From: R & S Scarcella & Family [inbox@webpastor.com] Sent: Tuesday, 24 October 2000 10:48 PM To: hits@webpastor.com Subject: CoGS Weekly Hits! 2000 Vol. 10 No. 4 =================================================== 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 LIKE YOUR OWN FREE EMAIL ADDRESS & MORE? Go to... http://www.webpastor.com/free-mail.htm *************************************************** Dear Netsters, We hope you have been enjoying the coverage of the Paralympic Games from Sydney. The high standard of the athletes' performances lead us to wonder just how much we could achieve for Christ if we had even half of their determination. READING FROM THE WORD OF GOD Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision mean anything; what counts is a new creation.Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule even to the Israel of God. Galatians 6:11-16 (NIV) The church to whom Paul wrote was a new one, struggling in a world diametrically opposed to its existence. Paul had brought the gospel to Galatia, and had rejoiced to see it take root. How shocked he was to see the church begin to abandon the principle of grace so soon, for the legalism of "you must be circumcised to be saved." Paul cries out to them:"Being circumcised or not is not the issue. The issue is: are you a new creation in Christ?" Sadly, the circumcisers still infiltrate our congregations to this day. Like the undercover agents of the devil that they are, they whisper into our ears, "Can you trust God? Did He really say that the death of Christ is sufficient to pay for sin? Surely, we must have to do SOMETHING to earn His favour?" They add all manner of traditions and hurdles to jump over: dress codes, behaviour, rituals, special prayers or experiences. The list goes on. They purse their lips and disapprove of all those who do not live up to their "standards". Brothers and sisters, Christ freed us from slavery to sin by paying the greatest price of all. He died for us. Let us not trivialise His death by telling Him that it was not enough. Let us turn to Him and ask Him to recreate us. INSPIRATIONAL STORY A long time ago, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother- in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed days,and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition,Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing the poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you." Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr.Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some pork or chicken and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr.Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her with great respect. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law, who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening. One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said,"Dear Mr.Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."Mr.Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li,there's nothing to worry about.I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her." --submitted by Pat Croisant PRAYER POINTS ***Thank the Lord for His goodness, that He covered the payment for our sins through the death of Jesus. ***Thank the Lord that He can make us a new creation. ***Thank God for the new babies in Christ who have just taken their first steps. ***Pray for those who have not yet asked Jesus to be their Saviour and Lord, and confessed their sins to Him. ***Thank the Lord for the continued recovery of little Amelia D. Keep her and her family in your prayers. ***The Israeli/Palestinian situation is still up in the air. Pray that people will get past blaming others and move onto peace techniques. ***Thank God for our sister Marg B. who spoke at a Ladies' breakfast at CoGS last Saturday and for the precious one in Christ, who gave herself to Him as a result of the talk. To read a transcript of Marg's testimony, click on this link: http://www.webpastor.com/pr001.htm ***Pray for activities coming up in our churches, especially the Men's Dinner this Saturday night at CoGS & all involved. ***Pray for Sue's mum, who was put in hospital yesterday with severe pain (she is now back home with us). The cancer appears to have spread into the lungs. ***Patti has given us an update on Roger, her friend with prostate cancer. The cancer has worsened much faster than the Drs thought. He is now on hormone treatment and in 7 weeks will start radiation. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. It depends upon whose hands it's in. A tennis racket in my hands is useless. A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship. It depends upon whose hands it's in. A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy. A sling shot in David's hands is a mighty weapon. It depends upon whose hands it's in. Two fish and five loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and five loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends upon whose hands it's in. Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends upon whose hands it's in. As you now see, it depends upon whose hands it's in. So put your concerns,your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families, and your relationships in God's hands, because... It depends upon whose hands it's in. --submitted by Mitch Wilson HAHAHA CORNER ***Castro Goes to Heaven Fidel Castro dies and goes to heaven. When he gets there, St. Peter tells him that he is not on the list and that no way, no how, does he belong in heaven. Fidel must go to hell. So Fidel goes to hell where Satan gives him a hearty welcome and tells him to make himself at home. Then Fidel notices that he left his luggage in heaven and tells Satan, who says, "No hay problemo. I'll send a couple of little devils to get your stuff." When the little devils get to heaven they find the gates are locked, since St. Peter is having lunch. They start debating what to do. Finally one comes up with the idea that they should go over the wall and get the luggage. As they are climbing the wall, two little angels see them, and one angel says to the other, "Look! Fidel hasn't been in hell ten minutes and we're already getting refugees!" -Anon. ***Sarah was reading a newspaper, while her husband was engrossed in a magazine. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. "Listen to this," she said. "There's a classified ad here where a guy is offering to swap his wife for a season ticket to the stadium." "Hmmm," her husband said, not looking up from his magazine. Teasing him, Sarah said, "Would you swap me for a season ticket?" "Absolutely not," he said. "How sweet," Sarah said. "Tell me why not." "Season's more than half over," he said. -Anon. ***Consoling Words A young minister, in the first days at his first parish, was obliged to call upon the widow of an eccentric man who had just died. Standing before the open casket and consoling the widow, he said, "I know this must be a very hard time, Mrs. Smith." Pointing to the casket he continued, "but we must remember that what we see here is the husk only, the shell. The nut has gone to Heaven." --submitted by Warren C ***Sick Parishioner A young boy called the pastor of a local neighbourhood church to ask the pastor to come by to pray for his mother who had been very ill with the flu. The pastor knew the family, and was aware they had been attending another church down the road... so the pastor asked, "Shouldn't you be asking Pastor Brown down the road to come by to pray with your mom?" The young boy replied, "Yeah, but we didn't want to take the chance that he might catch whatever it is that Mom has." --also submitted by Warren C ======================================================== In the immortal words of Porky Pig:"ba-dee ba-dee bad-ee, that's all folks!" Rocco and Sue. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >