Shat  terd

Men 

The hidden half of domestic violence

How to have eternal life

Mandrake the Magician

Mandrake the Magician was created by Lee Falk during the Great Depression, a time in our nation's history when adventurous comic strips became popular for their morale-building appeal.

Although I do not agree with some of the things Mandrake did, such as the use of hypnotism, I do remember the "road" that led to his mansion. Mandrake lived at the top of a mountain and the road leading to it was filled hazards to scare off anyone that would do
him harm.

Those that were invited were given instructions which they had to follow exactly. Although I do not remember them in detail, it went like this. They were to drive at exactly 30 mph regardless of what they saw...or thought they saw. On the way up the road, the road would end at a cliff and of course the instinct would be to stop. Remember they were told to drive at 30 mph regardless of what they saw or thought they saw. If they did so, a bridge across the gulf would appear out of nowhere and they drove safely across. Next, it looked like a huge wall before them. Again they were not to stop. If they did, the wall would appear to stay and there would be no way around it. If they followed instructions, just before they would
hit the wall, a doorway appeared that they would drive safely through.

Of course Mandrake is just a comic strip but there are lessons to be learned for a far more important journey.

My friend, those that belong to the LORD are on a highway another mansion. This mansion will belong to us. Just as the highway to Mandrake's mansion was filled with perils, the road to heaven is also. Those that did not follow Mandrake's instructions did not make it to his mansion. If we do not follow GOD's instructions, we will still make it but the road will be unnessisarily hard and far more important, we will most likely not hear..."well done my good
and faithful servant" This is something I very much long to hear as I know I will have pleased the one who died for me.

Every one needs the approval of those important to them. This is why so many who come to us have such a low self esteem and it is why so many can not accept "agape" love when it is given. They have never had this approval by those close to them so they can not accept themselves. If this applies to you and you have placed your trust in Jesus for salvation, remember that you have been made a NEW person so that all GOD can see in you is the righteousness of Jesus Christ and that means you ARE approved by the one that is most
important. Now let's get back to the reason we are writing this.

On the road up to Mandrake's mansion, one would come right to the brink of disaster but it would never happen if the instructions were followed.

GOD has given us instructions to follow. If we follow these instructions, we will often come to the brink of disaster but it will not overtake us if we follow the instructions.

When Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt, they had the Red Sea before them and a very angry army behind them. Moses was instructed to cross the Red Sea although it seemed impossible. If he did not obey, that angry army would have been on them and disaster would have occurred. It took faith to make that first step but just as GOD promised to deliver HE did. Their feet stepped on dry ground but when this angry army tired to follow them, God showed them what it really met to be...all wet.

Each of us will have many times in which it seems we have come to a
huge chasm with no way over it. We have all come against the brick
walls with no way around them.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Just as a loving parent may ask their child to do something that child may not want to do in order to see if they child will trust them only to give something far better in return for their giving up a trinket, GOD does the same with us. I remember hearing about a small girl who was given a dime store pearl necklace which she treasured. Her father asked if she loved him enough to give him the necklace. After several weeks, the little girl came to her father and told her father that yes she did love him as she handed him the necklace. As he took this dime store necklace, he reached into his pocket and brought out a genuine pearl necklace and gave it to her. He had been waiting all that time to replace the almost worthless fake with something that was real and very valuable.

My friend, how often to we hold on to the garbage in our life when GOD wants to replace it with something real...something valuable?

Look at what God has promised HIS kids!

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

I know many will now be saying "but look at my life. Look at all the abuse I have suffered. How could GOD allow this...and guess what...much of the abuse was by....Christians!

Yes often God has allowed evil to befall us and I am ashamed to say much does come from those who claim to be Christians but GOD does still work in these situations for your good.

Jeremiah 32:42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

Got any rivers you think are uncross able? 

Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible,

In Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

The words, "great and mighty" may also be translated fortified, cut off, inaccessible things. When we place our trust in GOD, HE will do the impossible. One last reminder....just as the little girl thought that dime store necklace was the most valuable thing in the world, we often think our treasures are too...but just as she had to be willing to love her father enough to give it up, we too must love our LORD enough to give up all our possessions so that HE can give us something far more valuable in return. ANYTHING we place ahead of GOD...becomes....our god.


Take Your Burden To The Lord
Written by: Charles Albert Tindley

If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold,
And you have to get along with meager fare,
Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

If your body suffers pain and your health you can't regain,
And your soul is almost sinking in despair,
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your enemies assail and your heart begins to fail,
Don't forget that God in heaven answers prayer;
He will make a way for you and will lead you safely through.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your youthful days are gone and old age is stealing on,
And your body bends beneath the weight of care;
He will never leave you then, He'll go with you to the end.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.



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JUNE is Domestic Violence Against Men Awareness Month