Dads:

Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers.

The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50."

The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."

The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon... and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"

What's in Your Mail?

One day God was looking down to earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to earth to check it out.

So he called on a female angel and sent her to earth for a time. When she returned she told God, yes it is bad on earth, 95% is bad and 5% is good.

Well, he thought for a moment and said maybe I had better send down a male angel. To get both points of view. So God called a male angel and sent him to earth for a time. When the male angel returned he
went to God and told him yes the earth was in decline, 95% was bad and 5% was good.

God said this was not good. He would send a letter to the 5% that were good and encourage them, a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what that letter said?

Oh, you didn't get one either?!!!

In God's Army:

A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always was to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."

So the Pastor questioned, "Then how come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

He whispered back, "I'm in the Secret Service."

Little Johnny:

After church, Johnny tells his parents he has to go and talk to the minister right away. They agree and the pastor greets the family.

"Pastor," Johnny says, "I heard you say today that our bodies came from the dust."

"That's right, Johnny, I did."

"And I heard you say that when we die, our bodies go back to dust."

"Yes, I'm glad you were listening. Why do you ask?"

"Well you better come over to our house right away and look under my bed 'cause there's someone either comin' or goin'!"

(It's an old one, but I still like it.)

Everybody Knows Bubba:

Bubba was bragging to his boss one day, "You know, I know everyone there is to know. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them."

Tired of his boasting, his boss called his bluff, "OK, Bubba how about Tom Cruise?" "Sure, yes, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it."

So Bubba and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise's door, and sure enough, Tom Cruise, shouts, "Bubba! Great to see you! You and your friend come right in and join me for lunch!" Although impressed, Bubba's boss is still skeptical. After they leave Cruise's house, he tells Bubba that he thinks Bubba's knowing Cruise was just lucky.

"No, no, just name anyone else," Bubba says. "President Clinton," his boss quickly retorts. "Yes," Bubba says, "I know him, let's fly out to Washington." And off they go. At the White House, Clinton spots Bubba on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying, "Bubba, what a surprise, I
was just on my way to a meeting, but you and your friend come on in and let's have a cup of coffee first and catch up."

Well, the boss is very shaken by now, but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White House grounds, he expresses his doubts to Bubba, who again implores him to name anyone else.

"The Pope," his boss replies. "Sure!" says Bubba. "My folks are from Poland, and I've known the Pope a long time." Off they fly to Rome. Bubba and his boss are assembled with the masses in Vatican Square when Bubba says, "This will never work. I can't catch the Pope's eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the balcony with the Pope."

Bubba disappears into the crowd headed toward the Vatican. Sure enough, half an hour later Bubba emerges with the Pope on the balcony. By the time Bubba returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics. Working his way to his boss' side, Bubba asks him, "What happened?" His boss looks up and says, "I was doing fine until you and the Pope came out on the balcony and the man next to me said, " Who's that on the balcony with Bubba?

The topic of embryo research and stem cell research has came up in class before and of course we say what we think about it.  I am against it by the way.  It is just when we were giveing our thoughts in class a question poped up in my head.  When do our bodies get their souls?  Is it when the egg and sperm meet?  Because when Jesus says you are saved you are made whole, so would that be the same for our body and soul?  I know that you guys probly can't answer this but I just thought this very interesting.

Oklahoma Howdy to Kris777,

You asked a very interesting question. I'm just going to give you an opinion and see if any others have comments or opinions. Numerous portions of Scripture refer to God knowing a person in their mother's womb. Other portions of Scripture refer to God knowing the number of hairs on our heads before the foundation of the world. I'm positive that many answers rest only with Almighty God, the Creator. The difference between man and animal is that man has a soul, and I think that man has one from the very first spark of life in a mother's womb. This is only one reason why I am totally against abortion. I didn't give you a very Biblical answer, but I did give you an opinion from the heart.

In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Teddi,

First, let me welcome you to Christians Unite. I sincerely hope you enjoy it here.

Second, your poem was very nice. Thanks!

In Christ,
Tom

Hoekstra Devotion - January 16

Jesus Fulfilling the Law:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  (Mat_5:17)

The standard of the law of God is infinitely high and lofty: "be holy, be loving, be perfect." This is because the law reflects the very character of God. In light of this we may wonder if there is any way that the law can be fulfilled. How could the righteous demands of the law ever be met in our lives? The answer to this vital question is contained in the truth that Jesus came to "to fulfill" the law.

Consider how comprehensive was Jesus' fulfillment of the law. He fulfilled the law in His life, becoming our example. As Jesus lived, He showed us what life would look like if one could always, in every way, live up to the heavenly standards of God. Jesus' testimony was "I always do those things that please Him" (Joh_8:29).

Further, He fulfilled the law in His death, becoming our substitutionary sacrifice. The law included a penalty for violation, and that penalty was death. "The soul who sins shall die" (Eze_18:4). "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom_6:23). Jesus lovingly died in our place to pay that penalty which we owed. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom_5:.

