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Elie Wiesel

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

Elie Wiesel, Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor (1928- )

 

The Greek word "Abioud" is a name and it is used only two times in the New Testament...get the rest of the Greek study on this word at http://bumchecks.com/biblecommentary/ 

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Spanish writer, adventurer, soldier, playwright, and author of the first novel, one of the most important works in universal literature, Don Quixote de la Mancha (1547-1616)

 

On line bible commentary - get one NOW at http://www.abiblecommentary.com/ 

 

"Manners maketh man."

"Manners maketh man."

William of Wykeham, Chancellor of England and educator (1324-1404)

 

Check out the NEW Greek word study blog at http://bumchecks.com/biblecommentary/ today!

 

Happy Jack was attacked and he didn't care

 

My boys were listening to an old Who song and thought the first lyrics were, "Happy Jack was attacked and he didn't care."  Back in the earlier part of their career before they got too edgy for me to listen to them, John Boy and Billy, two Charlotte, NC, classic rock DJs whose morning show became syndicated throughout the southeast, regularly made me laugh until I hurt.  One shtick they had was a supposed CD collection of John Boy mis-singing lyrics of different songs, like Boston's "All I want is to have a piece of pie" (actually, "All I want is to have my peace of mind").  We get tickled at this kind of faux pas. How about in church services?  As a little kid, did you think they were singing, "Bringing In The Sheep" or "Bringing In The Cheese"?  How about, "Are you sowing the seed of the King, dumb brother?"  One of my late uncles, whether in ignorance or mischief, would sing, "At the fence, at the fence, where I tore my Sunday pants, and the quarter in my pocket rolled away."   Most, if not all, of these are instances of the miscomprehension that followed mishearing something.  It seems to me that gossip often works this way.  So often, we practice propagation without investigation or adequate information.  It is how Sister Sue's broken toe is soon body traction or Brother Bob's cold quickly becomes a coma.  It is less humorous when our tongues are a weapon that perpetrates reputation wounding or character assassination.  Remember, the tongue is unruly and hard to tame (James 3:1ff).  A gossip separates friends (Prov. 16:28), betrays a confidence (Prov. 20:19), fans the flames of quarrels (cf. Prov. 26:20), and practices malicious behavior (cf. 3 John 10).  Even if they get their info right but their motives and intentions are wrong, they do harm and should be avoided.  We are talking about something more risky than the childhood, playful game of "telephone."  The good name of a person is on the line.  Let us not only get it right, but strive to simply be right.  That includes taming our tongues.

Neal Pollard

When is the first day of fall?

 

 

I made a mistake this week when I told someone that the 21st was the
first day of autumn.  It seems to me that the seasons have generally
changed on either the 20th or the 21st, but this year is different
(for reasons I've not taken time to investigate).  Whether autumn
officially began yesterday or today appears to be a matter of dispute.
Those who take their position with the 22nd say that fall arrived at
11:09 p.m., so it's safe to say that today (the 23rd) is the first
full day of autumn.

Fall might be my favorite time of the year.  Spring is nice, too, but
there's something about the crispness of the air, mounds of pumpkins
at roadside stands and beautiful colors in the woods that tug at my
heart.  Yes, I know cold weather is ahead, but those few weeks of
autumn make me want to spend more time outdoors breathing in deeply of
the freshness of nature.

The color in the woods is a forerunner of the event that has given the
name to the season.  After the leaves turn colors, they soon release
their hold on the tree limbs and fall to the ground.  I was interested
to learn that "fall" is no longer used in Britain to refer to the
season.  Here in the U.S., however, we understand what is meant.  What
once occupied a lofty place in the forest canopy has now descended to
the floor below.

While the first day of fall is eagerly anticipated by many, the first
day of "the fall" was a dreadful day.  Not many specifics are given,
but it may be worth a moment or two of reflection.

In their earliest days, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman on
earth, enjoyed an idyllic existence.  The Garden of Eden was a place
planned and planted by the Lord Himself.  Here's one statement of the
beauty of that spot: "And out of the ground the Lord God made every
tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree
of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:9).

