 THE BEACON |
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2005 |
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THE BEACON |
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2005 |
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Weekly Bulletin |
January 2, 2005 |
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A New Year, A Weekly Bulletin |
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| There's a lot of
work that goes into publishing a local bulletin. Otto has been publishing
this bulletin twice a month for some time and I have volunteered to take
the other weeks so we can have a weekly bulletin. So I will be editing and
publishing the Beacon on the first, third, and when there is one, fifth
Sundays of each month. There are many purposes fulfilled by a weekly newsletter. One is informing the congregation of upcoming events and the health and well-being of members and their families. I receive bulletins form other congregations and the news section is what I read first. But while this is important, we want the bulletin to be more than just a listing of announcements. Another important purpose is the edification of the members by articles on various topics and tools that can help us grow. Perhaps you have an idea about a topic you would like covered or maybe you would like to write an article yourself on some topic you feel is needed. Either way, just get them to me and I will consider them for publication, subject to editing and space. One of |
the tools, as seen below, is a
Family Devotional that you can do at home (Dads, are you listening?). A
text will be provided as well as some suggested questions for
discussion, and a recommended song that the family can sing together. If
you have ideas for this feature, please pass them on to me. One final purpose of a bulletin is to reach out to our visitors. The bulletin is often the only tangible thing that visitors among us take home with them. Thus the bulletin needs to give a positive impression of what we teach, who we are, and how we relate to one another. So we will continue to keep an upbeat tone in our bulletin to encourage not only us, but to those in the community who visit with us. We want this bulletin to be our bulletin. We want it to be helpful to us in our walks and servants of the Lord, as well as an aid to each of us in our efforts to reach the lost. The bulletin can be a great asset, if we will use it. It can be an important and valuable aspect of our work, if we work together. Dan May |
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Getting To Know Us Better! |
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| Our congregation
here in Bremerton is frequently blessed with new faces. Jobs and careers
bring new members to our area. Also exciting are the times when our
friends and neighbors and people in the community are converted and become
part of our church family. As we continue to grow, it could become
difficult for new members to get to know those of us already in residence
and for us to get to know them. When Robyn and I moved her in July, it did not take long for you to get to know us, but it took a while for us to get to know you. In fact, we are still getting to know some of you. So I am aware of the difficulty and frustration that newcomers face when trying to get acquainted with a large group (putting names with faces) no matter how friendly they may be! To help remedy that, in this section of the bulletin, we will be running family biographies of our members, beginning with the families of our elders, and deacons. To start us off, I will |
feature my
family in the next bulletin I publish. These short biographies will also
be collected in a binder to lend to new members to help them get to know
us. You will complete, and RETURN to me. These sheets will give pertinent
facts about you and your family, including hobbies, interests, and how you
feel you can serve or need to be served. My hope is that through this
section we can all learn more about one another and grow closer in our
relationships as members of this congregation, as well as provide a
resource for those who join us in the future. I am excited about the new year and my part of the bulletin. With your help we can all use this tool in our service to the Lord Dan May |
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Home Devotional |
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| 2 Peter 1:5-10 | ||
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Weekly Bulletin |
January 9, 2005 |
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A Lesson For Ahab |
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King Ahab was not the best of men and was among the worst of kings. His sins, to name just a few among many, included idolatry, lying, defiance of God and His word, and conspiracy to commit murder. Strangely enough, we read of no evil done by Ahab before his misguided marriage to an infamous Phoenician princess named Jezebel. Once she came into his life, though, everything changed: “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” (1 Kings 21:25) Make no mistake: Ahab did wrong. And Ahab was responsible for the wrong he did. But he had help in his wrongdoing. He was “stirred up.”
