Bram Stoker

"How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams."

Bram Stoker, Irish novelist and short story writer best known for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula (1847-1912)

 

Archiving beloved family photos

"Preserving The Image"

 

Pop quiz!! If you suddenly realized your house was on fire, what would you most want to save? That's a question most of us don't want to consider, but many would say "My family photos or videos". Many things can be replaced with the insurance settlement: furniture, appliances, dishes, etc. But how do you replace those treasured pictures of your ancestors?

 

We may never have to deal with a fire, but have you looked at those old photos lately? Fire is not the only threat they face. Images fade with time, and exposure to sunlight (even inside most picture frames) only hastens that process. Time is a slower method of loss than fire, but just as certain.

 

For the past four or five years I've been working (off and on) on archiving our beloved family photos. Our children were raised during the age of film and we have a good many albums of our precious little ones. Using a scanner and a computer, I've slowly gone through the albums and digitized each snapshot. I've then made copies of those digital images so if my copies are destroyed someone else will have them. Digital images are more likely to survive the ravages of time.

 

I can't begin to estimate the number of hours I've spent archiving photos from my own and my mother's collection. The assurance I have, though, of my grandchildren being able to enjoy these family keepsakes makes it all worthwhile.

 

A passage in the Bible that has been powerful in my life is 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." To do that passage justice would require more room than I devote for these devotionals. Let me quickly summarize, however, what Paul means.

 

The "mirror" of which Paul speaks refers to the word of God. James makes that clear in James 1:23,24. The only way I can truly "see" myself as God sees me is to come to the Bible and hear what He has said. It's also the only reliable source of information about Jesus, the Savior of mankind. I must come to this Book often to really see Jesus.

 

The more I present myself before this Book, according to Paul, the more I'll be "transformed into the same image". What "image" does Paul mean? The image of the glory of the Lord. God's word can create change in my life. It can transform me from the weak and vile person that I may be into one who is more like Jesus Christ!

 

Does an old book really have such power to transform? If it's God's word, yes! "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is much more than words-on-a-page. It lives!

 

Attaining the image of Christ in my life should be my number one goal. And preserving that image in the face of life's temptations and struggles is equally vital. When His image fills my life, I know God is pleased with me.

 

Timothy D. Hall

six things the LORD hates

I AM NO political activist, and I was in no small way annoyed and worn out by the political phone calls and ads...  

 

Yet, there was an amendment on the Colorado ballot that did have my undivided attention.  It was simply called "Amendment 62," an amendment to our state constitution recognizing the independent "personhood" of the unborn child.  By an overwhelming 7 to 3 ratio, our state's voters denied that amendment.

 

There are many reasons to recognize the personhood of the unborn child.  The child has its own unique DNA, fingerprints, blood type, many times is even of a different gender, and is distinctly identified as a human being.  The child develops early and rapidly, having blood vessels form in the third week after conception, eyes and the beginning of esophagus, gallbladder, liver, lungs, pancreas, pharynx, stomach and trachea form in the fourth week. The face of the child begins to look human by week five, and the heart begins beating around the same time. The brain of the child can sense smell by day 35.  The beginning of the toes are evident by day 42.  Consider that all of these developments are occurring before or around the time a woman discovers she is pregnant (cf.http://sfuhl.org/).  The most compelling reason requires a belief both in God and scripture, which not only gives us our moral bearing regarding life and love of children but also gives us God's view of the unborn child.

 

The Bible tells us that God knew the unborn child even before He formed the child in the womb (Isa. 44:1-2; Jer. 1:4-5).  It further states the love and relationship God has with the unborn child (Ps. 22:9-10; 139:13-16).  In Luke 1:39-44, Elizabeth recognizes the personhood both of the unborn child in her own womb and that in Mary's womb.  If Mary had been pro-choice and had sought to exercise that choice to abort (and why would a pro-choice Christian deny her that "right"?), the world's only Savior would not have been born.

 

The greater concern here is the collective callus on the heart of a nation.  For just short of four full decades, we have legally sanctioned the killing of unborn children.  With the practice now entering a third generation of legal and societal acceptance, I am very concerned about the conscience of an entire culture.

 

There is an incredible website out there called www.physiciansforlife.org, a voice for medical professionals against the horrific practice of abortion.  On the site, they say, "How ironic that the 'love' generation should spawn such a culturally accepted abomination as abortion."  The site is filled with studies and data about the health risks and problems for the mother who makes this choice as well as an endless amount of statistics and research on the matter.

 

Our task is great.  It begins with our valuing all human life and the eternal implication residing in every person.  This deserves our prayers and our concern.  If we will be more aggressive in teaching the gospel to the lost, we stand a better chance to reach the heart of a nation hardened by years of choosing evil rather than good on this matter.  May God grant our nation a softened heart and may He bless us all, including those unborn who simply want to live.  Neal Pollard /

 

16 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood."  Proverbs 6:16-17

 

Bible commentary on *live journal*!

