Through a Child's Eyes

(Author Unknown)

   God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of 

 knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.

   Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with

live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.

   Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart.
   It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves

Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watches as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and is thrilled when she sees the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.

   When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus, Jesus!

There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through

the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. (Mark 10:46-52)
   This was so much fun.
   Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of

Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending."
   "They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!"
   She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her

watch Him. In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten.
   Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed.
   She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we all watch this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had.
   Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK.
   These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy. In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!"
   The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away.
   A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"
   I prayed that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.
   Following the pageant the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus." The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away.
   She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus.
   I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven?'"
   Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do anything less than worship Him?



Daily Smile:

COMPUTER TERM DICTIONARY

 State-of-the-art: Any computer you can't afford.

 Obsolete: Any computer you own.

 Microsecond: The time it takes for your state-of-the-art computer to become obsolete.

 G4: Apple's new Macs that make you say, "Gee, it's four times faster than the computer I bought for the same price a microsecond ago.”

 Syntax Error: Walking into a computer store and saying, "Hi, I want to buy a computer and money is no object.”

 Hard Drive: The sales technique employed by computer salesmen, especially after a Syntax Error.

 GUI (pronounced "gooey"): What your computer becomes after spilling your soda on it.

 Keyboard: The standard way to generate computer errors.

 Mouse: An advanced input device to make computer errors easier to generate.

 Floppy: The state of your wallet after purchasing a computer.

 Laptop: A device invented to force businessmen to work at home, on vacation, and on business trips.

 Disk Crash: A typical computer response to any critical deadline.

 System Update: A quick method of trashing ALL of your software.

Please Share This Link With Family and Friends,

http://starlight-extras.blogspot.com

And Have A Blessed Weekend...

When Others Disappoint You

by Michael Knight

"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has

deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" (2 Tim 4:9-10). 

Adversity molded

the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and

disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement

near the end of his second letter to Timothy: 

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has

deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me...

Do your best to get here before winter (4:9-11,14,16,21). 

Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being

deserted by his friends? 

In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely. However, Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could

write: 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the

death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Cor. 4:8-10). 

Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not

crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus

would be revealed in his response to adversity. 

Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.

Daily Smile:

Swanky Dining

The couple entered the resort's swanky dining room.

"I'm sorry," apologized the Maitre D, "but there are no tables available."

"One moment, my friend," said the man, drawing himself up. "I happen

to be Gregory R. Caruthers, the sportsman."

"I'd like to accommodate you, Mr. Caruthers, but there just isn't a table

available this evening."

"I bet if the President came in and asked for a table, there'd be one available."

"Yes-s-s," the other admitted, "I suppose there would be a table available

for the President."

"Good! I'll take it. He isn't coming!"

Foodie Friday:

BREAKFAST EGG MUFFINS

When those mornings are so hard on you, breakfast is the last thing on your mind. We recommend you this DIY Delicious Breakfast Egg Muffins. Suitable for days you wish to spend little time in the kitchen and also when you need to feed more than one mouth. And that’s not even the coolest part about this recipe, but the fact that you could keep the muffin eggs for a perfect use the next morning. 

Here is what ingredients you will need for this recipe: 

• a dozen English muffins; 

• a muffin tin;

• a dozen eggs; 

• lettuce; 

• a cup and a half of `Bisquick` mix; 

• half a cup of milk; 

• 3 tablespoons of veggie oil; 

• half a cup of ham (diced); 

• half a cup of Cheddar (shredded); 

• Chopped Mushrooms, Olives, Your Favorite cheese, Saluted Onions, or any of your favorite fillers... (optional)

Follow the instructions: 

Prepare your tools for the awesome breakfast: spray the muffin tin and preheat the oven (400 °Fahrenheit). 

Take the eggs and break each into a muffin cup. Don’t forget to place a leaf of lettuce in all of the cups. 

Now, mix the milk with cheese, the `Bisquick` and ham into a large bowl. Transfer scoops of this mixture (once it’s all well combined) with the help of a spoon into each muffin cup equally. 

