A Moral Question

Professor Curry had a reputation for humiliating every Christian student that had the nerve to stand up and claim their faith. He greeted each new class with these words.

“I hope we don’t have any Christian’s in this classroom and if there are will you please stand.”

Most Christian student’s remained seated. Terry was different.

Professor Curry pounded his desk when Terry stood up and yelled, “You're one of those Christian haters?”

“I don’t hate anyone Professor.”

The professor glared at Terry and said, “I’m a homosexual, your bible says I should be stoned, what do you say? Am I going to heaven or hell? And don’t answer me with one of your Christian clichés like---“The Lord hates the sin but loves the sinner!”

The whole classroom turned and starred at Terry in anticipation.

Terry had no idea how to respond to such a penetrating question. He certainly didn’t want to be labeled a homophobic so he said, “I’m taking the fifth on this one.” Then he sat down to the laughter and smirks of his classmates.

College students like Terry are bombarded with tough questions like these routinely. They go off to college ill prepared to enter the cultural war of the elites. 

Peter said, “---And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 1Peter 3:14-15.

It’s no longer enough to send our students into battle armed with only children’s bible stories when they are confronted with moral questions on abortion, homosexuality, humanism, and relativism.

If Terry had been trained to defend his Christian faith using a moral argument he would have been ready to give Professor Curry an answer based on Gods existence----If God doesn’t exist there can be no standards to base a right and wrong decision on.

Way too many of our Christian students have given up their faith due to the overwhelming influence of hostile ungodly professor’s and non-believing friends.

If you’re eager to enter the battle with the knowledge needed to defend your faith in Christ you can request a speaker for your school or church at: http://www.crossexamined.org

You can also get additional facts here. http://share.snacktools.com/58EEC9D9E8C/fznszl89  

 

A Mouse of A Prayer

The room was deadly quiet. I crawled into bed with heavy eyelids and waited for sleep to arrive. Just when I began to doze off something sinister happened.

I heard a loud scratching noise that sat me straight up in bed faster than a jack in the box. I fumbled around for the light switch and intently listened.

It sounded like a cat scratching. I followed the sound which led to an interior wall by my bathroom. I put my ear to the wall just when the scratching began in earnest. I would describe it as panic scratching, like I want out of here scratching.

I had no doubt I was listening to a frantic mouse trapped inside my wall. There was nothing I could do without tearing my wall apart so I went back to bed.

That night I listened to his frantic scratching for one hour, then two, when hour three approached with the mouse still going strong a brilliant thought came my way. I just finished a study on how great men of God took their every single need to Him in prayer. Now I needed God’s help with this mouse in my house.

As the mouse scratched I prayed.

“Lord you are creator of heaven, earth, and every living creature. At your command all nature obeys. Lord I know you hear my prayer and understand how helpless I am with this trapped mouse. Please Lord command this mouse out of my house.”

After my prayer I didn’t hear the scratching. I walked over to the wall and listened. The scratching had stopped. Filled with joy I triumphantly crawled back into bed. I fluffed my pillows, laid my head down. I just finished thanking God for answering my prayer when the scratching started all over again.

I jumped out of bed hurried over to the wall and this time I placed my hand against the wall where the mouse was scratching and earnestly prayed.

“Father, I need your help, I need to know you hear my prayer and care about the little things in my life. Please Lord send this mouse away.”

I finished my prayer, removed my hand from the wall, and guess what happened?”

Nothing, the mouse kept on with its irritating scratching most of the night.

I went to sleep that night muttering like the Israelites in the wilderness. “Why didn’t you answer my prayer Lord?”

The next morning I woke up still irritated over my prayer life. I opened my bible for morning devotions, a little reluctantly I might add. I told the Lord my morning devotions would have been a lot more joyful if he would have answered my prayer last night.

As I sat there with my bible open on my lap I heard a voice. It wasn’t an audible voice, but it spoke to my soul with a very powerful and distinct message. The voice asked me a question.

“John, when Jesus cursed the fig tree did the disciples see the results immediately?”

I answered, “No Lord, not till the next day.”

The voice said, “So it is with the mouse.”

I had never experienced an encounter like this one. I checked my wall all day long and never heard a scratch. That night I eagerly went to bed. I intently listened for scratching well into the night but heard nothing. The scratching never returned.

What did I learn? Patience, God answers all prayer in His own time even if it’s a mouse of a prayer.

The Robins Song

The cool breeze blew softly through the trees creating a symphony of rustic music among the autumn leaves. All nature seemed at harmony as I relaxed in my favorite backyard chair overlooking the garden.