Check out the new *bible commentary* profile!

 

http://biblecommentary.livejournal.com/

 

Ryan O'Rourke

"Opinions are like noses: Everybody has one...you pick yours and I'll pick mine."

Ryan O'Rourke, Irish-American evangelist and missionary to the Republic of Ireland (1978- )

 

November 2nd

In two days it will be November 2^nd, the day for which we've all been waiting, lo these many months - election day! In two days it will all be over. No more TV ads blaring a bunch of innuendos about the character of some politician's opponent. Is it just me or does this latest election cycle seem to be more vitriolic in nature than the others have been? Without giving away my age, I've seen many elections come and go and they just seem to get worse in mud-slinging and character assassination with each one.

I don't editorialize on politics in the sense that I promote one candidate over another, but I do use "politics" and "politicians" in general to teach lessons. And, I have to admit that they do provide some great (as in appropriate) illustrations, usually in the negative sense. Today's editorial will be of the nature of offering some advice to all politicians everywhere, but especially those already elected and those seeking to be elected to a seat in the federal government realm of politics. It will also provide advice to us as we make our decisions on who to vote for.

I ran across this "advice" quite a few years ago and in fact cited it once in an editorial "way back when." I remembered it and dug it out from the catacombs, dusted the cobwebs off of it, reread it and decided that it would be something we might need to consider again as we see "the day" approaching. If I'm successful with my presentation, you'll see this lesson apply to both "the day," (Nov. 2^nd) and "the day" of the Lord, (date unknown).

The "advice" which I'm about to cite to you was written by a minister (name unk.) back in the year 1916. I just wish that my editorials were read by some of our elected officials because, if they were, they might recognize the wisdom voiced by the words of that unnamed minister and act accordingly. He entitled his wise words "The Ten Cannots." Read them with me here and see if you don't agree with him and find his insight very applicable to today.

            You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

            You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

            You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

            You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

            You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

            You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

            You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

            You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

            You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's

            initiative and independence.

            You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they

            could and should do for themselves.

I don't know about you, but I see each and everyone of these "cannots" being violated by our current class of politicians and it worries me. I'm particularly concerned by "cannot #7," the inciting of "class hatred" that seems to be rearing its ugly head lately and it reminds me of another "cannot." One spoken by Jesus and reiterated by Abraham Lincoln: "And if a kingdom/house be divided against itself, that kingdom/house cannot stand." (Mark 3:24-25)

I said that this lesson would also apply to "the day" coming which is of much more importance than this or any other "election day." I suppose we could refer to it as our "election day" as it will be the day in which Christ returns and takes the "elect of God" home with Him to Heaven. (Ref. Col. 3:12 and 1 Thess. 1:4) And, when you think about it, this will be the most important day in the life of everyone who ever lived on this earth, both of the "elect" and the "non-elect."

Since we're looking at "cannots" lets look at a few that pertain to the importance of which "party" we're in on "that day." Obviously, if the "elect" get to go home with Christ and be with God forever in Heaven, then the "non-elect" are relegated to another location. I don't think that we have to spend any time or space in this editorial surmising where that "forever" location will be so rather, let me provide you with some Biblical "cannots" that help illustrate the difference in the two "parties" and their designated eternal destinations.

I think that by knowing these "cannots" you can make the proper decision as to the election of the party in which you want to belong. And, I have to tell you that, you have to make a choice because Christ says "No man can serve two masters... that you cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24) You see, by not choosing God as your "master" (His "party"), by default puts you into Satan's "party", the "non-elect party."

How about a little further look into the platform, so to speak, of God's "party." In defining how one becomes a member of "God's elect," His "party" we see in John 3:5 Christ laying out the basic membership requirement: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Then, in another place (Luke 14:27) we find Him saying this: "And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple."

Ok, we've discussed the eligibility requirements for being in God's "party," IE: first being "in," or a "disciple" of His Son, but we need to also understand that should we decide to, shall we say, "switch parties" we also switch eternal destinations. In John 15 Christ likened Himself as "the true vine" and His disciples as "branches." He goes on to say that should we switch party allegiance we'd be like a lopped-off limb because, as said there in John, a "...branch cannot bear fruit of itself." It has to stay connected to "the vine" in order to be viable.

The "vine," as used by Christ to represent Himself, is what we call a metaphor. In closing our thoughts today, I'd like to portray this last point of the lesson about staying true to "God's party" and understanding the consequences of leaving it by using one more metaphor, that of a "ship." I see this metaphor as relative to the "party" of God. I think that you'll easily see the connection.

                    "Except ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." (Acts 27:31)

Ron Covey

Dan Rather

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth.'"

Dan Rather, American journalist (1931- )