Pre-edited Newspaper Articles by Neville Buchanan
Index
Amber Alert Issued For Absolute Truth
How Our Past Alters Our Future
A New Years Resolution That Works
Can Reading Your Bible Land You In Prison?
Getting Divorced in Your Sleep
Are Donkey’s Better Than Housewives
Things I learned from my mother
Stressed over Hypertension Medication
Limiting Tornado Associated Tragedies
The Uniqueness of the Church of Christ
How do you react when you are wrongly accused?
When Your Dad’s Church Leaves You
The Life Saving Properties of Sewage
Spoiling It For The Rest of Us
Monkey’s Prove Big Bang Theory
Our Teens Know Something We Don’t
Playing With Pot Nets Big Prize
“Boy Glues Hand to Bed to Avoid School”
Out With The Old In With The New
What the 1st Century Christians Knew
Henry and Mary were enjoying their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Their family and friends came from far and near to help make this a very special day. Henry smiled endearingly at his wonderful wife, and overcome with fond emotions he lent forward and whispered in her ear: “Mary, through all the years we have been together, you have always been tried and true.” Mary stared back at him in horror and shouted: “Well I am tired of you too.”
Jesus calls us to be different from the world – he calls us to a higher standard of living. He calls us to always be tried and true.
Why don’t you try His standard of living? Start each in prayer – pledge to lay your life on His alter.
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Our world is filled with strange labels – like the warning label on a can of self-defense pepper spray: “May irritate eyes.” Or the warning label on a cardboard car sunshield that keeps sun off the dashboard: “Do not drive with sunshield in place.”
Then there is the label on a hotel-provided shower cap:
“Fits one head”.
Nearly 2000 years have passed, and the Church belonging to Christ still has the “fits one head” label.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says the church being built is “my church”.
Later in Ephesians 1:17-21 Paul confirms that Jesus will always be the Boss of His church. …God of our Lord Jesus Christ … put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Old preachers leave and new preachers arrive, but the management is still the same. Why not consider letting this simple truth transform you – join a church that considers Jesus as their perpetual Boss – we would love to have you!
Two weeks ago a false Amber Alert was issued for 18-year-old Trevon Smith’s niece. Trevon “cried wolf” because he wanted police to work faster to find his stolen vehicle. He was arrested because he fooled around with our society’s system of truth.
Recently Ted Koppel delivered a commencement address at Duke university: “Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder: it is a howling reproach - in the place of truth we have discovered facts. For moral absolutes we have substituted moral ambiguity. We now communicate with everyone and say absolutely nothing. We have reconstructed the Tower of Babel, and it is a television antenna. What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not ten suggestions, but – Commandments. The sheer brilliance of the Ten Commandments is that they codify acceptable human behavior for all time.”
Are you lost in the Post Modernistic “Mis-INFORMATION” HIGHWAY? Our Great Transformer has a simple path back to Absolute Truth: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32).”
Wise Solomon once said: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Last Friday morning I was part of a great group of early morning risers at the Borger I.S.D. Superintendent’s Prayer Breakfast. We are privileged to live in a City where our Superintendent, Cliff Stephens, knows the value of prayer.
However, this school district is not the norm. In March, when Knoxville, Tenn., prosecutors ordered 582 parents of chronically truant students to a meeting to advise them of their responsibility to get their kids to school, 241 failed to show up. [Guardian (London), 7-20-05] [Knoxville News-Sentinel, 3-16-05].
How apathetic or supportive are we of our teachers and school administrators? While our children enjoy the last few days of their “Summer Vacation” our teachers are working hard to create a great learning environment.
As a community, let God’s truth transform us. Support and pray for our teachers. Seek them out and tell them you love and appreciate them.
The General was having a bad day. His jeep had veered of the road, in the middle of “war games”, and ended up stuck in a mud hole. Looking around he saw a few soldiers observing him from the comfort of a shady tree. “Come here” he ordered.
“Sorry sir,” replied one of the lazy soldiers, “we are classified as dead – the umpire said we couldn’t help in any way.”
The Furious General turned to his driver and shouted, “Drag a couple of those cadavers here and throw them under the wheels to give us traction!”
Do you know that Jesus called one of the seven churches in Asia dead? What would such a church look like? We might suggest that its main “work” is to open the doors on Sundays. Along with the sad faces, that reflect unhappy hearts, everything else is on the decline. Sunday after Sunday their members sit through another long sermon and endure an anger preacher who spews out guilt and causes fear. In Jesus day we would call this the Sad Sardis Church. To them Jesus writes: “I know your works. You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).
If you are ready for the transforming power of faith, hope, and love – why not join us this Sunday. Come and learn our Savior’s Solution for all who find themselves in “Sad Sardis”.
Private Peters was always seen walking around the military base picking up pieces of paper and saying: “That is not it”. This landed him in the Base Psychiatrist’s office. “Peters, why do you act so strangely?” Major Jones asked.
“I don’t”, Peters replied.
“Peters, there’s got to be something wrong. I was told that you go around the base picking up pieces of paper and mumbling, ‘That’s not it!’ Please, tell me what you are looking for?”
Peters replied, “I just do not know. I have looked everywhere, and I can’t ever seem to find it!”
Dr. Jones was puzzled. He excused Private Peters and consulted with his colleagues. After a week he told Peters that he thought he had a very serious syndrome. “I am going to have to give you a medical discharge from the infantry.” Peters took the paper and shouted – “This is it. This is what I have been looking for”.
What are you looking for? One day two of John’s disciples followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking” (John 1:35-38).
Do you know what does disciples were looking for? Were they in the market for a church that would entertain them? Or were they searching for a church that was filled with boring traditions? No, they found what they were looking for!
“We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ) – John 1:41.
Why not come and visit sometime? We meet on a Hill just behind McDonald’s. I know you will find what you have been seeking.
An impoverished man with a dirty pig came walking into a preacher’s office.
“Preacher, I have a problem. My family is starving so I stole this pig to feed them. But I am feeling terribly guilty. Would you take this pig?”
“Certainly not” the preacher stammered.
“Well what must I do?” the man asked.”
The preacher quickly replied: “Return the pig to its owner.”
“But preacher, the owner will not take the pig back.”
“Well then,” the wise preacher counseled, “the pig is yours.”
“Thanks preacher” the man said as he proudly walked out with his new pig.
Later that day, when the preacher got home, he discovered his son’s prize FFA pig was gone.
Last night, as I was traveling past the Clements & Neal Prisons, I was impressed with all the lights and tight security.
In many foreign countries citizens have to build fences around their homes that would rival our prisons. We live in a great country and enjoy tremendous freedom. But are we really free? Would you call a person free who is addicted to gambling, alcohol, pornography, or drugs? Dare we include television, gossip, junk food, cigarettes, etc. – in that list? Is anything, other than Jesus controlling your life, true freedom?
Want to break free? Then follow this transforming truth: We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor.10:5).
Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.
The way we view our past has a profound affect on our present and future. The Apostle Paul, while sitting in prison, chose to press on to a fulfilling future instead of reflecting on his past.
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ … 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3: 8-14).
It is easy to choose to view life from the basement instead of from the balcony. A soldier was sitting in a foreign land, when the mail call came. His only letter was the letter soldiers’ dread – she was calling off the engagement and demanding her picture back. He was so hurt that he chose to lash out in his response. He asked his friends for all their unwanted pictures of women. Once he had collected a sizeable stack, he bundled them up with a letter that read: “I am sorry, but I am not sure which of these girls you are. Please select your picture and send the rest back.”
Sure life is not always fair. And yes, we all do need time to grieve and cry when life comes crashing in. But don’t stay down. Get up and look for a reason to smile. Behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining waiting to be discovered –
… Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
In fear of possibly disturbing the perfection that is his house, Donald Manison has been forced to live in his 1998 Dodge Caravan. “I became obsessive, everything in the house was so photo-perfect that I was eventually scared of walking on the carpet in fear that I might disturb the direction of the carpet threads.” Magazines wanting a glimpse and photos of the perfect house were limited to viewing through opened ground floor windows. When asked how long he will continue his present lifestyle he replied, “If living in my mini-van is payment for a perfect house, I’m willing to pay” (September 18, 2002 - Baltimore, USA).
What price are you willing to pay to own a perfect house?
Jesus is reserving the perfect home in heaven for those who would choose to travel the Highway of Holiness. However, there are so many different opinions as to who is on that “narrow path”(Matthew 7:13-14).
George Barna has released some great statistics this year (barna.org – April 11, 2005):
· 9 out of 10 American adults participate in some kind of faith based activity every week
· 45% read their Bible at least once a week (that is outside church services).
Would this be enough to ensure a heavenly home?
For thousands of years mankind has been searching for that perfect highway that leads to a perfect home.
A highway will be there, a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of Holiness
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for him who walks that way,
And fools will not wander on it (Isaiah 35:8 NASB).
Why not investigate that highway for yourself. Join us for the next twelve weeks as Jesus points out sign posts on His Highway to Heaven.
On Tuesday the New Orleans Police chief resigned. While no reason was given for his resignation it is easy to imagine the pressure he must be under. How do you police a city without viable resources? How do you clean-up after you hear that 250 of your employees could be facing “disciplinary action for their behaviour in Katrina’s aftermath” (http://www.timesonline.co.uk)?
We all face daily battles that initially seem insurmountable. Our initial reaction is fear, hopelessness, and anger. We are left feeling CONFUSED as we spiral downwards into our own dark abyss using the well trodden paths of denial, despair, and blaming.
