Quote from Forum Archives on October 27, 2000, 4:09 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

What things are your priorities? How much time do you spend
doing them? Are they important to you? These are some of the
questions that Larry Davies asks us in his weekly Sowing Seeds of
Faith message. I have to wonder if he was really dreaming
(sitting in a recliner, watching TV) before he wrote this, or if
he was REALLY out there raking leaves. 😉 As for me, I hope to
let as many of my leaves as possible blow wherever they choose to
blow. But I doubt that I will fill up much of that "free time"
watching TV, unless you consider THIS watching TV --- ooh, that
hits rather closely, too, doesn't it?

Dear Lord,

I appreciate the pleasures and recreation of this world, but I
can never use a thing or an activity to replace You, no matter
what it is. I appreciate cars, computers, and my family and
friends. Good as they can be, even they cannot replace the
significance of my relationship with You. But I do confess that
far too often, they get in the way of my relationship with You.
Please forgive me for the times I put my meditation of You in the
background, the times I get so busy with things that they
interfere with our time.

Help me to place my surroundings into their proper perspective,
and give You first place in everything I think, say, and do.
Amen.

Brother Brian

From: "Sowing Seeds Ministry" <sowseeds@nesbeonline.com>

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Sowing Seeds of Faith

Alien Visitors, by Larry Davies

I was raking leaves- (I hate it.) Suddenly a space ship appeared
out of nowhere and landed in a field less than fifty yards from
our house. Immediately I put down the rake and ran to
investigate. (Any excuse to quit raking!) Two creatures stepped
out. They looked almost human except for their green, crusty
skin. They walked up and introduced themselves as Mort and Mirth
from the planet, Morph. "We are on a fact finding tour. Is this
a typical earth town"? he asked? (I think it was a he.)

"As typical as Mayberry, RFD!" I answered.

"We are studying religions. What Gods do you worship in this
town"? Mirth, the other alien asked.

Like the puffed-up preacher I can occasionally be, I exclaimed,
"We worship the One Holy God and His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives in us through the Holy Spirit."

Mort paused for a moment and said, "Where do you worship God"?

"Why in church buildings like the one across from my house." I
answered, beginning to wonder if these aliens from Morph knew
anything about us earthlings at all.

Mirth quickly replied, "We have visited your churches. They are
seldom used and often empty. We have concluded very few
earthlings actually follow this God you named. After careful
observation, we discovered most humans actually worship idols."

"Idol worship!" I scoffed. "You must be joking. We haven't
practiced that since Old Testament days."

"Oh but you do worship idols," exclaimed Mort. "There are idols
in every earthling house."

"Are there any idols in my house"? I asked nervously.

Mirth looked at Mort. They both looked at my house bowed their
head and began to moan. After a moment the moans stopped and
Mirth turned to me and said, "Yes, we count five."

"Five! How could you see five idols in a Methodist ministers
home"? I asked. "Where are they"?

"There is one in the kitchen and another in the den. There is
also one in each of your three bedrooms."

"Do you mean my televisions" Are you kidding? TV's aren't
idols. They're earthling entertainment."

"Oh no," said Mort. "Earthlings watch the idols hour after
hour. You even have a Holy Book."

He reached inside his bag and pulled out a recent TV Guide. "This
Holy Book tells you when to pray before the idol and what you
will see. I especially like this worship time called The X
Files."

"One of the characters in the show looks just like my cousin
Mymph." Added Mirth.

"If you think that's good, you ought to see Third Rock From the
Sun." I said. "Wait a minute, you can't seriously believe that
TV is our idol just because we spend three hours a day watching
it"?

"What else do you earthlings spend three to four hours a day
doing beside working"? Mort replied.

I couldn't answer him. Can you? God says, "Do not worship any
other gods besides me. Do not make idols of any kind"? (Exodus
20:3-4) Television can be a useful informational tool and
occasional source of entertainment but too much TV robs you of
precious hours that are better spent improving a friendship,
spending time with your family or with God. Choose wisely and
occasionally turn off the TV. Now if Mort and Mirth would only
tell me to stop raking leaves.

<www.sowingseedsoffaith.com>

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Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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