There is a difference between being an acquaintance and being a friend. An acquaintance is someone whose name you know, who you see every now and then, who you probably have something in common with and who you feel comfortable around.

It’s a person that you can invite to your home and share things with. But they are people who you don’t share your life with, whose actions sometimes you don’t understand because you don’t know enough about them.

On the other hand, a friend is someone you love. Not that you are “in love” with them, but you care about them and you think about them when they are not there. The people you are reminded of when you see something they might like, and you know this because you know them so well. They are the people whose pictures you have and whose faces are in your head regardless.

Friends are the people you feel safe around because you know they care about you. They call just to see how you are doing, because a friend doesn’t need an excuse. They tell you the truth, the first time, and you do the same. You know that if you have a problem, they are there to listen.

Friends are the people who won’t laugh at you or hurt you, and if they do hurt you they try hard to make it up to you. They are the people you love, regardless of whether you realize it.

Friends are the people you cried with when you got rejected from colleges and during the last song at the prom and at graduation. They are the people that when you hug them, you don’t think about how long to hug and who’s going to be the first one to let go.

Maybe they are the people that hold the rings at your wedding, or maybe they are the people who give you away at your wedding, or maybe they are the people you marry. Maybe they are the people who cry at your wedding because they are happy or because they are proud.

They are the people who stop you from making mistakes and help you when you do. They are are the people whose hand you can hold, or you can hug or give them a kiss and not have it be awkward because they understand the things you do and they love you for them.

They stick with you and stand by you. They hold your hand. They watch you live and you watch them live and you learn from them. Your life is not the same without them.

~Author Unknown

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies & a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone a few blocks from home, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park near the water
just staring at some birds.

The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer,
when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

The old man gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so incredible that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

Once again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was, and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, and ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever,

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked her son: “What did you do today that made you so happy?”

The child replied: “I had lunch with God.”

But before his mother could respond, he added: “You know what? He’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked: “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied: “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.”

But before his son responded, he added: “You know, He’s much younger than I expected.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring. All of which have the potential to make someone’s day a very special one, or even turn someone’s life around.

~Author Unknown

I asked God to take away my pride.
God said, “No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.”

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, “No. Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.”

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, “No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn’t granted, it is earned.”

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, “No. I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.”

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, “No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.”

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, “No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.”

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as God loves me.
God said… “Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!”

“There’s a time and place for everything, for everyone. God works in a mysterious way.”
Just trust in God.

~Author Unknown

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts…
God knows how hard you have tried.

When you’ve cried so long and your heart is in anguish…
God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by…
God is waiting with you.

When you’re lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call…
God is by your side.

When you think you’ve tried everything and don’t know where to turn…
God has a solution.

When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated…
God has the answer.

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope…
God has whispered to you.

When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for…
God has blessed you.

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe…
God has smiled upon you.

When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow…
God has opened your eyes and called you by name.

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing…
GOD KNOWS!!

by: Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC

This may be a great comfort for any of you who are facing a problem.

Introduction: Too many times, I preach sermons and not messages. Sermons even though Biblical in nature speaks to the head or the intelligent. A message speaks to the heart and makes it way to the head. We need to hear from the Lord. If we don’t hear from Him, we are hopeless, scared and very alone.

With this thought in mind, let’s let the Word of God be our comfort and encouragement. I have many scriptures to read. I do not have many comments though. Let’s let God’s Word speak to our hearts and make its way to our heads today. Let’s make a journey to the Bible comfort that we all need many times.

Psalm 1:1-3
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 119:1-6
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.”

Psalm 119:9-11
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Psalm 119:15-16
“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”

Psalm 119:25
“My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.”

Psalm 119:28
“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.”

Psalm 119:49-50
“Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”

Psalm 119:65
“Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.”

Psalm 119:82
“Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?”

Psalm 119:92
“Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.”

Psalm 119:105
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Psalm 119:114
“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”

Psalm 119:116
“Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.”

Psalm 119:146-148
“I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.  Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.”

Psalm 119:162
“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”

Psalm 119:165
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

Isaiah 40:31
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 41:10-13
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

Isaiah 43:4
“Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.”

Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

Isaiah 44:3
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:”

Isaiah 44:21-22
“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”

Isaiah 49:14-16
“But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

Isaiah 50:7
For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Isaiah 51:12-13
“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?”

Isaiah 51:21-23
“Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.”

Isaiah 54:15
“Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.”

Isaiah 54:17
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

I hope these were a blessing to you!!! They surely were to me. Thank you, Pastor Walls!

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest… perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. “Because,” explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

~Author Unknown

Added Note from Kate: Remember that Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” THAT is perfect peace!

Decide to be happy today, to live with what is yours – your family, your business, your job, your blessings. If you can’t have what you like, maybe you can like what you have.

Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable, responsive, caring, and understanding. Be your best, dress your best, talk softly, and look for the bright side of things. Praise people for what they do and do not criticize them for what they cannot do. If someone does something stupid, forgive and forget. After all, it’s just for one day.

Who knows, it might turn out to be a nice day.

~Author Unknown

It was a year ago that Joshua got a bike for Christmas, and he rode it every day. That is, until recently, when the bike was gone from its usual place. Running to his front yard, Joshua, 9, saw a man loading it into his car. He shouted, but the man drove off.

Mrs. Saffle said Joshua has strong faith, and told his dad he forgave the thief. What’s more, he wanted the thief to know he was forgiven. So the next day, he dictated a message that his mother wrote on a large poster-board. He signed it, stapled it to a sawhorse and put it in the front yard.

”To the person who stole my bike: You really hurt my feelings when you took my bike. But I am a Christian and because Jesus forgave me, I FORGIVE YOU!!”

When Joshua’s father left for work the next day, the sign was face-down in the yard. But then, at the end of the driveway, the bike was back, and with new handlebars, grips and a new front fork assembly.

~Author Unknown

Six humans trapped by happenstance
In black and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story’s told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.

The next man looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn’t bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.

The third man sat in tattered clothes;
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy poor.

The black man’s face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.

And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

The logs held tight in death’s still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn’t die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.

~Author Unknown

This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating in the emails so; I’ll start it, if it touches you and you want to forward it.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this….

The Gospel of John (20:1-11) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

Is that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, ‘I’m done’.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because……….

The folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!’

He is Coming Back!

~Author Unknown