The Cake or the Recipe?

 

Have you ever had a cake that was so good that you wanted the recipe?  I haven’t, but my wife has.  Ha, ha!  Therein lies the difference: you see, I like the cake, but my wife likes the cake recipe.  She likes to bake a cake, but I just like to eat a piece of the cake.  Hey, often we are the same way with the dear Lord above.  Do we like the things that God gives to us, or do we love the God who gives the good things to us?  God loves His dear children and delights in giving us good things.  But often we are distracted by the things, forgetting the One who gave them to us.  Will our heavenly Father give us good things?  Absolutely!  Jesus said in Matthew 7:11, “… how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"  Enjoy the good things that the Lord gives to us, but don’t forget to give thanks to the Giver.

The End Times

 

I have been challenged to read the Olivet Discourse, the very last things that Jesus said before he left this world (Matthew 24&25).  He carefully instructed his disciples on the end times, so that they would not be distracted by perilous times.  Doesn’t that sound familiar?  Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”  And His detailed instructions go on and on.  Hey, I am not concerned if Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the election on November 5, I am looking for the coming of the King of Kings!  Jesus will make everything right!  Yes, He will!  Oh, I am going to vote, but I am looking for greater things to happen very shortly!  Hey, are you ready for the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?!  This is your wake-up call!

Help

 

Last week, I was ripping several boards that were just a little bit too wide.  My table saw made short work of them.  I had several strips that were scrap, but they were too long to fit into the trash can.  So, I broke the first one up into several one-foot pieces, which, in my opinion, took too long.  So, the next one, I broke in half, stacked the two halves, and broke the stack in half.  But when I stacked the two half halves (a new phrase that I just made up), I couldn’t break the stack.  I was just past my limit.  My stack of four thin pieces that together, couldn’t be broken reminded me of Ecclesiastes 4:9&12, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Hey, it’s not good to be alone.  You need a friend, or you need a wife (which is actually the same for me).  When one gets discouraged, the other can be an encouragement.  You can get more done if you cooperate.  And if you add the dear Lord into the mix (a “three-fold cord”), you are unstoppable.  That’s because with God, “all things are possible!”