Straight From Pastor Ey

There were two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who always got into trouble. The parents were at their wit’s end as to what to do about their sons’ mischievous behavior. So, out of desperation, they decided to bring them to their pastor. He has a reputation of being a disciplinarian. The 8-year-old boy went in first. The pastor sat the boy down and, looking at him straight in the eye, asked him firmly, “Where is God?” The boy looked down and did not respond. So the pastor repeated the question in an even sterner tone, “Where is God?” Again the boy did not answer. So the pastor raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face, “WHERE IS GOD?” At that the boy bolted from the pastor’s office and ran directly home. He hid himself in the closet, slamming the door behind him. His older brother ran after him into the closet and asked, “What happened?” The younger brother nervously replied, “We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it!!” (Adapted from B...

Allow me to share tidbits from an e-mail sent to me by my friend. It’s a collection of statements about spiritual things from the eyes of kids. Here are some of my favorites: A Sunday school teacher asked kids: “Why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.” (I hope she was not talking about our church! ) While they were walking on the beach, a father and his son found a dead seagull on the sand. “Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked. “He died and went to Heaven,” the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, “Did God throw him back down?” (Next time, be careful how you answer…) A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied. “Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the mom answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people.” (...

One time US President Thomas Jefferson and his friends were traveling on horseback. They came to a swollen river where the raging waters washed away the bridge. Each rider fought against the rapid currents as he crossed the river. It was very dangerous to cross the river. At that time, a traveler who was not part of the team came. He watched as several riders struggled across the river. Then the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would give him a ride. His companions were surprised when the president agreed. When they made it safely to the other side, one in the group asked the stranger, “Why did you select the president?” The man was shocked. He had no idea it was the president who helped him. “All I know,” he answered, “Is that the word “No” was written on the face of most of you. His was a ‘Yes’ face.” (Adapted from the illustration database of the Biblical Studies Foundation) The Bible places much value in hospitality. One of the qualifications for a pastor is that “he must ...

One day three pastors met for coffee. They found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. One pastor complained, “I got so mad I fired at them with my shotgun. It punched holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats.” The second pastor lamented, “I tried trapping them alive. Then I drove 100 kilometers then released them there. But they beat me back to the church.” The third pastor boasted, “I haven’t had any more problems.” The two other pastors were so amazed. “What did you do?” they begged to know the problem. The pastor replied, “I simply baptized them. I haven’t seen them since.” [1] Dr. Rick Warren, author of the bestselling Purpose Driven Life, wrote: “The difference between attenders and members can be summed up in one word: commitment!” The Apostle Paul explained that we need to make two commitments: “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.” (2 Corinthians 8:5, NIV) We are to ...

Allow me to share this touching story about unconditional love , which Dr Richard Selzer wrote. He is a physician by profession and a writer by passion. He already received the National Magazine Award and the American Medical Writer's Award. I stood by the bed where a young woman lies. Her face, post-operative, her mouth, twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial muscles connecting the face to the mouth has been severed. She will be so from now on. As her surgeon, I have followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek I had to cut that little nerve. And late in the evening I go by to see her. Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed. They gaze at each other and touch each other so generously. The young woman speaks to me. “Will my mouth always be like this?” “Yes,” I say, “it will. She nods, and is silent. Her young husband smiles. “You know,” he says, “I like it. It’s kind of c...