MORE OF MY DIARY DEVOTIONS
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Humpty Dumpty isn't my name
By Pastor Joe Santos
NOW BEAR WITH ME I PROMISE WE WILL HAVE A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION TO WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THIS PAST WEEK. FIRST LET ME ASK YOU IF YOU REMEMBER THE FAIRY TAIL ABOUT HUMPTY DUMPTY WHO HAD A GREAT FALL? WELL, I HAD ONE THIS WEEK ( NO NEED TO SEND ME GET WELL CARDS:-)). ANYWAY, AS I CAME DOWN MY FRONT STEPS MY FEET SOME HOW GOT TANGLED, AND DOWN I WENT. MY WIFE AND MY SON ASKED ME IF I WAS ALL RIGHT. I REPLIED I AM OKAY I LIKE LAYING ON THE CONCRETE. IT IS SO INVITING. I DON'T THINK THEY HEARD ME. AT LEAST I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY OF THE KINGS MEN COMING TO PUT ME TOGETHER AGAIN. SO WHAT SPIRITUAL LESSON WAS THIS FOR ME, AND LORD WILLING FOR ALL OF US. IT IS JUST THIS, HE KEPT ME FROM HARM .OH, YES, I GOT A FEW SCRAPS, AND I WAS A LITTLE SORE, BUT NO DAMAGE. GOD SET ME ON THAT PAVEMENT IN A GENTLE WAY. OUR LORD'S HANDS TRULY ARE PROTECTED OF HIS CHILDREN. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THIS ALWAYS. DO YOU RECALL THOMAS THE DOUBTING DISCIPLE WHO DID NOT BELIEVE HIS LORD HAD RESURRECTED. HE SAID HE WOULD NOT BELIEVE UNLESS HE SAW THE NAIL PRINTS ON HIS HANDS. WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, AS WE KNOW JESUS DID APPEAR BEFORE THOMAS ,AND TOLD HIM TO LOOK AT HIS HANDS, HIS SIDE, AND HIS FEET TO SEE THE NAIL PRINTS. WHEN THOMAS SAW THEM HE FELL ON HIS FACE .AND WORSHIPPED HIS LORD JESUS. JESUS THEN SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HIS HANDS HE SAID YOU HAVE SEEN MY HANDS THOMAS , BUT BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET BELIEVE. THOSE PEOPLE ARE WE WHO CAME AFTER THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD INTO HEAVEN. I FELT HIS HAND OF PROTECTION WHEN I FELL HE MADE SURE I WOULD NOT SUFFER ANY INJURY, BUT HE DID SUFFER FOR ME. HE FELT THE FULL BRUNT OF MEN'S HATRED, AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS HIM, AND HE DID IT FOR ME, AND YOU WHO ARE IN CHRIST. WE ARE SAFE IN THE HANDS OF JESUS. HE TELLS US NO POWER WILL EVER TAKE US FROM HIS BLESSED HANDS. EVEN THOUGH THE ENEMIES ARE NUMEROUS THEY CAN NEVER TOUCH US FOR HE IS WITH US. HE PROTECTS US, HE COMFORTS, HE SUSTAINS US, AND ONE DAY WE WILL FEEL THE EMBRACE OF HIS HANDS. WE WILL GAZE INTO THE FACE OF JESUS AND WE WILL BE WITH HIM IN THAT PLACE WHERE HE WENT TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US. THAT PLACE WILL BE IN HIS PRESENCE WHERE THOSE NAILS PRINTS ARE IN HIS HANDS. SO, BELOVED, WHEN WE GO THROUGH TRIALS, BE THAT A FALL, OR A ILLNESS, OR SOME OTHER DISCOURAGEMENT REMEMBER AS HE TELL US IN ISAIAH. HE HAS US ENGRAVED ON HIS HANDS. BOY AM I GLAD HE IS MY GENTLE CHIEF AND GOOD SHEPHERD. YES I NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL GETTING AROUND AND STOP TRYING TO IMITATE HUMPTY DUMPTY BUT I WILL TRY AND WHAT EVER HAPPENS WE CAN REJOICE IN THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SOULS. WE CAN FEEL EACH MORNING HIS COMPASSIONS AND MERCIES. OH HOW GOOD IS HIS HAND OF GRACE AND UNLIKE HUMPTY DUMPTY WE DO NOT NEED ALL THE KINGS MEN TO REVIVE US .WE ONLY NEED THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS.