Additionally, He wants to fulfill the law now in our daily experience, by being our life. "Christ who is our life" (Col_3:4). The Lord Jesus wants to live in and through the lives of His disciples, as we daily put our faith in Him. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God" (Gal_2:20).

Yes, Jesus fulfills the law comprehensively!

Dear Father of Glory, what marvelous grace - - what marvelous grace! Such a thorough provision is supplied by Your grace. Through the work of Jesus, my Lord, the law is fulfilled. Its holy demands are met on my behalf. My failure before Your law is fully covered by Your grace. Lord Jesus, thank You for paying the penalty for my sins. My desire to grow in the righteous life that You lived, and that the law describes, is fully available by Your grace. O Lord, this is grace upon grace. For this I praise You, and I rejoice with expectation. Lord Jesus, by faith I now look to You to be my life this day. Lord, inhabit my heart and shape my attitudes, my words, my relationships, and my deeds, I pray in Your mighty name, Amen.

Oklahoma Howdy to JudgeNot,

   Desoto - I think you are right. I thought it was a great car, but they went out of business for some reason. The same was true of the Hudson.

Reference Paul's Valley, I've been there many times and think it is a pretty place. My dad was a circuit preacher for 8 years before settling into a church in Lawton, and Paul's Valley was one of the regular places we went.

It's a small world.

In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to michael_legna,

   I remember the AMC Javelin. However, I was never able to catch one of those. I did catch a Desota one time. I think that's how they spelled the name of the car company. Anyone remember those?

Tom

If you are in orbit in a 1964 Buick...

Wait a minute, here.  Are we talking Orbit, Texas or Orbit, Oklahoma?  AND - are you travelling through a speed trap on a Saturday? And if so, does the Justice of the Peace work on Saturday?  What is the fine for going 187,999.99 miles per second OVER the posted limit?

(Come on BEP - I know your background - I've visited your website - is this entrapment???)  

Oklahoma Howdy to JudgeNot,

   Texas doesn't have an orbit. We let them rent Oklahoma's orbit.

   Pop-up speed limit signs - fines based on net worth and the Buick is impounded.

Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Symphony,

If you are in orbit in a 1964 Buick (with no hubcaps) at the speed of light, what happens when you turn on your headlights?

oops, symphony's head just exploded!    Massive meltdown.  

Shame, shame, bep.  Bad question.  BAD question.  

I can't believe there were no questions about the 1964 Buick or the missing hubcaps. Let me leave this up long enough for Tibby and Sapphire to have a shot at it.  

Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to JudgeNot,

Thanks for the link to a great article that should make all of us give thanks for the religious freedoms we have left. I heard a similar story several months ago. It's hard to imagine how much that one missionary will be missed and how many lives he probably touched. The poor people he was trying to help will probably suffer the worst. He had to be a brave man and strong in faith.

In Christ,
Tom

Hoekstra Devotion - January 15

The Law Tutoring People to Christ:

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  (Gal_3:24-25)

The ultimate ability of the law of God is its capacity to tutor people to Christ. "The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ." It is the plan of God to use His law to inform us about our great need for Jesus Christ. Remember the summaries of the law of God: "be holy, be loving, be perfect."

The law demands that we be holy. We are convicted that we are not holy. Thereby, the law is saying to us: "You need Jesus Christ." The law requires that we be loving. We realize that we are not loving. Thereby, the law is declaring to us: "You need Jesus Christ." The law insists that we be perfect. We know that we are not perfect. Thereby, the law is announcing to us: "You need Jesus Christ." In this process the law functions as tutor (schoolmaster or child-trainer) instructing people of their need for that which only Christ can provide through His grace.

Now that we have responded to the law's tutoring work, we are no longer under the tutor. Now that we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer under the law. "But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

Whereas we once were told by the law to be holy, now we look to Christ for all personal holiness. "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us . . .  righteousness and sanctification" (1Co_1:30).
Whereas we once were told by the law to be loving, now we look to the Spirit of Christ for all the love that our lives are to show forth. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love" (Gal_5:22).

Whereas we once were told by the law to be perfect, now we look to the Lord for all of the perfecting process. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phi_1:6).

O Lord, my Redeemer, thank You for using Your law as a tutor to lead me to Jesus Christ. Your law was so correct regarding my desperate need of a Savior. Now I rejoice that I am no longer under that tutor. What a delight to relate to You by faith and not by performance. What a precious blessing to humbly hope in the Lord Jesus for righteousness and love and growth. How wonderful to look to a gracious, loving Person, the Lord Jesus, instead of to a perfect unyielding standard, the law. Lord Jesus, please complete in me the good work of Your grace that began when I first believed in You. In Your name, and for Your glory, I pray, Amen.

Oklahoma Howdy to DawnMarie,

I think that you will like it here. We have a good mixture of nice Christian folks here.

In Christ,
Tom