However, our transforming truth teaches us that: “… God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Cor.14:33). So, how do you get out of that confusing pit? Here are some practical suggestions that work.
· Look up, Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
· Overcome anxiety through prayer, Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
· Find a friend, Proverbs 17:17 A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.
· Dial God’s 911 number, Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’ “.
As nature sheds its leaves this fall why not determine to terminate some unneeded baggage? Join us each Wednesday at 7pm in the Chapel as we learn how to “Unload Life’s Burdens”.
Though he is married with three children, a New York doctor used an online dating service to seduce two women. He told each of them that he was single, but that he had been married to them in a past life. The old smoothie said that he had mistreated them back then, and it was his destiny to make it up to them in this life.
After initially swallowing his line hook line and sinker, they both got wise and are suing him for infliction of severe emotional distress “outside the boundaries of human decency and social norms.” (Boston Herald, September 25, 2005).
In every book of the New Testament, except Philemon, we are warned of deception. We are told that religious leaders will deceive Jesus’ sheep. Peter, for example says:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, … And many will follow … And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. …(2 Peter 2:1-3).
So who should we believe? Who should we allow to be our teacher? I wonder what Jesus would say?
Jesus was not a great supporter of clergy – men who walked around dressed in a special way and wanting others to call them by religious titles. Listen to what He says about them:
Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called “Doctor’ and “Reverend’ (The Message, Matthew 23:5-7).
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ (NIV, Mt.23:8-10).
If I am reading this correctly, it would seem that Jesus is the only man who can have a religious title. His ambassadors can represent Him as servants, fulfilling the roles needed to equip the one Body (Eph.4:4-12). But don’t trust me, turn to His Transforming Truth, and let Him teach you His Way more perfectly.
PITTSBURGH (AP -- 6th of July, 2005) — The body of rabid Pittsburgh Steelers fan James Henry Smith, who died Thursday, was laid out this week in what his family said was his favorite spot — a recliner with the Steelers on the television.
Smith, 55, of Pittsburgh, died of prostate cancer. Because his death wasn’t unexpected, his family was able to plan ahead for the unusual viewing Tuesday night.
Smith’s feet were crossed; a pack of cigarettes and a six-pack of beer were at his side. A continuous loop of Steelers highlights was playing on TV nearby, as Smith was reclined with a television remote in his hand and a Steelers blanket across his legs.
Through his death, Mr. Smith was communicating his passion. No apologies, no embarrassment.
Have you ever felt embarrassed by some of the language I heard at nursing homes. Not for me but the poor soul that couldn’t control the unsavory language. I would catch myself wondering what books, or Television, was she exposed to?
Imagine standing in front of God’s judgment throne and the whole world getting to see you as you really are. If this thought scares you, maybe its time to reevaluate your passion.
Paul warns us about a day when our deep dark secrets will be open for public viewing: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Cor.5:10).
Let this thought transform you – our all consuming passion will probably determine our eternal future.
The Preacher, O’Malley, rose from his bed. It was a fine Spring day.
He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.
He promptly called the local police station.
The conversation went like this:
”Good morning. This is Sergeant Flaherty. How may I help you?”
”And the best of the day to yerself. This is O’Malley at the Church.
There’s a donkey lying dead on me front lawn. Would ye be so kind as to send a couple o’ yer lads to take care of the matter?”
Sergeant Flaherty, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk, “Well now Preacher, it was always my impression that you people took care of your dead!”
There was dead silence on the line for a long moment.
O’Malley then replied: “Aye, that’s certainly true, but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin.”
Has passing the buck become our most popular National Sport? I believe it is called the 20/80 rule. Twenty do eighty percent of the work. In 1 John 3:16-18 we discover the end result of this very dangerous “sport”. Here John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, spells out the minimum and maximum requirements of those who claim to be part of His Family.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
The minimum requirement seems to be to take care of the daily needs we come across. The maximum requirement would be to lay down your life as Jesus did. Please consider learning more about being an Active Faithful Follower of Jesus – join us for a Friends Day, October 30 as we learn more about this vital subject.
Monkeys are important to the survival of the southern African nomadic tribes. Since they move around in unfamiliar arid areas, these Bushmen are not familiar with the local watering holes. The Monkeys, on the other hand, know where every cool underground water fountain is located. But these Monkeys aren’t talking! So … how is your typical Bushman going to persuade the Monkey to come clean? The Bushman knows that Monkeys love pumpkin pips more than life. So he places pumpkin pips inside a tree. The entrance to the hollow is barely wide enough for the Monkey to squeeze his little hand through. Leading up to the tree is a trail of the prized pumpkin pips. Once the Monkey gets his hand around those pips, inside the tree, his little fist is too big to pull out. The Bushman then runs out of his hiding place and ties a rope around the Monkey’s leg. He then offers the Monkey the only item more precious than even those Pumpkins Pips – salt. After the salt and sun has done its work, the Monkey is freed and runs straight to the real treasure – the cavern containing water.
Jesus looked at a young rich ruler, who had his fist tightly clenched around “pumpkin pips”.
In order to gain eternal life Jesus said: …Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Luke 18:22-23).
Are you investing you energy into useless “Pumpkin Pips”—then allow God’s truth, and a bit of Monkey Wisdom, Transform Your Mind today!
Interviewing for a Human Resource Consultant position – Fred Roberts was presented with a particularly challenging scenario. The applicant with the best solution would get the position. Here was the scenario:
You are an unmarried man – driving a bus with only one vacant seat left. As you pull-up to the bus-stop you find three possible passengers needing that one vacant seat.
· The first is an elderly lady, who is deathly ill, and needs the seat to get to the hospital.
· Second in line, to embark, is your best friend – a young man who had previously saved your life.
· And the last person needing that precious seat is the woman of your dreams.
Who would you give that seat to?
Fred Roberts got the job – what do you think his solution was? Before reading further take a moment to consider your solution.
Fred said he would give his driver’s seat and bus keys to his best friend. The vacant seat he would turn over to the elderly lady. And he would wait for the next bus with the woman of his dreams.
Did you notice that in Fred’s solution, everybody’s needs are met? Would it not be wonderful to live in a world where everybody acted in the best interest of their fellow man? Paul suggests this transforming truth in Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Let us strive to create a synergistic community – a Borger in which everyone wins.
In the book, “A Cup of Chicken Soup For the Soul”, Kim Noone writes:
“One day a drill sergeant came out and threw a hand grenade into a group of young soldiers. The men all ran away and took cover away from the grenade. Then the drill sergeant told them that the grenade was not set to explode and he just did it to see their reaction. “
“The next day a newly recruited soldier joined the group. The drill sergeant told the other soldiers not to tell the new soldier what was going to happen. As the drill sergeant came out and threw the grenade into the crowd of soldiers, the new soldier, not knowing it wasn’t going to explode, threw himself on top of the grenade to prevent it from killing the other men. He was willing to die for his fellow soldiers.”
“That year the young man was awarded the only medal for courage and bravery that had not been won during battle.”
During Basic Training I was given a small Bible - it found a home in the pocket over my heart. In the inside cover of this Bible was the reason all soldiers give up their freedom “For Your Tomorrow I Give My Today”.
Our Transforming Truth says: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7-8).
Veterans ... the Church of Christ in Borger loves and appreciates you very much. We are grateful for your honorable and faithful service. Please know that you have an open invitation to worship with us at anytime.
A man in Borger calls his son in Houston the day before Thanksgiving and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.
“Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams. We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says.
”We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Dallas and tell her.”
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.
“No way they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this,” She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Okay,” he says, “they’re coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way! ( From Carol Bliss’ email box).
What does God think about Thanksgiving? In this weeks Transforming Truth the Apostle Paul gives us a very clear command to follow:
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Thanksgiving is one season I wish never ended. I know God would love us to have a continuous attitude of Thanksgiving. So let us get a jump on Thanksgiving – let you family and friends know just how much you appreciate them.
Burglar Waylon Prendergast committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. The drunk Mr. Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, had forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, duly filling a suitcase with cash and valuables before setting the living room on fire to cover his tracks. He then escaped through the back door and made his way home, chuckling all the way. Only as he turned the corner into his own street, however, and discovered three fire engines outside his house, did he realize that in his drunkenness he had, in fact, burgled and ignited his own property. “I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions”, said the chastened crook.Take a moment, before its too late, to realize what you have: · If you woke up this morning with more health than illness......you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
· If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation.....you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
· If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death..... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
· If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep..... you are richer than 75% of this world.
· If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace..... you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Numbers 6:24-26).
Dale was a conscientious scoutmaster. Beyond conscientious, some would describe Dale as obsessive. “Be Prepared,” after all, is the Boy Scout motto.
At summer camp, Dale was a stickler for the rules—no room in his troop for delinquents. Every rule, of course, has a reason. Everything works better if we all follow the rules. Dale enforced the rules to the letter.
In particular, Dale insisted that his scouts bring no food or candy into their tents. Food, after all, is an open invitation for wild animals to forage in the night. The rule has a reason. Everything works better if we all follow the rules.
One evening, having gotten the boys to their tents, Dale enjoyed a moment’s reflection while washing up and brushing his teeth: everything on schedule and according to plan. He had thoroughly inspected the tents, taking away all contraband food. It was going to be a good night. Settling into his tent, Dale quickly fell into the deep slumber of a well-ordered life. Nothing to worry about that evening. Everything works better if we all follow the rules.