I've been blessed to observe some beautiful scenes in nature.  Forests
are robed in vivid color and detail, and individual trees stand as
silent witnesses to the majesty and power of God.  We can only imagine
how awesome Eden must have been!  The temperature, I suspect, was
always ideal; provision was made for their every need.

Enter Satan with all of his fierceness and deceit.  Promising the
ability to become like God by disregarding God's prohibition, Satan
led Eve and Adam to break the one law given to them.  That was "the
fall", the day in which (to use Milton's terminology) paradise was
lost.  Immediately these deceived ones realized how great was their
fall (see Genesis 3:16-19).

The same happens with any of us when we turn away from the life God
sets before us.  "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our
unrighteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isaiah 64:6).  It has
been said that "sin will take you farther than you wanted to go".
Proof of that is found in God's word and in lives each of us know.

God created us to occupy a lofty position in the canopy of His
creation.  When we follow Satan's will instead of the Creator's, we
experience the first day of the fall.

Timothy D. Hall

Revco-Cleveland Marathon

       Georgene Johnson got to the starting line 15 minutes early.  The mistake cost her 20 miles and a pair of aching knees.  The 42-year-old secretary was ready to run in a 10-kilometer race.  Instead, she mistakenly joined about 4000 runners taking part in the Revco-Cleveland Marathon.  Rather than quit, she hung on to finish the 26-mile race.  The 10-K (6.2 mile) race, was to start at 8:45 a.m., the marathon 15 minutes earlier.  Both Revco-Cleveland races used the same starting line.  Four miles down the road, as the route left downtown and moved into residential areas, she said she "got that sick feeling that possibly I was in the wrong race."  Another runner confirmed her suspicions. Johnson finished the marathon in 4:04, good enough for 83rd place in the women's division.  Her longest run previously was 8 miles.
       It is interesting how many times people place limitations on themselves about what they can or cannot accomplish.  For Georgene, she thought she was only able to endure about 8-miles of running.  This was a limitation she placed on herself, but obviously she was able to accomplish much more than she thought.  Now, she was only able to do this because of the hard work and training she had put in, but certainly she never thought she could do it.
       Even though some people are conceited, most people probably do not realize the potential they hold, especially when it comes to spiritual things.  It seems like too often people tell themselves, "I can't convert people," "I can't talk to people about God," "I can't lead singing," "I can't lead public prayers," "I can't teach others," "I can't conduct a Bible study," and many, many similar statements.  Of course not all of us can or should be teachers, and some of us may not be able to "carry a tune in a bucket," or what ever it may be.  While some of these limitations might be true, typically, these are boundaries that are exaggerated and that we put on ourselves.
       Look what incredible things God did with men who were fishermen, uneducated, untrained, and certainly not the type that stands out as incredible and talented people (Matthew 4:18ff; Acts 4:13).  If God can do amazing things through average people, certainly He can accomplish incredible thing with us as well.  Usually the difference is in our willingness to let Him work and letting go of the mental limitations we usually place on ourselves.  Many times we cannot accomplish something because we have told ourselves that we cannot accomplish it.  While we all do have limitations, lets make sure that we realize that God can work with the most untalented person.  Remember Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."  Lets never allow our self-imposed limitations keep us from being greater servants, evangelists, teachers, preachers, etc. in God's kingdom. Let's get out there and be workers for the Lord despite our limitations.

 

Brett Petrillo

 

Dr. Laurence J. Peter

"Speak when you are angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret."


Dr. Laurence J. Peter, educator known for his formulation of "The Peter Principle" (1919-1990)

 

shopping in a local Walmart store

Cindy, one of our members and the grandmother of 5 year old Analys shared
the following incident with me.

It seems that Grandma Cindy and Analys were doing some shopping in a local
Walmart store. Analys loves to sing and her favorite song is Victory in
Jesus. While in the store she began to sing the song loudly, Cindy said you
could hear her quite plainly. As she sang her favorite song, Cindy said that
older ladies began moving through the store to where they were shopping to
see who was singing this hymn (in a strong voice). The reactions were mixed
I understand. One of the ladies even joined in singing with her while
someone else asked, "Are you going to let here continue to sing that church
song?" I loved Cindy's response, "Why should I stop her, if she were singing
a children's song no one would think anything about it." I think the whole
situation was a Victory FOR Jesus!