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How many acts of foolishness, how many acts of evil, have been performed by otherwise good people who have allowed themselves to be “stirred up”? Many “good, decent young people” are behind bars at this moment because of their participation in crimes such as vandalism, theft, or drug abuse. When asked what went wrong in their lives, many will tell the same, sad story: “I just got in with the wrong bunch of kids. I started running with the wrong crowd.” The Bible teaches, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad associations ruin upright morals.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33, McCord.) Ahab learned this lesson the hard way, through painful, bitter experience. What will it take for us to learn? By Dalton Key; via Old Paths |
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Baptism: Urgent and Essential |
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In New Testament times people were baptized as soon as they heard the gospel and had faith in Christ (Acts 2:41; 8:35-39; 16:30-34). There were no postponements or delays; there was no such thing as waiting for a "baptismal day." It was always "straightway," "the same day," "the same hour of the night," etc. They thought baptism was urgent and essential. Furthermore, the inspired men of the New Testament did not take baptism lightly. They never poked fun at it saying, "There's no power in the water," neither did they accuse some of trusting in "water salvation." They taught that Jesus made atonement for sin in His death, and they commanded all to believe, repent, and be baptized in order to receive the benefits of His death (Rom. 6:3-4). They viewed baptism as an act of faith in and submission to Jesus Christ, the Savior, who has all authority (Matt. 28:18-20). All would freely admit that there is no power in the water of baptism. The power is of the Lord. Remember that Jesus healed a blind man by anointing his eyes and saying, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." (Jon. 9:6-7). The blind man did not object by saying, "There is no power in the water." He knew that the power was of the Lord and he needed to obey to receive the blessing. Likewise, there is no power in the water of baptism, but one must go to the water to receive the blessing. To be cleansed of leprosy, Naaman was told, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times..." (2 Kings 5:10). There was no power in the water of Jordan, but if Naaman had not obeyed, he would not have been cleansed. Similarly, if one does not obey in baptism, he will not be cleansed.
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One is not lost just because he is not baptized. He is lost because he is a sinner. If someone who can't swim falls into a lake and a boat is sent, but he won't get into the boat, is he drowning because he won't get into the boat? No, he is drowning because he is in the water. Likewise, one is not lost just because he is not baptized, but because he is in sin. Just as the boat is the means of rescue and one must get into it, the gospel is the means of salvation and must be obeyed (baptism included) to rescue from sin. Who has the right today to label baptism as "non-essential" or in anyway minimize any of the commands of Christ? Aren't all of the commands of the Lord essential? He said, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Lk. 6:46). As Lord, He has the right to make baptism an important step in the plan. He is the Savior and His will must become ours. He is the "author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:9). If when baptized, you put one Christ (Gal. 3:27), wash away sins (Acts 22:16), have remission of sins (Acts 2:38), are saved (Mk. 16:16), benefit from Christ's death (Rom. 6:3-4), enter the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), what is your condition without baptism? Why not repent and be immersed in the name of Christ for the remission of sins? Let no man deceive you. Humbly obey the gospel today. By David J. Riggs; via 2004 Proclaimer |
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A Step Back Is A Step Forward |
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To say that a step back is a step forward is a little strange. It sounds as if that is a contradiction in direction. How could you take a step back and it be a step forward? Over the past twenty short years the complexion of our country has made a drastic change. Our country has gone ...from down-home to up-town...from friendly to fierce…from believing to belligerent...from caring to criticizing...from edifiers to ego-maniacs...from good neighbors to gossips...from being intelligent to being educated...from loving to leaving...from nice to nasty...from opportunistic to opinionated...from prayerful to persecuting...from sacrificial to selfish...from unified to unsatisfied...from willing to wanting...from yielding to yelling!!!! I am not sure why there has been such a drastic change, but much of the change could be blamed on the fact that our country has such a desire to move forward. In some cases we are making great strides. In some cases this desire to move forward has made our lives much more comfortable and much simpler. I don’t want to go back to...a wood-burning stove and a window unit. I like my central heat and air...a typewriter and a bottle of white-out, I like my delete button...an envelope and a stamp, I like my email. But in this great transition there has been something that has been lost. It seems that with the advance in technology some personal relationships have suffered. It seems that the desire for those personal relationships has died. That is not the only thing that has been lost. Whatever happened to the days when...we built front porches instead of back fences...respect was common...accountability was expected...and neighbors were friends?
