What the Bible says about temptation

This past weekend I was remembering my Dad. He was too young to get in at the first of World War II, but got a waver signed by his folks and got into the Navy for the last year. He wouldn't talk much about his experiences, but I do remember one story that I would like to share.

He told us that while he was stationed on Guam one day one of the guys came running up excited that the PX (the military store) had candy bars on sale for 1 cent (Remember that back then the normal cost was only 4 to 5 cents). All of the guys ran down to the PX and bought candy bars. Later as they began to eat them they found out the reason they were on sale. They all had small worms in them!

As I reminisced about that story I thought about the lesson for us today! Satan is crafty; he always tries to make wormy candy look like something to be desired. He knows our desires and weaknesses and won't hesitate to dangle in front of us that which might catch us in his trap.

There is an interesting piece of insight about sin found in James 1:13-15. Notice what it says, "And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."

Notice especially the word "entice" in the text. In the Greek, this has the meaning of "to be caught by bait". How do you catch a fish? You dangle bait which looks attractive to them, hoping they won't notice the hook. They see the bait, want it, go after it and before they know it they are caught because of what they desired.

Our world offers so many things that look so appealing. Whether it is wealth, sex, drugs, material possessions, illicit relationships, worshipping the wrong things, they are all bait. Bait dangled in front of us for one purpose, to "catch us and drag us away". The plan is to drag us away from God, away from righteous living, away from our hope of salvation.

That's why Peter writes, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour," (1 Peter 5:8)

So, be on your guard, watch out, because Satan never sleeps, he is always fishing for your soul. You wouldn't eat a wormy candy bar would you? Why would you invite things that are just as disgusting into your life?

Russ Lawson

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new

2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Over the years we have driven home the absolute necessity of being baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Gal. 3:27). God alone can wash away our sins granting forgiveness that cleanses completely. There is no doubting that baptism is the act through which God exercises his saving power. However, I sometimes find myself wondering if over the years we have as diligently driven home that when someone repents and is baptized, they die to the old life they have been living and are raised from that watery grave a new creature who walks in newness of life (Rom 6:7). Just what is meant when we talk about “being a new creature in Christ” or “walking in newness of life”?

Being “In Christ” denotes a very close union with him. In fact, it is a union so close that we simply live, move and have our being at his will (Acts 17:28). Christ becomes our source of strength (Isa. 12:2; Psalms 23, Phil. 4:6-7)). Because we love and trust him with all our being, we are willing to change our life, our views, feelings and attachments in whatever way or ways that may be necessary in order to comply with his will. As a “new creature in Christ” we have given full possession of our life to him with every member of our body being given over to him. It is no longer I that live but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2:20, Phil. 1:21). It is at this point that we allow God to fill our heart, mold our thoughts and guide our life every step of the way. He is in charge and whatever he says, we will do (John 2:5, John 14:15). This is what it means to be “in Christ” and to walk in newness of life.

Now, walking in newness of life, we long for, seek for, and work for a deep, abiding love for God and his word (Mark 12:30,1 Pet. 2:1-2, 2 Tim. 2:15, 2 Per. 3:18). As a “new creature” we walk each day carefully lest we fall into sin. In Eph. 5:15, Paul calls this “walking circumspectly” which means that we make a special effort to fortify ourselves against the  snares of the devil who lies in wait around every corner (1 Pet. 5:8, 2 Pet.4-11). We cannot walk as do foolish people of the world indulging ourselves in sinful pleasures and desires (1 John 2:15-17, Gal. 5:19-21). With all my heart, I believe the rule for walking in newness of life is found I the words of Col. 3:1-2, “Seek those things above”, “Set your affections on things above not on things on earth” (Matt. 6:19-21).

As a new creature in Christ my life is to be lived in such a way that others will take note that I am walking each day with Christ, my Lord and Saviour (Matt. 5:16, 1 Tim. 4:12). No one will ever have to ask or wonder about whether or not I am a “new creature in Christ. They will know it is so when they see my commitment to God and his cause by the life I live before them

Charles Hicks

A General Impostor

How many times have we read or heard about Impostors who, for one reason or another, pawn themselves off as something other than what they really are? A quick search on the internet uncovered more than 100 famous "Impostors" who dawned the identity of someone else, real or fictitious. Among the most recent was Jerry Alan Whittredge, who, in 1998, gained access into NASA during a shuttle operation. He was dubbed the "Great Astronaut Impersonator." In the 1970's a man by the name of Frank Abagnale passed himself off as a pilot, doctor and lawyer. He scammed banks, credit card companies, and even his own father. Other well known Impostors include Gerald Barnbaum, Ravi Desai, Anna Anderson, and a host of others who masqueraded as various personalities. Perhaps one of the most famous impostors was Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., best known as "The Great Impostor." He impersonated a wide variety of people from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. He was the subject of a m ovie, "The Great Imposter" in which he was played by Tony Curtis. This past Sunday the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported yet another Impostor whose "military tale even fooled his relatives." A little over 18 months ago Brig. General G.B. McDowell passed away on Veterans Day 2011 near Seattle. Condolences were sent to his son, Michael Douglas McDowell, a self proclaimed Colonel in the United States Army from some well known military figures, including Maj. Gen. J.T. Furlow and Retired Gen. David Petraeus. The problem? Colonel McDowell's father never served in the military. The letters from Furlow and Petraeus were fake, as was the on-line obituary about McDowell's father. In addition Colonel McDowell himself was a fraud, having never served in the Army or any other branch of the military. The younger McDowell passed himself off as a CIA agent and often carried official looking folders in his brief case labeled "Top Secret," "President's Eyes Only," and "Classif! ied Documents." Seized items included what appeared to be military records and a Purple Heart recipient license plate. McDowell fooled his ex-wife, his fiance, and public officials in the Fort Worth Police Department for well over a decade.

While such stories are interesting, sometimes bordering on the bizarre, it leaves us wondering how in the world some of these Impostors can get by with their scams, impersonations and out and out lying. Just as intriguing is the "Why?" Some have suggested that the impersonators often seek recognition that they otherwise do not receive in true life. So they live in a dream world; a world of fantasy and make believe. The recognition and notoriety that was not achievable in the real world is easily obtained in their own little world of make believe. Most eventually get caught; some manage to keep the proverbial wool pulled over the eyes of their victims (and even acquaintances) without any detection at all.

Jesus warned of such con-artists and spiritual impostors. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). Careful note should be given to the word "beware." Teaching error is not child's play, nor is the false teacher a harmless and innocent person simply espousing his own opinion. Jesus likens him to a "wolf." Like his physical counterpart, the false teacher will take on the appearance of something he is not, and do it in such a way that he will appear legitimate, and even honorable. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Michael McDowell is now in the custody of the authorities. His make believe world has come crashing down around him. His wife and children feel betrayed; his reputation is ruined.

While Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. may have obtained the dubious distinction of being "The Great Impostor," or Jerry Alan Whittredge the title of "The Great Astronaut Impostor," it can be said without fear of contradiction that neither of these men, nor the dozens of other men and women who have ever impersonated someone else, come anywhere close to the greatest Impostor of all time - Satan! There is a day coming when the devil and all of his angels, as well as his human agents who helped perpetrate a lie and present it to unsuspecting souls, will be discovered for what they really are. Tragically, those who have believed and followed the lies of these spiritual Impostors will suffer eternal separation from the Father. --by Tom Wacaster

Plaza Towers Elementary School

Some students recall hearing the principal of Plaza Towers Elementary School telling them over the intercom to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents. But then the tornado alarm sounded and selfless teachers of this school in Moore, Oklahoma, frantically tried to secure their students' safety. The tornado struck the school. Seven students were killed. But many were saved due to the heroic efforts of their teachers.

Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth grade teacher at Plaza Towers, and several students, sought refuge from the twister in a school bathroom. As the tornado tore through the building, she shielded three of her students with her own body.

"It just started coming down so I just laid on top of some of them," she said on NBC's Today show.

One of the students Crosswhite shielded, fourth-grader Damian Britton, said the tornado "sounded like a train coming by."

"A teacher covered us - Ms. Crosswhite," Damian said on the show. "I told her we were fine because we were holding onto something. Then she went over to my friend Antonio and covered him. So she saved our lives."

"The whole time I just kept screaming to them, 'Quit worrying, we're fine, we're fine," she told the Today show hosts, adding that she was unsure if her attempts at reassurance could be heard over the twister. Yet she kept reassuring them. "We're going to be fine, I'm protecting you," Crosswhite recalled telling the students. "Then I said a few prayers: 'God, please take care of my kids' - and we're fine."

The students shielded by Crosswhite were relatively unscathed. One student had a cut on his head. Crosswhite had cuts all over her back and feet - she was wearing sandals.

Damian's mom, Brandi Kline, said her home was destroyed - but she was grateful her family was okay. "Everyone around us lost everything," the 29-year-old mom said, referring to her devastated neighborhood. "But we have our kids," she added, tearfully thanking Crosswhite.

Thankfully, we also have Someone to shield us from the deadly destruction of sin...

As sin wrought havoc in the lives of all mankind, God, because of His great love for us, sent Jesus to our rescue. He "shielded" us from the deadly blows of sin with His own body as He died on the cross for our sins. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). He died for us so that we might have forgiveness of our sins and receive the GIFT of eternal life (Eph 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:10).

Jesus will save those who seek refuge in Him by: placing their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to shield THOSE who continue to trust Him enough to follow Him (1 John 1:7).

Many children are thankful for the heroic efforts of teachers like Rhonda Crosswhite who risked their lives to shield them from the storm.

And ALL of us can be thankful that Jesus gave Himself for us to shield us from the eternal destruction of sin!

By His wounds, YOU can be healed IF you will trust and obey Him.

Won't YOU?

David Sargent

Memorial Day is on May 27th

              
                        "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has
                         been reserved for what he gave." Pres. Calvin Coolidge

Monday, May the 27^th is this year’s Memorial Day. As you read this editorial I will doing my part to honor our nations veterans in Washington DC just as I have done for the past four years. Being a military vet myself, this and Veteran’s Day are special holidays to me. I was fortunate in that I never had to serve in actual combat, but many of my friends and comrades did and I salute them for that service.

Someone once described a veteran this way: "A veteran - whether on active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including their life." I find no fault with that statement and can only add this thought: that "check" has been cashed far too many times.

A US Marine Corps Chaplain penned these words: "It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag. Who serves the flag. Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."

In light of those words regarding our nations’ military veterans, it just seems a bit puzzling to me that so many of our citizens don’t spend the time to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our vets. In the past four years that I’ve made the trip to our nation’s capital in honor of all of our veterans I’ve noticed something that sort of bothers me. It just seems like the people there in honor of Memorial Day and its significance are the ones who came there from across the country to do that. The city is empty of about all our government officials who left to go play somewhere.
I’m of the opinion that they and a large portion of Americans only see this holiday as representing another long weekend of fun and play activities. Oh, they probably know that it’s called Memorial Day, but they don’t truly recognize it for the purpose it was originally designated. To REMEMBER the nation’s veterans and their sacrifice for their country. I guess that it’s their collective lack of consideration for the debt we owe our veterans that bothers me.

See, a memorial is something that is set up to cause us to remember - to think about what occurred that is important enough that we should center our minds on it. On this occasion, that "centered" thought is the sacrifice made by all the veterans of all of our wars, regardless of whether they were "officially declared" or not.
I’ve used the word "sacrifice" several times already in this missive so I’d like to take a moment and define the word for you. It basically means: to give up something of value in order to receive something of a greater value. To me, that definition is easily seen in the sacrifice of our veterans for the greater good of our country. But, I think that it can also be seen in a spiritual sense and we’ll look at that a little further on in our thoughts here today.

One of the most emotional and moving ceremonies that I’ll be attending will be the evening observance at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is a memorial that attracts several million visitors a year and at the Memorial Day evening ceremony there will be several thousand in attendance. One of the more moving aspects of it is the somber parade of the "Gold Star" mothers and fathers whose sons and daughters names are inscribed on "The Wall."

A veteran by the name of Pat Camunes wrote an interesting article entitled: "From The Other Side" which presents the Wall from the prospective of ones "on the wall" looking out and seeing those visiting the wall. Of course, it’s highly imaginative and figurative, but it provides me with another lead in to the spiritual side of today’s lesson. It’s quite lengthy so I’ll just mention a few excerpts from it here.

He writes about those looking through the wall and seeing their loved ones coming to "touch" their name. To place personal objects at the base of the wall that have a particular meaning to either the family or the deceased. (I have personally done this for people who asked me to take a particular object to the wall and leave it for their loved one and I will tell you that it was very emotional to me and I was just an intermediary.)

The author of this article depicts those "on the other side of the wall" as being very thankful for someone remembering them and coming to "visit them." He pictures them as watching them leave and as they walk away from The Wall shouting "THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING... THANK YOU ALL FOR REMEMBERING!"

A few paragraphs back, I gave you a definition of "sacrifice" and I’d like to return to that thought now. Recall that I said it basically meant to "give up something of value in order to receive something of a greater value?" Let’s open the spiritual aspect of our lesson with that thought.