How are you letting your voice be heard? We are given many opportunities in
our world and community to use gift or talent whatever it may be, however
sometimes we hold back from doing good or singing out for Jesus. Many are
more apt to be involved with good works through their local congregation and
that is a great thing! However, sometimes Many times we can do good, (let
our light shine and let our voice be heard) through the community activities
which go on around us. There are opportunities such as the annual "Walk for
Life;" "Aid for West Ranch fire victims;" "Feed the hungry soup kitchen;"
"Tehachapi Relay for Life;" "Family life pregnancy center;" "Tehachapi
Senior Center;" "The Hospital Guild;" "Meals on Wheels;" etc.

Paul urges the Christians in Galatia: "Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family
of believers. (Galatians 6:10, NIV). I do think we need to be careful about
the message we send to others through the charitable works we indorse or
with which we choose to become involved. Some groups do not operate with
Christian principles, while others may be sponsored by community churches.
There are some good works that we as a church might endorse or be involved
with, while others, because of their religious or social stances we can not.
There are some good works which the church (as a group entity) cannot
support, but which you as an individual may. You will need to make up your
own mind about what those things may be.

Having said that, notice that James writes these words, (which some people
find troubling) in James 4:17: "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought
to do and then not do it." (NLT) Again, each of us has gifts, talents and
opportunities. If we don't do what we can, then quite possibly it is sin.
One of my favorite passages is Matthew 5:16 which says: "Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
in heaven.(KJV)

How brightly are you shining? Can your voice be heard! Is your life a
Victory for Jesus?

Russ Lawson

International Space Station

I know something about making the trip from Johnson City, Tennessee to
Nashville.  It's a favorite destination because that's where my
children and grandchildren live.  Driving at the posted speed limit
(or just a little above, perhaps), the trip takes about four and one-
half hours.  If a strong urge strikes, I could hop in my car and make
the trip easily.

There's another journey that doesn't involve quite as many miles.
Though I might enjoy taking the trip, I don't expect I ever will.  For
one thing I don't have a way to get there; I'd have to take a taxi.
And I'm quite sure I wouldn't be able to afford that taxi, even if I
could get a seat.

The International Space Station orbits about 220 miles above the
earth.  Yesterday the Boeing Company, makers of some of the most
famous airplanes that fly our friendly skies, announced a partnership
with Virginia-based Space Adventures.  Plans are already underway to
take seven-passenger flights to the Space Station as early as 2015.
This program is a result of NASA's recent initiative to develop
private-sector "space taxis".  Ticket prices were not announced.

NASA's space shuttle program will come to an end in 2011.  After that
our nation will depend on Russian space flights to get our astronauts
to the Space Station.  For that service Russia will charge $51 million
per seat on the Soyuz spacecraft.  Will Space Adventures offer more
competitive fares?

Though I don't expect to travel in outer space during my lifetime, I
do fully intend to one day leave this earth.  No, there's no
contradiction in that sentence.  I simply believe in promises that
have been made to me and all others who choose to follow Jesus.
Here's one statement of the promise: "Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many
mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a
place for you" (John 14:1,2).

What that heavenly home will be like is the subject of much
speculation.  Not many details are revealed in the Bible.  What kind
of food will we eat - or will we eat food?  Will each of us have our
own private quarters?  Will heaven's streets really be paved with
gold?  Each of us have ideas of what heaven will be like, but God
didn't tell us very much.

But one thing makes heaven worthy of our dreams: Jesus has gone to
prepare that place for us.  If the Garden of Eden - a place prepared
by God - was an ideal existence, can you imagine what heaven will be
like?!

Sure, heaven may be fabulous, but how will we get there?  Jesus spoke
about that in that same passage: "And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am,
there you may be also" (John 14:3).  Jesus is lining up our
transportation.

One of the greatest of God's prophets, Elijah, was given an escort to
heaven.  A chariot of fire appeared and swept the godly man away from
the earth (2 Kings 2:11).  Will that be our "taxi" to heaven?  I don't
know; it's best to leave such details to God.  But there's no doubt in
my mind I'll be transported to my heavenly home some day.  All I have
to do for now is keep living in Christ (Revelation 2:10).

