An insurance agent was writing a policy for a cowboy. "Have you ever had any accidents?" the agent asked. "No, not really," replied the cowboy. "A horse threw me off and kicked me in the ribs once, and I got bit a couple of times by a rattlesnake, but that's about it." "Don't you call those accidents?" demanded the agent. "Oh no," said the cowboy, "They did them things on purpose!"
It occurs to me that many things that appear to be accidents, or that we pretend are accidents, are actually intended outcomes. Sin is seldom if ever accidental. We may say that we "didn't mean to do it" or "didn't mean to say it," but, most of the time, that isn't really true. And, even if we didn't mean to do it or say it, surely the tempter meant for us to. Righteousness isn't an accident either. Jesus didn't accidentally live a sinless life. It took purpose of heart to resist temptation and do right at every turn.
Barnabas encouraged Christians that "with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord" (Acts 11:23). Paul commended Timothy because he had "carefully followed" Paul's "doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance" (2Tim. 3:10). The life of a Christian is truly a purpose-driven life. It is lived with a sense of purpose, by those who choose to do right on purpose.
This applies to every aspect of our lives, including our speech. We will not say the right things accidentally. We must choose to say them. In Psalm 17:3 David wrote, "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." David was right before God because he had determined to control his mouth. We must also control our speech if we are to be acceptable to God. The Bible says that "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless" (James 1:26).
We are to be thoughtful and purposeful with everything we say. Proverbs 15:28 states that, "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil." The righteous man doesn't just say whatever comes into his mind. He "studies how to answer!" The New Testament commands, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Eph. 4:29).
Yet how often do we just talk without thinking about the effect of our words? In the Book of Job, Job's three friends had a lot to say to him that was pretty useless. Of them and their words Job says, "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all! Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?" (Job 16:2-3). One paraphrased translation of this has, "I've had all I can take of your talk. What a bunch of miserable comforters! Is there no end to your windbag speeches? What's your problem that you go on and on like this?" (MSG). Job's friends, though intelligent men, had not chosen to speak words that would have a positive effect.
Let us all give thought to the impact of our words. Words are powerful, and they will not be a power for good unless we purpose to make them so. Let's do our best to make sure that what we say is what we mean to say, and that what we mean to say is good. (Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, March 29, 2009)

Who Said We Must Be Broadminded?

There is no room for broad-mindedness in the chemical laboratory. Water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The slightest deviation from that formula is forbidden.
There is no room for broad mindedness in music. The skilled director will not permit his first violin to play even so much as one-half note off the written note, chord, and key.
There is no room for broad-mindedness in the mathematics classroom. Neither geometry, calculus, nor trigonometry allow for any variation from exact accuracy, even for “old time's sake.” The solution of the problem is either right or it is wrong (no tolerance there).
There is no room for broad-mindedness in biology. One varying result out of a thousand experiments will invalidate an entire theory.
There is no room for broad-mindedness on the athletic field. The game is to be played according to the rules with no favors shown for "charity's sake."
There is no room for broad-mindedness in the garage. The mechanic there says the piston rings must fit the cylinder walls within one-thousandth part of an inch. Even between friends there cannot be any variation if the motor is to run smoothly.
How then shall we expect that broad-mindedness shall rule in the realm of Christianity and morals? He that forsakes the truth of God, forsakes the God of truth. (Author Unknown)

One Must Go Into the Water

"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
Many object to baptism for the remission of sins by saying, "There's no power in the water." Jesus healed a blind man by anointing his eyes and saying, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." (John 9:6-7) The blind man did not object by saying, "There's no power in the water." He knew the power was of the Lord and he had to obey the Lord to receive the blessing. He promptly obeyed and received his sight. Likewise, there is no power in the water of baptism. The power is of the Lord, but one must go to the water to receive the blessing.

A Moments Wisdom

If you think it is alright to tell white lies you will soon grow color-blind.
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed; easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
By the way some people talk, one would infer that they really enjoy poor health.
The abundant life too often is smothered in the abundance of things.
If you want to conquer your weakness, you must not indulge or excuse it.
How few are our real wants, and how vast are our imaginary ones!

Aborting Doctors
By Mike Thomas

This past Sunday, Scott Roeder shot down and killed George Tiller, a prominent abortion doctor. This was a deliberate act against Tiller, whose clinic is one of a few in the country where late-term abortions are performed. President Obama released a statement on the shooting: "I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."
Whether you agree with Tiller’s death or not, the President is correct in charging that we are not to resolve the abortion issue with further acts of violence. I’m not as “shocked and outraged” as our President since Tiller was guilty of killing thousands of innocent lives, but I do agree that we must abide within the laws of the land, as God tells us (Romans 13:1-2). If everyone took justice into their own hands against injustices in our society, there would be an even greater slaughtering of corrupt doctors, lawyers, politicians, accountants, and so forth. This is certainly not the way God wants us to respond to evil; He will take vengeance in His own time (12:19).
I must admit, though, that I am amazed at the outrage over Tiller’s murder and not the unborn children he killed. Late-term abortions are performed in the second and third trimester, when the baby is capable of surviving outside the womb. But Tiller and others like him would cut the baby into pieces and vacuum them out of the womb. Where is the outrage over this heinous behavior? Why is there no shock over these acts of violence?
If you don’t want the baby, let him go to one of the many loving people trying to adopt children. Murder should never be an option for eliminating unwanted children…or even the doctors who would kill them. (Beaver Dam, Kentucky)

The Upside Of Aging
By Libby Grandy

George McDonald wrote, “Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling of the fresh life within.” Sadly, our culture doesn’t have such a fond opinion of growing older.
Does the mirror determine who we are at 60, 75, or 100? The body is naturally subject to the depredations of time. But must the inner person be subject to aging as well? Not necessarily. Read 2 Corinthians 4:16 where Paul tells us, “Even though the outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
The retirement years are not a time for mourning a life passed by. These years are a time of growing in God’s Spirit, a time of freedom. A person does not need to be defined by a job, education, physical fitness, etc. Time can be spent with friends, children, grandchildren, in church, in helping others, and in prayer. Your time is your own, to be used only as God sees fit.
Bodies break down over the weight of years, but other burdens melt away. Old age has a way of releasing us from caring about what others think of us, and freeing us from the duty of living up to other’s expectations.
Growing old helps us to stop taking our time for granted. Wise people don’t spend their time on bemoaning what might have been or on their own physical deterioration. They use their time to serve the Lord, to make a positive contribution, helping others, all with an open heart. Older people are no older than they choose to be.

Avenues of Retreat

"No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).
When Cortez landed at Vera Cruz in 1519 to begin his conquest of Mexico with a small force of 700 men, he purposely set fire to his fleet of eleven ships. His men on the shore watched their only means of retreat sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. With no means of retreat, there was only one direction in which to move, forward into the Mexican interior to meet whatever might come their way.
To be a disciple of the Lord, we also must purposely destroy all avenues of retreat. We must resolve that whatever price is required for being His follower, we will gladly pay. We have become citizens of the kingdom of God, and we will not retreat to the world.

A Moments Wisdom

An immoral man is dangerous whether he is armed with a gun, or with a Bible.
God does not promise “loaves” to “loafers.”
When an optimist gets the worst of it, he makes the best of it.
No amount of riches can atone for poverty of character.
If you want to do something to make a better world, improve yourself.
Tact is the ability to close your mouth before somebody else wants to.
The scars of others should teach us caution.
Charity gives itself rich; covetousness hoards itself poor.

In the book of Daniel, three young men are put to a great test of character as they stood before the King of Babylon in defiance of a decree that could cost them their lives. Nebuchadnezzar had made an image of gold nearly ninety feet tall in the plain of Dura and commanded all people to fall down and worship the image at the sound of various forms of music. When the time came, all the “people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up” (Dan. 3:7). In the midst of this great throng of bodies bowing down in worship three men remained standing and refused to bow. The penalty for rebellion was clear. “Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:6).
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Hebrew slaves taken from their homeland in the invasion of Judah by Babylon. They had been placed in the king’s palace to serve and learn the language and literature of the Chaldeans. We know them best by their Chaldean names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Brought before King Nebuchadnezzar the king gave them a second chance to reconsider their refusal to bow down and worship the image. Their reply was clear and demonstrative. "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (Dan. 3:16-18).
The three Hebrews were cast into the furnace but through the grace of God delivered without the hair of their hair singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them (Dan. 3:27). God used their faith to show the king of Babylon who “rules in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:17). This remarkable story of courage is one fitting for our young people to embrace as they graduate High School and begin the challenging walk of life.
Two things stand out in this story: first, the importance of believing in something; secondly, the need of believing in the right thing. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not go along with the crowd. It was not their life’s aim to be like everyone else. They believed in something and not only believed it but were willing to disobey the law of the king because of what they believed in.
It is easy to go along with everyone else and be like the crowd. When the music began to play in the plain of Dura, thousands of people fell down to worship the image. Consider how odd they felt to be the only ones standing. Literally, everyone was bowing but these three men. They could have fallen down and who would have noticed? They possessed a belief system that challenged the moral code of the day. Young people, you must posses a system of belief to find happiness in life that will set you apart. Following the crowd will get you no where (Matt. 7:13-14).
Having a belief system is not enough – you have to believe in the right thing. They refused to worship the image because it was wrong. They stood for what was right because they stood for what God taught them. They served the Lord and not man (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29). As young people going out into the world, you must believe in the right thing and the only thing that is right is what is found in God (John 17:7). True happiness will not be found in bowing down to the music of the day. It will only come from standing for God in the face of great opposition to the norms of today. If your life is going to make a difference it must be made with the Lord as your guide and compass (John 14:6).

The Window through Which We Look

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
'That laundry is not very clean,' she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly..
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.' Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.'
The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others often depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

The Bottom Line to Worry

There are only two things to worry about: Either you are well or you are sick.
If you are well, there's nothing to worry about. But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about: Either you get well or you die.
If you get well, there's nothing to worry about. But if you die, there are only two things to worry about: Either you will go to Heaven or you will go to Hell.
If you go to Heaven, there's nothing to worry about. But if you go to Hell, there is all eternity to worry about.
Where will you spend eternity? This is the bottom line to worry.

A Church Garden

First, plant five rows of peas:
Presence
Promptness
Purity
Perseverance
Peace
Next to these, plant three rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash criticism
Squash indifference
No garden is complete without turnips:
Turn up for services
Turn up with a smile
Turn up prepared to study
Turn up with determination to make everything count for good

A Moments Wisdom

What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today.
You cannot keep your shoes shined if you continually walk in the mud.
The Devil is willing for a man to preach the truth as long as he doesn’t practice it.
Easy street and the strait and narrow path do not intersect.
Christians should be humbly grateful instead of grumbly hateful.
Common sense is a very uncommon commodity.
Thank God for what you have. Trust God for what you need.

