Cartoonology Devotional 07-28-09

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Work is often presented as a dirty word, but work is something that enables a person to have dignity.  Work is God-ordained.  Even God works. 

The work ethic is a gift that was given to me at a very young age.  When I turned 11, my father found a job for me, and told me that I would start the next Saturday.  He didn’t ask me if I wanted a job, and I never questioned whether or not I would take it.  Around our house, working was the norm.  My father and mother were both hard workers and they passed it on to all 7 of their children. 

I worked at that job for over 4 years.  My senior year, I took another job which became a full-time position when I got married.  When my wife and I married, I had over $2,000.00 in the bank, which was pretty good money in 1969.  I bought my first car for $150.00 at the age of 15.  I paid for my schoolbooks, lunches and some of my clothing throughout high school.  During the summers, I worked as much as 72 hours per week for 50 cents per hour.  I have never once begrudged or regretted any of it.

We fail our children when we do not teach them the work ethic.  Perhaps, it was a little overdone in my case, but giving our children chores to do and enabling them to get a job is healthy.  It is one way to build within them genuine self-worth.

Proverbs 28:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!  07-28-09

Cartoonology Devotional 07-30-09

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

There is nothing like being prepared.  There is an old Chinese proverb that reads, “Dig the well before you are thirsty.”   Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, developed the Scout motto, “Be prepared”.  He was once asked, “Be prepared for what?”  “Why, for any old thing.” was his reply.  The motto more definitively “means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

Being spiritually prepared is most important.  There will be what is often called “Divine Appointments” when God will give us opportunity to share our faith, perform some ministry, provide for a need, etc.  If we are not prepared and on alert, those opportunities will be lost.  The sharing of our faith is something that we must cultivate.  There are plenty of courses and materials to help prepare us for telling others the Gospel message.  Campus Crusade for Christ provides excellent material and training.  You can learn how to share their tract The Four Spiritual Laws online. 

The Eternal Life tract can also be viewed online, and you can purchase it at many Christian bookstores.  Another great resource is the Here’s Hope tract, which contains the old “Roman Road” model of the Gospel presentation.  One more is Billy Graham’s Steps To Peace With God.  Being prepared in this area is fairly simple these days.  Be Prepared!

1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.  07-29-09

Cartoonology Devotional 07-30-09

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

We often like to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient, but reality tells us otherwise.  Henry Emerson Fosdick said it well.  

We asked the leaf, "Are you complete in yourself?" And the leaf answers, "No, my life is in the branches."

We ask the branch, and the branch answers, "No, my life is in the

root."

We asked the root, and it answer, "No, my life is in the trunk and the branches and the leaves. Keep the branches stripped of leaves, and I shall die."

So it is with the great tree of being. Nothing is completely and merely individual.

There is dependence, independence, co-dependence, and then, there is interdependence.  Interdependence fits the bill the best.  It takes both dependence and independence and weaves them together.  We each stand alone before God, but when we reach across to join hands with others in the cause, we find camaraderie, strength, encouragement and community.

The early church learned this well.  Some have accused them of being like a commune, but nothing is further from the truth.  They were simply a unified group of people in Christ who knew how to share with and support one another in love.    They learned that they could do much more for the cause of Christ together than they could ever do individually.  The result was a common bond that kept them together.  Stand alone and wither away.  Join the ranks and thrive.

Acts 4:32 (NKJV)
³² Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.  07-30-09

Cartoonology Devotional 07-31-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Do you remember the first date you had with your spouse? I do. It was 44 years ago. Well, it was sort of a date. I was actually minding my own business at the local square dance being held at our local American Legion building. I wasn’t dancing because I didn’t know how, but I liked listening to the music and watching the others.

I was leaning against the wall enjoying myself when I noticed this slender, redhead with very long hair making her way across the room. She was coming straight at me, but I didn’t give it much thought. The closer she came, the more I realized she had targeted me. “You want to dance”, she asked. For some strange reason, I said yes and before I knew it we were on the floor.