I opened my book, tilted my chair back and began to read in the silent warmth of the day.

The silence suddenly stopped as two squirrels chased each other along the expansive wooden fence in my backyard. They squawked, jumped, and bounced in a playful frenzy. I noticed one of the squirrels had a nut in its mouth and wasn’t in a sharing mood.

I watched them for several minutes until they finally disappeared. I opened my book again and began to re-read the same paragraph I read before all the commotion. I just finished the paragraph when I head chaos erupt in the tree above me.

Those neurotic squirrels were at it again. I once again closed my book and listened to them scolding each other as they jumped from tree branch to tree branch. They seemed to have lost all sense of direction for they kept running back and forth without purpose. They would run ten feet, stop, look around, and then run back to the same spot where their nutty war had begun.

These cute adorable little squirrels were beginning to take on a rat like appearance with their annoying antics. I just wanted to read my book in silence without all the irritating drama found in the squirrel world.

“Quiet!” I yelled.

They paid no attention to me and continued their high wire tree theatrics. When they dropped their nut five yards from my chair the real pandemonium began. They made a wild dash toward the nut and arrived at the same time. They rolled together as one with the nut somewhere in between them. They ran past my chair, up the fence, and jumped into the trees.

“Enough,” I said.

I was about to head back into the house when I noticed a robin land on a nearby tree overlooking the yard. The robin appeared to take in the squirrel’s naughty, senseless behavior and then suddenly broke out in a song.

While I watched these two creatures of God interact I noticed something quite divine. The strange behavior of the squirrel never affected the robins’ song. The Robin kept on singing through all the squirrel’s ranting’s.

As I listened to the robin sing I was presented with a new thought. No matter what’s going on in the world around her---the robin sings. The robin was created to glorify her creator with her song.

 That day the robin taught me a life lesson. No matter how irritated I get with squirrels, co-workers, my boss or relatives I was created to glorify my creator. It doesn’t matter what is going on around us we can keep a song of love in our heart just as the Robin.

 Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” We glorify God when we keep our focus on Jesus and not our circumstances.

Today the Robin continues to sing her song in backyards all across America, She doesn’t worry about tomorrow, her song is sufficient for the day.  

 Jesus said: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:26, 27.

 Help me Lord imitate the robin. Let me lift up my heart in song even when those in the world become super irritating. Today is a perfect day to sing.

BEHIND THE WINDOW

Grace smiled and then rolled her eyes as she looked through her window at the dark shadowy figures of the night.

She hadn’t always lived behind the window, at one time in her life she thought of herself as a Southern Bella. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and dimples that appeared like crescent moons every time she smiled.

Her fondest memories were of the tea parties she played with her mother. They would put on big Southern Bella hats, cover her little play table with a linen cloth and set out her tiny cups. Grace could still hear the laughs of her mother as they sat across from each other sipping pretend tea.

“Shall I pour you another cup of tea Gracie dear?”

Grace would hold out her yellow plastic cup for her mother and smile.

Those playtimes with her mother came to a sudden halt when a car accident took the lives of her mother and father. At twelve years of age she was sent to live with her uncle. The sexual abuse began shortly thereafter until she moved out.

Grace slid into the world of drugs as a way to cope with her pain. Her best friends were named ecstasy, cocaine, and LSD stopped by every now and then. I needed a way to pay for my drugs so I would sell my body to cover my debts. Most of the time I didn’t even know the time of day nor did I care. I lived my live by a formula of supply and demand. I needed a supply of drugs and there was a demand for my body.

I have given up drug use for the most part but I still belong to the red light district. I sit behind a window clad in revealing lingerie with several other women. We have a table covered in red linen, an ashtray, and coffee cups. Sometimes I look across the table and I see my mother sitting across from me in her big southern bell hat smiling.

“Gracie dear, can I pour you a little more tea?”

“Why did you leave me mom? I’m so lost without you. I hate my life!”

I’m brought back to reality when he yells.

“Grace, you have a customer!”

Shortly I’m back looking out my window at the dark shadowy figures of the night. Most pass by with their heads down; others stop to gawk, a few walk in to apply the trade. Can’t anyone hear the cries of my heart? Can’t anyone see my pain behind the window? Anyone?”

There are thousands like Grace who stand behind the window, forsaken, forgotten, and helpless. They thirst for life changing water, someone who can look through the window and see their pain; more than anything they need Jesus.

There is an organization that looks through the window and offers hope by using one hundred percent of their donations to transform squandered lives back to the author of love. They would greatly appreciate your support in reaching out to the hurting women and children of this world. To find out more about their ministry click the link below.


 http://wellspringinternational.org/