THE MIRROR THAT READS US INWARDLY
BY PASTOR JOE SANTOS
WELL FRIENDS IT WAS ANOTHER HUMBLING WEEK FOR ME. I AM SURE YOU WILL FEEL MY PAIN. ANYWAY HERE IT IS. I WAS SHOWING A CHURCH, WHO WANTS TO RENT OUR CHURCH AROUND, I SHOWED THEM THE STAIN GLASS WINDOWS, THE PLAQUES ON THE WALL, THE BAPTISTERY . ONE OF THESE NICE PEOPLE ASKED ME HOW OLD WAS BETHEL. I SAID, OH OVER A HUNDRED YEARS THEN I SAID I WAS THE FIRST PASTOR HERE. THEY LOOKED AT ME REAL SERIOUS LIKE AND SAID BOY YOU MUST BE OLD THEN I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO LAUGH SO WHEN THEY DIDN'T I IMMEDIATELY GOT TO THE FIRST MIRROR I COULD FIND AND LOOKED AT IT, AND ASKED THE QUESTION TO MYSELF. DO I LOOK LIKE A CENTURION? WELL, ANYWAY I AM SURE THEY MUST OF SAW THE HUMOR IN MY REPLY TO THEM, AND ALTHOUGH I WANTED TO RAISE THEIR RENT I KNEW THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO. ANYWAY WHAT COULD THIS OCCURRENCE HAVE TO DO WITH SPIRITUAL TRUTHS? WELL, IT HAS TO DO WITH SOMETHING WE READ IN THE EPISTLE TO JAMES ,WHERE WE ARE WARNED NOT TO BE LIKE THOSE WHO LOOK INTO THE MIRROR, AND THEN FORGET WHAT HE OR SHE LOOKS LIKE. OF COURSE THE MIRROR IS THE WORD OF GOD, AND IN IT IS THE TRUTH OF GOD CONCERNING MAN. WE, WHO ARE HIS CHILDREN BY FAITH THAT IS. THEIR LIVES ARE REFLECTED OFF OF THE BLESSED TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD. BUT DO WE LOOK IN IT? DO WE SEE WHERE WE FALL SHORT. GOD TELLS US TO DO MANY THINGS WHICH WILL STRENGTHEN US SPIRITUALLY AND THEN HONOR HIM. BUT DO WE STARE INTENTLY INTO THE BIBLE? DO WE STUDY IT? DO WE MEDITATE UPON IT WITH THAT ONE SOLITARY PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO PLEASE OUR LORD BY OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. HIS WORD IS A MIRROR. IN A SENSE IT MIRRORS OUR SOULS OUR LIVES, BUT BELOVED WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT INTENTLY, AND NEVER SUPERFICIALLY. IT IS TO BE THE LIGHT WHICH LIGHTENS THE PATHWAYS WE FOLLOW, IT IS TO BE THE GUIDE LINES WE EARNESTLY SEEK TO LIVE. AND REMEMBER YOU AND I CAN ATTEND NUMEROUS SERMONS EACH WEEK, BUT IF WE TAKE IN THE WORD OF GOD AND THEN GO OUR OWN WAY FORGETTING WHAT GOD IS DIRECTING US TO DO IN HIS WORD. THEN WE BECOME LIKE THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO IN THE MORNING LOOKS INTO THE MIRROR THEN GOES THEIR WAY FORGETTING WHAT THEY SAW. I LOOKED INTO THAT MIRROR THAT DAY, AND I AM SO GLAD THE WRINKLES DO NOT HURT. BUT SERIOUSLY WE DO HAVE A PRECIOUS MIRROR WHICH REFLECTS WHAT WE ARE, AND WHAT WE DO. AND THAT MIRROR IS THE WORD OF GOD. MAY WE LOOK INTO IT, MAY WE DIGEST IT, AND MAY WE LIVE IT. AND WHEN WE SEE THE IMPERFECTIONS OF OUR WALK WITH OUR LORD MAY IT BE THAT WE WOULD REPENT, CONFESS, AND SURRENDER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH IN WHO WILL TEACH US WITH POWER TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT REFLECTS THE LIGHT, AND LIFE OF CHRIST TO THIS SIN CURSED WORLD.BUT PLEASE EXCUSE ME WHILE I PUT SOME SKIN SOFTENER ON MY WRINKLES.