I was pretty impressed. First, that a girl noticed me. Second, because I was actually dancing. Third, this girl was pretty and friendly. Fourth, she was two years older than me. Maybe it was all because she attended school in the next county and didn’t know me. We met each other every weekend at that dance for about a year until I could get my driver’s license. I was only 14 when we met.

I haven’t been the perfect husband, but she has been perfect for me these 40 years of marriage. She has been a perfect mate and partner in ministry, and has sacrificed a lot. I can’t think of being in ministry without her. She is God’s gift to me.

Proverbs 5:18 (NLT)
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 07-31-09

Cartoonology Devotional 08-01-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Isn’t interesting how you can remember the way things smell? I still remember the smell of my mother cooking in the kitchen. This was when cooking in the kitchen was much different than it is today. There were no microwave ovens, no instant meals in a package and no canned biscuits, although I also remember when my mother started using canned biscuits. They weren’t as good as her homemade versions, but the thing I missed the most was eating the raw dough. And I still remember the smell and taste of that dough.

God must have a keen sense of smell, as well. Whenever the priests offered up sacrifices, it was quite commonly described as a sweet-smelling aroma to Him. Incense was used along with the sacrifice that would emit a sweet smelling aroma, but a close look at the scriptures indicate that the attitude of the worshipper and the sacrifice itself was sweet-smelling and pleasing to God.

Leviticus 1:9 (NKJV)
9 . . . And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is described in a similar way in the New Testament. It is described as sweet-smelling to God and it’s sure sweet-smelling to me, as well!

Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 08-01-09

Cartoonology Devotional 08-15-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness” is a proverb some people think is in the Bible. Perhaps that is because it is part of a statement John Wesley made in a sermon in 1791. Although it is not found in the Bible, it expresses a veritable truth.

Cleanliness is one virtue that my mother passed on to her children. I recall one occasion when she was preparing lunch for my father, who came home from the sawmill every day to eat at noon. Mom was stressing the importance of washing for meals, and in order to get us to conform she made a big deal about being extra clean for Dad when he came in. My baby sister and I went into the bathroom and washed and washed and washed. By the time Dad came in our faces were red, chafed and very sore, but we were clean!

I am often appalled at the number of people I see in restrooms who never wash their hands. What does it say about our society when employers have to put signs on the restroom mirrors reminding employees to wash and list instructions on how to do it? And it is not just young people I observe not washing. If cleanliness is indeed next to godliness, perhaps this could be part of the explanation for the filthiness we see in our society regarding morals and ethics.

Isaiah 1:16 (NKJV)
16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 08-15-09

Cartoonology Devotional 08-22-09

Cartoonology Devotional. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Pondering the meaning of life is never a waste of time, and living life without pondering it’s meaning can leave one empty. Ask any military chaplain if pondering the meaning of life is important. "There are no atheists in foxholes," said Capt. B.A. Arnold, an Air Force chaplain. "The pressures of the military tend to force people to ask questions about the meaning of life and death."

When U.S. Airways Airbus A320 safely crashed into the Hudson River this past January, people immediately began to refer to it as a miracle. It is not uncommon for people get a little bit of religion at times like this. Others, however, testified out of their Christian experience about the meaning of life in Christ.

On such passenger was Michael Whitesides who said after the crash, “If there’s anything I’d say I learned from this, it’s that God gets the glory.” “He made it possible for that plane to slow down enough to land.”

Jesus said that He came to give people meaning and purpose as well as eternal life. Without Him, we wander about aimlessly with regard to God’s will and purpose. That is not to say that we cannot be successful based on the world’s standards, but it is no secret that the worlds’ standards will bring no true fulfillment in life. With Jesus, we can face anything - even death itself.

John 10:10 (NKJV)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 08-22-09

Cartoonology Devotional 08-27-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. This tongue-in-cheek proverb has been around for ages. It is a sarcastic way of saying that you really won’t be any happier in other circumstances or places. Be happy and bloom where you are, unless God gives you other circumstances, of course.

