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    Jesus Also Laughed
    Jesus Also Laughed
    Jesus Also Laughed
    Ebook128 pages1 hour

    Jesus Also Laughed

    By RJ Rose

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    About this ebook

    Jesus Also Laughed is a collection of 53 short stories that have appeared in the Pastor's Corner, a weekly newspaper column in The Coalfield Progress. Most of the stories are fun and lighthearted, all the stories are inspirational and contain spiritual truths.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateApr 22, 2016
    ISBN9781483566290
    Jesus Also Laughed

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      Book preview

      Jesus Also Laughed - RJ Rose

      2016

      Introduction

      Jesus wept, said the young boy with a beaming smile.

      John 11:35, he continued, citing the book, chapter, and verse.

      I encouraged the youth in the Junior High Sunday School class to memorize Bible verses. Each week they would be rewarded if they could quote a verse. I expected John 3:16, maybe some would be a bit more ambitious and quote a verse from Psalm 23. But, one by one, they quoted Jesus wept.

      I sighed loudly. Jesus wept, I wept, they giggled. This effort at memorization failed.

      There is no more moving picture than that of Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus; tears must have flowed down his face. We would expect nothing less of a compassionate Savior.

      The Bible describes the emotions of Jesus: His anger over the abuse of the temple, His frustration with the disciples, or His compassion over the multitudes. But John drew us into an intimate moment of sorrow; Jesus wept. Enough said.

      But did Jesus laugh?

      I wish John would have written a verse that clearly said Jesus laughed. Or at least Jesus chuckled. I would have loved, Jesus howled with laughter. But we don’t get that. Surely Jesus laughed, right?

      While the Bible never stated, Jesus laughed, the Bible does present times that Jesus was quite the humorist.

      What? Jesus used humor? Take a look: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount. Imagine someone with a large log in their eye trying to get a speck of sawdust out of someone else’s eye. That’s funny right there! Yes, He used humor in a sermon!

      If you didn’t think that was funny, what about when Jesus said, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? Imagine someone trying to pull a camel through a needle’s eye! Poor camel!

      Then there was the time when Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. How could Jesus keep a straight face when he told Zacchaeus to get down out of that tree? Zacchaeus was a wealthy, respectable type, what was he doing up a tree? Hilarious!

      Jesus had a sense of humor; Jesus laughed. So should we. But some Christians are afraid to laugh as if it somehow dishonors God.

      Proverbs 17:22 states, A joyful heart is good medicine: but a broken spirit dries up the bones. The old saying, laughter is the best medicine, rings true. There is nothing like a good side-splitting belly laugh.

      This book is a collection of columns that have appeared in The Coalfield Progress. Most of the columns are fun and lighthearted and yet contain spiritual truth. So go ahead, laugh and giggle! It’s good medicine!

      { 1 }

      Take up Your Broccoli

      Yuck! What is that disgusting smell? my son asked when he came to supper. His nose directed him to my plate, and after he saw what was there, he hastily exited the room.

      Taking a look at my plate of broccoli made me want to run out of the room too. He was the smart one. He fled while he still could, before any broccoli made its way to his plate. No chance for me though, I had to face this broccoli like a man.

      Actually, I like broccoli, in some instances. It’s great when cooked and slathered in cheese sauce. Raw broccoli is tasty when smothered in ranch dressing. And nothing beats broccoli casserole, mixed with cheese, white rice, and topped with crackers. But no such luck today, it’s the first of the year. And a new year means one thing: time to diet!

      A diet means plain broccoli. No cheese sauce, no ranch dressing, no casserole, nothing fattening. I’m paying the price for indulging in Christmas season treats.

      Denying myself the foods I crave, I take up the broccoli and taste it. I tell myself, it is good for me, it is healthy. But, the fact is, it is broccoli, not something I want to eat. I’d rather have chocolate. A little more vinegar and I take another bite. This better be worth it.

      Interestingly enough, broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, along with cabbage, radishes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables are those that everyone knows they should eat, and pretend to enjoy. But secretly they feed them to the poor dog under the table.

      The word cruciferous literally means bearing a cross. It’s a perfect description for broccoli and these other vegetables. Whoever first called these vegetables cruciferous was probably on a diet too.

      Luke 9:23 records Jesus saying, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. I know Jesus’ words are true and right. Take up my cross daily, it is good, it is spiritually healthy, but…it is a cross. Not something I naturally want to do.

      Taking up your cross is something every Christian knows he or she should do to be a good disciple. But it’s tough, and some would rather not.

      Taking up your cross makes eating broccoli look like a hot fudge cake. We may wonder, Is it worth it?

      The answer to that question is, Yes! It is worth it!

      Jesus went on to say in verse 24, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." To have life requires self-denial, taking up your cross, and following Jesus.

      My sweet tooth would rather have candy, but I must deny that urge and eat healthy instead. So I take up my broccoli and carry on to make this diet work.

      Similarly, my flesh would rather be indulged with selfish desire, but I must deny the flesh to be spiritually healthy. So I take up my cross daily, carry on, and follow Jesus.

      { 2 }

      Don’t Do Anything Stupid

      With stars in my eyes, I was about to embark on my journey into pastoral ministry. Armed with a seminary education and a handful of sermons, I was ready to go conquer the world!

      A seasoned pastor with a successful ministry pulled me aside to offer some sage advice. I listened with great anticipation for the wisdom this man would offer. What would he say? What mysteries would he unlock for me? I took pencil and paper in hand, ready to take note of the tools he would provide.

      He looked me in the eye and said, I’m going to give you the best advice that was given to me.

      I held my breath.

      Don’t do anything stupid! he instructed.

      My pencil lead broke, Say what?

      He chuckled.

      That’s what I was told when I started ministry, and it’s good advice, he reiterated, Don’t do anything stupid!

      That’s it? I silently wondered, That’s all he has to give me from years of ministry experience?

      I left disappointed, but eager, and struck out into the great unknown.

      Don’t do anything stupid. That’s easy enough, right? Wrong!

      The pastor’s advice proved practical and timely. How many times I have blindly jumped in, only later to hear his voice echo in my mind, Don’t do anything stupid. How many times I have regretted my course of action only to hear, Don’t do anything stupid. How many times I’ve only remembered too late, Don’t do anything stupid.

      I have discovered an inclination toward stupidity! Life, and serving the Lord, would be a breeze, save for my stupidity. Thanks, Pastor, for the wise advice.

      How did he know that I would do stupid things? I often wondered.

      His advice was quite Biblical. Before objections are raised, I do know that Don’t do anything stupid is not a verse in the Bible, though it probably should be. You won’t find the word stupid in your concordance.

      But King Solomon has this advice in Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Pretty good advice. Solomon is saying, in essence, Don’t do anything stupid!

      When I do stupid things I discover it is because I was leaning on my own understanding. My own understanding gets me into trouble every time. I must learn to trust in the Lord to direct my path because of my inclination towards stupidity.

      Good advice, but hard to follow. Have I learned to avoid doing stupid things? Not perfectly, but sometimes I get it right. It’s starting to sink in. Sometimes I heed the voice that speaks in my mind, "Don’t do

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