His sleep, while sound, would not be long. The scoutmaster had complacently overlooked one small detail. Satisfied in getting the boys to bed in good order, he had neglected to wipe all of the toothpaste from his lips. Dale awoke to find a skunk perched on his chest licking the sweet residue from his mouth. ( G.A. Tidwell at http://www.forthright.net).
Are you saved? How do you know? Dale felt everything was taken care of. But don’t we sometimes, like Dale, overlook the obvious. It is so easy to call ourselves Christians but neglect to follow His Footsteps. It is much easier to follow the preacher or our family traditions. However, our Transforming Truth suggests a word of caution:
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Honey, I need help in the kitchen! Most husbands will hear this call to service several times this month. December is a time for families to love one another – to share precious memories. This is also the reason it is such a sad time. Many in our community will find themselves all alone during the “festive” time. The only company they will have is all the memories of the “good old times”.
So husbands, when you here the call to service, don’t hesitate. Jump in their and share the blessings of togetherness. I heard of one wife who would constantly call her husband to service – only to hear yet another miserable excuse. Well, it took I awhile – but she finally got him all straitened out. How, you may wonder? She had her husband’s ashes made into an egg timer when he died so he could still “help” in the kitchen. (True story from http://www.thisistrue.com)
Need a recipe for December Delight? Here are the ingredients:
1. Submit to one another, Eph.4:20
2. Love one another, John 13:34-35
3. Wives don’t nag your husbands, 1 Peter 3:1
4. Husband handle your wives with care, 1 Peter 3;7
5. Both learn to forgive each other before the day is over, Eph.4:26
6. Don’t keep secrets from each other, Eph.4:15 & 29
Try not to be a strain on your marriage – if you are you may find yourself being a permanent sand strain in the kitchen’s egg timer.
Dogs have always found Lamps Posts to be safe. So imagine the shock one dog received when the Lamp revealed its dark-side. To a dog, an Electrified Lamp Post is more than just a source of light on a dark night. The dog’s nose uses the Lamp Post as a library of knowledge and as a communicating Post Office to its friends. However, this past Sunday, a dog was shocked when he stepped on an electrified lamp post in Brooklyn, NY.
If the dog survives the shock, do you think it will ever return to that same Lamp Post? Everyday we humans knowingly put ourselves in harms way. This past weekend BBC news reported on new research that reveal women who have an abortion have a very high risk of prolonged Mental Anguish.
University of Oslo researchers compared 40 women who had had a miscarriage with 80 who chose to have an abortion. The Oslo team found that, after 10 days, 47.5% of women who had miscarried suffered from some degree of mental distress compared with 30% of the abortion group.
The proportion of women who had a miscarriage suffering distress decreased during the study period, to 22.5% at six months and to just 2.6% at two years and five years.
But among the abortion group 25.7% were still experiencing distress after six months, and 20% at five years.
Before baby Jesus was born he shared a Transforming Truth with the World. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, (Luke 1:41). From within the womb, John the Baptist, the six month old fetus, greets the newly conceived Messiah.
There was a time when Babies found their mother’s womb to be safe. But imagine the shock 1,370,000 babies receive each year when they realize their mommies never wanted them.
A young man has a problem proposing to his brainy girlfriend. She has placed this challenge before him:
“Honey, I’ll consider your marriage proposal if you pitch it to me at exactly 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. New Year’s Day, you choose which one. But I’ll accept only if you pick correctly from these two times.” Is this going to be your lucky year?
According to the Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “a.m.” and “p.m.” are abbreviations for “ante meridiem” and “post meridiem,” meaning “before noon” and “after noon.” Noon is neither before noon nor after noon, it is just noon; likewise midnight is just midnight. So neither the “12 a.m.” nor the “12 p.m.” designation is technically correct.
The brainy girlfriend knows her boyfriend will show up at 0000 of January 01, 2006. She will ready to say “yes” at the first moment of the New Year.
What will you be doing when the world’s bells ring in the New Year? So much emphasis is put into planning for a special moment in the future. While this can be a golden opportunity to make a significant positive change, most leave out a key ingredient. They leave out their Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ.
Let us not forget this key ingredient – this Transforming Truth …
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins (James 4:13-17).
If the Lord Wills … Have Great New Year!
BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in Berlin made their easiest arrest of the year at their annual Christmas party, after spotting a man rummaging through the pockets of their coats in the cloakroom.
Officers of the Federal Police criminal investigations unit said the unlucky pickpocket had not known that the revelers in a Berlin brewery were law enforcers.
“He was definitely surprised,” said a police spokesman in Berlin. “He did not realize who he was dealing with.”
Confronted with 35 officers, the 45-year-old Albanian, who police said held a forged passport and was wanted for other offences, offered no resistance.
Greed makes people do crazy things. The credit card is able to convert a thrifty saint into greedy sinner instantly. With that little piece of “security” anyone can buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t know.
We are quick to label that 45-year-old Albanian with the “Dumbest Criminal of the Year” award. But don’t we act just as stupid at times? When we pretend to give God our “tithe” but know we are with actually stealing from Him – aren’t being just as stupid.
In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira tried this deception. They thought they were fooling a couple of Apostles but did not realize Almighty God was sitting behind the “security cameras”. Justice was swift and their sentence was terminal.
When ever we are all wrapped up in ourselves – we must realize that we are overdressed. Let us make 2006 the year we will try to impress the only one that really counts – God.
Pennsylvania Christians Face 47 Years in Prison for Reading Bible in Public (http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_christians_arrested.htm).
Eleven members of the evangelical Christian group Repent America were arrested on October 10, 2004 during a confrontation with homosexual activists at Outfest, a gay pride block party held in Philadelphia. They were charged with misdemeanor counts of failure to disperse, obstruction of highway and disorderly conduct, as well as three felonies carrying a combined maximum penalty of 47 years: criminal conspiracy, inciting to riot and ethnic intimidation (a hate crime under Pennsylvania law). Charges against several of the protesters were later dropped.
Most Americans would agree that reading the Bible is good. Charles Dickens said: “The New Testament is the very best book that was or ever will be know in the world.” John the Apostles promises … “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Rev.1:3).
But is there a right and a wrong way to read the Bible? Would Jesus cast pearls (His Father’s Word) before pigs – would He use the Bible to cause an angry riot?
Let us read our Bibles in 2006 for the right reason – to receive God’s Message for daily living. To discover God’s Timeless Principles to serve as our absolutes. To find His Promises to be claimed and His Commands to be obeyed.
Resolved to make 2006 the year you will read God’s Word to discover His Truth – because His Truth will set you free.
George Thomas, a preacher in a small New England town, came across a young boy carrying a cage with two frail & frightened birds.
George stopped the boy and asked, “What you got there son?”
“Just some old birds,” came the reply.
“What are you gonna do with them?” he asked. “Take ‘em home and have fun with ‘em. I’m gonna tease ‘em and pull out their feathers to make ‘em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time.”
“But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?”
“Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. I’ll take’ em to them.”
George was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?”
“Huh??!!! Why, you don’t want them birds, mister. They’re just plain old field birds. They don’t sing-they ain’t even pretty!”
“How much?”
The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”
Our Heavenly Father saw Satan upset the apple cart in the Garden of Eden. He realized Satan was going to have fun with His beautiful creation. He knew Satan would lure us into a dark tomb of death, by teaching us his wicked ways:
· How to marry & divorce those we love.
· How to destroy our bodies with drugs.
· How to destroy our minds and emotions with R rated movies & music.
· How to destroy each other with guns & bombs.
Because God hated to see His creation in Satan’s cage, He paid the price. Through Christ’s death, burial, & resurrection – the stone was removed from our tomb.
Join us each Sunday, January – April, as we learn about the Centrality of Christ’s Cross.
Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane, a pioneer in the medical profession, was chief surgeon of New York City’s Kane Summit Hospital. During his thirty-seven years of experience, Dr. Kane had seen too many deaths and disabilities caused by general anesthesia. So, it was his studied opinion that most major operations could and should be done under the safer, local anesthesia. His only problem was - he couldn’t find any volunteers. Until one day . . . someone finally stepped forward to put his theory to the test. In thirty-seven years, Dr. Evan Kane had conducted nearly four thousand appendectomies, all fairly routine. But this one would be different: the patient would remain awake throughout the entire operation. On February 15 the patient was prepped and wheeled into the operating room, where a local anesthesia was administered. Dr. Kane began the operation and carefully cut through the surface tissues, clamping off blood vessels en route to the appendix. Locating the organ, the sixty-year-old surgeon adroitly pulled it up and performed the surgery. The operation concluded successfully, with the patient experiencing only minor discomfort. In fact, the patient recovered with such remarkable speed that just two days after his surgery he was released from the hospital. Dr. Kane’s test was a brilliant success. And you might want to note this final interesting fact: Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane and the patient who volunteered for the experimental procedure had a great deal in common - they were the same man! (Adapted from: Paul Aurandt, More of Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story, :111-112).
One day Jesus was preaching in his home town (Lk.4:16ff). His entire message was so volatile that He said to His audiance – “You will surely say this proverb to me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’” They did not like the Truth that would Transform their lives, so they tried to attack the messenger.
Remember, we can no longer reject His truth by saying, “Physician heal yourself” – He already has.
There exists in graveyards a Lifeless Minority that have more hope than the Living Majority.
When we allow ourselves to be packaged in a wooden crate, by an undertaker, we are all physically dead. But spiritually, we may either have a lot of hope or be completely devoid of all hope.
