Gospel Tidbit Collection
(page 2)

Shared With You By
Kraig J. Rice
www.7-star-admiral.com

A tidbit is a choice morsel. What is a gospel tidbit? Most are short little stories from a gospel point of view that I have gathered from here or there (various sources). I did not write any of them. Some may have floated around on the internet for awhile and may have been sent to me in emails or newsletters.

How to Handle Life's Problems:

Don't curse them
Don't nurse them
Don't rehearse them
Just disperse them (through praise and trust in God).



God's Garden of Success:
(The planting time is now)

4 rows of p's (peas):
preparedness
promptness
perseverance
politeness

5 rows of turnips:
turn up for Sunday school and church
turn up with a smile
turn up with determination
turn up with a visitor
turn up with your Bible

3 rows of squash:
squash criticism
squash gossip
squash indifference

6 rows of lettuce:
Let us be faithful
Let us be unselfish
Let us be truthful
Let us be friendly
Let us be cheerful
Let us give freely

Water daily with sincere prayer



Things A Boy Should Know

A minister advertised for a servant. The next morning a young man rang the bell. Thinking the young man was responding to the ad, the minister asked, "Can you start a fire in the morning and get breakfast by 7 o'clock?

"I guess so," the young man answered.

"Can you polish the silver, wash the dishes, and keep the house neat and clean?"

"Say," said the young man, "I came here to see about getting married, but if it's going to be that much work, count me out now!"



Where He Leads, I Will Follow:

One dark night on a rural back road, I, an inexperienced driver in one pickup truck, was following my father who was driving a second pickup truck ahead of me. We were returning home from church camp. I was intently watching the road when suddenly, about 75 yards in front of me, the road disappeared! I slammed on the brakes in a panic. Then I looked up to see the tail-lights of my father's pickup off to the left. The road had simply made a sharp 90 degree turn.

How many times do we focus so intently on life's difficult road that we fail to keep our eyes on our Father. We forget He truly is leading us, even when we can't see Him. He will never leave us or forsake us.



Believing A Bible Story:

A little country girl was walking down the road and passed the country store. A man on the porch asked her where she was going and what she had in her hand. "Sunday School and my Bible," she said. Asked if she believed the Bible and what her lesson was about, she said, "Yes, and it's about Jonah and the fish that swallowed him." Chided for her belief in that "fish story," she was asked to explain it. She said, "I believe every word in the Bible but I can't explain how it happened. I know Jonah survived and I'll ask him how when I get to Heaven." "What if he isn't there," asked the man, and she said, "Then you ask him."



Try Hard Not to Judge:

A woman had some time to kill at an airport. Buying a cup of coffee and a small package of cookies, she staggered to an unoccupied table. She was reading the morning paper when she became aware of a rustling at her table. From behind her paper she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed young man helping himself to her cookies. She did not want to make a scene, so she leaned across and took a cookie for herself. A minute or two passed. He was helping himself to another cookie. By the time they were down to the last cookie, she was very angry. Then the young man broke the remaining cookie in two, pushed half across to her, ate the other half, and left. It was then that she looked into her purse for her ticket only to discover her package of cookies. She had been eating his!
Try hard not to judge others.



What Is Loving-Kindness?

The teacher asked the pupils to tell the meaning of loving-kindness. A little boy jumped up in class and said, "Well, if I was hungry and someone gave me a piece of bread, that would be kindness. But if they put a little jam and jelly on it, that would be loving-kindness."



Good Advice:

Wouldn't it be nice if more people would take their noses out of other people's business, and put their hearts into other people's problems?



A Description Of A Christian Home:

A Christian home will be faithful to church
A Christian home will be an example
A Christian home will practice forgiveness
A Christian home will demonstrate faith
A Christian home will demonstrate love
A Christian home will practice the teachings of Christ
A Christian home will be aware of the presence of God



Revival:

Gypsy Smith was once asked how to start a revival. He answered, "Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor. Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start a revival in that ring."



Some Scriptures Pertaining To Healing:
(Have you ever noticed how many scriptures on healing are also about one's obedience to God?)

God wishes you to be in health
(3 John 1:2).

"I AM the Lord who heals you"
(Exodus 15:26).

God heals all our diseases
(Psalm 103:3).

With His stripes we are healed
(Isaiah 53:5).

His word healed all that were sick
(Matthew 8:16).

God took our infirmities and sicknesses
(Matthew 8:17).

