WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SUNDAY
EVENING HYMNS, THE CHURCH'S PASTOR SLOWLY STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE
PULPIT AND, BEFORE HE GAVE HIS SERMON FOR THE EVENING, BRIEFLY
INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO WAS IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE CONGREGATION THAT THE GUEST
MINISTER WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT HE WANTED HIM
TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE WHATEVER HE FELT
WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SERVICE. WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN STEPPED
UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.
"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE SAILING OFF THE
PACIFIC COAST." HE BEGAN. "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED ANY
ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT EVEN
THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP THE BOAT
UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED."
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH TWO
TEENAGERS WHO WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN, LOOKING
SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.
THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY, "GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE
FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH
BOY WOULD HE THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE.
HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE
DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND HE, ALSO,
KNEW THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT.
THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES.
AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' HE THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE
TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED THE FRIEND BACK
TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE RAGING SWELLS
INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED.
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP STRAIGHT IN THE PEW,
ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT OF THE OLD MINISTER'S
MOUTH.
"THE FATHER," HE CONTINUED, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH
JESUS AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON'S FRIEND STEPPING
INTO AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS.. THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO
SAVE THE SON'S FRIEND. "
HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US. OUR
HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE COULD BE SAVED.
I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND TAKE A HOLD OF THE LIFE
LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE."
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN IN HIS CHAIR AS SILENCE
FILLED THE ROOM. THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY TO THE PULPIT AND
DELIVERED A BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END. HOWEVER, NO ONE
RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL.
WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE AT THE
OLD MAN'S SIDE. "THAT WAS A NICE STORY," POLITELY STATED ONE OF THEM,
"BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS
ONLY SON'S LIFE IN HOPES THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN."
"WELL, YOU'VE GOT A POINT THERE," THE OLD MAN REPLIED GLANCING DOWN AT
HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE. HE ONCE AGAIN
LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, "IT SURE ISN'T VERY REALISTIC, IS IT?
BUT I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF
WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO GIVE UP HIS SON FOR ME. YOU
SEE...I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S FRIEND."
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY
SAID A LITTLE BOY ONE DAY
I'M FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS,
AND I WANT TO KNOW THE WAY
SOMETIMES YOUR STEPS ARE VERY PLAIN
AND SOMETIMES HARD TO SEE.
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY,
FOR YOU ARE LEADING ME.
I KNOW THAT ONCE YOU WALKED
THIS WAY, MANY YEARS AGO,
AND WHAT YOU DID ALONG THE WAY
I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW.
FOR SOMETIMES I AM TEMPTED
AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY,
FOR I MUST FOLLOW YOU
SOMETIME WHEN I AM ALL GROWN UP
YOU ARE LIKE I WANT TO BE
THEN I WILL KNOW A LITTLE BOY,
WHO WILL WANT TO FOLLOW ME.
AND I WOULD WANT TO LEAD HIM RIGHT,
AND HELP HIM TO BE TRUE.
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY
FOR WE MUST FOLLOW YOU
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
First day Salvation full and free
Second day Everlasting life
Third day Peace in my heart
Fourth day Love for all men
Fifth day Joy for my soul
Sixth day Power from on high
Seventh day A body glorified
Eighth day A robe and a crown
Ninth day Mansions above
Tenth day Streets of pure gold
Eleventh day Thousand tongues to sing
Twelfth day Eternity to praise
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
When I was but a young lad
Christmas meant one thing
That I’d be getting lots of toys that day
But as I grew older my mama set me down
And taught me how to spell Christmas this way
C is for the Christ child born in Bethlehem
H for herald angels in the night
R means our redeemer
I means Israel
S is for the Star that shown so Bright
T is for three wise men they who travel for
M is for the manger where He lay
A is all HE stands for
S means shepherds came
and that’s why there a Christmas Day.
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold.
The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said,
"Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you?
You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son."
She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: 'John 3:16....I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.'
Later she came back and asked him Are you hungry? He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food."
The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: 'John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.'
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: 'John 3:16...
I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.'
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him good night and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: 'John 3:16...
I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.'
The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face.
"Do you understand John 3:16? she asked gently. He replied,
"No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it.
"She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus.
He sat there and thought: 'John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.'
You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing.
I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
_________________________________________
|
According to the legend, there was a candy maker in Indiana who wanted to make a candy that would be a witness to Christ. So he incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. The result was the candy cane. |
 |
He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promise of God.
The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the Candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Sometimes a green stripe is added as a reminder that Jesus is a Gift from God. The flavor of the candy is peppermint which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is in the mint family and was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice. Jesus is the Pure Lamb of God come to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane- a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “ have eyes to see and ears to hear”. I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.
So the next time you see a candy cane, hear the Sermon it preaches: Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is the Rock of all Ages who suffered and died for our sins.
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
ROAMING BY the mountainside at sundown,
a Wolf saw his own shadow become greatly
extended and magnified, and he said to himself,
Why should I, being of such an immense size
and extending nearly an acre in length,
be afraid of the Lion?
Ought I not to be acknowledged as King
of all the collected beasts?
While he was indulging in these proud thoughts,
a Lion fell upon him and killed him.
He exclaimed with a too late repentance,
Wretched me! this overestimation of myself
is the cause of my destruction.
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
NEW YORK CITY (BP)--The number of people living with AIDS globally has reached its highest level: 40.3 million, up from an estimated 37.5 million in 2003, according to a United Nations report released in conjunction with World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.
Read full Story www.christiannewstoday.com
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
Bug History
The terminology “Bug” as related to computers began in 1945 when engineers found a moth in Panel F, Relay #70 of the Harvard Mark II system. The computer was running a test of its multiplier and adder when the engineers noticed something was wrong. The moth was trapped, removed and taped into the computer's logbook with the words: "first actual case of a bug being found."
Read the Full Story www.wired.com/news
WWW.RCHC.COM WWW. PTGNETWORK.COM
__________________________________________
A year ago, podcast was an obscure word, known only by a iPod fans and a few tech people. According to Wikipedia, podcasting “is a term used to describe a collection of technologies for automatically distributing audio programs over the Internet using a publisher/subscriber model. It differs from earlier online collections of audio works because it automatically transfers the files to the user's computer for later use”.
The editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005. Podcast, defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," will be added to the next online update of the New Oxford American Dictionary, due in early 2006.
Read Full Story www.playfuls.com