Unto the church of my Lord in every locality, I am under solemn obligation to the extent of my ability, but unto my home congregation I am under special obligation.
1. I want my home congregation to radiate a wholesome influence in the community. Therefore, I owe it the example of a good life. For it, I must live "soberly, righteously and godly" (Matt. 5:13-16).
2. I want the strangers who enter the door of the meeting house to feel at home, to learn to love us, and to return from time to time. They are guests; I must greet them. I owe it to them and to the church to show myself friendly. I must not stand back and wait for others to greet them; this I must do (Heb. 13:2).
3. No congregation can make progress without faithful and efficient leaders. To a certain extent, the members of the church make or break their leaders. To the end that our leaders may be stronger and more efficient, I must give them my support. As long as they are true men, I must not embarrass them in their work.
4. My home congregation has financial obligations which are due at regular intervals. Whether I give or do not give, these obligations must be paid. If it is right for my congregation to pay its obligations each week, it is right for me to give each week. Though circumstances may force me to be absent at times, my contributions must find their way into the treasury of the church (1Cor. 16:1-2).
5. I know that the very existence of any congregation depends upon the attendance of its members. In fact, the attendance is the life of the church. For this reason, I must attend the services -- all of the services I can. I will not have it said that my home congregation perished because I would not attend services (Heb. 10:25).
6. I want my home congregation to grow, to multiply in membership. Therefore, I must set myself to the noble work of winning souls for Christ.
Wishing to be honest, I must meet my obligations to the best of my ability. I must, with the help that God gives, play my part in the incomparable work of building the body of Christ which He purchased with His own precious blood. (Contributed by Wendell Bennett)

Well Now, That's Different!
By Luther Blackmon

Have you ever tired to picture in your mind what would happen if some eccentric multi-millionaire philanthropist should announce in the local newspaper that one night during one of our gospel meetings he would give each person present one thousand dollars? Well I have. And in fancy's vision, I see a strange and motley crowd: the rich and the poor, the fat and the frail, Republicans, Democrats, scoffers and cynics, “God-is-dead-ers,” segregationists and integrationists, the famous and the infamous. People who haven't spoken to each other in years would sit side by side if necessary. The once-a-weekers and the once-in-a-whilers would be there. Grandpa would rub his "rhuematiz" leg with some goose grease and turpentine and he would be there. Folks who haven't been there because they were afraid to drive at night would chance it; all the backsliders would suddenly warm up and take their place where they could be seen. All the puny excuses and anemic alibis and other kinds of lies we have been telling ourselves and others about why we didn't attend worship would disappear like dirt before "Tide" or roaches before "Raid." We would have crowds that would make a Democratic Convention look like a country picnic -- that is until the money was passed out. We would look for a slump after that. What kind of "Christian" would do for money what he would not do for his soul?

Ironic, Isn’t It?

In 1870, a bishop speaking before a church gathering stated that, "Man has invented everything that can be invented. He has done all he can do." But the meeting's presiding officer suggested that a great invention would yet be made within the next fifty years. Upon further questioning, the officer replied, "I think man will learn how to fly." The bishop was astonished, saying, "Don't you know that flight is reserved for the angels?” It was just thirty-three years later that the Wright brothers embarked on their first halting flight at Kitty Hawk. Imagine the amazement of Bishop Milton Wright, who had denied the possibility of flight only to later witness his two sons, Orville and Wilbur Wright, become the first humans to fly! (Carl D. Windsor, On This Day, Thomas Nelson pub, 1989, p.89)

Trading Gold for Iron

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).
During his reign, King Frederic William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn't disappoint his people, and to surrender to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their gold and silver jewelry to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of iron as a symbol of gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed: "I gave gold for iron, 1813."
The response was overwhelming and, more importantly, the women prized the iron from their king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, was obvious. Their decorations of iron were proof that they had sacrificed for their king and country. Let us willingly and freely sacrifice for our glorious King by denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross and following Him

A Moments Wisdom

A good friend is like toothpaste. He comes through in a tight squeeze.
The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend.
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.
I'm going to destroy them. I'm going to make them my friends. (Note: Abraham Lincoln,
when asked how he intended to deal with his enemies)
Liberal: a person with a high pressure feeling, low pressure thinking and a constant urge to give away what belongs to somebody else.
A politician is a person who can make waves and then make you think he's the only one who can save the ship.
Politics and the fate of mankind are shaped by men without ideals and without greatness. Men who have greatness within them don't go in for politics.
When politicians come up with a solution to your problem, you now have two problems.

A Moments Wisdom

The economy has dominated the news lately, and the news has not been good. No need to rehash the details here -- the media has done a good enough job of that. Like everyone else, I'm not happy about it and it has already had adverse effects on me. But, knowing that "one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15), I don't plan to spend too much time stewing over it. Wall Street may be in a panic, but I'm not, and here are just a few of the reasons why.
Let me first say that I don't buy into all the doom and gloom forecasts for the economy. I do believe the economy will rebound, but let's just say for arguments' sake that things get worse, perhaps even far worse. I'm still not going to panic because I know God will provide me with the things I need -- IF I seek first the kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).
Secondly, if I am reduced to the necessities of life, my attitude must be one of contentment, not panic. "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content" (1Tim. 6:8). Hopefully, I will learn, as Paul did to be content "in whatever state I am" (Phil. 4:11). Perhaps I will even learn the lesson so eloquently expressed by the prophet Habakkuk: "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls -- yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab. 3:17-18).
Thirdly, economic hard times may turn out to be good for me spiritually. If I can't buy as many things, if I can't go as many places, I may just give more attention to the things that matter most. Many of us have seen our stocks decline in value but there are other riches that are not subject to the ebb and flow of the market -- the "exceeding riches of His grace" (Eph. 2:7), or the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). In other words, I'm not going to panic if I become poor, because I will still be rich (Prov. 13:7). I'm very aware of what the Bible says about the uncertainty of material riches (1Tim. 6:17; Prov. 23:5), but it's hard to think that way when my investments seem secure. Believe me, I understand now just how insecure they can be, and maybe, just maybe, that will cause me to put more trust in God.
"Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring... build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand" (Hold to God's Unchanging Hand, Jennie Wilson, EL. Eiland; Via The Exhorter, Sept/Oct 2008)

Tyndale’s Crime

William Tyndale was born in A.D. 1494, near the middle of the Dark Ages. The times were dark because the Scriptures had long been kept from the people by the Roman Catholic Church. Church leaders believed that only members of the clergy should read the Scriptures. For that reason, the Word of God was neither taught nor made available.
Tyndale devoted his life to changing all of that. He built on the work of John Wycliffe, a man who died a hundred years before Tyndale was born. Wycliffe risked his life on a daily basis to translate the Bible from Latin to English, then to have handwritten copies distributed to the people. Wycliffe was so hated for making the Bible available that several decades after he died, his enemies condemned him for heresy, dug up his body, burned it, then threw the ashes into a local river.
Tyndale built on the foundation Wycliffe laid down, except that Tyndale bypassed the Latin version entirely and translated the Scriptures from the original Hebrew and Greek, directly into English. Because his work was so violently opposed in England, the land of his birth, he fled to Germany. In answering a priest who criticized his work, Tyndale said, "If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that drives a plow to know more of the Scriptures than you do."
Like those in the time of Josiah, the people did not know the Scriptures, but neither did the priests. Most of them were ignorant of the Bible. Their source of "truth" was the Pope.
One bishop in Tyndale's time did a survey of the 311 priests in his diocese:
168 of the priests couldn't repeat the Ten Commandments.
31 of the 168 had no idea in where in the Bible the Ten Commandments could be found.
41 could not locate the "Lord's prayer."
31 of the 41 could not name the author of the Lord's Prayer.
When Tyndale completed his translation of the New Testament in 1525, more than 15,000 copies were smuggled back into England over the next five years. Officials did their best to stop the distribution. They delighted in burning Bibles whenever they discovered any. In May of 1535, Tyndale was finally captured and thrown into prison. Approximately one year later, he was burned at the stake. And why was he burned in the flames? Because he was committed to the idea that average people should be able to read the Bible. That was his crime. (Steve Farrar, from KneEmail)

A Moments Wisdom

A man is in hot water when his tender heart becomes hard-boiled.
A man who says just what he thinks should be sure he thinks before he says.
No man is strong enough to carry a grudge all of his life.
You don’t need references in order to borrow trouble.
Some people develop eye strain looking for trouble.
The man who forgets he was once a boy is the man whom boys dislike.
Lies, like chickens, come home to roost.
Some people are like rocking chairs — full of motion, but they make no progress.
A half-truth and a whole lie are congenial companions.
It is good to be wise, and it is wise to be good.

There is a story told of a community of fishermen that loved to get together to talk about fishing. They met once a week and spent hours pouring over the different ways to catch fish, the newest instruments, and the most up-to-date information on the habits of fish. They met during the week to have another meeting to study fishing. Twice a year (sometimes more) grand meetings would be held inviting neighboring fishing communities to come and learn more about fishing and the importance of fishing. Speeches filled the assembly halls with examples of those who fished in days past and the great numbers of fish caught (one such story told of catching 3,000 fish in one day). Flyers were printed with all the information on how to catch fish, where to catch fish and the need to catch more fish. One could say that this community of fishermen were busy about the need of fishing and had all the resources to catch fish daily. Sadly with all the energy put into the science of fishing, few fish were ever caught and sometimes a few years would go by before even one fish was caught.
The problem in this fishing community was very simple. While everyone agreed on the need to catch fish, only a few (if any) ever took the time to put a hook in the water and make an effort to catch fish. They knew just about everything there was to know about fishing but no one wanted to take the time to go to the river or the lake to catch fish. Some communities would hire a man to come in and do their fishing for them. Others were content to read about it but no one should expect them to do any fishing. Remarkably there were many who thought the fish would just jump out of the water and into the boat – why should they do anything – let the fish come to them.
With all the great evangelism plans and gospel meetings about teaching others, the words of Jesus still ring true today: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). The emphasis should be made of the need to “GO” and the only way to “MAKE” disciples of all the nations is to have someone sit down with someone and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord further admonishes the need of “TEACHING THEM” and that takes individuals teaching individuals. All of this requires ‘putting a hook in the water’ but you can’t put a hook in the water unless you GO to the water.
“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them” (Acts 8:5). “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to [the eunuch]” (Acts 8:35). Cornelius tells Peter "So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (Acts 10:33). Paul found Lydia at the riverside in Philippi (Acts 16:11-15) and then taught the jailor and all his family (Acts 16:25-34). People taught people the gospel in the First Century.
The great need of the church today is for its citizens to realize that all the talk of saving souls is only as good as those who are willing to lay aside the busy affairs of life and spend time gleaning the fields ready for harvest. “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35). Jesus admonishes still today, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Matt. 9:37).

Taking the Slums Out of People

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mould men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature” (Ezra Taft Benson).