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I would suggest to that a step back in these matters would be a step forward!!! Enough about the world, what about the church? Where has the church gone in the last twenty years? Are we guilty of following in some of the same steps as the world? Are we guilty of...building buildings instead of brothers...being comfortable instead of convicted...making demands instead of making disciples...forsaking instead of fellowshipping...grumbling instead of growing...leaving instead of lasting...negotiating instead of never changing...observing instead of obeying...turning instead of teaching...wavering instead of working? It is time that we get back on the “Old Paths”!!! It is time that we stop looking to make the church what we want it to be, and start working to make it what Christ died for it to be!!! Many things have been done in the name of improvement. That is fine as long as it is progress and not apostasy. Let’s make sure that we are on the track in the church. My suggestion for the church would be a step back is a step forward. If we will take the right steps, the church will always keep “‘Headin’ for the Healer”. By Shawn Davis; via Old Paths
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Weekly Bulletin |
January 16, 2005 |
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A Culture of Violence |
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virus of violence is plaguing our society. The magnitude of this problem
is not readily seen because we have become like the proverbial "frog in
the pan" and the change has been slow and gradual. But when we look at the
change from the standpoint of statistics, we should be horrified. The per capita murder rate in this country doubled from 1957 (the year the FBI started keeping records) to 1992. A clearer picture is seen in the rate of people trying to kill each other - aggravated assault -which grew from 60 per 100,000 in 1957 to 440 per 100,000 by the middle of this decade. That is nearly a seven-fold increase. On reason that so many attempted murder victims have survived is our improving medical technology. An illustration of this is technological advance is seen in battle wounds. A would that would have killed 9 out of 10 soldiers in World War II was survived by 9 out of 10 by veterans in Viet Nam. This virus of violence is not just isolated to the United States. Canada has reported a five-fold increase in assaults, seven times as many attempted murders and a doubling of murders from 1964 to 1993. Similar statistics are available for Australia. New Zeeland, France, England, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands. Do you get the picture? Is it coincidental that these numbers have all increased dramatically within the same time period? Or that these are all western nations? No! There are many factors involved and none should be discounted. For instance, the prevalence of guns in our society is a factor. So is child abuse, poverty, racism, divorce and broken homes. All of these have been around for almost as long a Man. Yet, they do not fully explain the upsurge in violence in |
western societies over the
last 30 years. There is a new factor influencing all of the above
countries as well as others that were not named. What's the new variable
bearing the exact same fruit in each of these countries? It is media
violence presented as entertainment for children. I have copied a study that discusses this in more detail and it is available to you this morning on the table in the foyer. Please read it and heed it! (NOTE: SEE THE NEXT ARTICLE). In the lesson this morning, I want to talk frankly about identifying marks of the New Testament church. (MP3 file can be downloaded from this site). Next week, I plan to discuss the society in which the early church not only survived, but thrived - a society very similar to our own. In two weeks, Lord willing, I want to study how we are to be different from the world. I feel that we have become desensitized to violence, and the evidence of it has been seen in the Lord's church. What I will say in the next few weeks, especially next week, may not be comfortable to listen to, but I assure you that it can change you - it did me!! It is a change for the better and I hope you will be there Dan May
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Violence As Entertainment for Children |
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| (Note: The following is
an edited version of a lengthier article. The full article and the
specific works cited are available upon request from Dan May). Littleton, Colorado: Springfield, Oregon; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Pearl, Mississippi. These previously unknown suburban cities will forever be branded into our minds. The cities are linked by one devastating factor: young students firing upon fellow students and educators. What causes these young people to "snap" causing the violent shooting sprees? Although the events are too recent to fully understand their causes, we can try to understand what led to the disastrous situations. The impact of television violence on youth behavior has been an issue for many years. Television stations and their executives tend to deny television's contribution to youth violence. In 1939, at the World's Fair, television first came into our lives. In 1938, author E. B. White told Harpers Magazine: "I believe that television is going to be the test of the modern world, and in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our own vision, we shall discover either a new and unbearable disturbance to the general peace or a saving radiance in the sky. We shall stand or fall by television, of that I am sure." E. B. White foresaw the problems associated with television when TV first arrived, but I do not believe he figured television would have such an impact on American society. Television has become standard in many homes. In 1949, only two percent of homes had a television. Today, the opposite is true; only two percent of homes do not have a television. Television is used to inform, entertain, and educate the public. Children make up a large part of television viewers. