A Conversation With The Lord

Just today, a friend of mine put something on her Facebook page which caught my eye. I clicked on it and read it through. i want you to read it too. (Now, Don't read it and "Freak" when you see the words "holy man". just read it and watch for the "Truth".)

"A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said.

"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in . In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, "You have seen Hell".

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, "I don't understand."

"It is simple," said the Lord.

"It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."
 

When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you."

You want to know the part of this that spoke to me?? In reading this story, I can see the Christian Church of Today! This is describing "US"!!!

I cannot tell you just how often this same scene is played out in church after church all across this country and yes, even around the world.

The main reason that I wanted to talk about this particular story is due to the fact that in my personal opinion, Christianity, our modern day Christianity, is a "Selfish Christianaity". I know that may sound a tad bit "Harsh", but many times the truth is just that... "Harsh"! In our Churches today we see "Cliques" and just some downright "Hateful" people who call themselves "Christians". I am inclined to wonder if some of these folks have acctually received what they "Claim" to "Posess". Again, "Harsh" I know, but is it the truth?

How about your Church? Do this, on Sunday, before your main service begins, just take an "Honest" look at the people in your Church. Do you know anybody in the room who is in a "Clique"? Sadly, you might have to answer that you yourself are NOT what you claim to be.

Following in line with this thought from the above story, I am reminded of a simple little word that when it is applied to any situation in life, it can and will make a "Huge" difference! This word is simply... "Compassion"!

In Webster's Dictionary the Word "Compassion" is defined this way:

COMPASSION, n.

Is a suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it.
In the story we see that in the second room, everyone was in the same "Predicament" as the first room, they were using the same "Instruments" as the others, but with a totally different "Outcome". What made the difference? "Compassion" did!

How did this make all the difference? Think with me about it. The story told us that the people that were "Dying" in the first room, were "Dying" because of "Selfishness"! Selfishness has absolutely nothing to do with Compassion! You see, on order for the people in that first room to begin to be fed, they must learn to work together in reaching the common goal.

Now take our Churches for example... We also need to learn this very vital lesson. We ALL must work together to reach the entire world with the gospel of Jesus Christ and what He did in dying on the cross for our collective and our individual sins.

I am reminded of a passage of scripture that talks about this very subject.

Acts 4:31-35
(31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
(32) And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
(33) And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
(34) Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
(35) And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

In this portion we read where the "Church" had revival when the Lord showed up (vs 31). The effect of this reviving showed itself in vs. 32, "... they had all things common." Then we see in vs. 34, "Neither was there any among them that lacked:". Lastly from vs. 35, "... and distribituion was made unto every man according as he had need."

These three facts, or results from being revived, (or made alive again.) were able to be written down in The Bible as "Truth". How was all this made possible?? The answer is very simple... When God comes and openly shows Himself in a mighty moving of the Holy Spirit, the end result is a complete change in the way "Christian" mankind walks through life.

Here in Acts chapter 4, we see such a change in the Christians that were there. We see everyone, not just the rich, but everyone (i.e. "...the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:") All of them joined in from a heart of "Compassion" for others.

I know that there are still those today who want to accuse these folks in the Church there in Acts 4 of just getting "Emotional"... I say your "Nuts"! When God is the One who is conducting the movement in our hearts, there is no way that HE will allow "Emotion" to cause someone to foolishly sell all that they have and give it away. Notice I said "When God Is The One"! Do you remember what The Bible says in  Mark 10:28-31?

Mark 10:28-31
(28) Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
(31) But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

We need to remember that God does not do anything "Foolish"! God did not cause the disciples to act rashly or foolishly when He called them into service. I know that "Man" sometimes like to accuse Christian Brothers or Sisters of acting foolishly, however, I must stand and say that if God has called someone to service, then who am I, or who are you for that matter, to say that God did not call them.

We must use "Compassion" in dealing with everyone! We are commanded to take the message out to a lost and dying world. Why would we do that if not because of the "Compassion" of Jesus in coming and dying, shedding His Blood for ALL SIN!!?? You see, Jesus is our first example of this business of "Compassion", He performed it in His death, Burial and resurrection. Then here in Acts chapter 4 we see His Church performing under the same guidelines of "Compassion". We need to wake up to the truth that we also MUST live with this same guiding principle in our collective and individual lives too.

If we would live with "Compassion" for others as our guiding principle, we will all be able to get our eyes off of ourselves and help "Feed" those who are seated at the table with us. 


Think About It,

Evangelist David J. Dunn

Philippians 4:9 "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

A Parenting Keyword - "Responsibility"

"Responsibility"

Today I want to talk about this simple word... "Responsibility". This word is one of those that we are all a little guilty of overlooking in life. We will watch a show on TV where we can sit ane we will critique the actors for NOT being responsible in one way or another. We will often watch shows where families NEVER do anything together and their collective lives are in "Shambles"! I know that in my own life as a parent that far too many times I have neglected my part in this area of being "Responsible" for my own kids. In the day and age in which we live we all too often allow the TV or the Internet to be the "Baby Sitter" even though we are in the same house!!!

What does the word "Responsible" actually mean? Well, acording to Webster's Dictionary it means the following:

RESPONS'IBLE, a. from L. responsus, respondeo.

1. Liable to account; accountable; answerable; as for a trust reposed, or for a debt. We are all responsible for the talents entrusted to us by our Creator. A guardian is responsible for the faithful discharge of his duty to his ward.