Charles D. McKinley, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y., had four weeks of vacation coming, so he decided to visit his parents in DeSoto, Texas. Rather than buy a plane ticket for $320, McKinley, a shipping clerk, packed himself into a shipping crate and air-expressed himself home, charging the fees to his employer. When the crate was delivered to his parents’ front step, McKinley pushed out of the box and shook hands with the “shaken and frightened” delivery driver. The driver called the police. After an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. attorney, postal inspectors, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, McKinley was charged as a stowaway, a federal misdemeanor. (Dallas Morning News)
There are currently a minority of the lifeless that are filled with hope. Why? What Transforming Truth fills them with so much hope? Because of three simple words—God is able. God is able to create Adam from dust and breathe life into his body. How? Because GOD IS ABLE. Is this Transforming Truth enough for you? Then you may be becoming part of that elite minority group – the lifeless hopeful.
A preacher accused of selling the town’s oldest church pleaded guilty to embezzlement on Monday and agreed to 18 months in prison, court officials said.
Randall Radic, 53, entered his plea as part of a deal in which prosecutors agreed to drop nine other charges.
Radic had preached at First Congregational Church in Ripon for nearly a decade before he sold the church last October for $525,000, allegedly using the money to buy a BMW. He also faked documents that gave him possession of his house, which was owned by the church, then used the property to take out loans, authorities said. (Associated Press – Manteca, CA).
Does this surprise you? Preachers have been selling the Lord’s Church for almost 2000 years. In every book of the New Testament, except Philemon, we are warned about these Preachers (2 Peter 2).
1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
So I am not surprised when I come across one who literally does what so many have been doing figuratively. What surprises me is that “Christians” have allowed this to continue.
I invite you to join a church that does not tolerate “selling Christ’s Church”. A church that encourages each member to restore Christ’s original Transform Truth – where each member “works out his own salvation” (Phil.2:12-13).
Donald MacDonald from the Isle of Skye went to study at an English university and was living in the hall of residence with all the other students there. After he had been there a month, his mother came to visit him.“And how do you find the English students, Donald?” she asked. “Mother,” he replied, “they’re such terrible, noisy people. The one on that side keeps banging his head on the wall and won’t stop. The one on the other side screams and screams all night.”“Oh Donald! How do you manage to put up with these awful noisy English neighbors?”“Mother, I do nothing. I just ignore them. I just stay here quietly, playing my bagpipes.”Do you put the needs of others before your own? Can you imagine living in a city where everyone considers their neighbor’s needs before their own? Can you imagine the peace, joy, and happiness? Paul the Apostles had real good advice when he wrote:Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phil.2:3-4).
How do we do that? Here is a short list: Smile at people; Call people by name; Speak to people; Be friendly; Be cordial; Be interested in people; Be generous with praise - stingy with criticism; Be considerate of the feelings of others; Be thoughtful of the opinions of others; Be ready to serve.Interested in putting this to the test? Then visit the Church of Christ at Borger. A church family where everybody is somebody in His Body! That Really Makes Me Mad!
Fred Allen (1890-1954), author of many works, was quoted saying: “You could take all the integrity in Hollywood, put it in the navel of a flea, and still have room left over for an agent’s heart and a caraway seed” (http://www.davidvanalstyne.com/pg-quotesmind.html).
We could waist away our lives judging all the evil around us, or we could focus on all the great opportunities that God provides. While Paul was sitting in prison he wrote a letter to the Christians in Philippi. He could have complained about his chains & critics instead he mentions the good that would come out of each.
Paul chains cause courage:
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly (Philippians 1:12-14).
And Paul’s critics communicated Christ:
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice (Philippians 1:15-18).
What upsets you? What causes you to draw your focus away from that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? Let God’s Transforming Truth Turn your eyes back to Jesus. Then look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Can My Marriage Be Saved?
“Preacher, my husband had an affair 6 years ago. I cannot forgive him. And even if I were to forgive him, I will never be able to forget”. As a Pastoral Counselor, I hear this so many times.
· Is it possible for a marriage to survive an affair?
· Is it possible to forgive someone who has hurt you so bad?
· Is it possible to forget?
The answer is simple – YES. The process to get there is not.
The earliest evidence of this is seen in the life of Joseph. After Joseph is robbed of his teen years, by being sold into slavery, he spends many years in a lonely prison cell. Would you have been able to forgive? Then something miraculous happens. He is elevated to a most powerful position in Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh. If ever it was time to get even, this was it!
However, Joseph does the opposite – and in doing so heals his own heart.
He helps his helpless family. He even forgives them. But he goes one step further than forgiving when he names his eldest child Manasseh. Listen to this Transforming Truth found in Genesis 41:51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
Jesus as the, wise counselor, has helped many forgive and forget. Turn to Him today.
Sudden Shock Syndrome
Last week a DeKalb, Ill woman made a shocking discovery as she looked into a can of pinto beans – into the lifeless eyes of a decapitated bird.
Do you think anyone will be shocked on judgment day? Jesus seems to think so. In Matthew 7 He says:
13”Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. … 21”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
If you really don’t like surprises then there are a few rules you should follow:
1. Stop believing the Gospel according to man. Man will not judge you – the Words Jesus spoke will judge you (John 12:47-50)
2. Believe that the Bible is all you need (Dt.4:2; Prov.30:5; Rev.22:18-20)
3. Don’t trust your heart – trust God’s Word (Prov.28:26; Jer.17:9)
4. Don’t believe the lie that there are many ways to interpret God’s Word (2 Pt.1:20-21)
5. Let the Bible correct you (2 Tim.3:16-17)
Avoid the Ultimate Sudden Shock Syndrome by become a Serious Student of our Savior’s Scriptures. Call 274-6354 today for a Free Bible Correspondent Course.
A man called his pager company to complain that he kept receiving crank calls from somebody named Lucille. She was constantly paging his beeper, and he was getting sick of it. The pager company representative asked the man how he knew it was Lucille since she never left her return number and his type of pager didn’t display text messages. The man said he did not know, but “Lucille” kept appearing on the screen. Finally, the representative had an idea. “How is the name Lucille spelled?” he asked the man. To which the man replied, “L-O-W-C-E-L-L.” (http://okemos.k12.mi.us).
Has Lucille being calling you? Do you feel tired and rundown? Does your life seem to be going nowhere? Why not evict Lucille today by following Jesus’ special plan for your life.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
Before you were born, Jesus pre-packaged you to accomplish something very special in this world. He equipped you with the skills needed to do this good work (Exodus 35:35).
Have you discovered your “calling”? Every Wednesday we have two Adult classes designed to help identify the “Unique You”. Join us if you want to discover His original call for your life.
On 9th December, 1914 Thomas Edison (67), watched all his earthly possessions go up in flames. That night Thomas Edison lost two million dollars because Fire companies could not work with the low water pressure. The insurance company covered only $238,000 because they all assumed a brick building could not burn. Edison’s son Charles, 24, said: “My heart ached for him… When he saw me he said, ‘Charles, where’s your mother?’ When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives (Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick).”
As soon as the last flame died Edison revived the plant – he arrived with a few workers and began clearing the rubble. Many more workers were added as the day progress. For 24/7 the work never ceased till a larger and more efficient facility had been completed.
What motivated Edison to rebuild? What Transforming Truth gave him the courage to, not only survive, but reinvent a better and more powerful Thomas Edison? The next day, as Edison was staring at the smoldering ruins of his past he said: “There is a great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew” (Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick).
After crossing into the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb had to start over. Caleb, 85 could have asked for the easy path to the nearest Retirement Village – instead Caleb rises up from ashes of his past and makes a strange request:
Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day (Joshua 14:12).
In Borger there is a “City on a Hill”. It is a Church Building in Borger with two steeples. It shouts of a people who are constantly restoring the truth as they reinvent themselves. Join us if you are ready to leave life’s “pity party” to become part of God’s Peculiar People.
Relay For Life
Fire officials in Warrnambool, Australia, continue to investigate a Sept. 15 incident in which the carpet of a downtown business burned in several spots, following loud crackling noises, as Frank Clewer, 58, walked on it wearing woolen and nylon clothes. Fire official Henry Barton said the garments tested to over 30,000 volts of static electricity, and a lecturer in electrical engineering at Sydney University said that, given the weather and indoor temperature, such a buildup was possible, especially if the carpet had been cleaned with flammable substances. Pieces of the carpet, with coin-sized scorches, were sent to the university for further examination. [The Standard (Warrnambool), 9-20-05; Reuters, 9-16-05]
While I never thought walking could cause fires, I do know that it can cure cancer. On Friday April 28, from 7pm to 7am our community is invited to help cure cancer by walking in Borger’s Huber Park.
I also know that walking can open your eyes to the beauty of God’s message. In Luke 24:13-35 Jesus joins two disciples who were walking on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus. This took place in early spring, soon after Jesus had resurrected from the dead.
God wants us to “walk in his ways”:
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, NIV).
We all walk – but do we all walk for and toward life? Choose God’s Transforming Truth today. Make sure you are not on a path leading to everlasting fire – take the path less traveled – the path to everlasting life.
Getting Divorced in Your Sleep
Akhtar, from West Bengal state, spoke the word “talaq” (I divorce you) three times while in his sleep. When the village elders heard this they pronounced the couple divorced. The only way they can remain married is if Akhtar’s “wife” spends a night with another man – who then intern speaks the word “talaq” three times.