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) states that "American Children watch an average of three to four hours of television daily. "Unfortunately many children are left home alone after school, thus their television viewing is not restricted. Violence on television has notably increased in the last 25 years. William Goodwin stated " A five year study by the American Psychological Association found that the average child witnesses 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of violence on television by the seventh grade." John Murray acknowledges this statement and ads that 5 violent acts per hour occur during prime time and 20-25 violent acts occur during Saturday morning children's programming. Therefore, some children could be watching 95-125 acts of violence on television every week! These violent acts can pose a threat to the mind of our young children. These effects may be noticeable in the early stages of life or may remain unnoticed for many years, even into adulthood. Various government officials have addressed this problem. In 1994, Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders said "By portraying violence as the normal means of conflict resolution, the media gives youth the message that violence is socially acceptable and the best way to solve problems. After 10 years of research, we know that a correlation exists between violence on television and aggressive behavior in children." Research results in two different studies strengthen Elders' statement. One study shows that "two years after television was introduced to the remote city of Notel, Canada, physical aggression in children in the area increased 160 percent." Once television arrived in south Africa, the homicide rates among whites, which had been in the decline, increased 130 percent in twelve years. There may have been other factors which contributed to the increase in violence, but, these studies show that television does have an impact on youth behavior. |
There have been other studies which also demonstrate the effects of
violence on youth. For example, a study by AACAP found that as a result of
TV violence, children may: become immune to the horror of violence;
gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems; imitate violence
they observe on television; and identify with certain characters, victims,
or victimizers. An additional study involved about one hundred preschool aged children enrolled in a special nursery school at Pennsylvania State University. They were divided into three groups and were assigned to watch a particular died of programming. The children watched either a diet of Batman and Superman cartoons, a diet of Mister Roger's Neighborhood, or a diet of neutral programming (programs designed for preschoolers that contained neither violence or pro-social messages). Researchers began by observing the youngsters on the playground and in the classroom for two weeks prior to the study to assess the level of aggressive and helpful behavior displayed by these children. Then, the children viewed the program diet one half hour a day, three days a week, for four weeks. The watched 12 half hour episodes of the diet to which they assigned. Researchers found that the youngsters who watched Batman and Superman cartoons were more physical active, both in the classroom and on the playground. Also, they were more likely to get into fights and scrapes with each other, play roughly with toys, break toys, snatch toys from others, and get into little altercations. No mass murders broke out, but, they were simply more aggressive and had more aggressive encounters. Another group that had watched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, was much more likely to play cooperatively with their toys, spontaneously offer to help the teacher, and engage in what might be called "positive peer counseling." ...In this instance, the focus of the Mister Rogers' sessions was similar to "peer counseling" - being kind, being sensitive to others needs, and being concerned about others feelings. For example, Fred Rogers might suggest that if someone looks sad, you could say, "You look sad today, are you feeling okay? Do you want to go play or do something" The group that watched the neutral programming was neither more aggressive nor more helpful. However, what is more interesting about this study is that is shows both sides of the coin: What children watch does affect how they behave both positively and negatively." How can we reduce the impact of violence on television. The easiest way would be through parental limitation of their children's television viewing. Parents can limit television viewing by reducing the number of hours children are allowed to watch. This will limit the number of violent acts they see. This will also free up more time for more beneficial activities such as reading, socializing, playing sports or developing other hobbies. Unfortunately most parents work outside the home, and since no one is home to enforce the limited viewing some children will not follow. |
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Home Devotional |
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Weekly Bulletin |
January 23, 2005 |
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What Do You Seek? |
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| Jesus turned, and seeing them
following, said to them, "What do you seek?"-John
1:38 How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you, "What do you seek?" Perhaps you would ask for better health, a higher paying job or financial security. Would you ask for a happier marriage or an explanation of some difficult passage of scripture? For the two disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus was the one they were seeking. One day while John was standing with these two disciples (vs. 35), Jesus walked by and John proclaimed, "Be-hold, the Lamb of God!" After these two disciples heard John say this of Jesus, they started following after Him. When Jesus saw them, He asked, "What do you seek?" (vs. 38) John had been teaching his disciples about one who was coming after him. John was preaching, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose" (Mark 1:7). John's disciples were looking for this "One". When John saw Jesus and identified Him by saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God," these disciples did not hesitate to turn and follow Jesus.