Counting God’s Promises

Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, "I have ten pennies."
"No," said the first little girl, "You have just five pennies, the same as I."
"But," the second child quickly responded, "My father said that when he got home tonight he would give me five more pennies; so I have ten pennies."
Trustfully, she counted as hers what her father had promised. That's exactly how a Christian can be poor in the estimation of the world, and at the same time, be rich in the things of God. A Christian counts as his whatever his heavenly Father has promised.

The Heaviest Artillery

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26).
God rules in the kingdoms of men. Napoleon, at the height of his career, is reported to have given this cynical answer to someone who asked if God was on the side of France: “God is on the side that has the heaviest artillery.” Then came the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon lost both the battle and his empire. Years later, in exile on the island of St. Helena, chastened and humbled, Napoleon is reported to have quoted the words of Thomas à Kempis: “Man proposes, God disposes.” Indeed, God is able to work His sovereign will, despite what man may purpose.
“The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Dan. 4:32).

A Moments Wisdom

Some folks aren’t interested in anything unless it is none of their business.
If revenge is so sweet, why does it leave such a bitter taste?
Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off.
A modern bathing suit is the difference between not very much and nothing at all.
If fifty million people say a foolish thing over and over, it is still a foolish thing.
A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future.
We should be more concerned about making our years count than in counting our years.
The way to worry about nothing is to pray about everything.
A groundless rumor often covers a lot of ground.
Faults are thick where love is thin.
A tongue three inches long can ruin a man six feet tall.
The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.
If your neck isn't in God's yoke, it is in the Devil's noose.
Brief pleasures lead to long regrets.
When you get mad, you've been had.
Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.
Make your life a challenge, not a compromise.
Those who can -- do; those who can't -- find fault.

Love Vs Bitterness

Bitterness imprisons life;
Love releases it.
Bitterness paralyzes life;
Love empowers it.
Bitterness sickens life;
Love heals it.
Bitterness blinds life;
Love anoints its eyes.

What is really important in life?
Most people would answer this question by talking about family and friends. Some would appreciate stability and creature comforts. Most people would recognize, at least mentally, that work and stuff and other such things would not qualify as "really important."
But how do we make clear what is important-- by what we say or what we do? We humans are good at saying one thing and doing quite another. We may say that family is important, but how much time do we spend with our families? We may recognize that "stuff" really is not that important, but how many work longer hours to make more money to get more stuff? How many people are really slaves to their job? These concerns are only made more acute when there is economic uncertainty. Stress and anxiety grow when there is concern about losing hours or a job, or when bills pile up.
But what would happen if a disaster took place? What if everything you owned burned up in a fire? What if a tornado, hurricane, or flood carried away your belongings? There would be sorrow for that which was lost for certain. Places full of memories are no more. But you would still be alive-- and you would recognize the importance of life.
God wants us to recognize that despite the high-stress pace of modern existence, life is the most important thing: our own lives, the lives of family members, friends, associates, acquaintances, and even enemies and people we do not know. It is best when we learn this lesson before it is too late!
We hope and pray that we will never experience a natural disaster. Nevertheless, Peter indicates that a day is coming when what really is important will be made evident in 2Peter 3:10-12 -- “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
A day of fire is coming, and all the works of man will be destroyed. Every monument, every building, every organization, every creature comfort-- every last thing will be no more. When all of this goes down, what will be really important?Nothing will be more important on that day than the soul and its condition. Have we been faithful to Jesus Christ and prepared the soul for eternal life, or have we spent our days in sinful living, storing up wrath for eternity (Rom. 2:5-10)? Have we been working to store treasure in Heaven, practicing righteousness, love, and mercy, or will all of our effort have been destroyed in that great fire (Matt. 6:19-21)?
Let none be deceived; everything you can see, hear, taste, and touch is not important. It will all perish by that final day. When we all stand before God, no one will worry about having not worked overtime, obtaining the next great piece of technology, or any such thing. We will all be concerned with how we have sustained our soul and the souls of those whom we love. Do not allow that day to come upon you unaware-- serve Jesus Christ today!

Campbellites?

"...And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." (Acts 11:26) "...But if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name." (1Peter 4:16)
Members of the church of Christ have often been labeled, "Campbellites." However, they cannot be "Campbellites" because the church of Christ did not originate with Alexander Campbell. There is a tombstone in the Cemetery near the old log church building in Cane Ridge, Kentucky with the following inscription: "William Rogers born in Campbell County Virginia July 7, 1784 removed with his father to Cane Ridge, Bourbon County, April 1798. United with the church of Christ at Cane Ridge in 1807. Died February 15, 1862 in the 78th year of his age. He was the friend of God."
Alexander Campbell did not come to this country as a Presbyterian until 1809. The ancient tombstone states that William Rogers was united with the church of Christ in 1807. Thus, Alexander Campbell did not begin the church of Christ. Members of the church of Christ are not "Campbellites," but "Christians."

Immaturity
By Robert F. Turner

Irresponsible, shortsighted, rash and selfish conduct is often proof of immaturity. But we do not refer to years. People sixty and above may be immature --- acting like little children when they do not get their way, or are forced to face the realities of this life. They are incapable of objectivity, their pride is easily hurt, and they throw a tantrum. That is bad enough in secular life, but it can be tragic in the church.
Bible knowledge maturity is found in those who dwell on something more than first principles (Heb. 5:12f). They have learned that justice, mercy, and faith are the grounds upon which their concern for tithes of mint, anise and cumin can have validity. Ignore the first, and one becomes an hypocritical nit-picker with all else (Matt. 23:23-24). He may strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
People-dealing maturity comes only after we learn that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23), and are completely humbled before God. The “babe” seeks an “issue” and perhaps make a “name” for himself. But maturity seeks for souls, hoping to “give ‘em Heaven,” and save them from Hell. The babe sees himself as a General in the Lord’s army; the mature saint is an expendable servant of the Lord.
Doctrinal maturity is not compromise with error. It is simply wisdom enough to know we do not know it all. The babe paddles wildly about on the surface of the water, loudly proclaiming his domination of the seas; but maturity is aware of the unexplored depths below. The fool has an answer, the wise, a reason.
Paul told Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” and “foolish and unlearned questions avoid” (2Tim. 2:22). There is no “instant maturity” for any of us. We must start with instructions to youth, and “by reason of use” we may “grow up” in Christ. All of us are in the process in many facets of the Christian life, not having attained (Phil. 3:12). We can be patient and tolerant of blustering spiritual babes without appointing them as elders, preachers, and editors. In time, with enough milk and nurture, we may all learn to act like men.

A Moments Wisdom

A sharp tongue does not necessarily indicate keen thinking.
The most dangerous stumbling blocks are those under our hats.
Our heart is the mainspring for our tongue.
So you are just as good as half the folks in the church? Well, which half?
Loose conduct will get a person in a tight spot.
Courtesy is said to be contagious, and what we need is a good epidemic.
Many parents are not on “spanking” terms with their children.
People make enemies by complaining too much to their friends.
He who talks without thinking runs more risks than he who thinks without talking.
Every moment you are angry, you lose one minute of happiness.

One of the greatest blessings a child of God has is prayer, the right to communicate with God. Anyone who is striving to do the will of the Lord will have an active prayer life.
Give Yourself to Prayer
In several New Testament passages, the Christian is urged to give time to prayer. In Luke 18, Jesus taught a parable to demonstrate that people "always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). The apostle Paul, in 1Timothy 2:8, encouraged men in every place to pray. In 1Thessalonians 5:17, Christians are commanded to "Pray without ceasing."
To "pray without ceasing" is not to have some incessant babbling on your lips but to have the attitude of mind to regularly and frequently pray. It means to have a willingness to talk to God -- to share burdens, to confess sins and to pray for strength and courage.
Many Neglect to Pray
Even though many commands and encouragements to pray are contained in Scripture, sometimes children of God neglect this glorious privilege. It is only at worship assemblies or in times of trouble, sickness or need, that some who claim to be Christians even give thought to prayer. Why the neglect?
Many reasons could be given which are too lengthy and varied to explore in this short article, so instead we will just consider one. Neglect of prayer usually indicates neglect in other phases of one's life as a child of God. The mind of such a person is often on worldly things. Prayer, which can so easily be put off, is postponed then forgotten.
A hymn often sung asks, "Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?" Did you? Or were other things on your mind? If you did not think to pray, you let a great opportunity escape which can never be recovered. You should have at least thanked God for the new day and the breath of life that is in your body that enables you to experience and enjoy it.
Things for Which to Pray
Some may be hesitant to pray as often as they should because they do not know the things for which they should pray. If they were to properly study the Bible, they would know those things for which they should pray because it reveals them. According to Scripture, included in those things for which the Christian should pray are:
Those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44)
The Lord's will to be done (Matt. 6:10)
Daily bread (Matt. 6:11)
Forgiveness of sin (Matt. 6:12)
Kings and all who are in high places (1Tim. 2:2)
All men (1Tim. 2:1)
That you enter not into temptation (Matt. 26:41)
If you are suffering (James 5:13)
The sick (James 5:14-15)
Why the Emphasis on Prayer?
Why emphasize prayer? James 5:16 gives the answer: "...The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." It works! 1Peter 3:11-12 states that "the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers." He hears and answers in accordance with His will if the Christian prays in faith (James 1:6).
Conclusion
Make your life a life of prayer. If you are going to be truly like Jesus, it will be. Jesus was a man of prayer. He recognized its vital role. Often in His life on earth, He prayed. John 17 contains His prayer for His disciples. Matthew 26 has His prayer in the garden prior to His capture. He also spent time teaching His disciples to pray (Matt. 6:5-15). Be a faithful Christian. Be Christ-like. Be a prayerful person. -- Via Bible Talk

The Potency of Prayer
By W. Frank Walton

“The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful” (James 5:16 HCSB). James encourages us to pray for one another’s difficulties and problems, whether spiritual or physical sickness (Ja 5:13-16). Earlier he had encouraged brethren to pray in steadfast faith for wisdom while facing trials, expecting a generous God to richly give what is best (James 1:2-8).
In our text, effective prayer cannot be a half-hearted, feeble petition, but it must be “intense” (Gr. energeo, “active…fervent”). Such prayers cannot be carnally selfish (James 4:2-3), which means we must pray in God’s will, so that He will be glorified foremost by the answer (1John 5:14). If we are righteous by His grace, the Holy Spirit promises us that our prayers are potent in heaven. In this, prayer moves the Hand that moves the world.
So, humble, believing prayer in Jesus’ name is extremely powerful. It can move our mountains, which are humanly impossible obstacles to move (Mark 11:22-24). Only God can move a mountain, but Jesus assures us that the prayer of His faithful children can move God. In fact, Jesus encourages us to pray persistently “and not lose heart.” He urges persistence in prayer, like the poor widow who constantly pled for justice, until it was fulfilled (Luke 18:1). God’s answers today are by providential means, within the laws of His natural order (Rom. 8:28).
God rewards such persistence because it evidences supreme faith and confidence in God’s merciful power to help in our need. We are promised we may come “boldly” in prayer “before the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Weak, tentative prayers come from a weak, tentative faith. This does not honor God at all and will not be rewarded by Him.

