really understand the proud heritage of our faith; how the martyrs in the first century gave their lives to preserve the Gospel; how Christians through the centuries have championed great causes for the benefit of mankind: the abolition of slavery, the development of hospitals and universities, care for the poor, the protection of human life? We all remember Mother Teresa, of course, and some of the great missionaries, but how about the saints of bygone years? How about the Christians in the Roman Empire who gave their lives to tend the sick during the great plagues when pagan doctors fled?

The story of human history is a great cosmic battle between good and evil, and greater struggle than any war in human history. We're engaged in it, and we're on God's side. What if we Christians ahad the same sense of loyaltym, commitment, and responsibility for our heritage as Marines?

A Lesson from Geese

(from "The Power of an Encouraging Word," by Ken Sutterfield. Pages 43-45.)

Each year as the seasons change and winter approaches, I look forward to seeing and hearing the geese as they migrate south in formation. Did you know as each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the bird following? By flying in a "V" formation the flock as a whole adds 71 percent more flying range than if a bird flew alone.

We can certainly learn a lesson from this illustration from God's remarkable creation. People who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

"Encourage one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25.

Also, when a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone--and quickly gets back into formation to take full advantage of the lift. We need to realize as Christians that we need to stay connected to one another, encouraging and helping each other. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies the point position.

Hebrews 4 includes and excellent passage for the encouragement of rest for God's leaders. The writer affirms the need to follow God's model for rest and encouragement.

"Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11).

Geese also honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep flying with speed. Words are important. They have real power. James warns us that although the tongue is a small part of the body, it has the power to determine the whole course of human existence (James 3:5-6). What kind of message do you present when you "honk" at others?

Finally, another lesson we can learn is that when a goose is wounded or sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow their fellow member down to help and provide protection. They stay with this member of the flock until he or she is able to fly again or dies. Then they branch out on their own to catch up or join another flock.

We, too, need to stand by one another--be a wind break in someone's life--a true encourager. By ourselves we are weak and fragile but together, with the Lord's strength, we can encourage one another with the power of our words.

Jesus, the Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ~ Psalm 23

Teaching the Truth in Love

60 Facts: Sabbath

Keep Your Feet from Breaking the Sabbath

Isaiah 58:11-14

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Jesus Saves Sinners . . . and Changes Lives

God Cares for Everything

"God cares for everything and sustains everything that He has created. No tears are shed that He does not notice. There is no smile that He does not mark. If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now, for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of cares or overwhelmed by their weight. We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers." ~ E.G. White

God is . . . Mighty to Save

What is Symbolic Babylon

A Quote by Charles L. Newbold
"Symbolic Babylon is that attitude of heart that makes us think we can solve all of our problems and meet all our needs without God. We look to government, politics, science, technology, psychology, sociology, economics, entertainment, and religion for help --things mankind has invented. Therefore we look to ourselves to save ourselves. Self-centered living is making ourselves out to be god; therefore, it is idolatry, which is spiritual harlotry...We become spiritual prostitutes when we create something and give our hearts to it rather than the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever appeals to Self is not of God. Self is love in love with Self. It seeks its own. It is vain, prideful, arrogant, self-exalting, self-indulging, self-absorbed, power-hungry, and lustful. It strives for independence, self-reliance, and self-management. It uses and abuses others, if necessary, to achieve its own ambitions. It lies, steals, cheats, murders, covets, blames, justifies, and does whatever seems necessary to save itself. It goes to any end to protect itself. It is addicted to more. It can never be satisfied...Because the Self is centered upon itself...Self consumes itself, is self-destructive, and has death as its final reward. Self lives and dies for Self."