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These two disciples, in
response to Jesus' question, wanted to know where He w2as staying. Not
only did Jesus show them the place, He spent the remainder of the day with
them. I wonder how often we miss the opportunity to spend time with Jesus because we are busy seeking things of this world. The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I realize that other matters are far less important. What do you see,? If it is the Lord, He is there to be found. He desires above all that we seek after Him. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upo0n you and learn from Me, for I am gentile and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."-Matt 11:28-30 Shane Williams; via 2005 Proclaimer
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Giving Today |
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| Giving to the Lord today is
beneficial for us and important to the cause of Christ. We are commanded
to give, but giving is also a privilege and a blessing. By our giving, we
declare our obedience, our faith, our commitment, and our love and respect
for God. Furthermore, God blesses those who give as they should, if not in
this world, then certainly in the world to come. Christians give to God today by "laying by in store on the first day of the week" (1 Cor. 16:1-2) and by giving as we have opportunity to those in need (Matt. 25:34-40; Eph. 4:28.) "Laying by in store on the first day of the week" allows Christians to have fellowship in the work of the church - preaching the gospel and helping needy saints (Phil. 1:5; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Taking advantage of opportunities as individuals to help the needy or using our money to accomplish other good works are ways of letting our lights shine and glorifying God (Matt. 5:16). When we give, we lay up heavenly treasures; these are the treasures that cannot be destroyed or taken form us (Matt 6:19-21). Truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Materialism, the tendency to prefer material possessions and physical comfort to spiritual values, threatens to destroy would-be generous spirits. If we are not careful, materialism will arouse the spirit of greed, covetousness, and worry within us. We will spend, seeking to quench the unappeasable thirst for more, instead of giving. We will splurge to "Keep up with the Joneses" rather than give. We will selfishly horde our riches, because we fear having nothing to live on or because we worry about tomorrow, I.e. the kids' education, future health problems, or future retirement. We do not mean to suggest that the Bible condemns forethought or binds upon us vows of poverty-far from it. The Bible commends the ant because of his diligence and forethought (Prov. 6:6-8). It encourages us to enjoy the fruits of our labors, remembering that they are gifts from God (Eccl. 3:13).j We are not advocating that we burden ourselves to ease others (2 Cor 8:13). Our intention is, however, to advise that we cannot serve two masters, God and money (Matt. 6:24) or be so concerned about what we shall eat or drink today or worried about what might be tomorrow that we fail to give as we should today (Matt. 6:33-34). Our purpose is to declare that we must not trust in riches, but in the living God. We must be ready to give, willing to share, storing up for ourselves a good foundation for the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
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It encourages us to enjoy the
fruits of our labors, remembering that they are gifts from God (Eccl.
3:13).j We are not advocating that we burden ourselves to ease others (2
Cor 8:13). Our intention is, however, to advise that we cannot serve two
masters, God and money (Matt. 6:24) or be so concerned about what we shall
eat or drink today or worried about what might be tomorrow that we fail to
give as we should today (Matt. 6:33-34). Our purpose is to declare that we
must not trust in riches, but in the living God. We must be ready to give,
willing to share, storing up for ourselves a good foundation for the time
to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:17-19). The best way to make sure that we give as we should today is to set aside first what we wish to give to God, then determine what we will do with the rest of our money. Stay within the plan! When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he encouraged them, "perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will so there may e a performance also out of that which ye have" (2 Cor. 8:11). God deserves and demands first place in our hearts and lives and the first fruits of our labors. Furthermore, if we seek to give capriciously, without forethought, we will likely never give as we should. We will probably overextend our selves in other areas, robbing God "to pay Peter." We must give of our living not from our abundance (Mark 12:41-44) Believe God when He says it is blessed blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) and that he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, but he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). Believe that God is able to provide you with food, increase your efforts, and add to your fruits of righteousness (2 'Cor. 9:10). Let God's word and His goodness motivate you to give as He directs. Surmount the temptations of greed, covetousness, and materialism. Desire to please God more than you desire the things of this world. Prove your faithfulness to God by your giving. Remember, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matt. :21). We cannot afford not to give to God, today, liberally, cheerfully, and according as we have prospered. By Harold Hancock; via Abundant Life
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| God Knows | |||
| A small town prosecuting attorney
called his first witness to the stand in a trial -- a grandmotherly,
elderly woman. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know
me?" She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I've known
you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big
disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate
people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a rising
big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to
anything more than a two0-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you." The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and ask, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?" She again replied, "Why, yes I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him." At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be in jail for contempt within 5 minutes!"