Each and every Lord’s Day we observe a memorial. A memorial that represents the most important sacrifice ever made on this earth. God "gave up something of value" - the life of His Only Begotten Son - for "something of a greater value" - the salvation of the world. (John 3:16)

In Romans 12:1 we read where we are to present ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God." The writer, Paul, goes on to say that it’s a "reasonable service" for us to do this. For man to receive the "greater value" of the sacrifice made by Christ, it’s "reasonable" that we live in such a way, being obedient to the Gospel of Christ, that we recognize the "value" of His "sacrifice." If we don’t, in effect, we "count" the "blood of the covenant," which was sanctified by His sacrifice, "an unholy (profane) thing." (Heb. 10:29)

When I open my Bible to the passages found in 1 Cor. 10:16-22 and also chapter 11:23-34 I note there that Christ is aware of how we observe the memorial of His "sacrifice." Knowing this, I have no problem visualizing Him saying "THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING!"

On D-Day, June 6^th, 1944 the Allies made the landings on the beaches of Normandy. The fighting was fierce with the German army pouring terrible fire down from the cliffs into the soldiers on the beach. A unit of Army Rangers was tasked with scaling the cliffs and securing a foothold on top. They were given a radio code phrase to send back when they had successfully made it. That phrase was: "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Do you think that faithful Christians could adopt that code phrase when we successfully "arrive on top?" Wouldn’t it be most appropriate to shout "PRAISE THE LORD." What better signal could be given for having completed our "reasonable service" and been found "acceptable unto God."


Ron Covey

Memorial Day

"Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service." (Wikipedia)

Remembering those who were willing to give their life for you shouldn't take a special day. It shouldn't have to be declared by a government to make it something special. However it seems to be human nature to forget some of the most important events or people. We don't mean to, we have the best intentions, but somehow it just happens that we forget.

Jesus knew human nature and understood our weaknesses. That's why he instituted things in his church such as "Communion" or "The Lord's Supper". He knew that although we have the best intentions, we would eventually forget his sacrifice, unless we were constantly reminded.

In Mathew 26:26-28 we read, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (KJV)

The apostle Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 in this way, "For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people, an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it."

I encourage you to celebrate Memorial Day. Celebrate the day that remembers those of our military who were willing to die that you might live free. But more than that, I encourage you to meet with your church, partake of Communion and remember the one who died that you might live free eternally.

Russ Lawson

Sabrina Brady

If my eyes ever become dry and are in need of lubrication, I can do one of two things: either reach for the Visine or watch a video of a soldier's homecoming. I prefer the latter, and there are literally dozens of such videos on YouTube. (Here's a sample: http://youtu.be/3cTd0cQsNmo)

Before I came into this world, my father went off to serve our country in World War 2. He and my mother were separated for nearly two years, with only occasional letters to keep them in touch. There were no video cameras around when he returned home, but I'm confident theirs was an emotional reunion.

With the years in which the U.S. has been engaged in military conflict in the Middle East, thousands of families have been disconnected for prolonged periods of time. Recording video is now simple, with most of us carrying such technology in our pockets at all times. Thus, we frequently see such scenes on television and the Internet. And they never grow old.

The search-engine giant Google today honors the homecomings of service men and women by featuring on their home page a drawing by Sabrina Brady. Sabrina, who is 17 years old, entered her drawing in Google's contest on the theme "My Best Day Ever ..." She recalls the day when, as a 10-year-old, her father returned home from 18 months of military duty. It's truly a heartwarming sketch.

Jesus once spoke of a homecoming. In Luke 15 we read His parable of the prodigal son, a young man (maybe a teenager?) who left home in rebellion. After weeks of riotous living, he found himself penniless and, despite working a shameful job, starving. In desperation the son returned home to beg a job from his father. He expected a tongue-lashing for his reckless behavior.

Here's how Jesus described that homecoming: "But when he was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). There was no tongue-lashing, and the father did not give him a job working in the fields. Instead, he restored him to his former position as a beloved son. "'For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry" (Luke 15:24).

Why did Jesus tell that story? Yes, it is an excellent piece of literature, as many school students have learned throughout past generations. But more than a good read, this is good news for us all!

Such a homecoming is possible for you and me. Though we, like the prodigal son, have distanced ourselves from the Heavenly Father by our actions, this call to return has been issued: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28,29).

The ultimate homecoming lies ahead when the gates of heaven swing open for God's people. "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). Can you imagine our joy as we enter that glorious eternal abode? And don't forget the joy that Christ will feel as His followers make their way home. Nothing on YouTube can compare with that glorious day!

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.

Timothy D. Hall.

Today is the day of salvation

 

BIBLE THOUGHT

 

Genesis 19:16 "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth and set him without the city."

 

This Bible Thought is an easy one to remember. Some time ago Lot chose to live in a city that was very wicked. Now God has warned him  to leave Sodom before it is destroyed. God has sent  two angels to warn Lot of the impending doom and lead him to safety (Genesis 19). For whatever reason, we learn that Lot was reluctant to leave that wicked place. As we read this account, we are amazed that a man warned in such a fashion of impending doom, given the opportunity to flee to safety, would hesitate to do so.

 

But why are we amazed over Lot's lingering? It is a story repeated over and over today. For, you see, Lot has his counterpart in every place the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. His counterpart is even found within the church throughout the brotherhood. Men are faithfully told of God's goodness and of his severity (Rom. 11:22). men are warned to flee the wrath to come and they have pointed out to them the way to escape that wrath and be saved. Within the church, men are constantly being instructed as to what must be done in order to remain safe from the wrath (James 4:17; Matt. 6:33). Yet, multitudes of those both in the world and in the church linger in the valley of indecision knowing what they should do but delaying to do it.

 

Some, no doubt, linger because they are in love with the world, in love with material things, in love with the pleasures and amusements of the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Tim. 4:3-4; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:1-2; Matt. 6:19-21)

 

Some linger because they think they have time enough yet to obey. They say to themselves, "one day I will obey God but right now I am young, healthy and have many years left." These people make the same mistake the rich fool of Luke 12 made (15-21). These are the people who do not take into account the fact that there is but a step between life and death (1 Sam. 20:3) and it matters not what your age may be, young or old.

 

Lingering robs God of some of the best years of a man's life (Eccl. 12:1). Lingering can and often does influence friends, neighbors, husbands, wives and children to be lost eternally. Yet, still, many, like Lot of old, stand around lingering when it comes to obedience to God. Far too many are the people who live in tomorrow.

Charles Hicks

 

What is the book of life?

