A Deck of Cards

A young soldier was in his bunkhouse all alone one Sunday morning over in Afghanistan. It was quiet that day, the guns and the land mines for some reason hadn't made a noise. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, "Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?"

The soldier replied, "I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord."

The sergeant said, "Looks like you're going to play cards."

The soldier said, "No sir, you see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards."

The sergeant asked in disbelief, "How will you do that?" The soldier began to explain....

You see the Ace, Sergeant; it reminds me that there is only one God.
The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.
The Three represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
The Four stands for the Four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Five is for the five virgins (there were ten) but only five of them were glorified.
The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.
The Seven is for the day God rested after working the six days.
The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives, whom God saved the eight people from the flood that destroyed the earth for the first time.
The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy. He cleansed ten but nine, never thanked Him.
The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.
The Jack is a reminder of Satan. One of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.
The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.
The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.
When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year. There are a total of 52 cards in a deck, each is a week, 52 weeks in a year.
The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Each suit has thirteen cards, there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.

The sergeant just stood there and after a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, "Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?"

Submitted by Eric Hall

In His service for His glory,
Deborah

Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish--ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

Sometimes living this Christian life is not an easy task. There is a whole world out there that pulls at you and tells you there is nothing wrong with lust, addiction and sin. You see those who do not serve Jesus Christ apparently living the good life while you struggle along. David spoke extensively in the Psalms about this issue, so it certainly isn't new.

The main thing you need to remember is that this is not our home. Satan is the prince of this world. It would make sense that his minions would receive their riches and glory here. Our world is yet to come. Keep the faith. Keep struggling. Jesus will finish the work that he began in you and it will all be worth it in the end!

Sincerely,
Deborah

Galatians 5:16

Galatians 5:16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.

Our church is poised on the brink of a mighty revival. We have visitors almost every service, our numbers are growing and we can feel the momentum building. Of course, satan knows this as well and our members are under intense attack.

Our pastor is trying to teach us to walk in the Spirit. Most of us say "I can't pray while I'm struggling with this ___________" "Let me get a handle on this issue and then I'll start to fast." However, Paul says walk in the Spirit first so that you don't do these other things that are bringing you down.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

We approach the throne of grace first. Jesus knows what we are struggling with. If we confess our sin, He is just and faithful to forgive that sin. (1John 1:9) The secret lies in being honest with ourselves, truly facing the sin for what it is and then asking Jesus for help. 1 Cor 10:13 says we will never be tempted beyond what we can bear. That God will always provide a way of escape. We often just choose not to take it.

Sincerely,

Deborah

2 Timothy 1:5

2 Timothy 1:5
5 clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.

Judges 2:10
10 That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel.

We just recently celebrated Mother’s Day. If you have children, I hope you were honored by them or your husband. But more than a good reason to get taken out to lunch or dinner, Mother’s Day is an excellent time to reflect on the heritage you are leaving for your children.

We sometimes doubt the influence we have on our children. Especially while they are teenagers! However, one thing is for certain. We have the power to make or break our children spiritually. As in most matters, when it comes to spirituality, our children look at what we do not what we say. If they actually see or hear us pray, then prayer will be important. If church is a priority for us, they will make it a priority. If they see us live for God, the faith that lives in us will hopefully be passed on to them.

However, if you falter, they will see that too. If your lifestyle at home is not consistent with what the church teaches, they will see that. If they hear you bad mouthing the people of God, they will process that information. In the second scripture, the “other” generation were the children of those who took the promised land. The grandchildren of those who left Egypt. Obviously, the first generation knew God but did not give Him authority over their lives. Thus they were barred from entering the Promised Land. The second generation received the blessing, but obviously did not know enough about God or care enough about God to teach their children. And their children did not know the Lord.

Always remember that it is up to you as a mother or father. Your family’s faith is only one generation away from dying out to this wicked world. Make sure to make your faith a priority and passing it on your life’s work.

Sincerely,

Deborah