 

Timothy D. Hall

Anne Bradstreet

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."


Anne Bradstreet, British poet (1612-1672)

Marya Mannes

"The sign of an intelligent people is their ability to control their emotions by the application of reason."


Marya Mannes, American author and critic (1904-1990)

The importance of greeting visitors

Driving back a few weeks ago from Polishing the Pulpit on a Wednesday night, two of my sons and I decided to attend Bible classes with a congregation en route to the airport from which we would fly home the following morning.  It was a congregation about the size of Bear Valley.  The class was well-taught, biblical, and interesting.  After the class, there was a brief intermission before a devotional period.  After the closing prayer, the boys and I stood and smiled at several, three extroverts looking for the opportunity to greet brethren before we had to get back on the road.  A great many of the members were making a dash for their cars to get home.  Several were swimming past us.  Only as we were making our exit did one brother half-heartedly, after we made a very deliberate approach toward him, greet us.

Fortunately for this congregation, I was not a non-Christian or struggling or sensitive Christian.  For whatever good this church may accomplish, they flunked in welcoming the outsiders who were among them.  Churches, like people, may have bad days, but the stakes are high and the impression made upon us was lasting.

It also left me mortified at the thought that anyone would ever be among us for one of our assemblies and leave with the same bad taste in his or her mouth.  I know the excuses we may use-"I had people to see and things to accomplish," "I didn't know they were a visitor," "I wouldn't know what to say," "that's not my 'job,'" "that's not my talent," and the like.  But balance those sentiments with the potentially harmful, lasting, and negative impression we may leave on one in need of a connection that may lead to their salvation or much-needed encouragement.  Did you know we had a young man visit with us last night, a Christian brother who is in town taking a short course toward his engineering degree?  Dave Chamberlin spotted him standing alone in the back of the auditorium, in the middle of a crowd many of whom we both watched just walk past him.  Did you know he will be back at services on Wednesday night, before returning to a neighboring state to continue his higher education?  Dave spent quite a while talking with him, as did Michael Sharp.  How wonderfully this commends their warm-hearted spirit.  Maybe others met and visited with him, but why not let us set our minds to being a congregation renowned for bombarding our visitors with time and attention?  Next week, we have a golden opportunity through our lectureship-a time in which we will be inundated with "outsiders."

Clint Stephens is the master at this.  He never assumes others will greet our visitors.  As a shepherd, he's responsible for the flock but he has no greater responsibility than anyone else for greeting visitors.  If you will seek out and welcome our visitors, it will be the means of your spiritual growth and a tangible way to be a servant of Christ.  Let us be resolved that, on "our watch," no one will leave one of our assemblies feeling invisible!

 

A true picture of peace

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. *

Jesus said to His disciples: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  Jesus contrasted the peace that He gives with the peace that the world offers.

What kind of peace does the world have to offer?  At best, it is the absence of conflict.  Unfortunately, as the history of civilization and current events reveal, this peace is always temporary and uncertain.

However, the peace that Jesus gives is not based upon CIRCUMSTANCES, 
but upon a RELATIONSHIP with Him – despite circumstances.  The peace found in Christ does not mean the absence of trials on the outside, but it does mean a quiet confidence within, based upon one's faith, regardless of circumstances, people or things.

When we submit to Christ in: faith (Acts 16:30-31), repentance (2 Peter 3:9), confession (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism (Acts 22:16), we begin a relationship with Christ as a child of God.  ONLY through Jesus, can we have peace with God (Romans 5:1), with others (Romans 14:19), and with ourselves (Philippians 4:6-7).

Peace in the midst of the storm: THIS is the perfect picture of peace, and this is the kind of peace that is found in Christ!

YOU can have THIS peace if you will trust and obey Him.

Won't you?

 -- David A. Sargent, Minister

 

Once saved always saved is false

                        "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter

                            into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will

                                of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

I like to present lessons in a venue that's referred to as a "type vs. antitype" lesson. That's where we can take something from the Old Testament, the Old Law and apply it to a teaching in the New Testament or the New Law. Sort of like looking at a physical event in the Old and seeing the spiritual relevance in the New. I'm going to use that lesson type today as we discuss a couple of "worldly religious beliefs" and the first one goes like this: "God is love, He won't send people to hell."

