~*Pushing against the
Rock*~
There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin
when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared.
The Lord told him he had a work for him to do, and
showed him a large rock, explaining that he was to push
against that rock with all his might. This the man did,
and for many days he toiled from sunup to sundown:
his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface
of the rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man
returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his
whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man
was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to
enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind,
such as "Why kill yourself over this, you're never going
to move it." or "Boy! You've been at it a long time and
you haven't even scratched the surface." etc. - giving
the man the impression that the task was impossible
and that he was an unworthy servant because he wasn't
moving the massive stone. These thoughts discouraged
and disheartened the man and he started to ease up
in his efforts. "Why kill myself?" he thought. "I'll just
put in my time, putting forth just the minimum of effort
and that will be good enough." And that he did, or at
least planned on doing until one day he decided to take
his troubles to the Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have
labored hard and long in your service, putting forth all
my strength to do that which you have asked me. Yet,
after all this time, I have not even budged that rock
half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
To his the Lord responded compassionately: "My
friend... when long ago I asked you to serve me and you
accepted, I told you to push against the rock with all your
strength, and that you have done. But never once did I
mention to you that I expected you to move it. At least
not by yourself. Your task was to push. And now you
come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have
failed and ready to quit. But is that really so? Look at
yourself: Your arms are strong and muscled, your
back sinewed and brown, your hands are calloused
from constant pressure and your legs have become
massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown
much and your ability now far surpasses that which you
used to have. Yet still, you haven't succeeded in moving
the rock; and you come to me now with a heavy heart
and you strength spent. I, my friend, will move the rock.
Your calling was to be obedient and to push, and to exercise
your faith and trust in my wisdom... and this you have done."
Who'll Take the
Son?
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare
works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael.
They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.When
the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous
and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified
and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just
before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood
at the door with a large package in his hands. He said,"Sir, you don't know
me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives
that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the
heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for
art. The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm
not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to
have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his
son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had
captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn
to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young
man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never
repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait
over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see
the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great
works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was
to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered,
excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase
one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son The
auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this
picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then
a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings.
Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will Someone bid for this
painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted
angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs,
the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued.
"The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came
from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and
his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was
all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for
$10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The
crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the
son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the
collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction
is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct
this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed
to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son
would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the
entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every
thing!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago
to die on a
cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His
message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
author unknown
A Cross To
Bear
A young man was at the end of his rope.Seeing no way
out, he dropped to his knees in prayer."Lord, I can't
go on," he said."I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its
weight, just place your cross inside this room.
Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you
wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you,
Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told.Upon
entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so
large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a
tiny cross leaning against a far wall."I'd like that
one, Lord," he whispered.And the Lord replied, " My
son, that is the cross you just brought in." When
life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look
around and see what other people are coping with. You
may consider yourself far more fortunate than you
imagined.
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain.
There will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always there to get you through it all
~*Pushing against the Rock*~
There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin
when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared.
The Lord told him he had a work for him to do, and
showed him a large rock, explaining that he was to push
against that rock with all his might. This the man did,
and for many days he toiled from sunup to sundown:
his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface
of the rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man
returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his
whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man
was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to
enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind,
such as "Why kill yourself over this, you're never going
to move it." or "Boy! You've been at it a long time and
you haven't even scratched the surface." etc. - giving
the man the impression that the task was impossible
and that he was an unworthy servant because he wasn't
moving the massive stone. These thoughts discouraged
and disheartened the man and he started to ease up
in his efforts. "Why kill myself?" he thought. "I'll just
put in my time, putting forth just the minimum of effort
and that will be good enough." And that he did, or at
least planned on doing until one day he decided to take
his troubles to the Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have
labored hard and long in your service, putting forth all
my strength to do that which you have asked me. Yet,
after all this time, I have not even budged that rock
half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
To his the Lord responded compassionately: "My
friend... when long ago I asked you to serve me and you
accepted, I told you to push against the rock with all your
strength, and that you have done. But never once did I
mention to you that I expected you to move it. At least
not by yourself. Your task was to push. And now you
come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have
failed and ready to quit. But is that really so? Look at
yourself: Your arms are strong and muscled, your
back sinewed and brown, your hands are calloused
from constant pressure and your legs have become
massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown
much and your ability now far surpasses that which you
used to have. Yet still, you haven't succeeded in moving
the rock; and you come to me now with a heavy heart
and you strength spent. I, my friend, will move the rock.
Your calling was to be obedient and to push, and to exercise
your faith and trust in my wisdom... and this you have done."
Who'll Take the Son?
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said,"Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art. The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will Someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a
cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His
message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
author unknown
A Cross To
Bear
A young man was at the end of his rope.Seeing no way
out, he dropped to his knees in prayer."Lord, I can't
go on," he said."I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its
weight, just place your cross inside this room.
Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you
wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you,
Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told.Upon
entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so
large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a
tiny cross leaning against a far wall."I'd like that
one, Lord," he whispered.And the Lord replied, " My
son, that is the cross you just brought in." When
life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look
around and see what other people are coping with. You
may consider yourself far more fortunate than you
imagined.
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain.
There will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always there to get you through it all