                              
                          "And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book
                           of Life was thrown into the lake of fire."   (Rev. 20:15 NLT)
You know, we haven’t heard or seen much lately about the Titanic, have we? For awhile there it seemed like there was something newsworthy about that great ship and her tragic end quite often in the news, but it’s been pretty quiet in that regard lately. To an editorial writer, the Titanic serves as a lesson illustration in a lot of ways and I’ve used the ship in several lessons in the past. I’m going to use another little facet of her story for a lead-in to our lesson and hopefully, if I can adequately present my thoughts, I think we can derive a good lesson from them.
Today our general topic word is - "lists." Something that I’m sure all of us are very familiar with. We make "grocery lists," we make "laundry lists," we make "travel lists," you know, so that we don’t forget something important.
We’re on lists. We’re on "work lists" and "non-work lists." In many church bulletins, we’re on "sick lists." The one list that I, and probably most of us, detest are "waiting lists" for one thing or another. We’re probably on all kinds of "government lists." So far I’ve managed to avoid being on the "No-Fly list."
We know "lists," don’t we? Let me see if I’m able to tie something I recently read about the Titanic with our knowledge and usage of lists and come up with a spiritually-oriented lesson. First the story and then the application.
There is an exhibit that travels about the country and appears at mostly museums that’s referred to as the "Titanic Exhibition." Some of you may have even seen it. It consists of a recreation of the ship’s Grand Staircase and the recreation of one of the staterooms. There are various artifacts that have actually been recovered from the wreckage placed throughout the exhibit.
What I found interesting about this exhibit and fits with this lesson today is something you see when you enter the exhibit on your tour. You’re given a ticket that has the name of one of the passengers or crew members inscribed on it. You go through the tour and when you come to the end of the tour you find a large wall.

On this wall is two lists of names. One list is short and the other one long. Next to each name on either of the two lists is one of four designations. It’ll indicate whether that name was (1) 1st Class, (2) 2^nd Class, (3) 3^rd Class or (4) Crew. As far as the name on your ticket is concerned, it really doesn’t matter what their accommodations were or whether they were a member of the ship’s crew. Each name ultimately appears on one of the aforementioned "two lists."
Now here’s where those two lists tie into our spiritual lesson. The headings of the two lists are: "SAVED" and "LOST." I’m not rightly sure of how I’d feel or what emotions I’d experience when I checked the name on my ticket against the two lists and found out on which list that name was inscribed. How would you feel? Interesting to consider, isn’t it?

And, you do realize that some of the names on the lists had no choice as to which list their name appears on, but many did. Now let’s make the application.
Our names are going to be found on one of two similar lists when our Judgment Day arrives. It will either be on the "SAVED" list or on the "LOST" list. And, just for your information, Judgment Day arrives the moment we cease to breathe the air of this earth because, once that occurs, there is no changing of our status. There’s no way of moving from one list to another. Here’s the point of this paragraph - a lot of the souls on the Titanic had no choice regarding which list their name appeared on - BUT WE DO!
Now I’m aware that the word "list" or "lists" doesn’t appear in the Bible as such, however, there’s another word that does appear that serves to the same application. That word is - BOOK. As in the "Lamb’s Book of Life" (Rev. 21:27) or as more often just cited as the "Book of Life." (Rev. 20:12, 20:15 & 22:18). Be good for you to read those verses.

Back to the thought about us having a choice of lists - which list do you want your name to be on? The "SHORT" list or the "LONG" list, remembering which one is which. Let me just amplify a moment on these two lists and provide you with some facts about why there is a different length to those lists.
The total number of souls who survived the ship’s sinking, according to the encyclopedia, was 706. The total number of souls that perished was 1,517. Hence the difference in the lists. Seen another way, about 70% of the souls on board were lost, thus had their names inscribed on the "LONG" list. Almost a 2 to 1 ratio. Do these figures seem to jive with the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:13-14 where He talked about the "wide gate" versus the "narrow gate?" And the "many" versus the "few?" Does to me.

Are you aware that the lifeboats of the Titanic were no where near filled with people? Many perished because of one reason: they refused to get in a lifeboat. They chose to stay on a sinking ship. Makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?

The only reasonable answer that I see is - they believed the propaganda about the ship being "unsinkable." It was a lie and they believed it and made their choice based upon it. Because of that false belief, their names appear on the "LONG" list.

The widow of the ship’s Captain, Mrs. Eleanor Smith, wrote this message to the families of those lost in the tragedy: "To my fellow-sufferers: my heart overflows with grief for you and is laden with sorrow that you are weighed down with the terrible burden that has been thrust upon us. May God be with us and comfort us all."

I sort of see her message as something we should also be concerned with, IE: the "terrible burden" of seeing so many souls perish because of choosing "to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin" (Heb. 11:25 ESV) (staying on a sinking ship) rather than obedience to Christ (getting in the lifeboat) and being saved. Shouldn’t it concern us that the "LOST" list is so long? I think so but, it should concern us more about which list WE are on.
Do you ever wonder how God feels about this "saved to lost" ratio? I don’t pretend to speak for God here, but I can provide you with something He said in His Word that can give us a clue. Read with me His words quoted below:
                 "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God:
                  wherefore turn yourselves and live ye."    Ezekiel 18: 32

Ron Covey

Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

A Thoughtful Gift

Last year, Brenna Martin graduated from high school. One of the things that she will remember most is the graduation gift that she received from her parents. She posted her thoughts about her gift not long after she received it. Here are her words:

"I graduated High School this week. When my Dad said he had a present for me, I thought I was getting some cheesy graduation card. But what I received was something truly priceless....

Following the ceremony he handed me a bag with a copy of 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!' by Dr. Seuss inside. At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book. But then he told me, 'No, open it up.' On the first page I see a short paragraph written by none other than my kindergarten teacher. I started tearing up but I'm still confused. He tells me, 'Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten, I've gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you in this book.' He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and apparently everyone else in my life knew about it! Yes the intended effect occurred. I burst out into tears.

Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my 'pigtails and giggles,' while my high school teachers mention my 'wit and sharp thinking.' But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this moving, touching, nostalgic, and thoughtful. I can't express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love."

The book "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" has a cash value of less than $20, but to Brenna, it is "truly priceless." She will cherish the comments from her teachers and coaches, but what makes the book so valuable to her is that her Dad worked on "this labor of love" for 13 years.

If the value of a gift can be determined by the time and thoughtfulness behind it, consider the worth of God's greatest Gift for you and me.

The Apostle Peter wrote to Christians regarding the price that was paid for their redemption: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." - 1 Peter 1:18-19

Our sins condemn us (Romans 3:23; 6:23), but God loves us so much that He provided a Gift - His Son Jesus - to pay the price for our redemption (Ephesians 1:7).

That Gift, which provides salvation and eternal life to those who accept it, is precious - not only because it is the precious blood of the Son of God who died for us, but also because of how long ago God determined to provide the Gift. "He was chosen before the creation of the world."

In order to accept God's offer of salvation and life through His Son, one must place his faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), and follow Him faithfully (Revelation 2:10).

God planned to save us through the blood of Jesus His Son before He even created us! That Gift is "truly priceless."

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15

Won't YOU accept the GIFT on His terms?