The second one is very closely related to the first and it's the old denominational doctrine of "Once saved, always saved." One of the arguments you hear by the proponents of this doctrine is that "we can't limit God's grace." My first thought on that is - why not? We don't limit it, He does. We're just reporting it. Allow me to offer scriptural proof of this.

The Scriptures tell us that God's grace is given for "obedience to the faith." (Rom. 1:5) Further scriptural reading tells us that "faith" is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 1:7, 3:24, 5:1-2, 5:17, 1Cor. 1:4 and many others, but this should suffice for our point)

And, here's an interesting scriptural statement: the Apostle Paul says in Gal. 5:4 that those who wanted to bring the Old Law into the New were making Christ "of none effect." And, in so doing, have "fallen from grace." WAIT JUST A MINUTE! You can "fall from grace?" Looks like that's what God says to me. It's even repeated in Heb. 12:14-15 where we see that if we're not "diligent" to stay "holy (righteous)" we can "fall from grace."

Now I'm just a simple Christian, Bible class teacher and amateur editorialist, but it seems pretty evident to me that God certainly puts limits to His grace. To whom He bestows it on. Clear back in Exodus 33:19 He tells Moses that He "will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy." Aren't we looking at the same principle that we saw in Galatians & Hebrews? That it's His grace and that He will limit it to whom He limits it.

Let's journey back into the Old Testament for a few moments and look at a couple of situations there that also serve to refute the two "worldly religious beliefs" that some hold. First is a simple one - Gen. 6:8 says that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Hebrews 11:7 tells us that he "found" God's grace because of his "faith" so we're back to "grace" being connected to "Faith."

Our second "worldly religious belief" refutation comes from some words spoken by God through His prophet Jeremiah in the 8^th chapter of his book. These words refer to the time just prior to Israel's being taken into captivity and speak to the reasons why it happened. The reason I've selected these passages is because they show a direct relationship to what a lot of people today think as evidenced by our "worldly religious beliefs." We'll see that the Jews also harbored the same beliefs.

Jeremiah presents this scene to us in the form of rhetorical questions and I'll take the liberty of paraphrasing his words here for brevity sake, but please check these passages for correctness. The rhetorical questions: Why do people continue to err when they've been told it's wrong? Why do they persist in being deceived? How can they claim to be wise and that they know God's law when they reject it? What kind of wisdom is seen by this? How can they believe the false priests who tell them there's peace, when there's no peace? (Verses 4-11)

Of particular interest in these verses is a couple of things said by Jeremiah. In verse 7 He laments this situation His People are in by saying, "My people know not the judgment of the Lord." And, in their belief that "peace" is with them, he seems to be lamenting their attitude that they think they're safe at the same time they're rejecting God's Word.

In the latter portion of the 8^th chapter we find our specific tie-in to Israel of Jeremiah's day and our "worldly religious beliefs" of today. The Jews entertained a belief similar to those of today in that they thought they were forever safe from harm, that they had no worries because they were "God's Chosen People" no matter what! This is evidenced by a couple of their sayings that, according to Biblical historians, they used to bolster themselves whenever some sort of danger appeared. And, they uttered them on this occasion.

The two sayings were: "Is not the Lord in Zion?" (This is where His house is, His Temple). And, "Is not her King in her?" (Isn't this where our King resides? - Vs 19.) The idea being that, God will not let "real harm" come to them because He chose them and His Temple is there with them. Plus, He's their King, their Ruler. BUT, don't they have a real problem here? They've continually rejected their King's law.

In the last verse of this chapter Jeremiah seems to say, again in a rhetorical way, there's no "balm in Gilead." There's no "physician" there. In other words, because of their "holding fast to a deceit" and not "returning to being obedient" to God's law, there is no healing available for them. They were going to be punished, taken away, no matter how many mantras they chant. And they were.

