T.J.I.F.A.

 

THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ON…& ON…& ON…& ON.
JULY 23, 2004

 

SUBJECT:  "HAPPILY EVER AFTER . . . "

 

YOU'VE READ AND HEARD THE FANTASY THAT IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY YOU'LL LIVE ‘HAPPILY EVER AFTER.'  IS THAT SO?  READ…ASK YOURSELF, "WHEN AM I HAPPY?" . . . THEN ANSWER!

 

NOTEWORTHY: QUOTES SUBMITTED BY BMCC.

 

FRIDAY'S WORD: PROVIDENCE

 

IN THE MIRROR: SLC ASK A WORTHWHILE QUESTION

 

O TASTE AND SEE!  EXTRAVAGANT ICE CREAM SUNDAE.  YOU'LL ONLY TASTE  ONE OF THESE IN THE LUXURY OF YOUR OWN  HOME.  ENJOY ON A HOT JULY OR AUGUST AFTERNOON.  TER

 

LOOKING FORWARD

 

SEE YA NEXT TIME!

 

TER

 

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER…"

 

1Tim.6:9-11; "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is  a root of all kinds of evil, and  some by longing for it have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  But, oh man of God flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness."  

 

It's not a secret that fairy tales ALWAYS have a happy ending.  In fact, if we didn't understand anything else about the story line of the fairy tale, you'd expect to read the old familiar line, "And they lived happily ever after."  You may not have uttered to another human being what you thought that phrase meant, but in the depth of your soul you allowed your imagination to absolutely run wild.  That means that the phrase "happily ever after" carries with it a responsibility to give its readers ease, pleasure and mindless years of enjoyment. 

 

The entertainment business has encroached upon the minds of society with movies containing real people (actors).  These actors win the hearts of their viewing audiences bringing them into complex life-like situations without apparent solution.  The resolution of these problems is usually a surprise and even magical; thus yielding the conclusion "And they lived happily ever after." 

 

Now, as Christians, we all know that there really is a "happily ever after; or a JOY FOREVER and EVER."  We know this fact, and yet, we are easily dubbed into believing that somewhere there's a ‘pot of gold' at the rainbow's END, which will make us very rich.  With this wealth, we won't have any more problems;  thus . . . "Happily ever after." 

 

We've had much prophesy about how wealthy we will be in the future.  That wealth isn't or hasn't established itself in the plan that GOD has for your future.  That wealth is used to obtain MORE.  This may not be the wealth that GOD intends for you or me.  Why?  GOD will NEVER entice us with something that belongs to the world.  He doesn't have to do that.  GOD knows your heart.  He knows what would cause you to fail.  

 

Jeremiah 29:11:  says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward  you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an  expected end." 

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, He doesn't promise that from that point on you'll NEVER have a trial or a tribulation. Quite contrary, if we examine the lives of His disciples, we'll find that following Christ painted a landscape with ‘the Beatitudes' dotted with martyrs who once dined with Christ. 

 

Wouldn't you think that His Disciples would get a little bit of special handling?  After all, they were part of the original circle of friends of Christ. 

 

GOD'S ways are not our ways.  His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. We've had a giant dose of the world's teaching, and a commonly held belief is "Go with the majority."  GOD is a minority but . . . His way holds precedence.  His Word directs us to "Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven . . ."  Many Christians use this scripture to rectify running headlong after the riches of this world; because, after all they have already sought the Kingdom of Heaven so now, they can expect treasures of this world, and live ‘happily ever after.' 

 

The treasures of this world are NOT meant to make anyone "HAPPY."  The things of this world are taxed with much duty.  Things take up space in your living quarters as well as in your mind.  Things MAKE you think about them.  Things are in constant need of repair or oil, or gas, or energy.  Things refuse to love you back or give a kind word.  (Unless you program a talking computer to say it every time you turn it on).  Things that often cost most break easier.  Things can cause a root of jealousy to spring up when your friends get a newer model or better brand of things.  Things take your attention from your family.  They absorb your time.  Things can even stand in a place so sacred that nothing less than murder would repay the abuser of YOUR THINGS . . . Idol. (1 Timothy says "Flee  these THINGS…")

 

It's better to spend a little time here trusting GOD and having faith in His promise, than to spend that same little time in plush surroundings and eternity without GOD.  As long as the world can make you think that you are left out and poor, or missing something, you'll keep looking where you think the grass is greener and fighting for the right to die in luxury's lap.  But when your mind is renewed with the mind of Christ, you'll KNOW just where your riches are and you'll keep working on bringing others along to that place which Jesus is preparing for us. 

 

Our pursuit, in this life, is "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness." [ 1 Timothy 6:]  

 

We are all as sheep, according to the Word of GOD.  This being so, we then have a yearning and love for our Shepherd.  Our Shepherd exudes these characteristics.  If we love the Shepherd, and the Shepherd loves us, it only stands to reason that we would RUN AFTER these notable qualities in an attempt to mimic our Shepherd.

 

NOTE:  Remember when you were young?  The young girls would put their tiny feet into the shoes of her mommy; because she wanted to be ‘like her.'  Likewise the young boys would dress up in one of his  father's hats and a tie (loosely tied) and of course, a pair of very big shoes. 

 

It was very important to wear the shoes of the person you were trying to imitate.  There's just something about walking in the shoes of those whom you adore and admire.   