David Sargent

How to have a strong marriage

On the way to church recently, we noticed a goose sitting by a beautiful pond. She was in the same place every time we drove by. We soon realized she was sitting on eggs. She never left them. Always protected them. Occasionally we saw a gander near her. The reason? They mate for life. It’s the way God made them.

Weeks passed until, at last, we saw three little goslings dancing around the feet of their mother. It’s fun to drive by now and see both goose and gander staying ever so close to their little ones, feeding, guiding, and protecting them from predators. When an animal comes near, they usher everyone in the opposite direction.

The scene leaves me thinking about families. It was God’s design from the beginning that man and woman be joined for life. Jesus said divorce is never an option except for adultery or fornication (Matt. 19:1-10).

Husbands should love and protect their wives (1Peter 3:7). Fathers and mothers should lovingly nurture, guide, and protect their children from evil so they can grow physically and spiritually into ones who obey God (Eph. 6:4, 2 Tim. 1:5). The most dangerous predator is Satan. Is it not odd, then, that parents feel compelled to provide entertainment for the family with television, computers, games, music, etc., virtually inviting Satan into their home? Bad language, violent or immoral scenes, crude humor, and more. In goose and gander terms, it is like inviting a hawk to have dinner with the goslings. How absurd is that?

Couples, honor your vows. Parents, teach your children to obey God, lead them away from evil enticements, and be as vigilant and protective as the goose and gander. Today’s Verse: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8), Abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:22).

Today’s Challenge: Examine your family. Is God first? Are you on the look-out for predators? Today’s extra thought: A mother should cherish and protect the life of her unborn baby. One can only imagine the anger that is kindled when God looks down on those who do not.

--Teresa Hampton

Air Force maintenance complaints

     Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by US Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews.
 
Problem: "Left inside main tire almost needs replacement."
Response: "Almost replaced left inside main tire."
 
Problem: "Test flight OK, except autoland very rough."
Response: "Autoland not installed on this aircraft."
 
Problem #1: "#2 Propeller seeping prop fluid."
Response #1: "#2 Propeller seepage normal."
Problem #2: "#1, #3, and #4 propellers lack normal seepage."
 
Problem: "Something loose in cockpit."
Response: "Something tightened in cockpit."
 
Problem: "DME volume unbelievably loud."
Response: "Volume set to more believable level."
 
Problem: "Dead bugs on windshield."
Response: "Live bugs on order."
 
Problem: "Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick."
Response: "That's what they're there for."
 
Problem: "Number three engine missing."
Response: "Engine found on right wing after brief search."
 
Problem: "Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear."
Response: "Evidence removed."
 
     That last one describes how many of us try to deal with our spiritual shortcomings.  There's evidence of sin in our lives, but instead of trying to correct the problem, we merely try to remove the evidence.  But only when we are honest before God is there hope of forgiveness.
 
     "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:1-3)
 
     No more hiding of evidence, as there once had been in David's life.  Merely an honesty and a remorse about what he had done, and a desire to once again be right in God's eyes.
 
     May you live this day with a heart like David.

Alan Smith

 

Trekking poles

For the past 25 years my hikes in the woods have been accompanied by a walking stick. The one I most often use is special to me; my father-in-law (now deceased) made it. He was a carpenter by trade, and this happens to be a sturdy and useful staff. But most of the time I simply carried it. I put it to use mainly when going down steep trails to help me keep my footing.

My two sons recently presented me with a gift I wasn't initially convinced I would like: trekking poles. (These look somewhat like the poles a snow skier would use.) I decided to give them a try on a recent hike to Rocky Fork Falls in Unicoi County, TN. After completing the hike, which involves a 1,200-foot elevation gain, I realized I had a couple of new friends.

I confess I had previously regarding trekking poles as "geeky" (or "dorky" as one of my sons said). But as I get older, I'm finding myself to be not as agile as before, and stamina is more of a precious commodity. These poles proved to be beneficial in a couple of ways on this hike: (1) They utilized my arm strength to climb the steeper parts of the train; (2) they also utilized my arms to take some of the pressure off my knees coming down those steep sections; and (3) they provided even more help in maintaining balance. That last benefit was especially helpful when fording creeks.

I suppose there are some who might regard the glasses I wear as "dorky", but I know I can't get far without them. Now I've made acquaintance with two helpful friends who will give me similar assistance when venturing into wilderness areas. (If you'd like to see photos of the falls I just visited, go to http://hikingbill.com/?p=511. This fellow has a very nice site.)

Hiking is not for everyone, but we're all trekking on a trail that is leading us into eternity. Those who know God's word realize the importance of having His guidance on this trail, for we don't want to take the wrong fork in the road! We need all the help we can get to make it to heaven.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrew Christians pointed to one valuable resource we have in making this journey: "Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed ... Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God ..." (Hebrews 12:12-13,15).

What that writer is describing is Christian fellowship. Think of Christian companions as "living trekking poles", staying close by your side as you travel. They're there to support you when you're weak, to help you maintain your balance, to relieve the pressure when the climbing is tough. It's one of the great gifts the Lord has given us.

Paul spoke often of this blessing. Consider this example: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1,2).

None of us are hiking on a level trail. Sometimes we encounter steep hills to climb, and obstacles over which we must cross. Can we do it alone? Maybe. But God promises His help as we travel, and He has also given us Christian brethren to assist us. Get to know the helpful friends near you.

Timothy D. Hall

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

It was an October day in 1959 in Bixby, Oklahoma.  Six-year-old big sister was at school.  Little two-year-old sister was playing in the house.  Mom was also at home working in another room.  Dad was at work.  A carpenter was refinishing the hardwood floors in their old house.  The carpenter's wife, accompanied by a five-year-old neighbor, had just arrived to pick him up.  Then it happened.  There was a loud explosion.  When the hot water heater came on, it ignited the freshly sealed hardwood floor and the bucket of sealer that was sitting near the furnace.  Instantly, fire raged in the dining room.

Mother ran out of the back of the house around to the front.  The carpenter, his wife, and the 5-year-old had made it out safely.  The two-year-old, however, was trapped inside.  Mother heard her daughter screaming inside the dining room.  Mother went to the window, ripped off the heavy screen window, threw it aside, and climbed into the smoke-filled room with fire blazing all around.  Huddled in the corner just a couple of feet from the fire was her daughter.  She was trying to shield herself from the fire with her arms.  Mother ripped off her own skirt and wrapped her daughter in it.  Carrying her, she climbed out of the window.  By this time, Dad had arrived.  Seeing that their daughter was badly burned, they rushed her to the hospital in Broken Arrow.  It wouldn't be long before she would be rushed to a much larger, better-equipped hospital in Tulsa.

The little two-year-old had suffered terrible burns on her legs up to the middle of her thighs, on her right arm, and the right side of her face.  Over a four-month period in the hospital, the little two-year-old underwent multiple surgeries to place skin grafts on the burn sites.  Doctors even had to take her to surgery in order to change her dressings.

