Division

            There's an old story about an intersection that has a three-way stop. At each corner there was located a church.

            One church was singing, "Will there be stars in my crown..."

            Another church was singing, "No not one, no not one..."

            Meanwhile, members of the third church were singing, "Oh that will be glory for me..."

The Devil’s Coattails

        An old preacher grew tired of hearing Christians complain about all of the temptations Satan was placing in their paths. Consequently he proclaimed, “People are always portraying Satan as pursuing them to tempt them. The truth is, so many people are pulling at the Devil’s coattails, he has no time to chase anybody.”

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (I Cor. 10:13.)

The Dog and the Rabbit

James 2:15-16: 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

            There is a fable of a dog chasing a rabbit. Many people witnessed the event and cried out words of support to the rabbit.

            At last the rabbit said, “Thank you for your kind encouragement, but for goodness sake shoot the dog.”

Man's Inhumanity Toward Animals

            Earlier this year, TIME carried a story about a cockfight in California. Organizers were surreptitiously holding an event (cockfighting is illegal in California), when one of the birds flew away from the ring toward a spectator named Jose Luis Ochoa.

            In this match’s variation, one organizer had tied knives to the bird’s legs. As a result, Ochoa was stabbed in the calf; he bled to death.

            John Goodwin, member of California’s Humane Society, was asked to comment on the death. He responded, “I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often, considering the knives they put on those birds.”

            Reflecting on this tragedy, I cannot help but think of the Bible’s constant admonition of sowing and reaping. (Not to mention the Hindus, who instinctively observe this universal reality and label it karma.) However, there is a passage in Proverbs that captures well the spirit of cockfighting and other activities cruel to animals, “Good people are kind to their animals, but a mean person is cruel.” (Prov. 12:10.) CEV

Hope Over Experience

The story is told of a gentleman who had been an acquaintance of the great British author, Dr. Samuel Johnson. The man had been very unhappy in marriage. His wife passed away; yet, he immediately remarried after she died.

            Observing this marvel, Johnson commented, “His conduct was the triumph of hope over experience.”

A Free Appendectomy!

            Many years ago, a contest was held in West Virginia to name a new county hospital. First prize was a free appendectomy… a great prize—if one needed to remove an appendix.

            Jesus was a servant, who met the needs of people. We Christians follow in the steps of Jesus. However, let us remember, our service is not much help if we are not meeting a NEED.

Your Day Today is not His First

            A patient was lying on a stretcher, waiting to be wheeled into surgery. Seeing a young woman looking sympathetically at him, the patient said, “I’m so nervous. This is my first operation.”

            The young woman replied, “So am I. My husband is the doctor and this is his first operation, too.”

            God’s been around a long time. Your day today is not His first.