A Moments Wisdom

If Christians spent as much time praying as they do grumbling, they would soon have nothing to grumble about.
For whatever high reasons, men of prayer must knock and knock- sometimes with bleeding knuckles in the dark.
God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things.
You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy in the days of abundance.
Our prayer and God's mercy are like two buckets in a well; while the one ascends the other descends.
There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.
Sometimes God delays the answer to our prayer in final form until we have time to build up the strength, accumulate the knowledge, or fashion the character that would make it possible for Him to say "yes" to what we ask.

One of the favorite passages among young children learning to memorize scripture is John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.” To memorize two words is very easy and if you were required to say a memorization passage this is the passage to be chosen (unlike Esther 8:9 which has ninety words). I heard a preacher recently refer to John 11:35 as the shortest verse in the Bible. This made me think of something I found in my studies –1Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always.” Of course, the term ‘shortest’ can be defined either by shortest passage in words (two) or shortest passage in syllables (John 11:35 has three; 1Thessalonians 5:16 has four).
The Bible was not written with chapter/verse divisions. As Moses penned the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament) he did not begin with Genesis 1:1. He began in the Hebrew as “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light …” and so forth. When Paul wrote his epistles found in the New Testament, they were letters written to various churches and individuals. This is the pattern for all of the books. There were various divisions within Isaiah, Lamentations and of course Psalm 119, but the divisions we are familiar with came later.
Stephen Langton and Hugo de Sancto Caro established the division of chapters between 1227 and 1248. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first Bible to use this chapter pattern. The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish rabbi by the name of Nathan in A.D. 1448. Robert Estienne, who was also known as Stephanus, was the first to divide the New Testament into standard numbered verses, in 1555. The Bible in chapter/verse division is of recent history.
The lesson I draw from this illustration is that often we believe something that is not quite according to what the Bible says. I know that whether John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible or not has nothing to do with eternal salvation, but the principle of how we come to certain conclusions may have a bearing on such. There are many “chimney corner scriptures” held fervently by people that have no basis in Biblical truth. Phrases like “All men are created equal … An idle mind is the devil's workshop … Cleanliness is next to godliness … Spare the rod and spoil the child … Give the devil his due … Blood is thicker than water … Bread is the staff of life … Familiarity breeds contempt … God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.”
Many people hold fervently to the ideas that Jesus was born on December 25; three wise men saw the baby Jesus in a manger; Mary Magdalene was a prostitute; Peter was a “Pope”; salvation is by faith alone; join the church of your choice; the early disciples worshipped with instrumental music; the anti-Christ is a man with 666 on his forehead; Jesus will return to earth to reign on David’s throne; Armageddon is a nuclear holocaust still yet to come … and so the list of myths abound.
Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). To His disciples Jesus declared, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Truth is what the Bible says and what the Bible says alone. We must be diligent to examine scripture and declare what the scriptures say in truth. If it is not in the Bible, it is not truth. Our diligence must be to speak only what the Bible speaks (1Peter 4:11).

Now That’s Priceless!

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
Longfellow could take a worthless piece of paper, write a poem on it, and instantly make it worth thousands of dollars. Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth millions. A mechanist can take material worth only five dollars and make it worth five hundred. An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it, and make it worth thousands. However, only Jesus Christ can take a sinful soul, wash it in His blood, and make it priceless for all eternity.

It’s Always Needed
By Shane Williams

I heard a story of a man in the mid 1950’s entering school to study engineering. A professor told the entering freshmen class to buy the best slide rule they could afford. The reason: “You will be dependent on it all your ‘professional life.” Well, of course, it wasn’t too long before the slide rule was replaced by the calculator. We’ve seen those same sorts of things in fairly recent years: 8 tracks, cassette tapes (almost), and even VHS tapes! Things that today we consider essential may quickly become obsolete. Tomorrow they may be discarded as antiques that cannot provide the help we need.
At least one thing from the past, however, will always be needed and never become obsolete. It is the Bible, God’s Holy Word. No matter how much technological change and progress takes place, the Book will remain the one sure means for getting the right answers to the complicated questions: our origin, our purpose, our needs, and our final destination.
Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
Psalm 119:160, “The entirety of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever.”
1Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.”
Make sure you keep your Bible around and use it! You’ll always need it.

A Moments Wisdom

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.
The length of one’s life is of less importance than its breath and depth.
Any dead fish can float down stream, but it takes a live one to swim up stream.
Too many people study their neighbor’s faults more closely than their Bibles.
Hammering hardens steel, but it crumbles putty — can you take it?
When a little bird tells you something, make sure that bird was not a cuckoo.
God put the church in the world, but it is Satan who puts the world in the church.

“For I Have Learned...”
By Paul R. Blake

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:11-13).
The apostle Paul's experiences as an evangelist taught him that his circumstances in life would not remain constant. There would be times when he would have plenty, and there would be lean periods where even the basic needs of life would go wanting. Paul discovered that these vagaries of existence did not prevent him from serving the Savior. Rich or poor, healthy or ill, free or in prison, Paul knew he could trust the Lord to strengthen him to face the task at hand.
But that's what Paul learned. What have I learned?
I have learned that I learn so slowly. Sitting down to examine the word of God is like sitting down to a feast at a table one mile long with a thousand varied dishes on it. While eager to partake of all of it, the prospect seems so vast and daunting that it appears that I will never get to taste it all in a lifetime. Each day as I learn another lesson, I find myself wishing I had known it in the distant past, and I regret the good that could have been done had I learned it years earlier. This sentiment propels me to faithfully continue the learning process knowing all the while that it will not be complete until my life ends.
I have learned that I don't know enough. Scarcely does a week pass but what I discover gaps in my knowledge and understanding. Walking through life with such gaps in wisdom is like walking across a wooden bridge with half of the boards missing from the road surface. As I look back on my life with all of its stumbles and errors, I am forced to wonder how I made it this far. At least this perspective should help me to be more alert to the potential for stumbling blocks of ignorance that lie ahead.
I have learned that I haven't done enough. As I look back along the highway of life at life, I see a myriad of gems of opportunity scattered behind me. Omar Al-Halif wrote... "Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, time past, and neglected opportunity." "What ifs" and "might have beens" could occupy my waking moments if I let them. This insight should help me to embrace opportunities to be of service to God and others hereafter.
I have learned that I am weak. I find myself saying along with the apostle Paul: "For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do" (Romans 7:19). I gaze admiringly back at heroes of faith from the past and look in awe at devout saints in the present and wonder "why can't I be that disciplined?". Rather than quitting, I must press the supremacy of the mind and will over the flesh. However this will fail unless I admit that I cannot succeed without help the Lord; I alone am not enough to utterly defeat sin and its strength-robbing consequences. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13). "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 7:24-25).
I have learned that I make mistakes. Some days it seems the only task I fully accomplish is that of making a fool out of myself. I have a smorgasbord of choices as to what to do with these mistakes. I could pretend that they never happened, only to repeat them another day. I could waste a lot of effort in trying to explain them away, blaming circumstances and persons instead of taking personal responsibility. Perhaps I could pine away the hours regretting my mistakes and become useless to myself and others in the interim. Or just maybe, I could look upon my errors as stern educators who can teach me better judgment, greater patience, and proper repentance.
But perhaps the greatest lesson of all I am learning is to trust God. In His mercy, He made the gospel simple enough for even me to understand. In His wisdom, He made His word to be full of wonders and treasures that move me to joyfully take a lifetime to uncover. In His kindness, He continues to supply me with opportunities to grow and do good even though I've squandered them in the past. In His Providence, He gives His great strength through His powerful word and in answer to prayers. And in His love, He sent His Son to forgive me of my sins. God has provided for and protected me thus far in life, even though I've meandered and stumbled along the pathway of life. I trust Him to continue to take care of me as I endeavor to learn more of Him and strive to be like Him.

Evil for Good and Good for Evil
By Paul R. Blake

Back in 1986, there was a homeless man who found an abandoned shoeshine box, and started shining shoes for a buck. He was so successful that he bought more shoeshine boxes and loaned them to his friends for a percentage of whatever they made shining shoes. He did so well that he was able to rent a nice apartment, to buy a car, and to spread his sidewalk shoeshine business around Washington, DC. He was praised by the local press for what he accomplished.
This eventually caught the attention of Mayor Marion Barry who didn't like the idea of poor men kneeling on the sidewalk to polish wealthier men's shoes, and he promptly put a ban on sidewalk shoe shining. This put the man and his formerly homeless friends out of business and back on the streets in poverty. When the press heard about this and demanded an explanation from Mayor Barry, he replied... "It ain't right that they should be shamed by wiping shoes. Let them collect welfare instead, and keep their dignity."
Marion Barry has it backwards. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20). "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth" (Lam. 3:27).

A Moments Wisdom

According to William Bennett in The Weekly Standard, American men live an average of 73 years; smokers, 66 years; and homosexuals, 43 years. Once again, the Bible is proven correct (Rom. 1:27). Yet when we call for an end to promiscuity and immoral homosexuality, gay rights activists berate and slander those who are really only counseling them in ways that would save their lives.
To err is human; to blame it on someone else is really human.
Too many people are praying for mountains of difficulty to be removed, when what they really need is courage to climb them.
Those who know God will be humble, and those who know themselves cannot be proud.
He has the right to criticize, who has the heart to help.
Of all the commentaries on the scriptures, good examples are the best.
May I show others, O Lord, the same consideration that I wish for myself.
If you want to get even with someone, start with someone who has helped you.
Remember not only to say the right thing at the right time and place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
The mind, filtered by the word of God, is the key to Christian behavior.
If you meet someone today who is too weary to give you a smile, leave him one of yours.
We have no one to blame but ourselves when our enthusiasm and zeal are gone, if we have failed to feed them.
When you speak, always remember that God is one of your hearers.
The tongue, being in a wet place, is apt to slip.
Great minds talk about ideas; mediocre minds talk about things; small minds talk about people.
If someone lies "for" you, how do you know that they won't lie "to" you?
Leaving in a huff is some folks' favorite form of transportation.
Genetics explain why one looks like his father and if he doesn't, why he should. In a similar way, the Bible explains why those who are Christians look like their Father, and if they don't, why they should.