And every day, her mother was by her side.

That little girl, Pam, is now a wife and has a daughter of her own.  She has experienced success as an executive of the Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan.  She still walks with a limp and has scars on her legs and her right hand.  But she is alive and well. and thankful for her loving mother, Helen Parham, who saved her life by pulling her out of the fire.

The love of this mother for her daughter should help us to recognize how much the Heavenly Father loves each one of us...

 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  When we were doomed because of our sins, God sent Jesus to our rescue so that we would not perish in the flames of the fires of hell (Ephesians 1:7).  He came so that so we might have eternal life in a glorious place called Heaven (John 14:1-6).

Jesus will save and give eternal life to those who accept His offer of salvation on His terms: placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse those who strive to continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Jesus has come to save YOU from the fire.  He has something FAR BETTER for you! 

Won't YOU accept His offer on His terms?

David Sargent

What to say on Mother's day

                                       
"When all is said it is the mother, and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his country. The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community and occupies, if she only would realize it, a more honorable as well as a more important position than any successful man in it. The mother is the one supreme asset of national life. She is more important by far than the successful statesman, or business man, or artist , or scientist." President Theodore Roosevelt Today being the second Sunday of May, is Mother’s Day. A day which Congress, in 1914, dedicated to be an annual holiday in which we are to honor our mothers. I guess that what bothers me about the government instituting it is that I don’t feel like we should have to be told to honor our mothers. At the risk of bruising Congress’s collective ego, I have to tell them that they weren’t the first to establish a law that requires children to honor their mother. God gave Israel the Law of Moses and it’s the 5^th Commandment that preempts Congress by telling us that we are "to honor our father and mother."

Now I don’t claim to be an expert on mothers, but I did live with mine for the first 18 years of my life and then I’ve lived with the mother of my children for the past 49 years. The U.S. Air Force served as my "mother" in between the two of them. But, I do know some things about mothers and one of them is that, they never stop being mothers. Maybe it’s a requirement of their union, but I suspect that it’s just their nature put in them by God. I’ve seen the evidence of this in the actions of women who physically were not mothers, yet they "mothered" everybody.

Another thing I can attest to about mothers (especially after our recent transfer of residences) is that they are prolific art collectors. I moved boxes of "refrigerator art" collected from both "child artists" and "grandchild artists." Not to mention the "pie tin" sculptures and plaster of paris animals. Yes, they’re stored in boxes, but more so, they are stored in the mother’s hearts.

And, you know what else is observable about mothers? It doesn’t matter how old her children are, she will always be concerned about them and fret over them. I really appreciated something I once read, penned by a woman named Florida Scott-Maxwell that befits my point here. She said: "No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement." Do I hear an AMEN on that one?

There’s a bit of irony seen in the history of this holiday, this Mother’s Day. It came about by the efforts of a woman named Anna May Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother and wanted all mothers also be honored. The reason for the selection by Congress of it being observed on the 2^nd Sunday of May is because that’s the day Anna’s mother passed away. The irony though relates to Anna as she herself would never be so honored because she never married and was never a mother. That’s somewhat sad, isn’t it?

Many famous people have praised their mothers for whatever measure of success they’ve attained in life. People like Abraham Lincoln, John Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson and various others. And, of course, the words of President Theodore Roosevelt which we started this lesson with. When you consider just the Presidents that I’ve mentioned, it brings home something written by William R. Wallace: "The hand that rocks the cradle, is the hand that rules the world."
One of the things hated by Anna May Jarvis and the thing that she campaigned against after the establishment of Mother’s Day is the commercialization of it. I join her in that effort. It just seems to me that whenever a holiday is created, a whole industry is also created to make money off of it. About the only one that I can think of that’s not exploited commercially is "Ground Hog Day." Cards, candy, flowers and clothing just doesn’t seem to apply there and that’s good.

In my vast collection of things that "speak to me" I have the personal effects of a World War 1 soldier and in those effects is a little card issued to him and all other soldiers that contain several reminders of home. One of those reminders is this little poem regarding Mother’s Day:

            Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky; Hundreds of shells on the shore together;
            Hundreds of birds that go singing by; Hundreds of bees in the sunny weather;
            Hundreds of dew-drops to greet the dawn; Hundreds of lambs in the purple clover;
            Hundreds of butterflies out on the lawn; But only ONE MOTHER the wide world over.

Well, let’s spend the last portion of our time and space looking at the One most knowledgeable about mothers - God - because He created them. Having said that, we might as well go back to the first mother on earth. Let me first preface our thought here with something said by Napoleon of France in response to being told that the best thing for the education of the youth of France was "good mothers." He remarked, "Here is a system in one word - mothers."

That leads us to the Creator of that "system." We see this "system" of mothers bearing children in the 3^rd chapter of Genesis. One of the interesting things seen in this chapter is that, before they sinned, Adam had a name but he simply called the "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" WOMAN. (Gen. 2:23). After they sinned and was told by God that the woman would have "sorrow" in conception and Adam that he would have to earn his keep through the "sweat of his face" is when Adam named his wife Eve "because she was the mother of all living." (3:20)

That "system" has populated the world from that time on and when mothers follow the wisdom of God, the children benefit and so does the world. That method is seen in the words given us by Solomon where, speaking from God, says: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6)

As to the condition of the world today, I’m of the opinion that too many mothers have abdicated their responsibilities in regards to "training" their children in the way they "should go" and they have gone the way they shouldn’t have. That’s just my opinion though.

Yes, I think that the "system" works best when "godly mothers" are involved. Someone once said that "The mother’s face and voice is the first conscious objects that an infant is aware of, and that she stands in the place of God to the child." There’s a passage in Isaiah 66, verse 13 that goes right well with that statement. Notice there these words by God: "As a mother comforteth, so will I comfort you..." Doesn’t that supply us with a great picture of how much God loves us and cares for us? We’re His children.

For our last look at mothers in the Bible, think of the horrible scene on the Hill of Golgotha, outside of Jerusalem. Can you imagine being a mother and watching your son being crucified. I’m sorry, but I can’t. Please read the account given us in John 19:25-30 as I close with some words penned by the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

                "Even He that died for us upon the cross, in the last hour, in the unutterable
                 agony of death, was mindful of his mother, as if to teach us that this holy
                 love should be our last worldly thought, the last point of earth from which
                 the soul should take its flight for heaven."

Ron Covey

How to be prepared for death

If you've ever read the comic strips, there's a word you may recognize: "Argh!" It usually is uttered by a character that has just done something they wish they hadn't done. Technically it's not a word; it's more likely to be classified as a "guttural", a sound. But it communicates quite effectively. It's also a sound you could have heard me utter early this morning.