CHICKEN OF THE SEA
BY PASTOR JOE SANTOS
WELL IT WAS A WARM WEEK OR TWO WEATHER WISE ,AND I AM NOT GOOD WHEN IT IS WARM OUT AS SOME OF YOU KNOW. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GOES UP, MY ENERGY LEVEL GOES DOWN . ANYWAY, A KIND FAMILY MEMBER INVITED ME TO TAKE A DIP IN HIS POOL. WELL, I TOLD HIM THE ONLY DIP I EVER TOOK WAS A DOUBLE DIP ICE CREAM CONE. HE TRIED TO ENCOURAGE ME BY SAYING IT WOULD COOL ME OFF. I ASKED HIM THEN IF HE EVER PURCHASED CHICKEN OF THE SEA TUNA. HE LOOKED AT ME A LITTLE DUMBFOUNDED, AND SAID YES. WELL, I REPLIED TUNA IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS CHICKEN OF THE SEA. I AM CHICKEN OF THE SEA ALSO. THE ONLY TIME I GET WET IS WHEN I SHOWER. BUT WHAT SPIRITUAL LESSON IS IN THIS YOU MAY RIGHTLY ASK. IT HAS TO DO WITH PETER'S REQUEST TO JESUS TO WALK TO HIM ON THE WATER. JESUS TOLD HIM TO COME, AND PETER DID ,BUT WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE WAVES ,AND FELT THE STRONG WIND HE BEGAN TO SINK. MANY TIMES WE SINK WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE COME OUR WAY.BECAUSE WE TEND TO FORGET THAT OUR LIFE'S ARE ANCHORED UPON A ROCK, WHO IS JESUS. WE BECOME LIKE PETER. WE LOOK AT THE HORIZONTAL STORM AND TRIALS, AND WE FAIL TO LOOK UP AT OUR BLESSED LORD JESUS. HE IS ALWAYS THERE TO PICK US UP, AS HE DID PETER. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TRUST HIM, DESPITE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR LIVES. THERE IS NO POWERFUL STORMS, ACTUALLY NO POWER AT ALL, THAT CAN TAKE US OUT OF THE HANDS OF OUR BLESSED JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THERE TO PROTECT US, TO COMFORT, AND TO ENABLE US TO HAVE THE VICTORY. IT IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE FAITH HE HAS GIVEN US. IT IS A VICTORIOUS FAITH, ONE WHICH MADE US MORE THEN CONQUERORS OVER ALL OUR ENEMIES. YES, BELOVED WE ARE SAFE IN THE HANDS OF JESUS. LOOK FOR A MOMENT, WITH YOUR MIND'S EYE, AT THE HANDS OF JESUS. WHAT DO YOU SEE? DO YOU SEE SMOOTH ,UNRUFFLED HANDS? NO, YOU DO NOT,FOR THE HANDS OF JESUS ARE NAIL SCARRED HANDS, AND THEY PORTRAY HIS LOVE FOR HIS ELECT. OH WHAT A PRICE HE PAID FOR US. HE IS THERE TO BANISH OUR FEARS. YES, EVEN MY FEAR OF THE WATER. HE HAS CONQUERED OUR GREATEST ENEMY WHICH WAS DEATH. JUST AS HE HAD SNATCHED PETER FROM THAT STORMY LAKE, HE HAS SNATCHED US FROM THE FIERY FURNACE OF HELL. WE WERE IN A HOPELESS CONDITION, HUMANLY SPEAKING, BUT HE REACHED DOWN TO US BY HIS GRACE, AND WE ARE SAFE FOREVER MORE. HOW GOOD IT IS TO KNOW OF HIS LOVE, AND HIS CARE FOR US. HE WILL TAKE US ONE DAY BY THE HAND, AND LEAD US INTO HIS PRESENCE WHERE WE WILL ENJOY LIFE ETERNAL. HOW THANKFUL WE SHOULD BE FOR THIS GIFT OF GRACE. A GIFT, WE DID NOT EARN, BUT HAVE RECEIVED, AND NO MAN WILL EVER TAKE THIS GIFT FROM US. HIS PROMISE TO US IS HE HAS GIVEN US ETERNAL LIFE, AND WE WILL NEVER PERISH.
