Does Heaven have a phone number???
Mommy went to Heaven, but I need her here today, My tummy hurts and I fell down, I need her right away, Operator can you tell me how to find her in this book? Is heaven in the yellow part,
I don't know where to look. I think my daddy needs her too, at night I hear him cry.
I hear him call her name sometimes, but I really don't know why. Maybe if I call her,
she will hurry home to me. Is Heaven very far away, Is it across the sea? she's been gone a long, long time she needs to come home now! I really need to reach her,
I simply don't know how. Help me find the number please, is it listed under "Heaven"?
I can't read these BIG BIG words I am only seven. I'm sorry operator, I didn't mean to make you cry, Is your tummy hurting too, or is there something in your eye? If I call my church maybe they will know. Mommy said when we need help that's where we should go.
I found the number to my church tacked up on the wall. Thank you operator, I'll give them a call.
Author Unknown
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Psalm 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.”
There was a man carrying a heavy load of grain down a country road. Another man had a wagon being pulled by a horse, and he saw the man walking and said to him, “Mister, you need a ride?” And so the man got in the wagon. But the man kept the load of grain on his shoulder. The wagon driver said, “Man, put that down and relax!” He said, “Oh no. It’s enough to ask you to carry me without having you carry this also.” Have you ever done that to the Lord? You say, “Lord, I’ll let You save me, but I’ll carry my own burdens.” How foolish we are to do this with the God who hung the stars and planets.
If you can trust God to save you from hell, don’t you think you can cast your burden upon the Lord right now? ********************************************************************* "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33
I can try to grow into a new life. I can think of spiritual things often, and unconsciously I can grow. The nearer I get to the new life, the more I can see my unfitness. My sense of failure can be a sign that I am growing in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. In sloth--physical, mental, or spiritual--there is no sense of failure or discomfort. With struggle and effort, I can be conscious not of strength but of weakness until I am really living the new life. But in the struggle, I can always rely on the power of God to help me.
I pray that I may see signs of my growth in the new life. I pray that I may always keep trying to grow. ***********************************************************************
"For thus says the LORD of hosts: ˜Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the LORD of hosts" Haggai 2:6-7
What is a shaking? I always think of an earthquake, especially living in Northern California. Suddenly the earth begins to shake. Thing rattle on the shelves. Then the shelves collapse spilling their contents on the floor. Nails are vibrated from their hold in the studs and rafters. The walls fall. Floors and ceilings collapse upon themselves.
Shaking brings destruction. Every once in a while we read of the death of a child -- from a severe shaking. Destruction! Cars driven over rough and bumpy roads begin to rattle. Finally, they become inoperable. Destruction! Shaking, to me, means destruction. If God says he is going to shake the nations, I believe He is going to bring destruction upon them. That is the only way that their attention will be captured. This shaking will not result in total destruction, but enough to bring down economies and governments. Enough to strike fear in the inhabitants.
Here is the point. Shaking, while bringing destruction, also brings restoration. "and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house (what house? The Temple. What temple? God's Temple.) with glory." With God there is always a purpose. There is nothing that happens to us that does not have God's stamp of approval upon it -- and He will make it all turn out for the good of those who are His children -- the adopted children through Jesus Christ -- US!
The shaking will bring about a great revival as nations of people turn to Him for their salvation. He will fill each temple (you and me) with His glory! The shaking is a good thing. The destruction is just the beginning of a great move -- a fantastic work of God. You and I are a part of that work. Be prepared to do your share -- or be shaken!
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THE PATHWAY OF PAIN
If my days were untroubled, and my heart was always light, Would I seek that fair land where there is no night?
If I never grew weary with the weight of my load, Would I search for God's peace at the end of the road?
If I never knew sickness and never felt pain, Would I search a hand to help and sustain?
If I walked without sorrow and lived without pain, Would my soul seek solace at the foot of the Cross?
If all I desired was mine day by day, Would I kneel before God and earnestly pray?
If God sent no winter to freeze me with fear, Would I yearn for the warmth of spring every year?
I ask myself these -- and the answer is plain, If my life were pleasure, and I never knew pain,
I'd see God less often, and need Him much less, For God is sought more often in times of distress.
And no one knows God, or sees Him as plain, As those who have met Him on "The Pathway of Pain!" Unknown
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"For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you." ~Isaiah 54:10
We can make use of our mistakes, failures, losses and sufferings. It is not what happens to us so much as what use we make of it. We can take our sufferings, difficulties and hardships and make use of them to help some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same troubles. Then something good can come out of our suffering and the world can be a better place because of it. The good we do each day can live on, after the trouble and distress have gone, after the difficulty and pain have passed away.
I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I pray that some good may result from my painful experiences.
------------------------------------ "Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it" Psalm 119:33-35
Three things the Psalmist asks in today's verses. Three things he desires. Three things will change his life and make him a better man. What are these wonder working items? How will they perform in the Psalmist's life? Will they do the same for me? For you?
Teach me, the Psalmist entreats. Teach me what? Teach me the way of our Laws. The ten? Perhaps for the psalm writer. But for you and me it is but two. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself. In these two are the ten fulfilled. That's what Jesus said. Teach me to love, we ask. In doing that, the Master will have taught us a valuable lesson.
Give me understanding, he continues. Understanding? Is that the same as Wisdom? Indeed it is. Knowledge “ even knowledge of the Laws of God “ without wisdom is mostly without value. Should be gain all the knowledge the world has to offer and we have not wisdom (understanding), what good is it? If we know not how to use that knowledge to accomplish what God wants, to accomplish good, then it might as well have staid between the bindings of a book. Wisdom tells us how to reach people, how to minister to them, how to use the powerful Sword of the Spirit to drive off evil and separate sin from the sinner. That is what wisdom does.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments. The third request is made. Isn't that the same as the first? The commandments are mentioned in both. No, the first is knowledge of the laws. The second is how to apply that knowledge. This one is the desire to dwell in the law on a daily basis. STOP! PROCEED NO FURTHER! “ at least until you know a bit more. Remember the law is reduced to two laws of love. Now we can proceed. If we have knowledge of love, if we have an understanding of the application of love, then we are ready to dwell in that love. And that is why we delight in it. It's like a child enjoying the first major snow of the season. He plays in it for hours. It gets in his hair and he laughs. He lays in it and makes snow angels and has a blast. That is the way we should delight in the law for it is indeed delightful. It is rich. It is all we are told it is and much, much more!
Let us seek the knowledge, let us ask for understanding, and let us continue on in love until we delight in dwelling in it. 
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