Part of my morning routine is to send out a publication called "Daily Focus", designed primarily for members of our church, present or past. I spend several minutes typing in prayer requests, news items, etc. This morning I was about halfway through the composition phase when I accidentally hit the "send" button. "Argh!," I exclaimed. My next impulse was to hit another button to stop the sending process. Alas, there is no such button. There is no return from hitting "send" in email.

Many have had a similar "Argh" experience when they accidentally flushed a wedding ring down their toilet. It's amazing to see how common this phenomenon is; just Google it for yourself. I just learned that the wife of Glen Beck (famous conservative TV commentator) had that happen earlier this year. Occasionally people retrieve jewelry lost in that way, but the "send button" on the commode is generally another example of "no return".

Navigating unfamiliar city streets also presents us with such scenarios. Be sure you want to turn onto that one way street! It may be awhile before you can get turned around in the proper direction.

There's one event in the Bible that can aptly be described as "no return", and that's the unpleasant subject of death. Because it is so unpleasant, some choose not to think of it at all. But that would be like asking your doctor not to give you any bad news. The best hope we have of dealing with bad news is to first know what we're facing.

Hebrews 9:27 is a succinct statement of the truth: "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." Contrary to those who believe in the concept of reincarnation (returning to life multiple times but in different bodies), the Bible affirms we only live on this planet once. Once we exit this life (death), there is no return.

Be sure to notice, however, that death is not the end of our journeys. "... but after this the judgment." Many passages in Scripture speak of Judgment Day. Take 2 Corinthians 5:10, for example: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." No one will evade this appointment.

The Bible also gives us good news regarding Judgment Day. Here's how John stated it: "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so we are in this world" (1 John 4:17). If we are working to model our lives according to the example of Jesus, we can approach these fearful dates (death, judgment) with confidence.

Life is indeed a one-way street, so to speak. Our lives are moving surely toward the exit ramp, and there will be no return. That announcement should not leave us distressed, but determined to make Christ a central part of our lives. In doing so, we'll be ready for the inevitable.

Timothy D. Hall

How mothers can help save their children

THE GIFT - MOTHER'S DAY

Gifts are sometimes not thought out before they are given. A report this past week said that Mother's Day gifts are much harder to find (or purchase) than Father's Day gifts. Harder, in the fact that they take more thought to find an appropriate gift. Another survey said that most people spend between $40 and $100 on Mother's Day gifts, whereas Father's Day gifts are typically between $15 and $25.

Understand I'm not complaining in any way shape or form, I'm just trying to make the point that it's sometimes hard to find the perfect gift. I'm reminded of a gift box we one time received while working as Missionaries in Kenya, East Africa. Some good friends wanted to do something special for us and fixed us up a special box. They wrote us about it and kept check with us to see if we had received it, but wouldn't say what it was. It took over 6 months for the box to arrive (you never know if you will actually receive a box from America or not, but we did.)

When the box arrived, I commented that it looked like an elephant has stepped on it. With great anticipation we opened the box and found a gallon can of Tapioca pudding (one of my favorites) and a bag of Mikesell's Potato Chips (crisps) from our home state in Ohio (one of my wife's favorites) and a couple of bags of chocolate.

Can you imagine a box, six months in transit with a gallon can of Tapioca and a plastic bag of potato chips and chocolate (which had set in the hot sun in a shipping container in the docks in Africa looked like when we opened it? Actually the can made it through pretty well with only some minor rust, the potato chips were now potato dust and crumbs and the chocolate was large lumps (rolled in potato chip dust).

Do you want to guess our reaction? We were thrilled to get a box from home. We enjoyed the stale potato chip crumbs and used some of them in cooking, we ate the chocolate anyway and opened the can and ate the Tapioca pudding. We rejoiced that these dear friends had remembered us in the far away foreign land and had sent their love in the form of a battered box.

All of this is to say, with gifts, it really is the thought that counts! Love is shared, not in things, not from spending money, but in remembering to let the one you love know that you love them!

Mother's, we children and husbands sometimes stumble on that point, but know that you are loved and appreciated for all you were and are in our lives!

Some of the foundation principals in relationships is found in 1 Corinthians 13:7, where we read: "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance". (NLT)

Russ Lawson

Jerusalem Daily News

What Jesus Borrowed by Tom Wacaster In the thirty-three years that our Lord sojourned upon this earth, He never once demonstrated a single shred of materialistic desire. I doubt seriously that He ever scanned the Jerusalem Daily News to see whether the stock market was up or down, called His bank to see how His investments were doing, or worried as to how much inflation might be eating away at His little "nest egg" tucked away in some shady corner of His humble abode. For you see, He possessed none of these. On no occasion do we find that He carried with Him one single farthing. When He was asked about paying tribute to Caesar, His disciples had to bring Him the penny, for He was penniless. His only "purse" was the mouth of a fish that Peter caught, and when they parted His garments they did not discover any coin or notes. On one occasion his disciples encouraged Him to eat, but He said unto them, "I have meat to eat that ye know not..My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his wo rk" (John 4:32, 34), and warned all of us, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rush doth consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rush doth consume, and where thieves do not break through and steal" (Matt. 6:19-20). He not only preached that message, but lived that message to its fullest extent. Our Lord never owned any property, never built a house, never laid by in store, never had a passbook savings account, never organized a "garage sell," and never placed an ounce of importance on what one might possess in this life. When His life was finished and His course completed, the only thing He could call His own was stripped from His sinless body and gambled away at the foot of the cross by the Roman soldiers while their Master and Creator hung on the cross close by. Having no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58), He found His rest in the homes of those who were gr! acious enough to provide His daily sustenance, and grant Him a place of repose when the day was done. Today Fortune 500 would rank our Lord a failure; Forbes Magazine would not waste paper and ink to mention His name; and few, if any who are enamored with this world's material things would consider His words worth their attention. This they have demonstrated by their rejection of things spiritual in exchange for the glitter of the world. But history will attest that the greatest man that ever walked the face of this earth (if we dare call Him a "man") was the most contented, and the most influential individual who has ever lived. What He needed, the Father supplied; what His heavenly Father did not provide, our Lord did not need. Would that our affluent society would learn that lesson today. He depended upon others to be used as tools in the Father's hand to minister to His need. From the cradle to the grave, never did a man live in such poverty, deprive himself of the things of this world, or depend upon others for his physical well being, as did Jesus of Nazareth. Though He may have borrowed those things He needed from time to time, those who were gracious to "loan" unto Him what they possessed soon learned that their "investment" returned mighty dividends that could not be measured in monetary value. What makes our Lord's poverty even more astonishing is that He chose to live that way. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). When we consider the life of Jesus we stand amazed at His complete denial of self. He gave up the riches of heaven, came to this earth, took upon Himself the form of a man, and truly demonstrated where the true riches are to be found. I for one am glad that He borrowed those things He needed in this life. In so doing He demonstrated the undeniable truth that it is not things that are important, but one's relationship with the Father in heaven. I do not know who penned the f! ollowing, but it is certainly thought provoking, and a fitting conclusion to this week's article: They borrowed a bed to lay his head When Christ the Lord came down; They borrowed the ass in the mountain pass For him to ride to town; But the crown that he wore and the cross that he bore Were his own - the cross was his own! He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fed On the grassy mountainside; He borrowed the dish of broken fish With which he was satisfied; But the crown that he wore and the cross that he bore Were his own - the cross was his own! He borrowed the ship in which to sit To teach the multitude; He borrowed a nest in which to rest - He had never a home so rude; But the crown that he wore and the cross that he bore Were his own - the cross was his own! He borrowed a room on his way to the tomb The Passover Lamb to eat; They borrowed a cave for him a grave; They borrowed a winding sheet; But the crown that he wore and the cross that he bore Were his own - the cross was his own! [this article was first written in 2007 and updated for this week's 'Tom's Pen]