His words are spiritual life and health to us
(Proverbs 4:22).

Ask and believe in faith and be obedient and it shall be done unto you
(John 15:7).

"No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right"
(Psalm 84:11).

Jesus heals all manner of sickness
(Matthew 4:23).

"Trust Me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory"
(Psalm 50:15).

"Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven"
(James 5:14-15). NLT



The Pastor's Cat

This allegedly is a true story about the pastor of a church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down and the tree was not sturdy enough to climb. So the pastor tied a rope to the respective branch of the tree and the other end to his car. He would then slowly drive away so that the tree bent down and he could then reach up and get the kitten. He did! All the while, checking his progress in the car frequently, he figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air- out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they had seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She replied, "You will not believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well if God gives you a cat, I will let you keep it."

She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you will not believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her."

Is anything too hard for the Lord?
(Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:27).



The Old Fisherman

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the Clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. Why, he is hardly taller than my eight-year-old, I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.

But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet, his voice was pleasant as he said, Good evening. I have come to see if you have a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there is no bus until morning.

He told me he had been hunting for a room since noon but with no success; no one seemed to have a room. I guess it is my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments...

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me, I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning. I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. No thank you. I have plenty and he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It did not take a long time to see that this old man had an over sized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He did not tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He was thankful for the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded, and the little man was out on the porch.

He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I will not put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair. He paused a moment and then added, your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children do not seem to mind. I told him he was welcome to come again.

And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they would be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice But, oh if only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude..

And the King will answer and say to them, assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me...
(Matthew 25:40).



Burned Biscuits

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I do not remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I will never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she is real tired. And besides- a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

Life is full of imperfect things- and imperfect people. I am not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I have learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults- and choosing to celebrate each others differences- is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
(Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).



Two Wolves

One evening an old man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside every person. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather- "Which wolf wins?"

The old man replied simply, "the one you feed."



So the question is...which wolf are you feeding?
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked- for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life
(Galations 6:7-8).



The Importance of the Minister's Wife

Unless you have walked in the shoes of the ministers wife you can never understand the loneliness and isolation that comes with the job. Although her husband takes the role of church leader and is almost always front and center, it takes a unique woman to stand in the wings and provide the support he needs to be what he has to be for his "flock". Behind closed doors she is the strength, guidance and support that keeps these men focused on their faith- grounded, and prepared to deal with the enormous responsibility God has given them. They are the angels God blesses our church leaders with to care for and truly represent what the "missing rib" means. They are protectors of the most vulnerable and most attacked part of a pastor- his heart. The best description of this type of woman is a "Proverbs 31" woman.



Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant's ship- she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it- with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains- her lights burn late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her- there are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last- but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise
(Proverbs 31:10-30).



One Dollar and Faith

Years ago a little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

And what do you want? the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I am talking to my brother from Chicago whom I have not seen in ages, he said without waiting for a reply to his question. Well, I want to talk to you about my brother- Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. He's really, really sick- and I want to buy a miracle. I beg your pardon? said the pharmacist.

His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost? We do not sell miracles here, little girl. I am sorry but I cannot help you, the pharmacist said, softening a little. Listen, I have the money to pay for it- if it is not enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl- what kind of a miracle does your brother need? I do not know, Tess replied with her eyes welling up I just know he is really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy cannot pay for it, so I want to use my money. How much do you have? asked the man from Chicago. One dollar and eleven cents, Tess answered barely audible. And it is all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to. Well, what a coincidence- smiled the man. A dollar and eleven cents- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said- take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let us see if I have the miracle you need. That well-dressed man was a surgeon- specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it was not long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. That surgery- her mom whispered was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost? Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost- one dollar and eleven cents- plus the faith of a little child.

So Jesus said...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain- move from here to there, and it will move- and nothing will be impossible for you
(Matthew 17:20).



The Meanest Mom in the World

We had the meanest mom in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mom fixed us a dinner that was different than what other kids had too. Mom insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You would think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the child labor laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth- the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds, and life was really tough.

She would not let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16. Because of our mom, we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other property, or arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night or a million other things other kids did.

Sundays were reserved for church, and we never missed once. We knew better than to ask to spend the night with a friend on Saturday. Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like our mom was. The world just does not have enough mean moms anymore.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it
(Proverbs 22:6).


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March 31, 2010