Contrast

 

God is not a man;
    he will not lie.
God is not a human being;
    his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something,
    then he will do it.
If he makes a promise,
    then he will do what he promised.

-Numbers 23:19-

The Bible minces no words when it comes to exposing the truth about man’s moral weakness. One of the glaring contrasts between God and man is in relation to the Truth. Man is wrapped  in the skin of falsehood that it is natural for him to lie or to deceive. So this makes him utterly unreliable.

With God there is no vacillation and no shadow of turning.

The Junior Lawyer

 The Junior Lawyer

By Ray Alan T. Drilon

Junior Lawyer talking to a group of friends:  “Gentlemen, I’m giving  free food and unlimited rounds drinks, I feel generous.”

Friend: ” To what do we owe this generosity, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Junior Lawyer: “I won the largest law suit in our town so far. My fees alone practically ruined the defendant.”

Friend: “This calls for a toast.”

(After the toast.)

Old senior Lawyer to the Junior Lawyer:  “Young man, I’m impressed. If you could whisper to me how much was your take in your case, I promise under pain of ostracism, to keep it in the strictest confidence, and will never divulge the exact amount of your fortune.”

Junior Lawyer beaming with pride:” Well sir, since you are the most senior and the oldest among us, in this great company of Attorneys, I will oblige, on your promise, to keep it in your safest confidence.”

(Junior Lawyer whispers to the ear of the old lawyer, whose eyes widen with expression.)

Friend: “Since the secret is out, but kept in the strictest confidence, may our senior lawyer please indulge us, if you could  give us, at least, a graphic description, of course not the exact monetary figure, of the extent of our colleague’s professional fees?”

Senior Lawyer to Junior Lawyer: “Would you, sir, permit me only to describe it?”

Junior Lawyer: Yes sir, you may, an adequate description would suffice.

Senior Lawyer speaking to the group with pompous ceremony: 

“Gentlemen, in my lifetime in the practice of law, I have not earned even a fraction of what our friend here had earned in his single case. Our young Attorney is a class apart from the older generation of lawyers where I belong. You see this young fellow  is unlike any other lawyer. He is like the Vikings of old. When they invade a village, they completely take everything, living and non-living things, including the old women. That, my friends, more or less, sums up my description.

ManageStress

 Notes from our Sunday School  Lesson.

Life Application Series

Three Ways To Manage Stress.

God’s Word: Philippians 4:4-9. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."       

Stress is a fact of life. Good and bad experiences contribute to the stress in our lives. The Bible has important things to say about stress.

The first principle to deal with stress according to St. Paul is to rejoice in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is our strength . The joy which the Lord our God gives is regardless of the circumstances. We are controlled by our internal moods. When we rejoice in the Lord we are placing our confidence  in Him. 

The second principle is to pray.

Stressful situations cause anxiety.  St. Paul said that instead of being overcome by worries of life, we should cast our cares upon God by praying. People who pray tend not to worry. People who tend to worry often forget to pray. When we pray we are no longer depending upon our power, our ability. We are now depending on the Creator of the Universe. 

The third is to think.

This means we take responsibility for our minds. We can choose to think on what is good. Negative thoughts are often the greatest source of stress, especially when one imagines the worst. It also robs us of faith.

We all have concerns. St. Paul exhorts us not to dwell on them as to be weighed down by fear or worry.  Instead the Saint says we are to take control of our minds and think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. 

When we focus our thoughts on God’s mercies, we realize and have confidence that God is bigger than our problems.

Small Package

 

When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.

 

- John Ruskin

 

A spirit glided past my face,

And the hair on my body stood on end.

It stopped but I could not tell what it was.

A form stood before my eyes,

And I heard a hushed voice:

"Can  a mortal be more righteous than God ?

 Can a man be more pure than his Maker?"

 

-Job