From Joke Devotions 3, by Chris Brekke, 2019, Sola Publishing, Graham, N.C.
Chris, a good friend of mine, has recently published this book of devotions based on jokes (and the Bible). The jokes are funny, and the Biblical applications are interesting and well done. This is his third book of joke devotions, and he has written a few other books. You can see all his books (and order them) at: www.solapublishing.com
The Emailmeditations for yesterday and today are made up of six of those one page devotions.
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After the baptism of his baby brother in church, little Roger sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, Roger replied, “The pastor said he wanted us brought up in a good Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys.”
So that’s it. Good little Roger loved his ma and pa, even if they weren’t too Christian. Bless his heart. And was he accurate in his boyhood assessment, that he did not have a “good Christian home”? I wonder what that meant to him. Perhaps his family did not pray or read Scripture? Perhaps they cussed or drank too much? Perhaps they rarely attended worship, or gave no money to church or charity? Perhaps.
What makes a good Christian home? What goes into a healthy family where love and faith are nourished? If you were to design a home that is a beneficial incubator for young Rogers to grow up as followers of Jesus, I think you’d include these building blocks:
- a) Warmth and kindness. Common everyday loving stability is a must. This may not be overtly religious, but it is the necessary environment for a child to experience love.
- b) Verbalized faith. The Lord’s name would be mentioned positively, aloud, as trust in Christ would be an ongoing part of life’s highs and lows.
- c) Bible knowledge. The stories and teachings of the Word would be key to shaping minds and hearts in the Lord.
- d) Church fellowship. To participate in a wider circle of believers, to provide friends and allies in the faith, is to arm your child as a Christ-follower.
“Fathers; do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) (#44)
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Arne went to school one day and while he was gone, his cat died. His mother was very concerned about how he would take the news. On his arrival home, she explained the tragedy and tried to console Arne by saying “Don’t worry. Tabby is now up in heaven with God.” To which Arne replied, “What’s God gonna do with a dead cat?”
Good question, Arne. Of what possible value is a dead cat? A dead cat might give you a few memories, of once-upon-a-time stories to recall; but the rot and stink would take the fun fight out of such tales. Arne’s mom was meaning to say that the cat was alive again, in heaven with God.
When we lose a beloved person from our life (not just a cat), and if all we envision is a dead body, it’s a stone-cold hopeless feeling. What good is a corpse? People sometimes now keep the ashes of the deceased in an urn, on a shelf. What good is that? Many folks now have no funeral nor church celebration of resurrection. They just meet at the pub and raise a glass to old Bubba. It’s kind of like in the animal kingdom where a cat sniffs a deceased fellow-feline and moves on. Humans devoid of God are on a dead-end street. It’s a hollow and hopeless finish line.
What a glorious contrast to what we have in Jesus! By His victory over death, instead of fearing the grave and being flattened in depression about it, we smile in anticipation of our fantastic future. We shall be promoted. We shall sing and shout, feast and fellowship eternally. I don’t know what happens to dead cats, but I know the Lord’s promise to his children: “Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep”(I Thessalonians 4:14). (#45)
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A church group is on a weekend retreat. In addition to food and fellowship and worship and inspiration, they have some sharing sessions. At one of these they are encouraged to grow via honesty, and build trust by discussing their worst failings. The pastor goes first and reveals that he only rarely prays. He is embarrassed to say so, but is glad that this sharing is all in strict confidence. The next person discloses that as church treasurer he has not always turned in all the donations. The third one in the circle unburdens his guilt over an affair he had a decade ago. “I’m so ashamed; but am glad this is all confidential.” Next, fellow #4 admits, “My sin is the worst of all. I can never keep a secret.”
Yikes. Now what?! When all those secrets come out, the church may be in shambles. “Loose lips sink ships,” one might say. Fellow #4 is really gonna muck things up. (For the record, I never trust that anyone will keep a secret. We humans have a powerful need to blab.)
So, whose sin was the worst? 1) Prayerlessness? 2) Embezzlement? 3) Adultery? 4) Gossip? How do we rank such indiscretions? Are there hierarchies of sins? (Catholics have “mortal” sins and “venial” sins.) Does it make me feel any better if I calculate that my failings are minor league and some other schmoe is far worse? Perhaps lots of folks hope that God grades on the curve. Will “I didn’t kill anyone or rape anyone” get me through the gate?
You probably know that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); and that, “None is righteous, no not one”(Psalms 53:3). All are guilty, and undeserving of eternal paradise. Our only hope as frail fools is that the Lord is gracious. The cross of Christ atones for all who call upon Him. That unites us in the sheer grace of God. Awesome and unifying. Don’t count and compare sins; just revel in the redeeming love of Jesus. (#7)