Jeff Lewis

THIS WAS JUST SENT TO ME AND I THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME! I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME SHARING IT WITH YOU..
IT'S A LITTLE LONG BUT WORTH IT...............

Take my Son



A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.




When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'


The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.



The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.




On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'


There was silence.


Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'



But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'



Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandt's. Get on with the real bids!'




But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'




Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.



'We have $10, who will bid $20?'


'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'




'$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?'



The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.



They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.




The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'



A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'



The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'



'What about the paintings?'




I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.



The man who took the son gets everything!'




God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is:

'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'



Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

O Lord...hear my cry for mercy. Psalm 28:1-2 The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 16:23 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:10

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A BIG HELLO TO YOU! I thought this was good & wanted to pass it onto you.
The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced -- more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer

AND...
Lazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

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1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

2. Dear God, I have a problem, it's Me.

3. Growing old is inevitable -- growing UP is optional.

4. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

5. Silence is often misinterpreted -- but never misquoted.

6. Do the math -- count your blessings.

7. Faith is the ability to not panic.

8. Laugh every day -- it's like inner jogging.

9. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

11. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

12. The most important things in your house are the people.

13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.