Place the tin in the oven for 18 – 22 minutes. 

Check to see if the muffin has turned golden brown and take out from the oven. 

After 5 minutes of letting them cool off a bit, remove from the tin and place between half-cut muffins. It’s delicious!
Recipe from http://www.goodshomedesign.com 

Unforgiveness is a Negative Witness

by Dr. Larry Ollison

Why is it that the devil is attacking so much in

offenses and in the area of unforgiveness? In (John 10:10) it says "the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give us abundant life."

If the devil wants to kill, what does he want to

kill? He wants to kill us, but specifically he wants to kill the work of God, steal the work of God, and destroy the work of God in your life. He wants to get at God through the body of

Jesus that is here on this earth. He wants to destroy the ministry of Jesus Christ. His goal is to get you tied up in unforgiveness and in offense so you will be weak and without joy.

(Nehemiah 8:10.)

What do you do? You decide you are going to let the offense go. Who decides if you are going to let it go? Who decides if you are going to forgive? You do! The

person who has been offended and hurt has to make the decision.

Paul said, "forgetting what lies behind I press on." God forgives and forgets and we must be like God. We have to

choose to forget. 

Forgetting does not mean that you don't remember. You still remember, but the surge of anger that you normally would feel when you remember isn't there. You remember it

only as an historical event. You don't remember it with the pain.

When we start seeing people the way God sees people, we are not going to be offended and we

are not going to be unforgiving toward things they do and say.

You can choose what you think about. The battle of faith takes place in the mind and the devil is the king of guilt. He'll try to

make you remember your past. Is it your past that keeps you from going forward, or is it your present attitude about your past that keeps you from going forward?

Unforgiveness will affect your sanity. Have you ever been around somebody that won't let go of unforgiveness? The Bible says to think on certain things, which means you can control what you think. It's a lie to say, "I can't help what I think."

Unforgiveness will make you open bait for the devil. You've got to realize that the devil is trying to pull you into a trap – everyday. The easiest trap he has is offenses and unforgiveness. Once he gets you in there, you are trapped.
 

You may be trying to go on with your ministry. You may be trying to witness to a person you are working with. I know of a man who has been trying to witness to a co-worker for years. I'll be honest with you. He will never witness to him and get him saved in his current condition. Why is that? Because in his current condition he is offended and he has unforgiveness and it just pours out of him. While that unforgiveness is pouring out of him, he's trying to witness to his co-worker. Witnessing is taking place, only it's a negative witness instead of a positive one. The co-worker is probably thinking to himself, "If that guy is a Christian, I don't want what he has. He's a mess. He's mental." The world calls this being a hypocrite.

(2Timothy 2:25-26) talks about how we come to the truth. We hear the truth, we come to our senses and we escape the snare of the devil. The devil hopes you won't be smart enough to forgive. The devil wants you to be stupid when it comes to forgiveness. But forgiveness is the key to being set free. Forgiveness is possible in every situation. Forgiveness is a choice. That choice is totally ours.

Daily Smile:
You Never Hear This In Church

      Hey! It's MY turn to sit on the front pew!
      
      I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went over time 25 minutes.
      
      Personally, I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.
      
      I've decided to give our church the $500.00 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.
      
      I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.
      
      Forget the denominational minimum salary: let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do.
      
      I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!
      
      Since we're all here, let's start the worship service early!
      
      Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.
      
      Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!

Got faith?

Read Ahead: Hebrews 11:3-6 

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6,

HCSB 

One thing that keeps many people from coming to know Christ is--(are you ready for this?)--they're too nice. They live moral lives. They give to charity. They treat others well. They may even go to church

and read the Bible on occasion. They assume that God must be pleased with them because they're good people. 

Yet they lack the one thing they need to please God--faith. 

The Bible says you can live the

cleanest life possible, you can do all sorts of good deeds, you can even memorize the Bible from cover to cover... but without faith you will not please God. 