God intended marriage to be permanent. The only “natural” way a marriage could be dissolved is through death (Romans 7:1-4). Jesus later reminded his people of one exception – adultery.
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5:31-32).
From this Transforming Truth I understand that if you are the “innocent sinned against party” – that you can divorce. It would be lot better to forgive and to try reconciliation. But you do not have to discover that the pain of going through a divorce far out ways the pain of losing your spouse to death. You do not have to find out how expensive divorce is – how nasty it ALWAYS gets – and how destructive it is to children.
The family is, and always will be, God’s answer. We are trained to service our cars every 3 months, but how many of us work at building up our marriage? Been on a marriage retreat lately? Picked up a good book on marriage recently? Ever been to marriage enrichment counseling? If this answer is no, then do not be surprised if your marriage is in trouble—you too may discover that divorce started while you were sleeping.
Last week a text book was released in New Delhi that compared a housewife to a donkey (AP – 4/4/2006). Could it be that this lowly pack animal would make a better helper for a husband than a wife? Well, that seems to be how that textbook summed things up.
“A donkey is like a housewife,” declares the Hindi language primer approved by the state of Rajasthan, according to The Times of India newspaper. “It has to toil all day, and, like her, may even have to give up food and water.”
“In fact, the donkey is a shade better,” continues the text meant for 14-year-olds, “for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parents’ home, you’ll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master.”
What was Adam thinking as God led all those animals passed him. The Bible concluded that no suitable helper was found for him. Adam must have been blind. If only he had chosen the Donkey he could have saved himself some serious surgery time.
Or maybe Adam and God were right, and the real problem is that we have forgotten how to love our “suitable helper”.
Instead of walking out when the going gets tuff, and it will, maybe we should get back to the old tried and true remedies that worked in days gone by:
Rekindle the will to make your marriage succeed
Give your marriage the care and attention it so desperately needs
And, finally, remember a good marriage is a growing marriage
Stop living like an animal. Let God’s Transforming Truth perform a much needed spring cleaning in your significant relationships.
Last week Mayvis Coyle (82) received a $114 ticket for taking to long to cross a five-lane boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. The light goes from green to red in 20 seconds. High school students make it across only when running. To add insult to injury Mayvis said “He treated me like a 6-year-old, like I don’t know what I’m doing” (AP 4/11/06).
When we walk in this world we come across all kinds of obstacles. So much so that most have lost their love for walking. Spring is a great time to ignite that love for walking – to get out and enjoy God’s Creation. Apart from the obvious health benefits we also get to observe God’s wonderful creation.
If you need help to get moving “Walk Across Texas” (http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu) is a great place to start. Another great way to get moving is to join the Borger community next Friday night (April 28). “Relay for Life” is inviting one and all to come out to Huber Park (Borger) from 7pm-7am. Not only will this rekindle our love for walking but we will also be showing our support to all who have been affected by cancer.
Jesus says we have two choices when it comes to walking. We can either walk with Him toward life or slide backward into death (1 Thess.5:5-8; 1 John 1:7). Jesus is constantly walking and looking for disciples to join Him. He has been doing this for 2000 years. His Transforming Truth is constantly challenging us to join the “Follow Me” walk: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me” (John 1:43).
This is a great time to get out of our dark stuffy hovels and log some miles with Jesus as we shed those much needed pounds of sin.
Never was a happier couple found than Jim and Sue. They seemed destined to be soul mates for ever. That is why it was so hard on Sue to watch her hero die the slow and painful death that cancer brings. On his gravestone Sue had the following words engraved:
THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE HAS GONE OUT
For a long time Sue mourned his death. However, one day the “impossible” happened – Sue fell in love for the second time in her life. So she had the following words added to Jim’s gravestone …
THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE HAS GONE OUT
PS. I FOUND A MATCH
Can you remember the fervor you felt for Jesus soon after you were baptized into His Body? Can you remember how you could never get enough of His Word – how you studied your bible constantly? Can you remember the joy you felt as you worshiped with His Saints in the Church of Christ at Borger?
But then the impossible happened – your love for Christ and His Church grew cold. Jesus tells us in Revelation 12:10 that the Devil is very active on earth causing trouble.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
The Devil loves to cause trouble between Christians. He loves to separate us from those that we love.
Why not fall in love with Jesus again? This weekend will be a great opportunity for you to find a match that will help reignite your “first love”. Join us this weekend for our 80th Homecoming Celebrations.
1. My mother taught me about LOGIC. “Because I said so, that’s why.”
2. My mother taught me about IRONY. “Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
3. My mother taught me about STAMINA. “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day. We will take time to honor them for the incredible sacrifice they make each day as nurturers, nest makers, and nutritionists.
However, it is also around this time of the year that we honor our seniors. For mothers, with seniors, this is a bitter sweet mile mark. They are proud of their graduating children, but sad that they are about to leave the nest. They have to help their fledgling take flight while camouflaging the sadness they feel. Their little baby is heading out for college, a career, or marriage.
What can they do to minimize the effect of “empty nest syndrome”? Since this normally occurs during the miserable, windy, month of August why not use the next few months to prepare. Let go a little each day. Understand what is ahead of you by talking to mothers who have gone through this.
But this Sunday put all of that on hold. Instead enjoy breakfast in bed and the love of your family. God’s transforming truth reminds us:
Proverbs 31: 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
What would life be like if God never gave us Mothers? If your mother blessed your life then join us this Sunday as we rise up and ask God to Bless our Mothers.
The board of zoning appeals in Anderson Township, Ohio, turned down a couple’s request to build a cedar fence. Angry, the couple instead set up 15 donated toilets as flower pots in the fenceless yard, and the zoning board apparently can’t stop them. [New York Post, 3-21-06].
I was only 4 years old as I watched my sister (7) being taught a valuable lesson. She was upset with the family and was going to make us all miserable. How? She refused to eat her ice cream and instead charged off to her room. As she left my grandmother told her that she was “cutting off her nose to spite her face”.
We teach our children to respond proactively when we suggest that they not respond in a worldly way to peer-pressure but instead to make choices based on values and principles.
At times not responding is a reactive choice. Why? Because the problem we don’t address will eventually address us. Pretending it is not their will not make it go away.
In the Old Testament we learn of Queen Esther (a closet Jewess) not wanting to request an audience with her husband, the King. A death sentence had been issued on all Jews and she was the only one who could prevent it. Requesting an audience with her husband was an offence punishable by death. And so her initial reactive choice was to do nothing. But she eventually makes a proactive choice.
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Es. 4:16).
Why not let God’s Transforming Truth guide the way we respond in the future. Lets start this Sunday by choosing the right response – choose to join us as we worship Our Heavenly Father.
Saving Nine Stitches
This past week new research has shown that early symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s are: loss of balance, problems walking, and a weak handshake. Dr. Eric Larson said: “What has been considered a brain disease may be directly linked to physical fitness. Therefore, it would seem that the preventative advice would be to remain physically fit. (PsycPORT.com May 25, 2006).
In recent decades much emphasis has been placed on conflict resolution. But why is there not more emphasis placed on prevention? Gaining cooperation of others is a lot easier than putting out fires. A few quick suggestions:
1. Place others interests before your own, (Phil.2:3-4). Most people yearn to be acknowledges and appreciated. “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel” (Pro. 27:9).
2. Heighten the moral of those around you by enthusiastically celebrating their victories. Frank Bettger said: “Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the most contagious.”
3. Seek out opportunities to communicate. A lack of communication breeds suspicion.
4. Reduce your obnoxious and irritating blind spots by solicitation the opinions of those who know you best. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend …” (Prov. 27:6).
5. Be careful when giving unsolicited advice. Gen. George S. Patton said: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what you want them to achieve and they will surprise you with their ingenuity”.
6. Be sincere. “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (Prov. 29:5).
Lets all determine to avoid the pound of cure by practicing the ounce of prevention.
In April, noted surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub and a team at Ormond Hospital in London re-started the original heart of a 12-year-old girl after it had lain dormant in her body for 10 years while she lived with a donated heart. Because the donated heart was finally showing signs of rejection, Dr. Yacoub decided that the original, which had experienced acute inflammation, might have repaired itself enough to work again. [Daily Telegraph (London), 4-18-06]
At what age does the “spiritual” heart lose its innocence? In Genesis Adam and Eve lost their innocence when they ate from the forbidden fruit. How do we know that? They hid themselves because they realized they were naked. Around puberty most children come to a similar realization. It is at this time that so many turn to Jesus in need of a new heart. However, many foolhardy souls continue to try to live on their old hearts – not realizing that their old heart has become corrupt.
Our Transforming Truth warns us of this folly:
Proverbs 28:26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
Do you remember what God did for Adam and Eve after they had sinned? He clothed them. Jesus is ready to do the same for you.
Galatians 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Recently my friend had an anxiety producing appointment with the Dentist. He had tried a couple of weeks previous but the appointment had to be cancelled – his blood pressure was telling on him. So understandably he was nervous as he approached this appointment. What did my friend need to do to have a successful experience? What would you do?
Everyday we chose to focus on fear or faith. Faith is the sure knowledge that I will succeed – it leaves us without any doubts. But to get there is not that easy. There is one huge step to reach faith – submission.
Again, back to my friend – before he could have faith in the Dentist, he had to give up control. Is that easy? Can you give up control over your family, finances, talents, and time? If you cannot then your mind, emotions, and will still belong to you. Imagine you are about to jump off a bridge with a bungee cord wrapped around your leg. What will it take for you to, not only commit to the process but, enjoy the fall? First, you will need to give up control of your mind, emotions, and will. Second, you will have to believe (without any doubt) that this is going to be a great experience. Now remember, what you focus on will enlarge – will become all consuming.
