I love cartoons and have noticed through the years that they quite often contain a spiritual message or hint. Cartoons often depict the culture of our day. This blog is an attempt to draw from cartoons and apply spiritual truths than can impact our lives. Let me know if you find them of any value. Previous devotionals are archived below.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Cartoonology Devotional 04-01-09
Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.
Being a pastor can present you with interesting experiences. Some are joyful, some are sad, some are harrowing, some are just plain funny and some are any combination the above. One Sunday, just 10 minutes before worship was to begin, a deacon approached me and said there was a man on the front porch that wanted to talk with me. I found a dirty, raggedy drunk and asked him what he wanted. “I want to preach this morning”, was his answer. When I objected he responded, “The Lord told me to preach here this morning.” I answered, “That’s funny, because I am the pastor of this church and the Lord didn’t tell me.” I did invite him to come in and worship, but only if he remained quiet and orderly. If not, he would be escorted out. He got angry and continued swearing and cursing at me as he walked away.
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
This verse seems strange at first glance, but it makes perfect sense. Like the drunken, would-be preacher, a person under the influence of alcohol is no longer in control of himself. His character and personality have changed. I have known people who get mean when they are drunk, and others who are happy-go-lucky. In both cases, they are not in control, although they might think they are.
A similar thing happens when a person is under the control of the Holy Spirit. The words “be filled with” mean “be controlled by”. When the Holy Spirit is in control, a person’s character and personality changes, except in this case, always for the better. The Holy Spirit guides us (John 16:13), teaches us (John 14:26), empowers us (Acts 1:8), enables us for godly living (Galatians 5:22 Ephesians 5:9), convicts of us of sin (John 16:8-11) and many other wonderful things.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit has probably been one of the most misunderstood teachings in the Bible. I like what I read somewhere, “Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean you get more of Him. It means, rather, that He gets more of you.” Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (John 3:5), and receives all of Him, because the Holy Spirit is a person – the third person of the Trinity. The problem comes when the Christian does not surrender all of himself in every area of his life to the Holy Spirit. Surrender today and surrender every day to Him through confession of sin, repentance and faith, and He will fill you. 04-01-09
http://www.nlcbchurch.com/
edrynn@verizon.net
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Share On Facebook
Twitter Updates
Blog Archive
- Feb 25 (10)