I was driving a school bus down a country lane this morning. As I passed by a cow pasture, I noticed several cows stretching their necks through the barbed-wire fence eating grass. I thought to myself, even cows think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

The truth is the grass was greener on the other side, as well as, taller. However, I seriously doubt that it was any better tasting or nourishing than the grass right under their feet.

There is another truth, however. Except for the fence, the cows would be in greater peril pursuing that greener grass, not to mention the people passing by in their cars. The grass might be greener on the other side, but that does not mean it is good for you or necessarily more desirable.

The trick is learning to be content with whatever situation God has you in at the moment and to make the best of it, whatever that might be. It could be a place of great honor, something mediocre or something almost unbearable such as divorce, prison, bankruptcy, etc. Decide to place your faith in Christ and strive to do well. In God’s time, things will get better and more satisfying.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 08-27-09

Cartoonology Devotional 09-17-09

Cartoonology Devotional 09-17-09
E. Larry Ross

Have you ever done a stupid thing and wished you could turn back the clock? I certainly have; more than once.

A man walked into the Bank of America and on the back of a deposit slip wrote, "this iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone may have seen him write the note. So, he left the Bank of America and walked across to the street to Wells Fargo and handed it to a teller. Determining that this robber was a few sandwiches short, she told him that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo withdrawal slip or go back to the Bank of America. She then called the police. They arrested the man a few minutes later—still waiting in line at the Bank of America.

We sometimes do stupid things more than once. Why is that? Human nature. Sinful nature. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said.

Romans 7:15, 24-25 (NKJV)

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. 09-17-09





















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Cartoonology Devotional 09-24-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

There is a great old hymn titled, “Give of Your Best to the Master”. You can’t find it in modern-day hymnals, but we sang it a lot in church when I was growing up. In addition to good lyrics, it has an unusual tune. Part of the lyrics are:

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.

I tell people who fall asleep in worship services that I know of no better place to take a nap. I know some people struggle because of medication, etc., but some people sleep simply because they do not come prepared to give God their best in worship.

My wife and I have made it a habit over the years to reserve Saturday nights for time at home. We do that in part just to get ready for Sunday morning. We get our offering ready, sometimes our clothing ready, our Bible study materials in order and we go to bed early enough to get plenty of rest. We want to give our best when we go to worship. We want to be alert and come with expectation to hear something from God.

I am always glad to see people on Sunday morning, sleepy or not. Think about it, though. If you are not giving your best ear to God on Sunday morning, are you able to do it through the week?

Psalm 95:2 (NKJV)
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.

Cartoonology devotional 04-16-2010

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Cartoonology Devotional 04-16-2010

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Dealing with money issues has always been a problem, but it seems more of a challenge as time goes on.  From the federal government on down to the individual, it seems stuff owns us rather than us owning stuff.  Government officials tell us to do better with money management while they spend without any constraint.  We are all in trouble.  The recent economic blowout is evidence.

The Department of Labor's latest survey reveals that the average American family spends the largest portion of its income on housing with transportation coming in second requiring 61.7 percent of total income.  A 2004 study showed that 43% of American families spend more than they earn.  The average household credit card debt was $8,000.00.  Personal bankruptcies doubled from 1994 to 2004.  The national debt is at an all-time high.  Have you looked at the national debt clock web site lately? 

How can we ever get out of this trouble?  It all has to begin with personal responsibility from you and me right up to the president and congress.  We must all learn to apply biblical principles and common sense to our lives.  The entitlement mentality must stop.  No one owes us anything.  We do not have a "right" to expect something for nothing and we must stop living recklessly while expecting someone else somewhere else to pick up the tab.  We must realize bankruptcy debt does not go unpaid.  Someone has to pay it.  We must get back to the good old work ethic.  We must quit eating and gorging ourselves to death.  We will all fair better and feel better. 

Proverbs 15:27 (NKJV)
²⁷ He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 04-16-2010

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These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  I only ask that you let people know where you got them. 
If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

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Cartoonology Devotional 04-02-2010

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Cartoonology Devotional 04-02-2010

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

It is fun to watch an innocent child using his or her imagination.  I have a granddaughter who can entertain herself all day with dolls in such an imaginative way.  Most anyone would agree that using the imagination and fantasy are essential to a healthy childhood.

Not all fantasy is good, however.  Certain fantasy books and movies now on the market can, in fact, be very dangerous and harmful to our children.  These books and movies have taken things from the evil underworld and portrayed them as good and wholesome, and our children can become so enamored and consumed with them. 

Someone will say, "Didn't Snow White have a witch in it and did it hurt anyone?"  Yes, there is a witch in Snow White, but the difference with today's fantasies about witches, demons, vampires, etc. is that they are now portrayed as good, respectable, acceptable and even desirable.  In Snow White the witch was evil and Snow White was innocent.  We all got it.

The danger is that a child can easily cross over from seemingly unharmful imaginations to destructive realities.   Satan is a cunning creature and he never shows his full hand when dealing with us.  His strategy is to lure us.  The Bible says that he disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Use your imagination and teach your children to do the same, but use it in a good, positive way to stimulate spirituality.   I'm afraid too many parents think that it is too outdated to strictly steer their children toward the things of God.  Why not use your imagination and think of ways you can do just that.

Genesis 6:5 (NLT)
The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.  04-02-2010

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  I only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

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Cartoonology Devotional 03-26-10

Can't see this page?  Go to www.nlcbchurch.com/devotional.dsp   Share on Facebook Cartoonology Devotional 03-26-10 E. Larry Ross Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics. I have a friend who owns a beautiful, yellow Labrador dog.  He is big and can scare you when he barks, but he is really just a big baby.  He howls whenever he hears an emergency vehicle's siren.  Often he can hear it long before anyone else, and when he howls you know some kind of emergency vehicle will soon appear.  This behavior amuses me.  As you watch him howling, his demeanor and facial expressions change.  His howl is a long moaning sound.  He stretches out his long body as far as he can.  Although it amuses me, I also realize that the howling is just a reaction to the pain those sirens cause him, since dogs are so much more sensitive to high pitched, high decibel sounds than us humans.  I think of people when I hear that dog howl.  We humans also tend to react in varied ways to the pain that life's circumstances and situations bring us.  Sometimes those reactions can be very loud and long, and sometimes they can cause a certain kind of pain for others all around them.  It helps when we realize and understand the source and degree of the pain others are experiencing.  We are then able to offer sympathy, empathy and counsel that can help them get through it. There is one, of course, that understands completely and He can offer the best counsel of all, because He has suffered at the hands of many and for the sins off all men. Matthew 16:21 (NKJV) 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  03-26-2010 Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals . To receive this devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week. These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  I only ask that you let people know where you got them.  If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Cartoonology Devotional 03-16-10

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Cartoonology Devotional 03-16-10

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

In so many ways our children and grandchildren seem to be much smarter than their previous generations.  This is especially true in the world of electronics and computers.  I recall trying to help my mother understand how to program her first VCR and her new TV satellite dish (That was when satellite dishes were huge in comparison to those of today).  Both were an extreme challenge to her, and she never mastered either one.   Did that mean my mother was without intelligence or wisdom?  Absolutely not.   

Our younger generations need to be careful to respect their parents and elders, because they do have intelligence and wisdom to share, and it is not necessarily that which comes from book learning.  Living out our life teaches us.  Nothing can replace good, honest life experiences. 

Most of what life teaches us it teaches the hard way.  When my son was in high school, he wrecked and totaled his mother's car.  We required him to pay for it out of the money he had earned working after school.  We bought another used car with it.  When my son graduated from high school, we sold him that same car.  We still laugh when talking about the car he bought twice.  I think he appreciates to this day the lesson he learned.  We are proud of him as we witness him managing his money well today.  As parents, we feel like we passed along a little wisdom that he could have received no other way.  I am sure he and his wife will pass some along themselves.

If wisdom results from respecting our parents and elders, it must doubly come when we revere and respect God.