Our Transforming Truth puts it this way:
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV).
As you step into life, after reading this article, what will you CHOOSE to focus on? By the way, my friend had a successful experience with the dentist.
Stressed over Hypertension Medication
Yesterday I read a report on the dangers of Beta Blockers in controlling High Blood pressure. The report said:
“A class of drugs called beta-blockers should no longer be given to patients with high blood pressure, the NHS drugs watchdog for England and Wales says” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5123724.stm).
What alarmed me was the statement that 40% of all adults suffer from hypertension.
As our world chooses to move further away from God we seem to be moving closer to chaos. What would it take to retain an assemblance of sanity? In order to proceed I believe we must journey back to March 1912. Listen to the meditations of C. Austin Miles:
I read…the story of the greatest morn in history: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet very dark, unto the sepulcher.” Instantly, completely, there unfolded in my mind the scenes of the garden of Joseph….Out of the mists of the garden comes a form, halting, hesitating, tearful, seeking, turning from side to side in bewildering amazement. Falteringly, bearing grief in every accent, with tear-dimmed eyes, she whispers, “If thou hast borne him hence”… “He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” Just one word from his lips, and forgotten the heartaches, the long dreary hours….all the past blotted out in the presence of the Living Present and the Eternal Future.
Why not take this journey today. It is a journey of prayer that you make as you come to the garden alone. As you note the dew still on the roses you will hear a voice falling on your ear that the Son of God discloses.
Living a true Christian life is a calculated risk.
Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me (Philippians 2:30).
Paul was impressed with Epaphroditus, because he was willing to gamble his life for the sake of the Gospel. But how much of a gamble was this? I believe that stepping out in faith, as a result of what God tells us to do through his word, is a calculated risk. However, I regularly hear people say that God spoke to them, separate and apart from the Word, and told them to do such and such.
I heard of a man walking through the jungles of South America when suddenly cannibals surrounded him. As he looked into their hungry eyes he thought to himself, “Now I am doomed”. Just then the clouds parted and voice from above boomed: “Pick up a stone and hit the chief over the head.” Instantly he obeyed. As he looked up from the lifeless body of the chief into the eyes of horrified tribesman the voice boomed again – “Now you are really doomed.”
Many, probably because of laziness, have stopped growing in the knowledge and truth of God’s word. The author of Hebrews discusses the spiritual regression.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:11-14).
Are you ready to listen to God’s voice? Then take a calculated risk by joining us every Sunday as we study the PATHWay that leads to heaven.
You have heard it said, “there is no such thing as a free meal”. However, this past Tuesday night I sat down to a free meal at Pampa’s brand new Plaza. The food and service were exceptional. I could choose anything off the menu, including appetizers and desserts. What surprised me most was that not all the seats were taken.
But then I remembered having seen this somewhere before. Every Sunday, for the last 24 years, I have sat down to a free meal. At first I noticed all the open seats. But now I see and hear something very different. With great anticipation, I have watched as Jesus breaks the bread and pours the wine. And then complete serenity flows over my soul as I hear Him say, “Take and eat; this is my body.” He then smiles as I take the bread from Him and eat till I am spiritual satisfied. Then He pauses, looks to heaven and thanks God for the cup. He looks at me again, realizing I am parched, He offers me the cup and says, “Drink from it, ... This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Are you offered this meal every Sunday? It might surprise to discover the main reason Jesus’ disciples gather on Sunday. Before I allowed Jesus’ Truth to Transform me I thought it we gathered primarily to hear a sermon. If that was not the main reason I might have even thought it was to pray, give, or sing. But alas, I was wrong. So what is the reason the church gathers every Sunday? The Holy Spirit led Luke to record the reason in Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Someone always picks up the tab. I imagine it cost Pampa’s Plaza a lot of money to feed all of us this past Tuesday. But I was so happy I was invited. This Sunday I invite you to be my personal guest. Come and sit with me around His table – God has picked up the tab.
Once upon a time there lived an Emperor who loved his wife dearly. However, at the young age of 39, she died while giving birth to emperor Shah Jahan’s last child. The day she died he launched into an obsessive chaotic journey.
His grief driven obsession led him to build one of the most beautiful structures in the world – the Taj Mahal. His intention was to build the most extravagant building ever that would serve as a monumental tomb to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
During the building of this magnificent structure his focus shifted. As he walked around, overseeing the construction, he bumped into a wooden box. He quickly snapped an order for it to be removed. What do you think the box contained? And so the focal point of Emperor Jahan’s grief ended up discarded on a garbage heap.
Do you live your Christian life on purpose?
Ephesians 4:1-3
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Jesus has planned a very specific walk for each of us. Today we are sending 13 members from our congregation to Honduras. (Deborah & Naomi Krug, Cherith & Cynda Toillion, Shauna Campbell, Lanetta Werhan, Maria Garcia, Sotero Holguin, Sean Johnson, Richard & Genell Maxwell, and Don & Sue Tindal).
While in Honduras they will have several tasks, including building homes & churches.
Let Jesus transforming truth, and the example of these 13 Christian Souls, inspire you to never lose sight of the reason you were created – to live a purpose driven Christian life.
Last month the Kenyan Newspaper, The Standard, reported that members of the sect in Murungaru, South Kinangop, had started selling their belongings after predicting the end of the world as a result of a nuclear war. They have also built mud bunkers, where they have stocked dry food and water, to survive on when the “Armageddon” begins. The members of the “House of Yahweh” “church” said they would also withdraw their children from school.
Guess who would get the money from the property that was being sold? The leaders of the “church”. If the world was to end, why would they need money. It is amazing how fear operates. False religious leaders have long known that fear is a far greater motivator than faith. And they regularly take advantage of this. When last have you heard a religious leader talking about Armageddon? It always amazes me how sure these dooms day prophets are of the exact time or season when the world would end.
Jesus made it clear that no one would be able to prophecy the end of the world. In His transforming truth He clearly says: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming (Matthew 25:13 NKJV).
Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, later supported this knowledge:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:9-11 NIV).
Need more information about Armageddon, then consider joining us for a Special Seminar Friday August 25, 2006 on Revelation. Spend five hours with Dr. Stafford North as he unlocks the book of Revelation.
After seven years of marriage Jimmy endured yet another of Misty’s tirades. “You know, Jimmy, if it weren’t for my daddy’s trust fund we would not be returning from this great vacation.” As the Limousine pulled up to take them home, Misty said: “You know, Jimmy, if it weren’t for my daddy’s trust fund we would not be ridding home in luxury.” As the Limo pulled up to the huge mansion Misty again reminded her husband of his ineptness as a provider: . “You know, Jimmy, if it weren’t for my daddy’s trust fund we would not be pulling up to this beautiful home.” And with that, poor Jimmy had had enough. He turned to Misty and said, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, dear, but you know if it weren’t for your Daddy’s Trust Fund, I probably wouldn’t be here either!”
What kind of a marriage do you have? So many couples feel obligated to bring out the worst in each other. Are you ready to improve your marriage and your family? Then make the following your family pledge. As members of this family we pledge to …
1. Be committed to each other – we will promote each other’s welfare and happiness.
2. Show appreciation and affection to each other – we will clearly demonstrate positive feelings.
3. Incorporate positive communication – we will communicate well with each other (quality & quantity).
4. Spend time together – we will jealously nurture and protect our family time.
5. Make spiritual well-being a priority – recognizing that God is real we will allow our beliefs to give us strength and purpose.
6. Stick together during stress and crisis – we will view difficult times as an opportunity to grow.
Join us this Sunday night at 6pm as our Church family makes a similar pledge to each other.
Sometime next year, if all goes well, Brett Holm of Chaska, Minn., will begin selling his Season Shot, an improvement over current shotgun shells because its pellets dissolve on contact in the game meat and, more important, automatically flavor it for cooking. Holm told the Chanhassen (Minn.) Villager newspaper in August that he will initially offer lemon pepper, mesquite, Mexican, and Creole flavors, but, he said, chemists are at work right now to expand the selection. [Chanhassen Villager, 8-3-06]
How many times have you heard an idea, that sounded so simple, and thought “Why did I not think of that?” Yet how great are all these ideas that we have?
20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 2:20-23).
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is claiming a great truth – all human effort, without God, is meaningless. Paul shares this Transforming Truth in 1 Corinthians 15: 58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Why not get meaning back in your life by letting the Master take His position at the Helm.
Thanksgiving, like Christmas, is fast becoming a day of unrealistic expectations. It is the day when Alvin the Atheist looks past all his wealth and notices his lonely world and is sad because he has no one to thank. However, I dream of a day when we will be thankful for everything that comes our way – the good and the bad. A day when our souls will lift up and we “will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30).
As a first generation American I am thankful every time I drive down Cedar. I notice the booming economy and all the “workers needed” signs. I see the bicycles littering the front yards and houses without burglar bars.
I come from a world where one bicycle per family indicates wealth. Where you are counted lucky if you have one pair of shoes and people call you extremely blessed if your dad has a job that pays $1 per day.
As you faceoff with that gigantic turkey drumstick take a moment, notice all your blessings, and thank your Heavenly Father – “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess.5:18).
Everyday this American wakes up, in the land of the free and the brave, he thanks His Heavenly Father for tremendous blessings. Do you also want to transform your world? Then make a thankful heart your constant dream and drumbeat.
