Articles/Illustrations of Faith, poetry and devotions…
Smokey Barn News
Sunday September 7, 2014
Robertson County, Tenn.
“The Sunday Post” is a column comprised of articles of Faith, poetry and devotions…
Does God Exist?
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: ‘I don’t believe that God exists.’
‘Why do you say that?’ asked the customer. ‘Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.’
The customer thought for a moment but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:
‘You know what? Barbers do not exist.’
‘How can you say that?’ asked the surprised barber. ‘I am here and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!’
‘No!’ the customer exclaimed. ‘Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.’
‘Ah, but barbers DO exist! That’s what happens when people do not come to me.’
‘Exactly!’ affirmed the customer. ‘That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! That’s what happens when people do not go to Him and don’t look to Him for help.
That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.’
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
– The Book of Genesis is not the oldest book in the Bible it is actually the Book of Job.
– The phrase “Do Not Be Afraid” is Mentioned 365 Times. Yes, “Do not be afraid” is mentioned 365 times. That is one for every day of the year!
– The Bible is the Best Seller and First Book Ever Printed and has been translated into 1200 different languages.
– The Questions: Who am I? Why am I here? where am I going? All men have asked these questions if they are truthful and no branch of science can answer them. All three questions are only answered by the Bible.
Was Jesus hair long or short?…
Answer to be revealed in next week’s “Sunday Post”………
Answer to the last Bible Quiz:
Did you know a lot of old sayings actually came from Scripture?
“The Skin of my teeth” – Who said that? answer: Job (Job 19:20)
“Red sky in the morning” – Who said that? Answer: Jesus (Matthew 16:3)
“A little Bird told me” – Who said that? Answer: Solomon (Ecclesiastes 10:20)
“A thorn in the flesh” – – Who said that? Answer: Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7)
Coerced love is not love at all…
God wants a love relationship with us. Think of a young boy, he is engrossed in watching a television show and his Dad tells him to take out the trash. He says, “OK Dad, just as soon as this show is off.” The scene is repeated several times until Dad loses patience with his son and whips his belt out of his pant loops and orders the boy to get the trash out and now. Suddenly the boy is overwhelmed with an urgent desire to take the trash to the curb. But he did so out of fear and that is not the best relationship to have.
Now it is just 6 years later and this same boy is in love and goes with his girl friend to the movies. She asks for a box of popcorn and he falls all over himself to get to the snack bar as quickly as possible and return with not only popcorn but a Pepsi as well. 
What changed from the incident with the trash and his dad? Why was he so quick to respond to his girl friend even if it meant missing a key scene in the film? Love is what happened. He did not want to mar his relationship with his girl. He did what he did out of love and a desire to please her. He obeyed his dad to take the trash out because of fear or getting a whipping if he didn’t.
God wants us to do what we do for Him out of our love for Him. His love is unconditional and does not depend on what we do but depends on Who He is and His character. God does not want our obedience if it is only out of fear He will destroy us. Coerced love is not love at all. If we could force someone to love us we would only have a mindless robot and not a true love that touched out heart.
God died for us and loved us when we were unlovely. He loved us when we were yet dirty with our sins. He required nothing of us to save us except we trust Him and come to Him in faith (trusting) believing He is Who He claims: the creator of heaven and earth and the Savior of man if man will just come to Him.
Rom. 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Love is a choice and God determined in His sovereign will to love His creatures that He made in His own image. He loved us while we were yet unlovely and He washed us when we were dirty.
Rev. 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
He loved us first and then He washed us. He did all that when we had not a single good work to point to. He keeps us even if we have no works but it is both His desire and command that we bring forth works fit or meet for repentance. We work not in order to be saved but because we are saved. We work out of love for Him and not out of obligation or fear of punishment.
We are saved without works of any kind but we are saved to do good works of every kind.
Eph 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Verse 8 says salvation is a gift.
A gift cannot be worked for. It cannot be purchased. It cannot be stolen or attained in any other way or it ceases to be a gift and becomes a reward or something less than a true gift. A gift can only be received with an open hand and thanksgiving.
– Pastor Brown Sims
I Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Salvation is through Christ. Saving us required Him to come to earth as a man and die in our place so that we might have our case legally dismissed from God’s courtroom. Our eternal fine/penalty has been paid by Another. The case against us is dismissed when we trust in the Savior.
What are you looking for?
Michael Jr. Comedian
Brian Summer – Professional Skateboarder and Shannon Culpepper share about becoming successful and finding True Success
See You At the Pole September 24 – Time & Location: Check at your school See You at the Pole™ is simply a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God. See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led
event.
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This is an excellent addition to Smokey Barn News. Enjoyed it very much. A little more hope and truth in this world is always a positive.
Thanks, Smokey Barn for the Sunday Post. I didn’t know you did this on Sunday. I enjoyed it very much.