The Final Examination
By Ethan R. Longhenry

You walk into the room. You are a bit confused and apprehensive-- what is going to happen? You stand before the teacher, and he gives you the final examination.
Are you ready? Have you prepared yourself? How will you fare?
All of us who have gone through school remember final exams. They were never pleasant, and they often represented a significant part of our grade. The final exam was the last shot at redemption, the conclusion of a successful class, or the final failure. It all depended on our understanding of the class material, the teacher, and the nature of the exam itself.
The Scriptures make it clear that we will all experience the ultimate final examination when the Lord returns: the Day of Judgment.
“The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
Since the Day of Judgment is coming for you and me, it is good for us to understand all we can about the Judgment Day and the basis of the judgment!
We do not know when the Day of Judgment will come. Jesus' return is described as being like "a thief in the night" (1Thes. 5:2; 2Peter 3:10). Contrary to the view of many, Jesus' return will not be heralded by a "rapture," then a "great tribulation," and then a "millennium." Instead, the Scriptures teach that Jesus could come at any moment, and when He does return, He will then immediately judge all mankind (Matt. 24:42-25:46). Either we will be ready for His return or we will not be ready. There is no other alternative!
God does not leave us in doubt regarding the basis of the judgment; in fact, you could call it an "open book" exam. We will be judged on the basis of our works, whether we have obeyed Jesus and served Him and His righteousness, or if we have not obeyed Jesus and served evil (Rom. 2:5-11; Rev. 20:12-13). Those works will be judged by the standard of God's Word, just as Jesus promised (John 12:48).
A day of judgment is coming, therefore, and on that day, each and every one of us will stand before God, give an account, and be judged on the basis of our obedience to God (Rom. 14:12).
What shall we do then? Some people live in continual fear, knowing that the Lord is coming, but not knowing exactly when. Yet God would not have us live in fear-- instead, we ought to live in preparation (1Thes. 5:1-10). If we believe that the Bible is true, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and will return one day to judge the living and the dead, then we must live according to that conviction. We must constantly be busy in His Kingdom doing His will (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:16-19)! If we are faithful servants, it will not matter if the Lord returns today, tomorrow, or after our deaths. Let us be prepared for that final examination, and inherit eternal life!

Momma's Cake
By W. Frank Walton

"And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward" (Matt. 10:42).
Christ, in context, challenges us to love Him more than anyone else (Matt. 10:37). To follow Him, we must die to self in order to gain His true and lasting life (Matt. 10:38-39). The price of discipleship is high: we must give our all (Luke 14:33). Yet, the price is low: anyone by faith can give their all (John 6:37; Matt. 11:28)! It doesn’t take much of a person to be a Christian, just all of that person there is.
Our Lord assures us that even giving a child a cup of cold water (being kind to an “insignificant” child by being considerate enough that the water is “cold”), is a wonderful deed that God sees and rewards! No one makes a bigger mistake than thinking that if you can only do a little, it doesn’t count for much, so you end up doing nothing. Jesus teaches us in the miracle of feeding 5000 with five loaves and two fish, that with Him, little is much (John 6:9). He can bless and multiply our efforts for good (Eph. 3:20-21). There is no such thing as insignificant service in the Lord's kingdom.
So, let me tell you about my Momma’s cake. It is the most delicious chocolate cake in the world! (She has a secret way of preparing them). I recently saw in her closet a big stack of chocolate cake mixes. When someone at church has been sick, or has some difficulty, or has an occasion to need some food, my mom bakes them her famous chocolate cake to cheer them up. She is a cake baking machine. (Recently, someone at church said in jest to me, “I’ve been a little depressed lately…could I get one of those cakes?”). By regularly making a cake, this is a way she can make a contribution to helping others.
She does this because she cannot now, like when I was growing up, teach Bible class, clean the church building, give someone a ride to church, draft blueprints for building a church building, or have the preacher over for a meal during a gospel meeting. She has a debilitating spinal condition called “spinal stenosis” that inhibits mobility. She walks with a cane because she also needs knee replacement surgery. Yet, she is still the indomitable cake baker.
The lesson of Momma’s cake reminds me of this nifty poem about finding our place of service for the Lord:
Shamger had an oxgoad;
David had a sling;
Dorcas had a needle;
Rachel had a string;
Samson had a jawbone;
Aaron had a rod;
Mary had some ointment;
And all were used by God.
So, I urge you to develop your talents, as a disciple of Jesus, and discover your place of service by giving “a cup of cold water” to whomever you can help. God bless you in the service of our Great King, Jesus our one and only Savior. Remember, it’s all for Him, who did so much for us. In love, He has changed us, so we can help change the world.

A Moments Wisdom

Men, like kites, should rise against the wind.
You may give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Most children are afraid of darkness and most men are afraid of the light.
It takes a great deal of courage to say “No,” when most others are saying, “Yes.”
Do what you can, where you can, when you can, and with what you have.
A big heart accommodates many more people than a big house.

As the story was told, a good old lady was telling of some of her problems and how she managed them. She said, “Well, you know the Bible says ‘grin and bear it.’” Some one in her presence asked her just where the Bible said such a thing and she replied, “I do not rightly know, but I think it is in Paul’s letter to the Deuteronomite!” We may consider this as a far fetched case, but really it is not! We should never be surprised at the sayings which are quoted as being from the Bible when actually they are not. People are still gullible when it suits them, and when it will bring them comfort. They launch toward eternity on “scriptures” which they have never studied or examined. Why the title “Chimney Corner Scriptures”? All my life, I have heard this phrase being used. I understand it to refer to the olden days when folks used to sit around the fire place and discuss sayings and their meanings which they believed to be from the Bible. Rather than examining the scriptures found in the Bible, they accepted sayings as being in the Bible, and these sayings became known as “Chimney Corner Scriptures”. As time went on, people handed these sayings down as bonafide scriptures found in the Bible. I do not have a copy before me, but I remember several years ago that the Nelson Publishing Company produced the Royal Bible, a KJV translation of the Bible, which contained a listing of “Chimney Corner Scriptures”. The Following Quotations Are “Chimney Corner Scriptures”:
An honest confession is good for the soul. I have heard this all my life, but the statement is not found in the Bible. It does contain some truth in the main, but the statement is not a scripture given by the inspiration of God. Confession is good, and we are taught to do so when it is needed. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). I am not sure that one is to confess everything that is in the soul or that has been done in the past. Such things may be wrong and hurtful to others! The things which need confessing are to be confessed to the one wronged. To confess faults one to another when we have sinned against one another is good for the soul. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
Money is the root of all evil. The Bible says something about the “root of evil” and “money”, but the quotation itself is not true. It is not money which is the root of evil, but the love of it. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1Tim. 6:10). There is a great deal of difference in money being the “root of all evil” and “the love of money being the root of all evil”. There is the possibility of one loving money, when there is not the possession of it. Other versions render the phrase: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”. I can’t help but feel that this is a better translation than in the King James Version. The love of money truly produces much evil, but think about the love and participation in other sins such as illicit sex! Sin after sin can be traced to the involvement in such, or else I am entirely too naïve to know what exists.
God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to behold. Have you heard this quoted as coming from the Bible? I can recall hearing an elder quote it and apply it to a particular situation which the church was facing. Where is it found in any of the 66 books constituting the oracles of God? We certainly recognize that some of the ways of God are unknown to us and may be classified as secret things, but the saying itself is not in the Bible. “And the secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29). This old saying may have come from the false notion that God saves the sinner in some strange, mysterious, better-felt-than-told experience. The fact that God has stooped to save man and has provided salvation through Jesus is a wonder indeed, but it does not come in some mysterious, incomprehensible way. Generally, those who use this phrase have very little concept of the simplicity of the gospel of Christ, and what it requires to be saved. (Rom. 1:16-17; Mark 16:15-16).
We are prone to sin as sparks are to fly upward. “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). These are the words of Eliphaz speaking of troubles and afflictions. There is no scripture in the Bible which speaks of man being prone to sin as sparks are to fly upward. This quote has no doubt brought comfort to many sinners. The idea is from the old Calvinistic concept of inborn sin and total depravity, with the lingering notion that it is natural for man to sin. Man is not born with any proneness to sin, or with a nature which cannot do otherwise. Man does sin and the more he sins, the more prone he is to do it, but he does not have to do it, and he is not born with a nature which cannot do otherwise. So often these sayings are cleverly laden with erroneous ideas which are hard to detect, but are most dangerous in their effects. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die, The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ez. 18:20).

Finding Fault

"Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault" (Mark 7:2). Let us suppose I am looking for a field of corn to buy. I travel around seeking for a field which contains good corn. Finally, I see a field which strikes my fancy. The owner says that he will sell it. I then enter the field to see if the corn suits me. As I pass down the rows, the stalks are tall and strong. Almost every stalk has two massive ears hanging from it. However, I pay them little attention. I am looking for something else. Finally, I find it. Over in a low wet corner I find a scrawny little stalk with one little nubbin on it. I pull up the stalk, nubbin and all. I take it to the owner and say, "This is very poor corn. Just look at that nubbin!"
Anyone can easily see that I wasn't being fair. I wasn't really looking to see what the field of corn was like. I was just trying to find fault with it. It would seem that I was not really interested in buying the field. I was just looking for the nubbin, and in my search for the nubbin, I overlooked all of the good corn. There is an old proverb which says, "He who is looking for faults in his brethren will surely find them." (From Gospel Messenger)

Little Church on the Hill
Written by Judy Snider

The little church on the hill,
Oh, how I love to go there still.
Where they sing and pray
On every Lord’s day
As the little church on the hill.

In that little church on the hill,
Christians assemble to do God’s will
As scripture is taught
On how salvation was bought
For that little church on the hill.

With that little church on the hill
Comes a family who tries to instill
The blessings of love and laughter
Along with the hope of life ever after
With that little church on the hill.

The growth of that little church on the hill
Is an effort of those who will
Reach out to teach
And travel to preach
For the Lord of that little church on the hill.

(We know that the ‘church’ is not the building, but those who gather inside to worship the Lord. Please take this in the manner it was meant to be.)

The period of a man’s life is summed up by our Creator as merely a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away (James 4:14). The greatest challenge we face is the reality of our mortality and the brevity of that transient journey called life. It is hard to conceive that life can be so short when all around us is full of life and vitality. Yet the numbering of our days is suggested by the psalmist Moses in his prayer to God. “For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:9-12).
Moses does not suggest that all men will live to be seventy but the fullness of life is measured by a span of time for man but only a glimpse of eternity from the view of Heaven. He lived to be 120 years of age and “his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated” (Deut. 34:7). Our lives are nothing more than a sigh and soon passed away. The lesson is for all of us to number our days and receive wisdom from our mortality.
Viewing this passage from my own life I realize that Lord willing I have a span of eighteen years and if by strength twenty eight years. Added to this knowledge is the clear reality that my death can come today - at any moment. The lesson from Moses is not about the numbers but about the numbering. Wisdom helps us see through the eye of faith that life for the child of God must be viewed in light of eternity. Our lives are not measured by the marching of time but the time we march into that great city, the holy Jerusalem (Rev. 21:10-27).
Facing death is what we all share and our understanding of that determines our outlook of life. Some are fully aware of their death as disease has crippled them and left little time for their lives to continue. I cannot grasp the measure of faith that men like Phil Roberts had in facing death or of the faith of Gary Ogden who now faces his mortality. Countless children of God have stood at the door of death and viewed it not with fear but with the longing faith of one who wants to go home to the Father.
Luke describes the death of Stephen as “falling asleep” (Acts 7:60) and Stephen was being murdered by a mob stoning him with stones. The horrible nature of death confuses our minds with the reality of death for the Christian. When Stephen was dying it was a terrible way to die; but he knew that in a moment of time his pain would cease and his life would be transformed from the earthly house to a “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2Cor. 5:1-9).
Teach us to number our days and know the power of God that rests upon our lives now and especially the power of God that awaits us to carry us by angels to the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22). “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true’” (Rev. 21:4-5). May God grant us the eye of faith to see clearly the eternal home promised before time began (Titus 1:2; Heb. 11:16).