What does it mean to have faith? According to the last part

of this verse, faith means not only believing that God exists but also seeking after him earnestly. It's not enough to be a good person or even to acknowledge that God is there. The Pharisees in Jesus' day did all of these things, yet Jesus was anything but pleased with

them! Even the demons in hell believe God exists! (James 2:19). 

The good news is this: God promises to reward those who earnestly seek him. If you trust God, he'll provide for your needs. If you seek his plan for

you, he'll guide you into his perfect will. He'll pour out love on you unlike anything you've ever experienced. 

You hold the key that unlocks everything God has for you. That key is your faith. 

What would you say to someone who doubts that God "rewards those who seek him"? 

Read Up: Romans 1:16-17, Galatians 3:10-14   

Daily Smile:

A man was walking along a

California beach and stumbled across an old lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it and out popped a genie. The genie said, "OK. You released me from the lamp, blah blah blah. This is the fourth time this month and I'm getting a little sick of these wishes so you can

forget about three. You only get one wish!" 

The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii but I'm scared to fly and I get very seasick. Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over there to visit?" 

The genie laughed and said, "That's impossible. Think of the logistics of that! How would the supports ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much concrete...how much steel!! No, think of another
wish." 

The man said OK and tried to think of a really good wish. Finally,

he said, "I've been married and divorced four times. My wives always said that I don't care and that I'm insensitive. So, I wish that I could understand women....know how they feel inside and what they're thinking when they give me the silent treatment....know why they're crying, know what they really want when they say 'nothing'....know how to make them truly happy...."

The genie asked, "Do you want that bridge two lanes or four?"

How to Help the Erring

from https://www.bibleuniverse.com

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Luke 13:24

     We live in a hard, unfeeling, uncharitable world. Satan and his confederacy are trying their every art to seduce and entrap the souls for whom Christ has given his precious life. And every one who loves God in sincerity and truth will love the souls for whom Christ has died. If we wish to do good to souls, our success with these souls will be in proportion to their belief in our belief and appreciation of them. Respect shown to the human, struggling soul,

is the sure means through Christ Jesus, of the restoration of the self-respect the man has lost. Our advancing ideas of what he may become is a help we cannot appreciate. . .      Treat them you may as they deserve. What if Christ had treated us thus? He the undeserving was treated as

we deserve. While we are treated by Christ with grace and love as we do not deserve, but as He deserved. Treat some characters as you think they richly deserve, and you cut off from them the last thread of life, spoil your influence, and ruin the soul.

Will it pay? No! I say, No! A hundred times. No! Bind these souls, who need all the help it is possible for you to give them, close to a living, sympathizing, pitying heart, overflowing with Christ-like love, and you will save a soul from death and hide a multitude

of sins.   

     There is nothing in Christianity that is capricious. If a

man will not exercise his arm it becomes weak and deficient in muscular strength. Unless the Christian exercises his spiritual powers he acquires no strength of character, no moral vigor. Love is a very precious plant, and must be cultivated if it

flourishes. The precious plant of love is to be treated tenderly. If practiced it will become strong and vigorous and rich in fruit-bearing, giving expression to the whole character. A Christ-like nature is not selfish, is not unkind, will not hurt the souls of those who are struggling with satanic temptations. Enter

 into the feelings of those who are tempted, that the trials of temptations shall be so managed as to bring out the gold and consume the dross.

     For want of patience, kindness, forbearance, unselfishness, and love,--the revealings of the opposite traits flash forth involuntarily, when off guard, and unchristian words and unchristian exhibitions of character burst forth, sometimes to the ruin of a soul. "Rejoiceth not in iniquity;"--mark it, the apostle meant that where there is a cultivation of genuine love for precious souls it will be exhibited for those most in need of that patience which "suffereth long and is kind," and which will not be ready to magnify a small indiscretion or direct wrong into large, unpardonable offenses--will not make capital out of others' misdoings. The love for souls for whose salvation Christ died, will not do that which will expose the errors and weaknesses of the erring before others.