Closing thoughts: it's not what you say, it's what you do. (Matt. 7:21) We have the same God and the same principles today. People can claim they have God (Isn't the Lord in Zion?) but, like Israel found out, His grace is only with them if His law is followed. If it's not followed, then also like Israel, punishment will be meted out. There is a slight difference this time though. With Israel, it was for a period of time. In the coming punishment, time is not a factor - it's forever.

Ron Covey

What are the roads like in India?

 

This week finds me in India, travelling the back roads to cities and villages in an effort to take the gospel to surrounding areas.  We in America often take the condition of our roads for granted, and assume that most roads in the world are as good as, or perhaps even better than the worst of our bad roads.  I can assure you that even our country roads are far superior to some of the major highways in India.   This is not to say that there are no good roads in India whatsoever, for their government has been actively involved in improving road conditions nationally by building what we here at home might call "Interstate Highways."  In India they are known as "National Highways."   Between Kakinada in the state of Andre Pradesh and the nearest National Highway is a distance of about 50 kilometers (give or take a dozen kilometers).   Portions of the highways leading out of Kakinada have been resurfaced in the last couple of years; but there remain some sections where the potholes are large enough to swallow a "laurie" (i.e. 8 wheeler semi).   I usually ride in the back of Nehemiah's Toyota and when we hit some of the worst of the potholes I get quite a "bounce."   I often find myself thinking, "If it had not been for that Tata (Indian made economy car) falling into the pothole ahead of us, the jolt would have been much worse.   Our driver does his best to avoid the potholes, weaving here and there, and slamming on the brakes when a hole is so large that it is simply unavoidable.  Oh yes, traversing the potholes in India is quite a challenge; I'm just glad that I'm not the one doing the driving.

 

Every life has "potholes" that come along from time to time.   One minute you might find yourself cruising down life's highway, without a care in the world.  All of a sudden here comes a "pothole" that you simply cannot avoid.  You weave here and there, trying your best to avoid it; but to no avail.  Sometimes those "potholes" of life slap us in the face without so much as a simple warning.  Financial loss, betrayal by a close friend or brother in Christ, or even the unexpected and sudden death of a loved one are among these unexpected challenges of life.  All of these can devastate our lives and more often than not, they come upon us unawares.   Try as we may, we simply cannot avoid those things that are bigger than life itself, and that stare us in the face without any way to escape.  This past week someone sent me the following quote from a well known denominational preacher.  I think you will appreciate his sentiments.  Here a few select remarks:

 

"Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.   The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.   We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness…Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life…No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.   And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:   If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others" (Rick Warren).  

 

If you want to be happy why not try Paul's inspired advice:  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you" (Phil. 4:8-9).  You cannot control the circumstances that come along in life any more than you can fill or dodge the potholes in the roads upon which you travel.  How you react to those circumstances is what is important.  And with God's help, faith in His promises, and a determination to do His will, you can successfully traverse the potholes of life. 

 

by Tom Wacaster

 

 

Arnold Palmer

"I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win."


Arnold Palmer, American former professional golfer and entrepreneur (1929-)

 

Ivan Turgenev

"If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."


Ivan Turgenev, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (1818-1883)

 

I joined the web site *tribe* -

this social working site takes just a couple of minutes to join and it is fun!

 

http://people.tribe.net/6bc6a02b-d6ea-4cc8-85bd-4ba0fc91d8fe

 

Get a free Mr. Wong profile!

My example is here!

 

http://www.mister-wong.com/user/bumchecks/?profile

 

Bible study web site ilnk

The "Bible study" materials discussed on "bumchecks.com" are now on a new social networking site!  Check out this "bible study profile" here:  http://www.blogigo.de/bumchecks

 

Phoebe Cary

"One sweetly solemn thought, comes to me o'er and o'er; I am nearer home today, than I ever have been before."

Phoebe Cary, American poet (1824-1871)

 

Rebooting and Starting Over

REBOOTING AND STARTING OVER

The following are some suggested new error messages for Microsoft Windows:

1) Smash forehead on keyboard to continue.

2) Enter any 11-digit prime number to continue.

3) Press any key to continue or any other key to quit.

4) Press any key... no, no, no, NOT THAT ONE!

5) Close your eyes and press escape three times.

6) Bad command or file name! Go stand in the corner.

7) Keyboard not attached. Press F1 to continue.