Look at the word's that are mentioned here about this business of "Responsibility". Word's like: Accountable, Answerable, Trust, Faithful Discharge of his Duty.

Simply put, the word "Responsible" means that we as parents ARE "Accountable" to someone for the watchful care of our children. We are also "Answerable" to someone for what we allow our kids to do, what they watch, what they listen to, who their friends are, and the places they are allowed to go. We have been given a "Trust" by God in the raising of our children. In this Trust that we have been given, it is up to us to be "Faithful" in the care of our kids. Parents, it is our "Duty" to know what is going on in their little lives.

I know there are people who will argue that their kids deserve their "Personal Space". I have news for you... you are seriously asking for a heartbreak!!! Kids do not need space, they need Mom and Dad to wake up and show that they actually care about the influences that are in thier lives. Mom and Dad need to be in their kids social scene. I myself have six children, and their mother and I are both "In The Know" of who they talk on the phone with, who they text, chat, and Facebook with!

It is our "Responsibility" to know these things. Why just this past week our daughter, who normally asks if she can "Befriend" someone on Facebook, accepted someone that my wife and I both know, but this time she did not ask permission. Well, my wife got on her Facebook account and checked things out and sure enough she came across this person. We had to have a talk with our daughter and explain to her that this particular person, had she asked our permission, would not have been allowed to be her friend. Why?? Because this man is an alcoholic!

You may say this is an invasion of her private life... My daughter is 12... I believe with all my heart this is OUR, my wife and myself, it is OUR "Responsibility"!

I have a "God Given" Duty to raise my kids right... And guess what Parents... SO DO YOU! Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Let's raise the kids God gave us in a "Responsible" manner, after all, God is watching!

Evangelist David J. Dunn

Why We Build Walls Around Our Children

I wrote this post for a friend of mine who had encouraged me to put something together for her blog. I wrote this back in September, well, just this week someone wrote to me about this story and said that I should place a copy of it on my personal blog. So here it is, as requested! I hope more people will read it and understand that there is a reason for the "Walls" and "Rules" that we have to live by!

Why We Build Walls Around Our Children

As much as I hate to state the simple truth, but the answer is plainly so that we can provide some degree of protection for them.

Take a look at this picture...

I can well remember the times that we would as kids, be travelling with my parents somewhere in the North during the winter months as my Dad would be preaching a Revival meeting. As "Fate" would have it, there would always be kids in these churches who were "Professional Snowball Chucker's"! Now here we were My brother, sister and myself, the three of us against most of a youth department! (Yep... They ganged up on us cause we were the "Evangelist's Kids"!!!!) You know how they say that "Life Ain't Fair"??!! Yes sir, we learned the truth of that little nugget of life very early on!

So, here we are trying to get my "Prissy" sister Debra to pack snowballs together while my brother Mike and I are fighting for our very lives on the Battlefield of the Christian Snow Warriors. All Debra could do was complain that her tiny hands were "Freezing"! (You know how sisters can be.)

I remember one church in particular, where we were out numbered, out gunned and they were working on a "Huge Wall" to Launch these half "Ice Ball", half "Snow Missiles" at us. We were getting "Hammered" to death!!!! So I did the only thing that I could do besides lay down and be buried under a ton of snow and ice! I called for a 15 minute "Cease Fire". As soon as they stopped "Raining" those "Hail Stones" down on top of us, the three of us started "Scooping" and "Packing" snow into a 3 sided Fort wall!!! Then we went back to making "Ammo" for the Slaughter!

I want you to know that the wall we built lasted the whole week of Revival, and when it came time for us to pack up and head back home to Chattanooga, TN. the kids of the church wanted to keep it up and use it after we were gone... However, my brother Mike and I knocked it down before we left. Why you may ask... well, in our opinion, they didn't deserve such a "Cool" Fort!!!!!

I know this is a funny way to talk about protecting our kids, but if you just take a moment... it really does make sense! We were getting killed without the protection that the wall afforded us. Not only were we able to hold our own all week long but there were many a night during that week that the three of us, though outnumbered, did in fact leave "Victorious!"

Look at it like this... The wall gave us not only protection, but it also made our small number of 3 kids able to do much more in a snowball fight than we ever did out in the open! Parents... Teenagers and all kids. Listen to me for a few moments. Mom and Dad, your Pastor, Youth Pastor they all place "Rules" and "Regulations" on you for a really good reason... Safety for one. Protection and also to give you the means to be able to stand against the temptations of this life. The Peer Pressure factor can be handled if you already know the "Walls" are there, they are Strong and They are not likely to be moved by that authority figure.

Folks, I can remember as a teenager how "Useless" I thought those "Walls" were that my parents and Youth Pastor placed in front of and around me. I thought it was stupid to have them there, however, I can sit here before God and testify that if it had not been for those walls... I would be Dead or In Prison for the rest of my Life!

Teenager, don't despise the "Walls"... instead Thank your parents and Pastors for placing them there. Young Lady, don't you know what a treasure it is for you to be able to wait for Marriage before having intimate relations. Young Man, It takes a "Real Man" to abstain and be pure before God in relationships.

Don't hate the "Walls" Thank God that they are there.

Deuteronomy 13:4 - "Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. "

This is just something for us to think about.

God Bless,

Evangelist David Dunn