The Coffee Maker in the workplace is often the typical place for socializing. While pouring a cup of caffeinated fuel, there is talk about the big football game on Sunday, sharing vacation plans, while some are brave enough to discuss politics and/or religion and have lived to tell the tale. In the same way, the coffee maker at church is a place where friends catch up on each other's lives while a few may feel compelled to share the height and depths of weighty 'spiritual' matters. So imagine the buzz around the coffee maker in HEAVEN.. a little over 2000 years ago when God's plan for ‘saving’ mankind was revealed? SETTING: It was just another day at the 'office' when Larry and Betty met at 'Heaven's Coffee Maker' for their morning cup of Joe. Larry the Angel: "Hey Betty, did you hear the latest about the boss's plan for saving the world?" Betty The Angel: "No, so what's up?" Larry the Angel: "Well, rumor has it, Jesus Christ will come to earth as a child born of a virgin in a barn and sleep in a feeding trough for animals. His birth will not be proclaimed to the world, but to... get this... shepherds." And a few smart guys from the East. Betty The Angel: "Shepherds? .. right." Larry the Angel: "No, it's true, and Jesus will be raised by a common carpenter and his wife" for almost 30 years in rural Israel. Betty The Angel: " Good one, and so being a carpenter, Jesus will build his father's kingdom." LOL. Carpenter... build it... Get it? Larry the Angel: "I know this sounds bizarre, but I heard it all from a reliable source. And that's not all. Next, Jesus will choose 12 men to assist him as key members of his kingdom movement." Betty The Angel: "You mean like a presidential cabinet of sorts? Made up of priests, rabbis, maybe a few influential politicians, and some kind of minister of defense would seem reasonable. Larry the Angel: "No, .. they are mostly fishermen." Betty The Angel: "I see, Fishermen... So far, we have Jesus born in a barn in obscurity except to shepherds, and his critical years of development to be the King and Savior are spent as a carpenter instead of a seminary? Larry the Angel: "I know, I know....but that's not all. Next, Jesus will take on the established religious community. He will challenge and mock their pious rules and motives, which flies like a politically incorrect Lead Balloon." Betty The Angel: "Well, if this is true, what else could they expect. Now, who is it you said you heard this all from? Were you not talking to Cliffy from the mail room again? I know this is Heaven, but Cliff is full of it, and by 'it,' I do NOT mean Spirit. Larry the Angel: "No, Betty, it wasn't Cliff; it was from a reliable source. Now be quiet for a minute and let me finish.. then you can let your jaw drop to the floor... because there is more." Betty The Angel: [ Betty motions that she is zipping her lip and smiles.. in silence ] Larry the Angel: "All this leads to a final week when the salvation message is realized. Jesus, in this unconventional plan, lulls the leaders of the day into .. falsely arresting him and mocking him; he is beaten and whipped to the point of death. Then, to a jeering crowd, he is led up to a hill where he is crucified as a common criminal while being rejected by the people he came to save... JUST THE WAY HE PLANNED IT." Larry the Angel: Of course, Jesus will not stay dead. He will rise from the dead, but not everyone will witness this. So, believing in Jesus and accepting his free gift of salvation will be a matter of choice and will require personal faith in things not seen. Betty The Angel: [still silent, Betty stands with her arms crossed] Larry the Angel: "That's it, Betty, believe me or not.. that is God's honest truth (no pun intended)." <pause> "OK, now you can speak." Betty The Angel: I don't know who put you up to this.. but I would NOT tell these wild tales to anyone else... This is all CRAZY TALK.. and I have better things to do with my time. Next time you learn any more 'Revelations' .. get it in writing on God's very own BLESSED executive stationery! Next time, consider your sources before swallowing it all: hook, line, and sinker. Betty walks away, shaking her head. Larry refilled his coffee cup and returned to work, perplexed about why Betty did not believe him. Ok, it may have played out differently than this. Still, the story of Jesus from the virgin birth that first Christmas and his 30 years on Earth culminating with his resurrection from the grave is God's beautifully unexpected story of salvation. So next time at work, when you are getting your coffee refill, ponder the great news of God's salvation plan that began that first Christmas. PS - Share the Good News! Jeff ( a lot lower than the angels) Larson 3/25/2023 Just... IMAGINEIn 1971 John Lennon wrote the song "Imagine" encouraging us to imagine a world at peace without borders, religion, nationality, or attachment to material possessions. This song 'Imagine' is a message for our world choosing anarchy over order, insults over compliments, greed over generosity, crass over clever, profane over profound, hatred over love, war over peace, and violence over peace. While I love this message I would be happy just to imagine a world without rush-hour traffic and road construction. John Lennon Imagine shares a 'nice' broad brush imagination of a 'world living as one', BUT I must add the Gospel message (not religion) is the ONLY answer/salvation for this tumultuous world. Imagine that. DROP THE MIC! Next, let's fast forward 30 years from John Lennon's 1971 song Imagine to 2001 when Bart Millard of the Christian Music band MercyMe released the song "I can only Imagine". This MercyMe song ponders some day Heaven and be standing before our Heavenly Father. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Cor 2:9 Now with this all in mind, let me share the side-by-side lyrics of 'Imagine' and 'I Can Only Imagine'. I will call this... 'The Dueling Imaginations'
For those of you who kept reading this blog until the end, I pray you enjoyed and were blessed by doing a little Imagining where peace on Earth and the promise of Heaven is found in Christ alone. Jeff (Imagining cartoons) Larson 6/6/2021 So very Earthly MindedI like the old saying ‘That fella is so Heavenly minded, they are no Earthly good.’ This describes a person is so in to church and ‘churchy’ things that they don’t add much value or function outside of church walls. He can barely change a light bulb let alone the oil on his car. Over the years I have smirked at a person or twenty that fits that description, BUT I have come to believe the irony is actually there are too many people are so EARTHLY minded to be much HEAVENLY GOOD. It's just too easy to be caught up in this pace and 'stuff' of life (good and bad) to where God is put on the back burner. Instead of starting my day quiet before God, reading my Bible, and prayerful I often clutter my life with the very real demands of work, family, rush hour traffic, and.. maybe what is on the TV and become simply more EARTHLY MINDED than HEAVENLY GOOD. The real irony is.. When I drift from God is NOT when I am too busy or stressed but instead when life is good. No immediate worries or concerns so I relax my dependence, praise and appreciation of God to again become so earthly minded... and erroneously feelings of being self sufficient. Maybe even a little bit proud. So while I don’t want my life to look as out of place as an Amish folk high rollin' in Las Vegas.. I do want my spirit, and life to start and end with God. A place where my personal faith shows through in all that I do and say. My prayer for all of you is that this day and always be a life in love with God, and a life where God is not fit in around the details of the day. That sweet spot where our minds on God/Heaven impact our lives on Earth. May your life be blessed and USED by God in ways that have both Heaven and Earth in mind. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Mt. 6:10 Be 'Blessed and Used' of course in ways that are BEYOND YOUR DREAMS and all that God intends for you! Jeff |
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Back Pew - Draw Close to God
My Book- 116 pages of cartoons of 'Clean Humor & God's Truth' CRITICS ARE SAYING.
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LAUGHTER is just a click away
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12/4/2023
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