 

Have you ever noticed how happy the child is that is imitating their parent?  There's something to pursuing that which our parents have ordained.  TER

 

On that note, let us pursue and obtain that which Jesus has ordained for us.  In so doing, we are guaranteed to . . . "Live happily forever and ever.  AMEN."

 

Looking Forward

 

See Ya Next Time

 

TER

 

NOTEWORTHY: 

 

"Every morning lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon the Lord then, with that vision in thy heart turn strong to meet the day." 

 

"Our Lord, going before us in this hard way, showed us how we should walk.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."  John 13:15 NIV.

 

"Some may see a hopeless end, but as believers we rejoice in an endless hope." 

 

From "Bless Your Heart, Series II"  Submitted by BMCC

 

FRIDAY'S WORD: Providence; prov*i*dence; ; a term which in theology designates the continued care which GOD exercises over the universe which He has created.  This includes the two facts of preservation and government.  1.)  The doctrine of providence is closely connected with that of creation.  That GOD would create the world and then forsake it is inconceivable in view of the perfection of GOD.  Accordingly, in the power and wisdom and goodness of the Creator, declared in the scriptures, we have the pledge of constant divine care over all parts of His creation.  This idea finds _expression in various places in both the Old and New Testaments . . .
2.)  Belief in providence, while agreeable with, and supported by reason, has its strongest ground in the truth of special divine revelation.  It is not surprising that enlightened heathen, as Cicero and Seneca, argued in its behalf.  And that even among the opponents of Christianity there have been those who have adhered to this idea.  For this is an idea not exclusively Christian, But a necessary feature of religion in general.  And of the correctness of this idea human history as a whole, and the spectacle of the universe, furnish abundant illustrations.  Facts irreconcilable by us with this belief, on account of the narrow limits of human understanding, exists in large number.  And yet the overwhelming preponderance of the facts even within our observation is in the opposite direction.  Broad observation and right reason preclude the idea of a government of the world by chance or by blind force, and sustains the belief that "there is a power in the world that makes for righteousness."  In addition the deep necessities of human nature and life are perpetually crying out "for the living GOD."  That facts apparently opposed to faith at this point exists is what should be expected.  For universal and perfect providence implies infinite knowledge; and "we know" only "in part." For every mind less than the infinite providence must have its mysteries.  Our faith at this point, as at others, must therefore find its chief support and guidance from the Word of GOD. 
Taken in part from: Unger's Bible Dictionary

 

IN THE MIRROR: Question: Do you oftentimes highlight or underscore certain thoughts or ideas necessary to draw from at a later point in life?

 

When reading ‘Friday's Word' section I was reminded of something I can't resist passing along. . . . I'm glad you asked! " . . .the narrow limits of human understanding . . ."

 

I've been challenged more than a few times to be as well informed as some of the  people I meet along the way, and their knowledge and history seem to transcend anything I have at the moment. Ah, but then I am reminded about how in all my ‘narrow limits' and in the weakness of my ‘human understanding,' I decided to believe something one day that is continually changing and transforming my life everyday.

 

I made up my mind one day to accept the fact that I really didn't have the answers to life and living and in my heart I came to realized that Jesus Christ did.  Along with that experience came an understanding that surpasses theological circles, and there's not a book anywhere besides the Bible that I can better tell my story.

 

Perhaps my greatest motivation for writing is  wondering if there's someone somewhere that feels it has to be ‘intellectually complicated' to be believable, but I want to challenge you today to look at the simple truth Jesus came to demonstrate, " . . .Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house." (Acts 16:31) Whoever you are, wherever you are, your humanness can be used to either make evident the power of God in your life, or go to a fiery grave which Jesus came to prevent.

 

Please give it a lot of thought! It'll be worth it!     S.L.C

 

O TASTE AND SEE!

 

EXTRAVAGANT BANANA ICE CREAM SUNDAE

 

INGREDIENTS:
WHOLE BANANA SLICED LENGTHWISE
VANILLA ICE CREAM
STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
CARTON FROZEN STRAWBERRIES
FRESH BLUEBERRIES
COOL WHIP OR REDDY WHIP
CHOPPED NUTS (YOUR CHOICE)

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

IN INDIVIDUAL OVAL SHAPED SUNDAE BOWL (THE DISPOSABLE TYPE ARE AVAILABLE IN GROCERY STORES.  THEY'RE USUALLY PLASTIC).  PLACE SLICED BANANAS OPEN; ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND ONE ON THE LEFT SIDE.
SCOOP DESIRED  ICE CREAM  INTO  DISH  BETWEEN BANANAS.
POUR OUT DESIRED AMOUNT OF STRAWBERRIES WITH JUICE OVER ICE CREAM AND BANANAS.
GENEROUSLY SURROUND ICE CREAM WITH WHIPPED TOPPING.
DOT WHIPPED CREAM WITH  FRESH BLUEBERRIES.
SPRINKLE CHOPPED NUTS OVER ENTIRE EXTRAVAGANT SUNDAE.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL DESSERT, AND IF YOU ARE ESPECIALLY CALORIE CONSCIOUS, YOU CAN USE LOW FAT ICE CREAM.  THIS ISN'T A HEAVY SUNDAE, THERE IS NO SWEET SYRUP.  THE SYRUP FROM THE STRAWBERRIES IS THE ONLY LIQUID. 

 

EXTRAVAGANT SUNDAE IS AS ITS NAME IMPLIES . . EXTRAVAGANT!  ENJOY  TER