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It's rather frightening, isn't it, to think of someone
knowing (and sharing) everything there to know about us! In the book of
Revelation, seven letters are sent from Jesus Christ to seven churches
in Asia Minor. Each of the letters begins with the same words: "I know your works.." (Rev. 2:2) It is a sobering thought to know that as we stand before the great judge, there is one who knows all about us. May that knowledge serve to motivate us to live righteous lives. "For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:14) By Alan Smith; via 2005 Proclaimer
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Weekly Bulletin |
January 30, 2005 |
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Meditation On Psalm 23 |
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passages can become so familiar that we no longer see the simple, yet
astonishing truths they contain. That is why meditation is so important.
Isaiah 28:10 says, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon
precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
All of God's word has great value and we must stop and consider each part.
One of the most beautiful and probably the best known psalms is Psalm 23,
printed below. Read the entire psalm slowly, and do not allow your mind to
pass over any portion because you have certain phrases, or even whole
verses, memorized. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Below I have printed it out again. This time it is arranged line by line. Pause after each line and consider that thought. To help you, I have written a prompt to help focus on the truth and application each line contains. Enjoy! The LORD is my shepherd; You are the sheep and He is your shepherd. What does that relationship mean to you? I shall not want. God will always provide what you need! Are you trusting in Him? He makes me to lie down in green pastures; This pictures confidence and protection. How does the Lord do this for you? He leads me beside the still waters. Here rest and peace are described. How has God refreshed you? He restores my soul; This describes your healing and forgiveness. Thank God for that! He leads me in the paths of righteousness. Here is the assurance of guidance in your life. Are you following Him? For His name's sake. The purpose of your life is to glorify His name. Are you fulfilling this?
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Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You
will be tested. Life won't always be still waters and green pastures. Are
you prepared to walk through this valley? I will fear no evil; This phrase shouts confidence. But you must ask, "Why am I so confident?" For You are with me; Ah! Here is the reason. You have One with you who faithfully protects you. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. There is discipline pictured here. What kinds of discipline has God used in your life? You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Here is hope. That no matter what the situation, God is going to bless you! Praise Him! You anoint my head with oil; You have been sanctified, and made to be a king and priest in His kingdom! How does that make you feel? My cup runs over. God is so generous. In what ways has God blessed you abundantly? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; Every day, his mercy and goodness will be new! Are you aware of it every day? What is your daily response to God? And I will dwell in the house of the LORD What greater honor is there than to be God's child? Does this humble you? Forever. That is eternity! Your sojourn will end at His door. Just think about it! Dan May |
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John 10:11-18
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Weekly Bulletin |
February, 2005 |
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Character Matters |
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| "Sow a
thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a
habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." Thomas Paine, famous American political philosopher and author of Common Sense, said, "Character is much easier kept than recovered." Both of these quotes indicate how deeply imbedded in your life character is. It is not something that lies on the surface of who you want to be - it is the result of decisions and actions over the course of your life. Your character is the basis for your reputation. And as the course of your life. Your character is the basis for your reputation. And as the Preacher said, "A good name is better than precious ointment" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). How does one build a good character and maintain it? The answer is again in our quote by that prolific author, Anonymous. It all begins in your heart and with your thoughts. What are you thinking about, what are you allowing to enter your minds? Paul wrote, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). If these are the kinds of things that you think about, then the actions that spring from your thoughts will be of the same nature. Those repeated actions will become the habits of your life and those habits will create your character. Where is God in all of this? He is the sum total of it all. When you think of things true, noble, right, pure, etc., God is at the top of every list. It6 should ultimately be your goal to be like Him. You are to seek that "likeness" in every aspect of your life. Integrity, by definition, means "a state or quality of wholeness." That carries over to character in the sense that every part of your life is in seamless unity with every other part. All of your thoughts and actions are of the same nature - God's nature! |
God has provided for each of us the things to think on, the basis for
thought and action. These principles of living have always been a part of
God's revelation to Man, even, I believe. Before they were first written
down in the Law of Moses. We call them the Ten Commandments. They provide
for a proper attitude toward God and our fellowman as well as material