Tomorrow
He was going to be all he wanted to be tomorrow
No one would be kinder than he tomorrow
A friend who was troubled and weary he knew
Who’d be glad of a lift, and he needed it too.
On him he would call and see what he could do, Tomorrow
Each morning he’d stack all the letters he’d write, Tomorrow
And thought of the folks he’d fill with delight, Tomorrow
It was too bad, indeed, he was busy today,
And he hadn’t a minute to stop on his way;
“More time I will have to give others,” he’d say, Tomorrow
The greatest of workers this man would have been, Tomorrow;
The world would have known him had he ever seen, Tomorrow.
But, in fact he passed on, and he faded from view,
And all that he left here when living was through
Was a mountain of things he’d intended to do, Tomorrow
Via The Bulletin edited by J. Clyde Strickland, Savanna, OK

New Testament Persons Who Believed In Creation

JESUS: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’” (Mark 10:6)
EARLY CHRISTIANS: “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…” (Acts 4:24)
PAUL & BARNABAS: “We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them...” (Acts 14:15)
JOHN: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)
PETER: “...knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water…” (2 Peter 3:3-5)
MEN & WOMEN OF FAITH: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
HEAVENLY BEINGS: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

A Moments Wisdom

Train up a child in the way he should go and then go that way yourself.
The reason worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.
A house without books is like a house without windows.

Throughout the years I have heard many wonderful sermons which I have forgotten, but one sermon have I seen, and it has remained in my heart until this day. It happened on a Sunday morning when I was on my way to one of the two small congregations in Munich, Germany, on a cold, rainy day in November.
After I got out of bed, I looked through the window which was covered with ice ferns. New deep snow had fallen during the night covering the streets of the city. I tried to decide whether I should go to worship or stay home and read my Bible.
I realized the congregation would miss me, for I was the only song leader they had. On the other hand I would have to walk a half block to catch the bus to the building. Finally I decided to go but only because I must lead the singing.
While I was riding the bus, I noticed two people trying hard to make their path through the snow. I recognized the people and knew where they were going. They were Brother and Sister Trollman, a faithful couple who attended every service. Brother Trollman was a man in his eighties who had lost his eyesight. His only guidance was his seventy-eight year old wife, who was lame in one foot. They lived in a little two room apartment, and received a little support from the government. Because they could not afford to ride the bus to the services, which were about three miles away, they walked the distance every Lord's Day.
Here I was sitting in a warm bus, unwilling to go to worship, forced by my duty as a song leader, and there, outside in the cold weather, were two old people driven to worship by their love for the Lord.
I was not able to do anything but blush, ashamed of myself and the weak faith and love I had proved to my Lord. I felt like an evildoer in court being judged by his own conscience. This old couple without their knowledge and without one word had taught me a greater lesson than could ever be said in words. (An American G.I. “The Power Of An Example,” The Lehman Avenue Weekly Communicator, Feb. 4, 1987)

Numerically Speaking

Paul Rogers of Centerville, Tennessee, has done some calculating of just how far the Apostle Paul walked in his efforts to spread the gospel. According to Acts, he took three missionary journeys. The second of these alone amounted to three thousand miles, two thousand of which would have been on foot. The average daily distance a traveler of that time would cover was twenty miles, with a Roman inn being located every twenty to twenty-five miles along the roads. These inns were unbelievably filthy, immoral and bug infested. Paul traveled through snowy mountain passes and spring floods. He walked through areas famous for harboring robbers and criminals. He braved wild beasts that imperiled every traveler. The travel recorded in Acts 16 would have covered 740 miles. That of chapter 15 would have been 500 miles. And to think he wasn't walking for his own health, but for the spiritual well-being of others. (Editor's note... questions to provoke all of us: How many contemporary Christians find it burdensome to travel 20 minutes in heated and air-conditioned cars to come to Sunday evening and Wednesday night services? What would the Apostle Paul say to them? --prb)

Use It or Lose It

“Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Mark 4:24-25).
The expression, “Use it or lose it” is often heard in regard to physical exercise. Muscles must be used in order to insure their greater use in the future. To fail to use one's muscles will lead to the loss of strength one presently has. The same is true concerning spiritual things. Regarding hearing and understanding God's word, the Lord warns, more or less, “Use it or lose it.” Matthew's account says, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matt. 13:12).

On An Old Grave Stone

“Pause stranger, when you pass me by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be;
So prepare for death and follow me.”

A tourist put this at the bottom of the inscription:
“To follow you I am not content
Until I know which way you went.”

Still at Work at 86

In reply to congratulations on his 86th birthday, Sir William Mulock stated: “I am still at work, with my hand to the plow, and my face to the future. The shadows of evening lengthen about me, but morning is in my heart. I have had varied fields of labor and full contact with men and things, and have warmed both of my hands before the fire of life. The best of life is always farther on. It real lure is hidden from our eyes somewhere beyond the hills of time.” “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2Cor. 4:16).

A Moments Wisdom

Too many measure success by what others haven't done.
A pint of example is worth more than a barrel full of advice.
Love does not dominate; it cultivates.
Falsehood is never so successful as when she baits her hook with truth.
Genuine Christians do not want to go to heaven alone.
If you don't enjoy what you have now, how can you be happier with more?
Keep the faith, but not to yourself.
People cannot change the truth, but the truth can change people.
Because of his inordinate desire to do all of the talking, many a man has missed hearing a lot of needful information.
It is right to love the sinner, no matter how vile; but it is never right to tolerate his sins. Toleration of evil is false kindness.
Preach, not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.
When a Christian is in the wrong place, his right place is empty.
A Christian should never let adversity get him down, except on his knees.
If you aren't sure whether a thing is right or wrong, it is usually wrong.
Jesus is not looking for believers; He is looking for disciples.
No one ever drowned in sweat.
You have failed many times? How fortunate! By now you know some of the things not to do.
The man who loses his head is usually the last to miss it.
Some people know all of their rights, but none of their obligations.
A forgiving spirit opens the way to better things.
Joy is spiritual prosperity.
God's resources are always equal to His requirements.
If you have half a mind to turn on the television, that's all you need for most of the programs.
Nothing sets a person so much out of the Devil's reach as humility.
Adam and Eve had the most perfect marriage in history: Eve never talked about her old boyfriends, and Adam never bragged about his mother’s cooking.

The strength of a man isn’t seen in the width of his shoulders; it’s seen in the width of his arms that encircle you.
The strength of a man isn’t in the deep tone of his voice; it’s in the gentleness of his words.
The strength of a man isn’t in how many buddies he has; it’s in how good of a buddy he is to his own children.
The strength of a man isn’t in how respected he is at work; it’s in how respected he is at home.
The strength of a man isn’t in how hard he can hit; it’s in how tender he touches.
The strength of a man isn’t in the hair on his chest; it’s in the heart that lies within his chest.
The strength of a man isn’t in how he is loved by women; it’s in how he can be true to only one woman.
The strength of a man isn’t in the amount of weight he can lift; it’s in the number of burdens he can carry.

One day at a Time

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry; two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is yesterday… with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, and its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow. Tomorrow is beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise, whether in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, Lord willing. But it will rise, and until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow.
This leaves only one day for which we must be concerned… today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is when we attempt to add the burdens of those two awful eternities, yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down. Let us therefore live one day at a time. (author unknown)

Ready, Watching, and Waiting

A U.S. Army officer told of the contrast in his pupils during two different eras of teaching at the artillery training school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Home of the Field Artillery). In 1958-1960 the attitude was so lax that the instructors had a problem getting the men to stay awake to hear the lectures. During the 1965-1967 classes, however, the men, hearing the same basic lectures, were alert and took notes. What made the difference in the classes of 1965-1967? The students knew that in less than six weeks they would be facing the enemy in Vietnam.
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing” (Matt. 24:42-46).
Let us be fully aware of the urgency of being ready, watching, and waiting for our Master's return.

A Moments Wisdom

You made your bed; now you lie in it. You can lie there and complain about the fleas, or you can get up and change the sheets.
Not everyone gets to do great deeds in this world, but everyone can do little things with great love.
Bidden or not bidden, God is present
If our boys and girls are not as good as they were when you were a child their age, it may be that they had a much better mother and dad than your child has.
In youth we learn; in age we understand.
Anxiety springs from the desire that things should happen as we wish rather than as God wills.
Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.
I believe that one reason why churches at this present time have so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the churches.
Lord, please reform the world… beginning with me.
The only place where success comes before work is a dictionary.
The greatest composer does not sit down to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working.
It is not doing the thing which we like to do, but liking to do the thing which we have to do, that makes life blessed.
It is better to undertake a large task and get it half done than to undertake nothing and get it all done.
Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.

