THE POWER OF A WOMAN

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This picture almost demonstrates the power of a woman.

Some of you kids will not understand this.  But us 

grandfathers do.

Imagine that little girl as your granddaughter.  Or in my

case it would be a great granddaughter.  She walks up 

to you and puts on her "innocent helpless" look.  Be

assured, they know how to do it.  And when she looks

up into your face says; "Grandpaw".  Brother, you just

lost the battle.  That little girl just got anything in the 

world she wants if it is humanly possible for you to 

do or get it.

True, their mothers don't fall for that line like you 

and I do because they have been using it all their 

life.

Ladies.  Truly it is you that I am wanting to make 

a point to.  And my first couple of illustrations would

seem to be blaming the women.  Not so, they are just 

the first to pop in my mind.  There have been many

Godly women who have used their influence to 

change the course of life for their whole family.

Consider Eve.  The very first women there ever was.

She messed up and fell for a lie so she ate some fruit

she was not suppose to.  Then she looked up into Adam's

face and said, that was good, here try some.  And the 

whole human race has been messed up ever since.

Consider Jezebel the wife of Ahab who was the 

most evil king that was ever over Israel.  

Ahab was bad to start with but then he 

married that witch Jezebel and 

the Scriptures tell us:

"(No one else so completely sold himself to what

was evil in the LORD'S sight as Ahab did under

the influence of his wife Jezebel."

(1 Kings 21:25  NLT)

One more.

Remember the daughter of Herodias who danced for

king Herod  and he was so overwhelmed that he 

promised her anything she wanted up to half of

his kingdom.

All she wanted was the head of John the Baptist,

so God's prophet lost his head because of a girl.

Something you and I have both noticed.

You have watched boys of - every age -

make absolute fools of them self to get

a girls attention.

Ladies what I am saying is that God has given

you a power and an influence over males that

can be used for good, or evil.  Are you using it

for God, or the Devil.

THE MAN IN THE GARAGE

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Let me tell you about one of my learning experiences.

May years ago while attending one of the colleges

in the area I lived in at the time, I worked in a combination

service station and garage.  One of our customers was

a man named "Ernie".  Ernie was a nice old man, but,

well different.

You see, Ernie lived in his garage and his wife lived

in the house.  She seemed to be a normal well 

adjusted woman.  But her husband lived out in 

the garage.

Now this is just a guess, but I learned that Ernie

had it all figured out.  He knew just exactly how

much he could earn without paying any income 

tax.  So, Ernie would only work until he would

have to pay tax.  He was not going to work for

the government.  So he would take the rest of 

the year off.

Now that might not be the reason.  But I suspect

that caused his wife to send him to the garage.

What did I learn out of that.

Ernie lived in the garage - BUT,

that did not make a car out of him.

You know, just like setting in a Church

will not make a Christian out of you.

If you do not have a personal relationship

with Jesus Christ - you are only a

pretend Christian at the best.

"God is not a man, that he should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

Has He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not 

make it good?"

(Numbers 23:19 NASB)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"The fear of man brings a snare,

But he who trusts in the Lord

will be exalted." 

(Proverbs 29:25 NASB)

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"A young man who wishes to remain a sound

atheist cannot be too careful of his reading."

- C. S.  Lewis

APPROVAL

We all want approval.
Approval of our family, friends,
neighbors, teachers or the boss.
Some even seek approval of their cronies
in seeing how crude or vile they can be.
Or even how evil they can be.

But is that where we should be seeking
our approval?

The approval of humans is only good
for a very brief time.  We need to be
seeking our approval where it really
matters.  The approval of God himself.

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The creator himself spoke of some

leaders and very religious folks who 

would not stand up for the truth because:

"They loved human approval rather

than the approval of God."

(John 12:43 GNT)

Sounds just like today.

Which is more important?
The approval of someone that does
not matter anyway.  Or the approval
of God himself who controls your
eternal destiny?

Jesus once said;

"I am not looking for human praise.
But I know what kind of people you
are, and I know that you have no
love for God in your hearts."

" You like to receive praise from one
another, but you do not try to win 
praise from the one who alone is God;..."
(John 5:41,42, 44 GNT)

The apostle Paul one of the most
devout men of God to ever live
once said:

"Does this sound as if I am trying to win
human approval?  No indeed!  What I
want is God's approval!    Am I trying to
be popular with people?  If I were still
trying to do so, I would not be a servant
of Christ."
(Galatians 1:10 GNT)

Whose approval are we seeking?

THINKING ABOUT PRAISE

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"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed

on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess

him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

(John 12:42,43 KJV)

Here are believers in Christ.  But they are more concerned about

what their fellowman thinks of them, than what God thinks of them.

Am I that way?

Am I more concerned about the opinion of my fellow church

members or traditions than the opinion of God?
Or even worse, the opinion of the world?

George Muller relates an incident that was an encouragement to me.

He had gone to Teignmouth to preach.  And of that sermon he says,

"One young woman came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior 

that first evening.  This blessed me because none of the

resident ministers liked the sermon.  The Lord judges so

differently from man!"

(The Autobiography of George Muller, p.30)