Psalm 111:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.  03-16-10

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  I only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Cartoonology Devotional 03-04-10

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Cartoonology Devotional 03-03-10

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Rabbits are always a problem around gardens.  My father taught me how to trap rabbits as a young boy.  It was a simple contraption consisting of an oblong wooden box with a trap door on one end, which could be activated by a trigger inserted in the top of the box.  When the rabbit entered to eat whatever food you placed in it, the door would close behind him.  He was not harmed or injured in any way by the trap.

The only problem with these traps is that you would sometimes catch other critters like skunks, possums, birds and cats.  If you caught a cat, the trap would be rendered useless for catching rabbits until the scent of the cat could be removed.

The first time I caught a possum, I fetched my grandfather.  These critters can be rather nasty, but he just reached in without hesitation, caught him by the tail and pulled him out.  When the possum would curl up to try and bite, he just shook him real hard.

The principle for catching critters in a trap is simple.  You deceive them with something that is especially appealing to their appetites.  This is not unlike the wiles of the Devil.  He too, knows how to lure us into his snare.  All around us are temptations to sin such as drugs, alcohol, sex, and pornography.  Ads on TV try to lure us to spend more money than we can afford on stuff we really do not need.  Often we find ourselves trapped by these lures.  So, beware lest you fall victim. Pray to the Lord for discernment and determine to grow in your faith toward God.

James 4:7 (NKJV)
⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  03-03-2010

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this daily devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  We only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Cartoonology Devotional

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Cartoonology Devotional 02-22-10

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

There is a lot of interest in astrology in our culture.  That is nothing new.  There are warnings against looking to the stars and the heavens in search of truth or meaning for life early on in the Bible. (Deuteronomy 4:19).   Astrology is a form of divination, which is also forbidden by God in the scripture.  The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines divination as the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.  Horoscopes fall into this category. 

Most people do not take the reading of horoscopes or the signs of the stars seriously and go unharmed by them.  How many of us have opened a Chinese cookie and read our fortune?   But the question still remains as to why one would take such risks when the Bible obviously warns against it.  Why would anyone turn to the newspaper every day and look at their horoscope?  Can dabbling in such a seemingly innocent thing do harm? 

The answer to this question is yes, and the evidence is found in the scriptures.  Such led Israel to stray from God. Why would we think we could be no less affected?  Satan convinces us that little things don't matter knowing that we can end up getting in over our head.  Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden is a prime example.  It is best to simply trust in God for everything and depend upon His Word.  After all, your future is in His hands.

Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)
³ Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  02-22-10

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this daily devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  We only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Fwd: Cartoonology devotional 02-08-10

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Cartoonology Devotional 02-08-10

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Being aware of our tongue can be most beneficial.  The tongue is a very important part of our body and life.  It is made up of numerous muscles and organs that enable us to do some very important things such as speaking, eating, swallowing, tasting, etc.  We could not do without our tongue.

The Bible, however, presents a very dismal, but honest, view of the tongue by referring to it as a fire that can get out of control and cause a lot of damage and defilement.  It is described, as being set on fire from hell.  It is furthermore described as an unruly evil, which is full of deadly poison, which cannot be tamed.  You can read about it in James 3:1-10. 

Although the Bible speaks so pessimistically about the tongue, it can be controlled.   Not by mere man but by the one who created it.  James offers this hope in verses 17-18 of chapter 3. 

How many times have we all said something we wish we could take back or repeated something we declared we would never say again?  The Apostle Paul identifies.

Romans 7:19, 24-25a (NLT)
¹⁹ I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this daily devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  We only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Fwd: Cartoonology Devotional 02-01-10

E. Larry Ross, Pastor
New Life Community Baptist Church
Bedford, VA



Feb 2, 2010 08:24:31 AM, edrynn@verizon.net wrote:

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Cartoonology Devotional 02-01-10

E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

We had some pretty good places to go snow sledding when I was a child.  I can remember a lot of things we experienced such as sledding underneath the Hudson's milk cow, using the hood off of an old car as a sled, making my own sled from sawmill lumber (I wish I still had it), an old tractor trailer tire blowing up on the bonfire because it was still on the rim, going downhill with three kids stacked up on one sled and breaking my nose after crashing into a tree. 