Do we ever learn from our mistakes? The recent tornadoes, that ripped through Florida, killed 20 people. Ponder for a moment on the incredible loss those communities have suffered. How would we react if we lost 20 precious souls in Borger? Surely we would wonder if such a tragedy was preventable. The answer is YES! Every single person that was killed shared one thing in common, they lived in mobile homes.
In the same way, our community loses souls every week. The question we should be asking, if we are to be responsible citizens of heavenly real estate, is how solid is the spiritual homes of our community? Our Transforming Truth for the week addresses this exact subject:
Matthew 7:13”Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Matthew 7:24”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Won’t you learn this universal lesson today? Build your house on Jesus Christ. If I can be of help, please give me a call at 806 274-6354.
Over the years “Mail Order Brides” have challenged our culture by evolving into internet brides— driven by such companies as E-Harmony. And, as if this was not enough for our sensitive senses of decorum, another monster has reared its grotesque head on the horizon – “Mail Order Babies”.
Jennalee Ryan of San Antonio, the initiator of this new form of greed, justifies her actions by saying: “We’re just trying to help people have babies”. She also reported: “It’s like you’re ordering a computer from Dell … Who wants an ugly, stupid kid?” [Washington Post, 1-6-07]
A long, long time ago we learned the danger of “Mail Order Brides”. In Genesis 29 Jacob finally gets to marry his “first love” only to find out that he had been tricked. Instead of marring Rachel he marries Leah. The danger of “Mail Order Brides” is that you may not be getting what you think.
And now we have a whole new equation to contemplate. Messing with God’s plan for populating the world is not a very clever idea.
Lets allow God Transforming Truth to recalibrate the value of having a small miracle in our arms:
“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior. So are children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127:3-5).
Most of us have been through the daunting dating game. If we are not currently in the “Dating Market” we might have a child about to embark on this turbulent path. We are all well aware that a wrong choice can lead to a life time of regret.
Our Transforming Truth, Proverbs 19:14, informs us that, while a home and wealth are inherited, a sensible wife is from the Lord.
Since I trust the Lord, more than E-Harmony type Companies, what criteria do I think He would want me to search for in a future spouse? What kind of “Dating Check Card” should I take with on that all important “first date”? In a magazine called Think (February 2007) Glenn Colley suggest the following:
· Does he speak respectfully to and about his parents?
· Does he pray in the restaurant?
· Is he careful in his entertainment choices?
· Does he avoid physical compromises in our relationship?
· Does he like to talk about the scripture?
· Is there someone he is trying to convert to Christ?
· Does he sing out in worship?
· Does he take notes during the sermon?
· Does he like to sit toward the front in worship?
· Does he avoid alcoholic beverages?
· Does he control his anger and avoid profanity?
· Is he a faithful Christian?
If you want a spouse from the Lord then let Him suite you up with someone He is compatible with.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could make our problems miraculously disappear. I am sure that President Bush would love to be able to announce a cure for aids – especially if he was personally responsible for the discovery.
President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia has long believed he had mystic powers, but he said a vision received on Jan. 18 makes it possible for him to personally cure AIDS and asthma, though only on certain days and for a limited number of people. … Jammeh’s previous visions included making Gambia rich by exporting oil, but so far no deposits have been found. [The Independent (London), 2-3-07]
Our Community has very real problems – problems that have been around much longer than aids. As a father of three school aged boys, I would love to discover some magic formula to protect them from these vises.
The solution does not lie in a “magic formula” or with School Administrators. It lies with us, the parents. We know our children best and are therefore in the best position to suggest healthy alternatives to doing drugs. An old Chinese proverb says: It is harder to lead a family than to rule a nation. When it comes to leading a family time equals influence. But then again, God has known this since the days of Moses. So let His Truth Transform your family today.
Deut.6:6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Those who work with our children are doing a great job! How are we, the parents, doing?
How do you handle life’s unexpected challenges?
Denver International Airport was reputed to be an “all-weather” facility that would operate seamlessly in a blizzard, but when it failed during the January snowstorms (closed for 45 hours), an embarrassed airport spokesman, Chuck Cannon, admitted he’d like “to choke the person who came up with (the ‘all-weather’) term. [Rocky Mountain News, 12-28-06]
It’s not just the cold winters that shower us with the unexpected. Spring too has sprung its fair share of surprises. Towards the end of March Jesus was being marched triumphantly through Jerusalem – one week later He was being tortured to death. Can you imagine the surprise of all who look to Him as their powerful deliverer?
Can we prevent negative surprises? The Apostle Paul gives us a pretty good clue as to how we can lessen their blow:
Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. —1 Corinthians 10:12
We can soften surprises by expecting them. As a young boy scout I can remember walking in a moss covered stream. Since I fully expected to fall I ended up only damaging my pride. However, if I had listened to wise Solomon, even this surprise could have been handled:
Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall – Proverbs 16:18
The good news about surprises is that we can let our Great Shepherd walk with us even through the Valley of the Shadow of death. The great news about surprises is that Christ did not remain buried.
The folly of judging is often revealed in the future – so many times we judge someone only to walk around the corner and find ourselves guilty of the same offence.
I am amazed at how easy it is to spot the “blatant” wart on another’s nose – not realizing that we have a similar defect boldly shining forth from our own countenance.
Jesus puts it this way:
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 7:3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Earlier this year this timeless truth was again made startlingly apparent.
In January, a news crew for the Milwaukee station WDJT-TV, which was reporting a story on the danger of thin ice covering Big Muskego Lake, watched as their high-tech van’s driver mistakenly drove onto the lake and broke through the ice, ruining the expensive vehicle. [WISN-TV (Milwaukee), 1-28-07]
Have you ever wondered what a judgmental spirit may be causing us to miss? I have yet to meet a judgmental soul who is surrounded by deep caring relationships.
So here is our Transforming Truth’s Challenge: Accept all just as they are – warts and all.
Are you tired of being judged? Are you longing for a loving family – one where you will be accepted just as you are? Then plan to join us this Sunday – I believe you will find us to be what you have been searching for.
Living in a post-modernistic world makes words like “distinctive” and “unique” politically incorrect. This has caused many members of the Body of Christ to become embarrassed to acknowledge their affiliation to Christ. They remind me of an interesting psychological phenomenon discovered a month ago in Britain:
Researchers at the Second University of Naples (Caserta, Italy) recently reported the case of a 65-year-old man who, because of damage to the fronto-temporal region of his brain, habitually assumes an identity appropriate to whatever setting he finds himself in (e.g., a doctor when he’s around doctors, a bartender when in a bar), ... [BPS Research Digest, 3-20-07].
Paul said that he was “not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ” (Rom.1:16 see also 2 Cor.4:1ff). The Wikipedia boldly proclaims the following about us:
Today, Churches of Christ usually have these distinctive traits: the refusal to hold to any creeds other than the Bible itself (i.e., sola scriptura); the practice of repentance and believer’s baptism in Christ’s name as the response to receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit (e.g., Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16); autonomous, non-denominational congregational church organization, with congregations overseen by a plurality of male elders; the weekly observance of communion/eucharist (i.e., the Lord’s Supper); and the practice by most congregations of a cappella worship singing … (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Christ).
I am proud to be a member of the Church that belongs to Christ! How about you?
Midst all the tragedies of the recent Tornadoes, it is hard to find anything positive to write about them. However, have you noticed that the “Bible Belt” is also known as “Tornado Alley”?
Although at first the pain was to real – Paul did eventually comprehend its value:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Similarly we too can come to comprehend practical benefits to suffering. Benefits such as:
1. Our abhorrence to sin intensifying when the bad behavior of others causes us pain.
2. Turning to God and thereby discovering hidden character flaws deep within our souls.
3. Having our hearts yearning towards Heaven growing even fonder.
4. A deeper trust in the God who raises the dead (2 Cor.1:9).
5. Equipping us to minister to others who would later walk down a similar painful path.
So give me my Tornadoes if at the end of the day it allows me to see God’s over arching promises more clearly.
Have you considered the awesome task God entrusted to mothers? At the conception of this great nation George Washington understood the value of his mother:
“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”—George Washington (1732-1799)
However, since those days, the role of the mother has become infinitely more complex.
And so this week we pay tribute to “Mothers” who have … given birth … nurtured sick children through many lonely nights … run mom’s taxi … braved cold bleachers … endured temper tantrum tirades … instructed in the fine art of shoelace tying … sat through countless reruns of “Barney” … fretted over the safety of their teens … cried when their children strayed … AND tried to adjust to the ever encroaching empty nest.
To these mother’s we offer Solomon’s special Transforming Truth:
Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
Though you may at times think your task is endless and thankless – it is not. Therefore we, the members of the Church of Christ at Borger, rise and call you blessed.
How hard does Satan need to work when persuading us to sin?
KUSA-TV reported in March that a Transportation Security Administration undercover team was able to sneak simulated liquid explosives past screeners at Denver International Airport about 90 percent of the time during a three-day test in February, in nearly every case because, though machines detected the explosives, the undercover agents talked the screeners out of personally searching them. [KUSA-TV (Denver), 3-29-07]
Recently our Police Chief informed Borger civic clubs about a “click it or ticket” campaign that would last 2 weeks. But friend, why was it even necessary for him to tell us to do what we know is best? Why would I not check to see if my children are buckled? Especially if I know that a “role over” has an 80% mortality rate for those not buckled? And why would I speed if I know that every 10 miles over the speed limit doubles the chance of terminal injuries?