8) CONGRESS.SYS corrupted... Re-boot Washington D.C? (Y/N)

9) Runtime Error 6D at 417A:32CF: Incompetent User.

10) Error reading FAT record: Try the SKINNY one? (Y/N)

11) WinErr 547: LPT1 not found. Use backup.....PENCIL & PAPER.

12) Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic.

Wouldn't it be nice if every time we made a mistake in real life, we
received an "error message" telling us we did something wrong, along with
instructions on how to correct it? And wouldn't it be nice to keep
"backups" so if we did something stupid we could go back and put in the
backup, continuing on as if nothing had ever gone wrong? And if things get
really bad, wouldn't it be nice just to be able to "reboot" and completely
start all over again from scratch?

In essence, God has given us a way to do just that. Part of the
blessing of becoming a Christian is the ability to start afresh. Paul said
of the Corinthians:

"Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.
But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (I Cor. 6:9b-11).

Thanks be to God for giving us all a way to "reboot" and start over.

Alan Smith

www.bumchecks.com is no longer a collection agency web site!

This web site has been turned into a "Bible commentary" web site and now has some Bible study profiles on these social networking sites:

 

http://lifestream.fm/abible

 

http://www.propeller.com/member/abible/ 

 

http://www.propeller.com/member/abible/submissions/ 

 

http://www.myspace.com/549270819/blog 

 

http://skribit.com/blogs/bible-study-and-bible-commentary

 

http://bumcheck.blogdrive.com/

 

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/bumchecks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verizon "family locator" deal

 

On my front porch at this moment is a package containing merchandise I
ordered last week.  I have not actually seen this package nor has my
wife called to tell me that it's there.  I know it's location because
of the tracking service provided by the company from which I ordered.
Had I checked yesterday I would have been told that it was in transit.
Another of those marvels of technology!

Tracking is an ancient skill.  Those who lived on the North American
continent before the arrival of Europeans knew how to track the game
they were hunting.  Their lives depended on finding meat and they
became quite good at following paw prints and observing other signs.
Their attention to detail told them how long it had been since the
animal had been in that spot.

Hunting is now a sport in our country, and few depend on finding game
in order to eat.  There are plenty of other things, though, that
Americans track.  Apps like Yowza turn one's smart phone into a device
for sniffing out bargains.  Your location is identified (somehow) and
blips begin appearing on a map showing which stores feature sales for
merchandise you've specified.  Saving money has gotten easier (and so
has attracting shoppers into retail outlets).

Verizon advertises a service called "family locator".  When the
service is enabled, you can keep track of the whereabouts of others
who share your phone's family plan.  Is your teenage son really where
he said he was going to be?  You no longer have to wonder.

Long ago a young man fled his home after his brother threatened to
kill him.  As Jacob slept on the ground that first night on the run,
God spoke to him in a dream: "Behold I am with you and will keep you
wherever you go ..." (Genesis 28:15).  What comfort that must have
been for Jacob as he faced an uncertain future!  But his peace
depended on God following him.

Several hundred years later another man contemplated God's ability to
track his people: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"
(Psalm 23:6).  The Hebrew word translated here as "follow" is found
often in the Old Testament; it is commonly translated as "pursue" or
"chase".  This is no casual stroll; God intentionally follows His
people!

One can imagine the anxiety felt by the apostles as they saw Jesus
prepare to return to heaven.  He had guided and taught them for three
years; what now?  Matthew records these assuring words at the close of
his gospel account: "... and, lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).  Jesus was and is constantly tracking
His disciples.

Though airlines spend tens of millions of dollars on their luggage
sorting systems, suitcases are sometimes lost.  GPS signals don't
always yield accurate locations.  Even precious children are sometimes
separated from those who dearly love them and try to protect them.

Nothing compares, however, with God's tracking system.  Paul stressed
the surety of that truth: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God
stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His ...'" (2
Timothy 2:19).  Nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans
8:35-39); nothing, that is, except you (2 Peter 2:20-22).

Timothy D. Hall

New "Bible commentary" profiles

are on these "social networking" web sites:

 

http://adocu.com/abible/profile

 

http://www.cinchcast.com/abible