As for the nose, no doctor ever told me it was broken, but I believe it was.  One reason is because, to this day, I have a crooked nose.  Those were the days when you didn't go to the doctor for every little thing.  It was too much trouble, too far to go and too expensive.  Besides, Mom had a cure for just about everything. 

Sin can be a lot like sledding.  It seems like fun until you get into the middle of it, or until you suffer the consequences of your foolish decisions.  Like a sled, sin has a way of escalating.  You can find yourself going downhill head-over-heels before you know it, and you can end up in a pretty bad crash.

God has a cure for that, as well.  As our Heavenly Father, He can come to the rescue and save us from peril.  As for us, we need to admit our sin, repent of it and ask Him to forgive us. 

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸ "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.  02-01-10

Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this daily devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  We only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.

Click on the cartoon to visit the Church of the Covered Dish

Cartoonolkogy Devotional 02-01-10

Share on Facebook Cartoonology Devotional 02-01-10E. Larry Ross

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.





We had some pretty good places to go snow sledding when I was a child.  I can remember a lot of things we experienced such as sledding underneath the Hudson's milk cow, using the hood off of an old car as a sled, making my own sled from sawmill lumber (I wish I still had it), an old tractor trailer tire blowing up on the bonfire because it was still on the rim, going downhill with three kids stacked up on one sled and breaking my nose after crashing into a tree. 





As for the nose, no doctor ever told me it was broken, but I believe it was.  One reason is because, to this day, I have a crooked nose.  Those were the days when you didn't go to the doctor for every little thing.  It was too much trouble, too far to go and too expensive.  Besides, Mom had a cure for just about everything. 





Sin can be a lot like sledding.  It seems like fun until you get into the middle of it, or until you suffer the consequences of your foolish decisions.  Like a sled, sin has a way of escalating.  You can find yourself going downhill head-over-heels before you know it, and you can end up in a pretty bad crash.





God has a cure for that, as well.  As our Heavenly Father, He can come to the rescue and save us from peril.  As for us, we need to admit our sin, repent of it and ask Him to forgive us. 





Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.  02-01-10



Visit the Pastor's blog at http://larryross.blogspot.com to see all previous Cartoonology Devotionals .

To receive this daily devotional by e-mail, send a message to edrynn@verizon.net and ask for it.  Pastor Ross sends out the devotional several days a week.

These devotionals are free for the using.  Share them with others.  We only ask that you let people know where you got them. 

If you would like to contribute to our church's ministry, however, make your check payable to New Life Community Baptist Church and mail it to 1560 Oakwood Street, Bedford VA 24523.  Thanks and God bless.


Click on the cartoon to visit the Church of the Covered Dish

Cartoonology Devotional 01-27-10

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Last week I attended my niece’s funeral. She was buried in the church cemetery of my hometown in Big Island, Virginia. As you make your way up the steep hill to the cemetery, a beautiful, panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the James River basin appear before you. Looking up the river, you can see the Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge. As I stood there, the beauty awed me, as it has many times in the past, but that day I took special notice of the bridge.

I remembered how as a 14 year-old boy I walked across that bridge to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This was an historic moment, although few people participated or even noticed. This bridge was one of the vital links completing the Parkway, which had begun in the early 1930’s. It represents its lowest point at about 670 feet and stands there today as a memorial to what man can accomplish.

I reflected that day on another bridge that enables man to complete his journey from birth to eternal life. This bridge is the cross of Jesus Christ. This is the cross on which He died so that all men can be saved. Few took notice of that bridge when it was constructed, but many have crossed it over the centuries to find salvation from sin and death. My niece had crossed that bridge years earlier. So had my father, mother, and two sisters whose remains were buried just a few feet from my niece’s grave. So had many other people in that cemetery that I knew over my lifetime. Some of them had impacted my decision to cross that bridge in 1961.

The bridge that Jesus provided still stands as a memorial to what God has accomplished for all mankind. Have you crossed that bridge yet? If not, my prayer is that you will today.

2 Corinthians 5:18 (NLT)
18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. 01-27-10