"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God."Sally, a grad student, had one teacher who was known for elaborate object lessons. She relates an experience from one of his classes.Romans 14:10
One day the students knew they were in for fun day. On the wall was a large target; on a nearby table was a supply of darts.
The instructor told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or made them angry. They would be allowed to throw darts at the picture.
Sally's friend drew a picture of a girl who stole her boyfriend. Another friend, drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into the drawing.
The class lined up and took turns throwing darts. There was a lot of laughter. Some threw their darts with great force and emotion.
Sadly, because of time limits, Sally did not get her turn. She returned to her seat disappointed. She was now angry with her teacher and wished she could throw darts at him.
The instructor waited until everyone was seated before taking down the bull’s-eye. A hush fell over the room as a mangled picture of Jesus was revealed – holes and jagged marks covered His face, His eyes were almost eradicated.
The teacher said quietly, “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” No other words were necessary.
I don’t have anything to add to this illustration … I’m not certain it’s true or from the Chicken Soup series, but that makes no difference, its message is profound.
Showing posts with label Pride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pride. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2008
JUDGMENT: The problem with throwing darts!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
BURDENS: Bearing Burdens and Turn of Events!
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."Wrestling was not my favorite sport in Middle School, but I was blessed with considerable athletic ability and did quite well in it. However, just about the time my little old heart got all puffed up with self-importance, I had the chance to wrestle a boy I did not like. I couldn’t tell you today why I didn’t like him, but I remember his name, Larry Hutchins.1 Corinthians 10:13
Well, I had just about “whupped” on this boy when there was a sudden turn of events. As I was taking him down for the third time and for the win, our weights shifted and I ended up falling with him on top of me. I threw my left arm out to catch us and my elbow locked as my hand hit the floor; my elbow did not appreciate our combined weight and it dislocated miserably. I suffer from that injury to this day.
God will not ask us to bear more than He has prepared for us to bear; and He will always equip us for the task. However, we are quite capable of loading upon ourselves much more than we are capable of holding up. God is not to blame for times like these.
WOMAN: Sex of the battlers!
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."The English professor wrote on the chalkboard: punctuate this word string: “woman-without-her-man-is-nothing”!Ephesians 5:25-27
Male students wrote: “Woman, without her man, is nothing.”
Female students wrote: “Woman! Without her, man is nothing.”
[Adapted from Coolsigs]
Thursday, January 06, 2005
PRIDE: First sin in the Garden!
THE PARABLE OF THE WHALE! [Proverbs 16:18]Remember, it's when a whale surfaces that it gets harpooned. Whales blow to clear their air passage of water in order to replenish their air supply.
Man doesn’t blow to get air; he blows to get attention. So, beware, if you plan to rise to the top in order to blow your horn, keep the parable of the whale in mind … that’s when you’re most likely to get harpooned.
[Neil Anderson (Practical Theology class notes); edited for publication]Modern Man - Same Old Problem [Genesis 2:7 (11:6)]Edie Lau, Science Writer at the Sacramento Bee, writes, “The cute and healthy-looking ones get names such as Dolly, Amy, Betty and Daisy. They get their pictures taken. But for every good-looking lamb and calf conceived in a laboratory dish, a confounding number of animals come out oversized or malformed or aren’t born at all.”
What is Lau talking about? He's talking about cloned animals. The problem is so tenacious in “artificially reproduced and genetically engineered animals that some scientists are devoting their full attention to what they call Large Offspring Syndrome.”
Lorraine Young, a research scientist at the Roslin Institute, said, “I think at the moment, (the syndrome) is the norm.”
Nowadays, animal cloning is not as impressive as it once was; chances of producing healthy young from cloning and other reproductive techniques involving genetic orchestration is quite low, ten percent at best. Scientists want to know: Why doesn’t it work more often?
Lau quotes Dr. Torben Greve, a veterinary researcher in reproduction at the Royal Veterinary Agricultural University in Denmark, “The prospect of hidden health problems troubles [me].”
Greve says, “The main problem ... is the subtle differences that nobody wants to admit to. What if life expectancy is changed?”
In discussing in vitro fertilization, the scientists note that the same technique has been used for 21 years to assist humans to conceive, with no obvious ill effects in their babies. They ask, “What is the difference?”
“It’s extremely curious,” remarked Young, noting that mice also seem not to experience the syndrome. “We don’t understand that yet. .... [But] just because it hasn’t happened in people doesn’t mean it won’t,” Young lamented. ”I would feel happier knowing (the cause),” she said.
Young said scientists believe “imprint genes” from the male promote growth because it’s in the father’s best interest to have the biggest and strongest babies. The mother’s interest, on the other hand, is best served by limiting womb damage so she can bear several babies, so her genes limit growth.
Somehow, so the theory goes, manipulations external to the body topples the balancing act. If true, Young says, the challenge will be to identify the factors controlling these genes. “I don’t think (the problem of abnormal offspring) has to be the norm,” she said. “We think we can improve it.”
Man always thinks he can improve on it: he continues to build his Towers of Babel, when what he really needs is the Ark of the Lord. Man, it seems, will go on and on trying to elevate himself to the same level of God; if that doesn’t work he will try to pull God down to his level.
As they said, “It is in the Father’s best interest.” [Adapted from “Dark side of cloning perplexes scientists,” The Sacramento Bee; Aug. 18, 1999]
COMPLACENCY & PRIDE: The sin sisters!
"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes."The wicked sisters of complacency and pride are like the South American bola. It’s used to take down uncooperative horses and cattle, when thrown at their hind legs. It is also used against uncooperative men. The two leather tethers were tied at one end and held lead or stone balls at the other end.Amos 6:1
When thrown correctly the two balls whirl around in opposite directions; upon hitting a target, they wrap themselves around the legs, tripping or immobilizing the animal. Heavier weights are used as a weapon. Thrown at the upper torso or the neck, the two balls deal a severe blow to the recipient … even rendering some unconscious.
Complacency and pride whirl around religious men like gossip and backbiting around the proverbial water cooler.
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