Our Transforming Truth for the week is Romans 13:1-2
1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
So, if we are stopped by one of Borger’s finest, how should we react? Should we resist by trying to talk our way out of it? Since we do not want to incur God’s wrath we should allow them to do their work with “joy and not grief” (Hebrews 13:17).
Three men in Birmingham, England, who were recently freed after, respectively, 18, 18 and 11 years in prison for murders, were (in separate trials) awarded a total of 2.16 million British pounds (about $4.2 million), but the Court of Appeal ruled in March that they will have to give 25 percent back to the government as compensation for their “room and board,” i.e., tiny cells and prison food, during all those years. [BBC News, 3-14-07]
The normal reaction to being treated unfairly is self-pity. However, self-pity is the short cut to long term depression and could eventually lead to serious mental disorders. So how should we react?
A better question would be, “How did Jesus react when wrongly accused”? Jesus never addressed a wrong accusation. When his own family accused him of being mad, he simply looked at those closest to him and told them that they were his family. When being tried for his life, he was silent.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7).
Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5) is not just a command from our Savior it is also the Transforming Truth that leads to perpetual joy and peace.
I can’t help but notice that the churches our Dad’s attended are disappearing. Some have relocated to more affluent neighborhoods. But others have relocated God’s message to be more popular, politically correct, and palatable.
However, God says we need to keep asking for the “ancient paths”.
Jeremiah 6:16Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Unfortunately, even in Jeremiah’s day, people wanted to walk in the paths that made them feel good.
In the Pastoral Epistles Paul told the preacher how to preach so that the churches of Christ would not relocate God’s message:
2 Timothy 4:2Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
If your ears are NOT itching for a message to sooth your soul down a slippery “hell-bent” slope then think about returning to the Church your fathers would have been proud to attend – consider joining the Church of Christ at Borger as we strive to remain Patterned After God’s Word.
Can you imagine being so down that suicide actually makes sense? It is almost as hard as imagining a person beating a DUI charge.
Benoit Derosiers, 51, who police said was so inebriated that he could barely speak when stopped for DUI and who had trouble standing, beat the charge in Provincial Court in Sudbury, Ontario, in April when he proved to the judge a “legal necessity” for driving drunk: He had just attempted suicide and thus was forced to rush himself to the nearest hospital in order to get psychiatric care to head off another attempt. [Globe & Mail, 4-18-07]
People considering suicide do not want to die – they just don’t want to continue living as they have lived (The Christian Therapist’s Notebook, :281). This was the case with Job – the best “riches to rags to riches” story ever. After having lost his 10 children and over $40 million in assets he is forced to face the negative barrage of his 3 “friends”. They serve to knock him lower than any man ever had to go.
Have you been there – been knocked flat on your face by the cruel blows of this world? It is from this humble, prostrated, position that Job shares with us wisdom that gets Satan to back off. Wisdom that caused him to be saved by the “skin of his teeth”?
My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth (Job 19:20,25).
Help Satan back off by joining us this Sunday at 6pm as we study this Scripture.
Are you proud to be an American? This year I celebrate Independence Day as an American for the very first time. Having been on the “other side of the fence” I probably have many more reasons to be proud to live in America.
My country of birth has lost its culture and its traditions. My family and friends, who still live in Southern Africa, long for the old days – the days when the Old war Generals delivered them from the tyranny of the British. But in reality, those days are over. Since the 1990s I have been like a ship without an anchor. But finally I am home. I have a new flag and a new country. I have inherited a country rich with culture and traditions – a country with a great constitution founded on Biblical Principles.
So, yes, I am PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. And I am therefore a proud to be an American in Borger, TX. I appreciate the strong economy of this fine city. I do not believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. I like it just fine right here.
Psalm 33:12 – Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
So, again I ask, “are you proud to be an American”?
The director of education, in a well known company, was asked to review the Training Manuals. In his report he included the term, “pedagogical approach”. The day after the executive committee received his recommendations he was informed by a company director that he was fired. He was to be out of the building by lunch. The reason given was: “The vice-president will not stand for “perverts” working in her company.”
A lack of education can be a dangerous thing. Paul the Apostle used the word “pedagogue” in Galatians 3:24
So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Without our “tutor” or instructor, we would not be able to have found Christ.
Do you sometimes feel like you need a tutor to get to know the Bible better? The Church of Christ at Borger is offering a “Get To Know Your Bible” course through the mail to the general public without cost of obligation. If you are interested simply send us your name and mailing address to:
KNOW YOUR BIBLE
PO Box 3364
BORGER, TX 79008-3364
By the way, the Director of Education was not fired after showing that “Pedagogue” means teacher.
Many holiday goers are exposed to vendors offering “Temporary Henna Tattoos”. Unfortunately these “henna pecked” clients can suffer from many dangerous side-effects. To make the henna dye more prominent, the vendors tend to add PPD. This leads to: permanent scarring; hair dye being fatal; never being able to use sunscreens with PABA; cannot have “sulfa” antibiotics; cannot use most cosmetics; cannot use most drugs ending in “-caine” (http://www.snopes.com/horrors/vanities/henna.asp).
Pure henna tattoos are temporary and probably not dangerous. However, they just don’t satisfy the clients. Our society has become spoilt. We want more, better, and quicker. Unfortunately, the same is true when it comes to God’s Word. We want to have it more digestible and more pleasing. But the consequences to messing with nature are the same as messing with God’s Word.
Just before giving mankind His Word, God said: Deut.4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Then after delivering the Word God said we would have not excuse if we did not take it just as it is:
Deut.30:11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
And finally, He left it up to us to choose:
Deut.30: 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
Are you ready to be transformed – then choose to worship us – I know you will be choosing life.
Since the inception of the Church there have been those who have spread lies packaged in “Gospel guise”. In Acts 5 Ananias & Sapphira paid for their rouse with their lives. This practice, as prophesied (2 Timothy 4:3-4), has not ceased. Using sensational claims of miraculous healings, unsuspecting souls are lured by the promise of a life free from pain and suffering.
Apparently a religious group called the “Breatharians” claim to subsist on only water, air and sunlight, even though there is scant proof of their self-denial and utterly no scientific evidence that humans can live beyond a few weeks on such a diet. [Daily Mail (London), 6-28-07]
In Acts 8 the charlatan’s name was Simon – a.k.a. the “great power of God”. However, instead of performing miracles, he was performing magic. But then he saw that the ability, to perform real miracles, could only be passed on by one of Jesus’ original Apostles (Acts 8:18; Mark 3:13-19). So he asked Peter to sell him this ability. But instead Peter challenged him with this Transform Truth – “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22).
Don’t be a victim of “ambulance chasing charlatans”. Instead, through prayer and supplication, let your request be known to God who graciously and generously gives peace that transcends human understanding.
What do you rely on to get you through the day? What gives you peace at night? Some of us rely on our big house bank account to see us through the dry days or years. Some rely on our secure jobs to provide daily bread for our families.
However, our Transforming word encourages us to lean on the everlasting arms:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
A 21-year-old man found this out first hand. He fell to his death in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in April when he leaned a little too far over on a hillside rock in order to write his girlfriend’s name on an available space on the surface. (Her name is Kaylee and not, unfortunately, just Kay.) [Plain Dealer (Cleveland), 4-7-07]
In Matthew 6 Jesus assures as that we do not need to be anxious for anything (cf.Phil.4:6). Jesus says that His Father, who nourishes the little birds and takes care of the grass in the field, will definitely take care of us.
So what are you anxious about? Why not turn your struggles over to God today. In Romans 8:31-39 we come to realize that since God is for us no one can oppose, accuse, condemn, separate, or defeat us.
Isn’t it time that we stop trying to lean over the edge? Step back and let the Creator of the Universe Bless you and take care of you.
The worm was content to munch away at his leafy lunch. But one day a change came over him. Even his leafy buffet did seem to dominate his mind anymore. Finally he gave into becoming what he was created for. After a short stay in his golden cocoon he boldly ate he way into a new world.
As his wings dried he surveyed the world with new eyes. Soon he stretched out his wings and took his first flight into his new world. “I can fly” he shouted!
But habit caused him to land in his old leafy world one last time. As he bit into the “old World” food, he realized that leaves no longer taste good. But wait, what was this heavenly site next to him –a beautiful flower filled with heavenly tasting pollen. That did it – there and then he vowed never to return to the old world. He was created for something better.
Dear friend, you were created for something better. Why not plan to discover your new world. We have three world class “Transformation Experts” coming to the Church of Christ Building tomorrow at 12:30pm. They are: Ken Waugh, “God’s Transforming Power”; Anthony Applegate, “Transforming Your Mind”; and Ray Young, “Transforming Your Life.”
So what are you feeding on? Want to eat from a heavenly buffet? Then join us as we discover the Truth behind Jesus Transforming Word:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you – Ezekiel 36:26
Everybody knows that Chevy and Ford do not go together. But how would you feel if your parents named you Chevy Ford? Do you think that would lead to a life of confusion?
Cheveon Ford, 21, was arrested in Pensacola, Fla., in July and charged with making false 911 calls; according to authorities, Ford’s only explanation was that he had no more minutes on his phone and knew that 911 calls were free. [WFTV (Orlando), 7-25-07]
In the same way, the compelling explanations, of ambiguous Christians, may not make too much sense to God on Judgment Day. From the days of Eden, to the last book of the Bible, God’s asks us to choose.