Question: “When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, He told her He did not condemn her but told her to ‘Go, and sin no more.’ If you’re going to continue to sin, why be baptized because you’ll ‘go down a dry sinner and come up a wet sinner.’ What does this mean?”
John 8:10-11 - “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
The Bible is its own best commentary. Consider another occasion where the Lord told someone not to sin any more. John 5:14 - “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
Consider Matthew 12:43-45 - “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
In other words, when one chooses to rid himself of a harmful behavior or course of action, he must replace it with another more beneficial activity. Otherwise, he will not succeed in preventing the former behavior from returning and doing him even more harm. One who chooses to stop sinning must find a helpful, spiritually healthy activity to replace it. Otherwise there is a void in his life that must be filled, and will most likely be filled with the sinful activity he is already familiar and comfortable with.
Jesus was not going to condemn and punish the woman while she still had time and life in which to replace adultery with spiritual conduct. The healed man needed to fill his life with righteousness, lest he fall into sinful and self-destructive practices. The man who was saved from the evil spirit needed to have something in place that would leave no available room for the spirit when he returned. The apostle Paul wrote: Ephesians 4:27 - “Do not give place to the devil.” Meaning, do not provide opportunities for yourself to be vulnerable to temptation.
He also wrote in Romans 13:14 - “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” The two things he said to do and the order in which he said them is: 1) put on Jesus, and 2) do not provide yourself with opportunities to be tempted to sin. If you smoke when you walk to the post office, instead of taking your cigarettes and lighter with you, take a hymnal or a Bible or a tract or a bulletin or anything else but cigarettes and lighters, and read along the way. If you drink when you go play golf, take a bottle of your favorite soda pop. If you like to watch programming that is sexual in nature, have someone block that channel on your TV without telling you the code. You will have “made no provision for the flesh.” However, that is only the second part of Paul's instruction. The first part is to put on Christ. The second is destined to fail eventually, because the first has not been implemented. Just like the man who had a void in his life when the evil spirit left, so it will be with one who rids himself of a sinful habit without Christ in his life.
As to the woman of John 8, she lived under the Law of Moses, and therefore would be expected to devote herself to following the law. Jesus did not baptize her converting her to Christianity, because He had not yet died for sins. She would therefore fill the void left by abandoning adultery with a restoration of her service to God under the law.
There is a difference between one who is baptized all the while intending to continue in a particular sin versus one who is beset with a strong temptation but is baptized anyway, resolving to overcome the temptation in Christ rather than alone outside of Christ. The first has not repented because he plans to remain in sin. The second knows that he has an area of vulnerability but wants the Lord's help in overcoming it, and so he obeys the Lord trusting that He will help. And he does so knowing that it is possible to stumble in his resolve to go and sin no more, but also knows that he would be less successful alone and that should he stumble, he has a Lord who loves him and will forgive him in spite of his weakness.
Christ has never called us to perfection on our own power, nor are we saved on our works and results alone. We are called to strive against sin. Permit me to illustrate this with a story. A member of the church stands before the judgment bar of God. He says, “I was baptized into Christ following belief, repentance, and confession.” God replies, “Well, that's ten percent of what you need to get into heaven.” The man says, “I was faithful in my attendance, I gave generously every week, I was active in worship and in reaching out to the lost, I studied my Bible at home every day, and I taught Bible classes.” God answered, “Wonderful, that's another ten percent. You now have 20% of what you need to get into heaven.” The man was beginning to sweat, now. “I was kind and loving toward my wife, I took care of my parents when they were old, I raised my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and I was a good citizen.” God said, “Yet another ten percent. What else?” The man began trembling, realizing this was going to be harder than he thought. “I lived a moral life. I didn't dance, drink, smoke, lie, cheat, steal, murder, fornicate, or use bad language.” God said, “Ten percent more; almost half of what you need to go to heaven. What else do you have?” The man in resignation said, “Well, I guess I must rely on your grace and mercy. What else can I do?” God said, “You now have one hundred percent of what you need to enter heaven; go on in.” Fictitious, but illustrative.
Romans 13:14 and 1John 1 & 2 supply the answer to your question. Romans 13:14 - “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Put on Jesus Christ, do not put yourself in the way of temptation, and appeal to God and trust in His grace and mercy when you stumble.
1John 1:7-9, 2:1 - “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness… My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (For more help with this, consider the article written by brother Frank Walton on “Right Spiritual Thinking.”)

“This a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Tim. 1:15). What joy it gives to the penitent believer to know that upon baptism into Christ his sins are all forgiven! From the beginning, humankind has sought to return to fellowship with God after losing that blessed Garden of Eden relationship with Him (Acts 17:26-28). Now in Jesus Christ, one can be free from that which separates him from God... sin.
The apostle Paul describes himself as the former chief of sinners. Before he obeyed the gospel, he was a persecutor of Christians. In Galatians 1:13, he describes his activities: “...I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” In Acts 9, he sought a commission from the high priest to arrest Christians in Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. So eager was he to hinder the work of the Lord that he traveled in the middle of the day, refusing to seek shelter from the hot sun until the temperature became more suitable for journeying. Jesus characterizes Saul's zealous anti-Christian fervor as self-destructive. He said that Saul was kicking against the goads (Acts 9:5). An ox goad was designed to prod the animal in the direction desired by the master. For the ox to kick back into the point of the goad was to risk impalement on the goad. Saul was kicking against Christ to his self-injury. Jewish historian and secretary to Golda Meir wrote that the two things that did the most damage to first century Judaism were the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 AD and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. That Saul was an enemy of Christ is beyond dispute.
However, Paul praised God for the forgiveness of these sins. Though he was an insolent man, he obtained mercy; though he was a blasphemer, he became the beneficiary of God's grace; though he was a persecutor, he was treated patiently by the Lord (1Tim. 1:13-16). In addition, Paul expressed wonder that Jesus would put him into the ministry that he might preach the gospel he once tried to destroy.
Paul was blessed. Even though he was a sinner, he was forgiven of those sins. In spite of the fact that he once hated Christians, he was now permitted to convert others to Christ. End of story? Other than having obeyed the gospel, what significant change made it possible for Paul to rejoice in his saved state? He abhorred and forsook the sins he once committed.
It is not insignificant that Paul said: “I was FORMERLY (emphasis mine - prb) a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man” (1Tim. 1:13). Paul was not a blasphemer, persecutor, nor an insolent man any longer. He had given these things up. He told the Philippians: “...concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:6-8). Paul gave up those things from his past that he might remain in Christ.
Had Paul chosen to hold on to those things that gave him glory and pleasure as one who rebelled against the Lord, he would not have been able to remain in Christ. His former life of sin was not compatible with his present life in Jesus. Therefore, he had to abandon all sinful practices to stay in a saved state.
Because Paul rid himself of all ties to his former insolent life, he was able to labor more freely for the Lord. He found freedom from sin to be enabling, making him a more effective servant of the Lord. He wrote: “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1Cor. 15:9-10).
Paul ensured that the grace of God given to him would not be in vain by means of completely giving his own life over to the Lord's direction and guidance. Paul chose to be led by faith in the word of God rather than by his own worldly impulses and whims. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). It is only fitting for one who has received forgiveness of sins by the giving of Christ's life to give his own life back to the Lord in return.
How is then that so many who obey the gospel later fall from grace and return to the world they once left? It is because, after they were baptized, they were not former sinners, but currently sinners. They have not given up the sins that originally brought them under condemnation; and therefore, remain beset by weakness and sin.
The drunkard who obeys the gospel must cease ALL drinking of booze, or else he will not enjoy the ongoing blessings in Christ for the faithful. The penitent liar must ALWAYS tell the truth, or the blood of Christ will do him no lasting good. The lazy must work, the thief must not steal, the gossip must be silent, the contentious man must control his urges if any of them are to stay in Christ. The believer who repents of his sins before being baptized should not merely be disgusted by his sins, he must also resolve to forsake his sins to the uttermost and determine never to return to them.
If one believes in God and His word, repents of his sins, publicly confesses his faith in Jesus Christ, and is baptized, and then returns to the sins he repented of, he cannot enjoy salvation. He has once again lost his fellowship with God (1John 1:6). In fact, his condition is worse than it was before he obeyed the gospel. “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning” (2Peter 2:20).
Gentle Reader, if you call yourself a Christian, cease from sin and serve the Lord faithfully. Misery is the fate of those who try to live in the world and in Christ at the same time. Joy is the lot of one who is loyal to the Lord.

A Moments Wisdom

An ounce of keeping your mouth shut is worth a pound of explanations.
Some people are born on third base and go though life thinking they hit a triple.
When people are bored, it is primarily with themselves.
If we had no faults, we would take no pleasure in noticing the faults of others.
No man can cause more grief than that one clinging to the vices of his ancestors.
What some people mistake for the high cost of living is really the cost of living high.

(In December 1995 while living in Youngstown, Ohio, I volunteered to help out at the Columbiana County Workshop for the Disabled for one day. I met over a hundred people who had every apparent reason to bemoan their lot; but instead, they chose to make a good, happy life within the confines of their mental and physical limitations. Often, the children of this world shame professed children of God. The following article was written about that experience.)
I met a man with character this week. Let's call him Michael. He and I have some things in common: we are both 35 year old men. But there, the similarity ends.
Michael works in a place where the only jobs to be had are menial, repetitive labor. He does the same thing, hour after hour, day after day, performing tasks that most people would find dull, doing work that many folk would deem unnecessary.
I do not.
Michael has a severe physical disability. He is confined to a wheelchair and must be strapped in an upright position. He cannot walk without the assistance of someone who will walk with him holding him upright. If he wants to stand alone, he must do so in a corner, supported by two walls. His right arm is contracted into the shape of the letter "Z" and completely unusable. Michael must depend on the kindness of others just to move.
I do not.
Michael can only say one word... "Yeahhh!" He simply says 'yes' to any question asked of him, for he cannot hold a conversation with anyone. He has never passed the time of day talking about the weather or his favorite sports team. He has never been able to say, "I love you" to his mother, or "Thank you" to a caring friend, or "Isn't that a beautiful sunset" to a passing stranger. He endures the frustration of never being able to express himself and be understood by others.
I do not.
Michael works to the uttermost limit of his capacity. When asked to use his shriveled right arm, he glares intently at it as if by sheer force of will he can unbind the contracted muscles. Trembling all over, he struggles with the frozen joints and the twisted arm jerks back and forth, up and down. So Herculean are his efforts that his left arm is extended out in the air with the fist clenched in white knuckled defiance of his limitations. When requested to reach overhead to perform a task, he presses his head and shoulders back against a sharply curved spine and works with his left arm upraised until he doesn't have the strength to lift it from the table. And all the while, Michael looks warmly into the eyes of his companion and keeps a pleasant smile on his face. As I watched his intense efforts, my eyes clouded with tears and a lump formed in my throat, because Michael strives to the absolute limit of his existence to do what is asked of him.
And I... I... I met a man with character this week.
Solomon: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecc. 9:10).
Apostle Paul: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward" (Col. 3:23-24).