- Apr 16 (1)
- Apr 02 (1)
- Mar 26 (1)
- Mar 16 (1)
- Mar 04 (1)
- Feb 22 (1)
- Feb 08 (1)
- Feb 02 (2)
- Jan 27 (1)
- Jan 22 (1)
- Jan 14 (1)
- Jan 07 (1)
- Jan 05 (1)
- Jan 02 (1)
- Dec 22 (1)
- Dec 17 (1)
- Dec 07 (1)
- Dec 03 (1)
- Nov 25 (1)
- Nov 20 (1)
- Nov 18 (1)
- Nov 16 (1)
- Nov 12 (1)
- Nov 10 (1)
- Nov 06 (1)
- Nov 04 (1)
- Nov 02 (1)
- Oct 29 (1)
- Oct 27 (1)
- Oct 23 (1)
- Oct 21 (1)
- Oct 19 (1)
- Oct 14 (1)
- Oct 12 (1)
- Oct 09 (1)
- Oct 07 (1)
- Oct 05 (1)
- Oct 02 (1)
- Sep 29 (1)
- Sep 28 (1)
- Sep 25 (1)
- Sep 23 (1)
- Sep 22 (1)
- Sep 18 (1)
- Sep 16 (1)
- Sep 15 (1)
- Sep 14 (1)
- Sep 11 (1)
- Sep 10 (1)
- Sep 09 (1)
- Sep 08 (1)
- Sep 04 (1)
- Sep 03 (1)
- Sep 02 (1)
- Sep 01 (1)
- Aug 31 (1)
- Aug 28 (1)
- Aug 26 (1)
- Aug 25 (1)
- Aug 24 (1)
- Aug 21 (1)
- Aug 20 (1)
- Aug 19 (1)
- Aug 18 (1)
- Aug 17 (1)
- Aug 14 (1)
- Aug 13 (1)
- Aug 12 (1)
- Aug 11 (1)
- Aug 10 (1)
- Aug 08 (1)
- Aug 07 (1)
- Aug 06 (1)
- Aug 05 (1)
- Aug 04 (1)
- Aug 03 (1)
- Jul 27 (1)
- Jul 25 (3)
- Jul 23 (1)
- Jul 22 (1)
- Jul 21 (2)
- Jul 18 (1)
- Jul 17 (1)
- Jul 16 (1)
- Jul 15 (1)
- Jul 14 (1)
- Jul 13 (1)
- Jul 11 (1)
- Jul 10 (1)
- Jul 09 (1)
- Jul 08 (1)
- Jul 07 (1)
- Jul 06 (1)
- Jul 04 (1)
- Jul 03 (1)
- Jul 02 (1)
- Jul 01 (1)
- Jun 30 (1)
- Jun 29 (1)
- Jun 27 (1)
- Jun 26 (1)
- Jun 25 (1)
- Jun 24 (1)
- Jun 23 (1)
- Jun 22 (1)
- Jun 20 (3)
- Jun 17 (1)
- Jun 16 (1)
- Jun 15 (1)
- Jun 13 (1)
- Jun 12 (1)
- Jun 11 (1)
- Jun 10 (1)
- Jun 09 (1)
- Jun 08 (1)
- Jun 06 (1)
- Jun 05 (1)
- Jun 04 (1)
- Jun 03 (1)
- Jun 02 (1)
- Jun 01 (1)
- May 30 (1)
- May 29 (1)
- May 28 (1)
- May 27 (1)
- May 26 (1)
- May 25 (1)
- May 23 (1)
- May 22 (1)
- May 21 (1)
- May 20 (1)
- May 19 (1)
- May 18 (1)
- May 16 (1)
- May 15 (1)
- May 14 (1)
- May 13 (1)
- May 12 (1)
- May 11 (1)
- May 09 (1)
- May 08 (1)
- May 07 (1)
- May 06 (1)
- May 05 (1)
- May 04 (1)
- May 02 (1)
- May 01 (1)
- Apr 30 (1)
- Apr 29 (1)
- Apr 28 (1)
- Apr 27 (1)
- Apr 25 (1)
- Apr 24 (1)
- Apr 23 (1)
- Apr 22 (1)
- Apr 21 (1)
- Apr 20 (1)
- Apr 18 (1)
- Apr 17 (1)
- Apr 16 (1)
- Apr 15 (1)
- Apr 14 (1)
- Apr 13 (1)
- Apr 11 (1)
- Apr 10 (1)
- Apr 09 (1)
- Apr 08 (1)
- Apr 07 (1)
- Apr 06 (1)
- Apr 03 (2)
- Apr 02 (1)
- Apr 01 (1)
- Mar 31 (1)
- Mar 30 (1)
- Mar 28 (1)
- Mar 27 (1)
- Mar 26 (1)
- Mar 25 (1)
- Mar 24 (1)
- Mar 23 (1)
- Mar 21 (1)
- Mar 20 (1)
- Mar 19 (1)
- Mar 18 (1)
- Mar 17 (1)
- Mar 16 (1)
- Mar 14 (1)
- Mar 13 (1)
- Mar 12 (1)
- Mar 11 (1)
- Mar 10 (1)
- Mar 09 (1)
- Mar 07 (1)
- Mar 06 (1)
- Mar 05 (1)
- Mar 04 (1)
- Mar 03 (1)
- Mar 02 (1)
- Feb 27 (1)
- Feb 26 (1)
- Feb 24 (1)
- Feb 23 (1)
- Feb 21 (3)
- Feb 18 (1)
- Feb 17 (1)
- Feb 16 (1)
- Feb 14 (1)
- Feb 13 (1)
- Feb 12 (1)
- Feb 11 (1)
- Feb 10 (1)
- Feb 09 (1)
- Feb 07 (1)
- Feb 05 (2)
- Feb 04 (1)
- Feb 03 (1)
- Feb 02 (1)
- Jan 31 (1)
- Jan 30 (1)
- Jan 29 (1)
- Jan 09 (1)
About Me
- Larry Ross
- Bedford, VA, United States
- I pastor a small church which began in the early 1970's. I love and play Buegrass Gospel music with my wife.
No comments:
Post a Comment