Sometimes we wonder, “What
did I do to deserve this?” or “Why did God have to do this to me?”Here is a wonderful explanation!
A
daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she’s failing
Algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile,
her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter is she would like a snack,
and the daughter says, “Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.”
“Here,
have some cooking oil,” her Mother offers.
“Yuck”
says her daughter.
“How
about a couple raw eggs?”
“Gross,
Mom.”
“Would
you like some flour then?Or maybe
baking soda?”
“Mom,
those are all yucky!”
To
which the mother replies: “Yes, all those things seem bad all by
themselves.But when they are put
together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake.
God
works the same way.Many times we wonder
why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times.But God knows that when He puts these things
all in His order, they always work for good.We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something
wonderful.
God
is crazy about you.He sends you flowers
every spring and a sunrise every morning.Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen.He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
God Bless,
Pastor Woody
Making Pancakes
Written by Pastor Woody
Six-year-old Brandon
decided one Saturday morning to fix his parentspancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a
chair to the counter,opened
the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it onthe floor.
He scooped some
of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most ofa cup of milk and added some
sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floorwhich by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with flour
and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and
Dad, but it was getting very bad.
He didn't know
what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or onthe stove and he didn't know
how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw hiskitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to
push her away, knockingthe
egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this
monumental mess but slipped on theeggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.
And just then
he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled upin Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do
was something good, but he'd made aterrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a
spanking. Buthis father just watched him.
Then, walking
through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him andloved him, getting his own
pajamas white and sticky in the process.That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life,
but itturns into a mess. Our
marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or wecan't stand our job, or our
health goes sour.
Sometimes we
just stand there in tears because we can't think of anythingelse to do. That's
when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, eventhough some of our mess gets
all over Him.
But just
because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes"for God or for others.
Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'llbe glad we tried...
I was
thinking... and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed,friendships that need
rekindling or three words needing to be said,sometimes, "I love you" can heal &
bless! Please pass some of this love on to others.... suppose one
morning you werecalled to God;
do all your friends know you love them?Remind every one of your friendsthat you love them. Even if you think they don't love back, you
would beamazed at what those three
little words, a smile, and a reminder like thiscan do.
God Bless,
Pastor Woody
God's Billboards
Written by Pastor Woody
Billboards with the following
sayings are posted all around the nation:
We need to talk. God
What part of “Thou Shalt Not…” didn’t you understand? God
That “Love Thy Neighbor” thing… I meant it. God
Let’s meet at my house Sunday before the game and bring the
kids. God
Keep using my name in vain, I’ll make rush hour longer. God
Do you have any idea where you’re going? God
Will the road you’re on get you to my place?Need directions?Follow me. God
My way is the highway.God
Tell the kids I love them. God
Loved the wedding, now invite me into the marriage. God
Big Bang theory?… You’ve got to be kidding!!! God
Have you read my #1 best seller?There will be a test. God
You think it’s hot here?God
Don’t make me come down there!!! God
I love you and you and you and you and… God
The sayings are whimsical but get
the point across. God’s message to us is that we are to love Him and obey His
word.He tells us to love one another
and that He loves us.We are to obey His
teachings and follow His directions.For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.(John 3:16)Jesus says:I am the way, the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose.(Romans 8:28)
God Bless,
Pastor Woody
Love Ya!
Written by Pastor Woody
Something to think about….One
morning you will never wake up. Do all
your friends know you love them? I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow
or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed,
friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said. Let every
one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you
back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case GOD calls me home before I
see you again....... I LOVE YA!!!
Live today to the fullest because
tomorrow is not promised. It is also important to know that the Will
of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not
protect you.
1Corinthians 13:4-8Love
suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is
not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,
thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love
never fails…
God Bless
Pastor Woody
Amazing Grace
Written by Pastor Woody
What
is grace and what is so amazing about it?
The
fact that God has infinite power means that He can deal with the problem of
sin.
Eph. 2:1 And ??you He made alive, ??who were dead in trespasses
and sins,
The
fact that God has infinite grace and mercy means that He wants to deal with the
problem of sin.
Eph. 2:2-7in which you once walked according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who
now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the
others. But God, who is
rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Amazing
regeneration is the story of amazing grace.Good works cannot save the sinner for he is unable to perform any good
works.
Paul
wrote in Romans 8:8 “So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God”.
The
idea that you can please God absolutely contradicts the Word of God.It is impossible to please Him—you cannot
meet His standard.Good works cannot
produce salvation, but salvation can produce good works.Good works does not save us, but we are saved
unto good works.
The
Bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift from God.
Paul
makes this very clear in Ephesians
2:8–10 where we read: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Hebrews
4:16 tells us“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
The
gospel of Jesus Christ is called the Good News because through the blood of
Jesus Christ we can be cleansed of our sins, shortcomings, mistakes, and
failures.This is liberating, because it
means that anyone can come to God if they ask for forgiveness.The key concept here is the word grace.We can be confident that when we go to God we
will receive unmerited favor and undeserved blessing.
In
other words, God does not treat us on the basis of how good we have been during
the week or how spiritual.His love and
goodness toward us is constant because of grace.