http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/fo0324_religion.pdf

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10)

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (1 Peter 5:5-6)

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4)

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)

It helps me to think of myself as standing on a mechanical platform that can be raised or lowered.  This platform is located in a room with a ceiling.  At times I may want the platform to be raised further, but my head would hit the ceiling.  By crouching down, I accommodate more room for the platform to raise me higher.  If I try to raise myself up without first humbling myself, my head will encounter immediate resistance from the ceiling.  So too, God resists the proud.

It is powerful to remember that there is a difference between me humbling myself and God doing it for me.  The repeated promise of Scripture is that if I humble myself, God will lift me up.  However if God humbles me, there is no such expectation.  Knowing that God resists the proud and abases the self-exalted confirms to me that I will be humbled one way or another.  I must choose to humble myself if I hope for any usefulness for God to come out of my moment of humbling.

Pastor Paul Gibbesh

Proverbs 16:21 reminds us that “the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.”  Harshness helps nobody.  Sweet talk strengthens lives, and that is always needed.  In the phrase “let your speech be alway with grace,” it seems that there is one word will especially challenge us.  It doesn’t surprise us at all that we should be commanded to speak with graciousness toward others, but the challenge comes with the word “alway.”  We all speak with grace sometimes, but it’s often hard to embrace the need for “alway.”  Especially when somebody has it coming.

This may not sound appealing to us in certain moments of life.  However, you can count on it, God’s way works best.  Don’t forget that we would be thrilled if everybody else practiced this, so let’s do our part too.

Pastor Paul Gibbesh

Somehow, though, things went sideways.  Saul got too big for his britches, and before he knew it he had burst an embarrassing seam.  I’m talking about the Amalekites.  Saul had made his share of messes before, but this was the worst yet.  God had told Saul to destroy the Amalekites.  He even commanded the destruction of all they owned.  If you know the story, you remember that Saul didn’t do what he was told.  First mistake?  God said to utterly destroy them all, but Saul decided that he could revise the battle plan.  There were captives to be taken, and great spoil that only needed to be carried home.  So he did.

Do you know what Saul’s biggest problem was?  He had a pet.  I call it the five-eyed-monster: pride.  Saul started to think that he was something special.  He thought that nobody could or should dictate to him how he should rule the kingdom.  After all, he had everything under control, didn’t he?  Perhaps Saul’s raging pride problem can be best seen in his statement about the praise David received.  The ladies sang “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  Saul responded, “What can he have more but the kingdom.” (1 Samuel 18:7-8)  The most important thing in his life was his position, and the second thing was that people sing songs about how wonderful he was.  Have you ever had someone write a song about your exploits?  No?  Me neither.

Saul’s situation came to a head when the prophet Samuel arrived after the battle with the Amalekites and rebuked him for his disobedience.  The message was this: “The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.” (1 Samuel 15:28)  Saul thought he was God’s gift to Israel, but that day he found out that he was not irreplaceable.  In fact, in spite of his exalted view of himself, God said that He had somebody better to take his place.

But what about us?  Do we ever get to the place in our lives and ministries that we start to think that things will fall apart without us?  Do we think that everything depends on our personal strength and charisma?  Let us remember that nobody is a bigshot to God.  Keep in mind that nobody is so much of a bigshot that they cannot be replaced.  Truly, the more we become a bigshot, the more we need to be replaced.

“… God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  James 4:6

Pastor Paul Gibbesh

http://www.caryschmidt.com/2011/11/when-were-too-busy/

I have been already putting it to work, and find the benefit in it!

Thought it worth the chuckle!

St. Peter said, ‘I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out and he left.”

The couple sat and waited for an answer… for a couple of months.

While they waited, they discussed the pros and cons. If they were allowed to get married in Heaven, should they get married, what with the eternal aspect of it all? ‘What if it doesn’t work? Are we stuck in Heaven together forever?’ Another month passed.

St. Peter finally returned looking somewhat bedraggled. ‘Yes,’ he informed the couple, ‘you can get married in Heaven.’

‘Great!’ said the couple. ‘But we were just wondering; what if things don’t work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?’

St. Peter red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard on the ground.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked the frightened couple.

‘OH, COME ON!!!’ St. Peter shouted. ‘It took me 3 months to find a priest up here! Do you have ANY idea how long it’ll take to find a lawyer!

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Forwarded from the internet

Click here to view the embedded video.

And, let me know what you think of homeschooling.  Good?  Bad? ‘Orrible?  I’d be interested to know how many of you were home-schooled.

As I read the Gospel records of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am often struck by the way our Lord responded to the questions and teachings of the Pharisees.  I find them one of the most striking groups in the time of Christ’s ministry.  I sometimes wonder how we would see them if they existed in our day under a more respectable moniker.

It fascinates me that the people in that day who had a reputation for knowing and revering the Scriptures above anyone else were the ones whom Jesus most virulently condemned.  These were the people who had the highest standard of behaviour among God’s people, Israel.  They would be viewed as the ultra-conservative.  Fundamentalist Jews, if you will.  They were passionate about standards of behaviour, dress, and cleanliness.  They expended great efforts in proselytizing even if it was only to have one convert who would join them.  And having accomplished that, they would succeed also in reshaping his life into the same respectable standard that they espoused.  What great energy exerted in fashioning their lives into a nearly flawless image!

Yet Christ warned His disciples not to be like them.  Imagine a Christian who looked like they never did anything wrong, dressed right, acted right, and went to great lengths to bring people to church.  We’d be shocked if Christ showed up and said, “Watch out for that guy!  Do not be like him.”  Yet there is a huge danger in conformity instead of conversion.  The adorning of our outwardness is not as vital as the hidden man of the heart.  Many of the things the Pharisees were doing were outwardly good, but inwardly vile because of a wrong heart.  Don’t think you’re so special just because everybody else does!  Let us come to God and say “search… and see if there be any wicked way in me.”  O Lord, when you look deep inside may my inner man not show Pharisee, but a disciple!

Pastor Paul Gibbesh