Jack’s Winning Words 9/23/15
“Alice: How long is forever?  White Rabbit: Sometimes just one second.”  (Alice in Wonderland)  I smile when I think of Jesus wearing a Smart Watch.  A man asks God, “What’s million years to you?  God: “It’s just a second.” The man continues, “What’s a million dollars to you?”  God: “It’s like a penny.”  Man: “Will you give me a penny?”  God: “In a second.”  While time and money are important to us, God has other things that occupy his mind.    ;-)  Jack

FROM TARMART REV:  Young 17 year old cleaning his new shot gun the other evening, only to have it fire off and kill him . . . mom and dad estranged, no church involvement and I'm called as the law enforcement chaplain to the home where mom had walked into his room and found him shot to death . . . "How long is forever? Sometimes just one second!"  Dad races at our local stock car track where, as you know, I serve there as their chaplain . . . with that relationship, I am being called upon to officiate the young student's memorial service and the pastor of our church has offered the church sanctuary to host the large expectant gathering of high school students.  Thinking about the theme this morning anyway of "Suddenly". Haven't gone any further yet with it, but thinking of possible Scriptures and the many illustrations of some of our young folk who have suddenly lost their lives in recent years. Working as a law enforcement chaplain assisting in death notifications I can recall within the last couple of years families notified of a son's drowning while away in college in Missouri, a son's death while riding his four wheeler home for supper and jumping ditches along the country road, a 17 year old's suicide last week-- just to name a few-- "Suddenly! Lives are taken and other's are changed because of losing their loved ones!  I'll let you know later of our experience with the service, most likely on Saturday.====JACK:  I pray each day, before I send out Winning Words, that the Lord will make them to be of help to someone in some situation.  That's for letting he know of this answer to prayer.

FROM MY LAWYER:  Rabbi Paul Yedwab used that joke last week in one of his sermons.  Good one!!!====JACK:  Paul and I are often preaching the same message.  He's a good one!

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  That's such a witty exchange between God and man, and it shows how man is always the "patsy" when it comes to man reasoning with God.  Regarding how long something takes, we always want God to respond immediately to our reverent petitions for help, but God in His wisdom follows His own time frame.====JACK:  We are often receiving "pennies from heaven" (as the song goes) and just taking them for granted.

Every time it rains, it rains  Pennies from Heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains  Pennies from Heaven

You'll find your fortunes falling  All over the town
Be sure that your umbrella  Is upside down

Trade them for a package of  Sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love  You must have showers

So when you hear it thunder  Don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from Heaven  For you and me

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Sometimes God is pretty funny.====JACK:  Your response fits yesterday's quote, too!  BTW, it's said that the duckbill platypus is proof that God has a sense of humor.====CHESTER:  I meant it that way. Just my weird sense of humor. God has done a lot of other funny stuff... The hammerhead shark is another case in point.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  That joke is old enough to have long whiskers, but still brings a smile...The older we get, the more fleeting wealth and fame seem. If we have "enough" we're satisfied, because we know we are taking nothing into the next world. Of course our "enough" is usually far more than  most people in developing countries, or war torn countries (of which we have many right now) will ever see. Just returned from 4 beautiful days in Missouri with family, and so thankful for the many "abundances" we enjoy!! And for the hope of heaven in Eternity where there is no time, as we know it. How strange that will be to us who keep our "schedules"!====JACK:  I'm sure you've noticed...when God is pictured, he is usually old and has whiskers.  Among the abundances of heaven, will there be any of earth's present pleasures?  Some people that I know would be lost without their i-phones.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  We should be glad for every second of our lives.