Is the Gospel Free?
By Paul R. Blake

(I recently followed a discussion among brethren on the Web about whether or not a preacher is scripturally permitted to charge a fee to download his sermon outlines, articles, and e-classbooks from his own website. While some arguments were spurious, most of it proved to be an interesting exchange. I sent the following as my answer to the question.)
…Actually, this discussion illustrates one of the growing pains of a media transition period. It appears inevitable that hard media (not just printed media, but also portable hard electronic storage) is eventually going to be replaced for the most part with wide spread wireless access to central digital storage. This will require an entirely new means of securing copyrights and paying for usage. What that means for authors is that the classbook, outline book, etc., will go the way of 8-tracks, vinyl albums, and cassette players. Your grandchildren will nostalgically purchase classbooks at antique auctions.
This same kind of objection was encountered when the chalk board was replaced by the overhead projector. One brother told me in 1985, "I hate it when you preach those window blind sermons (He was talking about the pull down screen for the projector - prb). Old brother _______ always used the chalkboard and it ought to be good enough for you." We also remember the fusses created by the advent of the multimedia projector. Now they are practically universal and almost indispensable.
The question of paysites for preacher publications is not so much about "should we have to pay for Bible study materials?". Someone always pays for Bible study materials. If the material is offered free to the public, the author covers the cost (or the local church does if he does his writing and publishing on their time). Rather it is part of a larger question of the economics of fair exchange in a digital world. Christians recognize that work and intellectual property have fair market value, and they are willing to meet God's expectation of honorable exchange for it. All of us have bought classbooks, commentaries, multiple versions of the Bible, et al. The word of God teaches us that the Gospel is free to all; however, to suggest that the means of recording and transmitting it must also be free is to wrest that Bible principle out of context.
On the other hand, for the person who is seeking study materials on a limited budget, or who conscientiously does not wish to pay for Bible study materials, the Internet is bursting with quality Bible freeware. One could spend years collecting and filling a digital library. But be selective. The Internet big bang of available information has opened the door for a lot of men of limited knowledge and ability, who in the age of hard media would have little chance of being published.
My concern with regard to the matter of class material, outlines, and articles used by preachers is this: Why not do your own work? Why is it necessary to depend on the work of others? Does it save time? What do you do with the study time saved by using someone else's work... do you use it to make more contacts for the Gospel?
It is a good thing that brethren share their studies with others. It is a good thing to read another brother's work and learn something. It is something else entirely to go to "Brotherhood" websites at 6:00 PM Saturday and download a couple of outlines to preach the next day. It is a better thing to do your own work.

            The apostle Paul declared in Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” There has always been consequence to sin from the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden (Gen. 2-3). Man should not think that he can escape the eye of God.
            King David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and became the greatest king to sit upon the throne of Israel. Whenever David’s name is mentioned there is always a sidebar of remembering the incident with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. In 2Samuel 11 we read of David walking on the roof of his house one evening when he “saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2Sam. 11:2). David brought Bathsheba into his palace and lay with her. Later she told the King that she was with child. Wanting to cover the incident up, her husband was recalled from the besieging of the city of Rabbah.
           Uriah the Hittite was one of the mighty men of David (2Sam. 23:39; 1Chron. 11:41).  He was a man of honor and nobility in service to his king. When called home from the war, he refused to enter his house as long as his men and the ark were engaged in battle. Failing at other attempts to coerce Uriah into bed with his wife, David sent an order (by the hand of Uriah) to his general, Joab, to place Uriah in the heat of battle and then withdraw. Uriah carried his death notice and died in the battle.
           It was later God sent Nathan the prophet to David to declare unto him the judgment of the Lord upon David & Bathsheba, the child and the descendants of David. The immediate consequence of David’s sin was the condemnation of God. The grace of God allowed David to live (2Sam. 12:13) but the child would die. Further consequence that David would suffer is the sword would never leave his house and adversaries would rise up against him – even from his own household (see Absalom and Adonijah). The house of David suffered many years of hardship because of David’s sin.
          The punishment outlined by Nathan (2Sam. 12:7-15) was immediate at least in the lifetime of David. The sad part of David’s sin was that he would forever be marked as the man who took Uriah’s wife. When the account of Abijam’s reign in Judah is given in the book of 1Kings it says: “Because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1Kings 15:5). The consequence of sin remained.
            Remarkably when the genealogy of Jesus Christ is given in Matthew’s account, David is again marked with his sin. “Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6). Generations removed David is still remembered for what he did to Uriah and his sin with Bathsheba.
           Sin will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay. The lust of the flesh will mark a person for lifetime as the one who is known for what they have done. This does not dismiss forgiveness as God forgave David but the reality of the reaping of sin sowed in a moment’s reckless folly will blacken the pages of life – and sometimes long after the person has died. Many have walked that road today and bear a heavy burden. David cries from the grave long passed: “O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness” (1Tim. 6:11).

Getting Motivated
By Doug Roush

            The fable is told of a frog that was caught in a deep rut on a muddy road. His friend tried but could not get him, so he left him to get more help. When he returned, he found the frog hopping about outside the rut. "I thought you couldn't get out," said the friend. "I couldn't," replied the frog, "but when I saw a big truck coming down the road, I was suddenly strongly motivated to exit."
            Jesus said, "...do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But ... Fear Him who ... has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5)
           Friend, if you are stuck in a rut of sin, please consider our Lord's solemn warning. The fear of being in a place of torment can be a strong motivator toward faithful service to God.

To Be Perfect

           "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'" (Matt. 19:21)
            Marquis de Lafayette was a French general and politician who joined the American Revolution and became a friend of George Washington. An influential man in the U.S. and France, Lafayette was also a man of compassion. The harvest of 1782 was a poor one, but the manager of his estate had filled his barns with wheat. "The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat," said his manager. "This is the time to sell." Lafayette thought about the hungry peasants in the villages and replied, "No, this is the time to give."
            Real love is often measured by our willingness to let go of what we possess. Sometimes the thing we grip most tightly in our hands is the very thing God asks us to hand over to Him. (From Bible Illustrator)

The Land Of Pretty Soon

I know a land where the streets are paved
With things we meant to achieve;
Walled with money we meant to have saved
And the pleasures for which we grieve,
Kind words unspoken, promises broken,
And many a coveted boon
Are gathered there in that land somewhere,
The Land of Pretty Soon.
There uncut jewels of possible fame
Are lying about in the dust,
And many a noble and lofty aim
Are covered with mold and rust.
And, oh, this place, while it seems so near,
Is farther away than the moon;
Though purpose is fair, we'll not get there—
To the Land of Pretty Soon.
The road that leads to that mystic land
Is strewn with pitiful wrecks,
The ships that sailed for its shining strand
Bear skeletons on their decks.
It's farther at noon than it was at dawn,
And farther at night than noon;
Oh, let us beware of that land down there
The Land of Pretty Soon.

A Moments Wisdom

Criticizing the faults of others does not remove our own.
Alcohol can kill the living and preserve the dead.
To receive the crown we must bear the cross.
Many who claim much love for God have little love for man.
If you insist on all your “rights,” you will infringe on the rights of others.
Self-control is more important than self-expression.
Too truly enjoy blessings you must share them with others.
It is often very hard to keep up with “easy payments.”
You can’t pray for others when you have clenched fists and grinding teeth.

Masking Symptoms or Curing the Disease
By J. D. Williams

           Recently I experience an affliction common to all, the common cold! I took all the usual stuff and waited for it to just go away. As I took the different kinds of medicines for various symptoms, I noticed some of the labels. This one stops watery, itchy eyes; this one stops coughing and sneezing. Others reduce fever, soothe sore throats, or relieve a stuffy nose. As I read these labels, I wondered, if all of my symptoms are cured, why do I still have a cold? You would think if no symptoms exist, neither would the condition. Of course I think we all understand that these medications only mask the symptoms, and do not cure them. And while you may feel pretty good and go about your business, you still have a cold and only time will cure it.
            As I thought about this, I kept thinking, there must be a lesson it this somewhere. Here is what I think it is. Taking cold medicines is like practicing denominationalism. It doesn't really cure what ails you, spiritually, it only masks the symptoms. As stated above, if you take enough medication, you will probably feel great and go about your business as usual. But you are still not cured. And denominationalism will not cure you of that deadly disease called sin!  Satan's medicine will only trick you into thinking you are healthy. Most cold products will stop short of promising to actually cure you, but they promise the next best thing. That may be great for the cold virus but the next best thing is no good when your soul's salvation is involved, because there is no next best thing! You need the real cure that only God's word can provide. No amount of denominational medicine Satan prescribes will cure you. Only obedience to God's word will.
 

Horse Sense

            A preacher trained his horse to go when he said, "Praise the Lord," and to stop when he said, "Amen." The preacher mounted the horse, said, "Praise the Lord" and went for a ride. When he wanted to stop for lunch, he said, "Amen." He took off again, saying, "Praise the Lord." The horse started going toward the edge of a cliff. The preacher got excited and said, "Whoa!" Then he remembered and said, "Amen," and the horse stopped at the edge of the cliff. The preacher was so relieved and grateful that he looked up to heaven and said, "Praise the Lord!"
 

Just Kill the Spider

           One of the deacons was frequently called upon to pray at the mid-week service, and he always concluded his prayer the same way: “...and now Lord, clean out all the cobwebs in our lives.” I think you know what he was talking about -- those little unsightly words, deeds and thoughts that we let accumulate throughout the week.
            Well, it got to be too much for one brother who heard him say that prayer so many times. So one Wednesday night after hearing these words again, he jumped to his feet and shouted, “Don’t do it, Lord; JUST KILL THE SPIDER!”
            Brethren, how well it would be if we would kill the spider rather than continue to have our lives filled with cobwebs. We will never be able to live acceptably for God and reach the heights Christ sets for us until deep inside of us we have the desire to be clean and right.
            The greatest problem faced by the average Christian is that we do not have the desire to really give up the world and completely surrender to Christ. Thus, we always find our lives cluttered with “cobwebs,” with sins and mistakes.
            Let’s start inside of our lives. Once we kill the spider, we will no longer have to worry about the bothersome cobwebs. (Author Unknown)
 

My Own Back Yard
By Ellen Kyle

I was sitting and wondering what is love,
The kind described by God above.
How will I know it, how will I see,
God please show this love to me.
I was wondering, hoping for an answer to my prayer,
Then suddenly I understood, it was everywhere.
I saw it in a couple who had a loved one slip away,
And came to worship that very same day.
I saw it in a woman struggling with ill health,
And never once showed she felt sorry for herself.
I saw it in a couple so elderly and frail,
Who always are so friendly and attend without fail.
I saw it in a man who gives his time to teach,
Because the lost he loves and wants so much to reach.
I saw it in a preacher who's not afraid to cry,
And say how much he loves us and for heaven we must try.
I saw it in his wife, who tries God's ways to live,
I saw her daily walk and that she has so much to give.
I saw it in a woman that who through unfailing love,
Has done so very much to help me know God above.
I saw it in the families who teach their children right,
And have not given up the struggle no matter how hard the fight.
I saw it in the teens who gave in to their peers,
And came and repented, their eyes filled with tears.
I saw it in the ones who always come alone,
When their spouses chose to just stay home.
I saw it in friends that have done so much for me,
They are always there to encourage and to uplift me.
Lord help me to remember when my search for love seems hard,
I only need to look in my own backyard.

I Forgot To Live

First I was dying to finish high school and start college.
And then, I was dying to finish college and start work.
And then, I was dying to marry and have children.
And then, I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work.
And then, I was dying to retire.
And now, I am dying...
I forgot to live!

A Moments Wisdom

People who do a lot of kneeling don’t do much lying.
Poverty of character is far worse than poverty of purse.
To truly achieve one must truly believe.
Deeper giving means deeper living.
We are known by what we say — and by what we don’t say.
Instead of picking you up, alcohol will let you down.
To stand and walk straight, one must kneel often.