From: R & S Scarcella & Family [inbox@webpastor.com] Sent: Friday, 1 September 2000 6:21 PM To: Susan Scarcella Subject: CoGS Weekly Hits! 2000 Vol. 9. No. 1 =================================================== YOUR CoGS WEEKLY HITS! - FREE NETMAGAZINE =================================================== distributed by Rev. Rocco & Mrs. Susan Scarcella from Church of the Good Shepherd Bossley Park NSW Australia WEBSITE: www.webpastor.com ITEMS, JOKES ETC TO: hits@webpastor.com SUBSCRIBE: subscribe@webpastor.com UNSUBSCRIBE: unsubscribe@webpastor.com (Please write "no hits" in the subject frame) WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?: Go to... http://www.christianity.net.au HELP BLIMBINGSARI ORPHANAGE?: Go to... http://www.webpastor.com/miss&supp.htm *************************************************** Dear Netsters, Sorry this is rather late this week. Things being somewhat busier this week, it just got away from us! READING FROM THE WORD OF GOD Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, not do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said. "Let light shine out of darkness", made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:15 (NIV) Have you ever known something to be true, yet been unable to convince your listener of its truth... no matter what evidence you brought out, no matter what experience you had of the subject. It is frustrating, and annoying, to say the least. Expecially if it has to do with your reputation. You have tried your best, you have not done anything wrong, yet you have been accused of it. Be comforted! The same thing happened to Jesus, and although there was the proof of his authority in the miracles, many people refused to believe he was the Messiah. Some even set out to ruin his reputation ("He eats with tax collectors and sinners!") and ultimately to murder him. The passage here says that the blindness those people showed came from "the god of this age", Satan. And so it is today. He has so convinced humanity that many of them are blind to the truth of the Gospel and will not believe us no matter what we say or the evidence we present. Paul has some encouragement, however. WE know the truth; just keep presenting it! And we will see the results. People will turn to Jesus, those whose eyes have not been blinded. God will lead us to them. TESTIMONY "I was just an average teenager going to an average school when I met a Christian friend who I thought was wacked in the head. Jesus, I thought, was for the weak, until I was taken to church and realised I was weak one. The devil is for the weak and Jesus is for the strong, the ones who can make it through knowing they will always have someone there to guide them. God reached me with Joel 2:12,27 "Turn to me with all your heart... And I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten..." I turned to Him and I was forgiven all my sins. It was later that God really got hold of me, and He is now doing awesome things in my life. My favorite verse is I Timothy 4:12--"Do not let anyone despise you because of your youth but be an example to the believers..." Louise KEEP YOUR FORK There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued, "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say... "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,"said the pastor. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, "keep your fork." It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: "Keep Your Fork. The best is yet to come" The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently that the best is yet to come... ~Author Unknown PRAYER POINTS *** Thank God that He opens people's eyes to the truth of Jesus. *** Thank Him that the success of the Gospel belongs to Him, not us! *** Praise God for the news of people turning to Him. Pray for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. *** Pray for the political situation in Indonesia. Ambon has flared again and Christians are being slaughtered. Pray also for Timor (both Indonesian Timor and East Timor) as the militia cause trouble along the border and in the Indonesian regional capital of Kupang. *** Pray for Roger, a friend of Patti's (one of our Netsters).He has inoperable cancer. *** Pray for outreach to the visitors and athletes at the Olympics in Sydney in less than 2 weeks. Pray also for safety as already one international terrorist threat has been foiled. ***Give thanks for positive responses to our CoGs Guest Sunday Service with Dominic Steele. [To hear his powerful talk (for free) please go to http://www.webpastor.com/Eternity.html And tell your friends!] *** Pray for the family of Dan S, another of our Netsters. Dan's beloved aunt has gone to the Lord, and he is seeking to both comfort and encourage his family at this time. *** Little Amelia, born a few weeks ago, has a valve in her heart that has not closed. Pray that it does and an operation can be avoided. Pray for mum and dad as they cope with this anxiety. *** Thank God for healing! Young Anne L. was badly scalded a few weeks ago and it was thought she might need a skin graft, but the medical staff cannot explain the healing that has taken place since prayer began. Keep it up! *** Pray for our brothers and sisters in the newly renamed "Grace Community Church" in Tiaro, Queensland. They are growing in God's grace weekly! Pray for their Pastor, Chris and his team. ***Pastor Moses Kumari of South India asks for your prayers as he and his wife reach out to their people. He has also asked that Christians be challenged to come on "holidays" to India to help out and experience life there. HAHAHA CORNER ***"The philosophy exam was a piece of cake -- which was a bit of a surprise, actually, because I was expecting some questions on a sheet of paper." - Smith & Jones *** THE SWEAT SMELL OF SUCCESS It was a really hot day at the office due to a malfunction with the air conditioning system. There were about twenty people in close quarters and everyone was sweating, even with a fan on. All of a sudden, people started to wrinkle their noses at an odor passing through the air. It was the most hideous smell anyone had ever smelled. One man, popping his head out of his cubicle said, "Oh, man! Someone's deodorant isn't working." A man in the corner replied, "It can't be me. I'm not wearing any." ---submitted by Arnold Drummond ***Pete and Gladys were looking at a new living room suite n the furniture store. Pete says to the salesman, "We really like it, but I don't think we can afford it." The salesman says, "You just make a small down payment, then you don't make another payment for six months." Gladys wheeled around with her hands on her hips and says, "Who told you about us?" --Anon. ***A businessman boarded a plane to find, sitting next to him, an elegant woman wearing the largest, most stunning diamond ring he had ever seen. He asked her about it. "This is the Klopman diamond," she said. "It is beautiful, but there is a terrible curse that goes with it." "What's the curse?" the man asked. "Mr. Klopman." ---submitted by Chris Foley ***The boss was complaining in a staff meeting the other day that he wasn't getting any respect. Later that morning he went out and got a small sign that read, "I'm the Boss." He then taped it to his office door. Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said: "Your wife called, she wants you to bring her sign back!" --Paul Dugas ====================================================== Now, there really are limits to the amount of levity a person can take... it's just that we haven't reached that limit yet!!! Rejoice in the Lord always...(Philippians 4:4 NIV) Rocco and Sue. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++