things. Part of the reason for our national character deficit is ignorance of the principles contained in the Ten Commandments. Most people who are asked if they believe in God responded positively. Most people when asked if they live by the Ten Commandments again answer in the affirmative. But most people if asked to name them, cannot do so. As Dr. Laura Schlesinger commented, "It is time for people to not only believe in God, but to believe God." Believing God means that you do what He says, you live how He directs, you listen to Him with a heart that seeks to comply. Starting next Sunday, I will be presenting a lesson once a month on the Ten Commandments. The eternal principles contained in these are still applicable to us. I hope that you will enter this study with an open mind and Bible. If so, we can begin to pay down that character deficit and gain the dividends of integrity and good character in the next generation. Dan May |
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| Philippians 4:8 | |||
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Weekly Bulletin |
February 13, 2005 |
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Death In the City |
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| Death
was walking toward a city one morning, and a man asked, "What are you
going to do?" "I'm going to take 100 people," Death replied. "That's
horrible!" the man said. "That's the way it is." Death said, "That's what I do." The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death's plan. As evening fell, he met Death again. "You told me you were going to take only 100 people," the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?" I kept my word, Death responded," I only took 100 people". Worry took the others. |
Worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart for its
beginning signals the end of faith. Worry intrudes on God's compassionate
ability to provide. When we allow our problems to overshadow God's
promises, we unknowingly doom ourselves to a defeat that was never part of
God's eternal plans. Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today. Simply let go and let God be God. Live God's way of life and be eternally blessed. author unknown; via 2004 Proclaimer |
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| "Give Thanks" | ||
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In Psalm 92:1-4, the Psalmist says: "It is good to give thanks to
the Lord and to sing praises to thy name, O Most High; To declare thy
loving-kindness in the morning and Thy faithfulness by night... For Thou,
O Lord, has made me glad by what thou hast done; I will sing for joy at
the work of Thy hands." The Psalmist says that thanks giving is good. There is nothing better for the human soul and for human relations than gratitude. It is good because it makes all of us better and all of us more of what we know we ought to be. But the goodness of this gratitude is not complete without thanking God. The reason is simply that God always deserves our gratitude (cf. Romans 1:18-20). Yet, another reason that giving thanks is good is because of its result: grateful hearts know joy and gladness. The bridge to common existence and joy is gratitude. And God knew that. |
The Psalmist also says thanks should be given to God for what He has done.
Foremost, of course, of all His gifts is His Own Son who bore the penalty
of sin so that we could share in eternal life (cf. Rom 6:23). The Psalmist
said he declared God's loving-kindness and faithfulness from sun up to sun
down. There are few things that can really fill the day with joy more than
faithful love. God is the one who has shown it to us - over and over again
- but especially in the Cross. Still, the Psalmist sings praise for the
work of God's hands. Of course, he may be considering His miraculous
intervention in history but the context describes God's providential care
(cf. 12-14). God gives us life, love and people. So thank Him for that. Christians should know this most of all. For Paul wrote: "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Col. 3:15) By Don Hooton; via 2005 Proclaimer |
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| WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? | ||
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As two disciples were walking to Emmaus after the Lord's resurrection,
Jesus appeared and walked with them and entered their conversation with
the question: "What are these words that you are exchanging with one
another as you are waking?" (Luke 24:17). These disciples did not need to be embarrassed or ashamed, for they were talking of the Lord and the events of Calvary. I am convinced that His modern-day disciples do not often discuss the same things these men talked about. Since "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34), what we talk about reveals what kind of heart we have.
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Jesus still walks among His people. (Revelation 2:1). Would you be
embarrassed for Him to hear some of your conversations? King David said,
"My tongue also shall talk of the righteousness all the day long." (Psalms
71:24). Just think of that! David never got tired of telling of God's
mercy and greatness. He even talked of God before dignitaries; "I will
speak of thy testimonies also before Kings, and will not be ashamed. And I
will delight myself in thy commandments which I have loved." (Psalms
119:46-47). What type of speech is characteristic of you? What is your favorite topic of conversation? We believe you would be stronger if you follow the example of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. By Bobby Key; via Old Paths
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| God's Cake | ||
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Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this," or "Why did God have
to do this to me." Here is a wonderful expiation A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing Algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake." "Here have some cooking oil," her Mother offers. "Yuck" says her daughter. "How about a couple of raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!" "Would you like some flower then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!" |
To which the mother replies: "yes, all those things seem bad all by
themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a
wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and eventually they will all make something wonderful! God loves you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He is ready to listen. He lives everywhere, and you choose yourself as a dwelling place for Him. Are you allowing God to manage your life? Author unknown!
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