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me

"The GREYHOUND had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they manually worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.

With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor." - The Reformed Reader

John Newton survived that day at the helm.  That day, March 21, 1748, was a turning point in his life.  It was a day that he would never forget, for he believed that "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters."  On that day he began to turn to the Christ that he had ignored since childhood when his mother had tried to teach him the Scriptures.

Newton went on to preach about the GRACE  that had lifted him out of despair, and he wrote the words of the beloved hymn:

"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see."

Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach until his health would no longer allow it.  Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." - the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 1:15

That's WONDERFUL NEWS, for we are ALL sinners, doomed to destruction (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our redemption from sin (Ephesians 1:7).

We receive God's amazing grace when we... place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  We continue to be cleansed from our sins as we continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Stan Mitchell has written: "Dying for the sins of the world is not an every day event. . It was stunning, unexpected and offered to those who were unworthy.  In a word, it was nothing less than AMAZING."

Won't YOU receive the Amazing Grace of God through your trusting obedience?
 
David Sargent

 

Reaching people with the gospel of Christ

New Ideas!

 

New Ideas always are a problem, whether in our homes or in our churches. Understand I am someone who is very skeptical about change, but I embrace it when I am convinced it is (1) in keeping with the guidelines found in God's Word and (2) it will really benefit God's Church.

 

Not all ideas are good ideas, just because they are new, nor are they of necessity bad, just because they are new. I got a chuckle out of the following story about embracing change:

 

 The elderly priest, speaking to the younger priest, said, "It was a good idea to replace the first four pews with plush theater seats. It worked. The front of the church fills first."

 

 The young priest nodded, and the old one continued, "And you told me a little more beat to the music would bring young people back to church, so I supported you when you brought in that rock' n' roll gospel choir. We are packed to the balcony."

 

"Thank you, Father," answered the young priest, "I am pleased you are open to the new ideas of youth." "However," said the elderly priest, "I'm afraid you've gone too far with the drive-through confessional."

 

"But, Father," protested the young priest, "my confessions have nearly doubled since I began that!"

 

"I know, son," replied the old man, "but that flashing neon sign, 'Toot 'n' Tell or Go to Hell,' is just not staying on the church roof."

 

It is a blessing for us that God did not give us directions on everything we do. Yes, he did allow us some leeway on how we do some things. I'm not saying that we change the doctrine of the church or God's plan of Salvation, or our worship as outlined in God's Word. But we shouldn't be afraid to embrace new ways of doing the old things.

 

I know that some of us don't like change, yet there are some who like new things and change. There is nothing wrong with that. God made us different. If you don't like change I'm sorry, but the world in which we live is constantly changing.

 

We continue to try and improve our facilities; we are trying to complement our worship and bible study periods with a new sound system and coming soon a new projector system. A new way of presenting the message, but we are not changing the message. I can remember preachers hanging white sheets behind the pulpit with a bible message printed on it, we don't do that anymore. We found a better way. In years past we often knocked doors and passed out flyers about our church. Now we mail bible study material and information about our church into 2,000 homes around our building. We have a website with sermons you can listen to in your own home. We have email contacts, etc. in other words, we have changed, but the message hasn't and I like that! I kind of even like the idea of the flashing neon sign on top of the building.. Well, maybe even I'm not quite ready for that much change.

 

Russ Lawson

 

Death Valley Dreamlapse 2

 

I am fascinated by time-lapse photography. In case you're not familiar with the concept, think of it as frame-by-frame movies with a lapse of time between each frame. The lapse may be seconds, minutes or even days. The effect is to see things happen faster than in real time.

 

An excellent example was presented to me just this morning. Entitled "Death Valley Dreamlapse 2", the footage shows the movement of stars in the desert sky, something one would not discern with the naked eye. Cloud movement is also enhanced, though we can see the clouds moving on our own. Overall, it makes for an enthralling 3-minute video. (You can see it at http://vimeo.com/65008584#)

 

A different type of time-lapse is to show the development of people over a period of time. One individual documented the changes in their daughter by taking still photos over a four-year period and blending them together. About 40 photos per year were used, and the four years were shown in a 30-second video. It's quite a compelling view; you can see it at http://vimeo.com/991627.

 

You don't have to produce time-lapse sequences to see changes over time. I can easily know that changes have taken place in my appearance over time just by looking at my high school yearbook! But by using this amazing technique we are impressed by what actually happens around us all the time. Change is a constant in life.

 

Not everything changes, however. You may doubt the truthfulness of that claim, for everything seems to change. Shiny new cars will eventually fade and rust; impressive mansions will deteriorate over time; even mountains erode. But I'll state it again: not everything changes.

 

Malachi 3:6 presents the truth behind this claim: "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." God does not change. If it were possible (it isn't possible, but let's just imagine) for a camera to be focused on God and His image snapped over decades-long lapses of time - God would look the same today as He did 5,000 years ago. Amazing!

 

Is this claim trivial or important? Important, of course, because it tells us that God will stand the test of time. In 1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "The Great Stoneface", based on a granite mountain formation in New Hampshire known as "The Old Man of the Mountains". On May 3, 2003 that edifice collapsed and is no more. God, however, will never collapse. Granite will fail; God will not.

 

This also leads us to this observation: "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:11). Society is in a state of constant flux; things we once depended on may one day no longer be with us. But the truth God has revealed in His word will continue unchanged - until He changes it. Until that day, we rest our faith on His holy word, the Bible.

 

Because of this monumental truth that God does not change (see also Hebrews 1:11,12), we can live by this truth: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). "In God we trust" - the coins and bills that bear those words begin wearing out as they leave the mint, but the truth stated by those words will never fail. God suffers not at all from elapsed time!

 

Timothy D. Hall