“The miracle is this – the more we share, the more we have.” – Leonard Nimoy

The BIBLE says: Please read Acts 20:35!

Read also the post: “GETTING AND GIVING!”

In a health publication I am reading something about physical development of children. It says that parents focus on the physical development of their children.

But it is pointed out that the mental development is just as important. The mental development is important for a brighter FUTURE.

Nothing is said about the spiritual development of the children. That is not surprising! But for the brightest FUTURE the spiritual development is of uttermost importance.

I have said it before and I am saying it again :

It was my privilege to teach BIBLE IN SCHOOLS in the Mid North of Northland around Kaikohe and we had the best results with those children, who:

—came from a Christian Home,

—went to a Church with sound Biblical Teaching and

—had a good Bible Teacher in the school.

I was immediately interested in the poster which was displayed in the RED  CROSS shop on Waiheke Island near Auckland. It must have been hanging there already for a long time because not only the words “COMMITMENT to Humanity” were written on the poster, but it was also written on the poster that the RED CROSS started in NZ in 1931 and that the RED CROSS celebrated 75 years in this country in 2006. This is now 2009!

There is also a RED CROSS shop here in New Lynn, where I am staying now. There is a sign “Celebrating five years in New Lynn”.

I picked up also a RED CROSS magazine . On the front page is written: “Improving the lives of vulnerable people.” Another headline on the frontpage is “Our world is in a mess. It’s time to make a move.” Almost on the last page are 25 NZ RED CROSS workers listed, who are working around the globe. One worker is listed under Thailand working on water and sanitation. I am especially interested in Thailand, because I worked there as a missionary.

Are you impressed with those people, who are committed to humanity, who are improving the lives of vulnerable people, who are working on water and sanitation? I think we should be impressed.

But I am really impressed with those people, who are committed to preaching the GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says: Please read Second Corinthians 5:17 and John 4:10!

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Why did you not tell me, that desplay was misspelled! (display!)

Can you make a word square from these clues?

Each word has four letters.

Across and down

1. They come out at night – but we need only one

2. ………….. is money

3. We hear that word often in the church

4. People who don’t own their own place pay ……….

PLEASE SEND ME THE SOLUTION!

We don’t have TV in our house. But yesterday I listened to a TV program about managing debt here in New Lynn.

I am glad I did.  Because also yesterday I picked up a little booklet called “Managing debt It’s easy to get into, harder to get out.” At the end of the little booklet the story is told about a young lady who has built up quite a bit of debt over the past couple of years. In the booklet it says, “In fact she is worrying so much about her money situation that she isn’t sleeping at night.”

I read the little booklet before I watched the TV program about managaing debt and verses from the Bible came to my mind:

Romans 13:8; Philippians 4:6! Romans 13:8 says,””Owe no man anything,…..”

A Real Estate Agent has this written on one advertisement, “It would be our privilege to be of service to you.”

For us it is  a privilege to SERVE the Living God. Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1

My tour guide did very well getting me from New Lynn to Down Town Auckland and from there to Waiheke Island and back again to Down Town Auckland. The tour guide had lots of timetables in one pocket and some where even sticking out of the pocket. The thorough preparation paid off – until we arrived in Down Town Auckland again. My tour guide was not quite sure whether it would be better- quicker –  to go by train or by bus from Down Town Auckland to Nikau Street in New Lynn.

Finally things got really muddled up…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

To make a short story really short: I mentioned something about invalid, out of date timetables for the buses and trains.

And I was right, the train timetable was no longer effective. It was an old one from the year 2005. We picked up the current one at the office. On the current timetable was written “Effective 20 October 2008”. Eventually we arrived by bus at our destination Nikau Street, in New Lynn.

There in Down Town Auckland the Bible, the word of the Living God came to my mind . What happens to timetables will never happen to the Word of God. It is never out of date, and it never needs to be changed or updated. It will always be effective, always, always, always.

That is another proof that the BIBLE is the Word of the Living God.

“In every childhood, a door opens and the FUTURE comes in.”

That’s what I read in a smaller publication and I really like that. In fact I like those words very much. I have experienced them.

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Yes, that is happening to all of us. I know exactly how it happened to me and I would like to write about it. It would be a long story. Just a little bit here:

My favourite subject in school was what we called geography. At one stage in my life I knew all the names of the different countries in  South America including the names of the capitals off by heart.  – Venezuela: Caracas, Colombia: Bogota etc- I was very interested in foreign countries. I also liked to read about foreign countries. Of course, I read about the countries, because I wanted to go there….one day.

The door was opening wide!

One of the highlights in my travelling life was  cruising through the Suez Canal on my way to Thailand and arriving in Bangkok just before Christmas 1966.

We like it, when the door is opening. All of us have a joyful story to tell about the opening door.

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Romans 6:23

“FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS

DEATH,…. BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS

ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR

LORD.”

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BUT JUST AS THE DOOR

IS OPENING AUTOMATICALLY,

IT IS ALSO CLOSING

AUTOMATICALLY!

We don’t like it, when the door is closing. The story can be quite sad, when the door is closing. But we all have a story to tell about the closing of the door. You don’t want to hear my story. Do I want to hear your story?

Recently I talked to a man about the Lord and he told me that his first wife died of cancer.

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It seems that the ‘door’ turns into a real door at the end of our lives for all  of us, a door without hinges – the coffin lid.

John 10:7; Matthew 7:14,15